Thanks so much to Cristoph and Chantelle for the interview! Ampersand were a San Francisco band that in the 90s released an amazing mini-album on Fantastic Records. This mini-album is actually available to listen on Bandcamp, on the Stars on Fire, Bandcamp! That’s because Christoph, now in South Korea, has been recording music under this name and making top songs. So if you want to go down memory lane, remember those days of the San Francisco scene, The Aislers Set, The Fairways and more, you are going to enjoy this!
++ Hi Cristoph! Thanks so much for being up for this interview! How are you? How’s Stars on Fire?
Thank you for asking us to do this! I’m super excited! Everyone around me is safe, which is about the best thing anybody can say right now.
Stars on Fire is doing well. But, it wasn’t as productive year as I had hoped. I had planned to write a whole album and figure out how to actually play live. Instead, I only wrote three songs so far. They are three songs I like, though! But, instead, I spent the first few months of COVID running the From a Social Distance project to bring live shows by great bands like Business of Dreams, Royal Landscaping Society, Boyracer, and Lavender Blush to people in lockdown. So, that was really great!
++ How would you compare Ampersand with Stars on Fire? Are there any similarities? Many differences?
I wrote at least part of each ampersand song, so those parts sound similar to stars on fire, but a lot more so because it’s just me. Playing with good band mates brings all that they offer to the music to make it something that one person could never make.
++ Let’s go back in time. What are your first music memories? Do you remember what was your first instrument? How did you learn to play it? What sort of music did you listen to at home while growing up?
My dad was a conductor and pianist, so I grew up around music but didn’t have much interest until I was in high school. I remember hearing Tony Basil and A-Ha and U2 and Wham and Simple Minds. I distinctly remember, as a fifth-grader, listening to the radio and thinking how much worse it was getting. I guess that must have been the point where I was starting to care about music.
I think my first instruments were clarinet and sax, but I never could play. Then I got a keyboard, but never did much. Then, I got a crappy les Paul knockoff and taught myself to play, trying to learn the Cure, Lush, and MBV.
++ Had you been in other bands before Ampersand? If so, how did all of these bands sound? Are there any recordings?
Yes and no. Chantelle (the drummer) and I had been together for about five years trying to form a band, with no luck. After we broke up, and before we formed ampersand, I had a very short-lived band called L’Sinatras. The only song that survived became ampersand’s “get in the car and drive.”
++ Where were you from originally?
Hmmm…. Not sure. I lived all over the place. But, I’ll say Santa Cruz, CA.
++ These days you are not anymore in California but in South Korea, how come?
I left California in 2000 for Japan, where I was a music and entertainment journalist for 10 years. I’ve been bouncing around Asia for 20 years now.
++ How was San Francisco at the time of Ampersand? Were there any bands that you liked? Were there any good record stores? Or what about the pubs or venues to go check out up and coming bands?
It was amazing. I knew it at the time, but even now, I see just how lucky we were. We played with Aislers Set, Fairways, Trackstar, Sushi, Casiotone…we even played with a group that shortly thereafter changed their name to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Tons of great bands playing all the time.
Since about 1992, I had been regularly shopping at Berkeley’s Mod Lang. I’d walk in about once a month or so, and Mike Slumberland would just hand me a stack of goodies. I didn’t even need to look at what they were. I’d just buy them. Aquarius Records in the Mission district was great. Amoeba was ok.
++ When and how did the band start? How did you all meet? How was the recruiting process?
Chantelle and I had moved to San Francisco, and I was going to SFSU, where I was living in the on-campus apartments. We walked past the reception desk one day, and the guy at the desk – Marc Horton – noticed my Yo La Tengo shirt, and the rest was history. He could play guitar and bass, and we liked GBV and some other of the same bands. Verlaines. Go-Betweens. Flying Nun. Matador. Creation.
++ How was the creative process for you? Where did you usually practice?
Early on, we’d practice at Chantelle’s place waaaay out in Outer Sunset. Then we’d start renting an hourly rehearsal space in SOMA. Somehow, we’d fit the three of us, a full drum kit, bass, guitar, effects, and amps into my VW bug.
Then we got a rehearsal space in an even crappier part of San Francisco, maybe about a mile from Bottom of the Hill. Finally, we ended up in a pretty good rehearsal space. I think we shared it with Iron and Wine. We also shared with a band whose bass player is now in Massage.
++ What’s the story behind the band’s name?
Got it from a lyric in Magnetic Fields’ “I don’t Believe You.” “So you’re brilliant and gorgeous and ampersand after ampersand/ you think I just don’t understand, but I don’t believe you.”
++ Who would you say were influences in the sound of the band?
Early Flying Nun, the Ropers, the Cure, Yo La Tengo, Guided By Voices, Go-Betweens, My Bloody Valentine, Ride, the Wedding Present, Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, Boyracer, The Creatures
++ I only know one release of yours, the self-titled CD on Fantastic Records. But before that, had there been any previous recordings by the band?
Nope.
++ How did you end up working with Fantastic Records? How was your relationship with them?
I sent out a bunch of demos. They liked what they heard. They had released some awesome stuff, so I was thrilled to get that email from them. I printed it out and stuck it to my wall.
++ I feel this label had a great catalogue, lots of great bands of the period, were you friends with them? Perhaps played gigs together?
We played with #Poundsign# and Aislers Set. I loooved Juniper and of course Black Tambourine.
++ I also couldn’t find any compilation appearances by the band other than “Tokyo Girl’ appearing on a Beikoku Ongaku compilation, is that right?
That’s it.
++ And how come there weren’t more releases by the band?
We split up in 2000. There was always tension about continuing, and so I ended up in Japan….
Chantelle: We wanted to do some festivals but not all of us could or wanted to.
++ Are there any unreleased songs by the band?
Two, I think. One dubbed “New Zealand,” and I can’t remember the name of the other, though I had liked it.
++ I think my favourite song of yours might as well be “Tokyo Girl”, wondering if you could tell me what inspired this song? What’s the story behind it?
Well, I wrote the music while studying in Tokyo for a month. The lyrics were written by Chantelle….
Chantelle: I was inspired by all of the heart break songs the Wedding Present did and just made it up really.
++ If you were to choose your favorite Ampersand song, which one would that be and why?
Hmmm. Either the original, faster and noisier version of Tokyo Girl that included the boarding music from the Yamanote Line or I’m Still Waiting. They were both a lot of fun to play, and I love the melodies.
++ What about gigs? Did you play many?
I think we only did about 10 or so. Last one was at Bottom of the Hill with Aislers Set and the Fairways.
++ And what were the best gigs you remember? Any anecdotes you can share?
When we played the Purple Onion – Bob Dylan and Lenny Bruce had both performed there – the owner was high on speed. In the middle of one of our songs, there was ear piercing feedback. I assumed it was my equipment malfunctioning, but the owner started screaming at us that it wasn’t his fault. Then he suddenly said, “oops, my fault!” But then he danced to us, so that was nice.
Chantelle: I loved playing the Bottom of the Hill some festival we did a while back with all our favorites The Fairways etc.
++ And were there any bad ones?
Well, *we* were never particularly good…
++ When and why did Ampersand stop making music? Were you involved in any other bands afterwards?
Chantelle: We stopped a bit before Cris moved to Japan 2000. There was some tension about performing and we had been looking into festivals etc. I think we got in our own heads really.
July 2000.
++ What about the rest of the band, had they been in other bands afterwards?
Chantelle: I was in a few bands at the time and right after Ampersand. I got to play with The Fairways on their West Coast tour with From Bubblegum to Sky and Three Berry Ice Cream. I played in Western in SF and much later down the road I played with Lolita and then a comedy LA band called Ogre Mage. Right before my daughter was born I was playing in a band called Early Bizzard and the Bees also from LA. I also got a chance to try to play with Scrable as well but lived a bit far away at the time.
++ Has there been any Ampersand reunion?
Actually, Stars on Fire was originally supposed to be an attempt at a reunion. We tried, but it ended up being too difficult, as we all live all over the place. Marc is in L.A., Chantelle is in Portland. So, I kept writing and forced myself to learn to sing.
Chantelle: I hope to add some drums in the future if possible.
++ Was there any interest from radio?
Yes! That was the early days of indiepopradio.com, who played us. Stanford radio, and I think several others.
++ What about the press? Did they give you any attention?
Yeah, we got some good reviews and made a few top 10 lists for the year. Occasionally the album pops up again and gets good reviews. It’s fun to read.
++ What about from fanzines?
Maybe?
++ Looking back in retrospective, what would you say was the biggest highlight for the band?
For me, getting to write some good stuff, playing Bottom of the Hill with some great bands, and occasionally meeting somebody from somewhere else in the world who has our cd. That last one is really cool.
++ Aside from music, what other hobbies do you have?
Snowboarding and cooking.
Chantelle: I’m a psychic and do readings and healings.
++ Anything else you’d like to add?
This was really nostalgic and a lot of fun! Thank you!!
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Listen
Ampersand – Tokyo Girl
