Photo by Alyse Stuck
Thatcher May of Sports Coach is, in a word, goofy. And as he embarks on his first ever tour to promote i don’t know how to do it good, he’s learning what it means to be a musician in the burgeoning Boston scene. But that doesn’t mean he has to lose his charm. Allston Pudding had a chance to chat with May who, by the way, is incomparable to any other musician.
Allston Pudding: So- you’re going on tour! How exciting! Is this your first tour ever?
Thatcher May: This is my first tour as Sports Coach, yes. This past December I was on tour for about a month under my older music name, Holm. Before that, I had done smaller tours here and there but nothing too extensive. The Sports Coach project has only been around since November so this is my first time on the road as a youth-ball coach.
AP: Wait- you’re not an actual sports coach. If you were, what kind of sport would you like to coach?
TM: I would just coach youth-ball. It’s a game I’m creating right now, just called “Youth-Ball”. It’s real sweaty and full contact.
AP: Have sports had any influence on your music? If not- why “Sports Coach”?
TM: Sports suck, if they had an influence on my music I’d sound like some bullshit band like Nickelback, but only when Chad had longer hair. I named myself Sports Coach because I love sports and I wanna join a team and not be a big idiot no more.
AP: What do you expect from your first tour?
TM: As a loser nobody artist like me and everyone else this size you can always expect cool shows with lots of people, and then plenty of shows with like 4 or 5 people. Regardless though, it’s always some kind of adventure and something to tell your dog about. I’ve played the first two dates so far. Brooklyn and Philly. Brooklyn was weird, always is, everyone’s just got some kind of stick up their ass there. I lived in NYC for a year last year and they don’t give a shit about music, the venues and such. The issue is that everyone and their stepdad is in a band, so venues in NYC treat small artists like shit because there’s always hella bands so thirsty for shows out there. It was a cool show and all around good time but everyone just stares at you there.
Playing shows like that makes me want to attack a small planet. Philly was cool, Philly shows love and everyone’s always way nice out here. They’ve got a good DIY music scene in Philly so they can relate to being a fucking idiot like me.
AP: You describe yourself on the event page for the tour as “Nickelback meets Daughtry
TM: I don’t know what I love about Nickelback so much- maybe it’s Chad’s beautiful blonde frosted tips, or the tight black t-shirts they all wear? Regardless, I just can’t over how anyone can write songs that good and beautiful, and I want to give a firm handshake to all those boys. Maybe feed them grapes, I don’t know, it’s up to them. I don’t want any more lawsuits.
AP: What do you think someone else listening to you for the first time might describe you as? Or, who would you hope others would compare you to?
TM: I have no idea what people would describe me as. Hopefully, Nickelback meets Daughtry with a little bit of Slayer and Megadeath, but usually I’ll get some shit like, “Hey man! You kind of sound like Interpol/Mac Demarco/my Dads old rock band/a terrible musician.” I never thought about being compared to anyone; if anyone tries to compare me to somebody I’ll turn my backyard into a mud pit and wrestle you so dang hard your eyes are gonna fall out your teeth.
AP: i don’t know how to do it good is great- it’s refreshing to hear something more experimental on the DIY scene. It’s so overwhelmed by either indie or punk. Or maybe that’s just me. What do you think of the DIY scene, particularly in Boston? Would you even assign yourself as a part of that?
TM: The DIY scene in Boston is pretty cool. I didn’t even know it existed until a few months ago, even though I grew up in the Boston area. People are nice and the house venues are really cool, and I go to the shows a lot and see all the rockstars play guitars really loud, and typically I have a good rock and roll time. I guess I’m a part of it a lil’ bit. It’s gotten to the point where occasionally people will come up to me at shows and be like, “Hey you’re sports coach?” So I assume the music has spread a bit in Boston. But at the end of the day I just want to go to space and be a part of the DIY scene there.
ap: why all lowercase for the titles of your songs?
tm: all lowercase because: I Think It Looks So Dumb When People Write Like This Because No One Talks Like That So Why Is Music Like This.
AP: Favorite local artists, or any local artists that have influenced you? Any local artists you’d like to collab with?
TM: I’m not really good at collaborating, probably because I speak in my own language that I invented and no one can understand me except God. Favorite local artists of mine would be Du Vide, Horse Jumper of Love, Wakes, Community College, and Couples Counseling for sure. If I’m influenced by anyone it’s Smash Mouth.
AP: What does the future look like for Sports Coach after the tour’s over?
TM: After tour I’ll probably be pretty rich and famous, and I’ll probably buy a big house in the mountains somewhere, and have a lot of cars, and eat steaks often, and headline Coachella while I’m eating a steak in one of my cars. Or I’ll go back to working at the juice shop and wondering if I’ll ever get out of this sinkhole my life has fallen into.
Thatcher would like to let all you readers know that he loves you and thinks you’re cute.
If you’re flattered and captivated, and even if you’re not, be sure to catch him on his tour. He stops in Boston May 10th (Northhampton) and 11th (Cambridge), so be sure to make it out to the show! Check out i don’t know how to do it good below and rock out.
Friday, April 17th – Washington D.C. // Maryland area
Saturday, April 18th – Richmond, VA @ Our House
Sunday, April 19th – Blacksburg, VA @ Gillies
Monday, April 20th – Charlotte, NC @ Thomas Street Tavern
Tuesday, April 21st – Charleston, SC @ Pop-Up Charleston
Wednesday, April 22nd – Savannah, GA @ Graveface Records (early show) & Curiosities (night show)
Thursday, April 23rd – Gainesville, FL @ A Space
Friday, April 24th – Jacksonville, FL @ Rain Dogs
Saturday, April 25th – Pensacola, FL @ Sluggo’s
Sunday, April 26th – New Orleans, LA @ the BEATnik
Monday, April 27th – Lafayette, LA @ Heffe’s Saloon
Tuesday, April 28th – Houston, TX @ Notsuoh
Wednesday, April 29th – Austin, TX @ Beerland
Thursday, April 30th – Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios
Friday, May 1st – Little Rock, AR @ Vino’s
Saturday, May 2nd – Fayetteville, AR @ Backspace
Sunday, May 3rd – Memphis, TN @ the Buccaneer Lounge
Monday, May 4th – Nashville, TN @ Cafe Coco
Tuesday, May 5th – Louisville, KY @ Tim Faulkner Gallery
Wednesday, May 6th – Columbus, OH @ Double Happiness
Thursday, May 7th – Cleveland, OH @ TBD
Friday, May 8th – Pittsburgh, PA @ the Mr. Roboto Project
Saturday, May 9th – Beacon, NY @ Dogwood
Sunday, May 10th – Northampton, MA @ Sam’s Pizzeria and Cafe
Monday, May 11th – Cambridge, MA@ EMW Bookstore
Tuesday, May 12th – Providence, RI @ AS220