http://www.nyctaper.com/?p=1774
Several months ago I was speaking to all of The Antlers before a gig at Mercury Lounge, and the subject of their many recent interviews came up. I joked that Peter Silberman was taking all the attention of the interviews, and that the other members should get a chance. The natural inclination of any interviewer seeking to learn and report about The Antlers would be focus on the lead guitar/singer/writer of the band, but the two other members are equally compelling figures in their own right. If Peter is the brains of the band, then Michael Lerner provides the backbone with his powerful drum work, and Darby Cicci is the heart with his emotive keyboard work and atmospheric and multiple effects.
The writer Jarrod Dicker spoke with Darby this week in what we hope will be a continuing series of interviews to be posted at NYCTaper.
I Am Darby
The Antlers are a breath of fresh air in a modern melodic atmosphere that’s polluted and sultry with fog of banality. Their sound is soothing and transcends lyrical and musical splendor, amplifying the listener’s sentiments from their inner core like a magnetic force of happiness, sorrow, elation and tranquility. Jarrod Dicker spoke with band member Darby Cicci on the re-release of Hospice, working with a record label, the upcoming international tour and more.
JD: The album Hospice was initially self-released and recently re-released under the label Frenchkiss on August 18th. Has there been a noticeable change since signing with the label?
DC: Yes it’s one of the best things we’ve ever done I think. Frenchkiss has been absolutely amazing. What we initially were hoping to do was just have it distributed by releasing it ourselves, but then Frenchkiss jumped on board. They were the ones that said it’s not too late to actually release it properly and put a press campaign behind it. They really do a ton of leg work to get it heard by a lot of people that wouldn’t necessarily have ever even heard of the record or have it in their hands. It’s been great. They work incredibly hard getting us set up and distributing it internationally; helping us find publicists and book shows. They really do everything.
JD: Do you enjoy being under a label now as opposed to previously being in your own? I’ve spoken with a horde of musicians and most prefer to try and do it grass roots in some regard. It’s usually because they are dissatisfied knowing that their work will be owned by someone other than themselves.
DC: Well ultimately yes, a lot of bands don’t want to be on a label. I was probably in that category before we signed to Frenchkiss. We all definitely had a lot of fears thinking that signing to a label is huge in giving over a lot of control and decision making. I think people were worried that they’re going to be a lot of negative things going along with signing to a label. But Frenchkiss proved me wrong in that respect. They’ve been opened minded to everything we’ve done. They really let us do as much as we want. It’s not like you’re signing to a label and they do things for you. It’s really kind of the opposite. They let us do as much as we want and it’s only when we need help when they’ll step in and give us direction. Hopefully it never gets to the point of needing the contracts and signing the contracts. Frenchkiss are employed with musicians. So they know what it’s like to tour and they do everything from an artists point of view. So there is no worry there. They’re not going to steer us in the wrong direction. They’re not going to exploit us or put our songs on diaper commercials [laughs]. They run everything by us. We never feel like we’re left out of the loop or the decision making process. It’s kind of a dream come true. It’s all the positive things without any negatives being on a label like Frenchkiss. I imagine a major label would be a little more complicated situation with employees turning over every nine months or so but ours is really just dealing with a small group of people with an open flow of communication.
JD: You recently played at Maxwell’s in Hoboken and soon you begin a tour of the nation. Do you prefer playing close to home (Brooklyn) and where specifically away from the New York area do you fancy to play most?
DC: I definitely love playing in New York. We had a whole lot of great shows here and it’s nice to come home and sleep in your own bed at night. We’ve had some great shows around the country and the world. We have a great fan base in Toronto and Chicago to name a few. We went to England for a week and had a few great shows in London so I’m really excited to go back there. Some really cool festivals as well. We played Monolith this year and a few little cool festivals in the Midwest. It’s sort of a growing number of places as these tours continue. It feels like a lot of homes away from home. I also can’t wait to go back to LA and San Francisco.
JD: The international tour kicks off November 16th. Are you eager to convey the sounds of Hospice abroad?
DC: I’m eager to see how it translates [laughs]. I think UK is no real worry. I’m interested to see how it translates in non-English speaking countries. Especially with an album that’s so centric on lyrical content and story content. I’m interested to see how it translates in Spain, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands… I think it’s going to be great. We’re just really excited to go to these places. I’ve never been to a lot of these countries, so it’s good to just go.
JD: How did you specifically fall into the Antlers?
DC: That’s probably a good way to put it, I kind of FELL INTO the group actually [chuckle]. I don’t know it’s weird. I knew Justin Stivers who played bass in the band a while ago and drums on a record I was working on. I was playing solo around town. Justin invited me to see a band he was joining. I went and it was Peter Silberman doing an acoustic set at Piano’s upstairs. I really liked it and Justin started playing bass for him. I went and saw a couple of the shows and I thought something was lacking. So I spoke to Peter and suggested a trumpet would be a good idea. He was into the idea of trumpet and bowed banjo. And it was really when a keyboard player at the time left that I got involved. Just about a year ago is when Justin left and started playing on his own. Peter was rehearsing a lot and getting ready for a tour and that’s when things really started to gel. We rehearsed a lot and kind of felt like we finally found our own sort of interesting sound as a band. Things started to make sense and pick up after that.
JD: You play an array of instruments for the band. What inspired you to play the trumpet, keyboard, bowed banjo and do you prefer one over the other?
DC: I play a lot of instruments so for me it’s more about playing what fits in and what’s necessary sound wise. I love playing the trumpet and bowed banjo. We had a bass player at the time so it made a little more sense to play these special instruments. Once Justin left and we didn’t have a bass player anymore it was more about finding something that made sense for me to play. Peter’s guitar works really sort of ambient and sort of atmospheric combined with Michael’s drumming so bass guitar started to make sense. So I started to do bass, synthesizer, bass synthesizer, keyboard styles and things like that. Lot’s of pedals and things, it’s more of a big sound generator at this point it’s not really an instrument [laughs].
JD: Where did the name The Antlers develop from? Was that a process you were involved in or did Peter have it before you became part of the group?
DC: Peter had it before. The way I understand it is that when you’re doing solo stuff it’s really hard for anyone to separate you from your music project. So you end up going up to people saying “Hey I’m Darby Cicci from the band Darby Cicci.” Peter started to, well he just picked a name and he started getting more responses to emails when after he changed it to The Antlers. He told me that it was from The Microphones song, “Antlers” but now he’s not sure it might have been from some girlfriend or something. It’s kind of hazy. At this point it’s just sort of a name. I wouldn’t say it doesn’t have any meaning but…
JD: It’s definitely good to have one of those old school band names. Some of these groups now have a name that’s seven words long like “Going to the Grocery Store for Eggs,” or something absurd like that…I don’t get it.
DC: Picking a band name is one of the hardest things for anybody to ever do. It’s really impossible. There are so many that are already taken in some variation of some band or have some native connotation with some band. Or it can’t be something you are going to get sick of. Like a lot of bands have really in the moment names that are hard to spell or remember. I don’t know how I would feel about something hard to spell or hard to pronounce [laughs] for a period of time. It’s good to have one that you can say and that’s easy to spell [laughs].
JD: What should we expect from The Antlers in the near and far future? Is there a follow up album, more tours?
DC: A new album is going to take a little while because we’ve been touring. It’s going to end up that we’ve been on the road nine months out of the year which is crazy. We’re definitely touring a lot through about mid-December. But then we’ll probably start to record and work on a record properly. We have some remixes that we’re finishing up now and will be done soon. Then a lot more touring. We don’t really know, we want to try and spend the winter a little bit sitting inside making music and seeing what happens. It could be a whole new record, it could be an EP, some remixes we don’t even know ourselves. But there will be something.
JD: Thanks man, sounds good, I truly appreciate you taking the time to speak with me. Keep making music and good luck overseas.
DC: Thank you Jarrod.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Interview with The Bony King of Nowhere (NYCTaper)
http://www.nyctaper.com/?p=1852
In his second interview for nyctaper.com, the writer Jarrod Dicker spoke with the artist.
The Bony King from Belgium
Bram Vanparys – The Bony King Of Nowhere
Bram is 22…Bram is Belgian…Bram is The Bony King of Nowhere, and yet, his name will be embryonic anywhere and everywhere in the “music race” within impending months heading into the New Year. Mr. Bram Vanparys is an emerging nu-folk composer who, earlier this year, released the debut album Alas My Love under Helicopter Records in Belgium. As he explains it, his music is honest (unique) and proffers something different, infusing his inimitable voice with harmonious/melodic backing guitars, vocals, resonance and percussion. His lyrics are customarily dramatic and his intention is to convey his sound across borders for all to favor and adore. Jarrod Dicker sat down with Bram to discuss his debut album, his first time in New York City, his obsession with the 1960’s and what we should expect from the Bony King of Nowhere in the future.
JD: Hey Bram…How are you enjoying your first trip to New York City?
BV: Well, it’s really nice over here. It’s my first time I’ve ever been to the states, so it’s a really nice experience. I love it over here.
JD: As you stated, this is your North American debut tour. You recently played at Rockwood Music Hall on October 12th and soon after Crash Mansion on the 15th. How does this experience differ from playing venues overseas, specifically at home in Belgium?
BV: To me the biggest difference is the way clubs are. In Belgium the clubs are really accessible. In New York it’s harder for a band to schedule shows and to make money with their performance. In Belgium, when you play in a café around the corner, you can easily earn 100 Euros. In America it seems to be more difficult to make money with your music. So you almost have to invest money because you have to pay for taxis and for instrument expenses. I just think it’s harder in New York for a musician to survive and play shows, however I like this atmosphere. I like the way that you have to fight to get into the clubs. I really like it.
JD: And how would you describe the NYC crowd’s acceptance of your music?
BV: Acceptance is a bit hard. The first show at Rockwood was pretty early, it was around 6pm. So there were few people about at that time. It’s also difficult because I do my own booking and I don’t really know how to promote for the shows. For me this is also a learning process [laughs]. To book a tour in New York is certainly a learning process. Crash Mansion was a totally different club from the Rockwood… it was more of a hard rock theme club. I don’t think it was a good idea for me to play there. I just booked it and didn’t really know what kind of club it was. I felt that the more clubs I could play the better. Maybe I should have skipped it because it was more of a fancy/hard rock venue. The band playing before us was doing covers of TOOL and stuff.
JD: Oh so when you say “hard rock” you mean that the music was hard and extremely heavy as well, correct?
BV: Yes it was pretty heavy. The public was also a bit strange, all these 30 year old men in suits and ties. It seems they just got out of work and were drinking beers with their mates. I don’t think it was “our” crowd, the crowd we’re used to.
JD: The Bony King of Nowhere is unique due to your specific and distinctive voice. Were you a classically trained vocalist or did you find your niche through random acts and exploration?
BV: I’ve been playing music now for almost 5 years and in the beginning I was just singing songs from the Radiohead catalog; not on the guitar, I just sang along with the CD [laughs]. That’s how I discovered that I really loved to sing. I also learned a lot from the way Thom Yorke sings and the way Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy sings. So that’s how I discovered my voice in a way. I didn’t really discover it; it was there anyway so…I guess I got lucky [chuckles].
JD: Your songs are very melodic in their backing vocals, guitar sound layers and percussion. This is similar to that of Queen, the Beach Boys in that you incorporate these melodic strategies to build harmonies and other musical tactics. Who specifically influenced your desire to integrate melodies & harmonies within your music?
BV: I think it’s mostly influenced from different kind of groups like, of course, Radiohead but also the guys that make music for films and who made soundtracks back in the 50’s for western movies. I really enjoy that kind of music as well. Also stuff like Neil Young, Bob Dylan and the Beatles. It’s mostly 60’s stuff; I don’t really love the music right now. I am inspired by the 60’s musicians like modern groups Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear are.
JD: Your lyrics are exceptionally dramatic. Where does the content for your lyrics derive from? Is it personal or is it more a brew up of words?
BV: Yes mostly I just brew up words. Some songs are personal of course. I don’t always have a story to tell, sometimes words just come and afterwards I make a meaning out of them. My song, Maria is about a man who’s dying and he addresses Maria, or Mary the holy virgin, that he really likes the way he lays there in his bed dying and being very ill. It’s just a song about…Well…I think you must feel very happy when you’re very ill laying there in a bed and you know you can rest at peace and not worry. I wanted to describe it in a song. The strange thing about it is I wrote this song about 3 years ago, and I recently bought an old guitar from a man and asked him why he was selling the instrument? He said that he was a guitarist and wanted to get rid of all his guitars because he was dying. He was very ill and only given a few months left to live. So the song Maria, for the album, I recorded with that guitar. To me it was really bizarre because I wrote that song so long ago and now it’s connected with this old man. The new songs I’m writing are more personal. A lot more personal. The lyrics are a lot more important than the first album. I’ve been listening to a lot of Bob Dylan. I think his is the best stuff ever made so far. He made me learn that lyrics are just as important as the music itself. The way you sing it is also very, very important as well.
JD: How has the feedback been from your premier album Alas My Love in Belgium, Europe and North America (if it could yet be measured)?
BV: In my own country it’s doing well. They play it very frequently on the radio and I’m surprised about that. To be honest, I don’t really care if people like it in my country because it’s such a small country. In the states, I don’t know because the record hasn’t been released here as of yet, so I don’t know what people think of it. I do know that some songs on the record were added to the soundtrack of a new American movie called, “Boy Meets Girl,” but it’s not released yet. It’s still being worked on. A Canadian man also used a song in one of his dance performances. It might work pretty well in the states I think, I’d love it to of course. I’m looking for a North American release right now so we’ll see about that.
JD: The album Alas my love was released on the label Helicopter Records. Do you enjoy being on a record label as opposed to doing it on your own, and also, have they been beneficial in the distribution of your album?
BV: It’s a very small record company. It’s only for Belgians but it does make things easier of course because you don’t have to distribute the music yourself. I love being a part of them.
JD: Jon Kelly, the infamous producer of Paul McCartney and Kate Bush, expressed much interest in mixing your debut album. Have you developed a relationship with him and how does it feel to be recognized by such a musical titan?
BV: It was a great honor just knowing his history and who he has worked with. It was a really big honor. But it’s pretty difficult to build up a relationship with a British guy [laughs] because they’re kind of reserved. It was really nice to work with him however. Everything he did was right. He really felt the same way about the music and the record as I did. It was a pretty amazing experience to work with such a man.
JD: When I listen to your music I hear a lot of connection to Sunny Afternoon and other Ray and Dave Davies material. Did they influence your direction for this record?
BV: No. I know them, of course, but I am not influenced by them because I don’t own any of their records. I should check them out definitely! I only know a few songs of theirs so…
JD: How has American music influenced you personally and that of Bony King of Nowhere as well?
BV: To be honest, I think American music is almost the only music I listen to except for a few British artists like the Beatles and stuff like that. I’m just not really interested in the music from my own country. I don’t know why that is. There is no such music in my country like Dylan and Neil Young. I can name 20, 30, 40 bands that I would never see in Belgium, so I don’t know how that comes to be. It seems that in Belgium, nobody is interested in Dylan, but I don’t know why that is [continuous laughter].
JD: Is the title of your group taken directly from Radiohead’s alternate title to their song There There?
BV: Yes that’s right.
JD: So would you say that Radiohead’s strong influence is responsible for bringing us the product of The Bony King of Nowhere?
BV: I have to be honest they’re really a big influence on me, but not really that big anymore because, as I said, I’m listening to a lot of ‘60s stuff right now. I think that the first record, like a lot of people said, sounded a lot like Radiohead and you can hear the influence real clearly. It is true that they influenced me a lot, but the second record will be more “honest” music I think. For the second record I am just going to record maybe a few takes, not like 20 takes for one song like Radiohead [chuckles]. I’m going to do it pretty fast… I’ll call it “honest.” Just one take and cut it. That’s another thing I admire about Dylan.
JD: What’s your initiative on changing modern music?
BV: I don’t really plan to change it because I don’t know if it needs to be changed. I think the music on the radio has always been what it was for almost 50-60 years now. I don’t know why I would change it. I think it’s wrong to have the intention to change something, I just think you have to do your stuff and see what happens. If people like it, that’s fine, and if people don’t like it, that’s fine too [laughs].
JD: When should we expect your second record? What else should we expect from the Bony King of Nowhere in the near future?
BV: I want to be the first Belgium artist to play a song on the David Letterman show. In Belgium, there is such a different climate in the music scene, and everybody seems to make rock music and stuff like that. I just don’t really like it. So I’m going to do something different from all the other bands. That’s what I really want to do. Just make my songs….and we’ll see what happens. Expect the new album in a bit!
JD: Well thanks a lot for your time Bram. I’m looking forward to seeing you at Arlene’s Grocery on the 25th hopefully. I know NYCTaper will be there.
BV: Thank you so much Jarrod. It’s my pleasure.
In his second interview for nyctaper.com, the writer Jarrod Dicker spoke with the artist.
The Bony King from Belgium
Bram Vanparys – The Bony King Of Nowhere
Bram is 22…Bram is Belgian…Bram is The Bony King of Nowhere, and yet, his name will be embryonic anywhere and everywhere in the “music race” within impending months heading into the New Year. Mr. Bram Vanparys is an emerging nu-folk composer who, earlier this year, released the debut album Alas My Love under Helicopter Records in Belgium. As he explains it, his music is honest (unique) and proffers something different, infusing his inimitable voice with harmonious/melodic backing guitars, vocals, resonance and percussion. His lyrics are customarily dramatic and his intention is to convey his sound across borders for all to favor and adore. Jarrod Dicker sat down with Bram to discuss his debut album, his first time in New York City, his obsession with the 1960’s and what we should expect from the Bony King of Nowhere in the future.
JD: Hey Bram…How are you enjoying your first trip to New York City?
BV: Well, it’s really nice over here. It’s my first time I’ve ever been to the states, so it’s a really nice experience. I love it over here.
JD: As you stated, this is your North American debut tour. You recently played at Rockwood Music Hall on October 12th and soon after Crash Mansion on the 15th. How does this experience differ from playing venues overseas, specifically at home in Belgium?
BV: To me the biggest difference is the way clubs are. In Belgium the clubs are really accessible. In New York it’s harder for a band to schedule shows and to make money with their performance. In Belgium, when you play in a café around the corner, you can easily earn 100 Euros. In America it seems to be more difficult to make money with your music. So you almost have to invest money because you have to pay for taxis and for instrument expenses. I just think it’s harder in New York for a musician to survive and play shows, however I like this atmosphere. I like the way that you have to fight to get into the clubs. I really like it.
JD: And how would you describe the NYC crowd’s acceptance of your music?
BV: Acceptance is a bit hard. The first show at Rockwood was pretty early, it was around 6pm. So there were few people about at that time. It’s also difficult because I do my own booking and I don’t really know how to promote for the shows. For me this is also a learning process [laughs]. To book a tour in New York is certainly a learning process. Crash Mansion was a totally different club from the Rockwood… it was more of a hard rock theme club. I don’t think it was a good idea for me to play there. I just booked it and didn’t really know what kind of club it was. I felt that the more clubs I could play the better. Maybe I should have skipped it because it was more of a fancy/hard rock venue. The band playing before us was doing covers of TOOL and stuff.
JD: Oh so when you say “hard rock” you mean that the music was hard and extremely heavy as well, correct?
BV: Yes it was pretty heavy. The public was also a bit strange, all these 30 year old men in suits and ties. It seems they just got out of work and were drinking beers with their mates. I don’t think it was “our” crowd, the crowd we’re used to.
JD: The Bony King of Nowhere is unique due to your specific and distinctive voice. Were you a classically trained vocalist or did you find your niche through random acts and exploration?
BV: I’ve been playing music now for almost 5 years and in the beginning I was just singing songs from the Radiohead catalog; not on the guitar, I just sang along with the CD [laughs]. That’s how I discovered that I really loved to sing. I also learned a lot from the way Thom Yorke sings and the way Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy sings. So that’s how I discovered my voice in a way. I didn’t really discover it; it was there anyway so…I guess I got lucky [chuckles].
JD: Your songs are very melodic in their backing vocals, guitar sound layers and percussion. This is similar to that of Queen, the Beach Boys in that you incorporate these melodic strategies to build harmonies and other musical tactics. Who specifically influenced your desire to integrate melodies & harmonies within your music?
BV: I think it’s mostly influenced from different kind of groups like, of course, Radiohead but also the guys that make music for films and who made soundtracks back in the 50’s for western movies. I really enjoy that kind of music as well. Also stuff like Neil Young, Bob Dylan and the Beatles. It’s mostly 60’s stuff; I don’t really love the music right now. I am inspired by the 60’s musicians like modern groups Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear are.
JD: Your lyrics are exceptionally dramatic. Where does the content for your lyrics derive from? Is it personal or is it more a brew up of words?
BV: Yes mostly I just brew up words. Some songs are personal of course. I don’t always have a story to tell, sometimes words just come and afterwards I make a meaning out of them. My song, Maria is about a man who’s dying and he addresses Maria, or Mary the holy virgin, that he really likes the way he lays there in his bed dying and being very ill. It’s just a song about…Well…I think you must feel very happy when you’re very ill laying there in a bed and you know you can rest at peace and not worry. I wanted to describe it in a song. The strange thing about it is I wrote this song about 3 years ago, and I recently bought an old guitar from a man and asked him why he was selling the instrument? He said that he was a guitarist and wanted to get rid of all his guitars because he was dying. He was very ill and only given a few months left to live. So the song Maria, for the album, I recorded with that guitar. To me it was really bizarre because I wrote that song so long ago and now it’s connected with this old man. The new songs I’m writing are more personal. A lot more personal. The lyrics are a lot more important than the first album. I’ve been listening to a lot of Bob Dylan. I think his is the best stuff ever made so far. He made me learn that lyrics are just as important as the music itself. The way you sing it is also very, very important as well.
JD: How has the feedback been from your premier album Alas My Love in Belgium, Europe and North America (if it could yet be measured)?
BV: In my own country it’s doing well. They play it very frequently on the radio and I’m surprised about that. To be honest, I don’t really care if people like it in my country because it’s such a small country. In the states, I don’t know because the record hasn’t been released here as of yet, so I don’t know what people think of it. I do know that some songs on the record were added to the soundtrack of a new American movie called, “Boy Meets Girl,” but it’s not released yet. It’s still being worked on. A Canadian man also used a song in one of his dance performances. It might work pretty well in the states I think, I’d love it to of course. I’m looking for a North American release right now so we’ll see about that.
JD: The album Alas my love was released on the label Helicopter Records. Do you enjoy being on a record label as opposed to doing it on your own, and also, have they been beneficial in the distribution of your album?
BV: It’s a very small record company. It’s only for Belgians but it does make things easier of course because you don’t have to distribute the music yourself. I love being a part of them.
JD: Jon Kelly, the infamous producer of Paul McCartney and Kate Bush, expressed much interest in mixing your debut album. Have you developed a relationship with him and how does it feel to be recognized by such a musical titan?
BV: It was a great honor just knowing his history and who he has worked with. It was a really big honor. But it’s pretty difficult to build up a relationship with a British guy [laughs] because they’re kind of reserved. It was really nice to work with him however. Everything he did was right. He really felt the same way about the music and the record as I did. It was a pretty amazing experience to work with such a man.
JD: When I listen to your music I hear a lot of connection to Sunny Afternoon and other Ray and Dave Davies material. Did they influence your direction for this record?
BV: No. I know them, of course, but I am not influenced by them because I don’t own any of their records. I should check them out definitely! I only know a few songs of theirs so…
JD: How has American music influenced you personally and that of Bony King of Nowhere as well?
BV: To be honest, I think American music is almost the only music I listen to except for a few British artists like the Beatles and stuff like that. I’m just not really interested in the music from my own country. I don’t know why that is. There is no such music in my country like Dylan and Neil Young. I can name 20, 30, 40 bands that I would never see in Belgium, so I don’t know how that comes to be. It seems that in Belgium, nobody is interested in Dylan, but I don’t know why that is [continuous laughter].
JD: Is the title of your group taken directly from Radiohead’s alternate title to their song There There?
BV: Yes that’s right.
JD: So would you say that Radiohead’s strong influence is responsible for bringing us the product of The Bony King of Nowhere?
BV: I have to be honest they’re really a big influence on me, but not really that big anymore because, as I said, I’m listening to a lot of ‘60s stuff right now. I think that the first record, like a lot of people said, sounded a lot like Radiohead and you can hear the influence real clearly. It is true that they influenced me a lot, but the second record will be more “honest” music I think. For the second record I am just going to record maybe a few takes, not like 20 takes for one song like Radiohead [chuckles]. I’m going to do it pretty fast… I’ll call it “honest.” Just one take and cut it. That’s another thing I admire about Dylan.
JD: What’s your initiative on changing modern music?
BV: I don’t really plan to change it because I don’t know if it needs to be changed. I think the music on the radio has always been what it was for almost 50-60 years now. I don’t know why I would change it. I think it’s wrong to have the intention to change something, I just think you have to do your stuff and see what happens. If people like it, that’s fine, and if people don’t like it, that’s fine too [laughs].
JD: When should we expect your second record? What else should we expect from the Bony King of Nowhere in the near future?
BV: I want to be the first Belgium artist to play a song on the David Letterman show. In Belgium, there is such a different climate in the music scene, and everybody seems to make rock music and stuff like that. I just don’t really like it. So I’m going to do something different from all the other bands. That’s what I really want to do. Just make my songs….and we’ll see what happens. Expect the new album in a bit!
JD: Well thanks a lot for your time Bram. I’m looking forward to seeing you at Arlene’s Grocery on the 25th hopefully. I know NYCTaper will be there.
BV: Thank you so much Jarrod. It’s my pleasure.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Interview with RyMo of Slightly Stoopid (StayThirsty)
http://www.staythirstymedia.com/200910-038/html/200910-ryan-moran-slightly-stoopid-int.html
Slightly Stoopid and completely kick-ass, this Ocean Beach, San Diego band has been flooding the industry with reggae, punk and rock infused stylee’ (as Bradley would say) since 1996. After being signed to Skunk Records by Brad Nowell, Slightly Stoopid took control of their musical reins and rode their uniquely infused fashion and rhythm up the industry’s hierarchy, hitting the road and living the true grassroots rock n' roll lifestyle. Now a veteran group, Stoopid is headlining shows and collaborating with bands throughout the world. Front-man Miles Doughty states, “For us, the most important thing in the future, we just want to stay busy and always playing music – whether creating, touring, or just sitting on your couch and jamming. I think we'll always be recording. And just have fun – without the fun part, it aint worth it.” Amen. Jarrod Dicker speaks with drummer Ryan Moran and gets the lowdown behind the life, the partying and most importantly, the music that makes Slightly Stoopid…well…so BADASS!
THIRSTY: Who are Slightly Stoopid’s musical inspirations?
Rymo: Back in the old school or currently?
THIRSTY: Back in the old days… prior to Bradley Nowell signing the band in ‘96.
Rymo: There’s a lot of punk rock, honestly. In the beginning when Miles and Kyle started the band, they were listening to Operation Ivy, Rancid, Pennywise, Bad Religion, NOFX, tons of punk rock stuff. A lot of reggae influence too, you know. Of course Bob, but way deeper than just the Marley stuff like Barrington Levy, Half Pint,Yellow Man, Beenie Man, Buju Banton. Kind of all parallels of reggae, punk rock and ska…stuff like that.
THIRSTY: Specifically your role in Slightly Stoopid…Who were the main musicians that propelled you towards wanting to become a drummer?
Rymo: Who were MY main? Hmmm, well I started playing drums when I was a kid. There’s kind of a funny story I like to talk about involving my sister. I was bumping tons of Casey Kasem’s top 40 and all that crap, listening to that and “Putting on the Ritz” and all those 80’s cuts. My sister was into rock and punk, just the different styles of music. So she came into my room one day and gave me this cassette tape of a Led Zeppelin mix, and that changed my whole world. I started listening to Led Zeppelin, which became my favorite band when I was like 10. I would start playing drums along with John Bonham. That was sort of the beginning of it all. Then I went through tons of other influences like The Who, Motley Crue, Rush, and Living Colour. After the rock thing I started getting into a bunch of jazz. I got way into a lot of Jazz groups throughout high school and college. Kind of a pretty broad gamut of influences on me personally.
THIRSTY: How much does California shape the type of music Slightly Stoopid produces?
Rymo: I think California has an obviously great influence on us because we LIVE the California lifestyle. A lot of people that listen to this music...well let’s say it’s a popular genre and it’s fun...a lot of people can pick up a guitar, learn three chords and try to skank along and stuff. I think to really truly play it, and mean it; you also have to live that lifestyle of surfing, skateboarding, smoking, partying and having fun. We try to bring a little bit of the beach into the music because we’re all beach heads. You can’t really fake that. We just kind of grew up living that lifestyle and listening to those styles of music. We sort of bring the true California essence into what we do because we’re all born and bred here. I think that shows through the music.
THIRSTY: Marijuana is cherished in Slightly Stoopid’s lyrics. Is that more of a shtick or is that all real? The constant chronic smoking…
Rymo: Oh that’s no bull. It’s totally real, no shtick about it. The guys sing a lot about it because it’s a big part of their life and our lives in general. Why fake it? Spreading the happiness of the herbs…there it is.
THIRSTY: How far back does your relationship go with Kyle and Miles?
Rymo: I’ve known them for probably eight years, and I’ve been a part of the band for six. Back in the day, I played with another group and we toured through the western region for three or four weeks. So we [Miles, Kyle and Rymo] got to know one another as friends and on an acquaintance level then. We also lived in the same neighborhood of Ocean Beach, San Diego, so we always knew of each other. We knew who we were from the scene even before we met officially eight years ago. So we go a little ways back.
THIRSTY: So when you joined Slightly Stoopid six years back, were they already something that you knew you could bank on? Their first LP was made in ’96 after signing with Bradley to Skunk Records, so they already had some history. Did you know that they really had something going on?
Rymo: Yea, I mean, for me I liked the music because when I toured with them in the past I thought they had some really great songs...something different, something cool. By the time everything came full circle and they basically invited me in, I knew it was already a place I would like to be. In fact, aside from the musical influences we had in common, it was also going back to the lifestyle thing...surfing, skating, smoking. I knew we were going to get along on a lot of levels, so it was sort of a natural choice. The group I was playing with before them, at about the exact time, was sort of at a stand-still, or a plateau so to speak. It just sort of came along at the right time. They gave me a call, and the group I was with was planning to take time off and make a record…be off the road. We were already all broke, barely making enough money to pay our bills. So when Miles and Kyle gave me a call they said, “Hey we have this big tour lined up, we need someone that can fill in and we think you’re the guy.” And I just said, yea I’m there! It was no looking back, just upward and forward from there. It’s been a good ride.
THIRSTY: Did you ever get the opportunity to cross paths with Brad Nowell?
Rymo: You know, I didn’t. I didn’t get to meet him. I heard of Sublime, of course, in the mid ‘90s and in San Diego I had friends that were really into them who were from LA. They had all the early records like 40oz to Freedom and Second Hand Smoke, Robbin’ the Hood, one of the first EPs. I knew who they were, and thought that the stuff was cool but I never got a chance to meet Brad.
THIRSTY: And now, other Sublime notables like Bud and Eric are musicians you see frequently, no?
Rymo: Kind of, I’ve never really met Bud. I played shows with Eric and Long Beach Dub. There is still a connection between our management and Sublimes old management with the Gasoline Alley thing. We were essentially the little brother band, and then when that whole Sublime thing sort of ended, we were the next one’s in line to continue on in that genre between Sublime and the formation of Long Beach Dub. That was sort of the natural progression of things.
THIRSTY: Slightly Stoopid is continuously touring, estimating around 150 shows a year. Is there a favorite place you guys like to go? Country or state?
Rymo: Anywhere where there’s a coast line, to be honest with you. Within the country we do really well, and we actually have a very decent following around the entire country now which is great. Outside of the immediate country we love to go to Hawaii, Guam, Japan, Australia those kind of places that are warm and fun, we love those places. We’re getting ready now to go to Europe in a week or two. We definitely prefer to be somewhere warm and sunny with a nice coastline. It’s part of the job. You’re paid to basically travel and music’s the fun part [haha].
THIRSTY: Is there a specific venue where you guys love to play?
Rymo: There have been a few, but definitely Red Rocks in Colorado is one of my favorites, and the Greek Theatre in Berkeley. I used to go see shows there when I was a kid, because I’m originally from San Francisco. It’s a real cool honor to have had seen shows somewhere and then you get to eventually play there. The Gorge in Washington is totally beautiful, definitely on par with the finest natural beauty and surroundings, and a great “nice feeling” venue. We played Central Park a few years back and had a great time there. We wanted to go back, but kind of got banned [haha]. We would like to play there again. That’s a legendary place to me, if you look back on the acts that have played there it’s basically a “who’s who” of musicians who’ve played there. I like playing venues where the four fathers have been, the heavyweights…those are the places that I look at and say this is cool, we’re playing where the Grateful Dead used to play, or Dave Matthews played here last week and now we’re headlining it. It’s an honor to follow these bands that are really in “that thing” and they make a touring blueprint that we’re following. Not mainstream pop acts but more grassroots/blue collar groups who tour and tour and tour like Phish or a Pink Floyd, Santana thing back in the day, an act that’s built on touring. To think those guys played it and now we get to play it, you know? COOL!
THIRSTY: Slightly Stoopid is on their own independent label, Stoopid Records. What are the perks with having your own label? Do you enjoy it?
Rymo: Absolutely. We have control over our catalog which is huge because people commonly mistake the idea of a record deal. It is essentially like a glorified loan, someone’s giving you 100, 200, 300,000,000 dollars to record an album that they want to promote, that they’re initially interested in. If they don’t like it, then maybe you get to keep the 10k or whatever they let you put in your pocket, but the rest of that money freezes and they can shelf your album, never to be seen again. It will end up on the shelves somewhere and then the record label owns you and your balls. So, when you have an independent thing, what we’ve been able to do fortunately is preserve the ownership of all our music. We own our masters, we decide what artistic direction we’re going to take on every disc, it’s not like we have to go to a studio and please some guy in a suit in a tie. You know? Some idiot that doesn’t even know about music. It’s like we want to put music out that we think the fans are going to like or else what’s the point? We don’t have to please some dude in a suit that doesn’t know musically his ass from his elbow...we don’t have to do that with our own independent thing, we call the shots. So there we have artistic freedom and artistic power in that. That is, I mean, it’s like nothing else, that’s the most important perk that exists.
There are obviously advantages with going with a major label when you have a machine working behind you. You have people paying to get you on radio stations, and your marketing team gets you on the cover of Rolling Stone whether you deserve it or not. But when you do it underground grassroots, you get a more loyal fan base and a more true respect because the musicianship always shines in a touring atmosphere. That’s the funny thing when you look at all the bands who come and go and change their style every five years to whatever’s “hip” right now. All these bands have spiked hair and look like they haven’t showered in two weeks and are wearing eyeliner. Years ago, all those bands trying to do the rap/rock thing, and five years before that they were trying to do something else, whatever the flavor of the moment was. So it’s like we just look at those other bands and say “look nice try but were not dressing up or dolling ourselves up to go with whatever metro trend exists right now.” We dress the same as we did when we started. What you see is what you get. Musically that allows “it” [the music] to stand on its own two feet. We aren’t dolling it up with a bunch of makeup and light.
THIRSTY: Stoopid’s played with various other musicians. Which one specifically was your favorite that you truly enjoyed collaborating with on stage?
Rymo: We just did a pretty fun tour this past summer. To date, it was one of my favorite tours because we had Mickey Avalon, Stephen Marley and Snoop Dogg. We were co-headlining with Snoop so we would switch who would headline each night. We had him come on stage with us a couple nights, and Stephen Marley came up and sang with us on a couple tunes. It was just so fun because here we are, guys who grew up listening to Snoop. Of course in more recent years Stephen, Damian and Ziggy Marley in that matter, listening to that too. And to be able to play with these guys and have them sit in with us is just a huge honor. Not to mention it was all the way around really fun, and all three camps were totally getting along and hanging out every day. That was one of my favorite tours. And we’ve had the opportunity to play with a bunch of different bands and all types of music. Our favorite tours are ones where we’re all hanging out. All the bands are gelling and creating one big happy family. If you’re on the road for a month you’re seeing the same guys every day, day in and day out seven days a week. It’s the same crew guys and band guys so if you could get along and high five and work out the social atmosphere it’s great. We’ve also been on other tours where we haven’t gotten any love on a social level. I won’t mention any names, but this one particular band that I was a huge fan of weren’t showing any love. They weren’t even trying to talk to us. We know those guys are cool but they aint THAT cool. To us, the most important thing is to be on a good social level. You have to create a fun atmosphere where everyone can get along and hang out. The best about this last tour was everyone getting along, grooving, great fun.
THIRSTY: Is there a specific song or album that you were a part of that you were extremely happy with? Or one that’s extremely personal to you?
Rymo: Yea I have a lot of favorite tunes. Man... I’m happy with every album I’ve been a part of. We’ve done three studio albums since I’ve been in the band and one live double disc. I’m really happy with each of them; they’re all a little different and highlight different evolutions of the band. My favorite songs that we’ve done as we go is “Collie Man” and “Closer to the Sun,” a couple of my favorites, couple of Kyle’s tunes. I like the mellow stuff but I also like the stuff that’s more punk rock depending on my mood like “Righteous Man.”
THIRSTY: What’s currently going on in the Slightly Stoopid camp? What should the fans expect after the European tour? Is there a new album? More touring?
Rymo: After this…well we’re just coming off this fun Snoop tour and playing huge amphitheaters, selling tons of tickets. We’re going over to Europe and trying to start from scratch there. No matter how big and how much better things get there’s still so much to grab, it’s a big world out there. We’re basically going over to Europe to start over, playing for 200-500 people a night at smaller clubs and bars and little music venues. So we’ll be over there for about three weeks doing different things and traveling our asses off. Once we get home from there…well we just recently got this new jam studio/office space and it’s been great because we haven’t really had a really good place where we can leave all our shit set up and jam and have all our road gear and things sort of in the same building. It’s always like you have some gear at your house, at the studio, in the storage space. Now we have everything in a centralized place and I think between now and after the next tours over we’re going to get back and start writing and refining some tunes in the studio here. I think the next album is going to be great because we’re going to have a lot more time and energy to focus on the new record. We’re hoping to get something out by the summer of next year.
THIRSTY: Good luck to you guys in Europe. You truly do great stuff and I’m sure they’ll love it over there. I’d love as soon as you guys come back and release a new album to speak with the group again, it was great fun.
Rymo: That’d be great, I think we’ll be in the NY area in November.
THIRSTY: Sounds great. Good luck man.
Rymo: Thanks Jarrod, appreciate it, talk to you soon.
Slightly Stoopid and completely kick-ass, this Ocean Beach, San Diego band has been flooding the industry with reggae, punk and rock infused stylee’ (as Bradley would say) since 1996. After being signed to Skunk Records by Brad Nowell, Slightly Stoopid took control of their musical reins and rode their uniquely infused fashion and rhythm up the industry’s hierarchy, hitting the road and living the true grassroots rock n' roll lifestyle. Now a veteran group, Stoopid is headlining shows and collaborating with bands throughout the world. Front-man Miles Doughty states, “For us, the most important thing in the future, we just want to stay busy and always playing music – whether creating, touring, or just sitting on your couch and jamming. I think we'll always be recording. And just have fun – without the fun part, it aint worth it.” Amen. Jarrod Dicker speaks with drummer Ryan Moran and gets the lowdown behind the life, the partying and most importantly, the music that makes Slightly Stoopid…well…so BADASS!
THIRSTY: Who are Slightly Stoopid’s musical inspirations?
Rymo: Back in the old school or currently?
THIRSTY: Back in the old days… prior to Bradley Nowell signing the band in ‘96.
Rymo: There’s a lot of punk rock, honestly. In the beginning when Miles and Kyle started the band, they were listening to Operation Ivy, Rancid, Pennywise, Bad Religion, NOFX, tons of punk rock stuff. A lot of reggae influence too, you know. Of course Bob, but way deeper than just the Marley stuff like Barrington Levy, Half Pint,Yellow Man, Beenie Man, Buju Banton. Kind of all parallels of reggae, punk rock and ska…stuff like that.
THIRSTY: Specifically your role in Slightly Stoopid…Who were the main musicians that propelled you towards wanting to become a drummer?
Rymo: Who were MY main? Hmmm, well I started playing drums when I was a kid. There’s kind of a funny story I like to talk about involving my sister. I was bumping tons of Casey Kasem’s top 40 and all that crap, listening to that and “Putting on the Ritz” and all those 80’s cuts. My sister was into rock and punk, just the different styles of music. So she came into my room one day and gave me this cassette tape of a Led Zeppelin mix, and that changed my whole world. I started listening to Led Zeppelin, which became my favorite band when I was like 10. I would start playing drums along with John Bonham. That was sort of the beginning of it all. Then I went through tons of other influences like The Who, Motley Crue, Rush, and Living Colour. After the rock thing I started getting into a bunch of jazz. I got way into a lot of Jazz groups throughout high school and college. Kind of a pretty broad gamut of influences on me personally.
THIRSTY: How much does California shape the type of music Slightly Stoopid produces?
Rymo: I think California has an obviously great influence on us because we LIVE the California lifestyle. A lot of people that listen to this music...well let’s say it’s a popular genre and it’s fun...a lot of people can pick up a guitar, learn three chords and try to skank along and stuff. I think to really truly play it, and mean it; you also have to live that lifestyle of surfing, skateboarding, smoking, partying and having fun. We try to bring a little bit of the beach into the music because we’re all beach heads. You can’t really fake that. We just kind of grew up living that lifestyle and listening to those styles of music. We sort of bring the true California essence into what we do because we’re all born and bred here. I think that shows through the music.
THIRSTY: Marijuana is cherished in Slightly Stoopid’s lyrics. Is that more of a shtick or is that all real? The constant chronic smoking…
Rymo: Oh that’s no bull. It’s totally real, no shtick about it. The guys sing a lot about it because it’s a big part of their life and our lives in general. Why fake it? Spreading the happiness of the herbs…there it is.
THIRSTY: How far back does your relationship go with Kyle and Miles?
Rymo: I’ve known them for probably eight years, and I’ve been a part of the band for six. Back in the day, I played with another group and we toured through the western region for three or four weeks. So we [Miles, Kyle and Rymo] got to know one another as friends and on an acquaintance level then. We also lived in the same neighborhood of Ocean Beach, San Diego, so we always knew of each other. We knew who we were from the scene even before we met officially eight years ago. So we go a little ways back.
THIRSTY: So when you joined Slightly Stoopid six years back, were they already something that you knew you could bank on? Their first LP was made in ’96 after signing with Bradley to Skunk Records, so they already had some history. Did you know that they really had something going on?
Rymo: Yea, I mean, for me I liked the music because when I toured with them in the past I thought they had some really great songs...something different, something cool. By the time everything came full circle and they basically invited me in, I knew it was already a place I would like to be. In fact, aside from the musical influences we had in common, it was also going back to the lifestyle thing...surfing, skating, smoking. I knew we were going to get along on a lot of levels, so it was sort of a natural choice. The group I was playing with before them, at about the exact time, was sort of at a stand-still, or a plateau so to speak. It just sort of came along at the right time. They gave me a call, and the group I was with was planning to take time off and make a record…be off the road. We were already all broke, barely making enough money to pay our bills. So when Miles and Kyle gave me a call they said, “Hey we have this big tour lined up, we need someone that can fill in and we think you’re the guy.” And I just said, yea I’m there! It was no looking back, just upward and forward from there. It’s been a good ride.
THIRSTY: Did you ever get the opportunity to cross paths with Brad Nowell?
Rymo: You know, I didn’t. I didn’t get to meet him. I heard of Sublime, of course, in the mid ‘90s and in San Diego I had friends that were really into them who were from LA. They had all the early records like 40oz to Freedom and Second Hand Smoke, Robbin’ the Hood, one of the first EPs. I knew who they were, and thought that the stuff was cool but I never got a chance to meet Brad.
THIRSTY: And now, other Sublime notables like Bud and Eric are musicians you see frequently, no?
Rymo: Kind of, I’ve never really met Bud. I played shows with Eric and Long Beach Dub. There is still a connection between our management and Sublimes old management with the Gasoline Alley thing. We were essentially the little brother band, and then when that whole Sublime thing sort of ended, we were the next one’s in line to continue on in that genre between Sublime and the formation of Long Beach Dub. That was sort of the natural progression of things.
THIRSTY: Slightly Stoopid is continuously touring, estimating around 150 shows a year. Is there a favorite place you guys like to go? Country or state?
Rymo: Anywhere where there’s a coast line, to be honest with you. Within the country we do really well, and we actually have a very decent following around the entire country now which is great. Outside of the immediate country we love to go to Hawaii, Guam, Japan, Australia those kind of places that are warm and fun, we love those places. We’re getting ready now to go to Europe in a week or two. We definitely prefer to be somewhere warm and sunny with a nice coastline. It’s part of the job. You’re paid to basically travel and music’s the fun part [haha].
THIRSTY: Is there a specific venue where you guys love to play?
Rymo: There have been a few, but definitely Red Rocks in Colorado is one of my favorites, and the Greek Theatre in Berkeley. I used to go see shows there when I was a kid, because I’m originally from San Francisco. It’s a real cool honor to have had seen shows somewhere and then you get to eventually play there. The Gorge in Washington is totally beautiful, definitely on par with the finest natural beauty and surroundings, and a great “nice feeling” venue. We played Central Park a few years back and had a great time there. We wanted to go back, but kind of got banned [haha]. We would like to play there again. That’s a legendary place to me, if you look back on the acts that have played there it’s basically a “who’s who” of musicians who’ve played there. I like playing venues where the four fathers have been, the heavyweights…those are the places that I look at and say this is cool, we’re playing where the Grateful Dead used to play, or Dave Matthews played here last week and now we’re headlining it. It’s an honor to follow these bands that are really in “that thing” and they make a touring blueprint that we’re following. Not mainstream pop acts but more grassroots/blue collar groups who tour and tour and tour like Phish or a Pink Floyd, Santana thing back in the day, an act that’s built on touring. To think those guys played it and now we get to play it, you know? COOL!
THIRSTY: Slightly Stoopid is on their own independent label, Stoopid Records. What are the perks with having your own label? Do you enjoy it?
Rymo: Absolutely. We have control over our catalog which is huge because people commonly mistake the idea of a record deal. It is essentially like a glorified loan, someone’s giving you 100, 200, 300,000,000 dollars to record an album that they want to promote, that they’re initially interested in. If they don’t like it, then maybe you get to keep the 10k or whatever they let you put in your pocket, but the rest of that money freezes and they can shelf your album, never to be seen again. It will end up on the shelves somewhere and then the record label owns you and your balls. So, when you have an independent thing, what we’ve been able to do fortunately is preserve the ownership of all our music. We own our masters, we decide what artistic direction we’re going to take on every disc, it’s not like we have to go to a studio and please some guy in a suit in a tie. You know? Some idiot that doesn’t even know about music. It’s like we want to put music out that we think the fans are going to like or else what’s the point? We don’t have to please some dude in a suit that doesn’t know musically his ass from his elbow...we don’t have to do that with our own independent thing, we call the shots. So there we have artistic freedom and artistic power in that. That is, I mean, it’s like nothing else, that’s the most important perk that exists.
There are obviously advantages with going with a major label when you have a machine working behind you. You have people paying to get you on radio stations, and your marketing team gets you on the cover of Rolling Stone whether you deserve it or not. But when you do it underground grassroots, you get a more loyal fan base and a more true respect because the musicianship always shines in a touring atmosphere. That’s the funny thing when you look at all the bands who come and go and change their style every five years to whatever’s “hip” right now. All these bands have spiked hair and look like they haven’t showered in two weeks and are wearing eyeliner. Years ago, all those bands trying to do the rap/rock thing, and five years before that they were trying to do something else, whatever the flavor of the moment was. So it’s like we just look at those other bands and say “look nice try but were not dressing up or dolling ourselves up to go with whatever metro trend exists right now.” We dress the same as we did when we started. What you see is what you get. Musically that allows “it” [the music] to stand on its own two feet. We aren’t dolling it up with a bunch of makeup and light.
THIRSTY: Stoopid’s played with various other musicians. Which one specifically was your favorite that you truly enjoyed collaborating with on stage?
Rymo: We just did a pretty fun tour this past summer. To date, it was one of my favorite tours because we had Mickey Avalon, Stephen Marley and Snoop Dogg. We were co-headlining with Snoop so we would switch who would headline each night. We had him come on stage with us a couple nights, and Stephen Marley came up and sang with us on a couple tunes. It was just so fun because here we are, guys who grew up listening to Snoop. Of course in more recent years Stephen, Damian and Ziggy Marley in that matter, listening to that too. And to be able to play with these guys and have them sit in with us is just a huge honor. Not to mention it was all the way around really fun, and all three camps were totally getting along and hanging out every day. That was one of my favorite tours. And we’ve had the opportunity to play with a bunch of different bands and all types of music. Our favorite tours are ones where we’re all hanging out. All the bands are gelling and creating one big happy family. If you’re on the road for a month you’re seeing the same guys every day, day in and day out seven days a week. It’s the same crew guys and band guys so if you could get along and high five and work out the social atmosphere it’s great. We’ve also been on other tours where we haven’t gotten any love on a social level. I won’t mention any names, but this one particular band that I was a huge fan of weren’t showing any love. They weren’t even trying to talk to us. We know those guys are cool but they aint THAT cool. To us, the most important thing is to be on a good social level. You have to create a fun atmosphere where everyone can get along and hang out. The best about this last tour was everyone getting along, grooving, great fun.
THIRSTY: Is there a specific song or album that you were a part of that you were extremely happy with? Or one that’s extremely personal to you?
Rymo: Yea I have a lot of favorite tunes. Man... I’m happy with every album I’ve been a part of. We’ve done three studio albums since I’ve been in the band and one live double disc. I’m really happy with each of them; they’re all a little different and highlight different evolutions of the band. My favorite songs that we’ve done as we go is “Collie Man” and “Closer to the Sun,” a couple of my favorites, couple of Kyle’s tunes. I like the mellow stuff but I also like the stuff that’s more punk rock depending on my mood like “Righteous Man.”
THIRSTY: What’s currently going on in the Slightly Stoopid camp? What should the fans expect after the European tour? Is there a new album? More touring?
Rymo: After this…well we’re just coming off this fun Snoop tour and playing huge amphitheaters, selling tons of tickets. We’re going over to Europe and trying to start from scratch there. No matter how big and how much better things get there’s still so much to grab, it’s a big world out there. We’re basically going over to Europe to start over, playing for 200-500 people a night at smaller clubs and bars and little music venues. So we’ll be over there for about three weeks doing different things and traveling our asses off. Once we get home from there…well we just recently got this new jam studio/office space and it’s been great because we haven’t really had a really good place where we can leave all our shit set up and jam and have all our road gear and things sort of in the same building. It’s always like you have some gear at your house, at the studio, in the storage space. Now we have everything in a centralized place and I think between now and after the next tours over we’re going to get back and start writing and refining some tunes in the studio here. I think the next album is going to be great because we’re going to have a lot more time and energy to focus on the new record. We’re hoping to get something out by the summer of next year.
THIRSTY: Good luck to you guys in Europe. You truly do great stuff and I’m sure they’ll love it over there. I’d love as soon as you guys come back and release a new album to speak with the group again, it was great fun.
Rymo: That’d be great, I think we’ll be in the NY area in November.
THIRSTY: Sounds great. Good luck man.
Rymo: Thanks Jarrod, appreciate it, talk to you soon.
Interview with Danny Fields Part 3 (StayThirsty)
http://www.staythirstymedia.com/200910-038/html/200910-danny-fields-pt3.html
This is the final installment of the Danny Fields trilogy. We've canvassed his various associations in the rock n' roll industry by highlighting his involvement with The Doors, The Ramones, The MC5, Iggy and the Stooges, Jon Richman and much more. We spent time looking into his life with The Factory, befriending Andy Warhol, Paul Morrisey and Edie Sedgwick to name a few. I was able to dive deeper into his history and touch on his personal life; growing up in Queens, the relationship he had with his family, moving to Boston and landing a life in radio and music. Now as we approach the final stage in the Stay Thirsty interview of Danny Fields, we elaborate about a woman he loved...his best friend...Linda Eastman McCartney. Enjoy.
“I wish I didn't have to write this book. I wish Linda was still here, working on her myriad projects, inspiring people and making them feel so much better for her presence, saving the lives of animals, being the wonderful friend that she was and - this most of all, because it mattered most to her - being the great wife and best friend of one of the most talented men of our century, and mother to their four children.” - Preface of "Linda McCartney: A Portrait" by Danny Fields
THIRSTY: So, continuing from last time, did you have a relationship with Paul?
DF: Well we were connected by Linda. She went to England with her daughter upon his invitation. We had both been in Los Angeles the summer of that year. She was doing a big spread - Aretha Franklin - for Vogue or something. I mean she was already HUGE, to shoot Aretha Franklin. She was BIG. Linda was moving on up and certainly in that profession. You didn’t have to be a genius to see how good her work was. You know? WOW.
THIRSTY: And she did it all on her own right? Well, without Paul…yet.
DF: Yes. And then she said to me, “Aw Paul wants me to go London and bring Heather. I don’t know.” I said, you don’t know what [scream]? Linda replies, “Well I don’t know, what if he says this to everybody?” blah blah blah. I said, I don’t think he tells everybody to bring their five-year old daughter, Linda and if it doesn’t work out your fathers’ rich, you can come back to America…AND you’re bound to shoot A LOT of stars there and meet a lot of, what should I say, tricks. So it’s not so bad to go to London where you’ve been several times. So...she went and we stopped (boom) nothing not a word.
THIRSTY: That sucks, after all those years.
DF: And you know people and friends of hers that would talk to her six times a day never heard a word…maybe a post card. I got an occasional postcard with one word “ZOWIE” or “OO AHH,” something like that. You know just like going, “Hey, I’m here, I’m alive.” Which considering this is about the time PAUL IS DEAD was emerging, and she married him. Are they even alive [snicker]? You know? [laughs]
THIRSTY: Do you think there was a specific reason that she became so disengaged?
DF: I think he said to her...let’s just put two and two together. I think he said to her, “Your friends in New York are mostly writers, journalists and reporters.” They were well-connected...Life Magazine and the Village Voice. It seemed Paul did not want her being in touch with her friends the gossip gals in up and coming New York fashion journalism or gossip journalism…rock and roll whatever. And I think he just put the lid on because the women were so...well, when she finally emerged none of the women would have anything to do with her.
THIRSTY: Wow…no second chances on that end, ay?
DF: These were powerful women. They never forgave her. I didn’t feel so abandoned. She called me one night and said, “Hiiiii, it’s me!” I knew that she’d been married and pregnant fall/winter of 1968. I never thought they would call me and come over. Linda goes “Guess what? Paul is doing his first solo album and he doesn’t like...what does this promotion mean? And whatya have to do?” They had been so shielded from knowing how it worked...all they knew was girls screamed and they ran.
THIRSTY: What was their relationship like from the inside? Or, let’s say, from what you know or assume? Did it cause any friction in the Beatles’ camp?
DF: John and Paul certainly had an incredible dependency on one another...that was his partner and he suddenly changed partners [John to Linda]. He didn’t literally change partners and John didn’t literally change partners when he married Cynthia...Paul was just dating and flirting around most the time. But Linda, Linda was his partner man. She was carrying his unborn child and they both changed their lives for each other. She got him off his ass and he made the album “RAM” (1971). His first official solo album...
THIRSTY: So when she called for your promotional advice...what was asked?
DF: She continued with publicity questions. “How does it get played on the radio?’ she asked. ‘How do you get stories in the newspaper?” I mean they knew it got done, but ...they were picking my brain. I didn’t mind, that’s what you do for friends. I LOVED HER. I wasn’t thinking about what happened in the past.
THIRSTY: Do you have any experiences or stories with the ever so famous, “Paul is Dead” myth?
DF: Eventually, I think, they had to invite people up to the place. They had spent months living in a cottage in the northern, western something, with dirt floors. And she had a five-year old and a baby on the way. They would go to the well and wash...wherever they got water. She said, you know, every woman in the world hates me, and they’re jealous of me because they think I’m a fairytale princess. AND I’M LIVING WITH DIRT FLOORS! If that’s wonderful I don’t know, what a fairy tale. She made him put a floor down. People were coming from LIFE magazine to prove that he was alive...the whole Paul is Dead thing. It happened then and there. They were living with pots of water hanging from the ceiling and a wood fire in the living room.
THIRSTY: Did Linda come back and visit you often?
DF: Well, then I would see them or be summoned by them when they were in town. A lot of times it was to get pot. I didn’t feel too wonderful about that and suddenly there was a big spike in the prices. I wasn’t going to lose money doing them a favor, you know? I think maybe he [Paul] thinks I ripped them off. They were going to a restaurant and we went...they stayed open late just for us. Then I saw them in England. The house was completely dominated by crayons on white sofas and screaming children. I was stepping on trucks.
THIRSTY: It must have been beautiful there. And I’m sure eventually they moved into a RIDICULOUS house...better than their previous dirt digs.
DF: When they moved into that spacious London house, she would go out in the street with her daughter, and girls would trip her. It was because they hated her so much. They were jealous. That wasn’t easy I’m sure. And then him [Paul] saying, “I’m starting this band, you’re going to be in it and we’ll tour the world...oooo...ummm…you know we’ll bring the kids and we’ll tour the world.” And she’d say, “But who’s going to run the farm?” His response, “We have people, well get people.”
THIRSTY: It’s funny how highlighted their love was in the limelight, but it seems now that he was very controlling...
DF: Yea, that’s how it worked. He was traditional upper lower class (he would say). And John was the higher class...he lived up the hill. That was a big crack in their relationship. If you’re not English, you can’t really understand that. My mother’s family was English and the little that I saw there was a difference between being a lady or a lower woman. It wasn’t extreme, but you felt it. Especially if you went to the same neighborhood where there were state schools...so that was that. And then, when John was killed, I remember I went to see them.
THIRSTY: Wow. Paul must have been an absolute mess, no?
DF: They had dreamt about John last night...oooo...I dream about him all the time [Paul’s voice]. Because they know what they told me was sort of real nice and positive, and it would get back to everyone. Oh how they miss John and how they love John. And then he refused to go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
THIRSTY: Who, Paul?
DF: Yes. The Beatles were being ingested into the rock and roll hall of fame and they were all suing each other by then of course, like every band does and did. And he refused to go. In his place, he sent a press release saying, “Considering my legal position regarding the other three members of my former band I do not adhere to share the stage with them or...blah something.” It was unnecessary at the time and everybody thought that. I think he picked up on that too.
THIRSTY: Why? Did something in particular spark that though?
DF: I was working for a radio production company at the time and we taped the R&R HOF show and chopped it up turning it into syndicated material. So I paid close attention to what was coming through the mics from everyone. The next morning...
THIRSTY: Yea???
DF: Linda calls. “Oh hi Danny, here we are in Sussex” or Essex whatever but, “So how are you?” I went to the R&R HOF last night Linda, you were really missed. “Oh, you did go? What was it like?” I said oh it was very interesting especially Elmo, Yoko NoNo’s speech. “Really?” She said, “You didn’t tape it did you?” I said yes, it’s right here I was just listening to it. “You mean you have it there on tape? Oooo can I listen to it? “And I said sure. She said, “Oh well would you mind if Paul listens too?” I said no...“PAUUUUUUUUUUULLLL” [scream] since she’s calling him in the meadow!!! And then within seconds CLICK.
THIRSTY: Oh man, I could imagine what was said after [chuckle] John and Paul really lost connection at the end.
DF: It was probably jealousy too with that whole Beatles thing, between John and Paul. It’s still lyrics by John and Paul...
THIRSTY: Instead of Paul and John you’re saying?
DF: Yea but you know, so what? That’s the way it started. That’s what it is, like Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney...like Abbot and Costello. It’s not Costello and Abbot, it’s the same thing.
THIRSTY: So now let’s move onto the topic that started our interview way back a long time ago. We were musing on the difficulty to grasp onto new artists and new music. What recent, and by recent I mean post 1980, bands do you like?
DF: You know the last group I loved was Soundgarden. I loved them.
THIRSTY: Because of Chris Cornell, the lead singer?
DF: No, I’m beyond pinup boys; I can really love the band for their music, still.
THIRSTY: No I’m saying for his voice...
DF: I loved everything about him and I loved Kim Thayil as a guitar player, who loved the guitar players of my life like Ron Ashton and Johnny Ramone. He was real friendly and Chris was real friendly also. I loved Chris.
THIRSTY: His voice is like an angel.
DF: I really loved Soundgarden. I went to see Chris twice as a solo artist, once at town hall and once somewhere else. And I waited to see him afterwards and we hugged and everything. It just wasn’t happening, and wasn’t on the same path from when I saw him when he was younger. He kicked a hole in the wall at NYU! Stomping around in the shorts and the boots! They really rocked me, they got through, I loved them. And then they just broke up in ‘95 and I didn’t want to hear about their solo careers…what is this Crosby, Stills and Nash [chuckle]? I saw their potential, being the next U2 or something. I thought they could, why not?
THIRSTY: They had that new, Washington sound...that innovative delivery.
DF: They were poised, I thought, to be the next thing. Nirvana was gone...so...I thought they could have punched on through. Kick that hole “literally” through the wall. I was backstage, when I saw them at NYU. The police were coming. The University had called the police or lawyers whatever, and we weren’t allowed to leave until they came and investigated the damage that he made at the Loeb Student Center that since has been torn down. That was funny and the police said it was ok to leave. We sent out for pizza.
THIRSTY: I didn’t get into U2 or any of those...I like the Chili Peppers and some of that stuff.
DF: They’re good. I like the idea of them and all that. Those were the two I met and I had an extraordinary interview with them...Anthony and Flea. The guitar player that came in John Frusciante was very friendly with Johnny so I met him. I liked him, and I liked that he loved Johnny and that they were friends and all that. He was at that Indian restaurant dinner when we went [laughs]. (See Part 1 & 2 for the Johnny Ramone Indian restaurant story) After that, you know, (in Johnny’s voice) “CURRRY AHHHH! What’s going on? What the fuck?!?” [laughs].
THIRSTY: Well...it truly was a pleasure.
DF: It was really wonderful talking to you
THIRSTY: You too, I really have so much more to ask you, we’ll have to reunite soon.
This is the final installment of the Danny Fields trilogy. We've canvassed his various associations in the rock n' roll industry by highlighting his involvement with The Doors, The Ramones, The MC5, Iggy and the Stooges, Jon Richman and much more. We spent time looking into his life with The Factory, befriending Andy Warhol, Paul Morrisey and Edie Sedgwick to name a few. I was able to dive deeper into his history and touch on his personal life; growing up in Queens, the relationship he had with his family, moving to Boston and landing a life in radio and music. Now as we approach the final stage in the Stay Thirsty interview of Danny Fields, we elaborate about a woman he loved...his best friend...Linda Eastman McCartney. Enjoy.
“I wish I didn't have to write this book. I wish Linda was still here, working on her myriad projects, inspiring people and making them feel so much better for her presence, saving the lives of animals, being the wonderful friend that she was and - this most of all, because it mattered most to her - being the great wife and best friend of one of the most talented men of our century, and mother to their four children.” - Preface of "Linda McCartney: A Portrait" by Danny Fields
THIRSTY: So, continuing from last time, did you have a relationship with Paul?
DF: Well we were connected by Linda. She went to England with her daughter upon his invitation. We had both been in Los Angeles the summer of that year. She was doing a big spread - Aretha Franklin - for Vogue or something. I mean she was already HUGE, to shoot Aretha Franklin. She was BIG. Linda was moving on up and certainly in that profession. You didn’t have to be a genius to see how good her work was. You know? WOW.
THIRSTY: And she did it all on her own right? Well, without Paul…yet.
DF: Yes. And then she said to me, “Aw Paul wants me to go London and bring Heather. I don’t know.” I said, you don’t know what [scream]? Linda replies, “Well I don’t know, what if he says this to everybody?” blah blah blah. I said, I don’t think he tells everybody to bring their five-year old daughter, Linda and if it doesn’t work out your fathers’ rich, you can come back to America…AND you’re bound to shoot A LOT of stars there and meet a lot of, what should I say, tricks. So it’s not so bad to go to London where you’ve been several times. So...she went and we stopped (boom) nothing not a word.
THIRSTY: That sucks, after all those years.
DF: And you know people and friends of hers that would talk to her six times a day never heard a word…maybe a post card. I got an occasional postcard with one word “ZOWIE” or “OO AHH,” something like that. You know just like going, “Hey, I’m here, I’m alive.” Which considering this is about the time PAUL IS DEAD was emerging, and she married him. Are they even alive [snicker]? You know? [laughs]
THIRSTY: Do you think there was a specific reason that she became so disengaged?
DF: I think he said to her...let’s just put two and two together. I think he said to her, “Your friends in New York are mostly writers, journalists and reporters.” They were well-connected...Life Magazine and the Village Voice. It seemed Paul did not want her being in touch with her friends the gossip gals in up and coming New York fashion journalism or gossip journalism…rock and roll whatever. And I think he just put the lid on because the women were so...well, when she finally emerged none of the women would have anything to do with her.
THIRSTY: Wow…no second chances on that end, ay?
DF: These were powerful women. They never forgave her. I didn’t feel so abandoned. She called me one night and said, “Hiiiii, it’s me!” I knew that she’d been married and pregnant fall/winter of 1968. I never thought they would call me and come over. Linda goes “Guess what? Paul is doing his first solo album and he doesn’t like...what does this promotion mean? And whatya have to do?” They had been so shielded from knowing how it worked...all they knew was girls screamed and they ran.
THIRSTY: What was their relationship like from the inside? Or, let’s say, from what you know or assume? Did it cause any friction in the Beatles’ camp?
DF: John and Paul certainly had an incredible dependency on one another...that was his partner and he suddenly changed partners [John to Linda]. He didn’t literally change partners and John didn’t literally change partners when he married Cynthia...Paul was just dating and flirting around most the time. But Linda, Linda was his partner man. She was carrying his unborn child and they both changed their lives for each other. She got him off his ass and he made the album “RAM” (1971). His first official solo album...
THIRSTY: So when she called for your promotional advice...what was asked?
DF: She continued with publicity questions. “How does it get played on the radio?’ she asked. ‘How do you get stories in the newspaper?” I mean they knew it got done, but ...they were picking my brain. I didn’t mind, that’s what you do for friends. I LOVED HER. I wasn’t thinking about what happened in the past.
THIRSTY: Do you have any experiences or stories with the ever so famous, “Paul is Dead” myth?
DF: Eventually, I think, they had to invite people up to the place. They had spent months living in a cottage in the northern, western something, with dirt floors. And she had a five-year old and a baby on the way. They would go to the well and wash...wherever they got water. She said, you know, every woman in the world hates me, and they’re jealous of me because they think I’m a fairytale princess. AND I’M LIVING WITH DIRT FLOORS! If that’s wonderful I don’t know, what a fairy tale. She made him put a floor down. People were coming from LIFE magazine to prove that he was alive...the whole Paul is Dead thing. It happened then and there. They were living with pots of water hanging from the ceiling and a wood fire in the living room.
THIRSTY: Did Linda come back and visit you often?
DF: Well, then I would see them or be summoned by them when they were in town. A lot of times it was to get pot. I didn’t feel too wonderful about that and suddenly there was a big spike in the prices. I wasn’t going to lose money doing them a favor, you know? I think maybe he [Paul] thinks I ripped them off. They were going to a restaurant and we went...they stayed open late just for us. Then I saw them in England. The house was completely dominated by crayons on white sofas and screaming children. I was stepping on trucks.
THIRSTY: It must have been beautiful there. And I’m sure eventually they moved into a RIDICULOUS house...better than their previous dirt digs.
DF: When they moved into that spacious London house, she would go out in the street with her daughter, and girls would trip her. It was because they hated her so much. They were jealous. That wasn’t easy I’m sure. And then him [Paul] saying, “I’m starting this band, you’re going to be in it and we’ll tour the world...oooo...ummm…you know we’ll bring the kids and we’ll tour the world.” And she’d say, “But who’s going to run the farm?” His response, “We have people, well get people.”
THIRSTY: It’s funny how highlighted their love was in the limelight, but it seems now that he was very controlling...
DF: Yea, that’s how it worked. He was traditional upper lower class (he would say). And John was the higher class...he lived up the hill. That was a big crack in their relationship. If you’re not English, you can’t really understand that. My mother’s family was English and the little that I saw there was a difference between being a lady or a lower woman. It wasn’t extreme, but you felt it. Especially if you went to the same neighborhood where there were state schools...so that was that. And then, when John was killed, I remember I went to see them.
THIRSTY: Wow. Paul must have been an absolute mess, no?
DF: They had dreamt about John last night...oooo...I dream about him all the time [Paul’s voice]. Because they know what they told me was sort of real nice and positive, and it would get back to everyone. Oh how they miss John and how they love John. And then he refused to go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
THIRSTY: Who, Paul?
DF: Yes. The Beatles were being ingested into the rock and roll hall of fame and they were all suing each other by then of course, like every band does and did. And he refused to go. In his place, he sent a press release saying, “Considering my legal position regarding the other three members of my former band I do not adhere to share the stage with them or...blah something.” It was unnecessary at the time and everybody thought that. I think he picked up on that too.
THIRSTY: Why? Did something in particular spark that though?
DF: I was working for a radio production company at the time and we taped the R&R HOF show and chopped it up turning it into syndicated material. So I paid close attention to what was coming through the mics from everyone. The next morning...
THIRSTY: Yea???
DF: Linda calls. “Oh hi Danny, here we are in Sussex” or Essex whatever but, “So how are you?” I went to the R&R HOF last night Linda, you were really missed. “Oh, you did go? What was it like?” I said oh it was very interesting especially Elmo, Yoko NoNo’s speech. “Really?” She said, “You didn’t tape it did you?” I said yes, it’s right here I was just listening to it. “You mean you have it there on tape? Oooo can I listen to it? “And I said sure. She said, “Oh well would you mind if Paul listens too?” I said no...“PAUUUUUUUUUUULLLL” [scream] since she’s calling him in the meadow!!! And then within seconds CLICK.
THIRSTY: Oh man, I could imagine what was said after [chuckle] John and Paul really lost connection at the end.
DF: It was probably jealousy too with that whole Beatles thing, between John and Paul. It’s still lyrics by John and Paul...
THIRSTY: Instead of Paul and John you’re saying?
DF: Yea but you know, so what? That’s the way it started. That’s what it is, like Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney...like Abbot and Costello. It’s not Costello and Abbot, it’s the same thing.
THIRSTY: So now let’s move onto the topic that started our interview way back a long time ago. We were musing on the difficulty to grasp onto new artists and new music. What recent, and by recent I mean post 1980, bands do you like?
DF: You know the last group I loved was Soundgarden. I loved them.
THIRSTY: Because of Chris Cornell, the lead singer?
DF: No, I’m beyond pinup boys; I can really love the band for their music, still.
THIRSTY: No I’m saying for his voice...
DF: I loved everything about him and I loved Kim Thayil as a guitar player, who loved the guitar players of my life like Ron Ashton and Johnny Ramone. He was real friendly and Chris was real friendly also. I loved Chris.
THIRSTY: His voice is like an angel.
DF: I really loved Soundgarden. I went to see Chris twice as a solo artist, once at town hall and once somewhere else. And I waited to see him afterwards and we hugged and everything. It just wasn’t happening, and wasn’t on the same path from when I saw him when he was younger. He kicked a hole in the wall at NYU! Stomping around in the shorts and the boots! They really rocked me, they got through, I loved them. And then they just broke up in ‘95 and I didn’t want to hear about their solo careers…what is this Crosby, Stills and Nash [chuckle]? I saw their potential, being the next U2 or something. I thought they could, why not?
THIRSTY: They had that new, Washington sound...that innovative delivery.
DF: They were poised, I thought, to be the next thing. Nirvana was gone...so...I thought they could have punched on through. Kick that hole “literally” through the wall. I was backstage, when I saw them at NYU. The police were coming. The University had called the police or lawyers whatever, and we weren’t allowed to leave until they came and investigated the damage that he made at the Loeb Student Center that since has been torn down. That was funny and the police said it was ok to leave. We sent out for pizza.
THIRSTY: I didn’t get into U2 or any of those...I like the Chili Peppers and some of that stuff.
DF: They’re good. I like the idea of them and all that. Those were the two I met and I had an extraordinary interview with them...Anthony and Flea. The guitar player that came in John Frusciante was very friendly with Johnny so I met him. I liked him, and I liked that he loved Johnny and that they were friends and all that. He was at that Indian restaurant dinner when we went [laughs]. (See Part 1 & 2 for the Johnny Ramone Indian restaurant story) After that, you know, (in Johnny’s voice) “CURRRY AHHHH! What’s going on? What the fuck?!?” [laughs].
THIRSTY: Well...it truly was a pleasure.
DF: It was really wonderful talking to you
THIRSTY: You too, I really have so much more to ask you, we’ll have to reunite soon.
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