Loquat
http://www.loquatmusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/loquat

About the song: On New Year’s Day a few years ago, Anthony (the bassist) and I (Kylee, singer/rhythm guitarist) were watching March of the Penguins. It was a pivotal time in our lives, when we were contemplating taking the next step in our relationship. Anthony was so touched by the fact that the penguins did whatever it took to raise their babies and survive their extremely harsh environment that he decided that day to ask me to marry him. But the movie had the opposite effect on me. I wondered to myself it was worth it to weather such stormy times and mate for life, and I wrote “Go Hibernate.” Fortunately, it all worked out, and Anthony and I will celebrate our third wedding anniversary this October.

Bio: After more than seven years of playing music together, the members of Loquat, San Francisco's answer to Swedish pop music, have plenty of memories to work from. Between the weddings and funerals, Loquat have committed to gorgeous, sincere songs filled with nostalgia and emotion. The introspective lyrics of Kylee Swenson are matched by her haunting vocals floating over the minimal moods of her band mates. Loquat has made a name for itself throughout the Bay Area and beyond for its addictive brand of guitar pop. With a few EPs and a couple LPs under its collective belt, Loquat explores life's mysteries with deft grace and eloquent composure. The band's latest full-length album, Secrets of the Sea, finds the group in transition from Smith's-esque melancholy to a more comfortable, yet no less sublime, space and time. Meanwhile, remixes by Junior Sanchez ("Harder Hit") and Zion-I's AmpLive ("Sit Sideways") take things straight to the party. Alternately Cardigans, Stereolab and hints of ABBA and Cat Power, Swenson and company relieve the stress of overproduced, overhyped acts with a steady hand and endearing voice.

What you like about San Francisco: I’m originally from Minnesota, and I still love my hometown, Orono, which doesn’t even have its own zip code. But San Francisco is such a gorgeous, cosmopolitan city. I never get tired of it. Sure, I wish I could actually see the fireworks through the fog on the 4th of July, but that’s about my only complaint. 

My favorite venues to see live music in San Francisco are The Independent, Café du Nord, Bottom of the Hill, Great American Music Hall, Rickshaw Stop, and The Fillmore. As for bars, my go-to places are still Casanova and Beauty Bar (a few of my friends have DJ nights there). And as for food, well, there are so many amazing and exotic restaurants that I often find myself paralyzed with the options. That, and due to the fact that I never had anything other than American food until I was 18 (not even a burrito), it’s taken some time to train my taste buds to appreciate finer food. I will say that I go around San Francisco looking for the best wedge of lettuce salad (I know, not exotic), and so far, my favorite is at Chow.

Upcoming Shows: We’re in the midst of writing our third full-length album to follow Secrets of the Sea and recently brought a new keyboardist into the band, so we took a short break from playing shows after doing a month-long residency in May and playing L.A. in June. We’ll be back in action in early Sept., and will hopefully be announcing the next show very shortly!