with "Tex" Miller of
Interview conducted December, 2004 by Quin
LAYABOUT is a band that first contacted us here at No-Fi "Magazine" about a year ago. I recieved their demo and was instantly amazed by it. The music had a strong jazz influence that grabbed my attention and I thought about how there isn't alot of this type of music in the local scene. So, about a year later, I still play Layabout on my show and I got a chance to ask Tex, the founder of the band some questions.
T: Edward "Tex" Miller (vocals/keyboard)
Q: Me...Quin (I conduct the interview)
Q: First of all, how did you get the nickname 'Tex'?
T: I picked up this nickname right off the bat when I went away to college in New York City My good friend Will Eisner, who hails from Boston, thought it would be funny to call a guy "Tex" who came from such "uncivilized" parts At the time, I was trying to distance myself from Texas, where I grew up, and was mortified at the idea. He started introducing me to people as "Tex," which was a little awkward to say the least, but I eventually embraced it, as I did my home state, and even became known by it exclusively. My fiancee didn't know my real name for several weeks after we first met. Needless to say, I don't go by "Tex" back home. You have to be a real badass, like Randall "Tex" Cobb, to pull that off.
Q: Give me the history of the band LAYABOUT and talk a bit about the line up change?
T: I moved to Los Angeles in the summer of 2002 Not knowing any musicians whatsoever, I was intent on finding opportunities to play in various projects. I wanted to give myself a little time to get acclimated and meet some new people before venturing out on my own. Towards the end of 2003, I decided that I would start looking for a drummer and bassist. I intended to keep the band small primarily for the sake of scheduling. Every musician in L.A. seems to play in multiple bands, so I figured it would be more difficult to get a big group of players together on a regular basis.
(I nod)
T: The band's first incarnation took shape during the Summer of 2003. We played our first show in November of that year above Zen Sushi in Silverlake and continued performances up through August, when we entered the studio to record our debut EP, "Honest Woman". After the recording process, I had conversations with my fellow bandmates regarding the future of the band, and we decided to go our separate ways. David Martin-Borregon, our drummer, had a different vision for the band, which led to some creative difficulties, and Matt Ashman, our bassist, who fronts a band of his own called Hiccup Truck, didn't want to neglect his own project and opted to put his energies into that.
(I nod again)
T: Currently, I am playing with drummer John Lacques, who has already thus far, in a very short amount of time, put his own stamp on the repertoire. We are currently auditioning bass players and have yet to settle on anyone. Once the lineup has been 
decided, we will host a record release party to officially unveil the EP, which features eight tracks and showcases the band's diversity. Anyone interested can download two songs from our website (www.layaboutband.com).
Q: I can hear a jazz influence in your music, would you say this is true and if so, who are some of your favorite jazz artists?
T: Yes, this is definitely true I have often made a conscious effort to employ jazz harmonies, if not jazz songwriting structure, in much of what we do I've always been attracted to jazz music and even played with some jazz combos during my time in New York, but I have always felt a very strong pull from the pop/rock music, much of which is guitar-based, that I love, which has resulted in a sort of "hybrid" sound.
Q: Who are some of your favorite local L.A. bands?
T: Does Beck count He is certainly one of my favorites. I may be biased, but Il MANIFESTO, a band for which I play keyboards, is a great outfit. I am a big fan of MORE IS MORE, an unorthodox jazz combo headed by Dean Taba.
Q: What L.A. venue is your favorite place to play?
T: I really like Genghis Cohen, though I have only played there as a soloist and a sideman I hope to play there soon with LAYABOUT I also enjoy Taix, which doesn't feature a conventional performance space, but has a great vibe.
Q: If you could bottle the spirit that is the magic of christmas, how much would you sell it for?
T: I'd say 99 cents Now, people might be suspicious of its quality at that low price, but at least most people could afford it. That's in being with the Christmas spirit, of course.
Q: Do you have a favorite christmas tv special?
T: I'd have to go with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the claymation version with Burl Ives.
Q: What is your favorite christmas song?
T: A tie between "We Three Kings" and "The Christmas Song."
Q: This is the part of the interview where i say the name of a band and you say the first thing that pops into your head: John Coltrane
T: ascension.
Q: STEELY DAN
T: horns and drugs.
Q: THE CLASH
T: all lost in the supermarket.
Q: WILCO
T: amazing.
Q: Elvis Costello
T: prolific.
Q: Do you have any holiday wishes or words of advice for the readers of No-Fi "Magazine"?
T: Well, first and foremost, I'd like to thank you for asking me to do this interview I'm very honored. Second, I'd just like to encourage everyone out there to continue supporting great programs and sites like this one, because independent music needs all the help it can get right now And last, I hope everyone has a great holiday!
You can check in on the current incarnation of the band LAYABOUT on http://www.layaboutband.com. The new record will be available by mid-January from CD Baby (www.cdbaby.com), but until then, feel free to contact them directly on their site for more information on how you can get a hold of it
THE END
