Passing through: Catamaran

Dallas-based psychedelic surf pop band Catamaran is sailing through town on the first stop of their fall tour for a show at Yeti with local country-tinged garage rockers Hey Judy and ukulele-based psych freaks Cucumber & The Suntans on October 10.

Here, Aaron Webb, guitarist and co-front person (with his wife and band namesake, Judy) of Hey Judy talks to Catamaran guitarist and singer Stephen Glenn about their upcoming show together, as well as artistic influence and inspiration, Halloween plans, and the music, food, and State Fair of our neighboring state to the south.

Aaron Webb: What made you decide to play in Tulsa?

Stephen Glenn: I’ve been talking to local bands and touring bands for a while now, trying to figure out where we should go. Everyone kept saying we should play Tulsa. We’ve never played outside of Texas, so we’re very excited about that in general, and we’re looking forward to Tulsa in particular because we’ve heard such good things.

AW: What are some of your musical influences that you think listeners might recognize in your music?

SG: You might be able to hear little pieces from a variety of artists including Real Estate, The Drums, The French Kicks, Surfer Blood, Vampire Weekend, Animal Collective, Panda Bear, Dr. Dog, Fleet Foxes, Peter Bjorn and John, Beach Boys, Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, and Death Cab for Cutie.

AW: Can you give us some insight into your songwriting process? How does that usually work?

SG: A lot of the songs were created by just jamming on them for forever. The structures kind of arose naturally that way. As soon as I got bored of a part I’d change it up and the band would adjust. We’d record almost every jam and then we’d go back and listen to them and pick out the things that were working and what wasn’t. The vocal would start as mumbles as I searched for a melody. After a while some words would start to come out of the mumbles and I’d try to make sense of them and the underlying emotion, sort of like interpreting a dream.

AW: The thought-provoking lyrics on your Weekdays EP indicate that you are literate. What are some of your favorite authors, poets, or books?

SG: Animal Farm by George Orwell is one of my favorite books. It is just so effective at communicating its point, and I feel like I learned a lot about the world by reading it. Plus, I get a kick out of extended metaphors that work on multiple levels.

AW: What are you currently listening to in your touring vehicle?

SG: I’m big on shuffling my starred songs on Spotify. It’s all the stuff I love but haven’t worn out yet. It’ll jump from Aretha Franklin to Thee Oh Sees, then go to some reggae with King Tubby and back to Deerhoof. Somehow it still flows, and even weirder still is how perfectly a song matches with what’s going on and then ends right when I pull up to the parking spot.

AW: What are some of your favorite eateries in the DFW area? Any specific dishes you’d recommend?

SG: I definitely recommend Velvet Taco. Pretty much any taco there is fantastic, but try the Crips Tikka Chicken. It’s basically Indian-style chicken and rice wrapped in a tortilla. So good!

AW: Been to the Texas State Fair this year?

SG: Yes! Actually my family came into town to visit and we went to the State Fair yesterday. It was awesome! Huge, crowded, and zero vegetables in sight. The fried Oreos and the funnel-cake-flavored beer were the best! I think the fair has really started to come back lately.

AW: What are some of your favorite bands from the Dallas/North Texas music scene?

SG: Sealion does surf punk and is just absolutely killer. Dead Mockingbirds is a garage rock trio and they put on a frenetic show that you’ve got to see. As far as indie pop, I really dig Brave Young Lion. And the latest band I’ve been obsessed with is Blessin’, from Denton. They make really beautiful bedroom dream pop that I just listen to on repeat sometimes.

AW: Artistic inspiration can come from various sources. Can you tell us about a moment when the inspiration to make music came from an unlikely or unexpected place?

SG: Some of my inspiration comes from news articles, talk radio, and movies. The year I wrote “Leper,” I was reading a lot about the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street, and I watched The Motorcycle Diaries for the first time.

AW: What are your Halloween plans?

SG: We’ve got two Halloween shows booked. One is in Denton a week after we get back from the road and another is in Dallas the week after that. We’ll all be playing in costume and we’re playing with bands we love, so it should be an amazing homecoming. I’m going to be a carrot.

Catamaran, Hey Judy, and Cucumber & The Suntans play at Yeti, 417 N Main St, Friday, October 10.