[I] really listen to people and figure out what needs to be said in the world, and how I can put that through my music and help the scene through that. I feel like the world is inspiring me a lot because you see so much bravery and resilience, like so many powerful things...It's more important to listen and grow from that. So I feel like that's me.
- Logan Hammon

Miumi: Hi! We are part of Antifragile Zine. We're an up and coming artists collective and also zine group and we wanted to feature a lot of like, up and coming artists from the Bay Area, and we also happen to be huge fans of yours! Is there anything you want to say first, or should we just jump into it?

Logan: I don't know! Thanks for having me, super nice to meet you guys. I hope you’re doing good during all of this.

M: I guess my first question is if music was always a part of your life growing up. Did your family encourage it? Or was it something that was more self sought?

L: Yeah! My dad was a musician, so I definitely admired that about him. But I kind of took my own path, he didn’t really help me. He supported me and stuff, but I definitely paved my own way into music by starting to learn to play the saxophone in middle school, and then going more into school music and then eventually starting my own band.

M: I guess that kind of relates to my second question, but what was your first introduction playing music and when did you start writing your own music?

L: I would say I started playing saxophone, which was my first “Oh, music is cool, I can learn this!” And then I picked up ukulele, and then that led to acoustic guitar, and then into electric guitar. Starting out I learned a lot of cover songs, songs I really enjoyed, I learned how to play those. And then I would kind of take those chords and eventually put my own words into them by writing poetry. Early on when I was young, writing silly songs — even still writing silly songs — but yeah, just kind of letting it evolve into more serious music over time.

M: Yeah, for sure. How old would you say you were when you first started playing the saxophone?

L: I would say like, fourth or fifth grade. So, yeah, I was in a very private Catholic elementary school growing up. So church music was like a really big thing, which is kind of strange, but just constantly singing and having choir. If I was able to play music or sing, I was able to get through what was going on.

M: Are there any common themes that you have written about your whole life? What themes do you notice coming up when you write songs or write music?

L: I definitely noticed, like, a lot of reflection on my past situations, and most of the time I don't even know that those things have happened until I write them out or put them into music, because it helps me process them. Not everything obviously, but just feelings or strong emotions. So I guess like, childhood and growing up is a big part of my music, but then also loving yourself and exploring who you are in the world I think is really important.

M: Yeah, absolutely. How did you form Small Crush and when did you first meet your bandmates?

L: I remember I first started going private Catholic school freshman year, and then I was like “this is not for me, I gotta change it somehow.” It was a great school but it just wasn't working out, so I went to public school and I met a bunch of people who actually liked rock music or were wanting to be in bands. So I joined a really pop punk band starting out, and I definitely tried to play my music and make it more alternative, but they were like “No, we want to play Green Day covers!” Fun stuff, but I was just like, “Hm, this isn’t really for me.” So I met a really great guitarist, Jackson, who’s still my guitarist to this day, through that band, and then he eventually started going to high school and we played in Jazz Band together. We met some other musicians who are in our area; there was this guy, Will, who lived right down the street from us, so it happened to work out that way. Unfortunately, he doesn't play with us anymore. But we have a great new guy Allen, who actually came up from my past too, which is pretty funny. I knew Jackson and Thomas who's our bassist now, like, always growing up; they lived in the same town as me and we did swim team together. So I saw them as very little boys, and I never thought in my head that we would be doing this now, which is quite funny. Will went to private school with me, and even Allen went to the Catholic school I went to for one year. So it's a very, like, small little world, but it's really awesome that we all get to play music together now and it all fell into place.

M: Yeah. That's really that's really nice that like, you guys all kind of have some sort of connection to each other.

L: Yeah, like we all kind of have a little bit of history where we didn't really know we'd end up playing music together, but we all kind of like, knew who each other were.

small crush logo

M: What’s one of your favorite memories from starting out? I feel like when you start out with your band there are a couple key moments that happen, just in the beginning of your timeline. Do you have anything that really stands out to you?

L: Yeah, I remember first playing Gilman, that was a big deal playing there for the first time. And then playing there as Small Crush for the first time, that was really amazing. And we’re just like, so happy to be like a part of something bigger. Because before that we played, I remember, like a Halloween house show at my house- that was super fun. We just couldn't get any shows anywhere, so we were like, “we're gonna have our own show.” So we did that for a few years and then, I don't know, it was kind of like stumbling through the music and like practicing really hard and getting really excited. Yeah, but the first time I heard people sing back my words- that made me want to cry almost. It was really powerful just to hear that my words mean something to other people.

M: Yeah, absolutely. Where and when was your first gig and how did that feel?

L: It was actually at the coffee shop that I ended up working at like a few years later, which is funny. We just like, again, just needed somewhere to play. And we were like, let's do like an acoustic kind of stripped down set. And we were like, “We don't know who's going to come like, let's just do it and make it free and see how it goes.” A lot of people showed up that I was not expecting, and the whole place was pretty much filled. So that was our first time playing as Small Crush, and it was really exciting.

M: Yeah, for sure.

Ikaika: When was that?

L: That was probably 2016 or maybe early 2017, but I think 16. I can date check that if you want.

M: And my last question before I hand it off to Ikaika: who were your biggest inspirations and influences when you first started? Not necessarily now, but when you were first starting as a band, who did you consider to be some idols that you would look up to?

L: I’d say Blondie, we covered a lot of her songs. Or Madonna, just like, very powerful, cool women that I grew up listening to. And then people who inspired me to start writing and even recording my own songs were Current Joys, Frankie Cosmos definitely, because just listening to how stripped- how easy their demos- not easy, but like- just how simple and catchy and amazing their demos were on Bandcamp. I was like I can try to emulate that; it doesn't have to be a super overproduced thing for it to be special and make people feel ways about it.

M: Yeah, absolutely. Okay, I think I'm gonna hand over the second half to Ikaika.

Ikaika: Okay, cool. Hi, I’m Ikaika. Before I ask questions, I just want to say the last show before all this happened I think that I went to was you and Fashion Jackson at the Gilman. So now when I think about shows, I think of that one. Anyways. So, speaking of you know, the pandemic. How do you think everything that's going on in the world right now is affecting your music personally, but also like, just the scene in general?

L: I would say that it's affecting my music in a kind of hard way, because it's definitely hard to write music when you don't know when you're gonna be playing, or even be with your band. So I've actually tried to write stuff, but it's all been more personal and not as happy as I’d like to put out there. So it's definitely hard for musicians, and I just can't wait to play a show again and see that energy.

I: What have you been like listening to lately?

L: I've been listening to a lot of vinyl. A lot of my friends' music, like Juicebumps are really awesome, they put out their album. I've been listening to a lot of old timey classics, just like, very Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks kind of music. I also listen to a lot of, like, Japanese city pop. I listened to it and then I was like, “Oh my gosh, what was that song?” and then I found it again. It's called ‘Dancing the Memories’ and it’s so happy, it revitalized me.

I: Nice, pop music is great in times like these. Do you personally do your own art stuff, like your labels? How do you think that ties into your music? I feel like your image, just seeing “Small Crush” and the handwriting is so specific and it's good branding. How did that start?

L: Yeah, I really love just making my own fliers or just drawing my own designs because I feel like it's the only way I can really do art and feel like “Oh yeah, like, it has like a purpose.” Which is kind of sad, but I don't know, just blending them together makes me really happy, and it makes me feel like it's put together, and you can really see who I am in a way. But yeah, I like combining the two and I feel like people like seeing the flier when the band makes them themselves or adds their own personal touch to it to make it exciting.

I: Nice. You kind of touched on this one a little bit earlier, but what's your writing process?

L: My writing process, I mostly just play chords, and then I’ll find some that help the song get together. I’ll get the progression going, and then I mostly just freestyle over the chords that I figure out, and write down lyrics or words that I want to use. It's hard for me to try to do the two separately at all- I have to have my guitar and just do it alone I guess.

I: Cool. What do you see for the future of the band?

L: I hope we can play shows in the future. I'm sad because in summer, there's just a lot of opportunities to tour and play- not huge festivals- but just mini summer fests or whatever. There’s a lot of those things and I'm sad that none of them got to happen. But I know that in this time the world is getting better and us as musicians and people are getting better. So I hope we can bring that back to the stage when this is all over.

I: What do you think is influencing your music now?

L: I don't know, honestly. That's hard to say. I don't know, just taking time to really listen to people and figure out what needs to be said in the world, and how I can put that through my music and help the scene through that. I feel like the world is inspiring me a lot because you see so much bravery and resilience, like so many powerful things, but you can't really create- like you can't create right now. It's more important to listen and grow from that. So I feel like that's me.

M: I heard you say some things aren't as happy as you would like them to be. I find that interesting because I think a lot of artists, especially in the alternative scene, focus on taking negative experiences and using music as a cathartic way to cope with them. But just from listening to your music it feels like a lot of your music kind of just has this very chill and happy vibe. Do you think that might be something that distinguishes you? How do you see that theme coming up in your music?

L: Yeah, I feel like I do write kind of sad songs sometimes, but I try to make them a little bit happier just because that's how I try to look back on situations. I have a few songs just about relationships and dealing with that, how they can feel like pressure and be stressful. I definitely write about darker themes sometimes, but I like to make them happier and it doesn't feel good for me to write music that people can’t dance to or move to. There are spaces for that, and that's really important, but for shows I just like that energy a lot.

M: Yeah, definitely. I definitely can tell that from your music- you really prioritize not just like the lyrical content but definitely the feel good vibe. Yeah, it's just very nice to listen to when you're with your friends or whatever- I know I listen to your music a lot when I'm with my friends or we're at a park or something, that's what it reminds me of. So I'd say that I definitely get that.

I: You guys are like a pretty big name in the Bay Area. How do you think the Bay Area affects your music? And how do you think you affect it?

L: I’ve grown up in the Bay, I lived in San Leandro my whole life. I went to school in Berkeley and Hayward, like all over the place. I just feel like all these places and all these people especially have shaped me. I try to be as inclusive and as genuine as possible. So like, I don't know, I feel like the Bay Area makes those kinds of people when the right things fall into place. I just feel really lucky to have grown up here, and I feel like in the scene, we just try to make it a good place to be and a safe place for everyone, and we just want people to enjoy music and have a good time.

M: Do you have anything else you'd like to say or a message you'd like to send out like for the end of the interview?

L: I hope everyone is keeping their spirits up and doing well, and I hope some more songs out soon!

An Interview with Small Crush

Anti-Blackness in Asian American Culture

What I Wish Non-Disabled People Knew About Living With a Disability