It’s difficult to sit back and think of anything that could be half as good as strolling to a DIY venue one minute away from your West Campus shoebox apartment to watch an impressively stacked band lineup. It’s especially difficult to think of anything better than that exact scenario twice, back to back. Seriously, wow. Who knew West Campus could host such greatness?
Closing out both of Julia’s War‘s unofficial South by Southwest showcases came Austin alt-rock band Stab. I sat outside Friendly Rio Mart, atop a creaky chair meant for the neighboring taco truck, to talk to DJ Karp, vocalist and guitarist of Stab, about his perspective on Austin’s music scene and upcoming band projects before their March 17th set.
What has your South by Southwest consisted of?
We’ve had four shows this week. The three: this one, the one at the [29th Street] Ballroom, and the one tomorrow at Alienated [Majesty Books]. I already had them booked, but then we’re on Julia’s War, so we got to put these shows on for the homies and the other Julia’s War bands. Then we got asked to do the Tour Peachy thing.
How has the experience been?
It’s been cool. It feels like it might be the last one, which is why it feels a little bittersweet, but it’s cool. I don’t know if it’s confirmed this is the last, but it feels a little like it could be.
Why do you think it would be the last one?
I don’t know. The convention center is gone, and it’s always been supercommercialized, super corporate, but this one feels especially corporatized. And then it’s a whole weekend shorter. It’s over on Thursday, which is so strange. It’s probably been over in spirit. I’m not from Austin, I’m from North Texas, but I don’t know. It just feels slightly final. I think I’m just getting older, too. There’s a sense of finality in the air with this one.
Have you been to previous years’ showcases?
Yeah, I’ve been coming consistently since 2016, and I’ve been playing shows probably since 2018. I just didn’t live here until 2019.
How do you think the festival affects local artists and all the bands?
Oh, it’s super interesting. The local bands don’t really get any shine, but all the bands from out of town come in and get all the press and stuff. I think for the local artists, it’s kind of cool. You kind of feel like- not like a jester- but you’re opening up for the bands out of town, and they get all like the press, but it’s whatever. I think overall it’s positive. I don’t mind opening up for the homies, but it is strange. It’s one of the better opportunities for local bands to shine, but the most you’re going to get is just opening up for your homies from out of town. You take the good with the bad.
How do you think you fit in as a band in Austin?
Sometimes I don’t feel like we fit, but I don’t know. We definitely have a place here. I know a lot of people. I like putting stuff on like this. If you build it, people will come. I think I think that’s how we fit in.
Why do you feel you might not fit in?
Sometimes I feel a little too freaky for this fucking city, but I think that might just be newer vibes. I don’t know. I’m old. A lot of the weird people moved in like 2020 and 2021. I feel very much like a freak on a leash here now. I thought Austin to be more open-minded, a little more freaky. Sometimes it blows my mind. It feels like Dallas sometimes here. It might have gotten sucked away. All the weird people can’t afford to live here anymore. All the weirdos got priced out. Or if you’re going to spend the money you have to spend here, you may as well go to New York or something. But I love it. I’m not from here, so I try to be very grateful because it’s better than Dallas for sure. It’s more centralized. There are way more young people doing cool stuff, so it’s fire. But I feel it’s fair to say you can tell the tech shit sucked the life out of Austin over the last four or five years.
How did Stab come together?
It was a post-COVID idea. I was in two bands. I had a more indie-leaning project that was Beach Fossily, and then I wanted something heavy, so I did this as my heavy heavy project. It was the one that stood the test of time. My friend Christian was booking shows at Beerland, and he was booking my band that was in Denton a bunch. So we played our first show in Austin at Beerland because of Christian. Then we became really good friends, and I moved here. Christian’s like a road dog. He’s super into music, but he’s never been in a band before. I think it’s cool when you can make your best friend be in one of your bands, especially on bass, because you can teach anyone to play bass. If I could teach three of my good friends to play instruments, I would do that every time.
How did you come up with the name Stab ?
It’s my favorite Title Fight song.
Do you feel like it connects to your music?
I also wanted something that was a little misleading, where it sounds heavier than we are, so it’s a surprise. I like having a name that is slightly heavier than what we sound like.
Have you been working on any new music?
Big time. We have eight new songs that we have no actual release date for, but they’re done and ready to go. We have album artwork. We’re in label purgatory, and we’ve got to figure out some stuff, but yeah, we have hella new music.
Do you take on any new sound approaches?
That’s such a good question. I feel like I’m pretty straightforward. I want it to sound pretty heavy, melodic and catchy. I think it’s more mature. The last EP, those songs are like 10 years old. I wrote all these songs in the last three years, which is so cool. It reflects how I feel a way more accurately as a 30-year-old. I don’t think I’ve ever had an album where it’s all new stuff.
What is some of the inspiration behind the album?
It’s going to be called Infinite Money Glitch. The theme- probably post-COVID society. A lot of the songs are about money, being broke, being depressed and accepting yourself for being a fuck off. It’s all very informed by post-COVID revelations. Lots of breakup songs, I don’t usually write love songs.
How did COVID affect you as an artist?
I was writing for two different bands, three almost at one point. I got to perfect my creative style. I streamlined my creative process. I didn’t have a job, so it was pretty easy. It was awesome. I just didn’t have a job, so I had a bunch of time to make tabs and videos for people to follow along. It was big. We got to do three bands at one point. COVID was terrible, but good for music.
What other bands/projects were you a part of?
We had Demonic Possession, which we didn’t even play a show. Then we had The Freak Out, which I’ve been listening back to, and that band was awesome.
What genre of music was it?
It was indie rock. It was less aggro, more divey, maybe? Jangly shoegaze. I really liked it. Super simple. It probably just sounds like Stab, but to me, it sounded like a different entity. It was cute.
What do you think Stab does uniquely or more experimentally than other bands might? What makes you stand out?
Being a black dude in a sea of white artists, that’s probably the main one. Different perspectives on shit. And then, I’m writing shit about real shit, you know? The songs mean something. I’m not scared of the audience. I’ve been doing this for a long time; it’s not my first band either, and I think that sets me apart.
What have been some of your inspirations?
The world falling apart. It does feel silly being like, ‘I’m in a band, come see our shit.’ We’re at war. The world is definitely falling apart. I’m trying to get the last bit of joy out of whatever we have left. I don’t know what the fuck is going to happen tomorrow. Uncertainty is a great motivator and inspiration.
Do you have any shows coming up post South by Southwest?
We’re playing a ‘Fuck Ice’ benefit in Houston. I think it’s April 25th, but it could also be April 20th. That show will be cool. I don’t think we have anything else after that. We might try to go out on the road in May or June. That’s my last month of unemployment, so I’m going to try to get that in.
Have you been doing any other projects- like music videos or anything?
Sadly, no videos. I haven’t had any inspiration for a music video. They’re getting harder and harder to do practically. I have ideas that I want to do, but they’re not practical. I wanted to do a bowling alley thing, like an homage to The Big Lebowski and the bowling ball scene. We had a very ambitious Six Flags music video idea. I also have a rap show. Whenever I’m annoyed or just over the guitar, I make beats. I’ve been making beats probably longer than I’ve played guitar, so that’s my escape. I call it 808 fatigue. Whenever I’m over beats, I have 808 fatigue. Probably after South by Southwest, I’ll have heard every possible lick on the guitar, so I’m going to put the guitar up and start making beats again. It’s going to be fun. That’s my little break.
Is your rap name 808 Fatigue?
Woo! You’re smitting. I’m going to put that in my notes now. I go by ‘Blocked on Everything.’ Then my producer name is Cheeky Bastard. That’s what I make beats under. Anyway, 808 Fatigue is fire, I’m putting that in my notes. Unless you want to use it.
Oh that’s all yours!
That’s fire! 808 Fatigue is such a good name. I love that. Yeah, I’m ‘Blocked on Everything.’ I don’t feel like I’m that toxic anymore. I don’t want to be blocked on everything; I want to be in love!
Is that what the name came from? Toxicity?
That’s a work stem. I would be at work, and I’d be like, ‘Guys, she blocked me on everything!’ And it would make people laugh. Then I got old and thought that’d be a good rap name. It became my ongoing joke at work. I was joking.
Is there anything else you want to highlight or focus on?
We’re nice people. We like rock and roll. We have new members, they’re fire. We’re hopefully going to get on a label here soon as well, which is why it’s taken so long to come out with this album. Other than that, life is chill.
After we finished up our conversation, took some pictures on the side of the convenience store and caught the rest of the bands inside, I started my sprint all the way to the next nearby venue. Lesson learned: sprinting to Hole in the Wall in uncomfy ballet flats is not an easy feat. But to interview Taraneh next, anything’s worth it.