It’s the little things in life that matter—just ask Fullerton/Long Beach folk/pop quartet Preacher’s Sons. For starters, the group—singer/guitarist Brandon Pfaff, drummer/vocalist Jeremy Pfaff, guitarist Jared Garcia and bassist Matt Barrios—are led by actual preacher’s sons (the Pfaff brothers). As if that weren’t enough, the foursome use an apostrophe correctly in the word “preacher’s,” which doesn’t seem like such a great feat until you notice how very often native English speakers get that one wrong.
This steadfast attention to details can be heard on the band’s debut record, Looks Like a Flood, Feels Like a Drought, an 11-song hybrid of California melody and Oklahoma twang. On paper, that might sound like an odd pairing, but considering the Pfaff brothers moved from the Sooner State approximately a decade ago, it all makes sense.
OC Weekly:Aren’t you afraid of going to hell? Because, you know, rock N roll is the devil’s music.
Brandon Pfaff: Terrified because of the probability of having to perform nightly for Satan in Justin Bieber’s backing band for all eternity.
You’ve played shows in living rooms. Is it difficult knowing that people who get bored are a mere remote-control click away from watching Law N Order?
It’s not really a problem if they want to watch Law N Order, as long as they kill the sound. The narratives in most of our songs are basically direct rip-offs of Law N Order re-runs. Dick Wolf is a personal hero.
Since you are playing Detroit Bar, do you have any plans to dress like KISS and open with “Love Gun”?
Not at the moment, but we’re toying with the idea of dressing like the Goo Goo Dolls and opening with a synth-based cover of “Iris.”
Why did you chose Orange County?
Owning a Lexus and strolling the halls of South Coast Plaza has always been a dream of mine. I’ve never been a fan of breathing clean air or experiencing nature in general. Sitting in traffic on the freeway is exhilarating, and there is a sense of community in gridlock. Everyone has somewhere awesome to be, and so do I! I’m actually going to need to wrap this up soon—I’m getting my ass Botoxed in 30 minutes.
What’s this about fans helping to release your record?
We wanted to get things off the ground by creating a pre-order in an organized way that I wouldn’t have to manage through our website. We were able to raise enough money to fund the pressing of our CD and cover part of mastering. We just thought, “Hey, let’s see if we can get enough people to pre-order the album that we don’t have to go in the hole to release it.”
What are the odds you’ll have partied so hard on New Year’s Eve that you’ll still be hungover at your Jan. 4 show?
I will be on a boat in Mexico surrounded by American tourists. I cannot accurately predict what might occur in international waters.
When someone buys your album, they get a free instant download of the album, but in 2010, don’t you think it should be the other way around?
Digital formats have been revolutionary for independent musicians, and we want a stake in that, but convenience has its price. I think it contributes to an overall disconnect between the listener and the artist. It’s a different experience than the instant gratification of clicking “Buy” on iTunes and receiving a JPEG and some lines of code that represent music. Our thinking in including an instant download is to cut out the middle man. Give those who want a physical copy a chance to buy one, but at the same time accommodate the culture and give them a copy they can load straight onto their iPod, since it will probably end up there in one way or another. In 2011, we’re going to start charging $10 for shipping and give away the CDs for free.
Preacher’s Sons perform with Handsome G, the Colourist, the Steelwells and the New Limb as part of the OC Music Awards Showcase Night #1 at Detroit Bar, 843 W. 19th St., Costa Mesa, (949) 642-0600; www.detroitbar.com. Tues., 7:30 p.m. Free. 21+.
This column appeared in print as “The Only Ones Who Can Ever Teach You.”
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