The Covid-19 era presented not just challenges, but an unprecedented and immensely trying time, marked by a confluence of formidable obstacles that impacted individuals, communities, and nations on an unparalleled scale.

However, let’s acknowledge that it offered a distinct opportunity for numerous artists to channel a range of emotions, sparked by the lockdown, into a surge of creativity.

Kurt Baker is a prime example of this phenomenon. In a timely response, he composed some of his most compelling songs during this period. The resulting album, ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Club,’ represents a musical endeavor that wouldn’t have been possible just five years ago.

In an exclusive interview with Sweet Sweet Music blog, Kurt Baker delves into how this transformative process took place.

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Be sure to catch, ‘She Don’t Wanna Be Alone,’ featured on the ‘The Best Power Pop of 2023‘ Spotify playlist.

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

“Rock N Roll Club” started in my old flat in Madrid. I had a little studio room that was pretty cool, with a little sunlight shining in. The thing was, we were still on lockdown for months during the pandemic there, so I just started to write demos and bounce around ideas to kill the time. I think every musician and their pet donkey got creative during the pandemic. I wrote some tracks with my buddy Mark O’Flaherty, and then I did a few of my own, and it was all over the place style-wise. Then I came back to the USA and started to write songs with my buddy Geoff Palmer, and Wyatt Funderburk. I kept on writing on my own, too… so finally, I had amassed like forty demo ideas that could somehow make it into an album.

I sent a ton of the demos to Little Steven Van Zandt, who runs the label I’m on, Wicked Cool Records. He was pretty surprised I had so many ideas, but he helped me focus on a good batch of tracks, which would ultimately become “Rock N Roll Club”.

We did a big chunk of the recording at Steven’s studio in New York City, which was just a dream to do… it was right in Manhattan, and we were recording a big rock-sounding album in a big city. The energy was electric. We took the tracks back to our home studios and started laying down overdubs. Deep down, I knew that this record had to be the one; it’s this one or nothing. I put my heart and soul into this one.

We had a bit of a slip-up – midway through the recording of the album, a good bit of the recordings we did were lost. However, it all worked out. I ended up doing all my lead vocals in a one-day recording in Madison, Wisconsin, a place that is very special to me. It was fate that I had to re-record the vocals, and they came out better than ever.

I’m really proud of this album. I’m so happy about it and how it came out. It really has a lot to do with the crew behind it all. Wyatt’s producing and mixing, recording with Geoff Sanoff in NYC… all the guys in the band playing their hearts out on the record. It’s just fucking cool making music with your buds and then having the ability to release it to the world. I’m so grateful.

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

I think, if anything, this new record shows that I’m in it for the long haul. There is nowhere to go but forward, and keep on aiming for the stars. I’ve been writing and playing for a while now, and with this new record, I think it’s gonna be the one that really sets a new bar for me, personally because I feel it’s some of my best material, and sonically, the band and just took it to another level. We’ve had the experience to know what works and what doesn’t work.

The pandemic period was a time for us to get back to our roots and what we loved best, and we proved that with the album “After Party”, we’ve refined that sound… we’re older, seasoned a bit, and we are confident in what we do – which is having fun and making upbeat fun songs that make you feel something positive – that is what “Rock N Roll Club” is all about. Maybe you’d say it’s a “mature” record, but that doesn’t mean we are playing slower and softer… it just means our experiences in life and our performances reflect a great life playing music. This album represents that for sure.

Can you recall the last instance when you felt the immediate certainty of having penned a hit song?

Every time I sit down to write a song, the idea is to compose something that could be a potential hit. My song ideas won’t make it into a thought-out composition or eventual recording on the album unless I feel good enough about them that they can stand alone as a great single.

Basically, I just try to write A-sides and top-notch B-sides. My mind is always very singles-oriented. My albums aren’t concept records but more of a collection of singles. I love the idea of a “pop song”, something that is accessible, that has something that almost any listener, no matter their musical taste, can say, “Oh yeah, that’s an earworm”. I’d be doing a grave disservice to my fans to release a song that’s “Filler”, so I try not to ever do that.

If tasked with introducing your music through three songs, which ones would you choose and what story do they collectively convey to new listeners?

“Anchors Up”, “I Like Her A Lot,” and “Don’t Go Falling In Love”. Those are all nice ones I think are good as an introduction to my music. Story-wise, they collectively tell a tale of a guy who is obsessed with The Beatles, Green Day, and 70’s UK Pub Rock, who likes writing and recording songs for people to listen to and enjoy!

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?

We did do a disco song on this one, so there that. Also, I’ve been listening a lot to Oasis, and Noel and Liam Gallagher really had a huge impact on me. So this record is all over the place stylistically, yet I do feel it’s all held together and flows because, at the end of the day, it’s still the boys in the band. We’ve just expanded our palette a bit. It would be foolish for us not to try and expand our boundaries musically! It’s fun!

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

I just try to be myself, have a good time, and enjoy the moments making music with my friends. I love playing gigs and being on stage. I think in my “genre,” there are many groups who lean more on the “Punk” side of power pop/punk, while others are more pop-oriented.

I don’t try to be too experimental, but I also don’t try to be a DIY purist when it comes to record-making. Props to the musicians who make their albums sound like it’s 1977, but for me, I’m 100% steeped in old influences but want to keep the production of my songs modern. I try to find a balanced medium between having a great-sounding record and then also still having some kind of edge that isn’t pristine commercialism. But I don’t have to prove myself to anybody; I know who I am, and I feel good about the music I make, so people can think what they will, but at least I know that I’m having a blast and loving the fact that I’ve been lucky enough to be making rock n’ roll music for most of my life.