Interview: Me Like Bees

Me Like Bees vocalist and Joplin, MO transplant, Luke Sheafer was gracious enough to sit down and chat with us on the Grand Rapids, MI stop of their current tour with Never Shout Never.

 

Congratulations on the new record, “There Will Be Time.”

L.S – Thanks!

 How has the tour with Never Shout Never going so far?

L.S – Its been going really well. The tour was announced late so the crowds haven\’t been huge. But there have been some really great stops. We do our best to play the same show every night and clean. We try to watch what we say since the audience is normally young.

 

This is not the 1st time that Me Like Bees has toured with NSN and I assume that there are a lot of return audience members. Have you gotten a stronger crowd response since they\’re familiar with Me Like Bees?

L.S. – Definitely, I also think that we know how to play for this crowd too. Before, we were just a bar band so we were like… I guess were gonna go out and play for these teenage girls. Were also hitting some of the same cities and even if there is just a small pocket of fans that are excited to see us then other people are too.

 

Was there a specific reason for releasing an e.p. rather than a full length record?

L.S. – Let me ask you a question… what was the last record that you bought?

TFRR – Ummm,

L.S. – Thats what I mean. On most full length records, people maybe remember three songs

TFFR – MIND BLOWN!

L.S. – Actually, we won a contest and we were able to record three songs with a producer named John Feldmann (of Goldfinger). We recorded one ourselves called Hymns & Blues.

 

What will it take for Me Like Bees to take over the world?

L.S. – If I only knew. Really, I think a lot of it is paying your dues. We\’ve been a band for about four years and the example that I like to use is that you\’re either a band that makes it over night and you\’re successful overnight or you\’re a band that builds a base and is successful for a long time. The National went like nine years to do a tour. It took R.E.M. seven years to get on the radio of their home town. I think that a lot of bands lose sight of why they\’re playing in a band too.

If ____ wanted to collaborate with you, would you not be able to hold back your inner fan boy?

L.S – JACK WHITE! In college once I hit The White Stripes I was like I don\’t care what you\’re listening to, this is what I\’m going to listen to for the next 10 years. I didn\’t start listening to them until Icky Thump came out so I was late into the game. The first time I heard Ball & Biscuit, I knew that I wanted to make music that makes people feel the way that song makes me feel.

 

So, would it be The White Stripes era Jack White, Raconteurs > JW or solo JW?

L.S – Definitely, The Stripes JW. The Raconteurs are good and I haven\’t really listened to much of his solo stuff.

 

If you had the chance, what bands would YOU like to tour with?

L.S – Hmm, Id say Manchester Orchestra, Brand New or Modest Mouse, which are on tour together. But that tour doesn\’t need an opener does it.

What are the most satisfying/disappointment aspects of music industry?

L.S – Satisfying – I love being in the studio, recording and writing music. That\’s my vacation away from everything. Disappointing – It\’ll sound cliche\’ but, being away from my wife.

Was there a specific pick up line that you used to reel your wife in?

L.S – I probably heard “NO” from my wife about twenty times before we went out. What actually did it was, I told her was gonna come and see her so we could hang out (which was a two-hour drive). I called her on the way to tell her I was on my way and she was like “WHAT? I can\’t hang out now I\’m busy” So, I turned around and headed back home. She felt so bad that probably a week later she was like OK lets hang out and we\’ve been together ever since.

 

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