electric-guitar

Mark Ward’s ‘LET ‘ER RIP’: A Power Pop Gem Set to Shine

Posted on by patrickdonders

“LET ‘ER RIP,” the new album by Mark Ward, will be released on June 14. This record is packed with incredibly catchy, classic Power Pop songs. It shines, sounds fantastic, and has even garnered praise from Paul Collins.

Sweet Sweet Music blog sits down with Mark Ward.

Could you share the journey of bringing this record to life? How did all the pieces come together to create the final product?

Having recently relocated from Alaska to Washington State, I left my long-term band, Last Train, behind, along with my valued creative outlet. We had a pretty good run with four albums of edgy Alt-Americana rock and some international airplay. However, arriving in Washington during a pandemic, I found I was really on my own musically. As a guitar player, my songs are admittedly guitar-centric. With that, I can cover most instrumentation and vocals, but I was without a drummer, and my drummer friends in Alaska were busy with their lives. A buddy of mine and fellow collaborator, Chad Reynvaan, suggested I contact Dylan Mandel to play drums. Though he’s in Pennsylvania, we immediately hit it off and started tracking drums remotely. He’s a total pro and, frankly, I could not have finished this project without him.

Was there a particular moment or experience that struck you, signaling that you were onto something special with this project?

Over the years, my songwriting has taken on a much more serious tone, especially with everything that’s going on in the world today. But serious songs can take a toll on both the performer and the listener. While I think it’s important to speak your mind and give voice to a sense of reason, it is equally important to just have some fun. While there are a few serious songs on the record, in this election year, I decided to take a hard departure from that and just write some fun pop songs that don’t necessarily have to mean anything, because that’s also okay. I set out to finish a song I had written a guitar line for some 40 years ago with that sound in mind, and the song “I’ve Been Around” just fell onto the page. It was so refreshing that I decided to write another, and another, and pretty soon I had a pile of power pop songs, because why not? The trick then became how to sequence the album so it didn’t feel disjointed. I think it works, and the album at least leaves you with a sense of hope.

Success can take on different meanings as time goes on. When envisioning success for this new record, what does that picture look like now?

Great question. I’m not a full-time musician and can’t easily play out as I don’t have a band where I live anymore. I’m not really interested in touring as I have a pretty busy, fulfilling life that music is only a part of. In this day and age, there is really no money to be made in the music business unless you’re a mega pop star. So I guess success for me is having my music appreciated, respected, and enjoyed by people who want to hear music that is not force-fed to them by an algorithm. As we used to say in my previous band, if we can sell enough CDs to cover the cost of making the album, it’s a no net loss and therefore a success.

As an artist, the act of baring your emotions to the world is profound. Does this vulnerability come naturally to you, or is it a constant journey of finding comfort?

It comes naturally to me, I suppose. I have always felt lyrics deeply in others’ music and my own. In fact, when you are working on a meaningful song and a line pops into your head that immediately brings you to tears, you know it’s the right line. This happens to me often. The trouble is, it can often be difficult to perform a song like that live. If the lyrics mean something to you and you are feeling the lyrics too much, you can quite literally choke up, which makes it impossible to sing. It’s a fine line, not going too far over the edge.

How would you describe the evolution of your sound in this new album compared to your previous works? Were there intentional shifts in style or themes?

My previous efforts have been tailored to the bands I was in, being mostly Americana, Alt-Country, Cow-Punk, or because there’s a pretty distinct sound of music coming from Alaska, a genre I called “Alaskana.” But my writing has always tended on the more pop side of things. Since my college years, playing in a New Wave band and loving bands like Paul Collins, The Nerves, The Beat, The Heats, 20/20, The Knack, etc., I’ve always had a power pop bent to my writing. With this album, I just decided to go all in for the majority of the songs.

Albums often involve collaboration with various musicians and producers. Could you shed light on how these collaborations contributed to shaping the album’s identity?

My philosophy on making a record is that you just can’t (or shouldn’t) do everything yourself. You need other expertise, ears, and sometimes ideas to make a song worthy of listening to. Dylan Mandel’s drumming gave a cohesive sound to the record. Even though he used three different kits and multiple snares, his drumming is spot on for the sound I was after. I’ve collaborated with my Alaskan buddy Chad Reynvaan, who runs Wattage Studios in Anchorage, on a number of things over the years. He’s been a great resource to bounce things off of as well as add the occasional synthesizer or backup vocal, which he did on this record. The well-respected Anchorage musician and producer, James Glaves, added some tasty keyboard and piano to a couple of songs. The finale of the record includes a list of friends who lent their voices quite literally to the choir on the song “Hope.” The last line still gives me chills. At the recommendation of Paul Collins, I used Justin Perkins at Mystery Room Mastering for the finishing touch. He’s amazing, and I think his efforts provided the final polish the record needed.

Introducing Dream Pony: The Irresistible Sound of Neo Glam

Posted on by patrickdonders

Dream Pony draws inspiration from the Ramones, The Velvet Underground, and The Strokes, crafting a unique sound they call Neo Glam. Their music could also be perfectly described as New York Pop. This debut album is simply irresistible.

You can find ‘TONIGHT’ showcased on the Best Power Pop of 2024 Spotify Playlist.

Sweet Sweet Music talked to Jordan D’Arsie.

Defining a song’s completion can be elusive. How do you determine when a composition has reached its final, ready-to-record form?

I think there’s a line to be walked between some part of looseness and some form of structure. We usually have parts and things semi-worked out and understood, but a lot happens when the song is finally being put onto tape.

Usually, we kick it around a bit in the room until we are somewhat satisfied, and then we add things to it as we go. I think the thing is you’re chasing something, but you also need to be open to accept things that come along. Often, these elements present themselves, and when they do, you make the decision.

Striking a balance between experimental artistry and commercial appeal is a challenge. How do you navigate this dynamic within your music?

It’s not something I really think about while writing a song. I feel a good song is a good song, and whether it has commercial viability or not is not really a factor. There are so many amazing unknown songs, important songs to us that, for one reason or another, never really broke through to a commercial market. I think the exercise of writing a song needs to remain separate from any predetermined outcome, and that way, it’s able to form itself the way it wants to.

Lyrics often carry profound meaning. Are there particular lines you hope listeners will always remember from your songs? If so, what’s the significance?

There are a few messages throughout the record. Different things hit you at different times, and also, people receive things in certain ways and have distinct takeaways. I guess that’s the pleasure of writing and reading.

There are a few lines scattered through the album that are hopeful, and I think in general, they are trying to convey to people to stay true to yourself and follow your heart. Lines like in “Sunday Suits,” “some people like to save all their money, some people like to favor their dreams” and “Suspicion Today,” “Do you remember that love, oh what it would feel like, I want you to know”.

Things like that, I just wanted to share some hope and convey that imagination can set you free amongst some of the darker themes that are throughout this album.

Imagine you could collaborate with three co-writers of your choice for new songs. Who would you select, and what qualities or dynamics draw you to them?

That’s a tough one, there are so many! If I had to pick three, it would be John Felice from Real Kids; I just love his songs, energy, and everything about the band’s spirit. They really lift me up. Patti Smith would be another I’d love to have the opportunity to collaborate with. I’d love to see how her process of writing a song unfolds, and I don’t know what I could offer haha, but I’d love to be in the room and see what happens. My third would be Tim Rogers from You Am I; I’ve always been a big fan of his songwriting, and I’d love to see what unfolds. All of this being said, I’d probably be way too shy to be able to do it. I would certainly freeze up and likely say something really silly haha.

In the digital age, visual elements are intertwined with music. How did you approach the album’s visual aesthetics, such as album art and accompanying visuals? How do they complement the sonic experience you’ve crafted?

Being our debut album for Dream Pony, we wanted to create something that reflected the album title Suspicion Today but also Dream Pony as a concept. I wanted to create a dreamlike space for the songs to exist within. I had this concept of something floating around like the bridge in our song “Sunday Suits” and the ethereal being out there, however, casting a shadow below so in some ways it floats but still touches something. We purposefully wanted it to cast that shadow and reflect some kind of tangible illusion. We sourced several objects and various horse statues that we workshopped until we came upon the cloud background and pony plush toy, which we named Tony the pony. The artwork was captured by our great friend and super-talented photographer Ryan Slack at Mediumplex studio in Brooklyn.