the LIFESTYLE

It’s Feature time again here at the LIFESTYLE!!!! We are proud to present The Know Nothings, an acoustic duo made up of the homies Andrea Woodard and David Adams from our hometown of Berkeley, CA. The group is making moves in the Bay and continues to write and record great original music. We are extremely excited to showcase their new tune Sweet Pea.

(Original art by Max Nelson)

Check out the track and get to know more about the Know Nothings with an exclusive interview.

Sweet Pea

Leading off with some basics, where are you from? And where are you at?

DA: Berkeley, then Santa Cruz, then Oakland, now Berkeley, soon Oakland.

AW: Local girl born in SF and raised in Berkeley. Now living in San Francisco.

What does Reflection and Response mean to you?

DA: Think then talk… preferably more thinking than talking.

AW: It means to take that extra moment, extra time, to stop and to think about what something means to  you. Then to take those emotions and understandings you have reached and actively react to them.

How does ‘Sweet Pea’ fit in with that definition?

DA: I don’t know how to answer this question. Am I addressing this song as a response to life and experience, or am I addressing the potential to reflect and respond to this song? In the first case, I think all songs and all art, are ways of pinning down and making concrete, our otherwise mercurial reflections on the state of our lives and the world as a whole.

AW: I am not quite sure if you mean one of our pieces or a piece of art for example. But in keeping with the theme of our interview as a band I will go ahead and pick the egotistical response :). The best I can do is equate it to our song writing process. While I credit David with almost all of our awesome lyrics, there are of course some collaborative efforts. It is tempting to make something just rhyme or to put in fillers,  but we take a step back, think about what we are trying to express or say through the song, or even that one line, and then react to that and put it in words. Corny? Little bit I guess.

What else have you been working on recently? What are you looking to work on next?

DA: We are just working on recording songs one by one, and mastering the recording process, which is for sure an uphill battle.

AW: Bandwise, working on writing more songs and looking to perform more. Lifewise, working on living the city life with great friends, and looking to work for my nursing degree.

Who or what inspires you?

DA: I get inspired by slow motion football highlights played with classical music in the background.

AW: I would have to say my bandmate David. He has an unwavering dedication to pursuing something that is important to him, no matter what (for example performing and playing music). I would also have  to say that generally speaking the friends and family in my life inspire me, and not necessarily direct though what they do, but by exhibiting incredible support in everything. It keeps me pursuing the best for  me, whether that is finding an awesome music playing hobby, or furthering my career and life ambitions.

Is there anything else you would like the Collective to know?

DA: Come to our next gig at the Firehouse Art Collective Gallery North on Oct 14th at 7 P.M.

AW: That graduating college seemed like the most daunting, unappealing prospect, and it’s been so fun to  discover that this part of our lives is just as fun in different (and sometimes similar ways). I’m having a blast with everything and reconnecting to old friends!

Shout out to…?

DA: Peter and Vicken for following their dreams and putting this together. I remember when Vicken and  I forced some middle school kids into a rap battle, then hid in his dad’s car when the kids ran to their parents. And I remember Peter throwing his skateboard on the ground vowing never to skate again, over  and over and over again.

AW: All of our awesome friends and family for supporting us instead of laughing at us (it was a crapshoot).

Check the group out on Facebook and Soundcloud.

Reflection and Response