Andrew Clymer is no stranger to the world of music. As the bassist for Sunsquabi, a band whose sound is generating a huge buzz in the music scene, Andrew has been spending the last few months of his life on the road. But far before Sunsquabi hit the big time, Andrew’s world was immersed in music.
“I started playing the cello in fourth grade and I played trumpet in middle school. I was okay at trumpet, but I wanted to be in Jazz Band and there was another kid who was better than me, so I picked up the bass.”
Andrew and band guitarist, Kevin Donohue have know each other since they were in fifth grade, when they were just little kids on the playground. When they were fifteen they started playing music together, and they even tried their luck at starting a few bands:
“We’ve been in three or four bands together and we just got tired of it. Tired of being in huge 8-piece bands and we wanted to slim it down.”
Sunsquabi was born in March 2011 and really got going that fall when they added drummer, Chris Anderson to the mix. The guys knew that they had to do something to stand out, and that’s when they began to dip their toes in the electronic genre.
Andrew says that Kevin is “the wizard” behind Sunsquabi’s electronic edge. “We are in the studio constantly and if we think up a beat, he can make it sound the way we want it to, it’s great.”
Andrew acknowledges that the mix of electronic and organic beats is something that the world of music is currently experimenting with and he thinks that this fusion of live and electronic is something we’ll see more of.
“Michal Menert and Pretty Lights adding live instruments to their sets is really great for us. It’s great for any live electronic musicians. Five / ten years ago it was all about these really heavy DJS. Then Pretty Lights came on with the drummer, and then all the DJs had drummers. They are setting a bar for people, and the fact that they are bringing live bands out is great for music in general.”
Clymer and Sunsquabi have been on the road jumping from gigs and music festivals since February, but it has yet to take a toll on his spirit.
“Traveling life is good. I was telling someone the other day that I’d sleep on couches for two years if that’s what it took. It’s rugged and hard at times. We drink too much, we party hard. We like to have a good time, but we also like to work hard. I think it’s interesting.”
Andrew says that the hardest part is when the shows come back to back.
“If you have four shows in four days, anywhere from 2-8 hours apart, it gets rough.”
But at least Sunsquabi rides in style.
“We have a ‘97 Dodge Caravan. It’s such a piece of shit and I love it. It’s a tank.”
Thinking long term, Andrew mostly wonders about how he can continue to keep music in his life for as long as possible.
“It’s all about how can I continue to do this, and how can I make a profit? How can I make this my life?”
Touring around has really made Andrew understand the more mature part of the music scene.
“When you get older you start working in different parts of the industry – artist relations, or security, or sound production or lighting – whatever it may be. Those people are still having a good time, but they are just a little more grown-up and mature. It’s a different mentality and it’s really interesting to see where everyone is at.”
But there is one thing about this lifestyle that Andrew just can’t get enough of: “The love is the coolest part about this life. Everyone is so kind, so nice and surprisingly very supportive of us. It’s cool.”