Minneapolis band Sleep Study

Meet Sleep Study the Minneapolis band behind “Flower Girl,” the soundtrack to Minnetonka’s Spring Video Lookbook Spring Awakening.  Learn more about the band in our Q&A with Sleep Study’s Ryan Paul Plewacki and be sure to enter to win a copy of their debut album Nothing Can Destroy featuring “Flower Girl.”

Tell us how Sleep Study came to be.
Everyone in the band has a different perspective on it, here is my recollection: The band is essentially the brainchild of keyboardist Cory Eischen and myself.  He and I fell into a habit of meeting in his studio and working on songs late into the night. These songs had no purpose nor were they earmarked for any specific project. We were just writing for the fun of it.

At the same time I was working on a record in Boston with Al Kooper and had a wild idea to gather some local Minneapolis guys to track on it. After a few rehearsals, we dug what was happening. The project with Kooper fell through, so instead, we gave our group a name, bought a van, and started working on our debut record.

Which artists or bands inspire you musically?
You know, I’m a sponge. I soak up all music that is around me. I think most critics have noted that what drives most of my writing draws from the “British Invasion” bands, namely The Beatles. But I also really dig all of the bands from that era, groups like The Kinks, Spencer Davis, Troggs, Yardbirds, Zombies, Hollies, Peter and Gordon, Chad and Jeremy, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders. I’ve been obsessed with that stuff since I was a kid. I’ve also always been drawn to a lot of the new wave groups and specifically bands like Tears for Fears, Depeche Mode. Duran Duran, and The Smiths. Then there was the incredible punk music that grabbed me like X-ray Spex and Essential Logic. Somewhere in all of that I found Robyn Hitchcock and I’m not certain I’ve been the same since.

What’s been your most memorable performance so far?
We’ve had some incredible times on the road, but there’s always something special about being back in Minneapolis. And for us, that venue is the 7th Street Entry. We had our record release show there and filled the bill with bands we love.

Favorite Minneapolis hangout?
I live in Longfellow and it’s just a quick jump over to Birchwood Café. It’s kind of like my office. We schedule all of our meetings there and my wife and I barely need an excuse to not make dinner and let them cook for us.

The Parlour Suite: Josh, Inga & Joel. Photo credit: Robert Sanchez

Joel and Inga from The Parlour Suite stopped by Minnetonka to pick out some new mocs!

Meet The Parlour Suite, the band behind Minnetonka’s Summer Anthem “The Goldenhand.”  Check out our interview with the band to learn a little more about their musical stylings and be sure to visit http://theparloursuite.com/ for summer tour dates!

And don’t forget to download your free copy of “The Goldenhand” to add to your summer playlist here: http://minnetonkamoccasin.com/Promo/Details/SummerAnthem

What’s your Minnetonka story?  
Inga:
My grandma, Vivian, was a Minnetonka Moccasin queen! She wore them all the time. It is one of my strongest memories of her. She wore the tan ankle boot with the fringe at the ankle that zipped up the back. All the time! She wore them in the morning (in her robe), and to go out to run errands. I loved them! Actually I bought a pair a few years ago just because of the sentimental value and understand her style choice even more.

Tell us how The Parlour Suite came to be?
Joel:
I have been in some sort of band or music endeavor since maybe being a preteen. Inga would play piano and sing at home all the time. One of the first things I was baffled by when I met Inga (pre-couple) was her behemoth power singing. I showed her some Mamas and Papas songs, Leslie Gore, Etta James, and it kind of started there.

How would you describe your sound?
Joel:
Inspirations taken from Elmore James, Dick Dale, Bo Diddley… for percussive rhythmic leads on guitar. With that in mind to push and pull with the organ.

Inga:
The tonality of our writing draws off of surfy, vintage inspirations. I tend towards pop music, new and old. Droning analog organ tones and gritty fender strat accompanied by driving drums are our instrumental foundation. For this last album Joel and I focused on creating a musical composition that we would be excited to play live, something we could feel. Energy.

What inspired the song The Goldenhand?
Inga:
Around the time I wrote The Goldenhand, I was listening to an oversaturation of numerous girl groups: The Ronettes, Leslie Gore, and Dusty Springfield were on heavy rotation. I loved that they could say something so powerful and yet fairly vague at the same time. I liked the idea, that writing a song in this way, could be interpreted differently to the listeners living in various situations.

What’s been your most memorable performance so far?
Inga:
We just got back from our West coast CD release tour. Wow! That was completely packed with some favorite performances.
We recorded a session at Lost Ark Studio in San Diego. Even though it wasn’t for a live audience, the performance was a really special experience. It was the first time the 3 of us had been in the studio together. It was such a cool experience to play live together and record the session in such a sweet studio, right on the beach in La Jolla.

Joshua:
Bootleg Theater, LA with Sweethearts. Perfect peak to our most recent west coast tour. The space, sound, people with played with and met, all the aftermath….

Describe The Parlour Suite’s fashion style?
Inga:
I think that we all have a unique style interpretation, I prefer something more on the feminine meets edgy feel. Black, lace, metal detailing, clean lines, and comfortable. We don’t really try too hard to blend in together, but it just kind of naturally happens.

Joel:
Equal parts The Breakfast Club and Blondie.