What’s not to like about a band that brings their own “stage monsters” on tour?  While getting their gear ready for their set at TT the Bear’s in April, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down had a slew of propped up imaginary creatures, painted on plywood, with shaggy fur, horns and toothy smiles nestled amongst their cables, amps and kick drum.  The whimsical touch was a fitting one for the fiercely talented threesome, who has solidified their place in the hearts of indie rock lovers across the country with their sing-songy melodies, uplifted beats and lesson-teachin’ lyrics.

I had the pleasure of catching up with Thao a couple of hours before she was to take the stage at TT the Bear’s Place a couple of months ago.  The girl had plenty of bizarre, beautiful and even some Boston-related anecdotes to share during our conversation.  Thao with the Get Down Stay Down will be touring for a few more weeks this summer before finishing their new album, which is currently scheduled to hit iTunes and your favorite record store on October 13th.  Read on to learn more about the band’s upcoming release, Thao’s favorite songs to play and the stories behind them, and why she looks forward to coming through Boston, the “sleeper hit of the season”, each time Thao with the Get Down Stay Down head back out on the road.

-Hilary Hughes

THE MAIN EVENT: THE TPB THAO WITH THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN INTERVIEW

How was your show at the Iron Horse in North Hampton last night?

It was fun! It was a good time.  It was actually a livelier crowd than we’re used to.  There were these two drunk bros in the corner right up front.  They were the only downside…

I don’t think you’re going to be seeing any bros tonight, because TT’s is a pretty low-key venue.

Rad. That’s my favorite thing to hear.

I got a few questions about your tour so far and your back-story and stuff like that.  In your own words, can you give me the abridged history of Thao with the Get Down Stay Down?

Sure! I started out solo, and Willis, our drummer, and I went to college together.  He started playing a few shows with me and he played on a few songs on the first record that I put out, but no one really has that record.  I think only my mom has it?  Then, we went on tour.  We found our bassist, Adam Thompson, in Richmond, Virginia, and we worked him into the band. Things picked up and we went on this tour for this compilation for Kill Rockstars.  We recorded some songs, and then Kill Rockstars signed us, and then we finished the record and that became We Brave Beestings And All.  It happened without a lot of fanfair, but quickly enough that it kind of surprised us, and then we’ve just been on tour.  I liken it to a shotgun wedding.  We weren’t really entirely aware of what we were doing or getting into, but then we were in it.

Unlike a shotgun wedding I hope that you’re not regretting the consequences!

Not everyday. (Laughs.)

Now, how long have you guys been touring this leg?

We’ve been on the road about three and a half week and after tonight we’ll have three shows left.

About the tour: Can you tell me any crazy stories from the road?  Do you have any ridiculous tales from the tour bus, so to speak?

This tour has been surprisingly uneventful.  I think it because it feels more like a job this time around.  We’re more responsible, everybody’s drinking less, eating healthier, and, uh… Well, Texas is always kinda nuts.  Fort Worth, in my opinion, is kind of a bizarre town.  There’s a live bull on the side of the road that you could ride and take pictures with, but it looked drugged and we didn’t trust it.  And then we went to an indoor rodeo… pretty funny… Texas is much more unbelievable than other places.

Have you had the chance to play in Austin?

Yeah!  We’ve been in Austin a few times lately because we were there for SXSW and we came through on tour.

What are some other favorite cities you’ve played in and some other venues you like?

I live in San Francisco and I love going back, and we play The Independent a lot, it’s a great venue and the staff is really fantastic.  We always play Lubbock, Texas, which is hilarious, and the crowd is by far the liveliest.  I don’t know how, but they all know the words.  There’s drinking, they bring you cigarettes onstage, everyone’s incredibly enthusiastic and warm.  They make you feel like a high school quarterback.

Really?!  That’s awesome.  So I guess if you ever want to take a break from the road you can always head over there…

And it’s Buddy Holly’s hometown! There are these cool horned-rimmed glasses, enormous ones, outside of the Buddy Holly Museum.

So, you like Texas, you love San Francisco.  Can you tell me how you feel about Boston, specifically?  Can you talk about your experiences in Boston, having played here before?

I often think about Boston as the sleeper hit of the season because we have no ties to Boston and so we’re always really incredibly surprised, pleasantly surprised with the turnouts, and everyone’s so great and warm and really fantastic.  The last show, when we came through last time on tour, I guess it was at the Middle East, but that was by far one of the best shows on the tour.  We played at the Museum of Fine Arts, which was a lot of fun as well.  It was a sit-down venue, and it was indoors.  People have always been great, and we’re always happy to come through!

Well, we’re happy to have you!

Well, thanks.  (Laughs)

Have you had the chance to check out any local bands while you’ve been playing here?  How long do you usually stay in Boston?

Unfortunately, we just stay the night and then we have to shove off in the morning.  It’s always a four or five hour drive to New York, which is the next place we have to be usually, so… Yeah, we went to the Cheers bar once! Which, you know, turns out to be not as cool as you want.  It doesn’t really look like the Cheers bar; it’s kind of drab.  I’m trying to remember but everything blurs together because I am a fruit fly.  Let me think… We went to a nice park once. Local bands, no, we haven’t, but not because we don’t want to, just because we haven’t been able to.

Totally understandable.  Tour schedules can be crazy, you know?

Yeah.

Yeah.  On to other bands that you listen to: Who do you find to be musically inspirational?  If you and I were to switch iPods right now, who would I find on your Favorites Playlist?

Right now, I listen to a lot of older stuff.  I don’t know a lot about newer bands.  The Lovin’ Spoonful, the Byrds … I’m just actually going through [my iPod] right now… The Zombies… I like Mirah a lot, Mirah and Andrew Bird are the two most present-day artists I listen to.

Yeah, Andrew Bird is coming here in a couple of weeks.

Yeah, he’s great!  What a good whistler, that guy!

Yeah!

We’ve been listening to a lot of the Clash.  And Tribe, sometimes, always, and Outkast I like a lot.

Yeah, they’re fun.  Now, do you guys have any pre-show rituals?

Yeah!  We do this kind of group huddle-thing and we chant, “Get down! Stay down!” in funny voices, but we only do that if we have time.  A lot of times we’re off scattered in different corners of the venue and then we congregate onstage at the last minute.  When we have time and we’re not too stressed out we do that.  We’re starting this thing – Well, I am, I don’t know about the other guys – but I’m gonna start playing shows sober.  Last night was the first time I think and it was enjoyable.  I might do it again tonight, I don’t know.  Normally, we’d have a toast before a show.

You guys are going on pretty late tonight – You’re not going on until 11 right?

Maybe, I don’t know anything.

What are you guys working on now?  I know that you said you have a couple more shows left, but after that what’s next for Thao with the Get Down Stay Down?

We do, we are working on a record, and it’s almost done.   We have another week of recording in July, and then the record will be out on October 13th.   I have to work on some songs and get them ready for recording, and, uh, we’re playing some festivals over the summer.  It’s pretty light, since we’ve been on tour so much this year.  I’m going to do the Rock N’ Roll Camp for Girls in Portland this June, which I’m really looking forward to, and we’re gonna… um… work on exercise… I don’t know, I think we’re going to Sweden?  I’m not really sure.  As far as a band, we’re playing just, we might go to Europe in August for the week, but we’re just gearing up for the next record and the touring that’ll inevitably come.

Great!  Is there anything you can tell me about this new record?  Can you give me a sneak preview, or is this information confidential?

The new record is a lot more energetic, but at the same time sadder and more straightforward and emotional, I would say.

So, a little melancholy?

Yeah! Oh, totally heartbreak record!  We tried to make it festive as well.

I feel like you guys do a good job of blending the melancholy and the energy… I feel like “Beat (Health, Fire)” is a good example of that.

Thank you! Yeah, we try.  Actually, this record, it’s funny… There are a couple of songs that are just sad, you know?  They’re sad songs and they sound sad and I wanted to try that because sometimes it’s too dark to try to brighten up.  So, there’s more of a balance on this record, I think.

Can you take me through your songwriting process?  How does it go?   Do you write the majority of the music and the lyrics, or is it more of a collaborative effort?

Sure!  I write the songs, and then I bring them to the guys and they write their parts, and we’ll figure out arrangements and additional instrumentation in the studio.  I prefer to have the song relatively complete as far as the lyrics and the melody and the structure.  And then, the songs, it helps when something terrible has happened as far as inspiration for them, and then we work on the song as a band and we bring it into the studio with Tucker, our producer.  Then, we gather around and just play it through and record it, and see what else it might need, but at the end it’s a very collaborative effort and it’s pretty cool to have everyone’s ideas colliding against each other.

Yeah, that’s great.  Well, Thao, I think that’s all I got for you!  Are you playing anything new tonight from the new record?

Yeah, two or three.

What’s your favorite song to play?

“Beat”, definitely.  We have the most fun with that live.  That’s my favorite song on the record and it has been since the beginning.  I think it was a really good example of where our musical selection was headed, or where we were headed musically.  Yeah, that one, haha.

Does that have a back-story, “Beat”?

Yeah, well, you know, the title, “Beat: Health, Life and Fire”, I stole it from an insurance agency.  Because, you know, I walked by an insurance agent’s storefront and outside they said, “We sell Insurance: Health, Life, Auto, Fire”, and I just took out “Auto” because I just like how it sounded.  That song is just about fucking shit up with people, which is a lot of what our songs are about.  It’s basically I guess about being a little self-destructive with relationships.

I think we’re all guilty of that from time to time.

Good!  I’m glad to hear it.