Interview – So Stressed

Morgan from So Stressed talks to I Heart Noise about the band, its influences and more

How did the band name came about?

I think I suggested it. There’s not  any real meaning behind it. It’s just two words. I don’t think any of us are super stressed all the time or anything. Maybe people might get that idea from our music because it’s loud and hectic, but it wasn’t our intention to have the name of the band represent the music.
I actually think of teenagers whining about homework or other menial stuff when I hear the phrase “so stressed.” It’s used in such an exaggerated way a lot of the time. Come on, dude. It’s just algebra. That’s nothing to stress over. You’ve still got your food and video games. Calm down.
 

What about the title “Attracted to Open Mouths”? Where did that came from?

I think I came up with that as well. I just think it’s a pretty collection of words. They sound good to me.
 
There’s a number of math/noise bands out of Sacramento – Tera Melos, Hella etc. etc.
Do you feel that you were influenced by them in any way?

I certainly am. I remember seeing Hella when I was probably fifteen years old and being blown away. I had never heard them before. I had never heard anything like that before. I think it was right after Hold Your Horse Is had come out. They played with The Locust and I was so freaked out by everything. I had no idea you could make so much spastic noise that seemed out of control, but still start and stop together as a band. It was awesome. That was a cool realization for me to have. I think seeing and getting into Hella definitely opened me up to much weirder music than the stuff I had been listening to before that.

Tera Melos is also a cool influence. Everything about the way those guys make music and choose to be a band is pretty inspiring. Their music is absolutely outstanding, but I think what is more of an influence than their music is their approach to it and how they make interesting, technical stuff but don’t take themselves too seriously. Everything from the imagery they use in shirt designs and music videos to their stage presence is totally on point. That band is rad.
 

What about influences outside of music – any visual artists or writers that provided an inspiration?

I get really excited about movies. The stuff that Werner Herzog and Ingmar Bergman and Robert Bresson have made totally makes me want to get weird and make things too. I also just finished reading Charles Ives’ Memos and that definitely filled my brain with plenty of bizarre ideas.
 

You toured with bands such as Wreck & Reference and Tigon – how was that experience?

We actually didn’t tour with Tigon, but we’ve played with them a few times and every time we do, it’s awesome. Those guys are so intense live. I love it.
Playing with Wreck And Reference is great. I could play with them every night and never get sick of it. They are such great musicians and dudes. They are one of the heaviest bands I have ever seen and they don’t even have a single stringed instrument with them. I think playing with them always makes us want to do an extra good job because they are so good. They’re great. Great, great, great.
 
Any bands that you’d like to tour with in the future?  
My dream tour would be us, Michael Jackson, and Black Flag in 1982. But since we can’t go back in time or tour with people who are dead and bands that don’t really exist anymore, I would say that I hope we get to play with Wreck And Reference more. Also, I wouldn’t mind being able to tour with Pissed Jeans or Jeff The Brotherhood.