Beach Slang Interview

This podcast is being brought to you by WXAV.com. WXAV, bringing the best artists to you. Welcome to WXAV 88.3 FM Chicago. I'm Sean Anderson and I'm honored to have James Alex from BeachLink on the phone.

I'm going to be interviewing him today. James, how are you? Doing great, man. Thanks so much for having me.

Thank you for coming on, man. I just saw you at Chicago when you guys played the Subterranean. It was an amazing show and you guys were the first band that actually seemed like you were having real fun on the stage. How do you as a lead singer really get the crowd involved and have them feel like they're part of this whole experience?

Yeah, man. You know, I suppose by not knowing there's another way to do it, right? I mean, and if there is, like, you know, why would you want to, right? I don't know, man.

To me, that's, like, the great, sort of big, beautiful thing about rock and roll is, like, we never have to grow up. You know, get serious, start our collars, like, all that junk, you know? So, yeah, man, that's just sort of the way we fly, you know? And it is, look, BeachLink's sort of, the foundation of BeachLink is this really personal, intimate thing, right?

So that's kind of where it is, man. No smoke in mirrors, hearts on our sleeves. So I think that sort of connection thing is pretty easy to smash through, you know? Yeah, I mean, it's from, like, Ruben playing that air horn on stage and then the bassist getting all, like, flustered because everyone's singing the songs.

Is that just, like, is that hit you? Like, because you're a big, you know, you've been a part of the punk scene since the 90s. So are you used to the whole crowd interaction or does it still get to you sometimes? Oh, it still gets me, man.

If I lose that thing, it's time to split, right? I mean, that's really the thing, right? I mean, that's the whole reason to do it. Because if not, man, then you're just, you know, you can listen to records in your room, right?

I mean, the thing with us is, like, you know, I take a lot of time writing. And I think there's a serious sort of tonal quality to the songs as they stand. I mean, the balance to that is, I want to have as much fun as I can when we do it, right? I've always looked at, like, writing as sort of the baptism and live as sort of the exorcism.

And that's sort of what it is, right? I don't want to become this, like, pretentious band that takes themselves too seriously. If you come to see us live, you absolutely know that's not the case, right? And that'll sort of never change.

I mean, you know, everything sort of relates back to just being really honest with this thing, right? And it's like, when I'm writing, that's sort of the honest, like, sort of mindset. But when we play live, it's like, it's rock and roll, man. We want to have fun.

And we do that. Yeah, I mean, and then plus we saw you at Riot Fest as well, and you just brought up a guy to Beatbox Korn on stage. It was absolutely phenomenal. Yeah, man, like, not even a little bit, you know?

I mean, it's like I was sort of saying earlier, man. The only calculated decision I made when starting Beachline was, I just want to be honest. I want to write exactly the way I feel at the exact time I'm writing it. And it's like, when you do that, like, sincerely do that.

I don't know, man, everything just sort of melts into place, you know? It's just really weirdo seeing how well, like, honesty knows how to manage itself, you know? So it's just sort of like, look, man, you know, people have asked me, like, how are you sort of making this thing happen? It's like hard work and dumb luck, right?

There's no, like, intellectual answer to it, you know? It's just like, I don't know, for whatever reason, whatever sort of rolling off of us, it's finding a place, right? Yeah, that's what it is, man. It's like rock and roll is a pretty simple thing, right?

It's not like you just sort of dive in and you have fun, right? It's meant to have a place at will, you know? And that's what it is here. And I think that's how, like, you know, the record gets a little more sophisticated maybe than the EPs, but it still has a sort of useful insuburances because we're not trying for it to be anything more than that, you know?

Yeah, on the album, like you were saying, you know, it sounds a little more complex than the EPs you put out. Those EPs are just completely raw and just absolutely phenomenal. And you did Too Young to Die in that performance, and it's phenomenal. And on the record, you kind of throw everyone for a loop because they're expecting, you know, a punk rock album, and then you throw in strings.

Was that always in your mind to throw strings into that song? Because it absolutely works phenomenally, but it's just, you know, I wasn't expecting strings on the chorus. It was fantastic. Right.

Oh, well, thanks, man. Yeah, I think so, right? We toured the cursive, and they had a cellist out every night. You know, and I just, I remember, there were three different ones on the tour, but I remember each of them just, like, warming up, like, backstage, you know, just because cello sort of, like, ringing out through sort of the backstage area.

It just sounded so sort of haunting and lovely and fragile, and I just knew that that was right. And it was Megan, one of the cellists who toured the cursive, who played on the record. So, yeah, man, I always knew it was going to be that. I mean, like, to me, the punkest thing I can think to do is exactly what I want to do without compromise or concern for what people are going to think, right?

It's like, you know, putting a cello on a punk record, right? You know, it was like, I was expecting a bit of a backlash, but it was like, that only makes it more appealing to me, right? I don't want to be, I don't want to be, I just don't want to be told you have to do it this way, right? The whole thing about this is sort of being anti-sort of, you know, informing to anything.

I'm feeling if that's the thing that the song wants, like, I'm going to put it on there, right? And if it's like, if that's not your thing, you know, cool, you know, just click right through that song and go to the next one, right? But yeah, yeah, I want to be, I want to be true to the thing we're doing. You know, and I quite love hearing cellos get tracked on this record, so, yeah.

You stuck there honestly well, and I think that's why everyone just loves you, is because you guys are so honest. I mean, people are getting your lyrics tattooed onto their arms, for God's sake. Like, people love what you are putting out, and it's just this honesty and this connection that we feel from you, and it's just, you know, you don't feel like a stranger listening to this album. We feel like we know you.

Well, that's not me being rejected. I'm saving part of myself, and you can sort of hide behind that and sort of keep yourself intact, right? When I took that meet with BeachLang, I sort of knew the risk. I mean, I'm definitely, like, a sensitive kid, right?

So it's just like, I sort of knew what I was jumping into the fire there, but it was like, you know, I just got to a point in my life where it was like, that felt right to do. So it's without apology now, and it won't be anything but that, you know? And it's like, you know, and specifically, like, through, like, experiences now with, like, BeachLang and seeing the connectivity and, like, the letters and, like, the conversations I have with people at shows. Man, you know, I'll never fly differently again.

Like, just really kind of laying your heart out there is a really beautiful thing. I mean, I think optimism these days is, like, I know it's kind of scoffed out a little bit, you know? And I think somebody just needs to sort of plant that flag and be like, no, man, it's okay to think we're going to be all right, you know? And that's, enter BeachLang, you know?

You make people, you hit it right on the head. You just people, you make people feel welcome in this record. And it's just, it's a mix of, I mean, it's just a mix of everything that everyone wants in a record. And, you know, you have fans loving you, and you have the media completely loving you.

You know, things like Spin, NPR, Grantland. I mean, Spin Magazine said this band could be your life. Grantland saying, BeachLang is the most sincere rock band. I think you guys were on Pacey Magazine's top 50 albums of the year.

Is it, is that praise just letting you, like, know that you're doing everything right? Or is it making you want to push more? Or is it just, like, you're just enjoying what's happening, and you're just taking this in, and you're just trying to enjoy this experience because you don't know when it's going to end? Is that?

Yeah, man. You know, look, it's wild. I mean, you know, look, to tell it straight, man, I don't overly subscribe to, like, Press or Buzz or whatever we might want to call it. But, you know, I'm not oblivious to it.

And it feels really sweet, right, that people have these nice things to say about it. I just, I feel like if I, like, indulge in that too much, you know, the work will suffer. You know, the blade will get duller. And, you know, that's just not an option, right?

So, you know, man, it's not lost on me how lucky we are, you know, having this dumb little moment. You know, I just want to hold on to it, to your point, man. I just want to hold on to it and make it last as long as it can, man. It's been a pretty all right year, you know.

You know, like, you know, if we can sort of stretch this thing, you know, you know, like, anybody, you get to do the thing you love. You want to do it as long as you can. I mean, I certainly don't want to, like, wear out a welcome, but I feel like, you know, maybe everyone feels this way, right? But I feel like I still have a lot to say.

I feel like my best work is still ahead of me as a writer. I hope that's the case. But, yeah, man, right now it's just, like, it's being on, like, a really wild amusement park ride. We're just going to, you know, we're laughing the whole way.

And so we're just going to, like, hold on and just keep doing the thing until people stop showing up at shows, you know? You'll always have one fan of me because I'm just looking at you guys play. It's just, it's incredible what you guys bring to the table. You know, it's not hard to describe, but people still have to experience because you feel at home at one of your shows and you feel like you belong at one of your shows, but it's still just some energy that's surrounding the whole crowd.

And I'm kind of, like, what you said kind of just brought a smile on my face and I just kind of forgot, like, what question I was going to ask. But, I mean, you've been a part of the punk rock scene since the 90s. How have you changed in telling your story? Because it seems like, you know, being youthful and being, like, you know, being against the grain has really stuck with you.

But how are you trying to change up that story in the beach lane lyrics? Yeah, it has for sure, man. And I think it's like, you know, experience is a really sort of right on storyteller, right? I mean, you know, at this point in my life, I've been in enough sort of weirdo things to have something worth saying, right?

And I've collected enough of a vocabulary to maybe find a more interesting way to say it. You know, I don't know, man. I've always just found it dumb or defeating when, you know, I see people stop living at, like, 30 or 40 or whatever it might be, you know? The book house, he said this thing about, you know, living life so well that death will tremble to take us.

And it's like, I dig that. Like, that feels right to me. You know, I'm like, I want to go, you know, like, 100%. I want to go skidding into the grave, you know, because I don't understand.

I don't see why you would want to do it another way. You know, when people make that shift from living to existing, it's like, I never want to, like, exist, you know? I want to, like, be alive until the thing's done, right? I mean, I said this thing in an interview before.

I think it may have been, I can't remember who it was, but I was like, you don't have to retire from being alive when you're 35, you know? Man, you just, like, don't, you know? To me, like, my little mantra is, like, stay young, stay hungry, you know? This is your life and it's happening.

Real quick, did you steal it from Gaslight? Oh, did I? I don't know. Oh, no, I'm just messing with you.

Yeah, and a song that says, stay hungry, stay free, and do the best that you can. And I feel like you guys are, like, living that out. And the lyric that sticks with me the most is, I hope when I die I feel this alive. I mean, that's poetry.

And you're speaking, like, a poet right now. Is that, like, what's the lyric that you wrote? Is there any that just, like, wait, I wrote that? Is there any that still shocks you?

Yeah, man, you know, look, man, I really treat them all very special. You know, I wanted to be a writer before I ever picked up a guitar, man. So, you know, words are really hugely dumb, necessary, beautiful things to me, right? And I treat them all with the respect I feel they deserve, right?

It's like, right, you know, when I wrote that line, I felt like I had that little hair stand up on my arms. You know, that's the moment I waited for when I'm writing stuff. Nothing sort of gets by, you know, without having one of those moments, you know? And I mean, on the new record, I remember when I wrote, and it's why it's the last song on the record, like, I blur all this hurt in the sound, you know?

I just remember writing that and having that. I mean, you know, I don't want to sit here and strain my arm by patting myself on the back, but those are the moments I wait for, man. So I think I have a, you know, I would sound like a real jerk if I sort of went through here and I sort of said, oh, this line and that line and that line. But it's like, it's because they mean that much to me.

And it's like, I see what they mean to people who listen to this band, and it's like, man, I'm starting to really feel this responsibility of, like, I don't want to let people down that this thing has helped. You know, it's like, these stories that kids tell me now are knocking around in my head, and I'm like, you know, we need that thing, right? It's that same thing, like, when I got turned on to bands that, like, helped me through a thing or whatever. It's like, if I'm, at least I'm back to even one person, I have an infinite responsibility to that one person to, like, not let them down.

So in that way, to get back to an earlier question, that's definitely fueled the work. I mean, that is driving me now as I'm beginning to write LP2 in a way that, you know, I feel really beautifully chilled. You know, I want to make this thing for my friends. You know, I never feel like we have fans.

We just have friends. I'm just making more friends, you know, which is great. And I just, like, don't want to let them down, you know? As long as you guys stay honest, you won't let anyone down.

I mean, it's just, when you're in the crowd watching you guys, it just feels like everyone is just apart. Like you said, it's like watching your friends play a house show, but your friends are also, like, complete rock stars. And then you also talked about bands that, like, helped you through times. You know, like, obviously, you see Jawbreaker and Replacements, because you guys played, like, four covers by both of those fans at your show.

It was awesome. It was, I have Alex Chilton, or no, can't hardly wait on my phone, that whole thing. It was insane. I was like, all right, because the Replacements came, like, in 2014, and tickets were, like, 50 bucks, and then you guys play my two favorite songs about them.

And I'm like, all right, I just saw, you know, the Replacements, and it was 10 times better. Right on, man. Thanks, brother. That's super humbling, yeah.

I mean, you guys are absolutely killing it. Are there any, like, I mean, Jawbreaker replacements? Who else inspires you guys? Yeah, um, jeez, man, I thought this was probably pretty ridiculous.

But, like, you know, man, like, Who's Her Do, Second Out Furs, Magnetic Fields. I don't know, there's been some recent stuff I've been digging on. The Spam See Through Dresses, The Spam, like, Drama. Like, just, you know, man, I'm in that world, right?

I choose this and Mary Chain. I mean, man, we could talk about records, man. This could come. Who's Her Do could get really crazy long.

Yeah, I've really been digging on, like, kind of more shoegaze, sort of, like, late 70s, early 80s, like, new wave stuff. But, like, I don't know, I, yeah, man, yeah, I'm a real sucker for, like, Brit Pop. Like, you know, man, I grew up on records, you know? Yeah, I can tell the Brit Pop in you, because of the way you dress.

It just seems like, you know, you walked out of the 70s, and it's awesome. And plus, with all your artwork, it just looks like something that came out of the 70s, but it's still, like, new, you know what I'm saying? It's not cheesy. It's still, like, this awesome, like, thing that looks vintage, you know what I'm saying?

Thanks, man, thanks, man. Yeah, we get that, like, it feels new and familiar at the same time, and I love that, you know? So it's sort of like an old friend you never met before, you know? And I kind of, I've dug that sort of description of things, you know?

Yeah, it's incredible what you guys bring, because it's just, it feels right, but it doesn't feel new. It feels like I've been listening to this band for at least, you know, like, this is, like, it seems like this was your, like, seventh album or something. But you talked about your second album. Is there anything I could squeeze out of you for that?

Like, what's the whole happening on there? Yeah, well, it's so early on, man. I have about six things sort of, like, skeletally demoed at home right now. I'm just, like, sort of working on the lyrical part of those, but I'm considering, like, the first half of the record.

But, yeah, you know, man, it's, like, again, doing the thing I'm feeling right now. It's definitely pushing a little bit more. I never want to get, like, you know, we have this one gear, and that's what people expect in every record, you know, to get back to the Xerox thing, right? I don't want to just Xerox records, and it's just, like, man, what a way to just burn a band out.

It's like, man, I really loved it when they sort of started out, you know, three records in, they made the same record the whole time. So I definitely want to sort of push and bend and evolve things. But, you know, man, look, it's always going to be rooted in, like, you know, plugging in, turning up, and doing the thing, you know, in the spirit of the replacements, because that's the thing that lights me up, you know? Yeah, I mean, what you guys did on the first EP, then to the second EP, and then to the whole album, it feels like they're all different pieces, but, you know, by the same band, like, it just feels like it's a continuation of a story, but every story has, like, their different quirks about it.

It's incredible. Just real quick, what does college radio mean to you guys? I know that's kind of off-subject. I'll get back to the whole subject, but what does college mean to your band exactly?

Right on, man. Well, look, man, it means so much, right? Like, for me, like, it was always a height of cool, right? For me as a listener and, like, later as a band, you know?

Like, you know, when I first started to figure it out, like, really got turned on to, like, good music, you know? Not the stuff my mom was playing in college, not the stuff, right? You know what I mean? It really got turned on.

It was college radio, you know? Like, the whole, like, the stuff we're talking about, the replacement studio, like, the Stooges, whatever, you know, pretty much everybody I named you before. You know, the list is infinite, right? But, like, that's where it happened for me.

You know, I had some friends that, like, DJ'd, you know, the cool thing about where I sort of came up in that era, you know, when I first started doing bands and getting into the scene, there were, like, three college stations with him. radio reach right so it was like you know come on no one no one i knew to listen to commercial radio and you got turned on to man i adore it with everything i've got man like that's always been the measure to me of like does a band i didn't matter right because it's like i don't know it's always felt tastemaker and cool there's that you know i don't know there's just always been something very dividing about how i assume it's because people do that thing because you just absolutely love it right you're sitting in that booth playing these records because music means that much to you they're the people i want to get turned on the records by yeah i mean i can speak for yourself i mean i can speak uh on behalf of what you said where you said you know once you're playing on college radio that you've made it you definitely have made it in my book because that's the only thing i play i play better and weirdos ideas at every top of the hour because we're supposed to play a new song so i just play that like constantly it's i mean you guys are putting out great stuff so i'm not gonna hide that from people right on right on it's oh what are you gonna say i'm sorry no i'm just gonna say that's that's really really sweet man because i um i'm not pandering to the college radio thing i mean it really hasn't it really does mean an immense amount to me so you know that we're getting spun there really uh i've got a glow about me right now man knowing that i have a buddy who works at uh depaul he's he's on the radio and he actually named the show all fuzzed out after you guys oh they don't i'm good for that man i'm okay i've seen that i've seen that tab right on like social and stuff yeah it's amazing yeah i flipped out when i saw that the first time yeah i mean it's it's it's so cool just i mean i the first band i feel like it's the first band i kind of found you know what i'm saying like everything it was like you know something my dad listened to like i didn't find springsteen you know springsteen came to me beach playing you know i had to kind of do some digging around and i found you guys and i just i'm gonna do something i never let go because like you guys it's you guys are never gonna i'm not gonna you know put a high standard but i feel like you guys are gonna like disappoint me ever because it's just it's something real that you guys give out man thank you so much for that i can promise you that i'll be punching as hard as i can not to let you down for sure and i don't uh you know i don't wear it lightly man you know i um look this thing means the world to me right now you know and i uh yeah man i just like with everything you know i just want to keep pushing it forward pushing it up and like you know you know i've always thought about this thing it's like you know we were sort of if we're building a house here right like the foundation's built out of fun but we're not building a ceiling on it you know like as big as this thing can sort of grow and push out man as long as like we're not compromising the thing we believe in which will never happen right you know the broader the reach for this thing you know i'm way into that because all i'm really trying to fire out into the world is goodness right so the broader the reach you know of things like that the better uh i don't know thanks man i'm feeling really sort of humbled and blushed right now i really appreciate everything you're uh you're doing for the thing because it's like i could be writing these same songs right in my room and nobody could care and like that's as far as they go in my room and so it takes like i don't know you know people that hear these things give them life you know and i appreciate you being one of those yeah i feel like it kind of went away from interviewing me just kissing your ass but um i mean i'm not gonna hide the shame i mean i'm just gonna i'm gonna this is the coolest thing that's happened to me like this is the reason i got on college radio was to you know interview great bands and speaking of college radio and you mentioned some newer bands that you got into is there one band that's up and coming maybe from philly that you guys feel really strongly about you guys want us to start spinning because i will take any music recommendation you have yeah man um yeah can i hit you to the two i mentioned before that may have may have passed in conversation but i just think they're both so incredible neither of them are from philadelphia but um and they really deserve to be heard by one called see-through dresses see-through dresses yeah they're from omaha okay and the other band called like drama they're from olympia it's actually it's from that band gloss it's her it's her other band and it's super you know like westerberg you know yeah like just it's like you guys are a little different yeah yeah for sure it's definitely about that world i mean like if we toured together people would be like oh yeah that makes you know what i mean yeah i don't want to you know ask like the usual question like oh how's tour been but i mean how do you enjoy touring because i mean you you're away for a bit you know amount of time is that like do you does that give you reassurance in your band or is there some times where you're just kind of like kind of fading away from it yeah man um look man i love the tour you know it's like that's the thing that um you know we love we love to do right and it's that thing like look man it's kind of hard to complain when you're out on the road with like your three best friends yeah you're you're piling into a club each night playing these songs and people are singing them back to you it feels great right i mean that's not the state of our times you're tired and maybe you miss your bed and you miss whatever those little sort of creature comforts that we all sort of have in life but um no man i mean it's it's you know i think the longest we go out for at a clip is typically like four or five weeks it's really not that long and sort of every day is sort of this like wild sort of little adventure you know that the time sort of sort of comes by you know i gotcha yeah yeah um so final question yes what is your ultimate goal for beach lane and what where do you want if i get the chance to interview again say in like three years what are we going to be talking about then about beach lane right oh man that's a great question uh that the work stays true um i think that we we grow this band on our own terms um i think you know the the messaging and connectivity and it mattering is still very much in place you know um yeah it'd be great if like you know that's how i'm able to keep the lights on it's just like by playing my guitar you know uh i don't have dreams of being you know zeppelin or bowie you know i just like i just want to make like honest work that affects people in a good meaningful way you know um and like i said man if that can be the thing that like if that's my job and i hesitate to call it a job that's the thing i do to pay the bills it's like i can't imagine you know a better way to spend my time you know like being a person alive in the world you know it's like you know my dreams are both humble and mind-blowing right they're humble in the way that like i'm not really trying to be much but the thing i'm trying to be means more than anything um and that's really all it is you know i just want to like keep driving around the country and meeting really cool people and and doing the thing you know yeah i'm hoping the next time we interview whether it's a couple of years things aren't a whole lot different now you know maybe maybe we're selling a few more records or playing a room that's a little bigger but it's like i don't know man things feel pretty pretty pretty right on right now so yeah i mean it's it's fantastic what you guys are doing and i mean i'm gonna pay i'm gonna show out any type of money to see you guys whether you guys are playing you know the united center next time or you're just sticking back at the subterranean either way it's gonna be a fantastic thing i just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart thank you so much for what you know the music you played the music you put out just doing this interview in general because it's been absolutely fantastic thank you so much man you're sort of thoughtfulness and like man you wear your heart on your sleeve just like i do man so we're like we're kindred little souls man it was really great to spend time i mean this is the reason why people love you man because you wear your heart on your sleeve and you just feel like you're somebody we've known for our whole life and i've only been alive for what 18 years but i feel like i've known you for that whole 18 years it's been absolutely fantastic watching you guys put out this new album in october uh if you're listening to this interview and you haven't picked it up you are a complete fool it is the things we do to find people who feel like us uh it's out on polyvinyl it is out on cd you put it on cassette right we did yeah cassette vinyl and it's also online for digital download so i want to thank james alex so much he's from beach lane he's an amazing guy if you've never seen them definitely go to the nearest beach lane concert because you will not regret it james thank you so much sean thank you so much man i appreciate every second of this man thank you so much thank you for listening to this wxav.com podcast check out wxav.com for future podcasts wxav the escape from ordinary radio