Interview by Alana Rome
Tagged 2006 emo indie rock the get up kids the new amsterdams vagrant records
"Story Like A Scar only really touches the surface of what this band does. I expect people to enjoy themselves, but to not be buried in one interpretation of a song." - Matt Pryor, The New Amsterdams
Unless you've lived under a rock for the past decade, you've heard of the Get Up Kids. From the age of 18, frontman Matt Pryor lent his voice and writing abilities to the indie rock band and its avid listeners. In 2000, however, he began fronting a second band, allowing his maturity to emerge through the rough simplicity of folk music.
The New Amsterdams have been on the scene for quite some time. With five albums under their belt, including their latest album,
Story Like A Scar, the band has secured itself in a niche respected by music lovers of all ages.
The New Amsterdams also includes guitarist Dustin Kinsey, bassist Eric McCann, and drummer Bill Belzer. They wouldn't have it any other way. "We've definitely solidified the lineup," Pryor states confidently. "This is the way The New Amsterdams will always be represented."
Still, don't expect to hear a conventional instrumental trio. Lap steel, banjo, harmonica, stand-up bass, and brushed drums can also be heard on
Story Like A Scar. "Jason, who played lap steel on the record, is touring with us now as part of the band. He's written some stuff since then; he gels really well with us."
While there are a myriad of different sounds to be heard on the album, its message is the loudest. Pryor, hailing from Kansas City, has recently moved back to Kansas to live in Lawrence with his wife and children. "Where I live is a big part of who I am," Pryor explains. The second track on
Story Like A Scar, "Turn Out the Light," reinforces Pryor's statement: "I've been wrong, but it's alright/ There've been long and lonely nights/ I've been lost, but I found you/ Turn out the light/ I'll stay if you want me to." Home seems like quite the humble topic for such a talented and recognized musician. What gives Pryor even more humility are his reasons for loving his new home. "I live close to this great ice cream parlor. [My family and I] just walk down to get ice cream. It's just a really great community. [Kansas University] is here, and the college life is one aspect of it. It's full of artists and people who love music."
Going from the high energy indie rock of the Get Up Kids to the serene tones of The New Amsterdams seems like an awkward transformation. "It wasn't a conscious effort. I'm almost 30. If I was going to write Something to Write Home About, again, I would look like an idiot. That's a record I wrote when I was 22. I was going through other things at that point in my life."
In addition to speaking out about his home life, he has finally found an outlet for his experiences with the Get Up Kids. "By the time I quit, I was miserable, and everyone could tell," he confesses. "You can't expect people who started working together when they were 18 to really continue being on the same page when they're 28. We all moved in different directions and wanted to do different [things], musically and personally. We weren't really talking about that. We were just getting drunk and getting into fights, and it just wasn't very healthy."
Pryor was finally able to save face in July of 2005, when the Get Up Kids had their final show. Though he had been fronting The New Amsterdams for five years, 2005 was the first year without his breakout band. "It's [been] great. I didn't really enjoy being in the Get Up Kids for the last two or three years. It felt like it was something I had to do, not something I wanted to do. Those last shows were a good way to go out, but I don't really miss it at all."
The past aside, The New Amsterdams have been steadily making themselves known.
Story Like A Scar was released this past March, under producer Roger Moutenot (Yo La Tengo, Freedy Johnston, Elvis Costello). There is a kind of relief that can be found in the album's "organic, first-take sound," complimenting Pryor's low and lonesome voice. Its uninhibited emotions and forlorn qualities help listeners relate to what they are listening to. The band is also giving kudos to Santa this year with a re-release of 2005's Killed or Cured. "We're re-recording it right now, and hopefully it will come out in time for Christmas. I wanted that record to see the light of day and be more than just a free download. It was an interesting challenge because that record was written and recorded before this lineup was solidified. It's like a covers album. I wrote the record; then I got the band together and we covered that record." Fans should be on the lookout for a "Turn Out the Light" video on the web as well.
The band will be hitting up Canada in July, followed by England in August and September, and Lollapalooza in Chicago. A long tour, however, is out of the question. "This tour we're leaving to go on Friday is 12 days. That's the longest I've ever been gone since the Get Up Kids last real tour two years ago. I like being home with my family."
For those who do make it to a New Ams show, Pryor dispenses some advice: "
Story Like A Scar only really touches the surface of what this band does. I expect people to enjoy themselves, but to not be buried in one interpretation of a song." Pryor leaves some coveted words of wisdom for fellow musicians as well. "Save money. Also, I think there's no real reason to try to do everything at once. The Get Up Kids kept operating under [the principle of], ‘This is the only time we're going to have to do this', and that just wasn't the case. Life is a very long time."
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