For Elena Rossman and Olivia Radovich, music is anything but an insular experience, even if the songs they write tend to be autobiographical. Take, for example, their experience with Kickstarter, which they used to help fund The Beekeepers’ debut EP, a folk/alt-country effort called Hot Air. “The culture of the music industry is changing because of social media,” says Rossman (guitar/vocals).
“It’s based a lot around community-building, and going with Kickstarter gave us the opportunity to build a community around our album because people got to be involved the whole way through, which helped build a cool momentum for the project.” Letting fans contribute to the making of the EP and sending out thank you gifts for their support, is only one way that The Beekeepers engage listeners—the duo also writes lyrics that resonate with them. Anyone familiar with the rollercoaster-like nature of relationships can identify with the band’s piano-led stomper “Do it Yourself” or the acoustic pop gem “High and Low.” “I like to try and get a message across that rings true for me, but is also something other people can relate to,” says Radovich (vocals). “We’ve had [people] come up to us at shows [saying they] feel like they’ve experienced a lot of the stuff we’ve written about, and that’s really rewarding,” Rossman adds. “It’s a huge, awesome part about music in general—the universal experience of it.” The inherent interconnectedness of the musical experience can be a balm for the soul, and The Beekeepers are happy to facilitate that. “Music brings people together,” Rossman says. “It can change the mood in a room. You can’t help but smile when you hear good music.”
INFO: 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $8. 429-6994.
