INTERVIEW and NEW MUSIC: Legs

The first time I saw Legs live on stage was about a year ago at Timbrrr! Winter Music Fest. The set was completely off the charts. Music: The Best! Talent: Massive! Energy: To Be Reckoned With! I am now a life long lover of Legs. I had a chat with band member Tito Ramsey about their debut LP, long term goals, what’s it’s like to have your very own song appear in a film, crazy moments while on tour, horrible haircuts and dancing.

Go here to see if the band will be swinging through your town and to purchase Legs’ brand new album!

the mixtape: What are you doing right now besides answering this question?

Tito Ramsey: We’re getting settled in a new rehearsal space. One with more space and better light than the last. Getting set to flesh out some new ideas the group has and to make a plan for releasing new music!

tm: Your self-titled EP attracted early press when the single “So Obvious” was featured in the 2014 film Obvious Child starring Jenny Slate and David Cross. Pitchfork even ranked the Obvious Child soundtrack as one of the top six of the summer.

Did having your song appear in this film bring any more special attention to the band? Also, did you happen to get a copy of the film soundtrack for free? Because you totally should have if not.

TR: Getting on that soundtrack was really nice for the band. So many of the people who worked on the film live very close to us in Brooklyn. It feels like the worlds of film and music are so small sometimes, especially here in New York. It’s hard to say from what or where someone has discovered our music, so it’s hard to say what things have come from being on the soundtrack specifically. But the band has a had a really god year.

tm: Your live sets are so freaking energetic and fun. What kind of cardio/workouts do you all do? You’ve got to be in some sort of decent shape to be able to do what you do for so long on the stage.

TR: Legs run. Some of us do some cardio, pool league. But for the most part, the show itself is the best workout. We sweat. Everyone does. It feels good.

tm: What are you most proud of about your debut LP, Altitud?

TR: We’re really happy about the band sound and energy of the record. It translated from the record to the stage really well.

tm: What is the significance of the album title Altitud? Also, why no letter “e” at the end?

TR: The first week of recording, all the bones of the record, was done in Quito, Ecuador, a city that sits at almost 10 thousand feet above sea level. Juan and Herman, drum and bass players in the band, are Ecuadorian. We made a plan to develop part of the record there as a way to connect with our fans there and be away from our normal lives, to concentrate on the music, and to reach for our goal of being an international band.
Altitud, with no “e” is the Spanish spelling of the word.

tm: You formed Legs in 2013. Upon inception did you have a long term goal for the band or were you just gonna make some music and see where it would take you?

TR: At the beginning, it was just to see what kind of sound we could make as a group. It was clear very early on that everyone involved was serious about making music and invested in making the project a major part of our lives. After we played our first show it was also clear that listeners were into what we were doing. So we haven’t looked back really. From the first meeting, we’ve been meeting regularly since then to work hard on music.

tm: Can you tell me about a super crazy moment you’ve experienced while on tour? …Like “oh my god I can’t believe this just happened and we’re alive to talk about it!”

TR: When we were recently in Washington state, our van broke down heading up the cascades toward Snoqualmie Pass. The old astro van just didn’t have the heart for it. Being broken down with all your gear on the highway is stressful. Luckily the festival we were headed for had us towed 100+ miles to the stage. Transporting people and gear is tough unless you have large awesome vehicles. I remember getting to the airport once in Quito with expensive keyboards. The cab driver showed up with a tiny car. We’re thinking no way all the gear is fitting in the car. And the driver goes, no problem, let’s just strap those keyboards to the roof with rope. He got out a few times on the ride to check his knots. We just prayed it would all make it in one piece. It did.

tm: In your music video for the song “Jungle” the band is waiting to get haircuts from a blindfolded barber. Do you have a memory of a really horrible haircut you’ve received at some point in your life?

TR: No bad haircuts for me. Only top notch. It’s such a beautiful space, Juan had his eye on it as a cool place to shoot. And our friend Rafa of Rava Films created a story around that setting for our song “Jungle” where my hair is transformed in a ritualistic way while I become a brave man, lyrics of the chorus. Those wigs were really fun. Expect to see Legs in those again.

tm: It’s suggested that folks wear their dancing shoes when attending a Legs show or even just listening to the record…In your opinion, what exactly are the best shoes to dance in?

TR: Your grandfather’s old dress shoes. Or bare feet!

tm: Go to food while on the road?

TR: Energy bars, bananas, ginger tea, peanuts. Anything from a gas station that most closely resembles actual food. And burgers.

tm: If Legs was an action figure what would accessories would you have?

TR: A tambourine and an empanada

tm: What’s next for Legs?

TR: New music! We have so many ideas in the works. The job now is to take a good look at the material and start to flesh it out. Everyone in the group enjoys writing. And we’re really excited about the new rehearsal space. We’ve also made some great connections this year with some producers and studios in Brooklyn. Excited to get to work.

And more tours. Look for shows coming up next year in South America, U.S., Europe.