Georgia Theatre 5/9– The Illiterate Light duo ended their set with “Growin’ Down” and walked off the stage while the crowd cheered. Their initial thoughts are filled with excitement and positivity about their performance. We got to sit down and talk with Jake (drums, vocals) and Jeff (guitar, vocals) in Athens while they were touring with Shakey Graves.
Mission Accomplished
Illiterate Light is a rock duo from Virginia and their music has been spread far and wide since we last saw them in December. From recently playing Shaky Knees, to upcoming festivals like Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo, Illiterate Light has grown immensely.
After the show, Jeff described to us that “It’s an interesting feeling to play to hundreds of people who have no idea who we are. You kind of have to win the crowd over a little bit.” They make it their mission to impress the crowd with their set. And we believe that they did just that. After seeing them open for Post Animal a couple months ago, we fell in love with their sound and that encouraged us to learn more about them and download their music. At the end of their set on this night in Athens, the crowd was clapping and in awe of the musical ability that these two people possess.
Illiterate Light makes an effort to hang out by their merch table and talk to people after their set. They relayed to us that they really enjoy meeting new people and spreading their music to others. So, if you ever want to chat with these guys, you know where to find them!
Inspirations
Many different artists, have influenced Illiterate Light’s music. Jeff described that he is most inspired by artists like Flaming Lips, Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Foo Fighters. Jake explained that he has been listening to a lot of St. Vincent, SZA, Kendrick Lamar, and Big Thief recently. Jeff described that “Artists like Neil Young, Fleet Foxes, My Morning Jacket, and Wilco were my go-to. I really wanted to craft my musical vision based off of these artists.”
Jake told us that he likes to mix aspects of various performers in order to find something that fits with the music that Illiterate Light creates. “I have a really strong love for very weird performers. We like to have the energy for sure and have fun.”
“It sets us apart”
If you’ve ever seen this band live, you have probably seen the beloved floral crop top that Jake wears. One thing that stood out to us when we first saw them, was that half-way during the show, Jake took off his shirt and underneath that shirt, he wore a pink floral top. On this night, we were eagerly waiting to see if the tradition remained and when he showed it off, we were excited to get the chance to ask about the origin of the ritual.
“While touring in another band, while living in Virginia, we used to tour by bike. I wanted to keep the sun off my back while remaining cool. I stopped into a thrift store and was sorting through the racks when I found it. At first, I started wearing it as a joke but eventually it started feeling natural.”
Shaky Knees: “It was killer”
After recently playing Shaky Knees, Jeff relayed to us that “It felt weird performing on the main stage, the stage where Tame Impala played and then having people come up to us and congratulate us on our performance.” There are a lot of new faces at their shows and the continuous growth of the band has brought them many opportunities and experiences. “Some days we truly don’t know what to do with it, but I think that’s a good thing. It means the timing is right for our band.”
“Have you grown up yet? Does the war make sense?”
The songwriting process is always a very important one. Illiterate Light described for us where they get their inspiration for writing. They try to write songs that are moving between their emotional and relational lives. “Also our observations of our culture and of the world at large. Therefore, we don’t stray away from writing about politics and war. We want to be a part of the conversation.” With the world that we live in today, it’s important that there are artists in the industry discussing these topics.
The Show
Before the interview, we had the opportunity to take pictures of the band while singing and dancing to their songs. They opened with their hit “Nuthin’s Fair” and had the whole crowd bobbing their heads and moving to the music. They played through songs off of their EP, Sweet Beast and played an outstanding cover of “Vampire Blues” by Neil Young. You could tell that the crowd was surprised that two people could create the sounds that they were creating. By the end of their set, you could tell that the audience was impressed and eager to listen to more of their stuff!
What’s next for illiterate light?
The band recently signed with Atlantic Records and is planning to release an album in October! They have an EP on Spotify, Sweet Beast, which you should definitely check out! They actually just released a new single a couple days ago called “Carolina Lorelei.” Illiterate Light (@illiteratelight) is constantly creating new music and they will be going on multiple tours throughout the rest of the year. If they come around to your town, you should treat yourself and go! Seeing them perform live is a great time!
Hypnotic Bolt 