There’s something endlessly fascinating about seeing a band for the first time, especially if they’re from another country. It’s almost like an event, one that you may not get to experience for a while (and possibly ever again, depending on the lifespan of the band in question). Essentially, you treat such an event as an experience – it’s about the here and now instead of the future.
When I witnessed Sydney post-rock band sleepmakeswaves play in front of a stunned crowd at Tampa’s The Orpheum, I knew that, while it might be a while until I saw the band again, it was a spiritual experience that I would never forget, despite the fact they only played for around 35 minutes. Their mix of epic post-rock soundscapes and the energy of a much heavier band playing their instruments passionately is something not to be missed.
I was fortunate enough to catch up with Otto Wicks-Green of the band, who greeted me eating a sandwich. The band took to the beaches of Florida earlier in the day, and I could not have been more excited to see one of my favorite bands traipsing the same sandy areas I once roamed. But enough about that. You can catch the audio portion of our conversation below, where we discuss the finer points of touring in the USA, their SBSW adventure a few years back, and even a fan-submitted question about what delay pedals Otto’s using these days.
