A Silver Tray Q/A with The Bottlesnakes

An Audio Interview with the St. Louis Duo of Ethan Leinwand and Nick Pence.

Oct 01, 2024

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Not long ago, The Bottlesnakes released the group’s second CD and digital release, Painted Shut. It’s available for streaming and (better yet) purchase at Bandcamp.

The album features the core duo of the group: Ethan Leinwand on piano and Nick Pence on guitar and vocals; joining them is Del Robles on percussion. The album, the group’s first since 2019’s Candy Shoppe, was recorded by Don Bailey at Big Finger Records; and mixed and mastered by Gary Gordon at Inside-Out Studios.

In a shocker of shockers to your publisher, a questionaire was sent out to the band and returned five days later as… an audio file! Love it, what a brave new world! So instead of a read-through, feel free to simply listen to Nick and Ethan above, as the band rolls through a set of questions. If you wish to follow along with the Qs in front of U, those are below.

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Let's do a Bottlesnakes 101. When did N. Pence and E. Leinwand first get to know one another and how quickly did you play music together?

And to keep that notion going... in what other groups have you appeared? Like, have you two mixed acts with Miss Jubilee or St. Louis Steady Grinders or under other names?

If Bandcamp's to be believed, Candy Shoppe (great cover, by the way) came out way back in 2019. What was happening in your work/musical lives during the period between that one and Painted Shut? And I guess it's obvious that Covid occurred during that stretch, but you two were able to work together due to some unique circumstances...

This is in no way a knock on you two as a duo, but I really came to appreciate the addition of Del Robles into the band's sound. How did you come to know one another and how did he begin to collaborate with y'all? And, to be sure, has he fully taken his talents back to NYC, or will he be gracing the stages of STL again?

Are there songs of yours that're "mostly Ethan's" or "primarily Nick's" or are these truly a 50/50 experience with each song? And, if it's useful, can you talk us through one song, or more, that illustrates the way an initial riff works its way into a song?

Some tracks have lyrics and vocals. Others don't. What's the spark that says "this track would benefit from some words?"

For a fact, I recall that you played in the room during some of the very first days of Gaslight Studio, maybe just using that experience to cut some scratch tracks. Are there any recordings flying around out there that might see the light of day at some point? Or are the two records the total recorded experience you're wanting to offer for now? To say: is there a release of b-sides, live cuts or other work that's potentially out there?

To that end, any thoughts on a third album? (Fans; we're greedy!)

You're offering music on Bandcamp and have an audience that includes the salt-and-pepper set (of which I'm a member now). Does your audience enjoy the ease of buying and listening online? Or do they want that physical music in-hand?

It's (scarily) creeping up on the fourth quarter of the year. Do you have any set plans for shows over the last few months of 2024? Or are individual and outside pursuits the thing for the moment? Any Focal Point shows, by chance?

I should also ask here: what other outside projects are taking up your time? Musical or in terms or organizing and curating in the St. Louis scene?

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