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.