A chat with local band Palace of Buddies

Nick Foster and Tim Myers have jammed as far back as junior high. When they reached high school, they began talking about starting a thrash band, so from 2000 to 2002 the two we part of the metal group Pushing Up Daisies.The two left Pushing Up Daisies and in 2006 start playing music again and formed Palace of Buddies, and have been playing their brand of experimental rock consistently since then. The duo will play a free show at City Library on July 1 at 7 p.m., an Urban Lounge gig on July 17, and an Aug. 15 date at Kilby Court among other shows.Foster (drums, keys, voice, sampler) and Myers (guitar, keys, voice, sampler) answered questions posed by The Tribune:What was your reaction to hearing about Whitney Houston's death?Foster: We had a show at The Complex that night. As we were loading gear for the show I had my roommate find his Whitney CD and we had an homage. I wasn't sad — just disappointed some how. Maybe because she never got out of her latest slump before she passed. I asked the sound guy at the club if he would play a tribute [since[ he had his phone plugged into the PA. He said "Yeah" sarcastically and kept on bumpin' his dubstep. Lame.Myers: Actually, pretty shocked. I remember not being able to escape her music when I was younger. It was on all the radio stations all the time, especially the "Bodyguard" theme song. So there was definite time spent inadvertently listening to her music which sorta brings you back to a certain time in life. Kind of a nostalgia type thing for sure. I honestly thought that Bobby Brown would have gone first. He seems like more of an overdose type guy than Whitney. RIP Whitney. What are your goals, both musically and professionally?Foster: We have been writing at a good pace lately. Hopefully our third full length won't be far off. We've also both been working on music for film and web-media in the last few months and have been approached to do a soundtrack as Palace of Buddies. We have discussed pursuing this type of work more aggressively. Sometimes its nice to have deadlines and the challenge of doing sound design and music for someone who has an idea of what they want. Myers: We have already started to write the next album. So, in the next year we would like to have that complete. Tour more. We haven't been on a tour in a little while and sort of miss that. We have both been involved with soundtrack music, sound design and other audio projects so I imagine more of that. And of course the yacht and private island thing — that is in the 10-year get-rich plan. Do you have a tour rider? What would you like on it, if you were as big as U2?Foster: Ha! Our tour riders thus far have been a 4-Runner with a trailer and a Chrysler safety van. There was enough room for the gear, us, and our tourmates, which we were lucky to have. If we had U2's rig I would have a constant flow of all my favorite cheeses (Havarti, Gouda, blueberry coated Chevre) a sizable bed (rotating), fiction library, simple recording studio, full kitchen, Stegosaurus poster, Squatter India Pale Ale on tap and whatever quick fixes U2 would have had in their heyday. Myers: I am not sure that I understand what a tour rider is.If you had the choice to go to either a high school girls' volleyball game, or a Demi Lovato concert, which would you choose, and how would that choice illustrate the type of person you are?Foster: We had to google Demi Lovato. She seems like a total square. Give us the female athletes. I don't know what that illustrates, besides me not knowing who Demi Lovato was.Myers: To be honest, I don't know who Demi Lovato is, so that nixes that one out of the answer. But I can't completely say that I would choose a high school volleyball game. Maybe a college volleyball game just to avoid the creepiness of ogling under-aged women. Also, I am afraid of women who are taller than me, which might nix that answer out as well.