Mise En Place is French for "Everything in its place."





Traditionally referring to a style of cooking in which all requisite ingredients are neatly measured out and at the ready, it also happens to be the title of Brooklyn-by-way-of-Austin four-piece Alex Napping's sophomore album. Helmed by singer-songwriter Alex Cohen, Mise En Place is certainly an aptly titled record.





Tomas Garcia-Olano (lead bass), Adrian Sebastian Haynes (lead guitar), and Andrew Stevens (drums) prove to be the perfect accompaniment to Cohen's detailed brand of songwriting. Each sonic corner feels luxuriously labored over, resulting in a uniformly gorgeous whole. The bands latest single, "Fault" unfurls into layers of melodic pop, anchored by Cohen's snaky vocal phrasing.





With the LP release party for Mise En Place approaching Friday, May 5th at Cheer Up Charlies, we spoke with Alex Napping about Stretch Armstrong, creepy compliments, traveling faster than the speed of light and more.





















Do512: What is the most exciting thing about the release of Mise En Place?





Alex: We've been sitting on it for a year now, so I'm ready to have it out in the world. I'm excited to work on new stuff too.





Adrian: I think I'm most excited to hear people mispronounce the album title. Well, I guess it doesn't have to be out for people to mispronounce the title. Maybe that was a bad joke.





Tomas: My parents really dig the album. They actually really, really like it. It doesn't hurt that the album was featured on NPR. I feel like they saw that and went from "your album is really good" to "Dude that's a sick album by the way. That music thing you do, that's actually pretty good." But really, it was exciting to hear my parents enjoyed it.





(Since you've relocated to NY) was there any reason, in particular, you wanted to have your LP release party in Austin at Cheer Ups?

Alex: Well, we are doing a New York release show a week from this Saturday. I just feel like Cheer Ups is home turf more than any other venue in Austin. The band is still here, and we recorded the record here so it just feels right. We're also starting the tour from here—Austin is still home.



What's your favorite drink at Cheer Ups?

Alex: The Banana Hammock.





Andrew: The Spicy Cuban.





Adrian: The only one I ever remember is The Golden Ticket. I think it's kombucha. It's the healthy booze one. I usually get "the healthy booze one."





Tomas: My favorite is the Chipotle Mayo (at Arlo's). That's actually why we play at Cheer Ups.





Adrian: I have a $10 gift card.





Tomas: No way, you're taking us all out.





Adrian: I think it's expired.





Alex Napping | Roger Ho









What's one thing you flat out refuse to do, ever?

Adrian: Kill somebody. I wouldn't kill anybody. I'd just be like, "you know what? I'm not gonna do that. That is not right." My mom taught me well.





Alex: I don't like jumping into water from high places. We go hiking and stumble upon watering holes a lot, and they're always like, "I'm gonna jump off this forty-foot cliff" and I'm like, "Nah, I'm not going to do that."





Andrew: Not talk shit about The Eagles. Hotel California is top five worst songs of all time.





Tomas: I'll never speak in absolutes.





Excluding musical equipment, if I handed you $5,000 and you had one hour to spend it, what would you spend it on?





Andrew: There's a Chevy Aerostar van on my block for $600, so that's a good start.





Alex: I'd blow it on a bunch of clothes, sorry guys!





Tomas: I'd spend it on travel.





Adrian: I'd probably donate it all. Grassroots is a really good organization. Since the election, I've been rage donating. I did it today actually.





What is something you're paranoid about?





Andrew: I'm really afraid of driving cross country. I used to be afraid of flying in planes, sharks, and lightning, then I realized that none of those things will happen ever. But the longer you're on the road... I don't know, it's just a funny risk that we as a creative class feel is necessary to take. I have a lot of nightmares while I'm snoozing in the car... while I'm driving.





Adrian: I'm paranoid when I come out of the restroom that I remembered to put my pants back on. I've never thought "Oh, I pulled them back up." Those memories are completely void. Everyone has that dream where you go to school naked. I always double check now.





Alex: I did that, one time at a pool when I was eight. I took my shorts off and accidently took my bikini bottom off.





Tomas: My nightmare is to be on stage and then suddenly none of my equipment is working. I also have dreams about running late to shows, somehow.









Alex Napping | Roger Ho









What's the nicest compliment you've ever received?





Alex: One time in New York I was eating with friends outside at a restaurant and this man walked up to us. He asked us if we spoke Spanish and he was clearly on something or was fucked up in some way. So then he asked us what time it was and we told him it was seven and he just kept asking "At night? At night? At night?" and then he walked away, turned back and looked at my eyes and was like "Oh my God, you have the most beautiful eyes ever." He went on and on asking if they were real, it was such a weird experience. I get that compliment a lot about my eyes, it's really creepy.





Andrew: I'm really bad at taking compliments, but I had a drummer I'm a super fan of come and see me play last week and he texted me saying, "I want to reiterate what a joy it is, as usual, to see you play." He's a way more famous drummer than me.





Tomas: I opened up for Dead Prez one time, and they told me that my backup vocals were sick. I had to fight the hardest urge to superfan scream right in their face. I don't know what I said. I was so excited I think I just ran away.





Adrian: I had this guitar teacher named Chuck who definitely wanted to retire and was one of the best guitar players I've ever seen in my life. Definitely one of those classic, under-appreciated musicians. If someone didn't practice or do well, he'd say "Ruh-roh" first and then be a total dick to you. But, he actually told me, "You and Max Townsley are the two best guitar players I've ever taught."





What is your least favorite song off of your favorite album?

Adrian: "Hunter" off of Homogenic is... fucking amazing because Bjork is the best musician of all time. That song, though, is not my favorite because I know it so well now. Oh my gosh that song is so good, who am I kidding?





Alex: Sometimes I just don't even know the names of the songs of an album I really love because I just listen all the way through. I was going to have a joke answer and say "Yellow" by Coldplay.





Tomas: If there's an album I really like and there's a song that goes on and on, like "Is This Thing On?" off of Nothing Feels Good by The Promise Ring I feel like I will enjoy it live, but I don't need to hear it all while I'm riding my bike.









Alex Napping | Roger Ho





Is there a particular moment you’ve imagined where you’ll know you’ve made it as a band?





Tomas: Big Day Out in Sydney, Australia. I watched a video of At The Drive-In playing that when I was a kid, on like punkrockvids.com or something before YouTube. Does that mean we made it? I don't know, but it's always been a dream of mine.

Adrian: I'd say being on television. That's always been the pinnacle for some reason.





Andrew: Getting a double feature as a featured artist and an interview on Conan O'Brien. It's been a dream of mine since I was like, eleven.





Alex: When this fully becomes my day job, that's the moment. When there's no side hustle.





If the universe had a suggestion box, what would you put in it?





: Immortality, man. Is that too much to ask?





Alex: Help us figure out faster than light speed travel. Give us the blueprints to make a device for faster than light speed travel.





Tomas: I've got two. Help us get out of the current political situation, and if there is any kind of Stretch Armstrong toy in the future, please help kids not cut it to find out what's inside it.





If someone was writing the Alex Napping biography, what would the title of this chapter be?





Alex Napping deliberates for several minutes...









Alex Napping: "Before it got 2 Weird"

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