Taking the trodden path of searing guitar music from America’s East-Coast, Ruby Bones are a New York-based three-piece who consider themselves “Bruce Springsteen on cocaine after a few drags of a helium balloon. It’s certainly a niche, so Beard. Wives. Denim. caught up with the group to see whether such a claim was merely a Dream Baby Dream or whether they could Prove It All Night.
Beard. Wives Denim. // You're from the New York area. How, if at all, has your hometown honed your sound?
Chris Nova // Well I might call northern New Jersey home, but it's pretty much a suburb of NYC. And I was born in Brooklyn at least, if it makes the previous sentence more legitimate. As for sound, our songs are fast, dirty, and loud, much like the NY atmosphere we live in. It's almost like a "make your point and do it quickly " attitude has sunk its way into this record, something definitely attributed in part to how quick life in NYC can seem.
B.W.D. // With NY being a hub both for established and upcoming acts, who are your favourite artists from the city? Both those that have influenced you over the years and those you feel we should become aware of?
CN // Well the Strokes are a huge song-writing influence, though I try not to ape them too strongly. Something about short songs with big hooks and sing-along melodies has always been appealing to me, and there are few bands that do it as well as them. The Walkmen were also excellent in that department, and I'd site them as another solid influence. In terms of great up-and-coming bands, I'd definitely shout out Skaters for their Clash-inspired sound, as well as Locksley, Drowners, and the Postelles. Other band friends of ours include Lake Effect, Whiner, We're Ghosts Now, Vomitface, and Bloody Your Hands.
FC Spies // I dig The Dig, Vampire Weekend, Talking Heads, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and our friends in Lady and Dogbosser.
B.W.D. // Ruby Bones: where did the name originate?
CN // It was a name that bounced around for a while and became the most fitting moniker for the band as the songs came together. I liked that it evoked a strong visual and sounded like it could be a band that already existed, so we went with it. Coming up with good band names is pretty difficult without resorting to humour. That being said, I'm calling dibs on the name Duck Duck Zeus as a future side project.
FCS // It sounds like a porn star's name, so that's cool.
James Janocha // What FC said!
CN // Scratch my answer! That's way better.
B.W.D. // How long have you guys been a group? Has it always been a three-piece?
CN // I think I asked FC and James to listen to some demos I recorded in mid-2015, and we started practicing shortly after. We have our buddy Denis Daley on the record playing saxophone because I love the damn instrument and wish I kept playing it past eighth grade. Denis plays with us when he can, but we operate bare-bones as the three of us and it does make scheduling things way easier!
B.W.D. // Which three actors / actresses would best portray you on film? And who would be directing?
FCS // Michael Lehmann to direct because ‘Hudson Hawk’ is the best movie ever. And we would obviously be the three ninja kids from ‘Three Ninjas’.