 "Photo: Photo courtesy of The Octopus Project")
Austin’s The Octopus Project has been playing its mélange of instrumental indie rock and bouncing electronica for almost 10 years now.
While the band’s music, which combines a battery of drum machines and synthesizers with bass guitar and the other-worldly sounds of the Theremin, has always been a hit in Austin, they have more recently arrived upon the national scene. Though the group just returned from touring the country in support of their new EP Golden Beds, multi-instrumentalist and founding member Josh Lambert took a break to tell the Texan about his world.
The Daily Texan: What album have you listened to the most in the last week?
Josh Lambert: Obaa Sima by Ata Kak. I found this on a blog that only posts obscure tapes from Africa. Our drummer, Toto, best described it as a cross between Bobby Brown and Wesley Willis, but really, it sounds like nothing you’ve ever heard before. It’s super weird and totally infectious. One of the choruses sounds like they’re saying, “Put me on the dog!”
DT: If you could collaborate with any musician in the world, who would it be?
JL: [Current band-mates] Yvonne, Toto and Ryan. I’m sure that sounds like a cop out, but it’s true. I can’t imagine being in a band with anyone else.
DT: What was the best show you’ve ever played?
JL: It’s hard to pick my favorite show. I really love playing super huge festivals. There’s just an amazing energy between us and the crowd that’s impossible to explain, but it feels amazing.
DT: What was the worst show you’ve ever played?
JL: Easily the worst show we’ve ever played was in Norman, Oklahoma, in March of 2006. It was the first show of a tour that started a couple of days after SXSW. We were all completely wiped out — both physically and emotionally — from SXSW week, and we were all incredibly sick. I actually ended up going to the hospital the next day. To top it all off, Wayne Coyne [of The Flaming Lips] came out to see us play, and we played horribly. Songs fell apart, equipment broke, drumsticks were dropped, our energy level was at zero. That was the worst I’ve ever felt in my life. Everything has been a breeze after that.
DT: What is your favorite song to play live?
JL: They’re all really fun, but I usually get excited about whatever new stuff we’re playing. “Wet Gold” has been super awesome. We sing on it and I’m pretty excited about that.
DT: When you were forming the band, were there any alternate band names you didn’t pick?
JL: We never had any alternate names for this band, but our name came about while we were trying to name another band which ended up being called Hidden Speaker. So, there were a few alternates in the running that I suppose we could have drawn from — Quarterly Porpoise is the only one that stuck in my mind. Man, I’m glad we didn’t pick that.
DT: Where is your favorite place to eat in Austin?
JL: Hands down, Uchi.
DT: Do you have a day job?
JL: Thankfully, being in this band takes up just about every second of my time.
DT: What is your favorite Web site?
JL: I’ve been looking at awesometapesfromafrica.blogspot.com and awkwardfamilyphotos.com quite a bit lately.
DT: What is a perfect day for you?
JL: Waking up late, floating in an anti-gravity machine for a while, listening to some kind of music that hasn’t been invented yet, espresso, riding bikes, swimming in Barton Springs, hanging out with Werner Herzog, dinner at Uchi, watching a movie at the Drafthouse, then singing karaoke with friends.
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