Surfing the Psychedelic Tides: Q&A with Checker Bloom

04.10.24

By Genesi Funston

Q: What are your names and instruments? 

Bryan Hatchell (Lead Vox, Guitar)

Martin Pittis (Bass, Vox)

Zach Miller (Lead Guitar, Vox)

Jonny Roberts (Drums)

Q: How did you all meet and decide you wanted to pursue music together? 

BRYAN: I found Martin and Jonny on Craigslist, funny enough. We started playing together in the summer of 2021.  

We used to have another guitar player named Greg, who was with us for about nine months, maybe pushing a year. He moved to Portland and then we found Zach through Craigslist. This is a band all made from Craigslist connections.

Q:  What drew you guys to psychedelic and alternative rock? 

BRYAN: We've just been writing what feels good to us. There's been some intentionality with leaning into some styles like the surfy elements of psychedelic, whether it's fuzzy guitars or even the subject matter. 

When you listen to what's on the line, I don't feel like it's psychedelic at all. I feel like it's very alternative and indie rock. But our new stuff is much more in that world.

ZACH: It seemed like a natural progression from where we started to where we are now. Everybody kind of gave their input and added a little bit of their own personality, tastes and experiences to it. 

Q: What is a rewarding moment your band has had?

JONNY: We did a small Northwest tour last year. I personally liked that. Recording is a lot of fun — you record the music so that you can tour, so that you can play shows and spread your music. Being able to have some stuff recorded and then go out and be able to book a two-week mini Northwest tour was that first big milestone.

It was kind of the dream, you know. Drive around in a truck with your buddies and play music every night.

Q: What does your creative process look like? 

MARTIN: A lot of our creative process is when somebody brings in an idea and says, “Here’s what I’m thinking and this is the style that I’m going for.” Then we start playing and riffing on it and jamming on it for a bit. 

We throw out as many combinations of scenarios as we can think of to see where else we can steer the song so that we know that by the time it’s done, we have the best possible version of that song.

Q: Debut albums often provide an introduction to a band's sound. Do you think you'll continue the sound you have going or divert from what you've made so far? 

ZACH: It's more of it coming together as a concept record. It very much has its own planetary language that it lives in, which is totally different from what's out now and could be different from what we do in the next chapter or two. 

A song on our EP, “To the 9s” has this kind of cinematic gallop. Like you could see somebody riding a horse or chasing down a bandit through the desert. 

The new record is going to sound a lot different than what we have out now. 

Q: What's something that you hope listeners take from your album? Are there certain themes that you try to convey? 

ZACH: I just want people to enjoy it. That's plain and simple. I want them to have fun with it. That's my main goal. I want them to listen to it and make that face that you're supposed to make when you hear something super cool. 

BRYAN: Some of the topics in these songs started out just looking back on some of my days working in grassroots communities doing environmental activism. 

We were looking through the lens of different people that we were competing against. There was a mining CEO who was doing an infiltration operation into this small town to try to convince them to mine and use cyanide to get gold. That started to come through in the writing a little bit. 

But then as time went on, other themes started to present themselves like love and how we all look for connection to people. 

Q: What has been the biggest challenge for your band so far?

BRYAN: Reminding ourselves of our goals when the days feel arduous and we're not doing the big fun, sexy thing, which is playing music in front of people. When we’ve got our nose to the grindstone recording, recording, recording and sometimes it just feels like work. Sometimes after a long day of work, you might not wanna show up and meticulously listen to tracks. 

Staying goal-focused and staying committed to the path that we have laid out in front of us I think is a challenge, but it's one that I feel we're doing a very good job at — keeping the course.

ZACH: Being honest and open with each other has been a big help in that endeavor. 

Q: Do you have a favorite song from your recent EP? 

JONNY: Either “Seems So Strange” or “Souls Shine.”

ZACH: I like “To the 9s.” I do a good bit of the recording for the band. To have the space to fill in other things and experiment with sounds outside of just recording the drums, guitar and calling that the song has been really cool to get experimental with. 

MARTIN: Mine is probably “Watermark Rings.” It purely encapsulates spending summer outside hanging with the people you enjoy being around. 

BRYAN: I would say “To the 9s” as well. It’s fresh and new and points to the future. 

Q: Do you have any songs you would recommend as an entry point to your music? 

BRYAN: I would say “To the 9s” will get people ready for the album. 

Q: What goals or milestones do you have for the band? How do you plan on achieving those?

BRYAN: To start, we wanna finish this record by early summer. This record really embodies who we are as musicians and as a collective. 

The larger goal is to communicate ourselves as a group, as honestly and truthfully as we can through music.

Photo Credit to Viktoria Skye Photography