For our latest interview we hopped on the phone with guitarist and vocalist for The Shelters, Chase Simpson. During our talk we uncovered some things about the rising band and their self-titled debut LP, including what it was like having Tom Petty co-produce the record, how they developed their dope vintage LA sound, and what fans can expect at their live shows.
We also conducted a speed round with Chase to get an insider look at his personal tastes, in which we learned which was the first record he bought, his favorite songs to play live, and more.
The Shelters LP is available now on iTunes. Check out our exclusive interview below.
You guys were in different bands previous to forming The Shelters. How is this band different and what are you trying to accomplish with this group?
Our old band consisted of Josh, myself, and Sebastian; that was a totally different vibe. What we discovered in that band was that the chemistry between the three of us, and especially with Josh and my guitar playing, was something special. When that band ended we were really bummed because we were creating something great and fun together. One day I called up Josh to say “we should continue doing something” and we started writing.
The original idea for the band was to make fun, upbeat Rock tunes. We didn’t really discriminate against sounds or whatever was being tried out and over time we kind of just landed on it and we’re still landing on it.
You guys have this cool vintage sound with airs of the 60s/70s but you still make it sound fresh. How do you guys create this throwback aesthetic and make it sound contemporary, while avoiding the more danceable Pop-like stuff heard on a lot of Rock radio?
It’s a combination of a few things. Those 60s, 70s bands are our influences and our heroes; when you hear The Kinks, The Beatles, or The Velvet Underground you can see how they have helped us mold our sound. When we write our songs or record them we don’t think about genre or what kind of song we’re making. We always try to invest on something and whatever it ends up becoming, that’s what it is. We can judge it later.
We definitely are aware of a lot of bands our age, our peers. We do take note of what they’re doing but we try not to let that steer us. We’re not caught up with what’s happening or what’s cool. All the people that we grew up loving and idolizing, they did what they wanted to do and make music that they wanted to make. They never compromised their sound to fit what was supposed to be cool.
You worked with Tom Petty on your self-titled debut LP. How was it like working with an icon like that and setting aside the fact that he’s someone you looked up to, and instead interacting more as a colleague to have him help you create songs that you wanted to make?
It was such an honor and a privilege to work with Tom Petty. We soaked up every bit of knowledge that we could on a day-to-day basis. It was definitely a very special thing and we owe so much to him in so many aspects and for teaching us so much.
It was really eye-opening to see that we kind of need that outside opinion sometimes. He’s so experienced with making great records so he could steer us away from making the wrong choice that maybe he’s made in the past. He’d say “don’t go down that road, I’ve been there before and it’s not right.” He was very quick at picking out a song and make it right; he would weed out the bad parts and bring out the good. Petty brings with him good vibes and can choreograph a recording session to make a song come out how it’s meant to be. We’re all better writers and musicians because of him.
He definitely let us drive and do what we wanted, but it was great having his presence to help us find the sounds that came out on the record.
Your video for “Rebel Heart” is just plain cool and sexy. It also feels very much like LA. How much does that aura of “The City of Angels” influence your sound and the music that you create?
I definitely think that LA is the reason why we exist. Without it we wouldn’t have all met each other, we wouldn’t have the influences that we do, we wouldn’t have met Tom. I think stylistically, being born and raised in Los Angeles, it is a key part of who I am regardless of whether I can see it as clearly as you can from your Chicago perspective.
Surf music, the whole California thing, all that has had an impact on us. We grew up around surfers and surf music, Punk Rock, classic Rock; it’s all definitely in our blood and has helped shape us.
We all have our own styles going on and I think that’s part of living in a city like Los Angeles. Everyone is from a different place so they all bring their own influences with them and we can all kind of do our own thing. Josh has that 50s look and I’m a little more 70s. Jake has a little more modern fashion, with a surfer side to him. It’s all a by-product of where we’re from but with an LA filter.
How has your live set evolved to house this big sound that you have?
It’s always evolving. You always find things that work and things that don’t, so we definitely have learned that with certain things we can embellish them and with others it’s better to simplify them. But we’re definitely more Rocking. It’s just the four of us so we don’t have anyone filling it in with a keyboard, or throwing in a mellotron or a piano or a shaker; stuff that is on the record. The core and the foundation just makes it way more Rocking and there’s a kind of energy that comes out when you just play that that makes people go crazy.
Playing live is such a learning experience about how to deal with certain situations. You get to grab an audience and take them on a journey with you. We’re a young band and we’re definitely still learning the best ways to do that and give them a cool experience.
Do you have anything special planned for your festival dates like Life Is Beautiful and Austin City Limits?
We’re figuring out a cover we’d like to add to our sets to get the crowd all riled up. We definitely want to define what setlist we want to play to put out a certain vibe for our show. I sure want to do something different for these.
What was it like making your late night TV debut on Colbert?
https://youtu.be/LMrHYwCrB4U
It was a real trip, particularly for me. I had never played on TV so I had this excited, anxious feeling about it. It was really cool. We kind of just wanted to get right through it because it was just so exciting. I think we got through it alright and we definitely got a good placement to promote our record. They did a good job to get our record everywhere and we would love to do more.
SPEED ROUND
What was the first album you ever bought?
It probably was an Offspring record or a Nirvana record. I’m pretty sure it was Smash. I’m a 90s baby.
What’s your favorite song to play live from your album?
Honestly I love playing them all for their own reasons. If I had to pick one from our record it would be “Liar” and one not from our record we love playing is “Lost Woman.” That’s probably the most fun because we get to practically smash all of our equipment by the end of it. We like to play that Yardbirds’s song but we like to give it an Everly Brothers style when we do it.
https://youtu.be/-PEHkOkm2ww
What’s your favorite song on The Shelters LP?
No favorites. I love them all. The process of recording each one was special so I love them all, regardless of whether I wrote them or not.
What’s the next video?
We’ve been talking about that actually. It will probably be for “Liar” so you might be able to see that by the end of the year. We just need to make some money first (laughs).
