If we had to draw up a list of the top five local bands we love the most (not possible) Apollo Ghosts would be assured a place of honour. Earlier last month we came across the video they made for Angel Acres, threw a little living-room dance party, and then got down to the business of checking out the rest of their recorded music which, as it turns out, is every bit as surprising, clever, fun and essential as the members of the band themselves. We were fortunate enough to catch Adrian, Amanda and Jay in their downtime and they were gracious enough to answer some of our questions. So once again, check it out!

The Aural Kinetic: First off, that old standard question. Who are the members of Apollo Ghosts, when did you form, and do you still retain the same band members as when you started? Basically, tell us a little bit about yourselves!

Jay: We have Adrian Teacher on guitar and vocals, Amanda Panda on drums and vocals and Jay Oliver on bass. We started in late 2008. Our friend Tom played with us at the beginning but he went on to play with Role Mach and other great projects like Haunted Beard and GR8-2000.

TAK: A quick look at your history shows that you’re comprised of members of various other bands (Lala, Lost Lovers Brigade, and The Winks). What have Apollo Ghosts gained from the musical history of its band members that it might not have otherwise?

Adrian: We’ve all played in lots of different bands, some of which you’ve named here. I think Amanda learned how to do blues bass runs with our Korean pop band the Omokgyo Dragons. A band is like tree fort—really fun to build. But after a few months sometimes it’s fun to tear it down and start a new one. I’ve loved every band I’ve ever played in.

TAK: Your band tends to reference Vancouver landmarks in your album and song titles as well as in the lyrics (Hastings Sunrise, Shanghai Alley). How strongly would you say the Vancouver East Side inspires your songwriting and recordings?

Adrian: I’m really into the idea of music regionalism. In a sense, the music of a certain location is almost like the language of that particular place. Would Phil Elverum sound different if he lived in Manhattan instead of Anacortes, Washington? Destroyer songs are littered with Vancouver references. The Emergency Room kids have their own unique sound. My friend Adi (from Croatia) plays in a great band here called Mezamazing. His birthplace adds a distinct flavour to his performances. I love that. It’s like regional dialects. I’ve lived in Vancouver for awhile so those references are definitely embedded in some of the songs.

TAK: One thing that a listener notices right away is the use of various instruments in your songs. On a quick run-through, aside from the more traditional instruments, you’ll hear everything from ukulele (I Won’t Support Your Love) to accordion (Dobermans), to brass instruments (Palm of My Hand). Did you fashion songs around instruments you already knew how to play, or did you learn instruments in order to create a specific sound?

Adrian: Our live set-up is pretty rock-n-roll standard; drums, bass, guitar. In the studio, it’s fun to try other instruments or get help from other friends for more interesting song dynamics. Live, we are just there to punch you in the face with noise and energy—we’re definitely not technical players. The accordion on Dobermans was actually a pump organ. I had to use a jiffy-marker to mark the spots on the keys because I can’t really play the piano or read music.

TAK: We absolutely adore your music videos. What can you tell us about the decision to make short videos? And what can you tell us about the video shoot for Angel Acres in particular?

Jay: Well, the short videos would go with the short songs. An epic piece for us would run at about three and a half minutes! The video was a lot of fun! It was an opportunity to run around in a wrestling ring for a day. The realization that these guys work so hard and go through so much for so little was very humbling.

TAK: How important is having a good laugh to the dynamic of your band?

Jay: Having a good laugh should be important to all bands, as soon as that stops it ceases to be fun. That’s what it’s all about, having fun, right?

Adrian: Most of our rehearsals are poop jokes and bad funk jams. On tour this summer it was all about short-shorts and grossing each other out to the max.

TAK: How do you write a song like “I Won’t Support Your Love”, that have such a heart-on-your-sleeve feel, without coming off corny our outdated? Here at The Aural Kinetic, we have a playlist of songs that we love and it’s full of sweet songs like this one and “White Hair” by No Kids, etc. Would you say this type of music is more or less difficult to write than, say, “Scott, Painter”?

Adrian: That song is about my sister so hopefully people don’t think it’s too corny. I try to sing about what I know. I try not to worry too much about what people will think. Songs just come out the way they do. I find writing all styles of songs equally challenging. Lyrics are the toughest, followed by good melodies. I saw No Kids for the first time down at What-the-Heck fest this year—that Nick Krgovich guy is a song-writing genius!

TAK: One of our staff members commented that you guys sound a little like a cross between Jens Lekman and Ben Folds. Do you get many comparisons to other pop bands? (When we say “pop” we mean it in the in the righteous, old-school sense of the word). And how do you feel about being compared to other bands?

Adrian: Sure, that happens all the time. Human brains are hard-wired to look for patterns. I think the biggest comparison we generally get is Jonathan Richman. I’ve never met a band that hasn’t been compared to some other band. In fact, Jonathan Richman was so in obsessed with the Velvet Underground that he slept on their manager’s couch when he first moved to N.Y.. You can hear their influence on his music, especially the early stuff. We play folk music. Comparisons don’t bother me. We are carrying on a tradition. We are voracious consumers of all kinds of music. But we try our best to sound like ourselves.

TAK: What would you say is the biggest challenge to independent music in Vancouver right now, and what do you plan to do to overcome it?

Amanda: We’re lucky in Vancouver to have a community of hard-working, creative people. There never seems to be any issues with new bands or diverse genres. I think the only real challenges facing independent music here are the ongoing problems with lack of venues. The loss of Hoko’s is a huge blow; they’ve always been so supportive. We had our record release there, Adrian had his 7 inch record release there – we have a lot of great memories of amazing shows at Hoko’s. We’re hoping to play a benefit show for the owners to help them with a fine they’ve recently received. We’re also involved with the Safe Amplification Site Society. The goal is to establish a legal, all-ages space here in Vancouver. Their website is www.safeamp.org, and there is information on how to help out.

TAK: You have a gig coming up toward the end of October with Shonen Knife at the Biltmore Cabaret. What can you tell us about the show, and having never seen one yet, what can we expect from an Apollo Ghosts show in general?

Amanda: We’re excited to play with them! They’re legends. A friend recommended us to the promoter, and so we were grateful to be invited to play. I hope everyone has a great time at the show. The three of us always have so much fun playing. Adrian will probably get really excited on stage, and Jay will play crazy bass lines while making it look effortless. I only started drumming recently, so I will look like I’m delighted to actually be playing the drums! We’re hoping to have a few new songs, since we’re working on a new album.

TAK: What have you got planned for the last quarter of 2009?

Adrian: Record a split 7” with our local heroes Role Mach and record a follow-up LP!