Street: What was it like playing shows at Pilam?
Pat Troxell: Pilam’s the best! I grew up going to shows there. It’s always been a really good place to go see shows. We’ve played two or three shows at Pilam over the years, I think? We did Human Barbecue, which had a really amazing lineup that year, with Asteroid #4. We used to have a lot of issues with our gear, and that Pilam show was one of those shows where we just smashed everything. Our guitar player Sean [Miller] went through three guitars at that show, and it was a rough one. But we had a blast—it was awesome.That place was always a good time. We lived near Penn when we recorded our EP. We were right near Malcolm X park. The whole band had a house up there.
Street: What’s it like having the whole band living in a house?
PT: It helps with the writing and recording and keeping on schedule being a full–time band. But there’s no privacy ever. Anna [Troxell, bass] and I have been married for five and– a–half years, and two of those years we’ve been in band houses. We definitely have to run away sometimes and hide out to not be around people 24/7. But they’re people I love, and I wouldn’t want to be around anyone else.
Street: What’s the dynamic like when you’re in a band with someone who you’re married to?
PT: It’s great. Anna and I have been married longer than we’ve been in a band together. We got together and were together before Anna even took up an instrument, so it was cool to do that together. I’ve seen a lot of people struggle on the road with their significant others not around, and I feel for that, but at the same time, I appreciate that I can go on the road and do what I’m doing. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
Street: Are there venues in Philadelphia that have stuck with you as a band and shaped your experience?
PT: We got banned from the Tri Town once on South Street, but that’s not there anymore. We had a really crazy sold–out, wild show, and the band actually ended up biting each other on stage, and it was a total blowout moment. But it was one of those things that changed us a little. Like, maybe we won’t drink that much on stage. I was the booking agent at Kung Fu Necktie for a year–and–a–half or two years, and we had our record release show there when the band first started. When we started out four years ago, there weren’t really noisey psych rock bands in Philly. There was Bardo Pond, but honestly, the way Philly is, and the way the great clubs are, is that they come and go. We all grew up going todifferent spots around Philly that were really good for DIY music. Going to the First Unitarian Church? That was our shit. Anna and I met by going to hardcore shows as kids. That stuff’s really deep in us, and we really appreciate it. When we go to other towns, especially college towns, we’ll play club shows and then play a house show later that night, and that’s because of growing up in Philadelphia and being put in that atmosphere.
Street: What up–and–coming bands in Philadelphia are you excited about right now?
PT: The local band Harsh Vibes—we took them on a tour down the coast last summer. And of course, the obvious, Amanda X is awesome. We’re really lucky to have played numerous shows with them, and they’re good friends of ours. I haven’t seen them live yet, but I’m really into that band Spirit of the Beehive. Everyone in Philly, there’s bands that have been around forever that don’t really command the respect they deserve. There’s this one band, Fight Amp, from Philadelphia. They’re a heavier noise rock band, but they’re really good friends of ours. There’s a lot of new stuff popping up. That’s part of the reason why we love Philly so much. The music scene is always changing and adapting. It’s cool.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
