Over the past few weeks, I’ve played Jacky, my favorite song from The Kryng’s new record Twelve Hymns to Syng Along, endlessly.
The raw, pure, and straightforward emotion is simply irresistible.
The Kryng is a Dutch Garage Pop band. Arjan Spies of The Kik is a band member, but Mark Ten Hoor writes all songs, and each song is… well … a hymn to singalong.
Great record!
What was the moment you knew you were on to something?
When I heard The Beatles as a child, I thought, “I want that too”. I started thinking up songs relatively young before I could even play guitar.
How great is the urge to stay creative? To keep writing songs and lyrics?
The necessity is quite high because it has always been a big dream of mine and still is to write songs and record them and play them with a band
How did this record come together?
The three of us go into the studio, and in a relaxed atmosphere, we devise the arrangements for the songs I supplied. We often play those live, and later the vocals come over it, as well as percussion and other effects. This is how it has always been with the recordings we make in Rotterdam.
The meaning of success has changed over the years. What would success look like for the new record?
We get great reactions, reach an audience, sell some records, and play some gigs we enjoy.
When was the last time you thought, ‘I just wrote a hit!’?
A good example was when I wrote The Kryng’s debut single, “Baby What You Want”. At that time, I listened to a lot of folky garage punk, and this was a result of that. I certainly hope to have moments like this many more times.
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 separately. What would they be?
The combination of sensitive songs with a raw garage sound; indie rock combined with 60’s beat/punk.
What compliment you once received will you never forget?
I always like it when people think the songs are good or original. Fortunately, I’ve had that compliment more than once.
You can pick three co-writers to write new songs with. Who? …and Why?
John Lennon, Roger McGuinn, and Lou Reed, because these guys have influenced me and my songs and taste in many ways.
The record is done, the music is out. Is the best fun done now or is it just beginning?
As I mentioned, it would be nice if we sold some records and could play some gigs. By the way, we can be found in the studio regularly and record all kinds of old and new ideas from me. At the beginning of September, we will spend another day with Arjan’s Teepdek in Rotterdam.
The Krying is:
Mark Ten Hoor: Guitar & Vocals Peter Kroes: Bass, Guitar, Mellotron, Backing Vocals Arjan Spies: Drums, Guitar, Piano
CROSSWORD SMILES is a new band, and it’s a new sound even for the the deeply respected Michigan-based guitar-pop stalwarts at its core. The band was quietly formed two years ago by TOM CURLESS, formerly of Your Gracious Host and currently enjoying solo success, and CHIP SAAM, best known as the bassist for The Hangabouts and Curless’s backing band The 46%.
PRESSED & IRONED, release date September 16, is the band’s beautiful debut. No frills, just ten beautiful songs, with sharp lyrics, for example about how gossip and backbiting can shape relationships in small-town America.
The message of This Little Town is clear. I was curious if there was a specific reason to write the lyrics like this?
Tom Curless: The lyrics were written by Chip so I will let him take this one. My favorite line is “where people talk behind the back of their hands”, as this represents all the gossip that often flies in every town across the USA, I am sure we have all experienced that, and I believe there is a lot of “Keeping up with the Joneses” in the lyric as well. The darker side of apparent idyllic suburban town life, that was my take on it, but Chip can expand further.
Chip Saam: The lyrics for this one were inspired by real life experiences with a town here in Michigan, although obviously it could be applied to places everywhere. It’s a commentary on the tried-and-true idea that just because things look great on the surface, it doesn’t mean there aren’t some awful things going on behind the scenes. According to some bandmates, I seem to be good for at least one story song for every record I’m involved in.
Perhaps, because there are musical similarities, I thought, it’s a little sneer at John Mellencamp’s glorification of little America. Nonsense?
TC: There was no sneer at John Mellencamp to my knowledge, musically we were going more for later era Go-Betweens on this one. However I never thought of it, but you are right at times it also sounds a little like something that could have been on Lonesome Jubilee!
CS: There was no intentional sneer at anyone, we are just not that sinister, Ha Ha! – I will say that fiddle part, which definitely has a John Mellencamp vibe, is something that both of us heard in our heads while writing the song – but it was an Amanda Brown thing from The Go-Betweens and not a Lisa Germano bit from a Mellencamp song.
I find the wonderful summery, almost mellow, atmosphere striking. Were you looking for a specific sound?
TC: We did have some intention of making a very direct, simple and “clean” record, and we started the majority of songs on acoustic guitar, so that had some influence. Let’s put it this way, the distortion pedals did not come out much on this record. Ha! We just wanted a very streamlined, direct and clean record as much as possible and I think we achieved that to an extent.
CS: First off, thank you for noticing! There was a deliberate attempt to make this a more direct sounding record. We had some specific ideas about keeping things relatively clean and uncomplicated. Some of the more atmospheric parts of the record are my favorite parts and the three main outside participants on the record – Joel Boyea, Greg Addington, and John Lowry – are responsible for some of them.
After I had heard the album ‘normally’ a few times, I listened to it through headphones during a walk through Utrecht. Then an extra world opens up with beautiful guitar melodies, soft harmony vocals and sharp lyrics. Is that a compliment or not?
TC: I would say that is a compliment. There are a lot of layers of vocals and various things that slide in and out of the mix and I think you hear more of that when you immerse yourself in it with headphones. I would recommend that to everyone, headphone listens are the best!
CS: Definitely a compliment. While we wanted the record to be more direct, we also wanted listeners to discover things after 10 listens that they hadn’t heard before. Tom is an incredible singer – his layers of vocals with doubling and harmonizing are something magical to witness in the studio. The handful of guest guitar spots from Greg Addington and Joel Boyea were exactly what we asked of them – they’re real pros. Finally, anytime anyone notices lyrics, well, let’s just say that’s a songwriter’s dream listener.
How did the two of you collaborate to get the result that makes both of you happy?
TC: Making this record was easy and fun. Chip and I collaborated a lot on the writing, we would get together with guitars and either he would have the idea or it would be mine and we just chipped in here and there on each others songs. We were not too precious about it, whatever was best for the song. In the end we just called all of it co-writes because the majority of it was true collaboration. I want to say we had a lot of great “other” friends, musicians and collaborators who helped to make this record what it is: Joel Boyea recorded and mixed it beautifully, we recorded most of it in his living room! He also contributed some beautiful guitar work. Greg Addington also was a key contributor on a few tracks, acting as an engineer and helping us to record a few tracks. He jumped in and added some very key elements. Making this record was a great experience and I hope that comes out in the songs. Finally, we are so grateful to be part of the Big Stir label, Rex and Christina there work hard and are doing an excellent job with this record…it is in good hands. We are glad you are enjoying it!
CS: While each of the songs on the album started as an idea that one of us brought to the table, after that it was true collaboration. Musically especially, we bounced different song structures and ideas off each other in multiple songwriting sessions – this continued while we were in the studio recording the songs. For the most part, lyrics were left to the initial songwriter. Fortunately, we both checked our egos at the door and, I’d like to think, had the song’s best interest at heart. We’re both proud of these 10-songs and are glad that Big Stir Records is behind getting the music out to people.
Finding the right words and providing them with an appropriate and beautiful melody seems easy for Nick Frater lately. Earworms came out last year, and now Aerodrome Motel is again filled with many Power Pop crown jewels. How does he do that?
No Hard Feeling is a somber song. Are sad songs harder to write than happy ones?
No Hard Feelings is one of the ‘character songs’ I’ve been exploring. It’s a sad song, but written from the perspective of the couple within the song; There’s so much potential to write through the eyes of others, but more than that, I think it sometimes makes a song more accessible.
The mood of songs I write can sometimes be deceptive and contradictory. Sad melodies tend to come easier, but it’s writing the darker side into my more upbeat sounding songs that is more of a challenge. I seem to get a bit of credit for writing upbeat catchy songs, which kind of surprises me, as the lyrics are often much darker than they first seem.
There’s some quite bold arrangement ideas in No Hard Feelings, with a tape-loop of a single note of strings playing unchanged throughout the song. Most of the time it is in harmony, but when the chords shift it adds a slightly menacing film-soundtrack tension. When combined with the baritone guitar, it gives me goosebumps! A sonic experiment that turned out pretty well!
Aerodrome Hotel is your second release in a short time. Wonderful, such an abundance of inspiration?
I seem to have stumbled into a very productive songwriting period so am just running with it while the songs keep coming…and they still keep coming!
At the moment I quite like the thrill of the empty page, starting from nothing and just seeing what arrives from the ether.
My ear and mind are quite tuned in to picking up ideas at the moment, and I have tried not to labour too long over them once they arrive. I have quite a disciplined work schedule, with family life and a day job, have limited time each week for music….so I make it count. Any music making time I’ve normally thought through in advance what needs to be done, and I just do it.
I’ve got next year’s album pretty much written, and we’ve started recording sessions. That is looking like a double concept album, because, well, somebody needs to being doing that sort of nonsense, and it may as well be me.
But fear not, there are several other side-projects I have either finished, mastered and pressed or well under way. So there are likely to be a few treats over the rest of the year.
I think your albums have changed. It all sounds a bit looser and less thought-out. That’s meant as a compliment. Is it for you too?
Don’t worry, I know what you mean. Having completed ten albums my approach has hopefully evolved a bit with each one. My very early ones were arranged in minute detail, with a lot of the parts scored out on paper before anything was ever recorded. That allowed for some pretty ambitious material like The Sombrero Fallout Suite – a nine movement song-cycle.
However I think the songs I’ve been writing more recently, especially the last three or four records, have been different as most started from a vocal hook, rather than an incredibly complicated chord sequence. I still like to keep songs interesting for the listener, and deceptively tricky to learn for my band, but there must be something inherently catchy if a song can arrive just by whistling it around the house.
I’ve also tried to be a bit more disciplined in the arrangements. Most of my favourite records don’t have millions of guitar parts or overdubs. Even the stuff we think of as complicated was recorded on 16 track or 24 track. It’s a learning process but having bravery to mute parts that seemed essential when writing such as the piano, seems to have really helped to open up some space in the song.
Maybe less is more after all!?
Stuck in My Ways and Dancing with a Gertrude are both Power Pop Crown Jewels. You probably already knew that while recording, or does it not work that way?
Lyrically I’m very proud of the way both those songs turned out. Very different songs, with Stuck In My Ways about adult male mental health challenges, and Dancing With A Gertrude being about extinct baby names. But both of them surprised me when the lyrics popped into my head.
I think every songwriter has a few moments in songs where the lyrics might be a challenge, and we’re forced into the occasional dubious rhyming couplet. But oddly, the words to both arrived fairly quickly and fully formed….and having typed up everything for the album notes, I think they stand up to scrutiny pretty well.
A recent conversation with a friend led to the conclusion that a lot of songs these days are very focused on the self. Whereas so much of the songs of the 60/70s were outward looking, as both Such In My ways (despite the title) and Dancing With A Gertrude are. Maybe that’s what helps those songs to be catchy?
When you wrote the lyrics for White Courtesy Telephone, did you know it had to be a country ballad?
Probably from being so immersed in the production side of things as well as writing, I tend to hear the final arrangement as I’m writing. From the moment the piano part and melody arrived under my fingers I heard it as a country-waltz. It ended up being very low in the final mix but there’s also an ancient Welson analogue drum machine in there too. I love songs that aren’t to a rigid click track, so was playing the song and manually turning up and down the speed on the drum machine.
The way the song builds does end up moving very far away from a typical country song and becomes almost Queen meets Beach Boys but with a wash of echoed drums and sonic mayhem. I’m not really selling that am I!? Maybe changing analogies, it starts in the desert, builds to a musical storm on the beach, then ebbs away as the tide goes out.
A founding member of late 90s guitar pop cult favorites, Gladhands, and lead singer/songwriter/guitarist for Chapel Hill- based The Stars Explode (2007-2017), DB Edmunds begins a new chapter in his musical journey, this time as a solo artist. Life’s Wild Ride, his debut EP, drops on 9/9/22!
What was the moment you knew you were on to something?
I’m not sure I’ve ever truly thought I was “onto something!” But I have always believed in the power of a good melody and great hook, so whenever I come up with those combined with strong lyrics, I’m happy.
How did this record come together?
Started it in the fall 2019, the Before Times, and like so many things these last two years, it evolved and mutated in the wake of the global pandemic. Intended to do the whole record in an actual recording studio, my old digs at Overdub Lane where I worked with Gladhands some 25 years ago. But alas, Covid forced me to finish it at home and via trading files with the very talented Brian Dennis, who fleshed all the tunes out with his brilliant guitar and keyboard magic.
The meaning of success has changed over the years. What would success look like for the new record?
Some airplay on key stations in various markets – which to my delight, has already started to happen, at WXPN in Philadelphia; some nice reviews in major outlets and online; people showing up at live gigs. I have very modest expectations. But I do keep waiting for the call from Harry Styles to open dates on his 2023 leg…ha ha!
How great is the urge to stay creative? To keep writing songs and lyrics?
I would die without being able to continue creating music. It is truly my lifeblood.
As an artist, you choose to show your emotions to the world. Is it always comfortable to do so?
Not always, but songs can be misleading – sometimes they are impressionistic in nature, not literal. Mine are a mix of both…but I’m not telling which songs are which!
You can pick 3 co-writers to write new songs with. Who? … and Why?
Wow, that’s a tough one. Most obvious choice would be my life-long inspiration Paul Weller. Secondly I would say McCartney, because, I mean…duh! Amy Winehouse would have run a close 3rd…or Bowie…😢
What’s the gig you will always remember? And why?
Playing the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco, opening for Ben Folds Five at the height of their success with my band Gladhands was a thrill. As far as seeing a gig, #1 might always be seeing Jeff Buckley live on the early leg of his Grace tour, December ’94.
When was the last time you thought ‘I just wrote a hit!’?
I have thought that a few times over the years and never been right! Ha ha! So I don’t wanna jinx myself on this record…
Playing music in front of a crowd. What’s all the fun about?
Look, I love recording and being in studios. But there is nothing quite like feeding off the energy of a crowd. It’s a communal experience based on mutual love of good music and creative expression.
Suppose you were to introduce your music to new listeners through three songs. Which songs would those be and why?
I honestly think the first three songs on my new EP are a great introduction to my music, the range of styles it encompasses, the focus on strong melodies and killer hooks.
If you could tour the world with two other bands, who would you ask, and why?
Definitely Paul Weller & his crew, simply because he’s been a hero and personal inspiration of mine since I was a teenager. Would have loved going on tour with Foo Fighters because I saw them on their first American tour in a small club and again in 2017 in an arena and just loved their energy and positivity. I started my musical life as a drummer, so Dave and Taylor have also been huge influences. Like many, I was completely gutted when Taylor died.
Those magical moments when you’re working in the studio. Which moment was the most magical?
Too many to mention since I’ve been making records for a long time now! But if I had to pick one from the sessions that produced this debut solo EP, I would have to say listening to playback of Side By Side – at a very high volume – after I had layered all the vocals on the choruses. My producer and I were pretty jazzed at how things were starting to sound at that point.
The record is done, the music is out. Is the best fun done now or is it just beginning?
Well, the fun is just beginning because the EP drops in a couple weeks, on September 9th! I can’t wait to share it with the world. That said, and as I mentioned earlier for the question about playing in front of an audience, as much as I love performing, I do think one of my happiest places is recording music and sculpting the songs in a real studio, not at home in front of a computer, but in a space dedicated to the art of making records. And yeah, I still call them records and still buy most everything on vinyl! Which is partly why the EP is available on gorgeous ocean blue 180 gram vinyl!
Slack Times is a Birmingham-based jangle pop band featuring Chris McCauley (guitar, vocals), Will Stewart (guitar, vocals), and Stuart Norman (guitar). They craft melodic, guitar-driven songs that draw from a range of shared influences including early Athens, Georgia pop.
This new release is a compilation of three EPs entitled “Carried Away” (includes 6 brand new songs plus the 8 songs included on their previous EPs released in 2021 “At The Blue Melon Rendezvous” and “Up Here”.
Chris McCauley talks about having three guitars on every track, vocal stylings, and a desire to tour Europe next year.
How did this record come together?
We were motivated to record songs once they were written and ready, so that meant we’d often end up in the studio with 3-4 songs instead of 10 or more. We embraced that approach and recorded three EPs in two years. After finishing the third EP, we thought combining all of the tracks on one 12” LP would be interesting. Thankfully, Meritorio Records liked the idea and agreed to release everything. We’re super grateful to Meritorio.
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?
I think the guitar interplay is really engaging—we have three guitars on all of the tracks and each one is offering something different. The acoustic (Chris) often drives the rhythm, while the two electric guitars (Will and Stu) interact and intersect in unexpected ways. A close listen with headphones reveals a lot of swirling moments.
Suppose you were to introduce your music to new listeners through three songs. Which songs would those be and why?
Can’t Count on Anyone, I’m Trying, and A Blast. These tracks encapsulate our sound, ranging from jangly pop to more reflective, dreamy stuff. Also, these songs highlight the variations in our vocal stylings, which is also interesting. The chorus on Can’t Count on Anyone is the one time where you hear both vocal approaches collide.
The record is done, the music is out. Is the best fun done now or is it just beginning?
We aspire to tour Europe in Spring 2023 and hope to continue expanding our fan base (in Alabama and beyond). We are still a very new band, so we’re always seeking ways to share our tunes with more people. We’ve also written several new songs, so we may get the chance to release some new stuff next year. So, we’ve had fun so far, and we hope to continue that trend.
Those magical moments when you’re working in the studio. Which moment was the most magical?
I’d say one of my favorite moments was when our engineer, Bronson, added the tambourine to I’ m Trying. I’ve always appreciated auxiliary percussion, but I’ve never seen it elevate a song so quickly. It was pretty great to watch and witness.
Daryll-Ann broke up in 2004, yet the band, together with Johan, is still seen as the flagship of the Dutch Indie Pop, a ship that has been sailing through the low lands since the mid-90s.
On April 24 this year, the Dutch record label Excelsior celebrated its 25th anniversary in the Amsterdam Paradiso. Daryll-Ann performed a one-time reunion. It was enchantingly beautiful. Jelle Paulusma is a great singer, and Anne Soldaat is an even better guitarist. I’ve seen a lot of concerts this year, YEAH, but it doesn’t get much better than that night in Paradiso.
When I saw on Bandcamp that Michael Simmons (Sparkle* Jets UK, Yorktown Lads) is going to release (Sept. 9) an EP covering only songs from Daryll-Ann’s Happy Traum, the band’s masterpiece, I was curious as to how that could have happened.
Michael explains: ‘Sometime around 2014 or 2016, when I was working on getting the Yorktown Lads LP pressed and looking for plants, I was watching a YouTube video about a pressing plant that had run on local TV in Amsterdam. It showed them putting together these fancy box sets of a band called Daryll-Ann, that I’d never heard of before. I wouldn’t have noticed, except that they called them a Power Pop band, which obviously made me wonder what they sounded like. I found the album and Happy Traum on Amazon music or something and downloaded it.
Back then, I did a lot of riding around town on my bicycle, listening to my Bluetooth speaker, and I fell in love with many of the songs on that album. And I immediately kept thinking about how fun it would be to record them for myself. When I really like a song, that’s often my reaction. Recording songs gives you extra time and intimacy with the material. It’s just like seeing an attractive person and wanting to get to know them better. Earlier this summer, I was again riding my bike around listening to that record and thinking I should just pick a few songs and do it.
So over the course of a few days last month, I just did, and Big Stir Records was kind enough to humor me and let me release it. It is a personal vanity project, but I hope that people will hear it and learn to love the songs like I do. My entire experience with music has always been wanting to share; whether it’s playing songs for people, which I’ve done since I was a little kid, or recording them, It’s all about sharing.
Regarding the song themselves or why I chose these, these, in particular, were the ones that really floored me off this album. There are other great ones on Happy Traum; they have a great catalog anyway.
I tried to get a copy of that box set for myself. Honestly, until I saw the documentary, I had never heard of Daryll-Ann, and I think only maybe one other person I know has any idea who they are. And I’ve been screaming about it ever since I found it telling people to check it out, and I don’t know if any of them ever have. So by making this little record may be just a few more people will be won over.
What I like about the songs is that they’re just really beautiful, and they can be sunny and dark and happy and brooding all at the same time. The guitar work is really interesting and kind of similar to the weird style that I play. I added a little more keyboard to it because that’s what I’m into now. I recorded the whole thing in about three days. I did the drums in 20 minutes and then did the rest, almost all by myself.
Susan from Sparkle* Jets UK, who would come by the house for a rehearsal, and I said, ‘Do you wanna sing on this?’, and she sang a few lines in five minutes. And there’s also a harmonica track by our friend Greg Carrol. I’ve never done harmonica on anything, and having that new texture was fun; ironically, there was a harmonica on the original that I hadn’t really thought about. I wasn’t trying to replicate that part; I just let him do whatever he felt like doing, and it came out really nice.
I’ve already talked about this for longer than it takes to listen to it.’.
‘What’s in the barrel doesn’t sour’ is a Dutch saying. Rick Gallego (Cloud Eleven, Jiffipop) recorded many songs with his band The Singles in the early ’80s. The vast majority were only played live and not released as vinyl or cassette. With the Kool Kat Musik release L.O.V.E. From The Santa Cruz Archives ’82-’85, that has now changed. And yes, although the music ‘has been kept in a barrel for a long time’ it didn’t sour. It’s sweet and delicious.
The Singles were active in the early and mid-80s. I don’t think you would have thought then that the songs would still be very special 40 years later, or did you know that something special was going on?
I always thought we were a good band, but we reached our ‘sell by’ date in 1985. The vinyl EP we made in 1983 has kept the band in the public eye, and also last year, two of the songs from the EP were released on a vinyl compilation in France. I think that is what made me decide to dig in the vaults and release this stuff.
Can you tell us something about how The Singles operated then and how the songs came about?
We started in 1982, and I sang and wrote most of the songs. I was influenced by the late ’70s power pop music (The Plimsouls, The Beat, Costello), and that’s where our style came from. Various members came in and out of the band, but in 1984, the final line-up emerged, and we did quite well in our little music community of Santa Cruz, California. We won a battle of the bands that year out of 70 other competing bands, so we thought we were on our way!
If an artist has just released a new album, the question of what that person thinks is the best song cannot be answered. That’s different now, I guess. Would you like to give it a try: which two songs still make you proud and why?
If you are talking about the music I made with The Singles, then I would say the later stuff we recorded, like “LOVE (Spells Trouble)” and “Think It Over”. We were very well rehearsed, and I think it shows in our performance on these tracks. But one of the best tracks The Singles did was a song called “Talkin’ Back”, but we only played it live and never recorded it at the time. I recorded it recently (under the name Cloud Eleven), and it just came out on Kool Kat’s Ukraine benefit CD. It has a simple riff, but it rocks!
How did this release come about?
When I was gathering all the tracks for the release, I asked Ray at Kool Kat Musik if he was interested in putting it out, and he was, and he did!
I would like to label The Singles as a pure Power Pop band, just like The Beat for example, did you want to be that or was that not important at all?
Of course I wanted to align my band with those bands (as I mentioned above), they were the best…and that’s why in the early ’80s we didn’t really sound like other bands at that time with all the keyboards and drum machines, we were a throwback to 5 years earlier! Ironically, I got to work with Paul Collins in the mid ’90s, because he re-released my 1996 Jiffipop CD in Japan on his Wagon Wheel label.
No Wasting Time sounds like a hit to me?! For Huey Lewis, maybe. I hope you take that as a compliment?
That is a compliment, thanks! Our bass player Joe Laub wrote and sang that song; it’s a great one with an irresistible groove!
Any idea how the other band members are doing?
They are all doing well, I was in contact with all of the former members of The Singles during the making of the compilation. They are still musicians and still making music, happy to say.
‘Atmospheric guitar-based indie rock’ is how The Valery Trails describes their own sound. The Sky Is Blue is the new record, and Andrew Bower explains to Sweet Sweet Music how the record came to be, and that story is strikingly different from how most bands have recorded in recent years.
The Valery Trails makes nicely thought out Jangle Dream Indie Shoegaze Power Pop.
How did this record come together?
This one started like our previous albums, with demos I recorded in my home studio in Houston, Texas, where I was living at the time. The plan was then to send them to the other band members in Brisbane to add bass and drums, then for me to add vocals and overdubs back in Houston. However, we didn’t manage to get through this process before I set off for a round-the-world trip with my family in June 2019, so everything went on hold.
In March 2020, our travels were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We were in Uzbekistan as borders around the world started to close, but we managed to make it to Brisbane before all air travel ground to a total halt. After a few months of waiting things out in Brisbane, we decided to stay in Australia instead of returning to Houston.
As lockdowns and restrictions eased, we took the opportunity to pick up work again on the songs that became the album. Ironically, while other bands were making records via online collaboration in separate locations the way we made our earlier albums, the pandemic brought me to the same city as the other band members, so we made this album in a more traditional way – spending time together in the studio.
How great is the urge to stay creative? To keep writing songs and lyrics?
The way my songwriting process tends to work is that a few lines, or a verse will pop into my mind, just enough to know that they could be the basis for a song. I’m then compelled to do the work to finish them (which is sometimes hard work) to “clear the decks” for the next new song idea.
I’m not the kind of songwriter who will sit down every day and try to write something, but as long as the song fragments and ideas keep coming to me, I’ll keep writing to turn them into finished songs to record and play live.
Playing music in front of a crowd. What’s all the fun about?
With band members previously living in separate countries, live shows have been a rare occurrence. We’ve played a handful of shows in Brisbane and in Texas, but now that we are all living in the same country, we are looking forward to playing live more often, starting with a tour of the east coast of Australia in September.
After carefully constructing songs in the studio, putting it all together live and the joy of playing together has a whole different level of energy, and when an audience responds to that, it’s great fun.
Suppose you were to introduce your music to new listeners through three songs. Which songs would those be and why?
From the new album, Zancudo, See Me Fall and Make No Mistake would give you an idea of our stylistic range. However, we tend to explore quite a few different genres and influences, so hopefully, new listeners will dig a bit deeper and want to hear more than three songs to really get what we’re about.
What compliment you once received will you never forget?
A random anonymous internet commentator once described a song of ours as sounding like “Social Distortion fronted by Morrissey”. I’m not sure if that was a compliment, but I’ll never forget it.
Those magical moments when you’re working in the studio. Which moment was the most magical?
The best moments in the studio are when you have the basic tracks down and they are working well so you can have fun with some overdubs. Finding a little guitar part that just works, or a great harmony that lifts a chorus to the next level are the magical moments where you really feel you’re bringing something cool into existence.
What place do you occupy in the music industry?
I’d say we dabble in the industry to the extent we need to in order to make records, play shows and get them out into the world so people can hear them. Hopefully we are creating music that resonates with people, not just creating content to feed into the big music industry machine.
Kingdom of Mustang is a musical collaboration featuring Mark Roebuck [The Deal, Big Circle, Sub-Seven], Michael Clarke [The Deal, Left Lane], Tim Ryan [The Gladstones, Jeebus, Left Lane], and Rusty Speidel [SGG&L]. Kool Kat Musik released their new record, Into Beautiful Blue.
Sweet Sweet Music spoke with Mark Roebuck and Tim Ryan about loving nothing more than writing a good melody with interesting chords and then finding meaningful words for that melody.
How did this record come together?
Mark Roebuck: Tim and I had been writing prolifically over the past year. We had gathered about 25 new songs, and the first step in bringing the record together was to get that number down to 14. For us, this is a very democratic process, involving the whole band. Once the songs were chosen, we rehearsed them as a band and then began the process of turning them into studio recordings. Tim Ryan: We tend to start each new project right on the heels of the previous one, so we were doing demos for the new record as the last one [Tales From The Atomic Tambourine] was being released. I think we had our best batch of songs yet for this project, and things came together pretty quickly after we picked our favorites from the larger pool of songs that Mark and I had written. We managed to spend a little less time in the studio this time around, so I guess we’re getting better at it !
The meaning of success has changed over the years. What would success look like for the new record?
Mark: This album being released by Kool Kat Music felt pretty great! I think our fundamental goal is to feel we succeeded in realizing each song’s potential to its fullest.
Tim: Working with Ray Gianchetti at Kool Kat Musik has been great, we’re already seeing a bump in responses to the new album and it’s not even officially released yet. I think that ultimately we feel successful when we create music that we’re proud of and that the work we’ve done gets heard and is well received.
How great is the urge to stay creative? To keep writing songs and lyrics?
Mark: My urge to stay creative is a strong one! Unlike Tim, Michael and Rusty, who are amazing musicians, my contribution is songwriting. I love nothing more than writing a good melody with interesting chords and then finding meaningful words for that melody.
Tim: It’s hard to keep up with Mark when it comes to songwriting, but I’m trying ! For me, songwriting hits different pleasure receptors than playing or singing. It’s hard work, a craft. I’m not the singer / songwriter type, so most of my songs don’t see the light of day unless the band runs with them. I hope that I always have the drive to capture song ideas that bounce around in my head and turn them into something real.
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?
Mark: I think our songs are strong both musically and lyrically. A listener can immediately enjoy the guitars and harmony, and then return to the music to explore the messages in the words.
Tim: As a musician, I hope that listeners each find something that makes them want to listen again. Mark is a really great writer of melodies and harmonies, so there’s plenty of goodness there. As an engineer / producer, I hope that people hear and appreciate the subtle, or not so subtle, sonic ideas and arrangements that make us sound like Kingdom of Mustang.
Suppose you were to introduce your music to new listeners through three songs. Which songs would those be and why?
Mark: All I Can Do- because it has pretty much all Kingdom of Mustang has to offer wrapped in one driving package; hooks, great guitar, harmonies, background vocals, and a cool lyric.
High-because it shows the range of Kingdom of Mustang, going far outside our normal box; and because it’s a great song!
A Little Bit Behind the Times- because its a 2:30 minute slice of pure 3 part harmony PowerPop!
Tim: I’d start with the song Kingdom of Mustang off of the first album [also called Kingdom of Mustang]. I think that tune really captures who we are, and it’s one that Mark and I wrote together. I love The Little Rocket Song from the second record [MORE], I think it really shows our influences and is a nice clean, compact arrangement with a little bit of everything. And from the latest record [Into Beautiful Blue] I’d have to pick Divide By Zero, another co-write by Mark and I that really just sounds like a single to me, and showcases Rusty Speidel on the lead vocal. And just for completeness sake, I’ll throw in Jeannie When You Killed The Stars from our 3rd album [Tales From The Atomic Tambourine]. It’s a great example of Mark’s ever-evolving songwriting skills and it shows the band stretching its musical comfort zone a bit.
If you could pick three singers to sing harmony vocals on your next record, who would you ask?
Mark: Hmmmm…Trent Reznor, Sheryl Crow, and of course Paul McCartney. That’s variety!
Tim: Glenn Tilbrook, Joey Spampinato, and Aimee Mann. I can’t wait !
‘These songs are a collection of my favorite collaborations with Jim (Trainor) from the past five or so years.’, says Michael Lucas about the delicious five Power Pop bangers that can be found on the ‘5,000 lb Max.’ EP, which was released earlier this year.
What was the moment you knew you were on to something?
From the moment Jim Trainor, the singer on this record, sent me a vocal idea for the first song I ever submitted to the collaboration website, Kompoz.com. His vocal melodies and harmonies are incredible. Since then, we have collaborated on many songs, with me playing guitar and keyboards on some of his music, and using his vocals on my music.
How did this record come together?
These songs are a collection of my favorite collaborations with Jim from the past five or so years. They were saved on my computer, and I decided maybe I should just release them. So, I contacted some of my favorite players from the Kompoz.com website and remixed them for the record.
The meaning of success has changed over the years. What would success look like for the new record?
You got that right! When I began playing in bands in the late 1980s, it was unheard of to release quality, radio-ready music to the general public without a record contract. For me, success is having my music heard by more than my friends and family. The ability to work with musicians from all over the world right from my apartment in Chicago is amazing. So, to write, record, mix, and master my own record and release it on all music streaming platforms is success, to me.
You can pick 3 co-writers to write new songs with. Who? … and Why?
Nick Bertling, Tom Curless, and if I could choose one from the grave, it would be Chris Cornell.
Nick is a great musician, goofball, and mixer. I have begged him to collaborate before and I am doing it right here, again!
I mastered Tom Curless’s last record, Person of Interest, and I listen to that record a lot. He and I share the same musical influences so it would be fun to see what a collaboration would sound like.
And, Chris Cornell is probably my biggest influence from the 90s. His voice, melodies, and unique guitar tunings and riffs just give me goosebumps. I was really sad when I heard he died. I had just seen him in Chicago on his solo acoustic tour a year or two before he died. I still listen to his entire catalog still, all the time.
Cassettes are back. Which 5 five songs would make your first mixtape?
Limelight (Rush) – that guitar solo!! Killing in the Name Of (Rage Against the Machine) Tompkins Square Park (Mumford & Sons) Steppin’ Out (Joe Jackson) Outshined (Soundgarden)
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