The three piece psychedelic-punk rock group from Philadelphia, Sex With Rollercoasters, makes music as funky as their name. The name was chosen with the intention to challenge you to to ask, “why?”. However, front vocalist Steven says, “If you ask us what it means, we’ll lie to you, but on the other hand, you could probably just do a quick google search and figure it out…who knows?” Steven, and his brother Dave (drummer), met bass player Alex about four years ago, and the rest was history; they played their first show in 2006.
Are there any performances that are most memorable to you guys? What’s a memorable performance that you’ve seen?
Alex: One of the most memorable shows we’ve played was the Elephants for Autism Festival in 2016. We played on an outdoor stage in pouring rain. Luckily, the stage had some cover, so most of our gear survived. We had to modify our setlist after Steve’s power supply shorted out, but still managed to play a decent set, all things considered. That show really tested our ability to play a show where things aren’t going as planned, but we had a great time and a memorable experience!
The most memorable show we’ve seen is probably the Flaming Lips performing The Soft Bulletin with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado. We all flew out for the show and to explore the Denver area for a few days. Seeing the band play an entire album with a full orchestra behind them was incredible.
David: We’ve had so many memorable performances. I could talk for days about it, story after story; sometimes I don’t really realize how many shows we have probably played (lets say approximately a buttload) If I had to pick just one tho I’d say opening for Wheatus at Champs in Trenton. We did that like two or three times; always a good time.
As for performances I’ve seen, I guess I’d go with the time we saw the Flaming Lips and Weezer play together. They were both set up at the same time on the same stage and one band would play like two songs, and then the other band would go, and at the end they performed two songs together as like a mega band. It was awesome. Also the time seeing the Flaming Lips at Red Rocks was absolutely amazing. And anytime seeing GWAR is a fantastic time. I really enjoy fun energetic theatrical performances.
Are there some songs you prefer to play more than others? Do you ever play any covers? Is there a set playlist you guys stick to?
Steven: The set list always changes. We usually try to tailor it to fit the show we’re playing. Our music has so many different sounds and stylings that sometimes we get booked for pop shows, or punk shows, or indie, or whatever… With all that being said, if you’re a fan of our music and we know you’ll be at a particular show, then we’ll try to sneak your favorite song of ours into set list. It’s sort of an unspoken token of gratitude for being so kind as to support us.
What is your typical process for making music?
Alex: We usually follow a pretty jam-oriented approach to writing music, and are very collaborative when we write. Generally speaking, if one of us has written a new riff on our own, we’ll jam it out and see how it sounds in a full-band setting. Or, we might play something entirely improvised. Tons of what we play while jamming never becomes anything more. We try to keep the best ideas, or the ones we can continue to build onto. If we continue with an idea from there, it’s a lot of experimentation and jamming until we have a loose structure we’re happy with. Then it’s just refinement of anything that might need tweaking or tightening until we have a complete song we’re happy with.
Who writes your songs?Are there any themes that you prefer to What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs? Do you think these topics will change over time?
David: We all have a part in writing the songs. It’s definitely a democratic process. The lyrics tend to lean more towards Steve’s writing, mostly because he has to sing it after all, but we all have lines and parts we’ve written. The music and structure is written pretty evenly amongst all of us. I wouldn’t say we have any main themes. Sometimes songs are silly or nonsensical and mostly just for the rhythm or melody, sometimes they’re poetic and introspective. We had songs that are fictional stories we made up. Death seems to be a topic that tends to pop up often. But also themes of love, friendship, religion, politics, conspiracy theories, books, angsty quips …whatever.
How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together? What can fans look forward to in the future?
Alex: When we first started playing together, we were still getting to know each other as people and as musicians. In fact, the songs on our last EP, “Pay Bills and Die” were the first songs we had ever written together. Over time, we’ve gotten much more familiar with our respective playing styles and idiosyncrasies. This has really helped us in writing our upcoming project, which we’re currently in the process of self-recording. Stay tuned!
Steven: In the beginning, it was decided that we wouldn’t be a band with a genre. Sex With Rollercoasters wasn’t going to be a “punk band” that wrote “punk music” or an “indie band” that wrote “indie ballads”, it’s just “a band” that writes “weird and interesting music”. As we get older and learn knew things, I think we can only get stranger. It’s always been a goal of ours to get people to ask “what?” and “why?”, and for the most part, I think we’ve accomplished that. We are always working on new stuff, though. You can look forward to new songs in the near future!
How do you feel about the internet in the music business?
David: I think its an awesome tool. It’s way easier to reach your audience without the corporate politics in the way. Of course there’s some downsides, but overall, a very positive thing. Instagram is our best friend. Don’t tell a slice of pizza that though.
What advice do you have for other Philadelphians who want to form their own bands?
Alex: Go to local shows and support other bands. This is also a great way to meet musicians and make friends who are into music. There are also social media groups for Philly musicians, where people can post about projects, shows, potential collaborations, etc. When you get booked for shows, be ready to play in less-than-ideal conditions. You might not have floor on the stage or as much space as you’d like. Try not to let those things frustrate you. Everyone has to deal with it.
Any last words?
David: Oh shit, are you about to kill us?!..
Steven: About digital content in general – if you’re on the internet (facebook, instagram, youtube, whatever) and you see/hear something that you like… leave a comment! Could be one word, an emoji, or a long winded novel, it doesn’t matter! It might seem dumb at first, but “interacting” with the content tells these cyber-algorithms that its worth it to share with even more people. So if there is any artist of any medium that you wish to support, there are two easy things you can do that will DRASTICALLY help them out: One, tell your friends about it. Two, leave a comment!
…Oh! And we want to thank literally everyone for all the love we’ve received so far!
Alex: As always, we’re so appreciative of anyone who comes to our shows, follows us on social media, or listens to any of our music, as well as our fellow members of the Philly music scene. We always feel privileged to play shows with such talented musicians.
Thanks for having us!
Youtube (check out their awesome music videos!): https://www.youtube.com/sexwrollercoasters
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sexwithrollercoasters/
Instagram: sexwithrollercoasters
Twitter: sexwr
