Free Cake For Every Creature is a sweet and sentimental band originally based out of Saratoga Springs, New York led by Katie Bennett with pals Colin Manjoney, Francis Lyons, and Ian Stewart. Following several independent releases, Bennett released pretty good, a full-band tape on Double Double Whammy. pretty good is chock-full of honest and earnest songs that feel like a warm embrace from a long-lost friend. Katie and the gang have created a special video for their song “Just Stay the Same”, full of goofy shots of friends, cupcakes, and rad concert clips. Speaking of concerts, Free Cake For Every Creature is embarking our a big tour in August, so I asked Katie a few questions in anticipation of the Cakes taking America.
What is the story behind the video for “Just Stay the Same”?
I wrote the song last year, during the spring of my senior year of college. At the time, I felt anxious in all the ways most college seniors do, but especially about my friendships. I’ve moved around a lot, and lost a lot of friends in the process, and, gosh darn it, I didn’t want it to happen this time around! I guess the song is an attempt to capture and keep my friends close even if they’re away from me.
You recently went on a solo tour on the eastern side of the Mississippi, but this time you are traveling all the way to California! Are there any things you will do differently this time around?
Take more pictures, drink more water, send out more postcards and call my mom.
“Just Stay the Same” is about the consistency of friendship. Do you have any special routines to make yourself comfortable while you are away from home?
The hardest part for me about being on the road is not having a space of my own and a lot of alone time. Journaling gives me that space and privacy for my thoughts, and also helps me process all of the new things around me.
What is your essential trapped-in-a-car-for-a-month touring music?
Oh, it’s funny you ask me that, because I was just making a playlist for tour! On it so far is songs by Talulah Gosh, girlpool, Salt Flat, Marge, The Raincoats, The Cat’s Miaow, PET MILK, Radiator Hospital, Guided By Voices and Tiger Trap
What’s next for Free Cake For Every Creature?
We’re all moving to Philadelphia in September, and I’m equally excited to be involved in the “music scene” as well as be close to my family/where I grew up. I’m working on a new collection of solo songs called “moving songs” and it should be out sometime this fall. I just finished making the first issue of “Cakes On The Loose”, a zine about our band and the first tour we went on in March—I hope to have #2 finished by late fall, and in it write show recaps and maybe profile other female musicians.
Check out Free Cake For Every Creature tour dates below:
August:
04 Schenectady, NY @ house show
05 Columbus, OH @ The House (Yawning Rabbit Productions)
06 Detroit @ Trumbullplex Theater
08 Des Moines, IA @ Des Moines Social Club w/ lesbian poetry, person whale, dodge dirt & ylayali
09 Omaha, NE @ Barley St. Tavern w/ The Shidiots, Millions of Boys, dodge dirt & ylayali
10 Wichita, KS @ Lucky’s w/ The Wonder Revolution and Postboy
11 Denver, CO @ Bar Bar
13 Boise, ID @ The Crux w/ Obnox, Skating Poly, Nerve Beats & Give Chase
14 Olympia, WA @ house show
15 Seattle, WA @ Werewolf Vacation w/ saything & Chemical clock
16 Portland, OR @ In Other Words Bookstore
18 Eureka, CA @ The Placebo w/ Muscle and marrow, Blood Orphans & The Fairy Rings
19 San Francisco, CA @ The Sylvan Annex w/ Try The Pie & The Yellow Dress
20 Oakland @ EM Wolfman Bookstore
21 Santa Barbara, CA @ 5432 Fun radio broadcast
22 Los Angeles, CA @ Pehrspace w/ R.L. Kelly, Slutever, girlpool & Kitten Forever
23 Phoenix, AZ @ Trunk Space w/ Dogbreth
24 Albuquerque, NM @ Gold House
25 Denton, TX @ JJs Pizza
26 Ft. Worth, TX
27 Birmingham, AL @ a house
28 Nashville, TN @ a house
29 Durham, NC @ Pinhook w/ Pink Flag
30 Raleigh, NC
31 Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter
September:
01 Philadelphia, PA
04 Albany, NY @ The Low Beat w/ Hand Habits, Eskimeaux & Bellows
