Crusin' to Coachella: Interview With Caravan Palace

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As we prepare for Coachella, a two-weekend music festival in Indio, California, Empty Lighthouse decided to catch up with some of the performing bands. First up is the ever unique Caravan Palace, an electro-swing band from Paris.

Find out how they got started and what they are most excited for in regards to their upcoming plans and performing at Coachella this April. Read further and get to know Caravan Palace.

EMPTY LIGHTHOUSE: How did you first get your start in music?
CARAVAN PALACE: Not so early, with bands like Guns n Roses then Nirvana. Just wanted to play the electric guitar, like a lot of kids in the early 90s.

Probably the teen rebels inspiration. Other members of Caravan Palace have a classical formation, some with great results!

EMPTY LIGHTHOUSE: Who are your musical influences?
CARAVAN PALACE: Now it's more jazz and swing. Or soul, funk and house. I'm not listening anymore to rock, I don't know why.

I don't have the thrill with this kind of music anymore. Everything has to groove or to swing. I think it's quite the same for the whole band.

EMPTY LIGHTHOUSE: Who do you listen to in your spare time, other hobbies, etc?
CARAVAN PALACE: I listen to a lot of swing, old big band and marvelous singers like Thelma Carpenter, Anita O'day or Mildred Bailey.

Lately, I've listened to a lot of > with bands like Andhim or SuperFlu. Very smooth and clever, a classy way to do deep house with some acoustic and organic sounds.

EMPTY LIGHTHOUSE: What has been your most memorable experience while touring?
CARAVAN PALACE: Playing for so many people before releasing the first album. Only with word of mouth, very impressive. The golden age of Myspace probably.

EMPTY LIGHTHOUSE: What is the craziest thing you've seen a fan do to get into a show / on stage, etc.?
CARAVAN PALACE: In Germany, we asked the crowd to come naked on stage.

Okay, the result was half naked, but still funny. Always nice to play with the stages full of fans in bras.

EMPTY LIGHTHOUSE: What advice would you give to other young people looking to succeed in the industry?
CARAVAN PALACE: Try to do something different and take advantage of your singularity and your musical background, it must be unique. And for people who are more in production, don't run after gears, only ears are significant, but it has to grow up.

Always compare your stuff to commercial releases. You can do anything with a computer and knowledge.

EMPTY LIGHTHOUSE: When you hit a creativity block, what re-inspires you?
CARAVAN PALACE: Oh that time! Well, it's time for curiosity.

Listening to new stuff, old stuff, very old sometimes, looking for new harmony combinations, new sounds - I mean new for us, something we did not explore before.

EMPTY LIGHTHOUSE: How do you manage your time between your music and personal life?
CARAVAN PALACE: I live with someone who works and travels a lot, so I have a lot of time for music.

For others in the band, it can be more difficult because they are already parenting. Must be hard to leave home for months when you have young kids.

EMPTY LIGHTHOUSE: What are your upcoming plans in regards to more touring, releases and producing new music?
CARAVAN PALACE: We are touring a little in USA in April, with 15 gigs in main cities.

Otherwise, we are working on the third album principally, then on some remixes and DJ stuff for our DJ sets.

EMPTY LIGHTHOUSE: If you could invent anything, what would it be?
CARAVAN PALACE: Teleportation definitely - airports are not musicians best friends.

EMPTY LIGHTHOUSE: If stranded on an island, what 3 things would you want to have with you?
CARAVAN PALACE: Three genie lamps, so I could have a lot more things.

If planning to head out to California's desert in Indio this spring for Coachella, be sure to check out Caravan Palace's live and eclectic performance.

To take a listen to what they have in store, visit www.caravanpalace.com, and for more information on ticket packages and festival news, visit www.coachella.com. See ya in the desert!