Get to Know The Caverns
Funk Zone Staples Up the Cover Band Game
Name: The Caverns
The players: Alyssa Davey (bass/vocals); Maxton Schulte (drums/vocals); Sam Kulchin (guitar/vocals)
Hometown: Santa Barbara, CA
Sounds like: Classic, loud, refreshing
Kindred spirits: Buffalo Springfield, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Tame Impala
Did you guys toss around other band names before you settled on The Caverns? Tropical Penguins, only because we were originally planning on being an Arctic Monkeys cover band.
What was the first record you purchased? The first CD I remember having was the soundtrack to Phantom of the Opera. I was too young to buy it with my own money, but I remember always having it in the car and asking my mom to play it on repeat. (Alyssa)
My first record was Highway To Hell by AC/DC. (Maxton)
My first record was Patsy Cline when I was 2 years old. I carried a little mini-cassette player around and blasted it. I would sing all her sad, depressing heartbreak songs and get some very strange looks from people. (Sam)
What was the first concert you attended? Gwen Stefani at the Santa Barbara Bowl, very last row in the nosebleed section. Amazing memories. (Alyssa)
My first concert was AC/DC live at the Great Western Forum in 2008. Basically the best first concert ever! (Maxton)
Weird Al Yankovic at the Greek Theatre when I was in 6th grade. I knew all the lyrics to every song! (Sam)
Was there a band/artist that made you want to pursue music? There isn’t a particular band I could name. I was really influenced by a friend of mine who started drum lessons, and I thought I would give it a shot. When it came to performing, I was really inspired by a young, all-girl band named Cherri Bomb. They go crazy onstage and have the best time, and they made me want to get out of my shell and show that girls can play just as hard as guys. They really influenced my performance in music. (Alyssa)
Growing up with my dad blasting AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, and Guns N’ Roses got me very interested in the guitar. But it really started when I discovered the Beatles, because I was instantly inspired to compose my own material. (Maxton)
Jimmy Page was the one that made me get serious about guitar. Listening to his playing was (and still is) one of the most inspiring musical experiences. (Sam)
What’s the last song that made you cry? “The Sun II” by Snakadaktal. Anytime I need to just have a moment with myself, I pop it on in my car and just lay back and think. (Alyssa)
“Slide Away” by Oasis. It’s powerful, musically and lyrically. It always speaks to me. (Maxton)
“Clair de Lune” by Claude Debussy. Apparently my parents played that song often when I was very little. I heard it recently, and it was really emotional!
If we went through your music collection, what’s the strangest thing we’d find? I would have to say Slipknot. I used to be really into heavy metal. (Alyssa)
Barry Manilow’s 15 Minutes. I’m not a fan of him, and I got the album for free. It’s terrible to say the least. (Maxton)
I’m really not into heavy metal, but one band that really does it for me is Rammstein. There’s something so powerful and intense about their songs that I really enjoy. (Sam)
If you could write a song with anyone, living or dead, who would it be? It would be amazing to write some bass lines with John Paul Jones. But when it comes to songwriting, it would have to be Marcus Mumford. His lyrics are absolutely incredible, and I would love to get a glimpse of how he writes. (Alyssa)
Noel Gallagher and/or Kevin Parker would my ideal future collaboration. They’re my inspiration behind my writing. It’d be a surreal experience to work with either of them. (Maxton)
I would love to see the musical process and mind of Brian Wilson, particularly when he was making Pet Sounds. His music isn’t necessarily a personal inspiration of mine, but the guy is a musical genius. I listen to some of his music and find myself thinking, “How do you think of that?”
What’s one song you wish you had written? “Across The Universe” by The Beatles (Maxton); The riff to “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin (Sam)
What’s your proudest Santa Barbara music-scene moment? Rockstock 2013 when we opened up for Iration and Rebelution! That was such an awesome experience.
