IN THE SPOTLIGHT: So Called People
New York City features a handful of emerging bands; there’s no doubt So Called People stands out. So Called People, based in Brooklyn, highlights the musical talents and charisma of Joe DiSalvo, Joe LoCascio, Matt Corcoran, and live musician Alex Fagella. They released their first single, “33,” on March 4, 2018; it has already garnered more than 400 plays on Soundcloud. Following “33,” they put out “Sad” and “Wet,” which led up to the release of their self-titled debut EP on December 14, 2018 (available on Spotify). They have performed all over NYC, from The Bitter End to Gold Sounds to Pianos. This fall in October, they performed at Pianos for Mondo.NYC alongside a number of international artists and speakers.
To celebrate the release of their self-titled debut EP, they shared some old and new tunes at The Greenpoint Gallery on December 14, 2018. Just moments ahead of their set, the band kindly posed for a few portraits and shared their time and thought to discuss the creation of the EP, a few of their favorite places to eat in NYC and New Jersey, and some artists on their musical radars.
What’s the story behind the formation of So Called People?
JOE LOCASCIO: I’ve known Joe for a pretty long time. We played in a band in high school, and we kept in touch, both graduated from college, and unemployed in the summer of 2016. We were at home, and most of the time, I’d come to his house and we’d jam out, just guitar and drums. We wrote a decent amount of music we play right now. We both moved in in Brooklyn, and we were like, “Well, this is good enough to gig.” We got a couple of shows, and the rest is history.
JOE DISALVO: Alex and I had gone to college together, and we played in a band in college.
JOE LOCASCIO: I knew Matt from college.
MATT: I met you [Joe LoCascio] my first day of college.
JOE DISALVO: I met Alex my first day of college.
What was the first instrument (musical or non-musical) you started making music with?
JD: Piano.
MATT: Guitar.
ALEX: Piano.
JL: I may have banged on pots and pans when I was a kid. I got my first drum kit when I was 5.
Which song (released or unreleased) are you most proud of?
JL: We have a new song we’re going to play tonight. We’re just really high on the song right now. It came together really quickly, and it sounds super tight. I don’t know, I’m pretty proud of that one.
MATT: The new stuff is really exciting because it’s brand new. When I first joined the band, they had a couple of recordings I heard. The first song I heard was “33,” and I really liked it; it was really cool. That one is still one of my favorites and really fun to play. I’m one who got to hear it as an outsider.
ALEX: I really like “Seamless.” I’m kind of like an auxiliary member, so I have a different perspective. I really like “Sad” and the part on “Glass Walls” that is like chee-chee-chee-chee-chee.
You released your debut EP on December 14, 2018. What was the process of writing, recording, and producing it?
JL: All of these songs had been written already. During the summer of 2016, those were the songs we recorded (other than “Glass Walls”). The majority of them were the ones we hadn’t recorded yet. The writing process was kind of already done.
JD: We had literally 2+ years to flush them out. That made the process easier. We recorded in three sessions or so, and we had it mixed and mastered by Carlos Hernandez of Ava Luna, which is pretty cool. Gravesend Recordings is an awesome place; Julian and Carlos run it, and they’re like the nicest guys ever. As recording engineers, they mixed and mastered the whole thing.
JL: We tracked all of the drums first.
JD: We were on both a time and money budget, so we tried to get as much done each time as we could.
JL: I tracked all the drums in one day. I kind of squeezed it all in, and then we added onto it.
JD: In some of the later sessions, we put some stuff onto the vocals.
What are you currently listening to?
JD: I love Parquet Courts’ new album Wide Awake!; I listen to that a lot.
MATT: I’ve been listening a lot to this band Alvvays; I just saw them recently. I’ve been listening to a lot of The Lemon Twigs, too. I’m always listening to The Beatles.
JL: I’ve been listening to Post Animal. They put out an album this year, and it’s great.
What happens before you go onstage? Is there a So Called People pre-show ritual?
JL: There’s no set ritual; it’s more of a run-down of the show.
JD: We’re usually too worried about getting our show logistically onstage.
JL: There’s no collective spiritual thing.
MATT: Usually, only one of us knows the setlist.
ALEX: Occasionally, we get really drunk. You guys get really drunk. The new ritual is to stay sober.
What’s your favorite food and/or restaurant in NYC? Any places back home?
MATT: Mine is this pizza place by my apartment in Brooklyn called Ops. It’s a very good pizza.
JD: I think Sicily’s Best is my favorite. It’s a pizza place in Bushwick that’s very good.
JL: Nicandra’s, which is in Bushwick, is fantastic. Homemade pasta and all that shit, love it.
ALEX: Bunna Cafe is really good.
JD: Bunna Cafe’s awesome. I take mine back. I took Alex there, and he didn’t know it before.
ALEX: Panatieri’s in Warren, New Jersey is the spot. If you’re ever in Warren, you should go there.
MATT: I’m from north Jersey from a town called Wyckoff. I like this restaurant called Park West Tavern.
If there were a pizza with the name “So Called People,” what toppings would it have?
JD: 100% Kalamata olives and pineapple.
JL: I think it might be half 100% Kalamata olives and pineapple and half cheese because that’s like our music: half cheese and half something you don’t expect.
Who is your favorite superhero character, and why?
JD: Spiderman. All the way.
MATT: It’s an absolute Spiderman, no doubt.
ALEX: Who’s the protagonist in Red Dead Redemption?
JL: I like Rick Sanchez.
What’s a question you would want to get asked in an interview, and what’s the response to it?
JL: When did you first play in front of an audience? This was in high school, when we were about 15 or 16.
MATT: Mine was Battle of the Bands in 6th Grade. I was the singer of a band called Innocent Pedestrian. We played all original material, and we won 6th Grade Battle of the Bands. Our main song was called “The Evil Song.” It was in the key of E Major.
A tremendous thank you to So Called People for their time and thought to respond to the questions!
Be sure to keep up with updates and upcoming shows by following them on Twitter (@PeopleCalled) and Instagram (@SoCalledPeople), and liking them on Facebook (/PeopleCalledSo)!