Surf, Soul, Rock n’ Roll. Get ready for LA band Spooky Mansion’s performance in Boise at the Neurolux on May 18. Their music is defined as soul meets surf rock and their vibe contrasts the hippie-psychedelic rock scene from the 1970s to a modern and playful Los Angeles beach tone. This feel-good music can appeal to anyone and calls for some fun and easy listening.
The group has played many large shows at Treefort in the past and greatly enjoyed their time in Idaho. Spooky Mansion has over 20,000,000 Spotify plays and has toured all across the county. They will be going on tour throughout May, with stops in Boise, Seattle, Denver, Salt Lake City and more. You can follow them on social media @spooky_mansion.
Boise Weekly recently reached out to the band via email to shed some light on their upcoming performance. Singer and songwriter for the band, Grayson Converse, answered our questions. The following has been gently edited.
Who is a part of the band?
Our band consists of Marty (Marty J. Blige) Reising on bass, Braden Lyle on guitar, and Rob Mills on drums.
How did you all meet?
Our band started while I was living in France for a year. I got a tiny guitar and started writing songs. I’d talk to my buddy Rob on the phone and tell him about the songs and tell him ‘Let’s start a band called Spooky Mansion because it sounds kewl.’ When I moved back to San Francisco we got the rest of the dudes together and started rehearsing in an old surf shop that we could play all night at. It was a pretty nice setup for those early years.
What is your favorite thing about performing?
Performing gives me the biggest rush of happiness and a filled-up feeling in my spirit. I love to smile while I sing and watch all the smiling dancing people. It’s just a really great time especially to spend it with my best friends playing music we’ve crafted together.
What is your pre-show ritual? Snacks, drinks, exercises?
We’ve always tried to keep our pre-show ritual nice and seedy — drinking tequila in the back of a minivan, smoking cigarettes behind a 7-11, poking at dead fish down by the river. But as we’ve gotten older it’s more about eating pizza in the green room and having between three and seven beers.
What inspires your music?
I love joyful upbeat dance music. Music that makes me smile and laugh when I listen to it. I love that in The Beach Boys and the honesty of Modest Mouse and the Pixies and the straight-up good time of Big Star and Squeeze.
What is something you wish people knew about you?
I wish people knew that at the end of the day, all we’re doing is looking for the least tedious way to pass our time on this earth.
