When I heard “Spilling My Blood” from Generous Gods, I was intrigued. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t quite sold. Their sound, although distinct, was just a bit too standard alt-rock to really get me excited but there was something about the track. I knew there was a fire in this band and knew that, even if their music wasn’t 100% for me based on just this one song, I wanted to hear more and know more about this band so, naturally, I asked them some questions to get to know them a bit better and to get the hype up for their brand new digital 45, ‘Your Pscyhe Is Showing’
We’re going to start off with a two-parter: Pick between It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Office, or Parks & Rec. Now that you’ve picked, please assign each band member as a character from said show
We don’t watch much TV, so we have no clue about those shows. Also, it’s a revolving cast of intriguing characters that make up Generous Gods, each adding their personality, ethos, and life experience to the music thus creating our little slice of southern-psychedelic heaven.
Everyone says that every crowd is their favorite but, what city has the best audience and why is it Minneapolis?
Haha, we’ll bite! We’ve never played Minneapolis, but two of our favorite bands come from that beautiful, icy metropolis; The Replacements and The Litter. Paul Westerberg should be next in line for knighthood – such a rare bird. Interestingly, a friend of ours was at a Twins game some years back and decided to see if Paul was in the phone book. Much to our friends’ surprise, he was! Our buddy calls the number and a gruff voice answers ‘yeah?’ – our friend asks, ‘Is this Paul from The Replacements?’ and after a long drag from a cigarette, the other voice says, ‘Yeah, and FUCK YOU! Don’t’ call again.’ Haha
Also, Bob Dylan spent some years there in his youth and has attributed his understanding of folk music with his time living in Dinkytown. So, yeah – Minneapolis is alright with us.
When playing Monopoly- who is the banker, who is what “icon”, who is the first to flip the board?
We’ve never played Monopoly together! That needs to happen at some point. And no one is flipping the board, this group of individuals is far too chill for that – you’re dealing with a smattering of Buddhists and believers in compassion!
What were each of you voted for in high school?
Gray (singer) got ‘most talented,’ and that might just be the only superlative given amongst us. He was bummed because he wanted ‘most spirited’ ha.
What was the last show you each went to before shutdown?
We went to see Of Montreal and what a final show it was! Of course, we didn’t know it would be the last show we’d see for a year, but one could do worse. They’re from Athens, GA, and hometown heroes of sorts there, at least to some degree. That Kevin Barnes sure is something – he’s got soul power. A friend of ours has a machine shop that they practice near. It’s in a commercial parkway out near the outskirts of town and our friend said there are often wildly ornate costumes and outlandish stage structures being wheeled in and out. Gotta love Of Montreal and Athens, GA. Have you been? Best unsweet tea and has a vibe like nowhere else in the south.
What’s everyone’s favorite method of listening to music?
Vinyl all the way. We like to have people over and grill tofu steaks and veggies in the backyard and in that instance, it’s more convenient to stream music, but if given the choice, vinyl. There’s a satisfying ritual to putting a record on and letting it play through, then flipping it. It’s meditative.
Are you okay with unconventional interview questions?
When do the conventional ones start?
Did Matt Skiba help or hurt Blink 182? Or, if you have no opinion, that’s fine too (although I’ll absolutely be judging you)!
Embarrassingly, we have no clue who Matt Skiba is or what a Blink 182 is.
What does a night out with you guys look like? Are we at a bar? Who’s drinking the most? Who’s the worst wallflower?
A night out looks reasonably tame, particularly post Covid. Perhaps a nice vegan meal, lots of friends, a few dogs running around, glasses clinking, string lights, and good music being played damn loud – we’re just glad to be vaxed and able to see friends and hug loved ones, you know? Depending on the night, Gray might be the wallflower, blooming in the shade and the warm, humid Atlanta evening air ha.
Favorite lyrics of all time?
Off the top of our heads, ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’, the 5 refrains, 4 verse Dylan full version. It’s the perfect balance of Percy Shelly or Keats mixed with Ginsberg / beat-era poetry that meets the folk tradition song-craft-simplicity of A. P. Carter and Guthrie. Still gets us every time. ‘A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall’ came up next. It’s odd for us to think of lyrics in that way. There are so many incredible lyricists, Joni, Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Paul Simon, etc. Throw a dart at any of those names and we could rattle off a dozen or so brilliant, compelling, moving, and top-of-our-list worthy lyrics.
What’s your favorite menu item at Taco Bell?
Do they have vegan options? Maybe a bean burrito? Sounds dodgy… could see there being cheese mixed in. Can we go to a local taco shop or food truck?
If you were to rob a bank, what would be the song playing in the getaway car as you escape?
‘Gimme Shelter’ has to have been done at some point right? Surely Scorsese has done it. Let’s keep it Minneapolis and go with The Litter – ‘Here I Go Again’, it’s a damn jammer and feels heist-worthy. 2nd choice would be LAs, The Seeds – ‘Pushin’ Too Hard.’ Could envision tearing out of a bank parking lot with money flying out of the car with that blaring ha.
What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?
My Morning Jacket at 40 Watt in Athens, GA some years ago. It was a two-night stint and was ’80’s prom’ themed. Wow. They left it all on the stage. Powerful vibes coming from the fingers and throats of those unshorn Kentuckians. Heard the lead singer interviewed recently and he seems like a sweet dude. Kentucky seems like a great place. Lots of interesting artists and creatives from there. Have you been?
What’s one thing I should know before listening to your new digital 45 ‘Your Psyche Is Showing’?
We’ll give you a few if you’ll humor us: that Generous Gods loves its listeners, money is fake, aliens are real, your ego will betray you every chance it can, ‘The Threepenny Opera’ should be required reading, everyone should have to work in the service industry at some point, ‘The Big Lebowski’ is the apogee of American cinema, Neptune’s moon Triton is the coldest place in our Solar System, and you should listen to our music through the prism that we’re blissfully out of step with modern music and we’re ok with that.
Okay, I’ll be honest– the fact they have no opinion on the Blink 182 thing and they are unfamiliar with Taco Bell– points against them. But! Them taking the time to do this interview with me and having fun with it at that means everything to me. ‘Your Pysche Is Showing’ literally just dropped so check it out and show these guys some serious love (and, don’t worry, a full review will be coming)!
Check Out the Brand New Digital 45 HERE:
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