It was our great pleasure to welcome the Sandwitches into the KPFK studios a little while ago for a performance and interview. Because of the ongoing fundraiser we weren’t able to broadcast this session until this past Sunday, but it was well worth the wait. As I’ve mentioned here before, there aren’t a lot of bands around that sound quite like the Sandwitches. Grace, Hiedi and Roxy take a little bit of country, some indie-rock, add it to some bluesy soulful sounds and mix it all together in their music.
In the interview we discuss that sound, how they came up with the name the Sandwitches and a little bit on what I find to be the most distinctive quality of the band, the sound of their two vocalists. While a lot of groups harmonize their vocals, it’s rare to have two vocalists, who aren’t twins, play off of each other’s vocals like this, to the point where sometimes it’s hard to tell if there are two different vocalists. In this session, they play four songs, with Grace & Hiedi alternating lead vocals on each track. The first two songs, “The Pearl” and “Benny’s Memory Palace” are featured on their new 7″ on Hardly Art. The third song, “My Heart Does Swell,” is featured on their latest release Mrs. Jones’ Cookies on Empty Cellar records. The final song, “You Only Get What You Want” is a brand new song, previously unreleased and a special treat just for us.
The Sandwitches on KPFK’s Melting Pot: Recorded 11-02-2011
…as an added treat, here’s the performance that Roxie mentions in the interview, an acoustic version of “Summer of Love” recorded in the bathroom of Berkeley’s The Shattuck Down Low, that really shows that distinctive singing style of the group.