Ahead of his twin-bill show Friday at The Pyramid Scheme, California garage rocker Ty Segall chats about his music, his artwork and more. The Local Spins Q&A.
Ty Segall: A drummer and guitarist who’s always wanted to play piano. (Photo/Denée Segall)
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Over the phone, Ty Segall has the kind of laid-back affectation you’d expect from someone who’s spent a life making garage rock out of Southern California. His voice rises and falls like ocean waves.
As a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Segall has earned a reputation for his raw recordings and kinetic stage energy. Most often seen wielding an electric guitar, his dexterity on the instrument has been recognized by crowds and critics alike.
This week, Segall brings his tour to The Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids, performing two shows on Friday (April 24). Tickets, $45.03, are still available for the matinee show online here. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. for the 5 p.m. performance. The 7 p.m. show is sold out.
Ahead of the double-header show, Segall took some time to speak with Local Spins about his art and his life, calling from his home near Los Angeles.
Local Spins: You’ve been known to moonlight as a freelance painter, painting pictures of your fans’ pets. How did that begin?
Ty Segall: Well, I just started kind of painting my own dogs and it seemed like it kind of went well and so people started asking me if I ever want to paint their pets and I said, ‘Well, yeah, sure.’ So I started doing that and it just kind of snowballed and now it’s become kind of one thing I do on the side. I don’t know, it’s just really, really fun to paint everyone’s pets and to see how much they love their pets and their personalities. It’s a pretty cool thing.
Local Spins: Do you find any similarities between painting and music?
Segall: It’s pretty different. The only thing that’s kind of similar is this flow state kind of non-thought, which is one of my favorite things, when you kind of get into that flow state thing where you’re not really thinking too deeply, you’re just making a thing. I get that way playing the drums. I get that kind of way mid-set with my band. I very much enjoy getting there in my brain. That kind of peaceful stillness. I have a pretty hyperactive mind so it’s nice to find things that kind of get you in a different spot.
Segall: His hyperactivity helps his work ethic. (Photo/Denée Segal)
Local Spins: I’m curious about your hyperactive mind. In what ways have found that it has been a strength and then maybe in ways have you had to learn to cope or coexist with it?
Segall: I’ve always kind of had a hard time shutting my brain off, so I’ve always been drawn towards I guess I call them distractions, creative distractions. Music occupies such a big space in my brain. The hyperactivity helps my work ethic I think. I just always want to make things. Obviously, there’s negative aspects to your brain just kind of firing all the time, but I think overall it’s a good thing for me.
Local Spins: The record you put out last year has a lot of piano on it. I understand you picked up the instrument for the recording of that album. What was that musical journey like?
Segall: I’ve always wanted to get into the piano. I’m a drummer, so with piano technically being a percussion instrument, I can like mess around on the piano a little but never just kind of tried to learn it. I still barely know anything, but I did take lessons for a couple months and you know, practiced it, and it was fun because it changed how I was listening to chords a little bit and phrasing.
Local Spins: What’s something you’re learning about yourself lately?
Segall: I’m trying to learn things all the time. One thing is that I actually like to take naps. I used to fight that. So now I’m taking naps and I like it.
Local Spins: What’s the perfect set and setting for a nap?
Segall: Outside in the sun, and you just fall asleep by accident. That’s the perfect nap.
Local Spins: What’s your favorite tour snack?
Segall: I’m a candy guy, although I really try not to anymore. I mean Sour Patch Kids or sour gummy worms or something like that. I mean it’s a psycho move, eating candy in the back of the van. Lately, I’ve also been enjoying dried mangoes, or an apple, like a tart sweet thing.
Local Spins: If you could put any word or phrase on a billboard, what would it be and where would you put it?
Segall: Maybe I would try to promote taking back your life away from the harsh universe that social media has created. How everyone’s allowed to still be present and happy in their life whilst being an aware and critical and productive human being that holds evil people accountable. Something like that.
Local Spins: What does the world need more of?
Segall: People meeting in real life and talking.
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