APPLESTATION: A candy-coated, psychedelic smorgasbord from producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Tommy Marolda.
What was the biggest fun during the making of the last album?
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I USED REAL STRINGS AND CELLOS…WHICH WAS VERY EXCITING AS IT ADDED A NEW DIMENSION TO THE SOUND
At what point, during writing, rehearsing, recording, did you knew you were on to something special?
THE FIRST SONG I WROTE AND RECORDED WAS CALLED APPLESTATION…MY 9-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER HAD A STEP SISTER NAMED ANASTASIA, BUT I WAS CALLING HER “APPLESTATION” AND THE SONG IS ACTUALLY ABOUT THIS 12-YEAR-OLD PRE-TEEN…
THE ENERGY IN THIS TRACK WAS ENOUGH FOR ME TO CONTINUE WRITING SOME 20 ADDITIONAL TRACKS…
I WAS STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF WRITING FOR THE NEW RICHIE SAMBORA ALBUM, SO I HAD TO SEPARATE MYSELF FROM THE BON JOVI INFLUENCE AND STAY FOCUSED ON THE POWER POP OF THE TOMS.
The music industry has changed a lot (or so they say). What did it bring you? And what not?
IT BROUGHT ME CLOSER TO MY FANS AND INTRODUCED ME TO MANY MORE BECAUSE OF THE VARIOUS OUTLETS TO EXPOSE NEW MATERIAL AND ARTISTS…ALTHOUGH IT STILL TAKES A MARKETING AND PROMOTIONAL MACHINE TO REACH THE MASSES LIKE ONLY A MAJOR LABEL CAN DO BECAUSE OF THEIR PIPELINE AND DEEP POCKETS.
The meaning of ‘success’ has changed over the years. When will the new record be a success?
I NEVER WENT INTO THIS WITH THAT IDEA OF BECOMING SUCCESSFUL. I AM PASSIONATE AND DEDICATED TO WRITING AND RECORDING FOR AS LONG AS I AM ABLE…
I’VE BEEN GRAMMY NOMINATED, HAD GOLD AND PLATINUM RECORDS AND SONGS IN TV AND FILM BUT MY FAVORITE THING IS TO BE IN THE STUDIO WRITING AND RECORDING NEW SONGS THAT I HOPE TOUCH MY FANS AND NEW LISTENERS IN A POSITIVE WAY…
Do you feel part of a community, the power pop community?
YES, THEY HAVE EMBRACED ME OVER THE YEARS AND I FEEL HONORED AND HUMBLED BY THAT.
Can you still recall the moment music became important to you? What happened?
YOU HEAR THE FIRST BEATLE SONG AND YOU’VE BECOME A DIFFERENT PERSON…
MY 9-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER LOVES THEM MORE THAN WHAT IS ON THE RADIO TODAY….THERE’S A RAW EMOTION, MELODY, UNABASHED YOUTHFULNESS AND HOPE INSIDE THAT KIND OF MUSIC…THAT’S WHAT TOUCHED ME AND BECAME THE SOUNDTRACK TO MY LIFE…
Which is the song you wish you had written every time you hear it? And why?
STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER…
IT’S SO UNIQUE AND WONDERFUL TO SING AND PLAY. I THINK LENNON HAD THAT MELODY AND DIDN’T REALIZE HOW THE CHORDS WOULD UNITE THE WORDS AND MUSIC…PURE LUCK OR GENIUS…OR WHATEVER DRUGS HE WAS ON AT THE TIME:)))
If you could tour the world with 2 other bands, who would you ask to join?
IMAGINE DRAGONS…I STARTED THE BAND HERE IN VEGAS WRITING AND TEACHING DAN REYNOLDS PRODUCTION AND VOCALS. THE OTHER BAND WOULD BE XTC, BUT WE KNOW ANDY HAS STAGE FRIGHT LIKE I DO AND THAT WON’T HAPPEN…
Magic can happen when you are playing in front of a crowd. Can you recall such a moment?
YES, I OPENED FOR BON JOVI IN FRONT OF 20,000 PEOPLE AND BESIDES BEING SCARED OUT OF MY MIND FOR THE FIRST 2 MINUTES, I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW MY BASS AMP WAS OFF UNTIL SOMEONE IN THE FRONT ROW POINTED IT OUT TO ME…
‘LET’S BE FRIENDS AGAIN’WAS ENERGIZING EVERYONE AND PETER NOONE FROM HERMAN’S HERMITS WAS THERE AND HEARD OUR SONG”THE FLAME” WHICH HE LATER CUT FOR A MOVIE, BUT THEY LIKED MINE BETTER…THE FILM WAS CALLED, “MY AMERICAN BOYFRIEND”…
If the budget was unlimited, how would you record the next record?
IT IS UNLIMITED SINCE I HAVE ALL THE EQUIPMENT AND TIME TO RECORD IT IN MY HOME WHICH I HAVE STARTED ON A NEW TOMS ALBUM CALLED “D7”
I’M NOT SURE IT FOLLOWS IN THE PURE POWER POP PATH, BUT I AM VISITING GOOSE BUMP CITY ON THIS ONE SO FAR…
Every family birthday, same story. Again, you have to explain what kind of band you are in. What’s the story this time for aunt Jenny and uncle Clive?
I WOULD TELL THEM THAT THEY WON’T BELIEVE IT, BUT EVERYTHING YOU HEAR ON THIS RECORD IS BEING PLAYED SUNG, WRITTEN AND RECORDED BY MYSELF…
THE TOMS, A ONE-MAN BAND… AND YOU COULD SAY IT HAS A BEATLES, TEMPLES, IMAGINE DRAGONS, XTC, MOTOWN, PHIL SPECTOR, BEACH BOYS, TAME IMPALA, INFLUENCE.
What would change if Disney would call and tell you they are going to use your song in their next movie?
NOTHING…I’VE HAD TWO SONGS IN DISNEY MOVIES…BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA IS ONE OF THEM…SONG IS CALLED “BAILA”, FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK PAT!!!
So what about putting your ultimate band together? No restrictions. No limitations. If you want David Bowie on backing vocals and Prince on guitar, go ahead. What would the band look like? And what is the song you will start jamming on? To find out it if this really works?
THE SONG WOULD BE “TOO MUCH” FROM THE TOMS -APPLESTATION AND THE PLAYERS AND SINGERS WOULD BE: MCCARTNEY ON VOCALS AND BASS, ROBIN ZANDER (CHEAP TRICK) BACKGROUND VOCALS, ANDY PARTRIDGE, VOCALS AND GUITAR, BILL BUFORD (YES) ON DRUMS, ELTON JOHN ON PIANO, ME ON RHYTHM GUITAR…RONNIE SPECTOR ON FEMALE BACKUPS…STEVE HOWE ON LEAD GUITAR…
What’s up for the rest of the year?
I HAVE 16 NEW TOMS SONGS THAT I’VE BEGUN RECORDING. ONE OF THEM CALLED “WE AIN’T GIVING UP” WRITTEN AND SUNG BY ME AND RICHIE SAMBORA WHO IS A RECURRING MEMBER OF THE TOMS…:)
PLUS I AM WORKING ON A REALITY TV SHOW WITH MY PARTNER RENAE WOLFGANG WHO IS A MOBILE PET GROOMER. WE ARE COMBINING HER TALENTS WITH MY MUSIC CONTACTS TO CREATE AN UNUSUAL LOOK INTO THE WORLD OF PETS AND MUSIC…IT’S CALLED “HAPPY TAILS”, THE TOMS WILL CONTRIBUTE MUSIC TO THIS PROJECT AS WELL..
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