The Midwestern metropolis of Detroit not only birthed Motown and Ford Motors; it has helped launch the careers of everyone from MC5, Marvin Gaye, Iggy and the Stooges, and Eminem to the The White Stripes. Music quite literally is in Motor City’s blood. And, while the city has suffered tremendously as a result of its automotive factories folding and widespread drug-related crimes, young creatives breathe new life into Michigan’s capital.

The Silent Years, a melodic indie rock quintet whose upcoming The Globe hits stores in August, is one such example. Considering the seasoned band has drawn comparisons to the likes of Elliott Smith and the Flaming Lips, and whose forthcoming LP boasts producer Chris Coady (of TV on the Radio and Blonde Redhead fame), these Detroit natives appear poised for big things. psychoPEDIA caught up with The Silent Years’ frontman Josh Epstein before the band’s NYC show tonight at the Music Hall of Williamsburg to talk soul food, haunted bookstores, and the Detroit scene:

Rumor has it you met bassist Pat Edwards at a Colorado mime school?
[Laughs] That’s one of those legends we like to perpetuate, so I don’t know if I can confirm or deny that.

Do you still mime?
Yeah, actually I do.

Have you incorporated it into The Silent Years’ live show?
No, but the next thing we will be incorporating onstage is tap-dancing. You know, I saw Stomp thought, “Someone tapping at a rock show would be amazing.” So I’ve been taking lessons. It’s just going to be me. I’m the zaniest of the bunch.

Did you grow up in Detroit?
We were all born and raised in Detroit. It’s much easier to live here when you’re a musician. The first few years you’re in a band, you have no money. Here, it’s much easier to be on tour and be able to afford to keep your house. The cost of living is so much lower than other major cities.

Are there downsides to having a band in Detroit?
It’s more difficult in the sense that in NYC and LA, you can go out to shows every night. There are way more bands, and more bands that you can hang out with. But, in Detroit, we lack a really strong music scene-– it’s very small and a lot of bands don’t tour through here, so it takes a long time to really build up a Detroit fan base.

Is Detroit’s musical legacy a lot to live up to?
I love the fact that Motown started here and MC5 and garage rock, but we’re not really a part of that. In a way, I feel like it’s a blessing that we’ve been able to develop our own thing. In Detroit there aren’t really trends, like, “This band is going to be big for 2 years, then this band is going to be big for 2 years.” People like what they like, and they go see them. We’ve never had to feel like we’re a part of a scene. It took us a long time to get people to pay attention to us here, but it’s been worth it.

How would you describe the local population as a whole?
The people in Detroit are the nicest people in the world. There are a lot of drugs, so there’s a lot of crime – someone breaking into your car or stealing your iPod and selling it for crack. But it’s not violent crime. There are a select few that are actually doing that, but a few bad apples have definitely spoiled the whole bunch. Detroit is at the heart of the recession in the U.S. because of its automotive industry. A lot of people have lost their jobs. There are definitely a lot of people here doing cool things, but whether we’re organized or not, I don’t think so. There’s a disconnect because everyone is so spread out.

What are some of the most culturally interesting areas right now?
Right around Wayne State there are some record shops and coffee shops. There’s also a town called Ferndale just north of Detroit with a very active scene. It used to be the gay part of town. I think it still is. But those areas of every town tend to be the most progressive.

Say you were taking Bishop Allen and The War on Drugs, who you’ll be playing with tonight, out for a nice meal and a night on the town. Where would you go?
Slows, without a question. It’s this BBQ place in Corktown, where the old Tiger Stadium is. Everyone should go there. It’s so good. I tend to get the BBQ brisket and macaroni and cheese, but they’re pretty famous for their ribs. Afterwards, I would say the Magic Stick. It’s this venue that’s always packed. Heading up to Ferndale, there are a lot of fun bars. The one where we hang out the most is called The Emory. On any given night you’ll find someone from the band there, because everyone lives right by it.

Do you frequent any other music venues?
There’s a new one that opened up called The Crofoot that has three different stages. It’s in a suburb called Pontiac. The Silent Years’ favorite place to play is St. Andrews Hall. Essentially, it’s like the Bowery Ballroom, except no tables on the balcony. It’s a really fun place to play.

Where do you go for stellar soul food?
There’s a place called the Turkey Grill and it’s all turkey stuff-- it’s crazy. There’s also a lot of places called Fresh Fish House a.k.a "You Buy It, We Fry It." You can actually use food stamps there – you can’t buy cooked food with food stamps, but you can buy raw food with them. If you can stand eating fish from a place like that it’s really good.

Do you have any daytime haunts?
There’s a bookstore in downtown Detroit called John KK. Some people say the building is haunted, which I would believe. They have these old, rare, crazy books; you can find anything. And there are a lot of coffee places. The one that everyone I know hangs out at is called Café De Marquis in a suburb called Royal Oak. Ferndale, Royal Oak, all the suburbs are really close. It’s this European place with really good coffee that’s always playing techno music, but you can sit outside and ignore the techno.

Where’s a good place for a first-time visitor to sleep?
On my floor.

And if your floor is taken?
In my bed.

~Alisa Gould-Simon

Go There:
Turkey Grill, 8290 Woodward Ave. (313) 872-4624
The Emory, 22700 Woodward Ave. (248) 546-8202