In the course of their eight year run, Philadelphia based indie band The Districts have established a name for themselves, vastly improving on their sound from record to record along the way. Their latest full length release, “Popular Manipulations” came out earlier this year, and the band is still on the road supporting the record. That tour includes a December 6th date at The Back Room at Colectivo, and ahead of the show, we talked to bassist Connor Jacobus about the record, the band’s progression, and what’s next for the group after this tour:
B&E: We first saw you guys at Lollapalooza this past summer. What did it feel like to play that big of a stage?
CJ: We’ve played lollapalooza a couple years ago so it was nice to be back. It’s a great festival to play and the crowd seemed really into it so that always makes for a good show.
B&E: Your new record, “Popular Manipulations” is out now. What bands or artists influenced the record?
CJ: I can’t really remember exactly what we were listening while recording the album haha. But i remember we definitely were focusing on making sure the songs had many layers to them to help make a more massive sound.
B&E: The record is your third full length release. In your opinion, how do you think the band has grown most since 2011’s “Kitchen Songs” EP?
CJ: I think we have a better grasp on the recording process and we think more on how a song can flow in different ways. Also being more open to different sounds and textures always keeps it interesting for us. We’re not interested in repeating ourselves, it would get boring for us pretty quick.
B&E: The band is touring basically up until the holidays, and then shortly after. Do you guys prefer being on the road, or in the studio?
CJ: If we’re in the studio too long we wanna play more shows but if we’re on the road too long we wanna be in the studio. So I guess it just depends.
B&E: After your next run of shows ends in January, what’s next for The Districts?
CJ: Probably start working on a new record. We already have some new songs in the works so we just wanna keep putting out new stuff.
B&E: Finally, you’re playing Milwaukee, what’s your beer of choice?
CJ: Milwaukee’s Best baby!
