Quick Q and A with Carrie and Fuzz from Caravan of Thieves
 by Kathy S-B  ·  6 March 2011

Caravan of Thieves is one of the most innovative bands to come along in a long, long time. It’s a toss up as to whether they are more entertaining to watch or to listen to . . . but one thing is for sure, it doesn’t take more than a moment to become a fan. Gypsy jazz is not something that you hear every day and when it’s done as magnificently as it is with Caravan of Thieves, it’s a joy to experience and savor.

You know you’re in for a great deal of fun when you enter the Caravan of Thieves website. It sweeps you right into their world. How could anyone resist that gypsy magic and that spectacular energy?

I love the description that the Caravan of Thieves is “gypsy swing meets The Beatles at Tim Burton’s house.” I get the gypsy swing and I get the Beatles influence but . . . what’s this about Tim Burton?

Lyrically, conceptually and visually we often touch on fantastic and even dark and creepy subject matter. Some of Tim Burton’s theatrical side also makes its way into the presentation.

When you look back at your musical evolution, what led you toward this unique sound?

We (Carrie and Fuzz) started as an acoustic duo and singing harmony together. What we didn’t want to do though was to have a typical singer songwriter duo and we wanted to do a type of music where we could put on more of a show and have some energy. We loved gypsy jazz and since it was all acoustic and seemed to be an unlikely pairing with our vocal styles, we gave it a try. It’s been working for us so far.

You’re known for your stage theatrics and antics. Do you have any favorite stories about any of them that went so well that you couldn’t believe it and some that didn’t quite end up being so successful?

Dragging everyone out of their seats and on the floor to stomp and clap and sing with us in our song “Raise the Dead” while we play it “unplugged” was a hit with the audience the first time we did it so now its a regular occurrence in the set.

If you had to choose one of your original songs to introduce to new fans, which one would it be?

Candy

Your choice of cover tunes is pretty wild. Your rendition of “Psycho Killer” is very memorable. I understand that Tina Weymouth and Chris Franz (Talking Heads) are fans of yours and of your version of the song. . . .

I (Fuzz) also play in Tom Tom Club with Chris and Tina. Yes they are very big supporters of Caravan of Thieves.

Another great quote by a writer for the Huffington Post calls you “the Three Stooges with a sexy sidekick and musical skills.” That’s quite an image!

That’s just scratching the surface!

Are you ever afraid that your over the top stage act could make people forget the talent and musicality that drives your live appearances?

Yes that’s why we try not to overdo the antics and shtick and also make sure we pay close attention to the songwriting and tightness of the music.