‘While it’s certainly a varied album, garage is the overriding vibe throughout and is offered up with asserted confidence by Fallon’s casually delivered snarl. Tracks such as ‘East Bay’, and the leading single from the album, ‘Scars from You’, present the familiar tones of that low-slung classic American garage sound, reminiscent of some Iggy Pop, maybe with touches of Velvet Underground which regularly pop up throughout the record.’, writes RPM Online.

 

Sweet Sweet Music spoke with Cromm about his GREAT new record.

 

 

 

How did this record come together?

 

This record came together after I released my first single on Rum Bar Records. After playing in various bands, my former bandmate and friend of mine, Aly (RIP), suggested I go solo. With the positive reception I received from the single from various sites and magazines, I had to focus on releasing what I would want for a perfect debut album. With my drummer, Aaron Archer, I was able to hit the studio and lay down some songs I already had written while writing new ones in the process. The songs you hear on the record span years of my songwriting from when I was 19 to a month before the album was finished.I didn’t go into the album wanting to be genre-specific so that’s why you hear elements of lots of types of rock n roll.

 

 

Playing music in front of a crowd, what’s the fun about?

 

Playing music live is honestly one of the greatest feelings ever. I can forget about any sort of bullshit going on in life for those 30-40 minutes I’m onstage. Plus while I’m up there, I’m going to put on a show and go all out. Our live shows are more intense, louder, and noisier than the recordings for sure. I always look forward to touring, so book me and I’ll play your town.

 

With every song you write, are you learning to become an even better songwriter?

 

Oh yes, for sure. There’s always room to try new things out. I already have new ideas for my next album that will include even more powerpop elements as well as some post-punk and soul in there. The more I write, the more I can expand these ideas.

 

 

Is recording a record easier than getting it heard nowadays?

 

Oh definitely. Anyone has the ability to record an album and release it on all streaming sites. There’s so much music out there, and I’m always trying to seek it, but sometimes hard to find due to so many types of podcasts, blogs, streaming sites, etc. I feel like I’ve only listened to a fraction of some of the great new music that’s been put out even this year.

 

Any ideas on how to turn this one into a million-seller?

 

I’d be satisfied even 1,000 people gave the entire album a full listen. If you’re reading this, check the album out and see if you dig it!

 

 

 

 

 

How did this record come together?

 

My current band of Russell Crawford (Drums), Brian Crouch (Keys), Dave Hatt (Guitars) and Dave Keys (Bass) reunited back in April 2018 after 2 years of me playing as Bryan Estepa & The Tempe Two. Though we have been playing as a band since 2013, we have actually never recorded as this lineup before. I was stunned at this so wanted to fix it asap. We jammed on a few of my new tunes and the chemistry was still there. We laid down a few of them, not so much to start a new album but just so we can have a permanent reminder of this great band’s sound. From there the album started to take shape.

 

 

 

As an artist, you chose to show your emotions to the world. Is it always comfortable to do so?

 

It’s never completely comfortable for me but most songwriters draw on personal experiences and what is happening around them so its part of the process. Good or bad.

 

 

What’s the gig you will always remember? And why?

 

I’ll never forget watching You Am I play a blinder of a show at Selenas (Sydney) in 1998 and being completely in awe and reaffirmed how much I wanted to be a musician. Life-changing. Also can’t go past the 2 back to back shows of McCartney here in Sydney a few years back. Was a real dream come true to finally watch my hero play.

 

When was the last time you thought ‘I just wrote a hit!’?

 

Funnily enough, that wasn’t too long ago. I wrote a song for a good friend of mine and after I heard her do it with her band, I started thinking that this could be a country radio hit! One can only dream, right?

 

Which 5 records, that everybody forgot about, would define ‘our time’ on earth?

 

I’m not sure if these records have been completely forgotten but I’ll flip this question a bit and give you 5 of the zillion albums that have defined ‘my’ time on earth (Note – this list changes on a daily basis!):

Revolver – The Beatles

Hi-Fi Way – You Am I

AM – Wilco

Greatest Hits – Wings

Either/Or – Elliott Smith

 

You can’t control the way people ‘hear’ your music. But if you could make them aware of certain aspects, you think, set your songs apart. What would they be?

 

My songs don’t really break new grounds, but I like to think of myself as someone who respects the art and process of songwriting. So my aim is to write honest and melodic songs that hopefully strike a nerve with someone somewhere in this world.

Power Popaholic writes: Wow – if you like Cheap Trick, The Cars, Sloan or Matthew Sweet then you NEED to hear The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club. Power Pop Bliss!

And this is really not the only rave review. End To End is a great record.

Sweet Sweet Music spoke with William Giricz, lead singer / guitarist / producer for the album.

 

How did this record come together?

 

End Over End was blood sweat and tears figuratively speaking. A long and tortuous process in some ways, there were some songs in development even prior to finishing the previous album. Everything seemed to have to go through some evolution or other.

When there were 10 strong songs, it was time to hunker down and bring them to completion. From writing to production, there is a slurry transition, but there comes a time when the producer hat gets securely strapped on, and that’s when a lot of decisions are finalized.

When we finally put the album up on our Bandcamp page, Spotify, iTunes, etc. we had the collective sentiment ‘yeah; we’re really happy with this album’. But one of the most rewarding ways to listen has been dropping the needle on the vinyl version, pressed by Chicago’s very own, Smashed Plastic (and…shameless plug…available on our Bandcamp page).

 

 

 

When did you decide to start asking for opinions on the new songs?

 

We felt we had a good batch of strong songs as End Over End started to come together, so most of the feedback we sought was after the fact. We requested the opinion of our label, Big Blast Records, and a couple of close musical friends, as to which songs sounded the strongest.

We had various responses, but it seemed that “Christine You’re Mean” and “Starpower” drew the most immediate reaction. We’ve also had great feedback from some talented individuals who appreciated the more musically complex but equally hook-driven “Delusional In Love”.

 

For every song you record, how many end up in the bin?

 

There were about 10 tracks that were just about complete (and still may be seen in some other capacity at some point, perhaps a B-sides or something) that ended up falling just short. Other than that, there were tons of ideas ranging from little tidbits and riffs to bigger more formed concepts…I can’t tell you how many ideas of various kinds start as and often die as a crappy phone recording.

 

 

What’s the gig you will always remember? And why?

 

Liverpool…The Cavern Club! For us it was an adventure to a rock mecca with so much history, it really was incredible to be around these places where The Beatles cut their teeth as a young band. And, as we happily witnessed, Liverpudlians still have a love affair with rock and roll and powerpop in particular. By the end of what was referred to afterword as a “blistering set”, we felt we had connected in a real and meaningful way with these knowledgeable rock n rollers. What a blast that was!

 

When was the last time you thought ‘I just wrote a hit!’?

 

The track “Get Up Get Up” fits the bill. There are some easily relatable themes lyrically, and the guitar in the verses became this central big Beatles-y hook. Put this together with a really positive message, and I think you have something that most people can get into.

I feel that “Here Is Today” fits here as well, a mountain of a song with some powerful lyrics and a dynamic middle eight, harmonies that rise and dive in majestic fashion. The catch is that it is deeper into the album, so it will require a little spotlight to guide listeners in that direction. We hope to somehow light the way.

 

Recording music. What’s all the fun about?

 

I am a studio rat. The others in the band love it as well, but I can and do routinely geek out in the studio. I love the entire process of writing, recording/engineering, mixing, and production. For me, and I’d say for The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club collectively, all of these aspects of the song are really integral and interrelated. Mastering, however, is the magic we leave for the extremely skilled witch-doctors who practice such voodoo.

 

The Vapour Trails are an Aberdeen based band influenced by their love of 60’s
stalwarts like the Beatles, the Byrds, Love, Buffalo Springfield, the Who and the
Kinks. You’ll also hear a healthy dose of later bands like the La’s, Stone Roses,
Rain Parade and the Smiths.
The Trails were formed in 2017 by father and son songwriters Kevin and Scott
Robertson. Kevin taught young Scott some guitar basics, who quickly surpassed
his dad’s meager guitar skills and set into his record collection for inspiration.
Before too long the two started writing songs, and the Vapour Trails were born.
The VT’s became complete with the addition of the indispensable Nicholas
Mackie on guitar and co-vocals, old friend Kenny Munro on drums, and the
newest Trail Chuck Milne adding his groovy bass to the mix.

BUY (FutureManRecords)

 

 

 

For every song you record how many end up in the bin?

My son Scott and I write the songs for The Vapour Trails. Initially we record them as demos and store them on SoundCloud.  I can honestly say we waste nothing. Songs can always be improved or altered as time goes by. Sometimes a song sounds great from day one but in some cases, you need to go back to the recorded demo and enhance it. An example of this in our band is the title track from our new album ‘See You in the Next World’. Two separate unfinished ideas, one from me and one from Scott, were merged together to create one cool track. Nothing’s wasted!

When was the last time you thought “I just wrote a hit”?

Songs should always live up to a bands or songwriter’s own personal standards that will differ band to band or songwriter to songwriter. Our standards are set based on melody. We don’t strive to write hits but we believe all our songs are melodic and tuneful. All our songs are potential hits in our own minds haha. Maybe some other people would think they are good enough to be hits, who knows!

Is recording a record easier than getting heard these days?

Making music is at musician’s fingertips more than ever these days. Computer-based daws and plugins are easy to find and are pretty affordable. Talent is still required though to make good songs and most people need help with mixing, mastering, artwork, etc in order to make a full record. There are those who do the whole thing themselves but most need help. As for being heard, it’s hard without backers. Record labels, promoters, radio stations, etc are attracted to good tunes. I think the answer is to get good at the song making and along with a little luck, it will become easier to get heard.

 

Playing music in front of a crowd, what’s all the fun about?

Because Scott and I are songwriters who play in a band who play to crowds often, from the first note of every song written you’re wondering how it will sound live. Creating little symphonies in your head and imagine what it will sound like within a full band setting is part of the fun. The buzz comes the very first time you play a new song to a crowd. Gauging the response, feeling the tune click in a live setting and just getting the tune ‘out there’ is the final chapter in the whole process. The other buzz we get from playing to a crowd is that often crowd members dance to our music. We are like a 60’s dance band living in the 21st century haha!

With every song you write are you still learning to become a better songwriter?

The answer is a huge YES. Scott and I are always striving to get better at playing and writing songs. The day you think you know it all is the day you should look in the mirror and draw a letter ‘P’ on your forehead, ‘P’ for pretentious. I have so many heroes in music and to write one song anywhere near their standard would be the ultimate musical achievement.

 

 

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released August 2, 2019

The Vapour Trails is:

Scott Robertson – 12 string guitar, 6 string guitar, vocals, bass, keys
Kevin Robertson – Vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica, keys
Nicholas Mackie – Vocals, rhythm Guitar
Andrew Crossan – Bass
Kenny Munro – Drums