Michael Girardot Talks About How Big Rock Candy Mountain Musically Meets in the Middle

Big Rock Candy Mountain is the newest band to enter the modern rock fray. The group's first disc "Hey Kid", boasts a sound that seems to be a mix of indie, classic rock, progressive and even free form jazz. Lead vocalist Michael Girardot sat down with me to discus his band and how their home town of New Orleans has influenced their sound.

David Carr: Michael, tell me how the band got together and how long you have all been together?

Michael Girardot: We have been together since February 2008. New Orleans has a really great rock community and we had all been in and out of different bands with each other, at different points in time. When we were in various bands we all had tunes that did not fit the bands we were in. Once we decided to form our own group, we brought the songs we had to the table.

DC: Did you come together as a group to work on these songs?

MG: We did. The songwriting for this fist disc was a group effort and it was very schizophrenic considering we also brought with us a lot of our influences.

DC: I have listened to your disc "Hey Kid" several times. It's truly a great mix of styles. How would you describe your sound?

MG: Hmm...well if you want the catch phrases...I mean I have heard us described as electro dance metal, pop metal...I think my favorite description has been an amalgamation of lo-fi hysteria! HA!

DC: Well that last one's a new on me! Seriously, what are the band's main influences?

MG: Well we have a lot of different influences. We listen to metal; we listen to softer indie, melodic stuff. We also listen to jazz, White Strips, Daft Punk...it's definitely a push and pull with regards to our influences and at the end of the day we are able to meet in the middle to create something truly unique.

DC: You mentioned New Orleans has a strong rock community. Tell me more about the scene. How has New Orleans influenced the band?

MG: Jazz is still very relevant in New Orleans. New Orleans has and will always have a jazz/mardi gras culture. We are all connected to that. The rock scene is very interesting. There are a lot of young bands there and many of them are college based. The scene is actually so strong that bands can actually make a living without having to tour!

DC: Do you guys want to tour with your band?

MG: We could stay if we wanted to but we like to tour and travel. We want to get out of town. On the one hand we are ready to tour but we are also a part of some organizations here in New Orleans. The Indie Rock Collective is an organization dedicated to supporting and promoting the independent rock scene in New Orleans. The collective is putting together a festival featuring a lot of great local bands.

DC: Most young bands I know are using the internet to spread the word about their bands. Is BRCM also guilty of using technology to get its sound out to the masses?

MG: Yeah we do use the internet and all the social networks. I think I am on my computer way too much! HA! I mean like anything else, the internet is a tool. It helps but you gotta get people to the shows. You gotta get people to buy your cd and get them to keep playing it over and over again.

DC: What's next for Big Rock Candy Mountain?

MG: We are writing another disc now with the hopes of hitting the studio in the summer. We will be playing the Indie Rock Collective festival and we are gearing up for South By Southwest which is right after the IRC festival and we will also be playing shows in LA!

If you are looking to spice up your brand of rock with a bit of jazz and indie and lo-fi hysteria then check out Big Rock Candy Mountain!