Creating her own way: An indie rock label, a new album, painting, writing and performing all part of Juliana Hatfield’s creativity
By Troy Michael
For the past couple of months a day in the life of singer/songwriter pop darling Juliana Hatfield has been rife with stuffing envelopes of her tenth solo release How To Walk Away.
After her 2004 release In Exile Deo on Zoe Records (a sister label of Rounder), Hatfield decided to go it alone and start her own Ye Olde Records to put out her own records. Her debut on Ye Olde was the critically acclaimed Made In China and now she follows with the 10-song gem How to Walk Away.
Asked about how things were going being a record label owner Hatfield said. "It is a lot of hard work and dedication. I haven’t decided if I really want to run a record company, but for now it is good to be hands on."
When queried further about going back to another indie label or even back to a major label (Hatfield released (1995’s Only Everything on Atlantic and 2000’s Beautiful Creature on Sony), Hatfield said "I don’t think any major label would want to sign someone like me. I am not hot young property. I can see looking back. I’ve never had an image. I guess I am difficult to market because I’m not the friendliest person. Not that I am mean but people always tell me to smile and I tell them ‘give me something to smile about."
With a new album which finds Hatfield putting out some of her best work to date showcasing a confident singing voice and a new book in September "When I Grow Up: A Memoir" Juliana Hatfield should have plenty to be smiling about.
On the new record the intriguing lithe musician does a magnificent song "This Lonely Love" alongside Psychedelic Furs’ Richard Butler and Nada Surf’s Matthew Caws contributes on "Such A Beautiful Girl."
"One of my producers, Andy Chase brought in Richard for that track ("This Lonely Love") and he was in the studio for about two hours and knocked it out. He was very professional. And I’ve known Matthew for a while now, I think I did a favor for him and sang back up on a song that ended up on a B-side or something. He’s a really nice guy and did some vocals for me."
You can find other notables as Fountains Of Wayne guitarist Jody Porter, Jeff Hill, (Rufus Wainwright’s band,) Ethan Eubanks (Grey Race.) and Tracy Bonham played violin
Hatfield’s brother Jason also adds in wonderful piano work on two songs, which he co-wrote ("Remember November" and "Such A Beautiful Girl.")
"Jason sang on God’s Foot and might have played on some other stuff I have done. Our voices really work well together, but we have a complicated relationship."
Walking away – and the loneliness that sometimes results – is a recurring theme. But rather than agonizing over a sad state of affairs, How To Walk Away takes a philosophical attitude toward relationships. It is set in a vaguely purgatorial post-relationship - or maybe pre-relationship - landscape. The songs’ protagonists don’t expect to find wisdom, serenity and forgiveness (there are no Hollywood happy endings here) but at the same time they know that understanding and self-awareness may come.
Hatfield’s artistic growth has been paralleled in other means of expression as well. An esteemed lyricist, Hatfield channels her emotions into her paintings.
"I have always drawn over the years but it’s been in the last couple years I have taken up oil painting. Like my writing, it helps me to calm down and not think so much."
Although somewhat elusive and mysterious, Hatfield feels comfortable expressing herself weather it is in song, on canvas, in her memoir or on stage.
"I think being on stage, or writing songs or painting is easier for me because I don’t have to talk directly to people. When I am writing I am not thinking about anything. It is something I know how to do and like doing."
The 41-year-old has opened up more recently to her fans by posting long descriptive blogs about her songs on her Myspace page and the upcoming release of her book (which will be reviewed in our next issue). With How To Walk Away and her debut book "When I Grow Up," Juliana Hatfield is on the cusp of a very special year. She was on recently on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and is doing a few select gigs across the United States.
Alkaline Trio: A new start and perspective
By John B. Moore
It’s been about three years since the Alkaline Trio last released any new music and front man Matt Skiba is ready to get their next record out there.
The days between Crimson and Agony & Irony have not exactly been smooth. The Chicago natives left their long time label Vagrant for V2 Records, only to see their new home close up shop almost overnight. While looking for a new label, the band wrote a new record, scrapped the songs and started over again.
But just months before the new record is released, Skiba is sanguine about the new songs and almost grateful for all the band has gone through.
Innocent Words: Tell me a little bit about making the new record, Agony & Irony.
Skiba: We’re really excited about it. There were definitely some bumps in the road making it. It took us basically about two and a half years to write the record, but it only took us about six weeks to record it. We had a record written, done, ready to go and we had some label complications, but we also knew in the back of our minds that we weren’t making the best record that we could make. Though the label shit and all the pitfalls we had to go through were actually a real blessing in disguise because we now have a record that all three of us are really proud of. We feel pretty strongly that this is our best record.
IW: When V2 shut down, did you consider going back to Vagrant or another indie label or just releasing this one on your own?
Skiba: Yeah, we kind of went through every option. Going back to Vagrant wasn’t one, because we wanted to take a step forward and that’s what V2 was supposed to be. We didn’t really have a rule that we needed to go with an indie or a major, we always just wanted to work with people that we liked and that we trust and be on a label that puts out records. We considered putting it out ourselves, but because we’d never done that it felt like we were biting off a little more than we could chew. Writing a good record was the number one priority for us and I felt like if we started getting ourselves a little too heavy into the business side of things it might get too distracting. So obviously it’s not the greatest time for the music industry, but when you have someone that you trust and that you know is a genuine fan of the band and a friend, it feels a whole lot better. Luckily we found out that our friend Andy Gershon was going over to Epic and he invited us along.
IW: Was having more people getting to hear your music a factor when choosing Epic?
Skiba: I definitely think that’s a plus. I really feel like – and maybe I’m jinxing myself saying this – we started this band because we wanted this to be our career. There are bands like Social Distortion and Rancid, that as long as they keep making great records, people will keep coming to their shows. I feel like as long as we keep throwing down, we’re going to keep having people who come to our shows and maybe a few people picking up our records. But with Epic, we now have the potential to reach a lot more people and for the band to take the next step. I am more than thrilled and thankful for where I am in my career, but certainly the more the merrier and having that chance to grow is very inviting. So our buddy went over to this label and we knew he knew what he was doing and everyone we worked with on the business side had great relationships with the label, so everything was sort of in place for us. It’s been really unscary for us. Not having that glass ceiling that a lot of indies have is nice.
IW: As a fan, I was excited to see Asian Man re-release Goddamnit with some extra songs and a DVD. Do you plan on re-releasing other earlier records?
Skiba: Not yet, but we’ve definitely thought about it. Goddamnit came about because it’s the 10-year anniversary of the record and there was a lot of extra content because when we did that record we were just getting the band off the ground. Goddamnit was something special and people who bought the re-release have suggested we do it for other records, so we’ll see.
Playing with your heroes: The Briggs releases their third album
By John B. Moore
As a 14-year old, Joey LaRocca would spend hours at a time singing along to The Mighty Mighty Bosstones in his bedroom. It’s was a pretty amazing moment then to have Bosstones front man Dickie Barrett sing backup vocals with LaRocca on his band on their latest record.
In fact, musical heroes of LaRocca and his band mates pop up all over the place on The Brigg’s third offering, Come All You Madmen.
The Briggs made up of LaRocca, his guitarist brother Jason, drummer Chris Arredondo and bassist Ryan Roberts still include plenty of maritime imagery on the new record - a staple of the band - but have also expanded their sound to better replicate their live shows (I know. Every band says this, but in The Briggs’ case, it’s actually true).
The Briggs’ Joey LaRocca spoke with Innocent Words recently about Come All You Madmen, rocking with your musical idols and how two brothers can play in a band and still remain fistfight free.
Innocent Words: Come All You Madmen definitely sounds a little different from your earlier records. Did you have a different approach to the record, either writing it or recording it?
LaRocca: Actually we took a different approach to both. First off, we wrote this record mostly on the road which is something we’ve never really done before, but just due to our insane touring schedule we decided to use our down time to write a record. That was definitely a different approach and we also had a different vision for this record. We wanted to be a little bit more immediate and urgent, to make it as live a feeling as possible. I feel like a lot of times when bands record you lose that energy. So we tried to capture that as much as possible, by doing a lot of full band takes rather than recording those parts separately.
Normally we approach it a little too sterile and this time we tried to get a little more raw feeling. It does have a different sound than the earlier records. It’s a little darker, a little fresher. It’s not as influenced. I feel more like we’re finding our own sound.
IW: You have a lot of very cool guests on this record, like Dickey Barrett (the Bosstones) and Ken Casey (the Dropkick Murphys). Is that something that came about as you were writing the songs or did you decide to add them at the last minute?
LaRocca: We’ve done three tours with the Dropkicks in the last year, so we’ve become pretty good friends with those guys, and Bad Religion – because Brian Baker plays a little guitar in there – we toured with them and it was very kind of spur of the moment. We didn’t have it planned. We were playing a show with Bad Religion at the House of Blues and Brian was like, “I want to play something on the record, I don’t care what.” Same thing with Dickey, because (fellow Bosstones) Joe Gittleman was producing and they were talking and Dickey said, “I have time today if you want me to sing something. I want to be involved.” It was rad. It was like everyone wanted to have a part and we were more than happy… All these moments (in these songs) just seemed to be perfect for these people.
IW: How cool is it to tour with your idols like Bad Religion or the Dropkick Murphys or working side by side with Joe Gittleman?
LaRocca: Unless you’re really jaded, you take a step back and say, “This is fucking rad!” When I was 14 years old I would listen to the Bosstones in my room for hours, so of course those things are still cool. I still get very inspired by people I’ve been listening to for years. It still has that little bit of starstruck-ness, no matter how long I’ve known some people.
IW: It’s also got to be cool, knowing some of your musical heroes now listen to your music.
LaRocca: Absolutely. It’s always cool to know that people that you admire have an admiration for your art as well. That’s definitely a good feeling.
IW: I’ve got to apologize for this next question, because you’ve bound to have gotten it before, but is it ever difficult being in a band with your brother?
LaRocca: I think for us it’s definitely a positive thing. I can imagine for 90 percent of the people out there that it wouldn’t be a good idea.
IW: When you think of The Kinks, Oasis or the Black Crows, it always seems to end in a fistfight, at some point.
LaRocca: Exactly. But, we’ve always been in bands together as kids, so it’s just natural. It doesn’t have any adverse effects. Obviously we don’t always get along great, but neither do any band members. Anybody you spend months at a time in a van with, you’re not always going to get along, at all times. It’s almost a little easier, because there’s no filter, you will probably be a lot more honest with each other than you would be with others. I can easily say, “That sucks,” or “That’s just terrible,” and I don’t think I could say that to anyone else.
Celebrating their silver anniversary, Camper Van Beethoven release their most Popular Songs
By Troy Michael
In June of this year, influential indie rock band Camper Van Beethoven (David Lowery (lead vocals/guitar); Jonathan Segel (violin/keys/guitar/vocals); Victor Krummenacher (bass); and Greg Lisher (lead guitar), along with drummer Frank Funaro (Cracker/Joey Ramone/The Dictators) is celebrating 25 years together. For the event, Cooking Vinyl Records has released a special greatest hits collection entitled Popular Songs. The album features both original and re-recorded versions of the best Camper Van Beethoven songs from their extensive catalog.
The band also recently played a silver anniversary show at this year’s annual Camper Van Beethoven/Cracker Campout Music Festival in Pioneertown Ca. and performed a very special headlining show at The Fillmore in San Francisco.
"Someone started talking about the 25 years a little while ago and it was like ‘really? Wow,'" Camper front man David Lowery said. "When we were playing Laughing At The Moon or Sluggo’s Pizza when we first started I never had an idea it would ever go this far.
"We used to tell everyone we were going to be the Beatles of our generation and people thought we were just druggies or hippies. We were serious but we thought we’d at least try knowing we wouldn’t get there – so 25 years is a big surprise to us to say the least."
When your career spans over two decades you are bound to rub some people the wrong way and have an collection of unique stories to tell. Camper has never been a band to back down to the higher ups i.e. record label and for better or worse they have always stood by their music and each other.
"We have had a really good career. Looking back I don’t think I’d do anything different, Lowery said. "We might have pissed some people off but these sorts of things adds to the mystique of the band. It gave us our reputation from the start.
"For example we were in New York city and the majors (labels) were coming around in 1986-87 and we were playing at the old Roots opening for two Warner Bros bands, a showcase for us to get signed. A lot of friends were coming to see us and we wanted a table in the balcony for them because they’ve supported us all along. During the show I said something like ‘we are playing this Warner bros. showcase and they are the label behind putting out some of the shittest music over the last ten years.’ And come to find out some of the major players from Warner Bros. came down to see us and were sitting in the balcony."
It wasn’t as bad as you might think, because the band signed to the now defunct IRS label, which released their first three records before signing the major label Virgin Records in 1988.
But the downside to that is the label owns the publishing rights to their songs. So part of the reasoning for Popular Songs was to re-record the songs a little bit different so the band would own all the publishing rights when people would come to use their music in television or movies etc.
"Virgin Records wasn’t interested in putting this out because we wanted to own our song catalog so we recorded this just like we did with Cracker album Greatest Hits Redux. You think they’d learn not to screw us."
With 25 years of songs Lowery and his boys had the tough task of choosing 18 songs out of hundreds to put on this greatest hit collection. They chose the band democracy approach by sending out a list of songs around to band members and people who have been around the band for years to pick their favorite songs. When the list came back, they were under a time crunch and didn’t second guess any decision when coming up with the final list of 18 songs. However, they put a handful of new versions of songs on the album, which tightened the deadline.
"We decided off the list we would re-record five songs off the Virgin repertoire and to be honest they weren’t all that easy to record. But we wanted to do new version because we tried to buy back the rights to those songs to include on this release, but the label refused to do so."
With 25 years under their belt, the fourth annual Camper Van Beethoven/Cracker Campout Music Festival and special Anniversary shows, Camber Van Beethoven keep pushing forward to remain one of the most influential indie bands there ever was. With this milestone completed it begs the question to be asked, will there be a new Camper record in the near future?
"In theory we are going to do a new record," Lowery said. "I am doing a solo record, then we have a new Cracker record then we will do some more Camper.
"It’s kind of funny people at the label notice we keep selling albums after all these years so they want us to put out a new one instead of getting rid of us."
Dresden Dolls focus on unique
By John B. Moore
Part cabaret show, part punk rock spectacle, trying to pin down exactly what happens at a Dresden Dolls show is a fruitless endeavor.
The duo, made up of Boston musicians Amanda Palmer and Brian Vigilone, has been playing together for about seven years, and their once underground sound is starting to get a lot of attention lately thanks in part to a slew of famous rock star fans. When Vigilone isn’t sharing the stage with Palmer he’s playing drums behind Nine Inch Nails. Equally busy is Palmer, who is currently working with Ben Folds on her solo record.
The Dresden Dolls have just turned in No Virginia, a compilation album that comes out on the heels of Yes Virginia. Palmer spoke with Innocent Words recently about the new record, their band’s live shows and fan-created merchandise.
Innocent Words: Tell me a little about the songs on No Virginia. Is this a companion piece to the last record?
Palmer: It's more like a trove of orphaned songs. Some of them needed to be recorded, but they've all been kicking around being good but unreleased.
IW: I really liked the last song on the record, "Boston". What can you tell me about it?
Palmer: It was about an ex. We were trying very hard to stay present with each other despite all the running and flying around. This was just about that...about trying to be in the moment despite what we knew might not and what might happen, against the backdrop of the city that we had fallen in love in. The song makes me sad.
IW: Sorry for bringing it up, then. Do you plan to tour behind this new record?
Palmer: We're touring for about two weeks on the west coast and to Texas. Then we'll do some summer festivals in Europe. But other than that I'm working on my solo record, which comes out in September and was produced by Ben Folds. It's awesome.
IW: Has Dresden Dolls, as a band, started work yet on another full length album of new songs yet?
Palmer: There are a lot of songs on the drawing board. I don't think we'll have any lack of material when we go into make official Dolls record number three.
IW: The band has a very distinct sound. How do you describe a Dresden Dolls show to someone who's never seen it before?
Palmer: Piano. Drums. Banging. Craziness. Silliness. Feelings. Catharsis.
IW: I know you were involved with The Onion Cellar production (a play created by Amanda) in Cambridge. Do you have plans to take that show to other venues across the country? Any plans for other plays?
Palmer: The Onion Cellar was a creative disaster for me, so it will be put to bed. But I am hoping to create another original piece of theater next year with one of my favorite directors.
IW: On to another topic, what can you tell me about Post-War Trade?
Palmer: It's a merchandising company for our fans to create things for each other under the business umbrella of the band. They're making all sorts of crazy shit. It's very exciting.
IW: You are also singing with the Boston Pops this summer. How did that come about?
Palmer: I begged and they said yes. The song selection is happening right now. It’s great fun... we're going to do some really weird stuff and surprises. They're a kooky bunch, I wasn't expecting it.
IW: What other projects are you and Brian working on outside of the band?
Palmer: Brian just drummed on a Nine Inch Nails record and is playing with a New York band we love called World/Inferno Friendship Society. I'm putting out my solo record and devoting a lot of time to that. I'm making the release and the promotion a lot more complicated than it needs to be, which seems to be my style. But it means I don't get much sleep.
Return of the blue collar rock: The Gaslight Anthem now on the map
By John B. Moore
To say The Gaslight Anthem came out of nowhere would be a cliché, but absolutely true. Their debut from the tiny NJ-based XOXO Records was almost a love note to Bruce Springsteen, in the form of a working class rock record, steeped in punk rock energy. The writing was flawless and the drum and guitars worthy of a band that had been playing together for decades.
The fact that anyone outside of the Garden state ever heard the record is a testament to steady touring and the wonders of the Internet.
After a great hold over EP, Senior and the Queen, the band signed with influential label Side One Dummy (home to Flogging Molly, The Briggs etc.) and are on the verge of releasing their second full length record.
Front man Brain Fallon spoke with us recently about the constant comparisons to the Boss, their new label and admitted to being more than a little nervous about recording their big follow up album.
Innocent Words: XOXO Records, your first label, is big in NJ, but not that well known outside the state. Were you surprised at just how many people managed to hear about you after just the first release?
Fallon: We’re still surprised. No one expects that. You always hope for that, but we’re really practical. I think when you live in New Jersey and you see people that have normal jobs and normal lives with their 2.5 kids, you learn about struggle and you expect that. We thought it would be cool to be like Springsteen or Bon Jovi to get out of town, that’s what everybody wants to do. Now there are a lot of kids at a lot of our shows and none of us know how to process that. We’re waiting for the other shoe to drop. It just happened and we are really lucky.
IW: With things moving to a larger scale, was there any trepidation on your part?
Fallon: No. Our goal is to be one of those 25 year bands. There are just bands that have credibility and last forever. Nobody was surprised when they saw Tom Petty play the Gainesville Lounge when he first started out and no one was surprised when they saw him play at the Super Bowl, because he went from a bar to a stadium and never changed. That’s the type of band we want to be. There are natural steps, so we aren’t really nervous going to a bigger label. We were super nervous about a major label. Eventually one day we will probably end up on a major label, but not in the near future, because we’re not ready. We want to go in a steady pattern.
IW: Are you feeling any pressure with your next record to kind of live up to all this talk and hype?
Fallon: Yeah, definitely. I think people would be lying to you if said they weren’t. You try and not think about it, but you have to because it’s your life. It’s your career. If you screw it up, you can really damage your career. There’s the sophomore slump and that third record that’s always terrible. One of my friends just said, "Whatever you do, just don’t make the same record twice." Because that’s what you tend to do. You can never re-create what worked the first time, so you just have to move on. We started working on this record from a totally new perspective. Yeah, but totally nervous. Absolutely 100% nervous.
Updated and Laid Back with Gazelle
By Lisa Zyga
Adam Fein and Jeff Dimpsey have both had their days in the spotlight, Fein as a lead singer/guitarist in Absinthe Blind and Dimpsey as a multi-instrumentalist in Hum, Honcho Overlord, and Poster Children. More recently, however, the two Champaign-Urbana musicians decided to join up for a more low-key project in an effort to balance music and the rest of life.
"We started playing together in late summer 2006," Fein recalls. "We were on a softball team together, celebrating the end of a losing season."
After that celebration, they decided to play some music they’d been working on separately and see what happened. After getting together once a week for a few hours at night, a year and a half later they ended up with a project called Gazelle and a mesmerizing album Sunblown.
"It’s the most low-key project either of us has been involved with," Fein says. "That was intentional. There’s no pressure. We thought, just do it for the music, to have fun."
They were also somewhat nonchalant about choosing the band name.
"It was the one we didn’t hate the most," Fein says. "And we actually liked it a little. And six other bands didn’t already have that name, only three did." He added that Dimpsey has been doing lots of push ups lately in the event that they would have to fight the other Gazelles for the name.
But Gazelle’s music is far from violent, with mixtures of keyboards, synths, guitars and abstract lyrics that evoke feelings of exhilaration and serenity at the same time.
"There are some upbeat parts, but it has a nice general dark feel," Dimpsey says, citing influences such as Spiritualized and Echo & the Bunnymen. "It’s kind of like Joy Division in tone and in sadness, but with an updated feel."
The updated feel comes in part from the instruments. Along with drums, loops and samples, Fein contributed guitar, piano, and keyboards, while Dimpsey "screwed around with" midi, synthesizers, and "tons of different things." He describes his writing process by borrowing a quote from Paul McCartney: "You just got to turn a knob until it sounds good."
On Sunblown, Dimpsey and Fein recorded the songs almost immediately, with little practice – a testament, most likely, to their years of experience in writing and playing songs. "We’d bring a guitar riff or little piano melody, and then just build off of that," Fein says.
Fein’s sister Erin (who was also in Absinthe Blind and is currently lead singer in the Headlights) contributed vocals on the song "Phasedown." As Dimpsey recalls, Gazelle’s laidback songwriting approach was new to her, too.
"Erin never heard the song before she came over," he says. "She said, what do you want me to sing? We said whatever you want. She had fun with it."
Adam wrote the rest of the lyrics on the album, which he describes as nothing too serious. "The lyrics are similar to Absinthe Blind, in that I write about things that I see," he says. "It’s a lot of abstract imagery, and I leave it up to the listener to decide what it means. Also, the birth of my son [now 18 months old] inspired some of the lyrics, so mixing that in with different images."
However, Fein emphasizes that Gazelle is "nothing like Absinthe Blind was." (And even further from Hum.) Dimpsey says the project is more similar to National Skyline, another two-person band he started in 1997, and whose spacey, electro dreamscapes inevitably get compared to Radiohead. For Fein, Gazelle is similar to his solo project Cortisol, but he adds that it’s extremely helpful to have another person to work with.
"It’s almost impossible to do music on your own," Dimpsey agrees.
"Yeah, it always felt a little self-indulgent," Fein says. "It’s nice to have someone to work with, doing something similar."
Sunblown was issued on the local label Hidden Agenda. Unfortunately, you probably won’t be able to see Gazelle live any time soon, as Fein and Dimpsey have decided not to tour. "Hidden Agenda, they’re great to work with," Fein says. "They took a risk on us, especially since we’re not playing live, and we appreciate it a lot."
The lack of touring has given the musician’s time to have a second album brewing in the back of their minds, and they’re probably starting to work on it at this moment.
"Maybe less pop, more loops and beats, we’ll see," says Fein. "We’re both really pleased with this one. Our goal was to make a cohesive album that flowed from start to finish, and I think we did that."
Big As Life with his Rant and Roll – Hamell on Trial
By Troy Michael
Righteous Babe Records describes Ed Hamell, better known as Hamell on Trial, music as "loud, fast music informed by politics, passion, energy and intelligence, played by a guy with a sharp tongue and a wicked sense of humor." On his website, Hamell calls his music "anti-folk" and others dubbed him at "punk acoustic."
Me? Well I think Hamell is all of that, not to mention a fucking genius with morals, a heart of gold and I am proud to call him my friend.
Hamell has recently released a DVD/CD combination entitled Rant and Roll. The DVD is from his biographical theatre tour entitled Terrorism of Everyday Life and it chronicles his life as a struggling musician back in the day, a father of a wonderful six-year-old son named Detroit and the husband of his beautiful wife Linda. He also confronts his demons of a car accident that nearly left him paralyzed, the nights working at a crack bar slinging drinks and the murder/suicide of his parents.
All these subjects and a few more are in his "one-man play" if you will mixed with songs that tell the wild tales, thrown in by his biting humor, comedic personality and pure punk showmanship.
On a warm summer day I called Ed Hamell at his upstate New York home and he was gone. But like a good friend/musician he called me back. The thing about Hamell is when we talk we tend to veer off the topic at hand – his new release – and catch up on what music we are into at the moment, anti-depressant stories and other sordid tales.
Innocent Words: How did the concept come about for Terrorism of Everyday Life?
Ed Hamell: Well, I always thought this stage show could be a one man show to one extant. I play so many kinds of venues - opening for Ani (Ani DiFranco, musician and owner of Righteous Babe Records) to 3,000 seats, book stores, coffee shops, theatres and so on. I feel I connect best with playing at what they call listening rooms, because it is a small group of people who know what they are getting into when they come out to see me. And they are there to listen. They don’t have to worry about going to the bar to get another drink or aren’t distracted by anything. It may be a smaller place, but in that way it is a lot more rewarding because they actually hear what you have created as an artist.
IW: Would you consider Terrorism of Everyday Life a concept album?
Hamell: Way way back when I first started Hamell on Trial I watched a lot of one-man plays and I thought I could do this in small theatres and tell the story of my life with my guitar.
Then recently I signed to a new management company (Invasion Group ltd. NYC, who managed one of Hamell’s idols Bill Hicks) and brought them the idea because they were figuring out how to market Hamell on Trial to reach new people. And that is how the DVD idea came about. This was put together for those who haven’t seen me and have them understand who I am what I am about It’s like a calling card to have a focus on the on new converts.
IW: When I first read the title I thought you were taking jabs at our government, but in reality it’s your biography.
Hamell: The show is a look at an outspoken contemporary artist whose life has been a struggle but greatly rewarded. But like all autobiographies I don’t think it is finished because I am always adding new material.
IW: Why did you record the DVD footage in Edinburgh Scotland?
Hamell: Since this is like a one-man act, they are more accepting in Edinburgh. That part of the country is very theatre based and has big festivals. It is like what South by Southwest is to American music.
IW: On the album cover it lists you as Ed Hamell, not Hamell on Trial. How come?
Hamell: I don’t know why that is really. I think that is all up to the powers that be. I think it is hard for people to wrap their heads around Hamell on Trial as a one man band. So maybe since this release is biographical, it made more sense to put my name on it. But I will always be Hamell on Trial.
IW: On the last record you have a song about masturbation called "Jerkin" when you’re on the road and missing your wife. Now you have a song about, well let’s say your love for cunninglus simply titled "Pussy." What’s next, dare I ask?
Hamell: Well, I think Chris Rock had the best line when he said "I have a real wife and a stage wife." My wife is wonderful. She doesn’t even care anymore. She will just roll her eyes at me.
IW: Eight years after your car accident, it is still a main staple of conversation in your show. How bad or good did that event affect your life?
Hamell: Well at the end of your life you’re going to look back and reflect. I see these people I grew up with in Syracuse. And when I was 30 still playing the guitar in small clubs, they all had jobs making 20 bucks an hour at the factories, which was a lot of money back then. They would always ask when I would grow up and get a real job. Now the irony is all those factory jobs are gone, the district is like a ghost town, and those people who were making fun were in a forced retirement and never moved away.
So you are going to look back on your life at the end, or when something tragic happens. And I wish no ill will on anyone you know that, but when I look back on my life being a musician and they look back on their life, I wonder what they will see when they look at what they did with their lives.
Rereleasing records, launching a label and musing on music with Less Than Jake
By John B. Moore
Having recently broken away from Warner Bros. and retained ownership (finally) of most of their earlier recordings, Gainesville, FL’s ska/punk legends Less Than Jake have decided to start their own label Sleep It Off Records and go it alone.
Longtime saxophonist Peter "JR" Wasilewski took some time recently to speak with us about the new label, the new record and the current state of modern music.
Innocent Words: How has Less Than Jake managed to carry on after 15 years, when most bands don’t even last a few?
JR: I don’t know. We all love each other and we all hate each other, but we’re honest about it. When we love each other we tell each other and when we hate each other we do as well.
IW: Does it help that you don’t all live in the same town anymore?
JR: Well, we still live pretty close. When we’re in Gainesville working and writing I live with Buddy (Schaub, trombonist and guitarist). We’re all close and we talk, but when we have our down time, our separation time, I don’t really talk to anybody. Alone time kind of helps. Also, I manage a couple of bands and it’s funny because the kids that I manage are between 19 and 23 and I think (younger bands) tend to take themselves so seriously. Also, when you’re in a band with people, they tend to be creative and creative people tend to be a little off. I’m way off and so is everybody else in the band. But it’s how you deal with people’s quirks. The other thing is there are so many bands out there that think the world owes them a platinum record. It’s just arrogant. That’s basically why I find that bands can’t stay together any more. All they do is bitch; nobody wants to work it out.
IW: I agree. And they all seem to be indistinguishable.
JR: How many fucking flat irons is Clairol selling nowadays? I’m buying stock in Clairol flat irons. It’s insane. That and white belts. I’m not hating, I’m just busting balls.
IW: Let’s talk about the reissues. How long have you wanted to re-release the first three records?
JR: Since we started being a band. The ultimate goal I think when you start being a band is to have ultimate control over everything you make. We don’t totally have it 100 percent, but we’re close. You can print this: this is the last time Pezcore will be reissued. It’s been reissued and remastered like four times. But it’s on our label this time. We got these records back and thought we would reissue them, but you can’t just do the same thing, so we thought we would do new artwork and a DVD for each one. Make it something that kids want to buy. We took a week of shows last year in Florida and recorded on audio and video each record in its entirety and thought it would be a nice thing to include.
IW: Do you anticipate putting out more?
JR: Our goal is to put out every one of them with the accompanying live DVD. It’s going to take a little time, so everyone will have to be a little patient.
IW: Are you putting your next full length out on Sleep it Off?
JR: Yeah. We’re only using this as our label, to put out our stuff, so we’re not going to be putting out other bands.
IW: tell me about the new album GNV FLA.
JR: We caught a lot of flak for our last record. I feel a lot of it was unjustified. But a lot of kids said "What happened to the horns? What happened to the ska?" It was just time for us to step back for a second because we were stuck in major label land for five years and we were playing the game. We didn’t want to be a part of this game anymore. Warner was very cool and let us out of our deal and they were very gracious.
IW: Did you think about just going back to another indie, rather than starting your own label?
JR: No. I think there was some talk for a second, but it just made sense to do it on our own. Really if everything gets fucked up, you can only blame yourself. It’s on us, so there is a lot of added pressure and there’s more work involved, but we’ve never been afraid of a hard day’s work. It’s all about the common goal that is Less Than Jake. It’s a little scary but we don’t have to answer to anyone else.
IW: I’m assuming that financially it’s a better deal for you as well.
JR: CDs don’t sell anymore. It’s all about MP3s, so we cut out the middleman. Look at a band like Radiohead – and we’re not Radiohead – but what they did was so groundbreaking. The people who are going to buy it are going to buy it. Why do we need a label anymore? All the labels are freakin’ out because they don’t know what to do. If we were to sign with another major label today, they would treat us like a new band and sign us to one of those 360 deals, where they would get a percentage of our touring money and a percentage of our merch money and all of this other bull shit. We have worked so hard and made some many other people money for so many years. Personally, I’m stoked that we get equal pay for equal work finally. It’s scary, but it’s exciting.
Ducky Boys’ Mark Lind Goes Solo Again
By John B. Moore
In the annals of punk rock history, the Ducky Boys will likely be filed under the heading of "criminally underrated."
For more than a decade now, the Boston punks have churned out brilliant, thinking man’s punk rock in the vein of everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Social Distortion.
On his own, for his third solo outing (backed, however by a stellar group of friends and former band mates) Ducky Boys front man Mark Lind spoke recently about his new record - The Truth Can Be Brutal, flying solo and the future of his old band.
Innocent Words: What can your fans expect with The Truth Can Be Brutal.
Lind: I consider everything I do to be relatively similar. Now the songs can be faster or slower, layered or sparse but it’s all the same at the root. And I'd like to think that people know what they're getting to an extent when they buy one of my records. I guess what I'm saying is that I'd like to think that I have a defined sound. Maybe that's wishful thinking but if I didn't see it that way then I may as well quit. So there is that sound at the root of it.
IW: You mentioned on your blog that this is probably the best thing you've ever done. Why do you think that is?
Lind: This is another one of those things that I have to push for or else give it all up. I always see the newest as being the best. When I stop seeing it that way then I'll gladly give it up and retire from making records. But I feel that my best has yet to be heard. And I also pride myself on the fact that I've steadily improved over the years while a lot of bands out there blow their wad on their first record and just spend the remainder of their careers chasing their former glory. In a lot of ways I feel like I still have something to prove.
As far as this record goes, it just has a lot of hooks. Each song is free standing on its own and yet it works well as a group. A lot of CD's get released these days and they have one, maybe two, decent songs on them and a lot of filler. We worked hard to assemble a record that had no filler on it. And I believe we've been successful with that. Its eleven songs that all have a life of their own, they all have something to say to your average person, and they're all memorable. And that's really why I back this one as saying it’s the best thing I've ever done.
A lot of times bands are rushed to make records. Maybe they are rushed by a label or have some self imposed timeline where they need to get it done and out in stores so they can resume touring or playing shows. I've been restricted by those sorts of timelines before and now I've been free of any obligations and I can say with complete certainty that the lack of a deadline makes a better record. I was able to amass a ton of songs for this CD and then choose the best of the best. We had rehearsed all of the songs before we even set a recording date. And from there we recorded incrementally leaving time for new ideas to come forward that could be added. It sure beats the idea of a band having a rigorous touring schedule with only a month off to write and record a CD. So many bands deal with that sort of arrangement and that's half the reason why so many of us spend money on CD's that are less than what they could be. I'd like to think we avoided that here and that's what makes this the best record I've been a part of. And that's what makes this a record worth people's hard earned money. I want to always strive for the best that I can do at any given time. I don't want to shit out a CD and have people waste their money. After all, I'm a music fan too so I know how important that can be to people.
IW: So did the Ducky Boys officially break up or just taking some time off?
Lind: I don't think we'll ever break up. But we're older now and the other two guys are pretty much married and starting families. I'm the only one that is still living like I'm 21. So we'll play or record when we can but it will be a bit different than it was in the past when we'd be out playing every weekend and practicing a couple of nights per week. We just have to be more practical about it. We do still itch to make new music so that's a possibility for the future.
Lucky release No.10 for Mudhoney
By Troy Michael
Embarking on their 20th anniversary as a band, Mudhoney have released their 10th full length album – the powerfully raw throwback The Lucky Ones (Sub Pop Records.) the label also released a limited edition 20th anniversary CD of their monumental release Superfuzz Big Muff with rare photos and a second CD of one of their first tours overseas.
Over their jaw-dropping two-decade career as a band, singer/guitarist Mark Arm, guitarist Steve Turner, drummer Dan Peters, and bassist Guy Maddison practically single-handedly launched the "grunge" movement of the early 90s. Now after touching a little bit of the brass ring that is mainstream, Mudhoney has settled back into their indie roots with their 10 full length and keep chugging along.
Sitting down with singer/guitarist Mark Arm on his break from working at the Sub Pop mail order room we talked about two decades of music, The Lucky Ones and the future of one of the greatest bands to ever play.
Innocent Words: Congratulations on 20 years as a band. Looking back, are you surprised at the longevity that is Mudhoney?
Arm: We marked the first of January as our anniversary because we figured it was the first day we practiced with Matt and it’s an easy to date to remember.
But to answer your question, I am not too surprised now, but if you asked me 18 years ago if we would last this long I would have thought you were insane.
Our initial goal was to put out a 7-inch single and we had two friends at labels which were in the works. One of those labels was going to be Sub Pop Records and the other was Amphetamine Reptile Records, so we figured one of them might put out a single for us.
This was in ’88 and we had one of the first singles on Sub Pop with our 7-inch "Touch Me I'm Sick/Sweet Young Thing Ain't Sweet No More."
IW: Whose idea was it to re-release a deluxe package for Superfuzz Big Muff?
Arm: The plan at the Sub Pop publicity department thought it would be a good idea to do the releases at the same time because it was good timing and it would be smarter to do financially for the label. I think it turned out well considering we had to go through thousands of photos trying to decide what to use for the photo booklet.
IW: One of the more famous photos of you guys, which is included in the package, is the one for the "You Got It (Keep It Outta My Face)" 7-inch single. How’d all that come about?
Arm: Well it’s kind of funny. We were thinking of photo ideas with our friend Charles Peterson for the record and we were all sitting around drinking with some friends of ours. We thought about getting covered in mud but we didn’t have any place we knew of where we could do something like that. Then Tad (Doyle, of the Seattle band TAD) said come over to his house, he had a dirt back yard.
We went over to Tad’s drank some beers and soaked his dirt back yard and rolled around in it. Well Tad lived next to a mall and after the photo shoot, Charles thought it would be funny to go walk around the mall parking lot covered in mud. That’s how we got the front and back cover for the album.
IW: The new album is very artistic as well…
Arm: Yeah, it’s by the guy (Ed Fotheringham) who did our Piece of Cake, My Brother the Cow, and Every Boy Deserves Good Fudge records. When I first met Ed he was attending art school at U of W (University of Washington) and he wanted to be an abstract painter at that time. Somewhere along the lines he became an illustrated artist and did some early work for us.
We haven’t used him in awhile, but I knew he would be the perfect fit for this new album. We asked him to paint an album cover and he was worried because he hasn’t painted in a long time, but I think it turned out great.
IW: Was the cover concept something you wanted to fit with the music on The Lucky Ones?
Arm: My humor tends to be black, so I am not a totally pessimist or anything like that, this is who I am. When I write the first thing to come to my mind I think it’s stupid and I had to learn to get over that and let things flow.
I never realized we changed that much as a band, but people are saying this sounds like older Mudhoney. This is the only Mudhoney album where I don’t play guitar. The beginning idea was the other guys thought I’d write a couple songs without playing the guitar, but I wrote the album with only Steve doing the guitar. It is hard for me to write songs that are fresh anymore because I’ve written so many songs.
IW: How long do you see Mudhoney going as a band putting out albums?
Arm: Well I don’t know. We will just see and keep playing until it isn’t any fun anymore. I don’t foresee us being like the Rolling Stones or anything. That is a world I can’t even imagine. Waking up being Keith Richards snorting your dad’s ashes and thinking "hey I am Keith Richards let’s go drink some beer" is just beyond all comprehension for me.
Sarah Fisher is an Indy Car driver; an off the track look at one of Indy's finest
By Troy Michael
(Editor’s note: Every so often we stray off the beaten path of music here at Innocent Words, and this story is one of those times. As editor and publisher, this was a story I couldn’t pass up and in reality I hope it reaches a different fan base for Sarah Fisher.)
Growing up I was raised on racing, more specifically open wheel racing. My father took me to sprint car, World of Outlaw races and on occasions we’d venture over to the holy ground of auto racing – the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to watch time trials. Where my friends wanted to be the next baseball, basketball or football star, I wanted to be A.J. Foyt – my racing hero, the first four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 and in my opinion the greatest race car driver ever.
So when the happy accident occurred which gave me the opportunity to interview Indy Racing League driver Sarah Fischer, I couldn’t pass it up. I have followed Fishers career since she was wheeling a midget and sprint car around the dirt ovals of the Midwest and I saw Columbus, Ohio native rise to be voted Indy series most popular driver three consecutive times.
Now after bouncing around from Indy cars to racing in the NASCAR circuit, Fisher has laid permanent stakes in the IRL along with her husband (Andy O’Gara) to form her own independent race team Sarah Fisher Racing.
With a limited budget and getting caught up in Tony Kanaan’s crash this year’s running of the Indianapolis 500 in May, where she finished 30, I had a chance to catch up Sarah Fisher in the summer months to talk about her new race team, the struggles of being a do-it-yourself operation and what kind of music she listens to when not doing 200 MPH-plus on the race track.
Innocent Words: Why did you and your husband start Sarah Fisher Racing, as opposed to trying to hook up with another team?
Sarah Fisher: We were both really engaged in the big picture for us in the future. We wanted to put the right people in place to compose an All Star group of people and for me to have a racing involvement when I decide to stop driving. Andy and I are developing the team for long term plans and hope to see it grow into a much bigger organization in the future.
IW: In the music industry we would call SFR a DIY (Do It Yourself) or grassroots team instead of going the bigger corporate way. Even though it is a struggle financially, is there some gratification knowing you is doing this on your own?
Fisher: The gratification is from knowing our on track product has been good. We are always trying to be better from all angles and knowing that the programs we have developed from every aspect so far have been well received and successful in our expectations. As an organization, we have many ladders to climb, but the good news is we know how many rungs and where they will lead us.
IW: With the merger of the IRL and Champ car series this year, will that help you as a race team in the long run to get sponsorship?
Fisher: Yes, mostly because the identity of open wheel racing is much stronger and as a brand, has become more identifiable by our fans and supporters. We still have to do an increasingly good job at the entertainment value, we want to increase our fan base as well as maintain the great supporters we already have.
IW: Is it frustrating knowing you are one of the fan favorites and it’s hard to get a sponsor which would allow you to race full time?
Fisher: Well, it’s not as frustrating now because we are working very hard at making that not an issue. It takes an everyday dedication to make it happen and we are all very focused on that effort. It has to make sense to the right people, the right company. And, when it does, it will be big.
IW: Can you put into words what it is like to race at nearly 230 M.P.H. around the Indianapolis race track?
Fisher: That is tough. When at five-years-old, I was going 50-mph and accordingly increasing speed as I grew up. It’s hard to put an emotion on that number. It is a dream though to compete against the best in the world and to have been at the Indy 500, seven times already, has been a blessing.
IW: Do you do any dirt racing anymore like the World of Outlaws?
Fisher: I wish. The sprint cars were the most fun of any, growing up. Our shop “neighbors” have a sprint car and needed to push start it (the driver is my size and out of town) and asked if I would help. Sitting in that 850 horsepower, methanol breathing car after it has been started is just a rush. I do miss it, but the bigger picture here is much more important right now.
IW: If so what type of music do you listen too
Fisher: I listen to all types! Mostly have become a Country fan as of late. It changes though when I am working out. Anything that gets my heart rate up! But before a race I don’t listen to any because I like to stretch and focus in the quiet.
IW: Do you play any instruments?
Fisher: I used to play the saxophone and the piano. But, if I picked it up today, it wouldn’t come back. I love music, but just don’t have time to create it. I’ll leave that to the pros!
IW: In your free time what do you do for fun?
Fisher: Race karts with my little brother in law. Imagine that! We also go boating when we have extra time. By myself, I love gardening and random house projects!
IW: You started racing at a young age and got an Indy ride right before college. Have you ever had any other type of job besides racing?
Fisher: Working for my dad in the fabrication) shop. I used to help saw pieces for big machinery, then mig weld and paint when finished. It was hard work, but allowed us to race. When he was working on the more engineering stuff, I would be prepping the race cars, from the engines to the chassis.
IW: What are your plans for the remainder of the IRL Season?
Fisher: We plan on competing at Kentucky and Chicago.
That's it for Issue 30's Featured Stories. Have you read last month's? Continue reading Issue 29's Featured Stories in the Archives.
