The thought of your band being as big as “Green Day” comes back to me a lot. But I think it is almost impossible for a band nowadays to grow that big. (Where do you begin if you are songwriter, singer, head of marketing etc all by yourself). What do you think?

 

I agree. The very nature of the music industry has changed. Very few bands are making it on such a huge scale. But that’s ok. The internet has allowed musicians to do it for themselves – it’s what punk rock has always been about anyway. Don’t wait around for something to happen, get out there and make it happen! Bands now have that instant connection online – fans can decide for themselves if they like something, or not, without a multi-million pound record company promoting the life out of the latest ‘next big thing’. People like to find something new for themselves. I’m not saying it wouldn’t be tempting to sign on the dotted line, should the opportunity ever come our way, but we’re realistic. It’s not going to happen anytime soon. If you’re in a band for the right reasons, you’re passionate, driven, love what you do, that becomes it’s own reward.

What was the biggest fun during the making of the last album? 

Joey:  We drove to Oklahoma to record with Stephen Egerton again.  He’s very detail-oriented which is one of the main reasons why we keep going back to him.  The fact that he’s an extremely gifted songwriter doesn’t hurt either.  We always have a good time when we go up to visit him.

We also spent a lot of time in the hotel room watching Mr. Show on DVD.  That was fun.

If we want to know you, which song do we have to listen to? And why?

 

Joey:  I’m more of an “album guy” than a “song guy”.  If I had to pick just one song then I would say “State of Excess” (the title track) because it exemplifies the general theme of the album, or at least the second half of the album.

Ralph:  I’d say check out “Don’t Know Why” as it demonstrates the progression of the band wrapped up in a tight, two and a half minute nugget.  Who doesn’t have two minutes to spare?

The music industry has changed a lot (or so they say). What did it bring you? And what not?

 

Joey:  As a music fan, the Internet has not only given me access to new music but some amazing old music as well.  I’m in my late twenties now so I’ve been using the Internet as a resource since I was a little kid.  It takes very little effort to get your music online and available to the public and I’d much rather e-mail a link to a publication, radio station, etc. than mail a tangible product and press kit.  From a financial standpoint, it costs us virtually nothing to take the digital route.

I’m pretty introverted and I can be shy when meeting new people.  The Internet allows me to network without having to leave the house or make an awkward phone call.  It’s great.

We don’t make much money from digital sales and streaming music, but we’re just glad that people are listening to our songs.  If we were “in it for the money” then we wouldn’t be playing rock music.  We would have implemented a drum machine or a ukulele by now. Gotta stay current, you know?

Ralph:  The model for “local” bands now allows a little band from Dallas, Texas to reach folks all over the globe, yourself included.  We’re grateful it allows us to connect with bloggers, podcasters and fans who enjoy similar music.  There’s nothing not to like about this model – like Joey said, we aren’t focused on making money.  We’re more interested in reaching people who enjoy our stuff.

Who is the best musician in the world nobody has heard of yet? And why will this change very soon?

 

Joey:  We played a gig with Mugen Hoso a few months ago and they put on one of the best live shows that I’ve ever witnessed.

I don’t listen to a lot of modern music these days, which is unfortunate because I’m sure that I am missing out on a lot of good stuff.  For the past ten years or so, I’ve been habitually revisiting old music maybe every six months; but in the last year I’ve pretty much immersed myself in old blues.  If deceased musicians are allowed then I would have to namedrop guys like Mississippi John Hurt, Henry Thomas, Blind Boy Fuller, Sleepy John Estes . . . the list goes on and on.  These players directly or indirectly influenced every style of western music that came after them, but to this day their contributions are still being overlooked.

It’s some of the best music ever recorded and a lot of these dudes (and ladies) incorporated some pretty dark or risque themes into their songs.  When I listen to a standard pop-rock love song now, there’s a part of me that sort of resents the person who is singing the song.  After hearing someone like Charley Patton sing about spending time in jail or surviving the worst flood in American history, the whole “Oh, baby / You broke my heart / Please don’t leave me” thing just seems trivial.

I digress.

She tells you she will decide on a 5-song-mix tape if there is going to be a second date. Which 5 would you put on?

 

Joey:  I’m married now and have been with the same girl for eight years, but I’ll try to pretend that I’m making a mix for a friend in need.  This ultimatum is pretty out of line though.  Honestly, I’d probably just tell my friend to forget about this girl.  Go play video games or read a book instead.

1.  The Toms – Better Than Anyone Else

2.  The Descendents – Cheer

3.  The Gants – I Wonder

4.  Dolly Mixture – Will He Kiss Me Tonight

5.  The Ramones – I Want You Around

Ralph:  To answer this question correctly I’m going to have to take myself back to college….

1. The Promise Ring – Happiness Is All The Rage

2. Weezer – Devotion

3. Paul McCartney – Every Night

4. The Mr. T Experience – I Just Wanna Do It With You

5. Weston – New Shirt / Heather Lewis

What’s up for the next couple of months?

 

Joey:  Hopefully, more writing and home demoing.  I’ve heard musicians say that they try to write a song every day.  That’s unfathomable to me, but I wish that I could do that.  It takes me about a month to write a song and demo it before presenting it to the rest of the band.  We’ve got a few new tunes in the bag though.

Check the website for updates or buy here

We did try and write some sunny-sounding pop songs but we only know how to play minor chords and there’s no windows in the studio. Also, we always play like we’re about to die, whether it be to two people and a dog or a crowd of 500 (although I can’t say we’ve ever played to that many people, we certainly have played to two people and a dog).

We’re planning on doing a very limited run of the EP on CD (how quaint), and are also planning to record a double A side for release either later this year or early next year.

We’ve just started working with an independent theatre company – Crooked Tree – on providing the music for an immersive performance that’ll be happening in October at the Brunel Chamber in Rotherhithe (Docklands area of London).

 It’s all very arty, but it’s good to approach making music in a different way than just playing gigs and slinging out records. It’s also a great way to reach a different audience that might not particularly have encountered you at a standard gig too.

We’d like to play some European dates (here’s hoping England comes to it’s senses and votes to stay in the European Union), and we’ve got plenty of new material to work on, so keep your ears open and if anybody has a spare £50,000 available we could certainly put that to good use.”

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What was the biggest fun during the making of the last album?

The fun thing about this album was the crew we worked with. Our engineer / producer really got the retro vibe I was going for with the sound, and he liked a lot of the same bands I like (Oasis, Badfinger, Fountains of Wayne, etc.)

If we want to know you, which song do we have to listen to? And why?

On the new album I would say ‘The Optimist’ or ‘Time to Go’. But this is my 7th album, so for overall I would say to listen to ‘Sand in the Hourglass’, from the 2nd album. It’s about not giving up, and that’s my whole thing .

The music industry has changed a lot (or so they say). What did it bring you? And what not?  

Tough question. Well, it brought me a great job working as a tour guide at Sun Studio in Memphis, TN. Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Howlin’ Wolf all started their careers in that legendary place, and it was an honor to work there>

Ah Thanks. That is a fairly simple 3 chords played over and over again, and then my brother-in-law played the guitar solo on it. He’s such a good player. He just went in and nailed it

We just got a great gig opening for Bryan Adams in a few weeks. So we’re excited about that. Other than that, hopefully will keep having things happen with the new album, and start writing new songs.

Check the website for updates

Sweet Sweet Music talked with Mike Patton of Vista Blue, a power pop band from Nashville. They just released a 20 songs baseball-themed album. To know Vista Blue is to love them, so check this out

How does a Vista Blue- day in the studio look like? Your songs sounds like you are having fun. But I am sure it is not all that?

It’s definitely all fun! That’s the only reason to still be doing this. I thought I would’ve stopped a long time ago, but for whatever reason, these catchy songs keep popping in my head. So we keep going.

These days, we do most recording over the internet actually. The technology has finally brought us to where we can make really fun music in totally separate locations.

So typically I’ll have a bunch of songs ready, and I’ll start with some basic demos. I’ll send these to Todd or Mark or whoever might be helping on the tracks. But it also helps me work on vocal arrangements for a few days. Then I’ll usually come back and re-record all of my vocals.

From there, if someone else is jumping in, they might e-mail me files, or I’ll go to Mark’s house or something and record his parts there.

But again, this whole process is fun. In addition to making these recordings, it also sometimes helps me stay in touch with people I don’t get to see every day. There are phone calls and emails discussing parts, chords, arrangements, etc. Of course, the other side is that it is often just me in a room by myself for hours!

If we want to know you, which song do we have to listen to? And why?

I don’t know that it could be summed up in one song, but I guess a great start would be something like Pulp’s “Mis-shapes.” – “Oh we weren’t supposed to be/We learnt too much at school now we can’t help but see/That the future that you’ve got mapped out/Is nothing much to shout about…”

I guess my main thing is to never do something only because other people think you “should” do it. As long as you aren’t hurting anyone, do what you want.

The music industry has changed a lot (or so they say). What did it bring you? And what not?  

Honestly, I know a lot of indie people do not like the current state of the industry, particularly those who were managing to actually scratch out a living 10-15 years ago by touring nonstop and selling merch. And I definitely appreciate that lifestyle and that commitment. But yeah, things have changed. And for us, it’s now easier to record, easier to share our music, and in many ways, easier to get people to listen.

There are so many blogs, podcasts, and indie radio shows now that we’re getting support from people who never would’ve heard of us back when we were playing shows every week.

I know overall we have access to so much good music, so it can be a lot to get through and a lot of links to click on. But I’m finding great new bands every day, and fortunately people are finding US every day!

How competitive is Nashville? Mostly we only hear the stories about mainstream country and I know about East Nashville being (or at least was) alt.country heaven. But what is it like being independent in a city like Nashville? 

Yeah, Nashville is not really the place for a band like us. When I first moved here in 2008, we started The Loblaws, did a record for Mutant Pop, and had a lot of fun with that band for a couple of years. But we had more people at every show outside of Nashville than we did at any of our local shows, which is kind of telling.

It isn’t really even “competition.” I think it’s more that everyone here plays or has played music. A lot of people move here for that reason. There are 100 shows every night. It’s just tough to stand out, I guess.

Of course last weekend’s CMA Fest had country fans waiting in line for 12 hours before concerts, and our interstates were all clogged up, so obviously it’s working for that side of music.

For punk music, there does seem to be a growing scene here with more and more houses doing shows. If that had been going on when The Loblaws were around, that would’ve been great. But now that our music is more on the “power pop” side of things, we don’t really play live shows here very often. We did play the International Pop Overthrow here last month, and that was a blast.

What about baseball? 

Ha, well baseball is fun! To me, it’s just one of the purest games, at least from a strategy standpoint. It’s like chess, except when the managers make their moves on the chess board, the pieces still need to execute.

And I find it’s just a lot of fun to write and sing about. Baseball can be used as a metaphor in almost any way. Having a coach who won’t put you in the game is no different from having a boss who just doesn’t understand what you’re capable of. A bad teammate is the same as a bad co-worker. We all work with a guy who is a jerk but gets all of the credit. Or a guy who will screw up and hit into a double play, no matter how many chances he’s given. But also, when you hit a home run, it helps people forget about the four prior at-bats when you struck out.

Before we started Vista Blue in 2014, I was writing a few baseball songs for my friends in The Ueckers. But before I knew it, I had like 15 songs. Those guys write a ton of songs too and didn’t really need mine. So when we started this band, I had all of those ideas, and it was an easy first release for us. From there the ideas just kept flowing, so we’ve now done a total of four baseball releases. And it’s hard to stop because now all of our friends keep giving me baseball song ideas.

She tells you she will decide on a 5-song-mix tape if there is going to be a second date. Which 5 would you put on?

This is another really tough one. Assuming I didn’t want to go ALL Beach Boys on her so soon, I guess it’d be something like…

Beach Boys – “I’m Waiting For the Day”

Weezer – “Falling For You”

Beatles – “Here, There and Everywhere”

Belle & Sebastian – “Another Sunny Day”

Mamas and Papas – “I Saw Her Again”

This is just some of the greatest music ever released. But hopefully on the second date she’d ask for the rest of the mixtape because there is a lot left out here!

What’s up for the next couple of months?

We are not stopping. We’ve released eight EPs since April 2015, and we’re planning on four more this year!

First we’re taking the sports idea in a new direction and are recording an Olympics-themed EP to celebrate the Rio games in August. Then we’re doing an EP in September that actually may not have a theme. That’s kind of undecided, and we have a lot of song ideas to pick from.

Then later this year we’ll do a horror-themed EP in October and a Christmas EP in December.

I’d also like to say that my band Sally Stitches, a New Orleans power pop band from 2002-2005, will be releasing a reunion EP this month through Radiant Radish and Ice Cream Man. And that one is a lot of fun as well.

So we’re very busy right now! Which is great.

If you want to hear more, go here or check the FB website for updates.

We talked to Ryan Hamilton about his latest album Hell of a Day, a power pop and “sunny singer songwriter” gem. Let’s hear what he has to say about covering REO Speedwagon, working with Linus of Hollywood,  greedy assholes and touring with Ginger Wildheart.

 

What was the biggest fun during the making of the last album?

 

The whole thing was such a fun experience, it’s hard to pick one particular moment. But I recorded the album in California with my friend Linus Of Hollywood. I think that’s my favorite thing about the making of the album.

I would have to say Freak Flag. It’s got a cool mix of pop, singer songwriter, and rock n roll. Plus, the subject matter is very close to my heart. We should all be free to enjoy being ourselves. Even if we are weird, or “nerds” etc… Unfortunately, we live in a society dominated by the internet… and bullies can hide behind computer screens.

I don’t mention REO Speedwagon as one of my favorite bands on a daily basis? What about you? Actually I like them a lot. What about the cover?

 

They seem to be one of those bands that people never take too seriously. But they have so many great songs! I think “Take It On The Run” is one of the all time great love songs. I had wanted to cover it for a long time… and this solo album gave me the opportunity. I really like the chilled out, darker direction we took it.

The music industry is full of greedy assholes. I got burned REALLY bad by some people who were supposed to be my “friends”. People who I thought I could trust. People who were supposed to be looking out for me and helping me build and nurture my career. But really, they were just interested in themselves. If it didn’t benefit THEM they didn’t care what I had to say. Even went out of their way to talk shit and try to make things more difficult for me. It was terrible.

So, what did the changes in the music industry bring me? It brought me my freedom. Things like Kickstarter and/or PledgeMusic give artists like me the opportunity to break out on my own and leave those greedy assholes behind. I LOVE IT!

The Black Crowes – Twice As Hard

Tom Petty – Free Fallin’

The Rolling Stones – Honky Tonk Women

Paolo Nutini – Coming Up Easy

David Bowie – Rebel Rebel

If she doesn’t go or it after THAT, she wasn’t worth dating anyway. Haha!

Going on tour in the UK, supporting Ginger Wildheart. Then off to Scotland to record a new album!

Check Ryan’s website for updates

Buy Hell of a Day here or buy a vinyl copy here

The most exciting part about making the Turn Around EP was how it constantly evolved. Almost everything ended up different than we thought it would. We used instruments we never planned to use; we would come into the studio thinking we were going to record a guitar track but end up recording a minimoog synthesizer line. The spontaneity of the recording sessions shaped this record. It was exciting to see how we changed and grew as a band while recording the EP.

The title track, Turn Around, would have to be the standout song for the band. Particularly in regards to production and arrangement. At one point we didn’t even want to record it, but when we rewrote the lyrics it was the start of an amazing process in the studio. The track has the dreamy, psychedelic jangle we wanted, but managed to bring an unforeseen dark, swirling depth to the record. We knew we had made something unusual, and that we must treat each song with the same care. The sessions afterwards were produced with Turn Around in mind, and that’s when the record really came together.

What’s the story behind the band name?

We spent a long time thinking of several different names.  Some were already taken, and some just didn’t suit what we were going for. We needed something that we could identify our sound with. One summer night on the roof of the studio, we stumbled upon a great idea. Our favourite guitar amp ,the Vox AC30 had all along been holding the proper name for the band. A special input on the AC30 called “Top Boost” essentially allows more tone control for your guitar, and specifically an increase in brilliance. It seemed like the perfect idea. “The Top Boost” just popped into our heads. We felt it related to our love of jangly guitars, old gear, and way of recording. It had to be the name!

Turn Around has been described as perfect power pop, as if it were made in the 80s. Was that the sound you were looking for?

We are massively influenced by 1960’s pop music. It naturally comes out that way while composing. What we went for was just what we thought sounded right. To build each song properly we put together a sound collage filled with our favourite instruments. We carefully placed everything in the appropriate spots. The Rickenbacker 12 string became a big part of our sound very quickly. The original idea we had was to make a shimmering, psychedelic record. It ended up even more dreamy than we had hoped.

The music industry has changed a lot (or so they say). What did it bring you? And what not?

We feel like we haven’t seen much of any music industry yet. It hasn’t really affected us. We mainly use the internet to get ourselves across to people. That is a big help for sure.

She tells you to decide on a 5-song mix tape if there is going to be a second date. Which 5 would you put on.

The Rain, The Park and Other Things – The Cowsills

Hello It’s Me – Todd Rundgren

She’s American – The 1975

Time Of The Season – The Zombies

Never My Love – The Association

What’s up for the next couple of months?

We plan on playing shows, while at the same time working on our next record. There are tons of new ideas and tricks we have planned. We really want to make the most of our live show to give people a different experience than they get from listening to our record. It’s all going to be very exciting. We promise!

Check FB for updates