Q&A With Dave Segedy Of The Awesome Indie-Rock Revivalists Sleeping Bag, Plus The New Video For "Slime"

​One of my favorite debut efforts of the year is the self-titled album by Sleeping Bag, a three-piece out of Bloomington who craft hooky, low-end-heavy rock that sounds like it could have been lifted off a 7-inch originally purchased in 1994. (You can pick it up via their Bandcamp site.) They're touring the country right now, and tonight they hit Cake Shop for an Officially SOTC-Approved show. After the jump, the brand-new video for the endlessly catchy single "Slime," plus a few questions with Dave Segedy, who started the band as a solo drum project called Whoa Bro Awesome, then added a couple of members to round out the band's sound, but staunchly stuck to splitting duties on the drums and on vocals.

Sleeping Bag, "Slime"

Q&A: Sleeping Bag singer/songwriter/drummer Dave Segedy

When did you get together? What was it like, Dave, to first add other instruments to your songs?

We first got together and started practicing in March 2010. Adding the other members, David and Lewis, went pretty well. They're tasteful musicians. I was nervous at first because the songs were already written with specific ideas in mind. But they both understood the sound and style I was going for. They both also added a lot to the songs that I wouldn't have been able to think up.

What's the Bloomington scene like? I first heard about you from a friend of mine (SOTC pal Eric Harvey) who lives there. Is it close-knit?

Yeah, I'd say its pretty close-knit. Everyone is a bit different stylistically but supportive. Its exciting now because there are a handful of bands here that are starting to get some attention. Bands like Apache Dropout, Tammar, Dylan Ettinger, Mike Adams, Stagnant Pools, Busman's Holiday, Vollmar. People are saying there's something in the water in Bloomington.

Why did you decide to call yourself Sleeping Bag? Where do you usually sleep on the road?

I simply just liked the sound of it. Where do we sleep? I hate to say it, but usually in our sleeping bags.

Do you have any favorite lyrical inspirations?

I get inspired by a lot of different lyrical styles. I like lyrics that are ambiguous, cryptic, but not for the sake of being so. I also favor the sound a certain word makes over the meaning of it. I think Stephen Malkmus does a good job of that. Then again, I also like lyrics that are narrative. A good example of that, for me, is "Duncan" by Paul Simon.

Dave, I know you sing and play drums -- do you have any favorite singing drummers? (I'm partial to Jellyfish's Andy Sturmer, myself.)

I've seen videos of Jellyfish, and yeah that guy's talented. The guys from No Age and Times New Viking are good, but I think my favorite out there is Mimi Parker from Low.

Sleeping Bag play at Cake Shop tonight.

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