When I was a kid, growing up in a house with Cat Stevens,
Neil Diamond, and Simon and Garfunkel, the first time I ever heard Kiss's
"Detroit Rock City,"
it was a moment of musical epiphany. It was just so vicious, aggressive and
mean. It changed the way I listened to music. I've had a few minor epiphany's
since then, when you come across a band that just brings something new and
revolutionary to your ears.
What have been your musical epiphany moments?
When I was 15, I’d hang out in the city with my friends. Smoking, drinking, listening to whatever was on the radio. (It was very good at the time, trust me.) My friend’s dad came in one night and shut everything down, turned off all the lights, turned off our music and told us to lay down on the floor and “shut up and really listen”. He put on “In My Life” by the Beatles. I think that’s when shit really started to change for me as a writer.
Talk to us about the song-writing process for you. What comes first, the idea? A riff? The lyrics? How does it all fall into place?
Typically an idea comes first. Chords and a melody. That sort of thing. Lyrics always come second for me.
Who has influenced you the most?
The list seems infinite. …Powerpop was big for me. The 70’s / 80s stuff, but also the 90s wave bands that not many people know about. They were all on MTV but if you blinked, you never saw them.
Where do you look for continuing inspiration? New ideas, new
motivation?
Daily life seems to provide a generous helping of new inspiration or motivation. Both the positive and the negative.
We're all a product of our environment. Tell us about the band's hometown and how that reflects in the music?
We pretty much grew up in New York, both sort of near enough to the city that there were always fun punk and pop-punk shows to go to. There was a lot of that. Though, I don’t necessarily think it was a regional thing. It was the 90s. Great music was literally everywhere.
Where'd the band name come from?
Just cheeky nonsense beer-talk. Although, we always wanted “love” in the name. Or the short answer is: symmetry.
You have one chance, what movie are you going to write the soundtrack for?
Seems like so many have attempted to record their own score for “Le Voyage dans la Lune”, but I’d still like to have a go at it.
You now write for a music publication (The Ripple Effect?). You're going to write a 1,000 word essay on one song. Which would it be and why?
“God Only Knows” and I’m not sure why, but I’m sure I’d know why once I was done writing it.
Come on, share with us a couple of your great, Spinal Tap, rock and roll moments?
Steve is actually our 2nd drummer. The first guy spontaneously combusted.
Tell us about playing live and the live experience for you
and for your fans?
Playing live is everything for us. That’s what makes the current global situation so difficult. We loved to be interactive with a nice big crowd. And Seanski can really dance!
What makes a great song?
Brian Wilson. Next question.
What one single album do you wish that you'd written or performed on, and why?
Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons”. Just because I can already play guitar and write a pop song.
What piece of your music are particularly proud of?
I’m proud of this new upcoming record (“The Good Times Are Over”). I am super proud of the compositions, and the arrangements I worked on with the boys. A lot of this came out of pandemic and political stress, and I think you can really hear that throughout.
Who today, writes great songs? Who just kicks your ass? Why?
John Davis from Superdrag. Me and Steve can’t stop listening to the new Lees Of Memory album “Moonshot” that he did. I really dug the new Strokes and also the new Hum record as well.
Vinyl, CD, or digital? What's your format of choice?
Vinyl.
Whiskey or beer? And
defend your choice
This I feel very strongly about. Whisky. No E. Straight outta Alba. Reckon my favorites come from the Highlands/Speyside regions. But don’t make me choose one. I love them all.
We, at the Ripple Effect, are constantly looking for new music. What's your home town, and when we get there, what's the best record store to lose ourselves in?
My hometown is Nyack, NY. Best to take your time machine back to 2011 to visit the record shop I used to own. Other fave shops of mine? In NY? Most, unfortunately, have vanished.
What's next for the band?
Well, we’d like to lose our Covid weight I suppose. But like everyone else, we’re waiting to see how this crisis pans out. The first thing I want to do is get another tour together, overseas. We had a blast all around the UK in 2018. Simpler times…
Any final comments or thoughts you'd like to share with our readers, the waveriders?
If you’re in the states, register to vote!If you’re in Europe, can I have a job and a visa please?Ich lerne deutsch!
*Also:It’s not so difficult to be kind to each other.Do that every day.And wash your dirty hands you filthy, filthy animal.:)
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