Pittsburgh's Shade PREV / 2 of 2 / NEXT ound. The Pittsburgh Indie scene has been labeled a sort of Brit-rock inspired manifestation. How true is this statement? How is Pittsburgh reshaping that sound? How is Shade putting its own stamp on that sound? Many journalists have type-cast Pittsburgh as a Brit-rock influenced city but we feel that Pittsburgh's music scene is unique to its self and the bands are influenced by many genres of music. As for Shade, we have always played the music we have felt and we don't feel that our music fits into one genre. Indie rock music has a tendency to emerge out of neighborhoods in decay, areas formerly of prosperous industry that have given over to squalor and a sort of lifelessness. In New York City, this has happened in the Lower East Side and Williamsburg. We have seen this in L.A., in areas of Chicago and other major cities. It appears that Indie rock thrives on these areas of deviance in these countercultural enclaves. Would you say this is what's happening today in Pittsburgh? Tell us about the scene and its origins. Right now in Pittsburgh, industry and economy have been struggling. And to combat this feeling of decay, the artist in Pittsburgh have been pulling together to create a scene full of individuals driven to inspire and promote a better Pittsburgh. Do you feel there is a gentrification process occurring in Pittsburgh? Do you feel this budding Indie scene maybe a main perpetuator of that process? What are your feelings on the matter? Yes, we feel that the gentrification process has been occurring in Pittsburgh for several years now and the Indie scene is defiantly a large contributor to the process. There are many different areas in the city where musicians and artist alike have moved in and helped to build up the area. They have started galleries and venues that have generated new business in these areas and have helped in building a stronger community. The band has spoken about camaraderie in the past when referencing the Indie music scene. Is the new record label, Lovely Recordings, a product of this camaraderie? Or is it a way in which to harness that camaraderie? What do you hope to accomplish with the new label? Lovely Recordings is a product of the "camaraderie" in the local music scene and a completely separate entity from Shade. We are very thankful for the work they have done for us especially in Fedra's release. When you look at other Indie rock labels such as, say, Saddle Creek Records, do you derive inspiration? Or is there some sense of competition? As mentioned above, Lovely Recordings and Shade are two separate entities and we really can't speak for Lovely but we don't sense a competitive vibe from them at all, they are working hard in getting a couple of local bands some exposure and we really respect them for it. What can we expect next from Shade? Where is the band going? Shade plans to continue writing and playing live shows with hopes to release another recording in 2005. --William Wallace Friday, 14 January 2005 (c) Copyright 2024 Tweed Media PREV / 2 of 2 / NEXT