PGH is all about helping artists highlight their most recent projects, so let us all know what your latest project is – and tell us about how it come into the world. What has the initial feedback on it been like?
Dave Franco – Drums, Vocals (DAVE): First, thanks for the opportunity. Bruce and Not Lame have always been big supporters both in past bands; The Quick and The Vandalays and now with Too Much Saturn.
Our new CD is Moving Forward Sideways. Mark and Guy were in a band called Great Big Noise and Russ actually produced a CD they did. He later joined them to play guitar and they formed Too Much Saturn.
I had been in bands all my life. The Vandalays was my last band prior to TMS. The Vandalays were great. Bruce really liked our last CD Happy After Ever. I think he gave it 5 stars and an Excellent rating. Thought it was going to make me famous. Alas!
Our dear friend and guitar player Ken Valskis was going through a tough time at home and it got hard to keep The Vandalays band commitment going. I tried with Chris Cerasoli, who is now with me in TMS, to get together occasionally and work out some of his songs, but that was tough, too.
I was actually looking through Craig’s List for drum stuff and came across the ad Mark had placed looking for a drummer for TMS. Took the audition and we all thought it could work. Liked each other from the start and that means a lot. We played as a 4 piece for a while until Mark asked me, “Do you know a keyboard player?” I laughed. Uh, yeah! And he sings and writes songs, too! I called Chris and he came out to rehearsal one night and that was that.
Moving Forward Sideways is the confluence of all that. Some songs on the new CD are holdovers from the first version of TMS and Great Big Noise; Photogenic, (One of David Bash’s favorite and the cut on the IPO compilation), Walter Cronkite, First Glance and Funny. Chris brought in What’s Your Plan, I Don’t Wanna Say and All His Way. We also cover Daydream Believer of Monkees fame. Always gets a great response live.
We have gotten nothing but positive feedback on the CD. Just one good review after another. We are very proud of that.
The Recording Process: There are so many interesting ways that music projects come into the world these days compared with what artists had to struggle through years ago. Take us on the creative arc of how this project came into being and any wisdom that you learned along the way. Also, what were some of the obstacles or struggles that you encountered when you were working on the project?
DAVE: Moving Forward Sideways is truly a DIY project. Russ should get a lot of credit. He has his own audio company and also a live sound rig. He also has all his own studio gear, a mobile sound set up, if you will. I need to mention that Russ has produced, recorded and engineered on dozens of albums including engineering on Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and The Aeroplane Flies High.
We used Mark’s house to record most of the CD. He has a cathedral ceiling that Russ thought we could get a good drum sound from, and he was right. I set the drums up in Mark’s living room and Russ set up the board down stairs into the basement and ran a snake. Different rooms in the basement were used to isolate the bass, guitars and keys. Like studio isolation booths except they were furnished bedrooms! Very comfortable.
All told the process was pretty painless. I have been involved in other recordings which certainly were not! The main obstacle we faced might have been my skepticism. I thought it would be a real labor setting up a complete studio recording rig. Take forever. By the time that got done it would be midnight… Not the case. Russ really knows his stuff and proved me wrong. If you need audio service of any kind in the Illinois/Wisconsin area www.spiceaudio.com!
Are there any particular songs on this project that are special to you or communicate a message that you’d like to share here?
DAVE: The two songs I like are the ones that we created as the new Too Much Saturn – All His Way and I Don’t Wanna Say. Chris brought in the tunes, but we all collaborated as a band on our parts and the arrangements. Chris and Mark trade vocals, which I really like, and you don’t hear that too often. Both tunes have great hooks and melodies, which is what we do best!
As we all know, the music industry has been devastated for many reasons over the past 10 years, what are you thoughts on these changes and are you finding some of the changes helpful to you with getting more people to hear your music?
DAVE: The music industry devastation is self inflicted and I hope it dies a slow painful death! Turn on corporate radio or look at the Grammy “rock” acts. I’ve never heard or seen it this bad.
Money still runs things. There are more than 500,000 artists on Band Camp. Unless you pay to get on their opening page or get lucky with a clever video with lots of promo – you could drive yourself nuts thinking about it. Plus, despite what you might hear, Chicago is not the hotbed of artistic creativity.
We concentrate on outlets that appreciate our genre of music. We have no trouble getting heard through the internet. There are so many good podcasts with podcasters and bloggers that have a deep knowledge and love for music, especially our power pop.
Almost seems like there are too many avenues to get your music or story out. Our problem is the time to get it done!
Along the lines of this discussion, it would be really interesting to get your thoughts on what you think the future of ‘music enjoyment’ will look like in the coming years? How do you personally enjoy and ‘consume’ music? Any trends you’ve noticed with your own habits compared to, say, 10 years ago?
DAVE: Did you know that, in his autobiography, Pete Townshend predicted that music would be streamed from a computer the size of a wristwatch in 1971? Comes as no surprise to me as Townshend is the greatest living artist of our time in my opinion. So, a prediction like that could only come from that type of genius- which certainly aint me!
I have not listened to commercial radio in over 20 years. I listen to one college station in Chicago WLUW – Loyola University Radio. They get it –free format – DJs play what they want.
I really like my podcasts. I get a lot of my music from podcasts. I also communicate over the Internet with people all over the world and have set up Dropbox folders with them and trade music. Not as fun as the old record store days!
We would love to hear what your plans on with your next project – Are you going to a full CD, an EP or just release songs as you finish them? Release them digital only or combine physical with the digital or what?
DAVE: My guess is once we get a few more new tunes under our belt, we’ll put something out. Digital release for sure but we’re old school so there would probably always be a hard disc. Can’t read the liner notes on a downloaded mp3!
What are you finding that is working well for your music right now that others may find interesting to hear about?
DAVE: Would have to go back to the podcasts. Not really a secret anymore, but I have been on it since the outset of the medium.
Okay – time for some light humor! Spinal Tap Moment: dig deep. Locate. Relive. Share that special ‘trauma’ with all of us!
DAVE: Not light humor, but we played a gig last year and all got our cars towed! Came out and they were gone – our fault. Next time, we will read the whole email from the club!
In my band, The Quick we had Dennis Rodman buy us a round of shots and then come onstage and hand them out to us while we were playing! Yep. Really!
Is there a particular musician(s) you’d love to collaborate with – and why?
DAVE: I’m a drummer and I have no ability to write music so collaboration for me would be defined as playing with someone. That someone would be
Tommy Keene-I love his music, singing and guitar playing. I think he is the best contemporary power pop song writer there is!
Advance apologies: the so-called ‘classic’ questions. What other artists and bands have influenced your music and any particular reason why? Also, push come to shove: “Your Top 5 Albums Of All Time”? (Pop Geeks really are interested in this, trust us!)
DAVE: Not sure about influence, maybe admire or blown away by their talent.
On one hand, are my classic rock guys:
The Who is my #1, greatest band of all time, also
Tommy Bolin, MC5, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake – no really – I love Whitesnake.
The Deep Purple Mark IV edition and Thin Lizzy family tree has Phil Lynott, Gary Moore, John Sykes, Scott Gorham, Brian Downey, Glenn Hughes, David Coverdale, Ian Paice and the great Tommy Bolin. Anything anyone of them was/is involved with to me is great, especially Tommy Bolin.
On the other hand, I always seem to come back to the melodies and the oohs and aahs- Tommy Keene, Dwight Twilley, Plimsouls, Big Star, Mega City Four, Dom Mariani, 20/20, Velvet Crush, The Rooks, Wonder Stuff.
I have to mention the other guys in the band and their favorites:
Chris – Rolling Stones
Guy- Cheap Trick – even has the 12 string bass
Mark – Dada
Russ –Led Zeppelin
Top 5 albums:
Only need 2…
Quadrophenia – The Who
Based on Happy Times – Tommy Keene
Don’t want to disappoint the Geeks though, maybe they can geek out to my top 5 obscure pop albums of all time:
Hallelujah Anyway – Dancing Hoods
Velvet Elvis – Velvet Elvis
Antennae – Sway
The Sighs – What Goes On
The Reals – Thank You Card
Supremiun-Lucky
(I know that’s 6)
Favorite releases from the past few years:
Shoes – Ignition
Dwight Twilley – Soundtrack
Caddy-Electric Hero
Kurt Baker – Brand New Beat – Want You Around
Dot Dash – Half Remembered Dream
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Belong
USA!USA!USA!
The Cry! – The Cry!
Cheatahs-Extended Plays
Chris Richards and the Subtractions – Get Your La Las Out
Kevin Lee – Break Out
Aaron Fox and the Reliables – Late Too Soon
TOO MUCH SATURN – MOVING FORWARD SIDEWAYS!
Yes, it would be great if most indie musicians could work on music full-time but the reality rarely the case for most of them. I am always asked by music fans, what are the careers or full-time jobs that the musicians of the music they are listening to do…so ‘what’s your main gig?!’
DAVE: You are gonna love this – I’m a Chicago Police Detective!
Where can we hear more of your music and any other releases you have?
DAVE: We are best live!!!
Come and see us at David Bash’ throw down.
Friday, April 11, Red Line Tap
International Pop Overthrow Chicago
Or
Too Much Saturn/Reverb Nation
Band Camp
Kool Kat Musik
CD Baby
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