The Stranded Q&A: Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys

You probably wouldn't expect an army of broken toys be able to make good music, but Walter Sickert's army does just that. Based in Boston, Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys is made up of Walter Sickert and Edrie (one of the broken toys).

Together, they are able to create unique, deep and somewhat soothing music. The vocals and melodies seem to blend together almost perfectly and put your mind in a relaxed, thought-filled state. You can check some of their tracks out at their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/armyoftoys.

In March, they will be performing live in conjunction with their video for "Sacrilege" being featured at this year's Boston Underground Film Festival. This video, has been accepted at several other film festivals.

1. Hailing from Boston makes us better than all those non-Boston based bands because:

"The support we receive from our Boston fan base is incredible. Not only do they support us locally by going to shows and buying tons of CDs and merch, but they help promote us internationally as well. When we were touring with Amanda Palmer in Europe, we had a fan come up to us letting us know she was from Boston and loved us and was going to school in Amsterdam and brought 15 of her friends and classmates to the show just to see us. It was a sweet thing to do and made us feel very close to home."

2. Name at least 3 bands that are still around and touring that you'd love to be on a bill with, and think fits well:

The Tiger Lillies, The Decemberists, Clinic, DeVotchKa, Nine Inch Nails and Rasputina

3. Your favorite Boston venue to perform is:

"We love the Theatre space at the ICA and at the A.R.T.'s Zero Arrow, both are exquisite venues for putting on big theatrical shows. Somerville Theater is up there as well. If we're looking at bar/club type thing, Harpers Ferry has been kind as well as the Middle East and TTs! Of course, the Cloud Club is full of spectacular art and people who make it. It's too hard to pick one favorite."

4. Are there any genres that influence your music conceptually, rather than sonically? (In that you can't hear from simply listening to the music, but from getting into the structure or mathematics of song-writing, etc.)

"There is a smattering of bits and pieces of everything from early roots and blues music to hobo anthems like Big Rock Candy Mountain. Other types of music sneak in represented by artists like Zoe Keating, Rasputina, Vashti Bunyan, Marilyn Manson, NIN, Johnny Cash, Kurt Cobain, Radio Head etc. Polka's and early 1900's pop songs make an appearance. Anything we had on the Victrola is fair game. We also love how story records for kids were put together, particularly the adaptation of the Jules Verne classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, that was released by Wonderland Records in 1977. Both of us are fond of Krakens and a good story."

"Of course, both of us are also influenced heavily by visual art; more so than music in some cases. Salvador Dali is a favorite of ours; you can see his direct influence not only in the art Walter produces, but also in our music. Jan Svankmajer is also a profound influence; his visuals and spare dialogue really focus a viewer. We mix this visual art with our musical influences not only for the live show, but also for what goes into each song."

5. Your favorite local bar to hit up when not doing the whole band deal is:

"We recently had dinner with friends at Columbus in the South End. It is a truly lovely neighborhood spot - great for intimate chats and fantastic iPod shuffles. We also HEART big time the bar at Craigie on Main (www.craigieonmain.com). It's a special place and the staff are so wonderful and the drinks are 100% out of this world!"

You can check Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys live, at their next gig, February 12th at 7pm @ the Dada Show @ The Lily Pad, in Cambridge, MA.

Stream: Various Tracks [MySpace]