The fun has just begun for the Manhattan East Village-based TV/TV.  Armed with influences ranging from The Hives to Maroon 5, and a sonic appeal that blends the addictive ingredients of pop, dance, rock and indie all into one tasteful dish, these boys show no signs of slowing down.

 

TV/TV’s do-it-yourself approach is both admirable and necessary.  According to frontman Josh Ocean, the band wanted to get their feet wet by doing things on their own before penning a deal with the devil.  So far, it’s worked out.  From selling out shows in New York City, to having their music featured on MTV’s The Hills, The Real World and even EA Sports video games, TV/TV are certainly paving their own road. 

 

The band continues to tour on their first EP entitled Something to Get Excited About, produced by Zach Odom and Kenneth Mount (All Time Low, Cartel, Mayday Parade) and fans can expect the next TV/TV installment soon.  Next to the fact that at the time of our interview with Ocean, he was on his way back from Boston after filming a show for MTV’s Made series, there’s other big news on the horizon.  TV/TV will find themselves on this summer’s entire Warped Tour.  It’s not just a rock and roll summer camp; it’s a rite of passage for any band that plans on hitting in the big leagues.

 

TV/TV, rounded out by Mr. Francois on bass, Eric on guitars and Camille Oliver on drums, have big plans for 2009.  A very tired Ocean tells us all about it.

 

Popular Underground Magazine: Your publicist just told me you were in Boston filming for MTV’s Made?

 

Josh Ocean: Actually, I’m in my car.  I just got back to Brooklyn.  I left this morning, but I was there all week filming.

 

PUM: How did that come about?

 

Ocean: We have a bunch of songs on different MTV shows and I think they are just kind of fans of the band.  My manager set me up and it just went from there.

 

PUM: What exactly will the show entail?

 

Ocean: Just coaching some girly girl how to be a rockstar.

 

PUM: Talking about the MTV shows like The Hills and the Real World; you guys also had a song featured on NHL ’09.  How did all of that come about?

 

Ocean: They’re all just fans of the music.  The people at MTV heard the songs and this guy we were working with when we first started out had another band that had songs on EA video games and he sent them the music and they got really into it.

 

Ocean tells us to hold on as he tries to avoid being ticketed for talking on his cell phone while he’s driving around in Brooklyn.

 

PUM: You guys are doing the entire Warped Tour this summer. That’s pretty awesome.

 

Ocean: Yeah, we’re super excited about that.

 

PUM: How long have you guys been together?

 

Ocean: About a year and a half.  We released our EP on iTunes last January and I’ve been working with what is TV/TV for about a year and a half.  The band as it is right now; we’ve been together for six months.

 

PUM: In a recent video interview you did, you guys talked about how you handed your EP out at shows in the New York area.

 

Ocean: We handed out about 2,000 copies for free at different shows in New York City.  It was actually one of the best things we ever did because our fanbase in New York City quadrupled after that.  It was amazing because we were playing bigger and bigger rooms and every show we’ve done in New York City since last January has sold out, which is pretty incredible.

 

PUM: Yeah, that’s awesome.  It’s obvious you guys have done a lot of self promotion.  How important is that to where you’re at now?  It sounds like it’s everything.

 

Ocean: Yeah, it’s pretty much like a lot of what we’ve been able to do is from us just really promoting the music hard and going places and giving it to kids.

 

PUM: That’s another thing you mentioned in that same interview is how you guys try to connect with your fans and write them back.

 

Ocean: We always try and respond to fan messages and stuff like that.

 

PUM: That’s something you don’t see a lot of bands doing as much anymore.

 

Ocean: I don’t know why that is.  We’re all so really busy, like I felt really bad, even the past week, not being able to respond to fan comments because I was so busy with MTV, but you know I think everybody can find some time to do it.

 

PUM: The current EP you guys are really pushing is Something to Get Excited About; are you releasing another one?

 

Ocean: We just recorded some more songs with the same producer, Zach Odom and Kenneth Mount.  We are probably going to be releasing the songs in a couple of months.  I just don’t know exactly what dates.  They are still being mixed right now.

 

PUM: What can people expect from your forthcoming EP?

 

Ocean: I think it’s going to be a lot like the old EP, but just heightened even more.  The energy will be [present].

 

PUM: You guys aren’t signed yet?

 

Ocean: Nope.

 

PUM: What would you be looking for in a label?

 

Ocean: Just the right promotion and the right kind of goals for us to grow as a band and not pigeonhole as something.  We definitely want to grow and continue to grow as musicians and as a band.  We don’t want to just get labeled as one thing.  That’s really important to us; just a good kind of future for the band.

 

PUM: I think you’re music is great.  I just can’t see why you wouldn’t be signed yet.

 

Ocean: We’re kind of wanting to develop ourselves and just wait until we have what we want rather than blindly go into things.  The music industry changed so much now that we are able to do this so we are taking advantage of the fact that we can develop ourselves on our own.

 

PUM: You guys had started out just by tinkering around on the computer correct?

 

Ocean: Yeah, me and my roommate [were] recording demos with Garage Band and we programmed drums and that’s what really got it started and people really started to take notice to that.  It just grew from that.

 

PUM: You also said in a recent interview that you wanted to move out of the indie scene and move more into a mainstream pop type of thing.  What are your ultimate goals for moving into that realm?

 

Ocean: We just wanted to have pop sounding songs that people can really connect with on a more widespread level and some songs that would be able to be played on the radio and kind of transcend different genres.  Now we have a much larger, not larger, but diverse fanbase than we would have had if we were just a New York City indie band.

 

PUM: I can hear it in you music.  It’s got that mainstream tinge that could obviously land you on the radio.  That’s what surprised me that you weren’t singed yet.  You kind of remind me of The White Tie Affair from Chicago.

 

Ocean: We’re actually touring with them.  We’re going to be on the tour bus with them.

 

PUM: Is that for Warped Tour?

 

Ocean: Yes, I haven’t met those guys and I’m looking forward to doing that with them.

 

PUM: What are some of your musical influences that can be heard in TV/TV’s final product?

 

Ocean: I’d say like, The Killers, Maroon 5 and I really love The Hives, but also mainstream pop stuff too. 

 

PUM: You made mention that you hope to become everyone’s favorite band in 2009.  How will you achieve that?

 

Ocean: We’re going to be releasing a music video pretty soon, we’re going to have the new EP, we’re going to be touring the country constantly, we’re going to be releasing a CD over in Japan and the Warped Tour is going to be great.  I think that kids will definitely start talking in 2009.  Not that they haven’t already, but we’ll get a lot of people’s attention.

 

PUM: What keeps you busy when you’re not dealing with the band or being on tour?

 

Ocean: Honestly, at this point, I’m busy 24/7 with stuff related [to the band].  Like this is my break; being home from tour and now I’m filming this show for MTV, which is kind of related to this.  When I’m totally free, I personally like to surf so I go to the beach and I like hanging out and going to coffee shops.  Music is definitely the main pillar.

 

PUM: Have you guys really had an opportunity to get out and tour the country?

 

Ocean: We did our first national tour starting in September and just finished that up at the end of December in Texas and then we came home, we had a big show in New York this last week.  600 people; sold out.  We’re off until the first week of March and then we’re going to tour out to SXSW and hit the west coast again and then make our way back.

 

PUM: Who were you guys out on tour with for the recent outing?

 

Ocean: Brighten and we also did some west coast dates with Anarbor.

 

PUM: After being on tour like that, what would you say your favorite city was and why?

 

Ocean:  Well, Texas is pretty great.  I’d also say that Hollywood was great and Anaheim was awesome.  La Crosse Wisconsin is great.  It’s hard to pick a favorite because they’re all so different and they are all so much fun in their own way.  Definitely Texas, California, Wisconsin and Michigan are so much fun.

 

PUM: If you are given $50 and you can’t give it back to the person who gave it to you, what would you spend it on?

 

Ocean: I’d either spend it on music, like buying albums on iTunes or a bottle of Jack Daniels.  Maybe I’d spend half on music and then half on a bottle of Jack Daniels so me and my friends could party and listen to music.

 

By: Adam Zak III - Senior Editor / Founder