Winter's Fall: Like a Cross Between Cormac McCarthy and Ray Bradbury

Winter's Fall performs at Rickshaw Stop next Wednesday, October 6

​Berkeley indie-rock quartet Winter's Fall fuses Americana hooks and electronic atmospherics to create soaring anthems and graceful, high-energy rockers. The band's new album, At All Angles, delves into structural experimentation while adding a lap-steel guitar player to shore up the band's country leanings. We spoke briefly to singer-songwriter and guitarist Peter Stanley about the band, the new album, and some of his favorite places in the Bay Area.

Describe your sound to a stranger without using genres: "A fan on MySpace likened us to a mix of Cormac Mccarthy and Ray Bradbury -- 'literary western science fiction.'"

Influences: Uncle Tupelo, Electric Magnolia Company, anything that exists in the the meeting point "between country and more gritty, mathy textures."

Favorite vocalists: Stanley says Jeremy Enigk from Sunny Day Real Estate soundtracked his high school experience. Stanley is also a big Nick Cave fan: "I have a nasally high-pitched thing going on, but despite that, I really enjoy singing in and listening to lower keys."

Inspiration for band name?: Initially the band was just a backup for Peter Winter Stanley. "We were trying to figure out a way to title our band with my name involved," the singer explains. Eventually, the band started contributing more to the songwriting, so something a little more ambiguous than "Peter and the whatevers" seemed appropriate.

Current album: At All Angles. The previous album was recorded at Grizzly Studios and captured the band in a live setting. "We would bust out songs really fast versus now ... where we're spending a lot of time mapping out our sound. Our self-titled debut was a lot more loose." Two catchy single-worthy songs and a fist-raising traditional country anthem have been released from the new album and are available for streaming and download at the band's bandcamp.

Favorite SF neighborhood: The Richmond district. "We went to the beach yesterday expecting a beautiful day, and it was just foggy and windy. We were there less than half an hour before we were like, 'Screw this.' We went two blocks over though, and it was sunny and gorgeous."

Favorite Bay Area Bar: Missouri Lounge in Berkeley. A dive with an outdoorsy back area.

Favorite venues to play and see a show at: Rickshaw Stop and Bottom of the Hill. "I can't even remember any of the shows I've seen there, I just remember what good sound they had."

Worst day-job you've ever had: Working at a video game store ina mall during Christmas season. "That was the only job I've ever quit without hanging out all that long. I don't even play video games, so I'm not sure how I got that job in the first place."

Response to the rockumentary It Might Get Loud: "Was it really Edge that changed the face of the guitar, or just changing technology?" Take away the delay pedal from Edge and is he anything at all? Also, if forced to choose three guitarists who changed the face of guitar, Stanley thinks that "Jack White is a rather odd third choice."

Last song that was stuck in your head: David Bowie - "Queen Bitch"

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