It wouldn't be San Francisco without Two Gallants. A staple on the scene since 2002, Adam Stephens and Tyson Vogel are two gentlemen who have hit their stride. Currently on tour in support of their fifth full-length album, We Are Undone, like San Francisco itself, this is a duo in transition. We spoke with vocalist/guitarist Adam Stephens ahead of Two Gallants' headlining show with Goodnight, Texas this Saturday at The Fillmore.
What do you feel distinguishes your newest album from previous releases?
AS: Well, it’s probably the bleakest album we’ve ever made. I guess there’s been a bit of a trajectory in that direction. You don’t always notice it but the older most of us get, those sensations of naive unadulterated joy show up less and less often and whatever the opposite is kind of seeps into everything. It comes out in the way you dress yourself, the amount of time you are willing to spend petting a dog, the way you greet passing strangers in street, and obviously in the way you express yourself verbally. I miss being less responsible and less concerned with the future. Unfortunately, the future is looking to be a pretty bleak place.
What is your favorite song on the new album and why?
AS: I don’t pick favorites. I think “My Man Go” turned out pretty well. It stands out a bit to me being that the rest of the album is mostly loud and aggressive. We recorded with Karl Derfler and I was really happy with some of the sounds he was able to get. This one we did completely live, sitting pretty much face to face and you can really hear the room and the guitar and drums competing for air.
Which of your own albums is your favorite and why?
AS: Again, I don’t have any favorites when it comes to things I’ve done. I think the songs on our first album The Throes are probably the most interesting to me. Back then they just came out almost fully formed and went down unedited. I don’t think the performances were our best but I think the songs still stand up.
What sort of music do you listen to on your leisure time?
AS: I’m kind of all over the place. I’ve got it going on shuffle right now and Danny Brown’s “Smokin & Drinkin” just came on. I’ve kind of been getting back into a lot of traditional British ballads lately. Like Child ballads and sailing songs. I’ve particularly been liking some early recordings of The Watersons. They do these beautiful renditions of traditional british gypsy and sailing songs, mostly a cappella.
What is the most memorable moment you have from one of your shows?
AS: I remember playing a house show in brooklyn with Holy Ghost Revival years ago. We were playing in the kitchen and at one point I ended up kind of crowd surfing (or however much of a crowd can fit into a kitchen) while playing and I for moment I had both my feet planted on the ceiling. We came back a few years later and ended up playing the same house in the backyard and my shoe prints were still there on the ceiling in the kitchen. I think they tore that building down.
What are your favorite venues to play in the Bay?
AS: The Independent has always been one of my favorite venues in the city. We’ve gotten pretty close with the people there over the years and they’ve always been kind. Besides being one of the best sounding rooms in town, it’s also refreshing to go to a show and not be treated with hostility by the security. Bottom of the Hill will always be a special place for me. It’s one of the last venues from the old days and still has great shows.
Favorite spots to hangout in the Bay?
AS: Whenever old friends are in town we usually meet up at Specs’. That place hasn’t changed yet. I like to take my dog to Caesar Chavez park in the Berkeley Marina whenever I can.
What have been your favorite countries to play in and why?
AS: We tend to have the best shows in central europe. Most places where German is spoken have been pretty good to us. We toured China a few years ago which wasn’t my favorite country to tour but definitely one of the most interesting.
Being Bay Area natives, what do you think of the changes that have been going on in the area?
AS: I think they are pretty much all reprehensible. I can’t really think of a single significant change that has done genuine, broadly felt good for the actual inhabitants of the city and not just developers. I suppose more bike lanes is one. Both of our earliest memories are of our childhoods in this city. It was a magical place. All the beautiful corners of the city we used to explore in high school looking for a cut to smoke are now cutely paved and manicured for easy tourist access. Which is fine to a point. I just wish a little bit of the ruggedness had been preserved. Now there’s nowhere left to hide. And there used to be so much more character and creative energy to the city. The new flock of people seem hell bent on snuffing those things out. They might not realize that they’re doing it but when you spend more of your time out in the city patronizing the newest hottest restaurants on Valencia instead of supporting places that have music or art shows or poetry readings, you’re playing a small but not insignificant role in wiping out all the creative culture that likely made you attracted to the city in the first place.
What's next for Two Gallants in 2016?
AS: We just toured europe for 5 weeks and are kind of taking it slow right now. Both Tyson and I have been working on our own respective music projects. We’re probably each gonna be putting out a couple records soon and then probably work on another together.
Catch Two Gallants on Saturday, November 28th at The Fillmore.
