I spent many a night at Spaceland/The Satellite back in the late 2000’s. I often had friends’ bands playing, and I would go to see and support them, and occasionally catch another 1-2 indie bands that we’re trying to make some noise in the scene.
One night, I caught the band Satellite Crush, who who mixed indie rock in with Cure-influenced New Wave and Britpop. Their songs were melodic gems, and when I went to chat with singer Elliot Craig after the show, he kindly gave me a copy of the band’s EP for free. I’m not sure if it was their current strategy to get their music heard, or if the band had already decided things may not be working out and we’re just happy to have anyone interested.
Well, I was interested and remain so. As I mentioned, the five songs on this EP are wonderfully crafted pop nuggets, with lush arrangements and vocals that recall the pining of Robert Smith. There’s a dreaminess to tracks like “Paris to London” and “Lovesick Soul” that would fit in alongside The Jesus and Mary Chain‘s poppiest tracks.
So what happened to the group? Well, I was able to track down frontman Elliot Craig, and he was kind enough to answer some questions about the short-lived project!
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THE INDY REVIEW: What was the origin of Satellite Crush?
ELLIOT CRAIG: I moved to London after finishing art school in Ohio. I wanted to start a band, and I identified more with English and European culture. I rented a little shoebox studio on the West side and worked as a bartender next to Tower Bridge to support myself. On my nights off, I would go to as many open nights as I could find. That soon led to making friends and actual gigs around town. I never quite got a full band together, and after about a year and a few months couch surfing, my time there had run its course. I moved to Los Angeles when I got back to the states and a couple of months later I started Satellite Crush.
IR: Where did you record the EP Arrows of Eros? How long was the writing and recording process for you?
EC: Dave, Tim, Sammy and I all lived together in an old tire factory that was converted into a loft in the warehouse district. Dave had built himself a nice little studio in his bedroom using gear he found working for Got Junk. We recorded everything in there, then had our friend Juan Suarez mix it. Most of the writing I had done while living in London, and some in LA. The recording and writing process was quick, I’d probably spend a lot more time these days. I think that was just me being young, naive and over confident.
IR: What stood out to me when I first saw you live is that you were drawing influences from Britpop and 80’s acts, which wasn’t common in the indie scene then. Did you feel like your band was a bit of an outcast exploring those sounds during that era?
EC: Probably. We didn’t really fit in with the cool kids in the echo park/silver lake scene. There were some promoters around town doing Britpop nights who took us in though. People like Larry Gjurgevich who had a night called Underground and Chris Roman.
IR: Outside of Spaceland/The Satellite, where were some other areas you played and toured? Do you have a favorite tour moment?
EC: We played all over the SoCal area and toured up the coast. My favorite place to play was the Echo, because that was my favorite place to see a show. Our first real show was actually there, opening up for Rival Schools. I didn’t know who Walter Schreifels was at the time. A friend I worked with was their tour manager and he got us on the bill. Arthur from Gorilla Biscuits was a fan of ours.
IR: Was any more music recorded as Satellite Crush following the EP?
EC: We worked on a new demo with our friend Edson Choi from Dusty Rhodes & The River Band producing. Those sessions went well, and produced some good ideas, but the songs never got fully fleshed out.
IR: When did you decide to dissolve the band?
EC: While working with Ed, his band broke up and we decided to pivot and start a new band together called Warships.
IR: Looking back at those days with the band, how do you think they influenced and shaped who you are today?
EC: That was a time in my life where it felt like anything was possible. I met my future wife and made friendships that I still have today.
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While the band’s music is sadly not available to stream (currently), one can find some fan-shot videos of the band performing. Check those out here:
The Indy Review 