Besides winning our most recent local poll,
The Tweeds were also picked as Featured Artist(s) of the Month on The Deli’s
national page. We had a chance to toss our get-to-know-you questions at front man and multi-instrumentalist Derek Sheehan. Below is the skinny on The Tweeds.
The Deli: How did the band start?
Derek Sheehan: During my sophomore year at Penn State, I became very frustrated with being stuck at school and not being able to play music with my friends from home so over winter break of 2007-2008, Sam Plumridge and I started Bobbie Perdu as a melodic post-rock band with Sam’s brother Ben and long-time friend and musician Sean Morris. That didn’t last too long though because of distance issues. Cantrev Caffidor was a fairly successful local ambient, prog-rock band. When they split, Sam and I asked Nic Sheehan (my brother) and Peter Moretzsohn to join up with us and thus, The Tweeds began.
TD: Where did the band name The Tweeds come from?
DS: We were originally called Bobbie Peru. We were forced to change our name due to apparent copyright issues so we changed it to Bobbie Perdu. We eventually decided to change the name and Cody Saia, good friend and touring guitarist for The Tweeds, suggested The Tweeds and it stuck.
TD: What are your biggest musical influences?
DS: It is tough not to just list your whole musical library on this one, but our biggest musical influences are My Bloody Valentine, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, The Byrds, The Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield, The Dandy Warhols, Owen, American Football, BJM, and many others.
TD: What artists (local, national and/or international) are you currently
listening to?
DS: I cannot speak for the rest of the band, but currently, I am listening to:
All Things Must Pass – George Harrison; Colour Trip – Ringo Deathstarr; Earth to the Dandy Warhols – The Dandy Warhols; any Grateful Dead bootlegs; Black Lips; Beat the Devil’s Tattoo – BRMC; Phoenix – The Warlocks; Pure Phase – Spiritualized; Buffalo Springfield self-titled; Legs Like Tree Trunks; Occult Radiance – Fleeting Joys (many more).
TD: What’s the first concert that you ever attended and first album that you ever bought?
DS: The first concert I ever willingly attended was The Monkees at the Mann Music Center in Fairmount Park, and first album was The Cool Runnings Soundtrack.
TD: What do you love about Philly?
DS: Steaks, Good Micro Breweries, Philly Sports and drive an hour east, you’re at the beach. Drive an hour west – you’re in an old Appalachian forest.
TD: What do you hate about Philly?
DS: Not too much. I wish the venues would have more all-ages shows.
TD: What are your plans for 2011?
DS: Graduate from Penn State, start recording our second album, and touring.
TD: What was your most memorable live show?
DS: We always have a great time when we play, but the best show was probably Café Campus in Montréal. That weekend was just one big blur. The show was great but hanging out in Montréal for a weekend was a hilariously wild time. We walked back to our hostel after the show because we were all too wasted to drive. It was probably 40 blocks. We got back to the hostel and drank whiskey in the parking lot until 6 am watching the footy from the show. Finally, we walked into the room, and Sam starts laughing hysterically at the top of his lungs because he thought we had walked into the wrong room (he had never stayed in a hostel before). We had about 8 other roommates sleeping on bunk beds in our room, and I can only imagine how annoyed they were when we busted into the room completely trashed at 6 am, especially when I started throwing banana peels at Cody.
TD: What’s your favorite thing to get at the deli?
DS: A 24 oz Heineken keg can and pork roll sandwich.
– The Deli Staff
