musical mondaze

Given how personal the songs are, it makes perfect sense that Chris Cohen chose to self-title his third solo album. Having never imagined a day when he would be making music under his own name, never mind releasing records with his face front and center, the singer/songwriter has gone through a creative metamorphosis since 2016’s “As If Apart.” More open with himself and his audience, Cohen embraced what was happening in his life at the time – the good and the bad – and set out to write from his own specific point of view. The end result is an album that is truthful for both the artist and the listener, while pulling no punches in establishing the parameters of that emotional authenticity.

We recently sat down with Cohen to discuss making records of life, letting down his guard, and the surprising customer who bought a copy of his first solo album, “Overgrown Path.”

TrunkSpace: Your latest album is extremely personal. Does that make it more difficult releasing music to the masses when the who you’re singing about is you and the people you love?
Cohen: Yeah, I’m very careful to try and say only the things I’m sure about. My other records were personal too, but I tried to be more general/elliptical. I felt like not everyone was getting it, so this time I was more direct.

TrunkSpace: Your family is a focus of the album. Did you discuss with them that they’d be a part of your creative output in this kind of capacity, especially knowing that you’d be asked to reflect and impart on it all with folks like us?
Cohen: I didn’t talk with anyone before I wrote the songs, but I did talk with some family members before I started doing press… My dad and I don’t speak anymore though, so I’m not sure what his response is. I was so careful in the past not to talk about my parents’ marriage or my dad’s substance abuse problems publicly. Ultimately I think that was a mistake – this time around I’m trying to be truthful but also to be fair, which is difficult. The alternative I think is to lie, so I’m not willing to do that. I think this sort of thing should be talked about, where possible, to raise awareness. You never know, someone might decide to make a change in their life and look for a reputable rehab center just from reading this. Being open and honest about things is important.

TrunkSpace: From what we understand, the album took two years. As you look back on the time spent bringing these songs to life, do you feel like this will become a specific chapter of your life? Do albums take on that yearbook feel when all is said and done?
Cohen: Oh yeah, definitely. That’s something I really like, making records of life.

TrunkSpace: What are you most proud of with the album?
Cohen: I’m proud of everything about it – though I’m sheepish about the cover photo. Still, I feel like it’s an appropriate image for the record.

Two things I never thought I’d be doing: making music under the name Chris Cohen, or putting my picture on the cover of a record.

TrunkSpace: This is your third solo album. Did you specifically set out to accomplish something with this collection of songs that you were unable to achieve with the first two? Was there a goal in mind that separated it, for you anyway, from what came before?
Cohen: Yes. I wanted to make simpler songs that spoke from my specific point of view and history in a way that was open and unguarded. I also wanted to record with other people at least a little bit, and I wanted to have some straight up solos (guitar and sax).

TrunkSpace: As a songwriter, can you be moved by creating a song just as much as you can be by listening to one by another artist? Can we (the listener) have a similar experience as you (the songwriter) with these songs or is it just, by its nature, different?
Cohen: Hmm – they’re pretty similar, I think. When I work on music, I listen as though someone else made it. Also when I’m listening to music I really love, I often have the feeling that somehow I’m playing it. That probably sounds weird but maybe it’s common with other musicians – imitation is a big part of music. When I’m listening, I’m either making the sounds in my mind or somehow becoming them, if that makes sense.

I don’t know if ‘moved’ is the right word but I feel a sense of forward motion writing songs. The process of writing goes on over many months so there isn’t like that one aha moment. But it’s a slow experience of being done with a certain idea. Maybe that’s the reverse of listening, I don’t know.

TrunkSpace: You’ve experienced the creative process both as a solo artist and as a member of a band. How do they differ for you? Is one more rewarding that the other?
Cohen: I love both and think they inform each other. I seem to be sad if I’m only doing one. So producing other people now is great for me and doing my own music.

TrunkSpace: Are you more at home in the studio or on the stage, and if one feels more comfortable to you, why do you think that is?
Cohen: Same answer – I love both. I wonder if I could I live without recording. I’ve never tried, though I have lived without performing, which wasn’t as satisfying. In my early/mid-twenties I barely performed but was recording a lot.

TrunkSpace: What has been the highlight of your career thus far?
Cohen: I think just connecting with other musicians, particularly ones I’ve admired. Seeing each record finished. I was pretty thrilled when I met Mark Mothersbaugh at a show in LA. I was opening for Parquet Courts and he was there. Devo was the first concert I ever saw and my favorite band as a kid (I saw them on the “Oh, N! It’s Devo” tour – 1983). He bought a copy of “Overgrown Path” and that was pretty wild for me.

TrunkSpace: Time machine question. If you could jump ahead 10 years and get a glimpse of what your career looks like a decade from now, would you take that journey? If not, why?
Cohen: I’m just glad I don’t really have to make that decision! Forget about my career – the world in 10 years is a disturbing thought right now, since humans are destroying themselves and most other life on the planet. I’m not sure if music or other things I love will survive in the world we’re creating.

Chris Cohen’s self-titled third solo album is available now on Captured Tracks.

Being able to travel the world doing what she loves is a dream come true for Samantha Parks, lead singer of the genre-bending musical collective Wargirl. The Long Beach-born band’s self-titled debut, out now on Clouds Hill, is a refreshing assortment of its members’ diverse influences, which includes everything from classic rock to afrobeat, and like the frontwoman’s love for touring, it’s a dream come true for music fans.

We recently sat down with Parks to discuss blending backgrounds, snack bribery, and why we would all be best served to pay attention to what is already in front of us.

TrunkSpace: The band just recently dropped its full-length debut on the masses. What kind of emotions do you juggle with as you release new music into the world, particularly something like a debut where for many people, it becomes their first introduction to Wargirl as a whole?
Parks: We feel a mix of nervousness and excitement. We’ve all been playing music for a long time and we’re grateful for the opportunity to share our experiences along with the experience we’re creating as a band with the world. We’re just trying to enjoy each present moment as they come. So far, it’s been one hell of a ride.

TrunkSpace: There’s so much going on with the album in terms of sound and overall feel that it’s really difficult to lock the band into any kind genre or sub-genre. Does the eclectic nature of the music reflect the eclectic mix of the band in terms of what they’re bringing to the table as individuals?
Parks: Absolutely. We all stem from various backgrounds and share a diverse taste in music. Our musical interests range from classic rock and roll to jazz to punk to afrobeat, and the list goes on from there. We’re very open to learning from one another and I think the fact that we come from different backgrounds only lends more exploration and fun to our creative process. It’s nice to feel limitless. We aim away from restricting ourselves too much.

TrunkSpace: One of the things that we pointed out in our review of the album is that it would be impossible to imagine what your full-length follow up would sound like because we get the impression that the band goes through a musical metamorphosis with each new track that’s brought into the fold. Do you envision each Wargirl album to have its own identity as the band and sound continues to grow?
Parks: Sure. Our chemistry and the way the six of us work together is extremely organic. Sometimes, we’re not even certain where we’re going to land and we end up surprising even ourselves. We’re extremely looking forward to evolving even more throughout the process of writing and recording our next album.

TrunkSpace: What are you most proud of with the album?
Parks: Honestly, all of it. But, I can say something that consistently blows my mind is how talented yet humble every member of Wargirl is. We’ve been able to juggle so many facets of creating our EP and LP by using the skill sets that exist just within the six of us, and outside of that we have incredibly supportive and talented individuals helping to fill the gaps along the way. Everyone on the Wargirl team feels like family and I believe that’s super valuable and unique.

TrunkSpace: Many of the songs that make up the debut have probably been with the band for some time now. Creatively do you feel like you have already moved on to the next chapter of Wargirl, and if so, is it difficult to take a step back and support the music of the past while you’re already thinking about the future?
Parks: Not at all. We’ll always have a consistent under current in every song that makes it distinctly Wargirl, so it’s not ever really about reinventing ourselves as much as it is about evolving who we already are. We’re constantly creating and pushing ourselves to dig deeper. Our first EP and album will never stop holding a special place for us because it was the beginning. I think, if nothing else, we’ll look back on our older stuff in the future as a reminder of some of the best times we may have ever shared together.

TrunkSpace: Wargirl is six members strong. How does the band manage individual ideas and creative expectations to ensure that every voice is being heard?
Parks: We bribe each other with snacks until we come to a happy compromise for everyone. We’re a band who loves snacks, so in the end, it all works out.

TrunkSpace: What do you get being in a band that you can’t achieve in a solo capacity? Does the creativity of the other members fuel your own creative fires?
Parks: Without a doubt they do. It’s invigorating sharing a stage with these five individuals and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. We all have a lot to bring to the table, respect one another and travel well together. They also totally get my “dad humor” and love snacking just as much as I do. What more can you really ask for?

TrunkSpace: Are you more at home in the studio or on the stage, and if one feels more comfortable to you, why do you think that is?
Parks: They’re two experiences that I don’t quite view as comparable. They’re equally two of my favorite places to be in the entire world. They both make me feel like I’m where I belong.

TrunkSpace: What has been the highlight of your career thus far?
Parks: That’s a tough one because we’ve had so many wonderful experiences thus far. Overall, the amount of traveling we’ve done overseas is pretty wild. It’s incredible that we’ve received the opportunity to share our music all over Europe. I definitely don’t hate being able to travel in the name of doing what I love. It’s literally a dream come true.

TrunkSpace: Time machine question. If you could jump ahead 10 years and get a glimpse of what your career looks like a decade from now, would you take that journey? If not, why?
Parks: Nope. We’re just riding the wave, man. I’ve found that if you’re too occupied with constantly worrying about what might possibly happen then you’re missing out on appreciating what’s right in front of you. Wargirl has a damn good thing going and that’s enough for me.

Wargirl’s self-titled full-length debut is available now on Clouds Hill.

TrunkSpace Exclusive Premiere
The Great Palumbo’s “World Is Wide”

From Hanoi, Vietnam to Nashville, Tennessee, The Great Palumbo has traveled a long and winding road in its journey to bring music to the masses. The band’s latest single – the catchy “World Is Wide” – is dropping tomorrow, but why wait when you can celebrate Friday with us today! Hit the play button and get your groove on!

To learn more about The Great Palumbo, click here.

Having produced one of our favorite albums of 2019 – in a year when great music seems to be hitting at an astonishing clip – Juan Antonio Lopez, aka Sofa City Sweetheart, flew in under the radar with the release of “Super(b) Exitos” when it dropped last week. A masterful songwriter who also recorded and engineered the album himself, the trumpet player-turned-multihypenate delivered in ways that we could have never anticipated, ensuring that we will not only be standing in line for his future follow-ups, but that Lopez will no longer be flying under the radar when that happens.

We recently sat down with Lopez to discuss internal creative conflicts, never giving up on your dreams, and why he and music are in it for the long haul.

TrunkSpace: You wore pretty much every hat imaginable in bringing “Super(b) Exitos” to life. Did Songwriter Juan and Engineer Juan ever butt heads in terms of what one wanted creatively and what the other could achieve in the studio? How did you compartmentalize?
Lopez: Oh yeah, all the time. There were lots of times when producer Juan would tell all the other Juans, “That’s not good enough.” (That guy’s a jerk) There were several times I hit a wall on something, and I’d have to step away for a little while. There was one guitar solo (on “The Instrumental”) that took forever because I felt like I didn’t have the skills needed to be able to pull of what I wanted. I almost hired someone else to do it, but I took a few days off just to work on scales/exercises and eventually pulled it off (and I’m glad I did). This actually happened often when mixing the bigger songs, too. I couldn’t get the intro to “Stanley Waited” to work, then took some time off to study the soundtrack to “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly,” noticed how they mixed things, and got inspired to try an old school approach and that worked perfectly on that song.

TrunkSpace: What goals did you set for yourself when you first decided to make this album a reality and do you feel like you accomplished them once you called wrap on everything?
Lopez: I wanted to make the best album I could make, that flowed well from start to finish, showed all of my best talents, gave it everything I had, and put it on vinyl. I didn’t stop working until I did exactly that.

TrunkSpace: In going through the process of writing and recording “Super(b) Exitos,” what did it teach you about yourself, both as an artist and as a person?
Lopez: Hmm, this is a good question. First off, that everything takes way longer than I imagine. But more importantly, that it’s okay to stick to your vision and fight for what you believe in. There are a million hurdles that will come up at every turn when doing a large project (especially a subjective work of art), but you have to face each one, handle it, and keep working toward your dream. Never let any one thing or person stop you from achieving your dreams. I’ve done that before, and never again I say!

TrunkSpace: There’s a great feel to the album that gives it that classic front-to-back cohesiveness. How important was it to you that it felt like an album as opposed to a collection of songs?
Lopez: Thanks for noticing! This was one of my main goals from the beginning, and was thinking of that at every stage, even when I was choosing which songs to record. All of my favorite artists put out great cohesive records, and I wanted to throw my hat into that ring. Plus, I feel like there are fewer records like this being made these days, and I want to help keep this art form alive for as long as possible.

TrunkSpace: What are you most proud of with the album?
Lopez: Not one singular thing comes to mind, but simply the fact that it exists is kind of amazing to me since it was just a dream for so long. It is the hardest and best thing I’ve ever done in my life.

TrunkSpace: You perform under the name Sofa City Sweetheart. Why take up that moniker instead of writing and recording as Juan Antonio Lopez?
Lopez: It’s kind of funny, but I’m naturally a very shy person, so I didn’t want to do the whole “Dave Matthews Band, starring Dave Matthews” kind of thing. I think it’s kind of tacky, and I would never want it to seem like I’m braggy or self-centered. (I’ve actually had low self-esteem for most of my life) Plus, I make records that sound like a full band, so I thought having a band name would work better anyway. Even though I’m a “singer-songwriter,” I feel like that label has a different “sound” and expectation from the type of music I actually make.

But maybe the best reason is that choosing a band name is always fun and more creative than using your given name! Like, you may be wondering where did these bands come from and how did they come up with their names. These are some of the biggest bands in the world and their names are so recognizable so sometimes it’s good to be a little creative.

TrunkSpace: We read that there were moments in your life where walking away from music would have been an easy choice given the circumstances surrounding you. Why stick with it and continue to tap into that creative outlet? What keeps you coming back to music?
Lopez: Music heals all! I would have never been able to get through the toughest times in my life without either absorbing or creating art, especially music. It’s an incredibly tough field to try to make a living in, but I’ve been a musician all my life and at this point, it’s “‘til death do us part.” Plus, the NBA won’t return my calls.

TrunkSpace: What do you get writing and performing music that you can’t achieve as a listener alone? Is the experience different when you’re expressing through music than listening to another artist express through theirs?
Lopez: A few things I suppose. A very unique form of catharsis, and just the incredible feeling of creating something that did not exist before. I might not be able to give birth, but I always felt like writing songs is the closest I’ll ever get.

TrunkSpace: What has been the highlight of your career thus far?
Lopez: Another tough question. I’ve been lucky ’nuff to do a few cool things in my career as a musician. Recording with Feist was amazing, and last year a porn star wrote to me and asked me if she could use one of my songs in her next movie. (I declined.) Getting press in some of my favorite music magazines was very exciting, too. But maybe doing my album crowdfunding campaign might be up there since it allowed me to see how many people believed and supported me – and I can’t thank them enough because it finally helped me fully believe in myself.

TrunkSpace: Time machine question. If you could jump ahead 10 years and get a glimpse of what your career looks like a decade from now, would you take that journey? If not, why?
Lopez: Any time a crazy, wild-eyed scientist in a DeLorean pulls up… YOU GET IN.

The album, including vinyl, is available now by clicking here.

With their first States-based single recently released, popular UK rockers Wille & The Bandits are crossing the pond and expanding their music on a global scale. From performing at the Glatsonbury Festival to showcasing their musical talents at the London Olympics, the trio of undefinable genre hoppers have been wowing fans in their home country for nearly a decade, but now it’s time to take their rootsy vibe – and their new album “Paths” – to the United States, the country where much of their sonic influences originate from.

We recently sat down with frontman and guitarist (electric, acoustic and lap steel) Wille Edwards to discuss diversity in the band’s writing, tackling new markets, and how inspiration can hit anywhere at any time.

TrunkSpace: The band has been together for nearly a decade now. When you listen to what you’re doing sonically now with “Paths” and compare it against what first came out of the practice room in those early days, where do you hear the biggest differences?
Edwards: Basically, we were a lot more acoustic and rootsy; inspired by the likes of John Butler and Ben Harper. As time has gone on our sound has become rockier with more of a retro edge, but still embracing the groove and lyrical awareness with which we started out.

TrunkSpace: The band has never shied away from genre diversity, but did you personally set out to accomplish something different with this album that you have yet to take on in the past?
Edwards: With the exception of “Steal,” which was us experimenting with “keeping it Rock,” we have always made quite diverse albums. It’s what happens when we are left to our own devices. We have so many musical influences, we like to be creative and let them all shine through. With “Paths” we have attempted to incorporate an underlying theme and sound across the album – I think the tracks all feel like “us,” but with the many facets of ourselves emerging in different tracks. We have very much mixed modern elements of recording with a more retro sound which has worked well, and I think has created something very special.

TrunkSpace: You just released your first US single, “One Way.” What kind of emotions do you juggle with as you gear up to take on a new market and expose your music to a new audience?
Edwards: I feel very excited about going to the USA as a lot of my influences come from America, especially being a lap steel/slide player, which has origins in America. It will be nice to play in a country where our music’s roots come from, and I think the USA audiences may be more aware of some of the influences in our music than in Europe. We’re very excited, but also apprehensive as we are used to playing big audiences in Europe. We hope that the album connects with people and that they turn out to the shows.

TrunkSpace: What are you most proud of with the album?
Edwards: With “Paths” we have returned to being completely independent after working with a label. We were so excited to be completely free creatively and not dictated to. We wanted to put the tracks that we felt were strongest on it and after five albums I feel that we are now in a good position to follow our own instinct on the production side of things. The response to this album has been so positive that I feel that we can be proud of the album as a whole body of work – songwriting, performance and production.

TrunkSpace: A decade is a long time to spend together. Are you still finding that there are plenty of “firsts” for you to experience together? Will this upcoming tour in the US bring more of that?
Edwards: It is a long time, and we have racked up a lot of hours on the road together. There are always new experiences. We are always touring new territories – Australia last year, and the US this year, and our European tours always extend into new countries, which is exciting. The US will be amazing, and the progress that we feel as we meet new audiences is what keeps it fresh.

TrunkSpace: As we mentioned previously, the band has always been eclectic. Do you believe that ability to not limit yourselves creatively and work within a certain set of parameters has helped to keep things interesting for you personally within the band?
Edwards: Of course! It’s like if a painter is only using three colors, but he has all the colors of the rainbow available to him, why wouldn’t he try them all to try and create something as interesting as possible? The trouble is the marketing people want to sell music as a brand and a style, but music should never be a production line. For me, I will always be looking for new angles.

TrunkSpace: What do you get being in a band that you couldn’t achieve in a solo capacity? Does the creativity of everyone else fuel your own creatively?
Edwards: I definitely write the songs with the band in mind. I can imagine how their playing will make a song complete, and that channels the style of the songs I write in a certain direction. Because the band is so talented, this doesn’t add too many limitations: if a track needs an exotic drum style, Andy can do that, if I feel that we need a bit of cello, Matt can make a great cello feel bowing his bass. You always can be confident that you will get a good groove with these guys.

TrunkSpace: Are you someone who has to step away from music at times in order to refuel the creative tank? Can you envision a day where music is not a part of your life?
Edwards: Not at all. With a young family at home, I have to step away from music to change a diaper or play football with my little girls – family life is a joy for me, as are my hobbies: football, surfing. So, I am not constantly in that music headspace, but I always find the process of recording and songwriting to be a natural thing that I can step into. It can be a compulsion. I sometimes find myself walking home from the shop, and this uncontrollable desire to get in the studio comes across me – it’s like there is an idea inside that needs to come out. I find that inspiration can happen at any time, and I often put ideas down there and then on my phone to play with later on in the studio. I really can’t imagine that music wouldn’t be a part of my life. Even Cat Stevens couldn’t cut it out in the end.

TrunkSpace: What has been the highlight of your career thus far?
Edwards: Playing at Glastonbury was always a dream for me and something that was very special the first time we played in 2014. To be voted one of the top 10 acts to see at the festival and to hear it being said on Radio 1 was even more unexpected and again something we’re all very proud of. Another huge event for us was playing the London Olympics, a result of getting voted by the Daily Telegraph as the best live band in the UK; an amazing experience and one in which we are extremely proud.

TrunkSpace: Time machine question. If you could jump ahead 10 years and get a glimpse of what your career looks like a decade from now, would you take that journey? If not, why?
Edwards: Yes, I’d take a peek. It would give me a heads up as to whether we are on the right path for success or if we need to rethink our strategy.

“Paths” was released February 1 in the UK and will get a formal release in the States later this summer.

Nearly two decades of life can seriously change a person, but for members of the long-running punk band Teenage Bottlerocket, the more things have changed the more they’ve stayed the same, at least in terms of their commitment to the music and each other. With their eighth studio album “Stay Rad!” recently released via Fat Wreck Chords, the Wyoming natives are full steam ahead without any sign of creative conclusions on the horizon.

We recently sat down with guitarist and frontman Ray Carlisle to discuss gas-filled vans, the band’s international reach, and why he’s fully prepared to smash the flux capacitor.

TrunkSpace: You guys are about to hit up a pretty relentless tour schedule that will take you all over the world. Does preparing for that much time – and that many stops – on the road take a different kind of mental focus than it did when you guys were first starting out nearly 20 years ago?
Carlisle: Absolutely. Some of us are married now. Some of us have kids now. Touring means being away from our families, so we got to get ready for that. We got to make sure to french kiss our wives/girlfriends extra long before we jump in the van. Thankfully, there’s FaceTime.

TrunkSpace: Nearly two decades is a long time to spend together. Are there still “firsts” out there for you guys or have you gotten to the point where you feel like you have seen, done and experienced it all in terms of the Teenage Bottlerocket experience?
Carlisle: There are definite firsts. Every show is a different thing. It doesn’t matter if it’s the same venue in the same city and it doesn’t matter if we’ve played there 15 times, it’s always different. We do tend to eat at the same restaurants. When we play the Otto Bar in Baltimore in June, we will definitely go eat at Captain James, and when we play Boston, we always eat at Boston Market. Not kidding.

TrunkSpace: Has the band stayed together for as long as it has because of your collective love for music, your love for Teenage Bottlerocket itself, or a combination of both? What is the secret sauce that has kept the band rolling?
Carlisle: We love playing music together; it’s as simple as that. We’ve had a couple of months off at this point, and we are totally anxious to get out there and play. I’m pretty sure everyone hates my farts. Miguel farted in the van once and I puked. About five minutes later I farted in the van and Miguel puked. Payback!

TrunkSpace: Our personal experiences can shape our creative points of view over time. Has your creative POV changed over the years and can you hear it directly influencing the band’s musical output if you were to listen back to previous albums? Are they like yearbooks of your life?
Carlisle: I can hear the transition between records as far as growth and learning new tricks. So, yes, I’d say our creative POV has changed, and yes, I hear it influencing the band’s music. We really spent a lot of time with the bass on “Stay Rad,” and I love that I can hear that on the album. It might not sound like it to everyone else, but I feel like we are more open to ideas and adding shit.

TrunkSpace: We mentioned the tour at the start of our chat. You’ll be going to Cape Town, Berlin, and San Diego, to name a few, all over the course of the spring. Do you still have moments where you sit back and go, “I’m able to make music and travel to South Africa to play it in front of a crowd!” Can it still be surreal, especially factoring in the international fans?
Carlisle: Of course! We feel fortunate to be able to get out there and do this. I have a shit ton of people writing to me and asking me to check out their bands. I get that, you write/record a song, and you want people to hear it. People take pride in that. There are a lot of people that would like to be where we are, and it’s attainable. We are from Wyoming for fuck’s sake. Anyone can do it! Fucking get it!

TrunkSpace: When you’re playing music internationally, does it make the world feel smaller? Here’s this thing that you’ve created, and people from different cultures, backgrounds and walks of life are all enjoying it as part of this universal language that came from your head.
Carlisle: Hmmm, not particularly. I mean, when we fly 17 ½ hours to Sydney, Australia from Dallas, Texas, the world does not seem small at all. But I hear what you’re asking. It’s pretty fucking rad that we release a song and a couple weeks later people are singing along with it in Belgium. Shit’s unreal.

TrunkSpace: “Stay Rad!” is your eighth studio album. When you listen to the album and compare it against what first came out of the practice room in the early days of Teenage Bottlerocket, where do you hear the biggest differences?
Carlisle: Mainly in the drums. When we recorded “Another Way” in 2003, we refused to put two kick drum hits between the snare hits. Just totally stripped down and not showing off. Let the songs sing for themselves sorta thing. Well, now we put one, two, or sometimes even three kick drum hits between snare hits. Fucking revolutionary!

TrunkSpace: What are you most proud of with the album?
Carlisle: The songs. The songs turned out great; I like them. They’re the best part.

TrunkSpace: What has been the highlight of your career thus far?
Carlisle: The Lakers played the Spurs on TNT, and they played “Welcome To The Nuthouse” during the halftime highlights. Marv Albert talked about our song. That ruled!

We played with The Replacements. I don’t think many people get to say that. We’ve been super lucky. We are grateful.

TrunkSpace: Time machine question. If you could jump ahead 10 years and get a glimpse of what your career looks like a decade from now, would you take that journey? If not, why?
Carlisle: No, it’s all about the work along the way. How can you appreciate something you don’t work for? It’s tempting – get a glimpse of some songs and get stoked – but nah, that’s a terrible idea. I’ll smash that fucking flux capacitor into 1000 pieces.

“Stay Rad” is available now from Fat Wreck Chords.

With a tour to mark the 30^th anniversary of the “Starfish” album already underway, Australian alt-rockers The Church are returning to the States this spring to play the record live in its entirety, along with a selection of tracks spanning their 26-album musical journey to date.

We recently sat down with frontman Steve Kilbey to discuss the lasting effects of “Starfish” on the fan base, why the band has flourished creatively for over three decades, and the area that they are better at than ever before.

TrunkSpace: You guys are currently touring the highways and byways for the Starfish 30^th Anniversary Tour. In your wildest dreams could you have ever imagined that the album would still be leaving an impact on people three decades after its release?
Kilbey: No, I thought it would just be an ephemeral thing. People would have laughed at the time if I said that this album would still be being listened to in 2019, but it’s a wonderful surprise that it indeed is!

TrunkSpace: Based on where the band was creatively in those days… would those guys be surprised by what The Church future looked like? Would anything you’ve done musically feel like a departure to the band 1988?
Kilbey: No, I think we’ve pretty much go on doing what we were good at doing, i.e. being The Church – except that we are a much better live band nowadays.

TrunkSpace: The Church has been together since 1980. With so much writing, recording and touring under your belts, are there still firsts for you? Do you still experience new things collectively as a band?
Kilbey: There are always still “firsts” – good firsts and bad firsts. We don’t do much collective experiencing however. We’ve never really been that kind of band.

TrunkSpace: Are there things that you enjoyed 30 years ago with the band that you don’t necessarily have the same love for today? For example, is touring a different experience now? Does life alter your in-band POV?
Kilbey: I love touring much more now than ever before. It’s more rewarding because we’re just so much more accomplished.

Yes, life does alter things. It all goes in the mix.

TrunkSpace: What do you get working in a band atmosphere that you wouldn’t be able to achieve as a solo artist? Does effort inspire effort in the process, and by that we mean, does one person’s eureka moment inspire the others?
Kilbey: Being a musician is always about playing with others and always will be IMHFO. Yes, we are all turned on and off by what each other is playing – that’s what it is. We are an ensemble.

TrunkSpace: By our count, you’ve released 26 albums. For most bands, six albums is a feat. What has been the key to your creative success? Where do you look for inspiration after almost 40 years together?
Kilbey: We just got lucky with the longevity thing. We still like playing together. Inspiration is everywhere for me. Everywhere I look I see it. I hear words, sounds and I apprehend feelings – all grist for the song mill.

TrunkSpace: For you personally, what’s been the highlight of your career thus far?
Kilbey: Opera House, 2011, with a 70 piece orchestra.

TrunkSpace: What do you get as a creator of music that you can’t achieve as a listener alone? What keeps you active in music beyond a spectator?
Kilbey: It’s just what I do. I have to keep playing. It’s my vocation.

TrunkSpace: Time machine question. If you could just ahead 10 years and get a glimpse of what your musical journey looks like a decade from now, would you take that journey? If not, why?
Kilbey: Nah. I like the future to be a mystery. I like the way it all unfolds.

The Starfish 30^th Anniversary USA Tour kicks off April 11 at The Magic Bag in Ferndale, MI. For a full list of dates, click here.

With their new album “Tree Of Shade” set to be released on April 5, we’re catching up with TrunkSpace alumni Driftwood to discuss the various changes that have taken place within the band since we first chatted back in 2017.

Their latest single, “Lay Like You Do” is available now.

We recently sat down with Joe Kollar (banjo/guitar) to discuss marching to the beat of a different drummer, finding creative freedom in expanding their team, and what recording “Tree Of Shade” taught him about tinkering.

TrunkSpace: We first profiled the band back in 2017. Where do you think Driftwood has changed the most since then?
Kollar: Well, leaps and bounds. Sonically there’s been a big shift. I think having a management team now has sort of shifted things. I think the writing has developed. I think the performance… me not being the primary drummer, now we have a drummer… that alone is a big change. But, beyond that, because we have a drummer it allows other songs to be available to us that we used to sort of shy away from in the live scenario. I’m able to play instruments that I actually play, like not the drums. (Laughter) I actually play guitars and stuff, which is what I grew up playing. I could get by on the drums, but I certainly don’t call myself a drummer.

But, overall? Everything.

TrunkSpace: Bringing in a drummer and allowing you to focus on those other instruments, does that impact the songwriting directly as well?
Kollar: Yeah, it has. I don’t know that it showed up on this last record, because I did all the drum work on there, and we wrote songs with the band in mind. But, now there’s a handful of new tunes that are coming out, that we’re playing on the stage, that’s definitely… it’s crazy. It’s wild how much it changes and shifts what I do. I don’t even have to play, really, which is just wild. It used to be me standing on one leg beating this kick, singing and playing banjo, and being this rhythmic component – this heartbeat element. But now, sometimes I just stand there and dance. I don’t do anything. And I’m like, “This is crazy.” But, it’s entered my mind now, and I’ve been writing a little differently, and playing parts that are more conducive to having somebody else sort of driving the bus where I’m free to decorate, or paint in a different way sonically.

So, yeah, it’s started. We’re just now embracing the drums as the heartbeat, and writing around that. At least in my mind… I can’t speak for everyone. But, yeah, there’s a handful of new tunes that I’m really proud of, that I think are really fun. We probably should be playing stuff off of “Tree Of Shade,” but we’re already beyond that. (Laughter)

TrunkSpace: That must be tough creatively, as songwriters, because you never stop writing, and yet, here you are having to nurture a particular batch of songs that, while are the listeners present, are actually a part of your past.
Kollar: Definitely. That’s the hardest thing for me on anything. They’re old to me. They’re new to everybody else, but I’m past it. Everyone in the band is always like, “Come on, Joe. We’ve got to do this song.” It’s like, “Oh, man. That was so last year, man.” (Laughter) But it’s okay. It’s good. It’s a healthy balance.

TrunkSpace: When you finish a song, can it sometimes be difficult to let go and relinquish control over it by way of releasing it out into the world?
Kollar: It is in the business sense of the idea. I’m sort of shifting in my own mentality to where there is all the ducks in a row – you have to get the publicist on board, and you have to get the artwork – there’s all these steps to putting out a record. You have to build buzz, and you get all this stuff happening on your socials, and blah, blah, blah. And I’m just sort of distancing myself from that, which is kind of nice because we have the management team, and we have some people in place that are sort of taking that role. It’s nice, because I’m caring less and less about it, basically. In other words, I just want to write, and put music out, and the faster that can happen – the more efficiently that can happen – I think the deeper the music is, and the better it is, really.

We haven’t gotten there yet. This one’s been taking a long time, but there’s a lot of new things to this record. It was the first time with a producer. It was the first time that we demoed songs. We’ve never done that. It’s always been just, “Bring the song to the table, let’s record it and that’s going on the record.” This time it was like, “Let’s each of us demo 15 songs and then we’ll have somebody else pick the best, or whatever they think fits together.” So, that whole process has changed for sure, and I think we’re still adjusting to management, and adjusting to the hoops and things you have to do to put music out. But, I’m trying to come to terms more and more with just having something that’s really close to me, recording it, and just putting it out without really too much. You know, I think it’s so acceptable now, and it’s so easy to do, that it’s kind of like, “Why make it more difficult?” But, I understand. I get that you’ve got to build the buzz, and momentum, and get people talking about you… try to make the biggest impact you can. I understand all that, but it’s not as conducive for creativity in my mind. And this is where I’m living.

TrunkSpace: There does seem to be a turn in the industry where it’s almost starting to feel like the 1950s in that artists are more likely to release singles now rather than full records.
Kollar: Right. Yeah, I love that. I think that’s so advantageous to the creative world. The more you spend time doing that in that space, the more proficient, and the better it gets. I’m all about that. We haven’t gotten there yet, though. This album, I mean, it’s been recorded for a year. It’s just now happening, but for good reason.

TrunkSpace: What are you most proud of with “Tree Of Shade” now that it’s finally making its way out into the world?
Kollar: Well, primarily just the course of recording it. Like I said, we demoed things out, so that was a first. And that was a fun process, and a really useful one for me. I just really got into recording, and some of my demos ended up being on the record, and we just sort of fleshed them out. Actually a handful of them. And then the efficiency in which we did it. We recorded the whole thing in 10 days, sort of the bones and the guts of the thing, and then just added a couple little things here and there. So, I’d say, it’s about a 12 day record, and that is unheard of. In Driftwood world it’s usually like a year process. That’s just how long it seems to take. We have a really rigorous tour schedule, so it’s not like we’re on and off, and when we’re home, we’re sort of nested and in the studio for a certain amount of time. So, I’m really proud that it only took that long for us to do. And with the help of the producer and engineer, I mean, that was certainly a big part of that, I think. That’s really been the biggest difference for this record.

TrunkSpace: Was it creatively inspiring to block those 10 days away and just say, “Let’s focus on the album and nothing else?”
Kollar: Definitely. It was kind of scary, honestly, just because of our track record. I was like, “There’s no way!” It usually takes us a year, and we’re condensing it into 10 days. It was more nerve wracking than anything. But there’s something that comes out of that, too – being a little nervous. And then, about half way through I think we found our rhythm, and sort of got an idea with how… because there was a lot of new things being introduced with the producer and stuff. It was kind of scary. It’s a really intimate thing to lay out in front of someone like that, and put these songs out, and try to sing and play with other people’s ears in the room. It’s just a different experience altogether. But, creatively it was amazing. And I’ve learned so much from that ever since. I’ve been a lot more fruitful in my writing, and my making of music, just because I’m realizing the closer you can get to that original inspiration the faster you can get it out, the more connected it is with that original seed of an idea. And for me, as an artist, that seems to be the most potent version of things.

I used to like to tinker with things, but the issue with that is I have songs that are 10 years old that nobody’s ever heard, that I’m still tinkering with. And it’s not really conducive to producing music. So, that’s what this experience has definitely taught me is just kind of to get in that zone – a couple of takes of something, and that’s it. And that’s hugely changed my course.

“Tree Of Shade” drops April 5.

Just a week before dropping their creative baker’s dozen “Brain Invaders” on fans, Orange County’s zebrahead is also prepping for a spring tour that will take them to Australia, and while they’ve seen and experienced more than most of us could ever imagine in their over 20 years together, they are still finding new things to enjoy while out on the road.

“Anytime you think you have seen it all something new comes along and blows your mind,” says bass player Ben “Ozz” Osmundson.

“Brain Invaders,” their 13th album, will be released March 8 on MFZB Records.

We recently sat down with Ozz to discuss the band’s longevity, their mishmosh sound, and why they’re saying more lyrically with “Brain Invaders” than they have in previous albums.

TrunkSpace: You guys have been writing and performing together since the late ‘90s. Do you find yourselves still experiencing firsts as zebrahead, or do you think you have seen and experienced it all at this stage in your musical journey?
Ozz: Super happy to say we are experiencing new things every day on tour. Anytime you think you have seen it all something new comes along and blows your mind. The trick for us is to never just sit backstage and look at the walls – we always go outside, make some friends, see the sights and experience life.

TrunkSpace: We’re only about a week away from the release of your latest album, “Brain Invaders,” which happens to be number 13. Are you guys the superstitious sorts, and could you have ever imagined that you’d drop a baker’s dozen worth of albums on the world when you first started out?
Ozz: I think most of us are not superstitious at all. So, the number 13 just kind of makes me smile. And to be honest, I never thought we would last past two albums. We all quit our jobs 20 years ago and said “let’s go for it” and we haven’t looked back. I just wanted to get to see the world and couldn’t believe it was happening. Now all these years later I still want to get to see the world and really can’t believe how lucky we are. It’s all amazing and humbling.

TrunkSpace: No one is closer to the music than you. When you listen back to those early records to where you guys are now with “Brain Invaders,” where do you hear the biggest difference in the music, and were those changes part of a plan or a natural progression?
Ozz: The biggest change I hear is the change in the speed of the songs. We recorded our first couple albums way, way, way too slow. We adjust them live to the speed we wish we recorded them, but I think it scares people sometimes. Also, the newer albums I would say are less funk influenced and more skate punk? But, at the end of the day were a mishmosh of different influences.

TrunkSpace: What are you most proud of with the album?
Ozz: Super happy we are now in the position where we can record the album, mix it, master it and distribute it completely on our own. We still have a record label in Japan, but outside Japan we do everything ourselves. We have been pushing in this direction for the past 10 years by taking more and more control of our own situation.

TrunkSpace: Are there things that you enjoyed 20 years ago with the band that you don’t necessarily have the same love for today? For example, is touring a different experience now? Does life alter your in-band POV?
Ozz: For me personally the touring thing is still amazing. You can drop me in the middle of Tokyo or Berlin or Paris and I know my way around. I am beyond lucky. Traveling gets exhausting and rough sometimes, but every travel day ends with a show, and the show always makes you forget all the crap it took to get there.

TrunkSpace: What do you get working in a band atmosphere that you wouldn’t be able to achieve as a solo artist? Does effort inspire effort in the process, and by that we mean, does one person’s eureka moment inspire the others?
Ozz: I don’t think I would ever want to do the solo thing. I really enjoy the collaboration when it comes to any art form. Looking at things from another person’s point of view is pretty valuable. When you stop listening to others and think you know it all is the day you realize you knew absolutely nothing.

TrunkSpace: You guys have been writing together for a long time now. Is there a creative kinship among the group where the process of creating new material is more of a well-oiled machine than it was 20 years ago?
Ozz: It’s always a mess. We email each other idea, jam out new ideas and sit around cracking jokes instead of working. I think if it was a perfect polished experience it wouldn’t work out the same. I personally like writing together the best. When someone plays something amazing you can see the reaction immediately on everybody’s face and that to me is the best.

TrunkSpace: In the writing itself – the lyrics – are you guys touching on topics that your younger selves would have never even thought to write about with earlier albums like “Waste of Mine” and “Playmate of the Year?” Have the albums become a bit like chapters of your lives where you see the music reflecting what is going on outside of the music itself?
Ozz: With the newest album I think we finally reached the point that we couldn’t ignore what was happening around us as much. We have always been the happy party band that wants to make you smile and forget the world, but the world has reached new limits these days and even your beer drinking buddies are getting fed up.

TrunkSpace: For you personally, what’s been the highlight of your career thus far?
Ozz: By far the highlight for me was getting nominated for a Grammy. We did a song with Lemmy from Motörhead and it got nominated for best metal performance years ago. At that moment I knew that we would never even come close to that moment. Hell, a Grammy nomination and sitting next to Lemmy, who we worked on the song with, it will never get better than that!

TrunkSpace: Time machine question. If you could jump ahead 10 years and get a glimpse of what your musical journey looks like a decade from now, would you take that journey? If not, why?
Ozz: I don’t think I would. The future scares the crap out of me.

Wait, I take that back! I would go look. Like I said earlier, every day I realize how dumb I was yesterday and it sure would be great to avoid and learn from all my ridiculous mistakes before the rest of the world sees them.

“Brain Invaders” drops March 9 on MFZB Records.

According to lead singer and guitarist Joshua Fleming, the Vandoliers’ latest album “Forever,” out Friday on Bloodshot Records, is more stripped down and raw than their previous studio offerings, a testament to producer Adam Hill’s desire to better translate who they are on stage to how they sound on a record.

The sonics aren’t the only place to feel that rawness either, as the frontman admits that many of the songs are extremely personal from a lyrical standpoint. “Fallen Again,” for example, speaks to his battles with situational depression and anxiety, and he calls seeing it come together – and ultimately make the album – “my rock bottom to my triumph.”

We recently sat down with Fleming to discuss creating a cohesive sound all their own, growing songs through respect and trust for their fellow bandmates, and why he considers himself more of a storyteller than a musician.

TrunkSpace: You guys are gearing up for the release of your Bloodshot Records debut, “Forever.” What emotions do you juggle with as you prepare to drop new music on the world?
Fleming: It’s nerve-racking, honestly. I can’t say I have ever worked harder on a project than this one, and the anxiety of releasing it is setting in. There are so many things you have to do to prepare for before the album drops, and in the eleventh hour it all seems to pile on at once. But once we are on the road, performing everything gets a little easier.

TrunkSpace: The band has been together since 2015 with its members traversing the music industry individually for many years before that. What felt different about bringing this album together that didn’t exist for you through other past experiences? What will stick with you about the process for the rest of your life?
Fleming: This recording experience was a change for us and it shows. We had time to write as much as we could to find the right songs. We took time on a mountain tour to compose the fiddles and horn parts. We went away from the distractions of home and went to Memphis for a week to record. The biggest difference was recording in the same room as a band. I hope we will be lucky enough to repeat this process for our next album.

TrunkSpace: We love what your producer Adam Hill has done with bands like Deer Tick in the past. As someone who is closer to the music than anyone else, where do hear his input/impact the most in the final mix of the album?
Fleming: Adam has a great ear, and he wanted this album to be stripped down and raw just like we perform on stage. It was all about getting the best take without relying on comps, whether it was the first go or the fifteenth. He pulled the best performances from us and it shows. We walked out of American Recording Studios a better band and it’s because Adam demanded greatness. I can’t thank him enough for that.

TrunkSpace: What are you most proud of with the album?
Fleming: Every song has its place, but I was vulnerable this past year. I have battled situational depression and high functioning anxiety during that time and, thankfully, I had an outlet to speak about it. “Fallen Again” is my most vulnerable and frustrated song to date, and my friend Rhett Miller helped me shape it and define it. I’m proud that this song blossomed instead of being put aside for another song. It meant so much to have the support of my band and my hero – together they transformed this song from my rock bottom to my triumph.

TrunkSpace: The band consists of six members, which is a lot of different creative brains all working under one roof. What is the process like in terms of songs coming together and implementing the input of the individual members?
Fleming: Individually each member brings experience and knowledge to the table. I trust these people, and I trust what they hear. Every song is different, but this album I co-wrote more than I ever have. After all of the songs were demo’d, we each took time to make a list of 10 songs we felt defined the moment we were in as a band, and we all decided which of the 50 songs made the cut. I work with the best musicians I know, and by allowing each member to have input we create a cohesive sound all are own. I couldn’t think of a better way to be a band.

TrunkSpace: What do you get working in a band atmosphere that you wouldn’t be able to achieve as a solo artist? Does effort inspire effort in the process, and by that we mean, does one person’s eureka moment inspire the others?
Fleming: It might start with a riff like “Shoshone Rose,” or a time signature change from 4/4 to 6/8 like “Fallen Again.” Everyone has ideas and when you respect and trust each other the songs benefit. Our bassist, Mark, also plays fiddle and helped write the intro to the album on “Miles and Miles.” Our guitarist Dustin wrote out and helped arrange the trumpet and fiddle parts. We all have a place in the creative process and that’s what attracts me to being in a band versus being a solo artist. I’m not alone, I am supported by people I trust and I’m better off in that environment.

TrunkSpace: Can you envision a day when music is not a part of your life?
Fleming: No. I don’t have a choice anyway.

TrunkSpace: We often like to ask musicians if their roots – those places they grew up and live now – can directly influence their music identity, but we don’t feel like we have to do that here. “Forever” feels very Texas in terms of where it’s come from and where it’s going. The album seems to mix perfectly the vibe of the changing Texas landscape. Is that influence something that you guys consciously are aware of, or does the vibe of your surroundings just kind of seep into what you’re doing musically?
Fleming: We are a product of our region, we couldn’t help it if we tried. That being said it’s our responsibility to respect the traditions of the music we are inspired by, it’s also our obligation to push them to their limits. My hope is that our love for our regional music can be felt by the people who take a chance by listening to us.

TrunkSpace: We also love that your songs tell a story. Do you consider yourself a storyteller, and if so, what is the greatest story you’ve ever told in song form?
Fleming: I do consider myself a storyteller, more so than a musician, and memories are the breeding ground for inspiration. I don’t know if it’s my greatest story, but “Sixteen Years” means so much to me, because I was able to talk about my journey performing music for most of my life. I played my first show at a roller rink and I mark New Year’s of 2000 day one of my adventure. Within the lyrics I reference songs from past bands, trials and victories. At the root of the song, it’s my promise to never give up, and when the pressures of self-doubt piles on to me, the outward affirmation of chorus reminds me that I am alive, I am blessed and that it’s going to be OK.

TrunkSpace: Time machine question. If you could just ahead 10 years and get a glimpse of what your musical journey looks like a decade from now, would you take that journey? If not, why?
Fleming: I have already seen it, and all I have to do now is give it time.

“Forever” is available Friday from Bloodshot Records.