ARTICLE BY: S. STILSON

EDITING BY: J.WARNER

While representing OMFC at the Werk Out Music Festival (Bellefontaine, OH), correspondent Scott Stilson had the chance to interview Indianapolis-based funk/rock fusion group, The Twin Cats. The group is comprised of brothers Adam and Seth Catron (Drums, guitar/vocals, respectively), Phil Geyer (Keys), Cameron Reel (Bass), and Nicholas Gerlach (Saxophones). Known for their high-energy live performances, the group has found a role as one of the premier live bands in Indianapolis, and are mainstays on the Midwest festival circuit. Check out the OMFC interview with the Twin Cats:

When you guys are putting together songs, what sort of reaction do you invoke in your fans?

Reel- Really its what makes us move. We fans just like everybody, and if it moves us, we go with it.

Geyer- I think we try and make sure everyone is having a good time. We try to fire people up.

Reel- There are tracks that we trash because, for lack of a better phrase, they’re boring. They’re fun to play and its good music, but we trash parts because its not something that’s going to get people moving.

What do you guys think about the incorporation of more modern technology into live and studio music?

Reel- I’m a fan of it. Seriously, its going to roll over us so you better get used to it.

Catron- I’m very old school, I like to keep it natural, as acoustic as possible. Our drums, horn, keys, organ, all very natural. But everything is changing and if your not playing music that gets people going than, well your not playing the right shit.

Reel- Your defiantly not getting paid, that’s for sure. But if you want to be on the cutting edge of music, you have to embrace technology.

What are some of the ways you like to give back to your fans?

Catron- We came out with a live album with a limited 200 copies and everybody that bought the album pre-sale got entered into a prize raffle. We picked 20 people out of everyone and they were entered into the prize draft. So we all showed up at one of our favorite bars, The Mousetrap, and the winners got to pick from 25 prizes draft style.

Reel- Its all about connection with people

Can you tell me one of your favorite stories about preforming on stage?

Catron- We opened up for Rusted Root, in our hometown, Indianapolis. There were about 800 or 900 people there and everyone thinks that its just Rusted Root, they didn’t know there was going to be an opener. It was only a 45 minute slot, we snuck in and got the gig.

Reel- We walk on stage to a packed house and the place goes fucking crazy. It was like was like the crowd was waiting 10 years to see Rusted Root and they just took the stage. They screamed for 20 or 30 seconds before they realized it we weren’t them.

Did you ever picture The Twin Cats the way you are today, back when you were first starting up?

Reel- Its obviously the goal, so in someway you must imagine it I think. Nick did you ever see yourself at god damn festivals every weekend?

Gerlach- Sure, we all work hard, its what we want to do

Catron- We had already been playing music for a long time together. We had already had fun, did the garage band thing for a while so by the time we got this group together, we knew it was time to go out and try to make a name.

Where do you see The Twin Cats in the next five years?

Geyer- The moon!

Catron- We don’t try to worry about the future, we just work as hard as we can right now.

Reel- You just try to make the best decisions you can at the time and try to get to the next level. Take better gigs if you can get them, its all business, you just have to be smart about it.

Geyer- The best bit of advice I got, in the last year, pertaining to music was, if your trying to play music for money, don’t fucking do it. That came from Paul Gilbert, one of the best guitar players ever. B.B. King had told him the same thing. Its got to be a lifestyle.

What do you think about the incorporation of more traditional arts, in both the music scene and everyday society?

Catron- I think its awesome. Everyone needs to find a venue to get more of their stuff out there, but traditional art is kind of dying. Whats the number one thing that gets cut from schools right now? Music and arts. All the people that came out to paint this weekend, someone introduced them to it, they got turned on by it and stuck with it. In the future, no one is going to be teaching these kids how to paint, they’re not going to get that same opportunity.

Geyer- We love the whole live painting during shows, its really cool.

Check out The Twin Cats online at:

www.thetwincats.net