As a general rule, I don't do interviews. But I've been known to make exceptions. And of course I'm making an exception for my favorite band! Pale Lips have a new album called After Dark coming out next week and will be embarking on an extensive tour of Europe next month. In anticipation of these exciting events, the band and I exchanged some questions and answers.
F & L: Hello! 2019 looks to be an exciting year for Pale Lips. Of course that starts with your new album. Tell us a little about this new record. Might it be a little different from the previous one?
Ilona: It is a lot different, in my opinion. There's more variety on this album, because more of the songs originate from Jamie and Jackie this time.
Jamie: We are so proud of this record. I think you can definitely hear a difference. There is more "variety" because we also kind of grew a lot as songwriters and became more comfortable sharing our ideas with each other. Yeah, what Ilona said! The studio process with Ryan (Battistuzzi) was really really fun and gentle. Lots of coffee and snacks and giggles. Jackie also played the keys on this album, which was super neat!!
Lynn: I think it sounds more complete since we did get some pre-production and worked with someone very special (Ryan) to help us complete the songs with a great intro and great ending.
F & L: What was the creative process like for writing the new album? Was there any pressure to top what you'd already done?
Ilona: More of the same. One of us will introduce an acoustic demo, and we build the tune together. A lot of "strokes of genius" happened while in the studio, too.
F & L: You must be excited about touring Europe in support of the new record. I know this blog has a lot of followers in Europe. If they turn up to see Pale Lips, what should they expect?
Ilona: A good time! We are 100% committed to funzo, on or off the continent of North America. Get ready!
Lynn: we are a fun bunch, we do our thing, we are who we are and enjoy sharing a good time, ''ROCK n' ROLL''
Jamie: Ugh, yeah! We love having fun. While we are playing but also before and after a show. Please come and say hi and don't be shy! We also made a lot of fun, one-of-a-kind hand-made merch for this tour!
F & L: The dreaded "background" question! How did Pale Lips first come together as a band? And looking back, did you imagine it would turn out the way it has?
Jamie: Ok. We get asked this question ALL the time, but we are always happy to share it. Lynn had the idea of a band full of girls for a while, I think. She saw Ilona playing in her band Dagger Eyes and approached her to play guitar. I think that Ilona hesitated at first but eventually agreed. I met Lynn one night at a party. Chance (who is now Jackie's husband!) was a mutual friend of both Lynn and I. In a very drunken taxi ride to an afterparty at Lynn's house, he yelled that Lynn and I should talk because I play bass and Lynn was looking to start a band. We had a lot of fun that night. Lynn, Ilona, and I met for breakfast shortly after that and all got along super well. We decided to start jamming at a place in Montreal appropriately nicknamed The Stinky Place. I think we jammed once and figured out that we badly needed a singer. Jackie was a mutual friend and we kinda figured that since she was a Karaoke Queen and all-around babe and badass, we should ask her. We did, and the rest is history!
Lynn: I didn't expect this band to do as well as we are and to accomplish a second album and to be taking off for a second time tour in Europe!
F & L: Your songs are always so much fun, but at a deeper level you have some of the funniest and most insightful lyrics I've heard. Is there any particular message or lyrical theme that you try and put out there? How would you like your music to be perceived?
Ilona: I like writing clever lyrics with double entendres and loads of winks and nods to the bands and musical styles that influence my tunes. I also like nonsense too. I hope people find our music unique and non-punishing.
Lynn: I think the 3 girls in the band do a great job with their lyrics. And coming from 3 of them, they are so different but it all works out. I hope to at least write a couple tunes in 2019.
Jamie: Aw! Thank you!! Most of the songs that I write are about boys. I try to be clever and simple and always think "What Would Dee Dee Do?".
F & L: Beyond the new album and tour in Europe, what else do Pale Lips have planned for 2019 and beyond?
Lynn: Get a 3rd album out ASAP, tour the U.S.A, and maybe another country.
Jamie: We have a few new very adorable new songs that we will probably record this year. Hopefully play some fun festivals and do a US tour.
After Dark releases January 31st on Alien Snatch, Spaghgetty Town, God's Candy, and Waterslide Records. Click here for further details on Pale Lips' upcoming European tour!
I rarely do interviews. But when presented with the opportunity to interview Rich Ragany in advance of his debut solo album Like We'll Never Make It, I jumped at the chance! In my book, Rich Rags is one of the truly great songwriters in rock n' roll today. Fresh off of three albums in three years with his amazing band Role Models, Rags is working with PledgeMusic to release Like We'll Never Make It later this year.
F & L: Hi Rich! I've got to say I'm really excited about your new solo record. Tell me how you ended up deciding to do a solo release after all of this time. Can we expect something a little different with this record?
RR: Hello Lord Rutledge! Great to be talkin' to ya! Well, after doing the three Role Models albums in three years, the subsequent shows and tours, I just started writing and was noticing a shift in how I was approaching lyrics. Even though I write all the Role Models material, this stuff was getting far more personal. Musically, I felt it would be great to have a different interpretation. Build them on a different foundation. That coupled with the fact my brothers in Role Models were having kids and getting busy with other things, I thought, well, I don't feel like stopping!
F & L: You've worked with the PledgeMusic platform several times now. How has that experience been for you?
RR: The PledgeMusic platform allows me to record and release music straight to people who want to listen without having someone tell me when or how. It has been really successful with the Role Models stuff and progressing great on this new venture!
F & L: Can you talk about some of the talented people you have playing on this new record?
RR: Yes! This band is something I am very excited about. Let's start with Gaff on guitar. He has been in bands like The Glitterati and Dedwardians. I saw him in the latter years ago and loved his playing. He came across as someone who really loves to play and believes in rock 'n' roll. A friendship ensued, and he was an obvious choice to me. He ended up a real righthand man on this and is a real important ingredient to the sound. I look forward to writing more with my new partner! You all have another Bon Jovi/Sambora on your hands, so look out! We'll be "out on the streets"! Hahahaha!
Talking about partners, there is my man Andy Brook. There is not a note that I've recorded in the UK that hasn't had his production paws all over it. He is family. Plain and simple. And now he's also on the other side of the glass and playing with me on this. It's about time.
Simon Maxwell is playin' the drums. The drummer in Role Models. To say we have a bond is putting it lightly. Had to have him along. Had to.
Kris Rodgers from the mighty Scott Sorry Band on keyboards. When RM toured with those beautiful creatures, it was like immediate animalistic love. Smelly and real. A bond was forged and I love those guys! To say I didn't notice the blinding talent in our pal Kris would be a lie worthy of jail time. What he has done on these songs has spun me dizzy. I like it that way!
Kit Swing is someone who played in Mallory Knox in London and is just a great singer. She joined Role Models on the song "Obituary Writer", off of Dance Moves, and on stage, most notably when we toured with Michael Monroe. She has also been a very close friend for years, and it's about time we got to do this together.
Then there's Ricky! Ricky McGuire. He plays bass in The Men They Couldn't Hang and has some great history as a teenage member of UK Subs back in the day. I met him at a Men's show, and we ended up hangin' out all night playing records. His playing is phenomenal. Taking the songs into real beautiful, melodically tough territory. Just don't give him whisky. Anything else is okay though, hahaha!
F & L: I'm blown away by how prolific you've been at creating music. You did three albums in three years with Role Models, and now you've got Like We'll Never Make It in the works. How have you managed to turn out so much quality material so quickly? Are you writing new songs literally all the time?
RR: I am writing all the time. But in way that's different to how I did it years ago. Where before I may have wandered gypsy like day-to-day writing whenever I felt like it, I now have some structure. And I found it suited me down to the ground. When my boy was diagnosed with autism, it became apparent we needed someone at home, to be there for him. My wife and I are a real team, we do what we need to and support each other. Me being at home with both our children means I look at my day, see a window of opportunity and act upon it. For example, I soon realised doing the dishes wasn't a mundane chore. It cleaned up the kitchen and crockery for my loved ones, ensuring no one gets some bacterial sickness AND gave me the chance to organise my thoughts into lyrics. I can play guitar when I get a flash of inspiration around my daughter because she loves it. I use my time as wisely as I can. Then collapse and watch Star Trek re-runs, hahaha.
F & L: Are you looking to get out and do some solo shows in support of this album? If so, what should people expect if they turn up?
RR: Yes. There are some great shows already booking up. Sharing the stage with some great people.
We got August 8th at The Slaughtered Lamb in London with the amazing Steve Conte of the New York Dolls and Michael Monroe. My pal! Love that dude! 12 September at Aces and Eights London with Rob Carlyle of The Compulsions, Darrell Bath of Crybabys, Dogs D'Amour, and Vibrators. And Honest John Plain! The main songwriter in powerpop legends The Boys! And 20 October at The Lounge with The Dirty Strangers and The Brutalists featuring Nigel Mogg of the original Quireboys! And a couple of really special gigs that I can't share yet!
You can expect rock n roll with big heart and a big sound.
F & L: I think it's awesome that funds from this project will be used to help out Scott Sorry. I know you guys have been friends for a long time. Can you talk a little about your history with Scott?
RR: Scott and I met years ago when he was in The Wildhearts. Introduced by our mutual friend and brother Rich Jones. He played at the Astoria, and we all went 'round to Jones's' afterwards. We bonded pretty hard that night. The start of an enduring friendship. He and I are there for each other, giving support and advice pertaining to our lil' autistic dudes. He has been there for me when I needed someone. So I try to be there for him. Also we shared the same constitution when it came to recreation years ago, so we have some great stories. A past with a thousand smiles and some very real hilarious and touching moments. He is a tough dude with a heart so big ya begin to wonder if he keeps it remotely somewhere. So yeah, I'm gonna try and help.
F & L: Like We'll Never Make It will be your first solo release. I'm guessing it won't be your last! Have you thought about what's coming down the pike in the upcoming years? Can we expect to hear more from Role Models as well?
RR: I am on a high with this band. Already writing the follow up. Gaff and I got a little space in front of his washing machine that is gonna be a very busy and creative place. Then I realise "Look out! I have some gigs to play with Role Models." I go and re-acquaint myself with the material and... can I just say I feel very lucky to be able to create and perform music with all these people?
I know we spend a little time on this ol' rock twistin' the night away through space. I get the feeling I need to do more, say more, and listen more. Look at this right here. I get a chance to talk to a real believer in rock n roll. You. That fills my chest with the right kind of oxygen, man. And I want to keep these relationships alive. So you can say there will be more. As much as I can.
Thanks so much for your time! All hail Lord Rutledge!
Head on over to PledgeMusic for details on how to pre-order Like We'll Never Make It. And be sure to check out the Role Models’ Bandcamp page if you haven't already!
You've probably deduced after seven years that this blog doesn't do band interviews. Well apparently there's a first time for everything. MANIAC is one of my favorite bands, and when they came a calling I wasn't about to say no. So I dusted off my long-dormant interview chops in anticipation of MANIAC's new album Dead Dance Club, which releases later this week. On to it!
MANIAC PERSONNEL: Zache Davis (ZD): vocals, bass Justin Maurer (JM): vocals, guitar Andrew Zappin (AZ): lead guitar James Carman: (JC): drums
F & L: Hi MANIAC! Your new album Dead Dance Club strikes me as being very socially and culturally relevant to our present moment. Was that intentional?
AZ: All great art is a carefully constructed reflection of the times in which it is made. So, to answer to your question...no.
F & L: Musically, how is this album different from the last one? Were there any particular influences or ideas that shaped the sound of Dead Dance Club?
JM: This record was recorded after 2 west coast tours, a European tour, and a gazillion local shows, so this record sounds like how we sound live: tight, loud, and combustible. We were also real comfortable after recording 2 previous times with Mark Rains at Stationhouse Studio. Mark had his dog Darkness roaming around the studio, we ordered Thai food, it felt like home. The 3rd time with Mark was definitely the charm. As far as influences or ideas, we all work off of each other, it's a collaborative effort and we enhance each others' songs with our own individual parts. Team MANIAC has been through the ringer, so a lot of that toughness comes out in the music.
F & L: Those last two singles were rippers! I was glad to discover that most of those tracks were re-recorded for Dead Dance Club. Was there any hesitation about having those songs on the album?
JM: Thanks! I like the single versions of these tunes, but like I said before, playing these songs out live on tour really gives them some dimension. The album re-recording of these tunes really gives them a lot of volume, if that makes sense. Ya know, like hair. Thicker hair, more volume, more personality. No hesitation from the MANIAC camp on putting these tunes on the LP.
ZD: Not at all. I think we knew we were going to include the three songs on the record after we recorded them the first time. Especially with "Precision Accuracy". That was one I really liked but wasn't 100% confident in until I heard it played back the first time.
F & L: When I'm listening to MANIAC, I can feel the band's environment in the music. It's like Los Angeles and the West Coast inhabit these songs. How do you do that? Beyond just the subject matter of the songs, what would you say is distinctively Californian about MANIAC?
JM: This city can really get a grip on you in a good way and a bad way. I think we all love this city, and we all have a different perspective on the 4 corners we live in and our own personal stories that come from this place. Me and Zache also both have history in the Pacific Northwest, so that Pacific Northwest sound is definitely present, but to me we sound like MANIAC. If we were in the Midwest or the east coast, we would definitely sound differently. It's interesting how regional influences actually affect the sound of a band. I mean, there's crappy punk bands everywhere and we are most certainly superior. We think, therefore we am. What makes MANIAC distinctly Californian? Zache surfs, Andrew is a filmmaker, James reminds me of Tom Cruise in Risky Business, and my dad was a disco dance instructor and Catholic seminarian who also sang in a new wave band called The Defenders in 1980. I'm pretty sure that couldn't happen in any other state.
F & L: You've got four people in this band, and everyone is contributing to the songwriting. Yet it's not easy for me to go through a record and pick out who wrote what. How do four guys all write songs and manage to maintain such a cohesive musical identity?
AZ: In many cases, we write songs live. Someone comes up with a riff or a beat, and we all add a piece until there's a fleshed-out whole; like Frankenstein (the monster not the song). Even when a member brings in a complete song, the band gets its hands on the thing and shapes and molds it and eventually that song becomes a full-fledged MANIAC tune.
ZD: Every song on that record, whether written in solitude or in the space with three additional contributors, ultimately still takes on the "MANIAC" sound. We all differ from mild to extreme with individual playing styles and influences. I think that's what keeps our music interesting for me––it's that we often don't agree on a base for a song, but we work through every idea anyways. And sometimes after everyone adds their particular style, well that's just MANIAC.
JM: A hint is that the person who is singing the song probably wrote it. Andrew writes a lot of songs too. He is just shredding too hard to sing. James's drum parts and vocals also really tie the room together. Sometimes musical partnerships just work out well. We are blessed to have each other. Thank fuck no one in our band likes Nickelback, Creed, or Smashing Pumpkins. Oh wait, I take that last one back.
F & L: MANIAC has such great energy on record. How does this translate to your live shows? Do you generally find that crowds respond enthusiastically?
AZ: Actually, I think it's the other way around. We translate our live energy to the album in the studio. We play live in the studio, and we have a great engineer in Mark Rains at Station House; so it happens pretty naturally.
ZD: Crowds are a mixed bag, it really depends on the city, show, venue, audience. We make it a point to deliver high-energy performances for every gig. Sometimes crowds respond to that and sweat with you. Other times they stand and stare.
JM: I personally try and play every live show as if it was the last show I will ever play. If I'm not out of breath and nauseous and sweating and holding onto the wall for dear life after we're done playing, then I haven't done my job correctly. Our best audiences to date have probably been in Germany, Spain, and Vancouver BC. This town tends to take its bands for granted. When MANIAC are on, we're like a well-oiled machine, high kicking dangerously close to faces, singing mostly in-key, and sometimes losing control and falling into the drums (sorry James).
F & L: Underground music in the digital age is this immense, almost infinite universe. Almost anyone can create and release music. Getting that music heard is a different story. As artists, how do you view the world of 2018? Is it ever a frustration to put so much into a record and then wonder how many people will actually hear it?
ZD: When we record something, of course we want as many listeners possible to hear it. And of course, it can be frustrating. However, I'd rather put that energy towards writing more songs than worrying about how many people will hear them.
JM: Yeah, agreed, there's a lot of over saturation, over stimulation, sensory overload. It's pretty hard to get people to listen or pay any attention as people have such a short attention span these days. It's cool that people around the world can listen to your music on their smartphone for "free", but it's an uphill struggle. I find it insane that bands (sometimes us included) pay to advertise on Facebook, a multinational corporation that earned almost 5 billion in the 1st quarter of this year. Small independent bands who hardly earn any money actually pay Facebook to advertise so that they can try and get noticed in an extremely overcrowded room. It's a wiggly world we live in, but we don't have a choice, we live in 2018 and we're playing in a rock and roll band. Sometimes it feels like we're the last of the Jedis, playing in a band the old way, but trying our best to adapt to the present. I do kinda miss the old days of making copies of flyers at Kinko's with a stolen copy key and hitting the city with posters and flyers. It was a more innocent time. The song "Post Post World" on our new record is kind of about this. In these times, we are beyond postmodern, we're actually post, post, postmodern. We're part of a subculture of a subculture of a subculture. We're a little insignificant bacteria, but hopefully we'll get a lot of people sick with our infection. The good sick.
AZ: I've spent my entire life tossing lovingly created, personal work into the abyss of public consumption. So, not really, I'm pretty used to it by now. Personally, I have no expectation that anyone will hear MANIAC's music or be affected by it, so that, if and when they do, I'll be pleasantly surprised.
F & L: What are your hopes for how this album will be perceived?
AZ: If it is perceived at all, I hope it makes people jump around and jiggle their butts and titties and dongs and whatever other body parts they have that move when bitchin' tunes play.
JM: I think people will like it. I just want Steve Jones to play us on Jonesy's Jukebox and Henry Rollins to play us on KCRW. And I wanna play Japan and Australia! Thanks for the interview, man, really appreciate it! And thanks to the dozens of MANIAC fans out there reading this now.
MANIAC's new album Dead Dance Club will be out June 1st on Dirt Cult and Hovercraft Records.
