Interview with Turtle Recall
- by Dawn Reed (Photo Cred: Sherry Spinelli)

The Deli: How did the band start?

John-Currie Hester (vocals+): As a New Year's resolution/ultimatum to Guido in early 2009. I told him we had to start a band or I was moving to San Francisco. But for most intents and purposes, Turtle Recall didn't start until I got Matt and Erin in the same room- which was Fall 2010.

Guido Dehoratis (guitar): I'd always played drums in bands, but JC's hasty offer provided me a vehicle to play guitar.

Alex Penney (bass): We can't all be pro athletes, but we can all want to get laid like they do.

What's the story behind the band name?

JC: I like turtles?

Erin Girardi (vocals): Gimme a turtle.

Mike Dalianis (drums): Wish I knew.

Matt Kupferman (fiddle): In a land nestled deep in the rolling hills of Crumberland lives a colony of culinarily-incompetent testudinidae.....people still ask me this question all the time and I say, "I dunno. they already had a name, I just play fiddle.'

Alex: Ever eat Taco Bell on a road trip?

What are your biggest musical influences?

Erin: Coldplay and Foo Fighters- but my parents were undoubtedly the biggest musical influence in my life. My mom sang each of her five children to sleep at night and in the car we learned how to harmonize. My dad would take out his guitar and line us up for practice if we overdid the cartoons. Even now, gatherings with my mom's family become sing-a-longs to music my grandfather learned in his barbershop quartet days. Music is love in my family!

JC: The Beatles, Otis, Madonna, MJ, Billy Joel, and whatever my parents listened to in the 80s. Musical theatre in High School was also kind of a scene. But my musicality initially grew from a love of performing and mimicry. Doing impressions in the bathroom mirror before bed every night and keeping my sister and cousins doubled over in laughter trained my voice and ear to work together for an audience.

Guido: I think it's cool that we've got the entire South Lakes High School performing arts wing covered. Matt from orchestra, Erin and JC from chorus/theatre and myself from band and marching band. The percussion section taught me how to jam with others while trying to sound like one instrument. As far as listening to music, I used to only care about what the drums/guitar were doing, but Greg from The Mostly Bad Virus and JC have given me a new appreciation for melody.

Matt: My biggest musical influences in the last decade are easily the breakthroughs in the field of "alternative" string playing. The fusing of harmonic and rhythmic techniques from jazz, rock, and pop styles into traditional string playing, along with improvisation and percussive "chopping" really grabbed my interest. Innovative violinists, such as Casey Driessen and Darol Anger, and the evolving modern "roots" scene out of Boston, have been instrumental in fueling this tangent I've taken from classical viola training.

Mike: Punk Rock, Zeppelin, Aerosmith (parents from Boston). I met Guido via our shared love of punk music from the mid-90s, specifically bands from Fat Wreck Chords and Epitaph.

Alex: Bach, Coolio, Donna Summer.

What artists (local, national and/or international) are you currently listening to?

JC: I'm mildly obsessed with AWOLNATION and Macklemore. 

Erin: Imagine Dragons, Neon Trees, Macklemore, Adele.

Mike: Phoenix, M83, Miike Snow, AWOL, and too much Taylor Swift.

Guido: Whatever we are covering. I used to listen to Pitchfork music but it got annoying.

Matt: I'm in my own world of Punch Brothers, Crooked Still, and Lake Street Dive.

What's the first concert that you ever attended and first album that you ever bought?

Guido: Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan at RFK three months before Jerry died. First album was Skee-Lo's I Wish single on tape. My parents already had Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Gin Blossoms covered.

Erin: Elton John- holy crud he is so glittery and awesome. First album was Incubus.

JC: I was in utero at New Orleans Jazz Fest 1983- that counts! First album was maybe Billy Joel's The Stranger.

Mike: First concert was Sting; First album was Pearl Jam: Ten.

Matt: Raffi and Michael Jackson's Dangerous.

Alex: Raffi and NOW That's What I Call Music 6.

What do you love about DC's music scene?

Matt: DC's scene is small, diverse, and full of undiscovered talent. Unlike some other large cities that create a class system in the performing arts, DC is a place where small, up-and-coming bands can share a stage with popular established acts. DC's population, by nature, is continually in flux and there's always a room full of fresh ears to play to. One constant though is that Washingtonians go out to have a good time, and appreciate good music when they hear it. We love it when patrons come up to us after (or during) a show, having heard us for the first time, with compliments, enthusiasm, or to asking how to buy our music.

Mike: 4 hour sets- no pee breaks.

What would you like to see change in the local music scene?

Erin: oOooOoOOo, I would love for there to be a coordination between artists and musicians. Want art openings and local music to be appearing in the same place. Would lose my mind if there was a house show that was taken over by street artists and a couple of local bands would play through the night whilst people roamed the house enjoying art and DC beer. Make this happen. More house shows.

Matt: I'd like to see cover charges become a thing of the past, and for donations to become the norm- and by 'norm' I mean like tipping is at a restaurant.

JC: Yep. More free music. And this just in: I'm starting a house show concert series featuring local art and beer.

What are your plans for the upcoming year?

JC: Work hard, play hard, stay humble, RGIII, baby steps. Get a recording contract to fund our next album- we have new and exciting songs to share.

Erin: Have more time, fill all the time, repeat. Make more art. Maybe go back to school. Be more awesome. Work my way up to 10 pushups.

What was your most memorable live show?

JC: Probably the raging house party where I got to scream The Beatles' Twist and Shout- I'd been wanting to live a moment like that ever since I first saw Ferris Bueller and I'll never forget it. But Erin and Matt's inaugural performance as Turtles was pretty special too- Erin was so adorably nervous and this crazy bird lady a la Home Alone 2 kept pestering Matt as if his fiddle playing was really offending DC's pigeon population.

Erin: Probably when I hid behind a curtain, sadly. First house show, anddddddd Rumors was pretty insane. 

Guido: Halloween cover show at RFD.  I've never been loved by so many bros.

Mike: RFD Dance Party

Matt: Playing on a barge in the middle of a lake party was pretty intense- setting up our rig of PAs, amps, instruments, and stage lighting, then casting off with a generator was a pretty glorious moment.

Alex: The best shows are the ones we don't remember.

Is there someone who has helped your band grow through support?

JC: The relentless support of Realtor mom Sherry Spinelli, Jamil, Amanda, Mary and the Partytime crew; Jack Gregori of Human Country Jukebox for believing in us as babies; and Darrick and Brent at Agent Method Productions for helping us discover our sound.

Erin: Sherry4thawin.

Mike: Partytime Crew (Jamil introduced me to Turtle).

Guido: Sherry.

Is there a piece of equipment you couldn't live without and why?

Guido: No.

Erin: Mi Vocé.

JC: Tough call- it's a toss up between my pumped up kicks and Erin's booty.

Alex: Power strips and mini fridges.

Matt: Earplugs. I wanna hear in 40 years.

Eric Putnam (bass):  Thousands of years ago, before the dawn of man as we knew him...

Kelly Ann Beavers (vocals):  As a joke.

Keith Fischer (guitar/vocals):  We really had no intention of starting a band.  Five years ago, Kelly mentioned to me that she liked to sing so we decided to get together one night and sing a few songs.  I was immediately impressed by the uniqueness of her voice so we just kept getting together every week to play and eventually write.  After a year, we said, "maybe we should put a band together."

What's the story behind the band name? 

Kelly:  I don't know exactly, but I'm sure it's a fairy tale.

Keith:  It has something to do with nicknames and ghost hunting.

What are your biggest musical influences? 

Kelly:  Feist, Tegan and Sara, Lykke Li

Keith:  Blind Melon, The Avett Brothers, old school Guns n Roses, anything Chris Cornell does.

What artists (local, national and/or international) are you currently listening to? 

Eric: Justin Timberlake, the new Phoenix single, The Epochs

Kelly:  I'm loving The Sideshow Tragedy, a rad band from Austin, TX, as well as Meshell Ndegeocello, and No Doubt.

Keith:  I love the new Soundgarden album, I think it's really cool that those guys can come back after so long and put out a killer record like they never took a decade off.  Locally, I'm a really big fan of Laura Zax and her band, The Nighttime Adventure Society.  I believe she just moved from DC to NYC so anyone up there should definitely check her out.  Also Derek Evry and His Band of Misanthropes, Harris Face and the Restoration, The Fed, Skip House, and Cherry Tree (just to name a few) are all fellow local DC artists and friends of ours that are doing really great things with their music.  I should also mention that I've been really inspired recently by this kid Zach Sobeich from Minnesota.  He's a teenager that has been diagnosed with terminal cancer but he isn't letting that stop him from pursuing his dreams and raising awareness through his music.  Amazing people like him help keep things in perspective for me.  

What's the first concert that you ever attended and first album that you ever bought? 

Eric:  First Concert was Imogen Heap in Milwaukee, first album was Superunknown by Soundgarden.

Kelly: First concert... hm. It may have very well been the Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville, TX. I remember having a Minnie Mouse coloring book with me, so it must have been a long time ago! Or wait... that could have been last week. Album,  the Judds on cassette got a lot of air time, as well as Amy Grant. My first CD was Alanis Morissette's first album. Rawr.

Keith:  I usually lie and say it was Aerosmith at Jones Beach Theater (4 Non Blondes opened), but that was really my second concert.  The truth is that I saw New Kids on the Block at the Nassau Coliseum when I was in 5th grade.  My dad and I were one of the only males there.  The first album I can remember buying with my own money was probably Guns n Roses' "Use Your Illusion II". 

What do you love about DC's music scene? 

Eric:  That, at least in our experience, it seems to pull people from all over the country. We've played with bands from everywhere and beyond. 

Kelly:  It is a big scene with a small-town feel. I like that.

Keith:  It's been very welcoming and supportive.  It may not be as big a scene as some cities like NY, Austin, Nashville, etc but because of that all the artists, regardless of genre, seem to band together and really support each other.  It's been great to cut our teeth in an environment like that.  

What would you like to see change in the local music scene? 

Kelly:  I would like to see more people at shows, crazier makeup, and more wild dancing!

Keith:  I would say in the 5 years we've been a part of it, we've definitely seen the DC music scene grow and become more established.  Say what you want about the Sweet Tea Pumpkin Pie Fest that has occurred the past few years, but in my opinion it has helped bring bands together and has been a vehicle for promoting local music to new fans, which at the end of the day is what we need more of.    

What are your plans for the upcoming year? 

Eric:  SXSW 2014! 

Kelly: Buy new cowboy boots. Sing while playing drums on stage, and design clothes and jewelry.

Keith:  We have a video for "Maybe a Fool" coming out later this month which we are excited about.  We also are halfway finished with our third album which so far has been completely recorded in my basement and will be way more stripped down and acoustic.  The band started with just Kelly's vocals and my acoustic guitar so we want to release a set of music that is more representative of that.  

What was your most memorable live show? 

Eric:  St Patrick's Day at the Black Squirrel. There was so much positive energy on stage, we played really well, and I think we all had a great time doing it. 

Kelly:  I cherish the memory of the Level X Lounge show. We played with a stellar local band, Level 7. When I walked off the stage that night, I just remember feeling like the entire room (and my soul) was lit up in lavender light. It was a magical and transformative evening.  

Keith:  Our album release for Weddings and Funerals at the IOTA Club and Cafe was a special one for me.  

Is there someone who has helped your band grow through support? 

Kelly:  Billy Flip, our original band manager. His aura lights up my heart. Also, so humbled and inspired by the incredible writing that Tony Porreco put together in his review of the Weddings and Funerals album. It lifts me up to feel that someone is listening closely enough to develop such a cool, refined sense of what we are creating. 

Keith:  I can't thank Christopher Todd Goodin (who recorded and mixed most of Weddings and Funerals) enough for his patience and enthusiasm over the 2 years of slow but steady progress on the album.  The record wouldn't exist today if it wasn't for him.  He is also a talented musician in his own right and fronts a great band called Green Light at the End.  Also,  we were humbled to work with the legendary Don Zientara who recorded and produced the last track on the album, "Grey Before the Dawn".  The day we spent at Inner Ear with him was an experience we will never forget as we got to see first hand his ability to put an artist at ease and really draw the best possible performance out of us.  All I could think the whole day was 'Omg, this guy has produced Fugazi, how are we even working with him?!?' 

Is there a piece of equipment you couldn't live without and why? 

Eric:  My sunglasses. They really give my tone that edge that I need to cut through the mix and allow me to play wicked lines all over the neck. 

Kelly:  My tutu. (Curtsy)

Keith:  Our old bass player Cliff Reed would often make fun of my lack of knowledge and preference about gear.  I've been playing the same electric guitar (Gibson Les Paul Studio) since High School after I bought it from my friend Brian Sendrowitz (currently of the awesome Brooklyn based band Beat Radio) for a few hundred bucks.  I try to keep things as simple as possible for my own sake.