Pleased To Meet Me: Strange Neighbors
Photo: Natalie Vinciguerra.
Introduce yourself... (Where are you from, what band do you play in etc..)
Dana: Hello! My name is Dana Bennewitz, I am from Phoenix, Arizona, USA and currently live in and play bass with Strange Neighbors in Brooklyn, New York, USA. When not on stage I am an engineer for the MTA (mass transit agency) and a roller derby queen skating under the name Queen Elizatits.
Aidan Von Strange: Hey I am Aidan Von Strange, I'm from Brooklyn, I used to live on that island Spiderman scaled the Tram…in that epic scene. I'm one of the founders, the singer and co songwriter to the project that is Strange Neighbors!
Tracey: My name is Tracey and I’m from a coastal town in southern Connecticut. I play the drums in Strange Neighbors, who hail from Brooklyn, New York.
Zach: Hey, I’m Zach Schweikert, like Shwhy-kurt. I play guitar and sing backing vocals in Strange Neighbors. Grew up in New Jersey and currently living in Queens.
Why do you play music?
Dana: Because it’s fun! Music is a great way to connect with people, either through informal jams, karaoke, going to shows, or as a recording and performing artist. I love being center-of-attention adjacent, so playing in a band definitely fills that need, and I love to put on a show and a rockstar persona while playing live. Plus when you write and play music, you get to create new things, which is rewarding on it’s own, and if people like it, even better.
Aidan Von Strange: I play music because Avril Lavigne convinced me that being a rock star was my life's mission, and I never let that idea go. That this is what I'll end up doing somehow for the rest of my life. Even with schools and day jobs and careers always going pretty fine, everything good in my life always ends up back to music somehow. I need to be a part of that, and making original music. Right now that's with this band of brilliantly perfectly different minds is like, so far beyond what dreams are made of. I'm compelled to leave my mark on people whether they dig it or don't, get it or critique it, or even if I end up hating it. Music is always pointing me in the right direction.
Tracey: It ignites a fire in me and makes me feel alive. Long story short, it’s my passion.
Zach: It’s what makes me happy, so I might as well!
What was a major influence on you as an Artist/Band?
Dana: I love the B-52s and Deee-lite, both groups that have catchy tunes and fun lyrics. I like that they both had a sense of humor about themselves and their music, and were able to meld a lot of different elements to make a distinct sound. When you hear a song by either of them it’s instantly recognizable. When I used to have a car, the 6-CD player in the trunk was usually full of both of these bands.
Aidan Von Strange: Major influence, well I already mentioned Avril, and that's a story all on its own. And then in the summer of oh maybe? 2005? This guy Justin showed me Yellowcard's Ocean Avenue and made me a mixtape. So down the early emo rabbit hole I jumped. That's when I learned guitar,
I practiced writing - so that era really rooted me. I branched out slowly at first then rapidly into nearly all genres, with some notable mentions over the years: Amy Lee, Zella Day, and Aja Volkman.
Now you'll notice, Strange Neighbors sounds super different from that iconic list. Still their art inspired me I'm ways that I think impact me, sound, songwriting, and power, that makes us so hard to pin down.
Tracey: I remember hearing the opening drum part for Led Zeppelin’s “D’yer Mak’er” and was hooked and blown away. I said to myself: that’s what I want to do. Charlie Watts is a major influence of mine, as well as Dave Grohl; who is also a self taught, heavy hitting powerhouse of a drummer.
Zach: I think George Harrison was my first and probably biggest influence. He’s a good example of playing to the song, and not adding anything that doesn’t need to be there.
What’s a favourite book or film?
Dana: This is tough - I usually like non-fiction, essays, and travel writing. If you’re in the mood for a fascinating read, I highly recommend the book Rust: The Longest War, and John McPhee’s Control of Nature essay (also a book with additional essays).
Aidan Von Strange: I think my favorite films come down to The Crow with Brandon Lee or Donnie Darko. I I watched Donnie Darko probably at least once a night for a full year - bad case of highschool insomnia. And then the same thing with The Crow after high school. I still come back to them all the time. I have a tattoo of a crow. Unrelated. Mostly.
Tracey: This is a hard one because I’m such a bookworm. My favorite author is Paulo Coelho and I’d have to say The Alchemist is up there for me. Anything with a strong message that leaves me with a good take away. Amazing book.
Zach: I think Jennifer Kent’s film The Nightingale is probably the most perfect movie I’ve ever seen. But it’s also super depressing. So I’ll say That Thing You Do is my go-to feel good movie. And it’s the most accurate band movie I’ve encountered.
Do you prefer the recording process or performing live?
Dana: Live 100%! I love being on stage, performing, and hanging with the crowd and other bands. We usually write and flesh out our songs prior to recording so we can squeeze in a lot of songs when we record at the studio. I love the rush of writing new songs and getting the sound right, but not with the pressure of the studio.
Aidan Von Strange: If I'm being honest, I think I prefer recording which feels weird to admit because performing is drugs. I have this compulsion to continue making continue writing non-stop. There's just not enough time in the day and the months to spend as much time in the studio as I would dream of. Being in the studio feeling so raw on new tunes, it's like that first stage of a new crush. And then performances are like reliving it over and over again.
Tracey: I love the adrenaline rush of a live performance, but I also feel really at home in the studio. The recording process is one of my favorite things about being a musician. There’s nothing like hearing the end result of all the hard work put in.
Zach: Both? Depends. They’re totally different but both rewarding in their own ways. I love the energy of being on stage, that’s pretty hard to replicate.
What would be a dream collaboration?
Dana: I would swoon so much I would faint if I could collaborate with Lake Street Dive and/or their bassist and songwriter Bridget Kearny. I’ve seen them live, and they sound so good, plus those songs are ear worms that keep revealing more on each listen. When they play live it’s just drums, guitar/trumpet, bass, and vocals and their sound just permeates the room. They are the gold standard for me in pop music. Even if I could play auxiliary percussion for a song I would be beaming!
Aidan Von Strange: I have two dream collaborations and that would be Aja Volkman (of Nico Vega & TWWO) and L.P. I once interviewed Aja for a new music column I was writing, and everything about her and her performance carried me forward for years. And L.P. Wow, I mean they're perhaps my favourite vocalist of all time. I'd throw up.
Tracey: I’d love to work with Keith Richards. The Stones are my favorite band of all time.
Zach: Neil Young. I love how he really sticks to spur of the moment ideas, for better or worse. He also hates Joe Rogan, which is generally a good quality to have.
Describe a favourite album.
Dana: In high school I was really into Tegan and Sara. Their album The Con is celebrating it’s 15 year anniversary this year (wowza, I feel old!). While the significance of that album has changed for me, every time I revisit it I am so impressed by it. The songs were a big shift for them at the time, and I think some of their best, most distinctive work. It captured the unbridled, misunderstood emotional rollercoaster that is being a teenager/young adult, navigating confusing relationships, and figuring yourself out. My favorite track is “Floorplan.” It has this dancey rhythm and this funky-folky guitar part to draw you in, and layered with simple but haunting melodies.
I met Tegan and Sara once at a record store in the middle of summer in Tempe - so it was like a thousand degrees out and the AC wasn’t keeping up - and was so sweaty once I met them. I was surprised at how nice they were, especially since they had been taking photos with hundreds of sweaty awkward teens, and how tiny they are (they only came up to my sweaty pits).
Tracey: This is a tough one! I’d have to say Nirvana’s “Nevermind” because it was so influential to me at a time when I was really figuring things out and finding myself as a teen. I loved its angsty tones and how the record has this natural flow to it. It’s just killer and I must’ve worn that damn CD out. Yes, kids! That would be a compact disc!
Zach: “Greatest Hits” by Phil Ochs. It’s not a greatest hits album or a compilation, but the last album he recorded. Ochs is mostly known for protests-folkie sort of music from the early 60s, but his later work is a lot more interesting to me. “Greatest Hits” was recorded in 1970, right at a time that sort of 60s dream was dying. So the album is kind of a mess. There’s a sense of truth to the songs that I really admire and I identify with, but overall it’s a very sad album. The song “Boy in Ohio” is just a wonderfully bittersweet nostalgia trip, really yearning for a simpler time, which I think a lot of us can identify with. It definitely falls into the “hidden gem” type thing, and would really recommend giving it a listen. Van Dyke Parks produced it, and you can’t go wrong there.
What's your favourite local haunt?
Dana: This is tough, there are so many places to haunt, and only so much time. If I’m looking for a snack, I like to do a two-for of Vanessa’s Dumpling House in the Lower East Side for their vegetable sesame pancakes and dumplings and then either a slice at divorce pizza (does it have a real name, who knows? It has the ubiquitous wall of celebs and is next to a 24-hour divorce lawyer) or some salty licorice at BonBon. If I’m looking to hang, I like to do chat laps at Prospect Park or skate at McCarren. And if I want to party, I like Freddy’s Bar which has lots of free shows by extremely talented people.
Tracey: I love the bakery Kneads here in my town. Killer lattes, baked goods and food options.
Zach: Alpha Donuts on Queens Blvd in Sunnyside. It’s just a great, no-nonsense breakfast place.
What's your strangest experience while performing live?
Dana: Strange Neighbors once played at a biker bar in Queens - which was pretty funny to have us, a power pop group, open for some old school metal bands - where the stage was really high and the ceiling really low. If I danced too much while playing I’d hit the ceiling tiles with my bass or my head.
Tracey: I don’t have a juicy experience to share, but I have had a cymbal or two fly off stands mid performance. One almost took out a bandmate. Guess that counts!
Zach: One time we were busking in Union Square Park and Bob Saget passed us by. But he didn’t stop.
What are some of your favourite aspects of being amusician in NYC?
Dana: There are so many shows every night - it’s hard to choose what to do when you’re not playing - and lots of talent. It’s invigorating to know you can see any type of show (metal jazz burlesque? Drag karaoke to a live band?) music or otherwise. It kinda feels like being a kid in a candy store but you’re limited by nights not nickels.
Aidan Von Strange: Major turning points and core memories in my life are based around nights out at New York City concerts. I basically planned my life around going to shows and being as close to that stage as possible. Even going as far as procuring a position at age seventeen as a music journalist for a small but renowned (it was sooooo super gay alt rock... amazing) publication as an excuse to get press passes, backstage, and TALK to these rad musicians. So this is where I was introduced to live music, And now I like to imagine that by performing on these stages makes people feel that way I always felt losing myself and finding myself in the crowd hearing new unknown whats-coming-next music. It's that availability to music, scenes, and art that's just untouchable.
Tracey: In New York there’s a lot of opportunity to play and get your name out there. The audiences are so great, supportive and responsive. We definitely feel the love.
Zach: I think New York just has a vastness to its music scene that’s really appealing to me. Like most musicians, I really do listen to a little bit of everything, and New York has everything if you know where to look.
Has the current COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine influenced your creative process?
Dana: Quarantine annihilated my busy schedule (skating & band practice, plus being out and about) which allowed me to take more time for other hobbies and delights. I’ve spent more time experimenting with music, learning new instruments and skills, and getting more involved in the non-music aspects of being a band. But I’ve also found it hard to focus, as days tend to blend together and then BAM you’re three months into a song and still tinkering.
Aidan Von Strange: Pretty detrimentally. Writing your music was difficult for me. On top of the state of the world, a family member was dying from cancer. I couldn't write a song for my life, and I questioned myself as an artist often. The band (also often quarantined) kept going, trying to make, trying to pivot, and growing closer by surviving the pandemic (so far) with the support of each other. And the confidence that our band would make it, no matter how long the hell would last. I'm back to writing now, and I'd say largely thanks to their creativity and awesomeness.
Tracey: With the pandemic it’s been difficult in general, on mental health and the overall scene. Some venues closed down and you weren’t able to go to live shows. I kept to myself a lot and focused on different things during quarantine. I did practice a lot more and took it to Instagram live a lot, so I could connect to the outside world more.
Zach: It definitely did not make it easy. Strange Neighbors is a super collaborative project, so it was a pretty big disruption to how we normally worked. But we got some OK songs out of the experience, although we’re not sure anybody wants to relive those memories, do they?
If you weren’t playing music in NYC where would you be ?
Dana: Touring the world in a van with the Strange Neighbors (one day!) or by bicycle.
Aidan Von Strange: I think I'd want to try out Tennessee or Canada. Maybe even California, but not LA. I'd be stoked if Canada ends up really digging us.
Tracey: The tri-state area is great and living here in the northeast is a prime location. We’re so close to major cities like Philly and Boston. If I didn’t live out this way, I’d definitely give Nashville or the Los Angeles area a try.
Zach: New York or nowhere, babyyyy. Just kidding. I have a lot of love for Toronto, I would move there in a heartbeat.
Any sage advice for young musicians?
Dana: Play with others as much as you can, especially different genres. It helps to hear and try out new ideas, you’ll appreciate other genres more even if you wouldn’t normally listen, and the challenge keeps your licks fresh.
Aidan Von Strange: Write a lot of music all the time. You have to write a lot of shitty songs to get to the best songs. And they're in there … so don't stop writing even if it seems like crap to you.
And then don't let attachment to your songs stop you from experimenting, or releasing projects that might not be "perfect" in the beginning. And NEVER let the lie of perfection stop you from making and sharing your music (that's if you want to share it - you're still a bona fide musician even if it's just for yourself).
Tracey: Always believe in yourself and never give up on your dreams. You might not be the best at your craft, but the most important thing is for you to have passion, drive and a lot of heart. Go get ‘em!
Zach: Move to a country with universal healthcare.
Check out Strange Neighbors Bandcamp below!