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Culture Bully got a chance to interview Minneapolis’ Tapes ‘n Tapes leader singer and guitarist Josh Grier.

Chris DeLine: When the band released the first single “Hang Them All” online it did so by offering a free version of the track via both mp3 and the audiophile-friendly FLAC formats. Typically an mp3 is enough to spark interest in new material, what inspired the rarely-seen FLAC release?

Josh Grier: We are all kind of audiophiles, so we thought it would be cool to offer up a really high quality version of the song (and get it as close to what it really sounds like) for any other audiophiles that might be out there.

CD: I remember searching for the band’s performance online shortly after it played The Late Show with David Letterman back in 2006 – the first video I found was a reaction video of sorts filmed of people watching the performance live at The Hexagon Bar. While the short video is a bit tedious and dry I think it shows that people were and are behind you for these sorts of moments. How did you feel before playing the show and can you compare it to your upcoming performance on Late Night with Conan O’Brien?

JG: I was excited and scared during Letterman. It was pretty crazy to be playing on a show that I watch all the time. I think Conan will be rad. I love Conan, and am super excited to for it. This time around, I think I’ll be a little more relaxed and get to enjoy it a bit more.

CD: The band will be playing an astounding twenty-nine dates on the first leg of its upcoming tour, all with the Austin-based trio of White Denim. What encouraged the decision to play with these guys?

JG: We really liked their EP (and had heard they were awesome live, and good guys). They were looking to go out on tour at the same time as us, and we were really glad it worked out for them to tour with us.

READ THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW HERE

MP3: Tapes ‘n Tapes – “Hang Them All”
FLAC: Tapes ‘n Tapes – “Hang Them All”