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All images courtesy of Logan Hammon

Today I’ve got Logan Hammon of Small Crush with us for an interview. Logan has a long history in music; growing up around her Dad, Jason Hammon, and his band Dance Hall Crashers, Logan learned early that music was not only in her heart but in her blood. Logan has begun to formulate her own musical legacy, and the wonderfully talented Small Crush is the greatest evidence of that.

In today’s chat, Logan and I cover her early years in music, growing up around her Dad and Dance Hall Crashers, what’s next for her and Small Crush and a whole lot more. If you would like to learn more about Small Crush, you can head over to their Bandcamp here. Enjoy this interview with Logan. Cheers.

Andrew:
Logan, I appreciate you taking the time to speak with us. So, how have you been holding up over the course of the tumultuous events of the last year or so?

Logan:
I’ve been hanging in there. I, unfortunately, haven’t seen the band much, but things are looking up with the vaccine. One of my members got vaccinated, and it felt amazing to jam again. It’s been hard not playing shows, so I’ve been trying to focus on writing a new album. I can’t wait to get back out on the stage!

Andrew:
Before diving into your professional career, I wanted to touch on your roots. How did it all begin for you? What got you hooked on music? I know your dad [Jason Hammon] is a member of Dance Hall Crashers. How big of an influence has he been on you and your musical journey?

Logan:
My dad definitely helped create my love of music, and I was always inspired by his band growing up. Having guitars around the house and hearing him practice led to me picking up instruments and finding my sound. He’s always been super supportive and goes to a ton of shows. I looked up to Karina and Elyse from DHC for being such powerful vocalists and thought it was cool how they could all collaborate on songs. My dad made band life seem pretty fun, and it became something I was really interested in.

Andrew:
Where did the guitar come into play? What was the moment or series of events that led you to that instrument in particular? Are there any players who have informed your style the most?

Logan:
I first started on saxophone in middle school and played often up until jazz band in high school. It sparked my interest in being able to write my own songs, so I picked up a ukulele and learned my favorite songs. I feel like that was a great start which led to guitar and bass! Bands like Frankie Cosmos and Radiator Hospital have pretty simple guitar patterns, which inspired me to start simple and have fun.

Andrew:
With all of that aside, let’s dig into Small Crush. Tell us the origins of the band and how it all came together.

Logan:
My guitarist Jackson and I played in a Pop-Punk band that wasn’t really the music we wanted to be playing, so we teamed up and worked on some songs I had previously written. We started up the band and played some small shows all around the Bay Area. Thomas, our bass player, is another great childhood friend who I played with in jazz band along with Jackson. We recently got a new drummer Allen who I’ve been mutual friends with for a while. It’s cool having a tight-knit band you can be great friends with!

Andrew:
Digging a bit deeper into Small Crush now. You put out a few singles and then sort of lead up to your debut record Small Crush, right? Tell us more about how that record came together. Looking back on it, are you satisfied with it, or are you looking for more the next time around?

Logan:
We first put out an EP that we recorded with a local family friend just to get our music up online; luckily, we did because Mike Park listened and reached out to us about being on Asian Man Records. It was a crazy coincidence because he found us without realizing he was good friends with my dad from the 90s ska days. We put a few singles out to promote the album and had a release party when it was all done! Next time around, I want to make a more cohesive album and think of more ways to expand our sound. As a first project and writing most of the songs when I was 13, I’m pretty proud of it and think it captures my teen years well.

Andrew:
As a songwriter, what ignites that flame for you? Are your lyrics intensely personal, or are you merely telling stories?

Logan:
It’s definitely a combination of both; I like to think of them as exaggerated stories that are somewhat true. I like to use songwriting as a form of therapy and self-understanding. I usually find out things I didn’t even know I was feeling when I pick up my guitar. I use those emotions to tell a story or describe an emotion.

Andrew:
As far as new music goes, I know you’ve been working on a few things, but what’s next? Can we hope for a new album soon?

Logan:
Yes! I wouldn’t say soon, but it’s definitely in its early stages.

Andrew:
Let’s go in a bit of a different direction now. The landscape of popular music has shifted immensely over the last decade or so, and it is ever-shifting still beyond that. What that being said, in a world so dominated by social media and the talent pool being diluted in a way, how hard is it for you and other artists to make themselves heard amongst the chaos?

Logan:
Especially right now, I think it’s incredibly hard for everyone to promote themselves. Live streams are really hard for me to do for some reason. I love crowd energy and having my band besides me, not through a tiny little screen. I really don’t know what to post on Instagram anymore because it’s mostly just “I miss shows.” I have been posting on Tik Tok as a last resort to promote the band, and that has been working so far. It’s confusing, but I think it’s a great way to reach new audiences.

Andrew:
COVID has arrested all of our lives for over a year now, and as a result, there has been next to no live music. So, as a touring musician yourself, what do you miss most about taking the stage? If you miss it at all, that is.

Logan:
I miss everything about it, honestly; I love being in a band and doing everything related to it. The thing I miss the most was the environment you can create as a musician for people to have fun and enjoy themselves. Places for people to come together and express themselves are so important. I loved meeting new friends in other bands and show-goers, running the merch table, and traveling on the road to new places.

Andrew:
How do you consume your music? There are a lot of options out there. You’ve got vinyl, cassette CD and of course, digital. What’s your poison? Where do you like to shop for music?

Logan:
My favorite is vinyl mainly because they tend to hold up the best and come in pretty colors. I also love cassettes, just for the hell of it. Honestly, I don’t know why I buy them when they are so fussy. I have most of my favorite albums on CD to play in the car, and they’re usually cheap. It’s great for listening through whole albums from start to finish. I make playlists on Spotify or Apple music to mix them all together.

Andrew:
On the subject of digital, it’s become sort of common knowledge that services like Spotify and Apple Music do not pay artists well in the slightest. What are your thoughts on that? How can fans support the artists they love better? Or are we too far gone for it to matter?

Logan:
I think it sucks, and I wish artists weren’t trapped into having to put their music on streaming services that don’t pay well. To stay relevant and accessible, you get underpaid for your art. The best way to support artists is to buy physical merch and releases for sure or even just buy it from Bandcamp. Shows are a great way to support once those happen again, but for now, just keep supporting them on social media.

Andrew:
What are a few albums/artists that mean the most to you, and why?

Logan:
I love Joni Mitchell; her music means a lot to me, and my grandma really loved her, so I feel connected to her when I play it. Her music just speaks to me in ways most doesn’t. A few of my all-time favorites are Sade- Diamond Life, The Breeders- Last Splash, Stereolab- Dots and Loops, The Muffs – self-titled, Cub – Come Out, Come out, Something Wild – Radiator Hospital, Cocteau Twins – Heaven or Las Vegas and Strawberry Switchblade – self-titled. They have all shaped me and music.

Andrew:
What other passions do you have? How do those passions inform your music, if at all?

Logan:
I do a lot of crafty hobbies like sewing, crocheting, and drawing. I design everything for the band and love putting my touch on things. It makes the project really personal and meaningful to me. I use my craft skills to make flyers and handmade merch. I like to intertwine them all together to represent what Small Crush is. In my free time, I’m on my roller skates at the skatepark.

Andrew:
Last one. Looking back, what/who has influenced the sound of Small Crush the most? In the future, what types of soundscapes can we expect? Any advice for the other indie musicians out there?

Logan:
I think where I’ve grown up, and the bands I look up to are my biggest influences. I want to take the band in a more rock/punk direction but still have some soft slower songs. I am inspired by such a range of musicians, and I want to experiment more with blending different genres.

My best advice for any other musicians starting out is to just connect with as many people as possible and have a story to tell! Building networks of friends and other creatives is so important. Play every show like it’s a sold-out auditorium, even if you’re just in the back of a cafe!

Interested in learning more about Small Crush? Check out the link below:

Dig this interview? Check out the full archives of Vinyl Writer Interviews, by Andrew Daly, here: www.vinylwritermusic.com/interview