by Hana Nobel, News staff
During a practice on Boylston Street Monday evening, it was clear that the four present members Sun Cut Flat are comfortable being close – at least physically.
Stuffed inside a small bedroom above T-Mobile on Boylston Street, Northeastern sophomore Cary Liptak, and his band-mates from Berklee College of Music (Isaac Haselkorn on drums and bassist Erik Kramer) and Boston University (lead singer and guitarist Nick Lattanzi) prepared before a gig at BU that night. Northeastern freshman Devon Fisher (who does sampling and electronics) was absent from practice.
The band had to move around chairs, a desk and Kramer’s futon to allow room for practice, but somehow the small space didn’t hinder their ability to jam.
Sun Cut Flat somehow made room for one more and let The News squeeze in some questions before their show that night.
Huntington News: Where did you get the name Sun Cut Flat (SCF)?
Nick Lattanzi: It’s a lyric from a Bob Dylan song – “You Been On My Mind.” My old girlfriend thought it would be a good band name.
HN: How would you describe your sound?
Cary Liptak: As hard as we are to put into words, I would say alternative rock, experimental, electronic and psychedelic – but still very much pop. We’re pop at heart.
HN: You guys attend three different schools. How did you get together?
Erik Kramer: Isaac and Nick went to high school together. Nick met Cary at a camp and I am friends with Isaac from school [Berklee College of Music]. I met Nick at an African drum circle jam session … and Devon I’m not sure.
CL: Devon is one of Nick’s friends; they met last year through a friend.
HN: You guys have a show tonight at Boston University. Where else have you played in Boston?
EK: The Middle East Upstairs, TT the Bear’s [Place], the Midway Café, O’Brien’s [Pub], BU Central. We have a show coming up at NU Afterhours on April 14th and another at The Church on April 30.
HN: What is your fan base like? What’s the demographic?
CL: It’s mostly college kids.
HN: Do you have any CDs/EPs out?
NL: Our CD is called Running of the Bulls and it’s available for free download on our website [Suncutflat.com]. It was recorded using in my home studio in my room in the attic. We are working on a second album.
HN: What are your songs about?
NL: My last album was about things I was going through. It used to be about girls. Now I write about all sorts of stuff-politics … scientology…
CL: The lyrics for Running of the Bulls are very personal for him. He wrote a lot of the songs by himself. There are a few we collaborated on. He has strayed away from writing about girls – he’ll go into politics and things of that nature.
HN: Who are you influenced by – individually and as a band?
CL: My influence is Radiohead, U2, Jimmy Hendrix – you can’t play electric guitar without being influenced by him. For Nick, he’s influenced by Radiohead, Bob Dylan, Beck, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles.
NL: Right now I’m listening to Common, Talib Kweli and Mos Def.
HN: If SCF was to play a celebrity’s wedding which celebrity would it be?
EK: We wouldn’t play a celebrity wedding.
NL: I’d do a Jonas brother’s bar mitzvah or something.
CL: Paul McCartney’s next wedding.
HN: What does SCF want out of making music?
EK: [We want to] make good music that has an effect on people’s days and makes people feel good.
CL: We really just want to make music that people like listening to, that we like listening to, that we like to play and have a good time with it.
Sun Cut Flat’s music and upcoming show dates can be found on their MySpace page, their website, or their YouTube page: http://www.youtube.com/user/SunCutFlat.
