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The debut EP from Portland's Le Printemps came as a pleasant surprise to us at AltSounds. One of the joys of the job is coming across up-and-coming bands just beginning to enter the music world but clearly destined for big things - Le Printemps are one of those bands. We were so impressed by 'A Whim' that we got onto Twitter and demanded an interview with the Indie-Psychedelic duo.
They were kind enough to oblige....
AltSounds: Hi guys! Can you introduce yourselves and what you do in the band for our readers?
Jon Riggie: My name is Jon Riggie. I play drums and I’m also the singer in our band.
Ben Steinmetz: Hey, I'm Ben Steinmetz and I play the guitar, bass, and keys in the band.
AltSounds: I think we're the first international press to cover you guys. Describe Le Printemps to anyone who hasn't heard you yet?
Jon Riggie: Yeah, you’re definitely the first international press to cover us. We’re still working on getting our name out there. Anyways, I would describe Le Printemps as the best way for Ben and I to fully express ourselves as well as our emotions. The music we make is blend of so many influences that we have musically and just in our everyday lives. I would say our sound is pretty mellow and easy to listen to; we definitely have a psychedelic side as well though...
Ben Steinmetz: Le Printemps is an experimental musical project where our musicianship and production creates an ambient experience for the listener. Our music is lounge music with alternative/psychedelic qualities.
http://soundcloud.com/leprintemps/in-the-grass
AltSounds: What's it like for a band starting out in the US right now?
Ben Steinmetz: Starting out here in the US is pretty competitive because there are a lot of great artists and sounds here already. This makes us have a strong drive to create a unique and powerful sound for ourselves. It is a privilege to be able to play music in America and to be surrounded by all of these great bands.
Jon Riggie: I really can't put my finger on it just yet. From what I have taken in so far though, it is an awesome feeling and opportunity. We recently relocated to the west coast a little less than a year ago, and all of the vibes out here have been great so far! We’re originally from Buffalo, NY.
AltSounds: What’s it like in Portland at the moment?
Jon Riggie: Portland has an amazing music scene! There are always so many shows going on all the time, and it ranges from shows at big venues, to smaller bars, to house shows, and people just performing on street corners. There are so many people here that truly appreciate music, especially the live aspect.
Ben Steinmetz: The venues care a lot about the sound quality; they always do their best to always draw a music-hungry crowd. Portland has a substantial amount of musicians who are always looking to play music and experiment with others, and I am proud to be a part of the melting pot of music here.
Jon Riggie: We learned this from playing house shows here because everyone has a crazy good time and the crowd gets really into it. There is almost no room to move around once the music starts and the people pour in.
http://soundcloud.com/leprintemps/all-around-us
AltSounds: And did you know Matt Groening comes from Portland? That’s awesome!
Jon Riggie: Haha, I actually did not know Matt Groening was from here until one of my friends that I met here told me when we first moved to Portland. Supposedly the reason why Homer was obsessed with doughnuts is because there is a much loved local doughnut shop here called Voodoo Doughnut. They make some pretty crazy doughnuts there!
Ben Steinmetz: I heard that Springfield was actually based off of parts of Oregon, and it's pretty cool to know that one of the best cartoonists is from here.
AltSounds: How do you see yourself fitting in with the music scene in Portland at the moment?
Jon Riggie: I feel like we fit in very well with the music scene here. Our sound is pretty unique, and I think a lot of people are picking up on it. We get a lot of awesome feedback about our recordings, but honestly everyone has been digging our live set a whole lot more here in Portland. All we used to do back home was just jam out and play our instruments all day, and I think people here have really noticed the connection that Ben and I have created from playing together for so long.
Ben Steinmetz: I see us gradually building a strong foundation here in Portland, and eventually playing with some big names. The audiences here have given us a lot of positive feedback, and the occasional critique from the more serious music listeners really makes us take a step back from everything and self-analyze our music.
AltSounds: Your EP was a real surprise to us at Altsounds and really varied too, musically. Who influences you?
Jon Riggie: Yes, it was a nice surprise when we received an email from Altsounds telling us to check out this review you did for our music! I’d say some of my biggest influences would be The Beatles, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, Herbie Hancock, Radiohead, and Air. There is far too much awesome music that exists, so it feels like pulling teeth sometimes when I have to choose my favorite artists!
Ben Steinmetz: Some of my main musical influences are Stevie Wonder, Radiohead, Frank Zappa, Beck, Air and David Bowie. All of these musicians have contributed to the sound that I create.
AltSounds: How do you go about putting a song together?
Jon Riggie: Oh man, that is a good question. We really do not have anything written in stone when it comes to putting a song together. Sometimes I will record an entire drum track with several different parts and other layers of percussion, and that’ll start the song off. Other times I’ll be playing drums and BEN switches from guitar and bass. Then sometimes a song will start off with a key line or guitar line that BEN has been working on, and we lay the guitar track down, and I find a solid beat to put behind it, and the song elaborates from there.
Ben Steinmetz: Our methods are sometimes unorthodox; we always try to add variation to each new song we create. In our songs we try to let every instrument have a respected amount of room so that it is easier on the ears for the listener, but sometimes the instruments just fit together as if they were puzzle pieces.
http://soundcloud.com/leprintemps/sleep-talking
AltSounds: Who produced the songs on 'A Whim'?
Jon Riggie: I produced all of the songs on 'A Whim...' We love being very hands on with our music, we both write, record, and compose everything. I do a little bit more of the producing/mixing of the songs, but BEN is usually always sitting right next to me during those times.
AltSounds: There's a really organic, natural feel to the EP that I loved, does nature play a part in your music?
Jon Riggie: Nature plays a great role in our music, I love everything about nature, and I give it a lot of credit for the music we create. Nature gives me positive feelings and inspirations, and it always reminds me to never take music for granted. Both BEN and I are also Earth signs, so I think that is pretty awesome...
Ben Steinmetz: Living in Portland gives us a lot of inspiration when we write music because of all the great nature that is around us here. Both JON and I have a deep rooted connection with nature, and we try to reflect the things that we see and experience through our music.
AltSounds: How do you see your sound evolving in the future?
Jon Riggie: I think we’ll really figure out the exact sound we are going for along the way. We are going to keep expanding our live set and make our sound as dynamic and full as possible.
Ben Steinmetz: Honestly, it's too hard to predict the direction our sound will head toward in the future because we are new to writing music as just a two-piece band. We approach each song with a brand new emotion to keep our sound refreshing, and I can see Jon and I becoming very strong musicians as we progress. I am excited to see what the future has in store for us.
AltSounds: Any plans for an album?
Jon Riggie: Yes! We are going to release two more singles soon, and then we are going to write a full length album. I am really excited to put a lot of time and work into it. I have a good feeling about it...
Ben Steinmetz: Our plan is to release two more singles, and then begin writing our first album. After we write everything, we are going to take the songs to a studio in order to get the best quality sounds and tones for our full length.
AltSounds: Well keep us posted. Got a feeling we're gonna be hearing a lot more of you! Really nice to chat to you guys...
Jon Riggie: We will definitely be keeping in touch! Thanks again for the interview! It was a pleasure chatting with you.
Ben Steinmetz: It was nice chatting with you too! Thanks for everything. Hopefully we will be in the UK someday to perform.
They were kind enough to oblige....
AltSounds: Hi guys! Can you introduce yourselves and what you do in the band for our readers?
Jon Riggie: My name is Jon Riggie. I play drums and I’m also the singer in our band.
Ben Steinmetz: Hey, I'm Ben Steinmetz and I play the guitar, bass, and keys in the band.
AltSounds: I think we're the first international press to cover you guys. Describe Le Printemps to anyone who hasn't heard you yet?
Jon Riggie: Yeah, you’re definitely the first international press to cover us. We’re still working on getting our name out there. Anyways, I would describe Le Printemps as the best way for Ben and I to fully express ourselves as well as our emotions. The music we make is blend of so many influences that we have musically and just in our everyday lives. I would say our sound is pretty mellow and easy to listen to; we definitely have a psychedelic side as well though...
Ben Steinmetz: Le Printemps is an experimental musical project where our musicianship and production creates an ambient experience for the listener. Our music is lounge music with alternative/psychedelic qualities.
http://soundcloud.com/leprintemps/in-the-grass
AltSounds: What's it like for a band starting out in the US right now?
Ben Steinmetz: Starting out here in the US is pretty competitive because there are a lot of great artists and sounds here already. This makes us have a strong drive to create a unique and powerful sound for ourselves. It is a privilege to be able to play music in America and to be surrounded by all of these great bands.
Jon Riggie: I really can't put my finger on it just yet. From what I have taken in so far though, it is an awesome feeling and opportunity. We recently relocated to the west coast a little less than a year ago, and all of the vibes out here have been great so far! We’re originally from Buffalo, NY.
AltSounds: What’s it like in Portland at the moment?
Jon Riggie: Portland has an amazing music scene! There are always so many shows going on all the time, and it ranges from shows at big venues, to smaller bars, to house shows, and people just performing on street corners. There are so many people here that truly appreciate music, especially the live aspect.
Ben Steinmetz: The venues care a lot about the sound quality; they always do their best to always draw a music-hungry crowd. Portland has a substantial amount of musicians who are always looking to play music and experiment with others, and I am proud to be a part of the melting pot of music here.
Jon Riggie: We learned this from playing house shows here because everyone has a crazy good time and the crowd gets really into it. There is almost no room to move around once the music starts and the people pour in.
http://soundcloud.com/leprintemps/all-around-us
AltSounds: And did you know Matt Groening comes from Portland? That’s awesome!
Jon Riggie: Haha, I actually did not know Matt Groening was from here until one of my friends that I met here told me when we first moved to Portland. Supposedly the reason why Homer was obsessed with doughnuts is because there is a much loved local doughnut shop here called Voodoo Doughnut. They make some pretty crazy doughnuts there!
Ben Steinmetz: I heard that Springfield was actually based off of parts of Oregon, and it's pretty cool to know that one of the best cartoonists is from here.
AltSounds: How do you see yourself fitting in with the music scene in Portland at the moment?
Jon Riggie: I feel like we fit in very well with the music scene here. Our sound is pretty unique, and I think a lot of people are picking up on it. We get a lot of awesome feedback about our recordings, but honestly everyone has been digging our live set a whole lot more here in Portland. All we used to do back home was just jam out and play our instruments all day, and I think people here have really noticed the connection that Ben and I have created from playing together for so long.
Ben Steinmetz: I see us gradually building a strong foundation here in Portland, and eventually playing with some big names. The audiences here have given us a lot of positive feedback, and the occasional critique from the more serious music listeners really makes us take a step back from everything and self-analyze our music.
AltSounds: Your EP was a real surprise to us at Altsounds and really varied too, musically. Who influences you?
Jon Riggie: Yes, it was a nice surprise when we received an email from Altsounds telling us to check out this review you did for our music! I’d say some of my biggest influences would be The Beatles, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, Herbie Hancock, Radiohead, and Air. There is far too much awesome music that exists, so it feels like pulling teeth sometimes when I have to choose my favorite artists!
Ben Steinmetz: Some of my main musical influences are Stevie Wonder, Radiohead, Frank Zappa, Beck, Air and David Bowie. All of these musicians have contributed to the sound that I create.
AltSounds: How do you go about putting a song together?
Jon Riggie: Oh man, that is a good question. We really do not have anything written in stone when it comes to putting a song together. Sometimes I will record an entire drum track with several different parts and other layers of percussion, and that’ll start the song off. Other times I’ll be playing drums and BEN switches from guitar and bass. Then sometimes a song will start off with a key line or guitar line that BEN has been working on, and we lay the guitar track down, and I find a solid beat to put behind it, and the song elaborates from there.
Ben Steinmetz: Our methods are sometimes unorthodox; we always try to add variation to each new song we create. In our songs we try to let every instrument have a respected amount of room so that it is easier on the ears for the listener, but sometimes the instruments just fit together as if they were puzzle pieces.
http://soundcloud.com/leprintemps/sleep-talking
AltSounds: Who produced the songs on 'A Whim'?
Jon Riggie: I produced all of the songs on 'A Whim...' We love being very hands on with our music, we both write, record, and compose everything. I do a little bit more of the producing/mixing of the songs, but BEN is usually always sitting right next to me during those times.
AltSounds: There's a really organic, natural feel to the EP that I loved, does nature play a part in your music?
Jon Riggie: Nature plays a great role in our music, I love everything about nature, and I give it a lot of credit for the music we create. Nature gives me positive feelings and inspirations, and it always reminds me to never take music for granted. Both BEN and I are also Earth signs, so I think that is pretty awesome...
Ben Steinmetz: Living in Portland gives us a lot of inspiration when we write music because of all the great nature that is around us here. Both JON and I have a deep rooted connection with nature, and we try to reflect the things that we see and experience through our music.
AltSounds: How do you see your sound evolving in the future?
Jon Riggie: I think we’ll really figure out the exact sound we are going for along the way. We are going to keep expanding our live set and make our sound as dynamic and full as possible.
Ben Steinmetz: Honestly, it's too hard to predict the direction our sound will head toward in the future because we are new to writing music as just a two-piece band. We approach each song with a brand new emotion to keep our sound refreshing, and I can see Jon and I becoming very strong musicians as we progress. I am excited to see what the future has in store for us.
AltSounds: Any plans for an album?
Jon Riggie: Yes! We are going to release two more singles soon, and then we are going to write a full length album. I am really excited to put a lot of time and work into it. I have a good feeling about it...
Ben Steinmetz: Our plan is to release two more singles, and then begin writing our first album. After we write everything, we are going to take the songs to a studio in order to get the best quality sounds and tones for our full length.
AltSounds: Well keep us posted. Got a feeling we're gonna be hearing a lot more of you! Really nice to chat to you guys...
Jon Riggie: We will definitely be keeping in touch! Thanks again for the interview! It was a pleasure chatting with you.
Ben Steinmetz: It was nice chatting with you too! Thanks for everything. Hopefully we will be in the UK someday to perform.
A Whim is available to download for free via Soundcloud
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