Interview - Tiers La Familia

Jeff Tobias: Can you hear me?
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Joe Sidney: Yeah, of course.

Jeff Tobias: Okay. This is not part of the interview. This is just you and me talking.

Joe Sidney: No, I know.

Jeff Tobias: Is there anything that's off the table?

Joe Sidney: No, there's nothing off the table, but if you're gonna transcribe it and put it on the website, then we'll talk about that then.

Jeff Tobias: Okay. That's fine.

Joe Sidney: Listen — there's a guy on the next bench [laughs] like, passed out. Um, I think his tattoo is supposed to say, “God is Love.” But for real, I'm looking at it and I think it says “God is Lover.”

Jeff Tobias: That's cool.

Joe Sidney: Yeah. God is Lover.

Jeff Tobias: Do you agree with that statement?

Joe Sidney: [talking to recently passed out guy] What’s up? How you doing? All right? [to Jeff] Oh, he woke up— [laughs] —he woke up now. He works here. He's just drunk.

Jeff Tobias: [laughs] All right. You ready?
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Joe Sidney: [talking to recently passed out guy] I wanted to make sure you're okay. You're okay? Right. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. You got it, man.

Jeff Tobias: All right. So, Joe Sidney from Tiers La Familia, how are you?

Joe Sidney: Obligatory good.

Jeff Tobias: I wanna talk to you about “Active Cultures/Active Couture.”

Joe Sidney: Oh, good, good. [laughs] Obligatory good. It was a fantastic experience for me to put together.

Jeff Tobias: Something that you talk about a lot in our conversations—

Joe Sidney: Oh, no.

Jeff Tobias: [being interrupted] —is—

Joe Sidney: [laughs] Oh, no.

Jeff Tobias: Joe, hold on.

Joe Sidney: Yeah?

Jeff Tobias: You gotta pretend like we're on NPR right now.

Joe Sidney: Okay.

Jeff Tobias: The goal for this is I want people to get to be introduced to you. I want them to know who you are.

Joe Sidney: Okay. I'll do an interview. Sorry. Just to be fair, this is my first interview.

Jeff Tobias: That's fine. I'd like to say you're doing great.

Joe Sidney: Thanks. But like, what was your first interview?

Jeff Tobias: My first interview was for We Versus the Shark in like 2003 or 2004.

Joe Sidney: Was it a mess?

Jeff Tobias: I was really arrogant.

Joe Sidney: Oh, is it anywhere to find?

Jeff Tobias: Probably not. So listen: in our conversations about music, you think a lot about what the music is doing for the audience. What did you want the music on “Active Cultures/Active Couture” to do for the listener?

Joe Sidney: Wow. Oh, this is a good one, ‘cos that's true. I think it's the artist's intention, or the writer’s intention, that’s important. So, what did I want the audience to get out of “Active Cultures/Active Couture”? An experience. There's a reason it starts the way it does. There's a reason it's a tape, you flip it, or there's a middle section. It’s set up in a way that it is an experience on its own.

The second thing was to [have people] come back. So let's say [you’re] a director or a musician that’s on their first or second record, and you want them as a lifelong fan. They're gonna come check out your record no matter what. That's why someone like D’Angelo can disappear for like 14 years, and people are still interested in what he has to say, because they signed up.

And I know that sounds like a very “commerce” thing, but — I'm into commerce. [laughs] Like, Joe Sidney is into commerce. So the idea of you having an experience, someone who is coming back for more and wants to experience your journey.

Jeff Tobias: What is going to keep people coming back about “Active Cultures/Active Couture”?

Joe Sidney: The first thing I thought of was: “because it's hot.” Okay? That's not the best answer, but the first thing that came to my head is that it's hot.

Jeff Tobias: Okay. Yeah, totally.

Joe Sidney: I think that's also part of the experience and the subscription. I can't believe we're going with “subscription.” Jesus. [laughs]‍
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Jeff Tobias: All right. New question. So I'm gonna describe three people to you. And I want you to tell me how you would describe Tiers La Familia to each of these three people.
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Joe Sidney: Oh my God. Uh, yeah. Yeah. Okay. Okay.

Jeff Tobias: Person number one — Twitter user in their late twenties, who is a fan of Claire Rousay and Frank Ocean. Person number two — graphic designer, early thirties, saw Wilco on this recent tour.

Joe Sidney: Okay. They're white?

Jeff Tobias: [laughs]

Joe Sidney: No?

Jeff Tobias: The third person is your uncle.

Joe Sidney: Uh, which one?

Jeff Tobias: Hmm.

Joe Sidney: This is very important. Like, I've got uncles.

Jeff Tobias: Not the hippest one, but not the biggest herb.

Joe Sidney: Okay. That's fine.

Jeff Tobias: So, yeah. Those are your three people. How are you describing Tiers La Familia to each of these three people?

Joe Sidney: Okay. Uh, Twitter user in their twenties. Who's down with, uh, Claire Rousseau [sic]. Uh, the artist, right? Not the, uh, philosopher.

Jeff Tobias: Correct.

Joe Sidney: What’s the philosopher's name? Henry Thoreau?

Jeff Tobias: Oh my God.

Joe Sidney: Okay, first one. “Here's Tiers La Familia. It's like Travis Scott’s semester abroad.” [laughs]

Jeff Tobias: [laughs] Okay.

Joe Sidney: Yo, because listen, that sounds interesting. I would like to know what Travis Scott’s semester abroad was like, ‘cos that sounds exciting. [pause] If I need to get you into Tiers La Familia — it should be someone's else's job. It’s mine right now, which is, you know, unfortunate. [laughs]

Jeff Tobias: Dude. Imagine what it's like for me.

Joe Sidney: Yeah. I know; you too. You too.

Jeff Tobias: Okay. Go on…

Joe Sidney: Uh, 30 year old graphic designer into Wilco… “Here’s Tiers La Familia. It’s like Beck, but if Scientology was real.”

Jeff Tobias: Okay. Sure. That's fine.

Joe Sidney: The last person was my, uh, not coolest uncle but not my least hip uncle? “Here’s Tiers La Familia. This might not be for you, but it's awesome.”

Jeff Tobias: Cool. Okay.

Joe Sidney: Yeah. Level up, Uncle John.

Jeff Tobias: Great answers. This is a question I feel like I've asked you many, many times and I still don't understand—

Joe Sidney: Oh?

Jeff Tobias: —I need you to explain to me on a technical level, how you make this music. Like what equipment you use, what your signal chain is. I don't understand.

Joe Sidney: So, none of this would be possible without the digital audio workstation. There was such an aversion to it for such a long time. I would think what I'm doing right now makes me new to the game, but like I'm the oldest head that’s new to the game. I spent a lot of years being ignorant to the computer and the possibilities of the computer. And without audio work stations, none of this is possible.

So when I got on GarageBand for the first time, I was already really old. It's like teaching your grandparent how to use a cell phone. That's what the first record [“High In Friends Places”] was like, really. Teaching your grandma how to use a cell phone. So you can finally see [the music] on the screen. Now the music moves; the waveforms. So, the whole thing I'll liken to acid because it's bending space and time. That's what that does for me, bending space and time. The Roland digital eight track, I used to do the punk rock stuff. But DAW is re-contextualizing it. So that's a one, two punch. All right? But now I'm also kicking you. And what I'm kicking you with is the iPad.

Jeff Tobias: I need to pause here.

Joe Sidney: Yeah, that's fine.

Jeff Tobias: I'm not gonna stop the interview. I'm gonna stop you from talking. Because I said, “Hey, explain to me how you make your music.” And you're talking about kicking and punching me on acid. Like — explain to me how you make your music. Like, if you're trying to teach the Tiers La Familia way of making music.

Joe Sidney: Oh, oh, okay. Um, oh wow. I've never thought of this before.

Jeff Tobias: Joe. I mean, I'm just asking — you could be like, “so, I start by making drums on the iPad. Then I bounce it to the Roland. Then…” I literally don't understand how you do any of this. Explain how you do what you do. How does the Roland get involved?

Joe Sidney: The Roland is for live instruments. The Roland is for any live instruments that I'm gonna loop, or any vocals that I'm gonna use. And the Roland goes into the Mac.

Jeff Tobias: Okay. Do you make anything involving digital synths or drum programming on GarageBand?

Joe Sidney: No, no, no, no, no. I don't use GarageBand to record. I don't know how to record on GarageBand. Everything is coming from the Roland or the iPad. GarageBand is simply being used as a place to keep track of everything on a grid, to see it and edit it. I do not know how to record on GarageBand yet. But I will figure out how to do it eventually.

Jeff Tobias: So if you are using electronic drums, how are you creating the electronic drums?

Joe Sidney: I'm going into an app and I'm grabbing four bars or eight bars from any free app I’ve programmed it on.

Jeff Tobias: So you're going from the iPad into the Roland…?

Joe Sidney: From the iPad into the Roland, from the Roland into GarageBand.

Jeff Tobias: Do you anticipate playing shows this year?

Joe Sidney: I would love to play shows this year.

Jeff Tobias: When's the last time you played a show?

Joe Sidney: Unfortunately I think I'm gonna have to date it somewhere in 2018. Right? I think the ‘New York Cares’ benefit for winter jackets for the homeless at, um…

Jeff Tobias: Gold Sounds.

Joe Sidney: Thank you. That was like one of the last ones. I was really tired of being onstage alone.

Jeff Tobias: Yeah.

Joe Sidney: And I'm about to do it again. [laughs] That is definitely half of my artistic struggles, I was definitely not feeling the corner I had painted myself into. Where I was in 2018, on this artistic journey, quote unquote, was not where I wanted to be anymore.

Jeff Tobias: Yeah. Well, we can include this or not, but can you describe what your mental health struggles have been like?

Joe Sidney: In connection with the music or just in general?

Jeff Tobias: Yeah. In general.

Joe Sidney: Alright. This year someone decided to diagnose me with PTSD. [laughs] I have PSTD stemming from a 2006 car accident that I survived. So that’s 15 years. I've been dealing with it either through the help of therapy, or mental health clinics, things of that sort. But it was diagnosed as PTSD this year. And I think that’s a positive, because then it could be handled better.

Jeff Tobias: How does the PTSD manifest? What does it cause for you?

Joe Sidney: The PTSD… I don't wanna sound like my own doctor, ‘cos I'm not believing it a hundred percent, but that's my problem. [laughs] The PTSD ignites an OCD, and the OCD creates panic and anxiety. It's a chain, it's a side chain [laughs]. PTSD gives you OCD, the OCD gives you panic and anxiety. So any of this mismanagement of emotions, or what might look like stock depression, flakiness, inability to hold a job, inability to, uh, do anything [laughs]…that's the line that goes through PTSD to OCD to anxiety. So my anxiety manifests as: “you're gonna die. Right now.”

Jeff Tobias: What triggers that anxiety?

Joe Sidney: At this point, anything — but that wasn't true for a very long time. It started with cars, and it started in places of travel. Trains and subways, for work or for fun or whatever, buses. You know, there's some cars where I'm more comfortable in the back seat than being close to the windshield. Like for real.

Jeff Tobias: Yeah. And this has made it difficult for you to travel to places other than home or work, or like your family's place pretty much.

Joe Sidney: Yeah. But that's difficult too! But currently, I'm stuck in a radius. I'm stuck in a radius of comfort. Every day there’s a hard place to get to.

Jeff Tobias: I think talking about that is a good way of explaining why it's been hard for you to play shows and find bandmates.

Joe Sidney: That's huge, yeah. That is the only reason this is sort of like a solo experience. I kind of wish it wasn't. Like it's in the name. Familia is a plural word. There's an intention behind that.

Jeff Tobias: So correct me if I'm wrong. But part of the reason why you're making these tapes right now, is you are setting the stage for a collaboration. You are trying to find collaborators.

Joe Sidney: Yeah. It's a calling card. It's a business card. Tiers La Familia is a business card. You're absolutely right.

Jeff Tobias: So, if someone hears “Active Cultures/Active Couture” and they want to get involved, should they just reach out to you?

Joe Sidney: Yeah. Come see me.

Jeff Tobias: Are you talking about musicians, instrumentalists, vocalists?

Joe Sidney: I'm looking for vocals. I think I have the musical landscape like 75% taken care of. [Find me on] Tiers La Familia Twitter, Tiers La Familia IG, anything like that. They'd be coming to me. I'm looking for voices. If you’ve heard the tapes, you see me sprinkling a lot of guest vocalists all over. I don’t want them to be guests anymore. I'm looking for others, I'm looking for dialogue.

Jeff Tobias: All right. So we've just been talking for 40 minutes.

Joe Sidney: Oh my god.

Jeff Tobias: No, no, no. I think I have enough for what I had in mind. Is there anything we didn't talk about that you think people should know?

Joe Sidney: This was terrifying. Well, no, you'll tell them where they can hear some of this stuff. I know your intention of the interview article is to like shine some light on this, so people can know the story behind it. What do you think — is there anything else?

Jeff Tobias: No, I think this is good for now. And so what I'm gonna do is, I'm gonna see if I can find some kind of transcription software online, and I'm gonna feed this audio file into it and pray to God that it's mostly accurate.
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