This year’s Block Party concert showcased a diverse bill of performers, ranging from melodic indie pop to electronic dance music. The Daily Orange sat down with members of Phantogram, Cold War Kids and Kaskade to chat about touring, recording new music and playing at the Carrier Dome.

Phantogram

The Daily Orange: When you’re touring, what’s on your playlist?

Sarah Barthel: We’ve been listening to a lot of the Lower Dens, Real Estate and stuff like that. We always have a huge list of new music to Spotify, so we’ll have anything on from country to dubstep.

How would you describe your sound to new listeners?

Barthel: I’d say beat-heavy dream indie pop with metaphorical lyrics.

Josh Carter: Lyrically, our songs are about life, love and death. Our lyrics are just as important to us as the music. Some people might say they’re depressing, but it’s like walking through a long, dark tunnel and finding the light at the end. There’s both desperation and hope.

Do you two like playing college shows?

Barthel: Definitely. Everyone is so excited to just unwind at the end of the semester. The last time we were here, we played at Funk ‘n Waffles, and it was a blast.

How did it feel playing a gig in the Carrier Dome?

Barthel: When they showed us where we were playing, we just walked through the door and were like ‘Whoa.’ This place has some high-a** ceilings.

Carter: I felt like we should do our whole set wearing shoulder pads and football jerseys. And helmets with those small quarterback microphones.

Cold War Kids

The Daily Orange: Do you guys like playing shows at college campuses?

Cold War Kids: We prefer playing theaters because you can get more creative playing smaller shows. But it’s nice to do these types of shows when we’re recording like we are right now.

What are you guys recording?

We’re just fleshing out a bunch of new ideas. This is the biggest chunk of music we’ve had yet, so we want to release an EP either before or after our next album. We’re recording in our rehearsal space in San Pedro, so it’s our first time making an album in our own space. It’s comfortable and reflects who we are. Recording in the same room as last time is like coming back to a bad relationship.

What can fans expect from new music?

It’s different. It’s still fresh and we’re just starting, so it’s hard to say right now. Our new guitarist, Dann (Gallucci), brought a new style with him, and he’s producing the album.

Do you have any preshow rituals?

We drink a few glasses of wine and talk to each other. It’s nothing crazy like having a drum circle or anything. We just go out, have fun and keep it casual.

Kaskade

The Daily Orange: This is your first college gig. What made you pick Syracuse for the first one?

Kaskade: A lot of schools contact me to perform, but the timing is just never right. But we found the right day and time here, and it just worked out really well. I’ve never gigged Syracuse, but if we can draw 6,000 people who are into electronic music into a place like this, it’s a great feeling.

What’s on your travel playlist?

When I’m not sleeping on the plane, I listen to a little bit of everything. I played some classic rock, ’80s new wave stuff and early ’90s hip-hop. I love playing Tears For Fears and A Tribe Called Quest.

Do you see yourself doing any big collaborations in the future?

The most commercial collaboration I did was with Skylar Grey, but it all depends on who is the right fit for the song. I don’t approach people and say, ‘Hey, let’s do something together.’ I prefer doing albums instead of just releasing singles. It lets me spread out creatively. I don’t have to work on just one song meant to be played at 2 a.m. at parties.

ervanrhe@syr.edu

Published on April 29, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Erik: ervanrhe@syr.edu | @therealvandyman