Small Howl
An interview by Mary Morgan
Small Howl is a Eugene, Oregon-based collective of artists and musicians dedicated to advancing Eugene as a cultural center and touring stop for bands. Aiming to present D.I.Y. shows that showcase innovative and experimental artists, and provide assistance with booking, promotions and hospitality.
Small Howl is Katie Savastano/ Michael Knackstedt/ Aaron Sullivan
Here, Katie and Michael tell us what it’s all about:
What does the term “DIY” mean for a collective like Small Howl? Katie: It means Do It Yourself. Anyone can do this.
Michael: While it’s a fairly ubiquitous term in independent music, I think it’s safe to say that it’s an ethos that underpins everything we do, and almost all of the bands we set up shows for believe in it and apply it to their own art. I think it can be defined as using whatever means are available to you to accomplish your artistic goals. For musicians recording, this can be using a shitty fourtrack tape deck and a thrift store microphone instead of dumping a bunch of money on a recording interface. For the work we do booking shows in Eugene, I think it means using the resources immediately available to make shows happen how we want them to happen. It all really boils down to community.
Katie: I used to be a part of a closeknit music community from the Midwest that held events anywhere, out of garages, old bingo halls, more intimate spaces, amongst close friends and local artists. It was easy to get people together, and there was always a lot of support for local and touring acts. When I moved here, I didn’t know where any of that was happening and I got tired of only seeing music of interest at larger venues that were pulling in bigger artists. It’s harder to connect with people and feel a part of a community at those venues like trying to make friends at a nice restaurant when everyone is already sitting at their own tables vs. trying to make friends at a backyard BBQ.
So, I talk to some old friends who tour constantly and know a lot of people & independent musicians around the country. They encouragingly sent me bands needing shows, touring up the NW. Those bands told others; I met more people with more connections, and it kept growing from there. When you have a good line up, then you find a venue, and promote the event. Tell everyone about it. It’s all about finding the best way to use your connections and making stuff happen. It helped that when I started doing this, I was working a The Copy Shop. I got to play with my poster designs and print & post them all over town. And Michael and I both volunteer at KWVA, which makes it easy for promoting bands over the sound waves!
Michael: We have built great mutual partnerships and connections with local spaces like The Wandering Goat that have enabled us to host shows that simply wouldn’t happen if bands were forced to go through larger or midsize venues. When it comes to promotions, it means using existing connections to spread the word. Katie, Sully and Jamie are all phenomenal visual artists, and their art is one of the reasons the collective is so special. Katie and I are both DJ’s at KWVA, and we’ve built a really strong partnership with the station and collaborated with them on some really cool projects. We have friends who write for Eugene Weekly and have done some terrific spotlights on our shows. Ultimately, I think DIY is at the core of the collective’s purpose, and it drives us to keep working on these projects every day.
Can you describe one of your favorite concert moment memories? Or maybe a time something went kinda wrong?
Katie: Gosh, probably at that first Mount Eerie show back in October, 2012. Our friend’s firehouse was the perfect venue, and Ethan there set up really great lights and a fog machine that made everything seem all the more surreal. At that same show, all the power cut out, and Thor solved the problem. It was scary for that moment, though. I thought the show was over. I usually experience a mixture of both: anxiety and satisfaction. Anxious that nobody will show up, panic, and then relief, and then pure enjoyment and love for everyone.
Michael: The first Mount Eerie show we set up at the Old Whiteaker Firehouse was a really special one. Everything came together beautifully and people had a great time. The power went out and Thor jumped in and fixed the soundboard. For some reason the show that really sticks out in my mind as being really special was when Coasting played with Beth Wooten and my band, The Groundblooms at the Wandering Goat. It was a phenomenal turnout, everything clicked and all the bands were happy.
What’s it like to be a band selected for a Small Howl show for the most part?
Michael: We book a wide variety of genres for Small Howl shows. I would say most of the bands we set up shows for could be categorized as lofi, rock, folk or somewhere within that spectrum. We tend to gravitate towards bands that are enthusiastic, respectful and genuinely excited to play in Eugene.
Katie: ...to be a band that we help, you have to be... really rad. And genuine. And to ask during a time when we’re not booked up. We can only handle to throw 2-4 shows a month. And I really like hosting the bands. If your band crashes at my house, you’ll get to hang out with the cutest small dog (with a soft howl), and if my schedule allows it, I’ll make breakfast! Michael and I are pretty selective about the artists we chose to help.
I don’t know exactly how to explain, because we do have a wide range of genres we support. That’s kind of why we came up with a team name, because we pull in a lot of lesserknown musicians. We stamp “Small Howl” on it for recognition’s sake, so people will know to expect something good.
Have you heard anything surprising being said about Eugene by visiting artists? How can you tell if a show has been successful?
Katie: At the Coasting show last year, Fiona Campbell (of Coasting, Vivian Girls, and M’Lady’s Records) expressed something like, “I didn’t know Eugene was this cool! There are a lot of nice and welldressed people here.” That made me feel really optimistic. A lot of friends came out for that. Our friend Pat at the Weekly wrote up a great review about them, and Thor interviewed them at the radio station, so a lot of people I didn’t know came out of the woodwork to the show, and good friendships were formed.
Michael: For the most part, artists we bring through are stoked to play here. But I often find that people are caught off guard by how engaged and enthusiastic Eugeneans can be. Audiences down here definitely have a different vibe than in other cities in the Northwest. They’re very playful, energetic and unpretentious. When Imaginary Pants was here, Rose Melberg told me that she was honestly surprised to find out there was a scene happening here again, and that it had been years since she tried to play in Eugene. I remember that simultaneously bummed me out but also made me feel like what we’re doing is important. I’m sure there are other fantastic bands touring up and down the coast that just aren’t aware that this is a great place to playfrom a geographic and demographic standpoint. There really hasn’t been a good space for the kinds of bands we bring through to play in Eugene since the late 2000’s when Stonehenge, a house venue out in South Eugene stopped doing shows. We’re really trying to fill that gap while also charting new territory and creating something unique.
Who do you imagine something like Small Howl serves?
Michael: Off the top of my head, I’d say artists, music fans, and community members in general. I like to think that we serve people who are craving something different from the existing music scene here in town. I think that there’s a solid core of people in Eugene who are looking to see shows that are challenging, inspiring, entertaining and off the beaten path compared to the things you can normally see any given weekend.
Katie: Musicians, artists, music appreciators, people who respect passionate artists, people who want to go out and do something... almost anyone!
You guys are pretty famous for your awesome fliers. Which ones do you think should be printed in the magazine and what can you say about them?
Michael: My favorites are the Deep Time poster and the first Broken Water poster, both of which were collaborations between Katie and Sully. They’re both amazing.
Katie: The one Aaron Sullivan (Sully) did for the first Mount Eerie show was really cool. He’s such a prolific and epic illustrator. I’ve really enjoyed working with him on Small Howl stuff. The Deep Time poster is something we drew together. He sketched the whole thing out and I filled in the details.. I think that one attracted a lot of people. It was our first show at the Old Whiteaker Firehouse, too. I’ve gotten into watercolors and it’s added an interesting element to my painted fliers. The poster I did for Generifus, painted the tiger head and mirrored it on Photoshop. On almost every flier I organize and finish on Photoshop, same with Sully. We both enjoy mixing our own artwork up a little that way.
What’s on your mix, in your car, or in your earbuds right now?
Katie: I listen & buy a lot of new stuff from bands on bandcamp, where the money goes directly to the artist. You can see what I’ve bought on our fan page: http://bandcamp.com/smallhowl. I recently purchased Virusse (dark electropop from Providence, RI), Hot Tears (two women from Olympia on guitar, cello, percussion, and haunting vocals), Broken Water (also from Olympia; we’ve thrown two shows from them... they are one of the raddest band I’ve seen) and whatever else I’ve recently purchased there. You can listen to the whole albums there Check it out!
Michael: A friend of mine recently turned me on to this absolute gem of an album from 2003 by a group called George. It’s called “The Magic Lantern.” I think it’s the only album they ever made. It’s just this really stunning album full of gorgeous, stripped down lofi electronic folk songs. As far as bands we’ve booked recently, The Woolen Men’s selftitled album that just came out on Woodsist is phenomenal. They’re so influenced by The Wipers, The Urinals, Husker Du, etc. One of my favorite Oregon bands at the moment. I also think Deerhunter’s “Monomania” is just maddeningly brilliant and I can’t get it out of my rotation.
Where is Small Howl headed? Anything coming up to hype or goals for the future?
Michael: We will be releasing a charity cassette compilation this summer, which is exciting. It will have tracks by bands that have played shows for us over the years. We’re going to have a big tape release party and an art show to showcase all of the amazing posters Katie, Sully and Jamie have made. We are looking for people who are interested in doing this kind of work and keeping the momentum going in this scene. I’m finishing grad school this summer and likely moving soon, and Katie will be moving to Portland.
Katie: We’re releasing a mixtape of friends and a lot of artists we’ve booked sometime this summer! There will be a release party/concert and art show displaying our flier work! We’re also looking for more collaborators to eventually hand work over to, as I am transitioning to Portland for work, and Michael is finishing grad school and moving on.
Have anything else you’d like the readers of Quickest Flipest to know?
Katie: We are always interested in finding new all ages spaces to keep things exciting! Find us on Facebook and let us know!!
Michael: If there’s one thing we need, it’s more allages DIY spaces to throw shows in. Do you have a basement or a space where you would be able to host a show? Let us know!
