Critical Questions: Caveman

Just when you thought there was nothing new left to be done in indie pop, Caveman made their subtle yet fresh debut last fall with CoCo Beware, an album that hooks the listener instantly, but then reveals unanticipated depth. Perhaps Caveman's nuance stems from its members having their hands in multiple media: drummer Stefan Marolachakis also runs an online magazine, is working on a screenplay, and is even helping to launch a T-shirt line with his girlfriend. Perhaps unsurprisingly then, Stefan's pop culture consumption reads like a Critical Mob Critical List.

CM: Has anything changed for you on a personal level since Caveman started attracting so much attention?

SM: One of the biggest things for me after all these years as a musician is being able to cross some crucial items off the ol' bucket list. Headlining Bowery Ballroom has definitely been a dream of mine since the tail-end of high school, so I'm thrilled we're going to be doing that at the end of January. Wonderful hometown moment. Then, on the other side of the coin, traveling to faraway locales with your friends to play songs is also unbeatable.

T.Cole Rachel's Critical Mob review of CoCo Beware compares Caveman favorably to The National and suggests My Bloody Valentine and The Strokes are among your influences. What do you think of those artists?

Well, when it comes down to formulating an opinion of fellow musicians, I've boiled it down to a science: how good a time we have when we cross paths at bars, AKA "the office." I'm happy to report that I've strictly had great interactions with members of both The Strokes and The National at bars in this fair city. I've yet to run into Kevin Shields but I'd be thrilled if I did - I've been big on Loveless ever since high school.

Who is your biggest influence that no one else seems to have noticed is a big influence? Are there artists you often get compared to where you don't hear the connection yourself?

I understand comparisons as a point of entry, but when it comes to extended listening I don't really spend much time comparing one band to another. I think most people are probably influenced by things other than art, and certainly don't limit their inspiration to other artists in their own medium. I spend a lot of my days thinking about the Knicks, which book I should pick from the dauntingly massive pile near my bed, what delicious meal I might try to track down next, whether I should go out to the movies or grab a sip of something with my near and dear...things of that nature.

What did you guys set out to do with CoCo Beware? Can you walk us through the creative process for one of the songs?

We just wanted to make a record that we liked. This band came together pretty quickly, and it wasn't long after we formed that we decided to set about making this album. I think the pace was set by the fact that we lucked out and happen to work really well together, and that stems from a whole lot of mutual respect and enjoyment of one another's playing. Sometimes a song will come straight out of Matt's brain, in which case we'll try it out, swap notes on arrangement, and play it till it settles into its natural shape. Other times, a song will pop out of seemingly nowhere when we're jamming together. The whole thing seems to keep evolving in subtle ways the more we play together, but one thing remains constant: Playing music with this group of men is a great way to spend your time.

What have been your favorite bands or albums you'd discovered in 2011? What are you reading, watching, and/or consuming culturally right now?

The War on Drugs put out my favorite record of the year. We had the distinct pleasure of touring with them this summer and it only further hammered the point home. Great men.

I became pretty deeply invested in Boardwalk Empire this season and I'm sad that I'm no stuck waiting for more installments. I've been meaning to check out this show Rat Busters NYC on Animal Planet but haven't yet seen it-I'm a big fan of Robert Sullivan's book Rats, something any New Yorker intrigued by the horrifying little animals should read.

In terms of books, it's been all nonfiction for me lately. The best thing I've read recently is a book called Pulphead by John Jeremiah Sullivan. It's a collection of essays covering a wide range of topics and it's just fantastic. Music, "reality," nature...it's all in there.

I know you write in your spare time and continue to run Take the Handle. Anything exciting writing-wise you have in the works/would like to share?

Well, I'm attempting to finish off my first stab at a movie script, something I've been working on with a friend for a while. And I've got a handful of stories pending publishing in a few magazines, but in the meantime I've put together a handful of articles I've written at www.stefanmarolachakis.com -- including one about the mystery illness that sidelined me during our tour with The War on Drugs, right after I'd re-launched Take the Handle.

So outside of band business, I've basically spent this winter vacation writing and preparing to get TTH back into its pre-hospital rhythm, along with assisting my girlfriend with a t-shirt line she's launching in the spring called Howling Hearts. We made a limited-run preview t-shirt that's available now at www.heartsthathowl.tumblr.com. I might be biased, but I think it's a pretty smart-looking shirt.