Terraplane Sun

Have you ever missed being on a road, driving in the sun with your friends by your side, not worrying about anything? If the feeling of freedom and distance to every day’s problems is what you need right now, Terraplane Sun have what you need.

This young American band comprises of five great men: Ben Rothbard (vocals, harmonica and guitar), Johnny Zambetti (lead guitar and mandolin), Cecil Campanaro (bass), Lyle Riddle (drums) and Gabe Feenberg (piano, accordion and trombone).  The young fivesome released to date two albums: Coyote in 2011 and recently Friends. The latter, 2012, album features hits like “Get me Golden” and “Ya never know”.

Described by MTV as “somewhere between slap-happy bluegrass and gritty organic rock, with a tinge of soul and country occasionally thrown in for good measure”, Terraplane Sun take their listeners to sunny California, where they are free to move between upbeat sounds and thought-provoking lyrics.

I came across the band thanks to someone very dear to me, who got me absolutely hooked on “Ya never know”. That’s how I started listening to their new album, quickly realizing that Terraplane Sun are not just another rock band, but a group who with their real sound, great energy and Ben’s unique voice, deserves to make it to the top.  I thought to myself that I would like to be able to interview them, and driven by the motto “if you don’t ask, you won’t get it”, I found them on Facebook and sent them a message, asking if I could ask them a couple of questions. The below conversation is the outcome of it. Even though very brief, I think it gives a gist of what the guys are like. Meet Terraplane Sun.

A.C: I was doing a little research and found a quite which I think quite nicely summarizes the vibe of your albums: " a sound conveying a swampy southern delta feel as much as it does the California Sound of the 1960s". How would YOU describe your music? What does music mean to you?

B.R: The above is a good description. It's hard for us to describe our sound. It's a blend of so many influences, so we just call it rock n' roll, because at the end, that's what it's really all about. Music means everything to me. It's my life's blood.

Are there any bands or artists who especially inspired you at any point in your career? What sort of music do you enjoy the most?

I've been inspired and influenced by so many artists, that it's hard to single out one or two. I think the moment I realized that I wanted to really start playing music, was the first time I heard "Over The Hills and Far Away" by Led Zeppelin. I was 12 or 13, stoned and on a mountain top. Was a pretty powerful experience.

I must say that although I've really enjoyed both of your albums, "Ya never know" is what I constantly play on repeat. What is the story behind this song?

That's a song that Johnny and I wrote in my little home studio. It kind of just poured out. It's about the 1% who actually follow through with their dreams. Most people are driven away by fear, the 1 % slip through the gates.

Who came up with the name of the band? Does it have anything to do with the 80s British band, Terraplane?

I came up with the name. It has nothing to do with the British band Terraplane, haha. It's named after an old Delta Blues song called Terraplane Sun Blues, written by the legendary Robert Johnson.

How did the five of you meet? Can you tell me about the beginnings of your journey together?

We either knew each other or knew of each other. Johnny and I met working on a commercial and started jamming together. It was really natural from the beginning, so I called up Cecil, whom I'd played with in the past and the initial core was formed. Gabe and Lyle joined shortly after, both of whom were introduced to us by mutual friends. We're very fortunate that we all came together when we did and that everyone was available to start a new project.

What do you find most challenging in the music industry? Was there anything in particular that surprised you or that you didn't anticipate?

The music industry is only a vehicle, for one to get their product out to the masses. If you make an amazing product, it will get out there. The cream always has and always will rise to the top.

How did you feel when you heard your song "Get me golden" featuring in the movie 21 Jump Street for the first time?

It's always a special feeling to hear one of your songs on TV or in a movie!

What is Terraplane Sun's dream? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

To have a lifelong career. We hope to be one of the biggest bands in the world in 5 years.

And finally, something I need to ask as your London-based fan, are you planning a UK tour anytime soon?

We should be over there very soon, promise!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S7bEiRlu2E

same same but different?

I just finished watching something that everyone should see, something that should be a common knowledge by now but what because of human limitations and reluctance to acknowledge their own faults still remains an uncomfortable truth.

BBC Four documentary on the history of racism. This  three-episode series  is a real eye opener that makes you realize how little we know, or perhaps want to know, about racism and its origins. In the 21st century we like to believe that we managed to create a racially equal society, where everyone has equal access to education and deserves respect. But have you ever felt uncomfortable when a group of young black men passed you on a dark, empty street? Would you be happy if your child married someone whose skin colour is different than yours? How ethnically and religiously diverse are the senior leaders of your company?

I moved to London with a naive idea that I will be living in a place where people of all countries, skin colours and religions live together in mutual respect, where a view of an interracial couple raises no eyebrows, where you get a job because of your ability not your skin colour. This is how London seemed to me during my first year of university. I had black students in my year, I had Indian friends, wherever I went I seemed to see perfect examples of a cosmopolitan utopia. Until I started looking closer.

Bhangra night in the Ministry of Sound- only Asians and me. University corridors- groups of Pakistani guys sticking together, groups of black girls chatting next to a group of white girls. You would see mixed-groups too, but somehow everyone tended to stick to those who looked like them. I guess from a social and evolutionary point of view it makes sense, people are naturally drawn to those who look and act similar to them and tend to subconsciously perceive those who are different as a potential threat. But that's a mechanism that worked in the old days when people lived in small tribes and they competed with other social groups over food. As far as I'm concerned, Tesco has now enough food for all of us. So why the fear?

The documentary doesn't provide an exhaustive answer to that question (don't think anything or anyone ever will), but it presents a thorough account on the limited thinking and flawed concepts that fed the racial atrocities and the wrongful feelings of white supremacy. It doesn't just talk about the apartheid in South Africa and lynches in the States however, it uncovers a whole load of evidence that most of us never hear about at school or in the newspapers.

Talking about the British imperialism, the westerners often seem to feel a sense of pride at the "success" of conquering a foreign land and making their society more "civilized". The "better" people helping the "lesser" people. American troops in Iraq, forced religious conversions, Australia's stolen generations. The assumption of superiority over another human being because of religious, cultural or racial difference is perhaps one of the greatest and most dangerous of the many delusions that we frequently practice. In Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov's inflated sense of grandeur leads him to murder. But hey, it's not really that bad because he got rid of an elderly woman, and after all he, the young man, needed the money more than someone who is "useless" to the society. In his brilliant novel Dostoyevsky shows us very clearly the tragic consequences of such flawed logic, and he warns us against the convictions of power and supremacy over others. He also shows what us humans became really great at- rationalizing our internal motives and applying complex theories to account for our demonic urges or inner fears. British settlers killing Native Americans, the atrocities conducted on the Aborigines, lynches in States less than a century ago,  3000 Namibians killed in the first German concentration camp of the Shark Island, holocaust. These are only a few examples of where radical ideas may lead.

Aside from fear, another crucial aspect to consider is the economy. A conviction that you are better than someone else because you were born with white skin and they weren't, allowed many people in the history to sacrifice human lives for profit. The British Raj lead to a death of 30 million Indians in the 19th century droughts because the financial gains were more important than the misery of those who contributed to them. The Africans were treated like a commodity,  kitchen robots of the old days. Who on earth gave us the right to sell another life? Why aren't we doing something about women sold for prostitution, children sold for labour? Human trafficking is no different to a modern day slavery.

We all allow for it to happen. We are all responsible. If you fail to acknowledge that you are no better than ANY other human being, if you think that people should marry into their own race, if you believe that women should serve their husbands, if you prefer to be treated by a doctor of your own skin colour, you are guilty of  racism. Skin colour is a result on 1 gene which decides about the level of melanin, a dark skin pigment. Differentiating on the base of race is the same as if you decided that people with a different eye or skin colour are inferior to you. It is time we all stopped labeling people based on their physical features and looked past their complexion or religion. We all deserve to be treated equal and we are all entitled to a respect from one another.

                   Success is knowing that because of you the world is a little better
                                                                                                                                           Michael Sneyd