We have all been there; a concert you simply cannot refuse. A 220-dollar concert ticket followed by 100-dollars in fees, nearly a 50 percent up charge. It’s your favorite band, a no-holds-barred night out, but at what cost. The next few gigs you land 60-80 dollar tickets purchased from an online-fan-page-stranger. They even let you PayPal them after you got through the doors. As diehard fans, and musicians ourselves, we don’t want to be exploited; we want an exciting live music experience. Since we still yearn for human connection and tangible experiences transcending all sound – again, CashorTrade delivers.
We linger on this narrative because it is overwhelmingly real. You have already lived through it, overpaying, or missed out from an absurd standing room ticket. CashorTrade, an online ticket exchange and social platform for pure music junkies, is growing rapidly to bring real fans tickets at face value.
The Vermont co-founders and brothers, Dusty and Brando Rich, have bred CashorTrade from of their passion of live music, as well as disgust in oversaturated and overpriced tickets. Their story begins with a failed attempt to acquire Phish tickets at Hampton Coliseum in Vermont after the bands five year hiatus. It was Phish’s first performance since Coventry on August 15, 2004. The band started with “Fluffhead,” which was not played since 2000 (phish.net), but it should not merit a four-figure ticket price.
“What got us the most, was seeing the tickets listed for two – thousand – dollars a piece,” said Brando Rich. “When Phish stopped touring in 2004, Stubhub was created, and Facebook… The dawn of peer to peer ticketing platforms. A lot had changed, and five years later [2009] things are up and running… It has taken what used to happen in brick and mortar box offices to the extreme and ruined it for fans.”
CashorTrade has become a social network that allows people to have friends, share photos and connect with one another. It makes trading with people you know, love and trust that much easier. The Rich brothers have plans on building that further because “we want to better connect friends who have tickets they need. And, for fans to know about shows they are attending or interested in attending,” which is tailored to each specific user-profile.
The dawn of the internet had changed the concert experience, for better and worse. When it comes to ticket consumption Brando stresses that not all ticket company owners are fans. “I would go as far as saying that most are not fans. In the end, what my brother and I created is most helpful to fans because we are fans. We grew up loving live music – every ounce of it.”
“We would do whatever we could to get to the next show, fighting to make burritos in the lot, to make money [for our next tickets]. Your community feeds you, clothes you and it becomes your life.”
This lifestyle shows through the organic growth in the company, nearing a quarter-million users across 20 countries. CashorTrade is growing at 3,000 new users per month, and expanding. With closed first round investors, direct artist-partnerships, festival partnerships and a growing online platform, CashorTrade is on the rise. Fees diminished to ten-percent or less keeps the pressure off your wallet and draws focus to the music and those enjoying it.
Yesterday, June 12 at 2 p.m. EST, CashorTrade officially partnered proudly with Phish’s official charitable outreach, The WaterWheel Foundation – then again, it all began with Phish. Since 1997, WaterWheel’s outreach aides social and environmental efforts throughout each tour stop, notably local efforts in CashorTrade stomping-grounds: Vermont. Fans selling Phish tickets can opt to donate their profits directly to WaterWheel, while buyers will be charged CashorTrade’s transparent credit card fee (3%). Likewise, 100 percent of those ticket revenues go directly to WaterWheel, who has raised millions for more than 425 groups.
CashorTrade is closing in on their community, helping tickets stay in the hands of a tight-knit, music loving, and sustaining populous. They provide a platform where we can do it safely, carefree, and now, feel good by effortlessly giving back. Fans now have control and positive choice.
https://youtu.be/s3kpeoeNDXo
“We recently partnered with Billy Strings, an up-and-coming bluegrass guitarist, who is an amazing prodigy. I love his vibe and he really seems like the perfect fit for CashorTrade – so we are very excited to become his dedicated reseller.” Likewise, the company has paired with the killer, nationally touring act, Twiddle, said Rich. “They are selling out shows left and right; and they’re from Vermont, so that was a natural fit.”
“Partnerships are exciting, becoming an artists’ dedicated reseller is something we have always dreamed of doing,” said Rich. Additional partnerships with WaterWheel, Summer Camp Music Festival, Disc Jam and Osiris’ The Drop Podcast are just the beginning for CashorTrade. There is a lot of power in the fans.
According to their website, festivals are life changing moments. For Brando there are too many to count by hand, but the first Clifford Ball in 1996 holds a special place in his heart.
Phish played their first time at the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base. “My parents had just dropped me off my first year of college at Johnson State in Vermont. I got settled and drove straight to Plattsburgh, NY. It was the – most – amazing – three days of my life, having never seen so many people. It was something like experiencing a Woodstock-esque festival, with jam-packed streets, mayhem and three miles of party. That was pretty life changing, to see a plane fly overhead with Phish lyrics – and to think – what an extravaganza this is.”
Become a gold member and receive text/email alerts when what you want is posted. cashortrade.org/gold
Earlier this month, Fever Dolls released their third single, “Mrs. Carver.” Similar to their previous two releases, this song was accompanied by a thematically sound music video. However, it would be a disservice to simply call this visual component a music video, as its narration and storytelling resembles elements of a short film. Just like “Gennifer Flowers” and “Adline,” there are greater cinematic influences at play here that work together with the lyrics to ultimately enhance the listener’s experience.
NYS Music had the pleasure of asking Renn Mulloy and Evan Allis of Fever Dolls questions regarding their creative vision and how visual media has influenced their music.
Sammy Steiner: Who are some of your biggest musical influences? How have they influenced your work?
Evan & Renn: Our biggest influences are people that play no-frills, hook-driven pop music. We love Motown, new wave, and 70’s FM radio, and see ourselves in that tradition. We’re musical populists. We write choruses you can sing with your friends.
SS: What (or who) excites you within the realm of music right now?
E&R: RKS, Lizzo, Kacey Musgraves, Billie Eilish…people that transcend genres and think about their music as a fully immersive experience for their fans. That excites and inspires us. We’re noticing more bands that aren’t afraid to draw from pop music, write big choruses, or make the spectacle an equally important part of the live experience. We feel like there’s a better responsiveness to our type of band than there was a couple of years ago.
SS: Lyrically speaking – do you draw on influences from your personal lives or through the lives of others?
E&R: At first our songs were mostly autobiographical and confessional, but recently I’ve started writing more about made-up people. In general, I think I’m probably a better storyteller than a protagonist, and find that writing songs about fictional characters allows me to write about a wider array of subjects than when I was starting out and only writing about my own love life. Moreover, since we always wanted to be a theatrical band, it feels more in line with our vision to play ballads and story songs.
SS: Do you think the average person’s relationship with music has changed with the rise of visual storytelling? What role has the convergence of visual media had on your creative process and ability to tell a story?
E&R: It definitely seems that for a lot of people hearing a song by itself isn’t enough anymore. Why stimulate one sense when TV stimulates two! Even Spotify now incorporates video into the platforms of their top tier artists, with these slightly ridiculous 20 second loops of animation or video. For the record, this seems to be about as cool as the iTunes equalizer button, but the point is people are excited by the relationship between audio and visuals, and want more music that speaks to them in that way.
Speaking as a member of this generation, I think television is the greatest art form ever invented, and it invades every part of my life and thought process. I constantly find myself reducing complicated life situations to derivative story arcs, and the personalities of people in my life to those of their most similar TV character. It makes living easy. Even when I write songs, I find my brain responds to what I’m writing by concocting scenes from fictional movies that play out in my head over the melodies. For a long time this seemed crazy, but now we try to lean into these associations and embrace the ways in which our band’s music inspires images and non-musical stories for us. We feel like the output makes sense to our audience’s listening experience, and has been more authentic and reflective of the way people in our generation’s brains work.
SS: With an album on the way, what are your goals for the upcoming year?
E&R: We’re sitting on a ton of recorded material that we’d like to release in the next year. The hold up is that I’m not a very capable engineer — but I’m getting better at asking for help and relinquishing control. The goal for the upcoming year, beyond the album, would be to release most or all of what we’re recording right now. We’re especially excited about a collection of songs and videos we’re working on about different criminals throughout American history that we’re calling, Only When Its Dark Out.
Be sure to follow Fever Dolls onFacebook for updates regarding new music.
Future funk and electro-soul artist, Griz, continues to Ride Waves on tour, promoting his new album of the same name across the East Coast. The lineup includes electronic and urban pop producers, Yung Bae and Dwilly, for most of the May shows.
Ride Waves was produced over a two year hiatus that Griz took from electronic music, in which he addresses socio-cultural issues like gun violence. The DJ, producer and saxophone player recruited talent from Bootsy Collins and Matusyahu to Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa for his 5th studio album that emanates with positivity. The album contains elements of funk, rap, reggae and soul, including moments of reflection from Griz’ life. The track “It Gets Better” is an uplifting collaboration with DRAM that showcases Griz’ saxophone skills, and sends a message of perseverance.
Join Griz at the Palace Theatre in Albany and King’s Theater in Brooklyn, NY this week for the Ride Waves tour, as well as his signature electronic beats and organic saxophone-funk.
Upcoming Shows:
May 6th – Worcester, MA – The Palladium* May 8th – Albany, NY – Palace Theatre* May 9th – Buffalo, NY – Buffalo Riverworks* May 10th – Brooklyn, NY – Kings Theatre* May 11th – Philadelphia, PA – The Met* May 14th – Louisville, KY – Iroquois Amphitheater* May 15th – Columbus, OH – Express Live!* May 16th – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant* May 17th – Minneapolis, MN – The Armory* May 17th-19th – Gulf Shores, AL – Hangout Fest May 18th – Kansas City, MO – CrossroadsKC* May 27th – Detroit, MI – Movement June 9th – Chicago, IL – Spring Awakening June 14th – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo June 21st – Heber City, UT – Bonanza Campout June 23rd – Dover, DE – Firefly Music Festival July 5th – Liempde, NL – We Are Electric July 10th-14th – Dour, BE – Dour Festival July 12th – Bristol, UK – Nass Festival August 2nd-4th – Montreal, QC – Osheaga Festival August 9th-11th – Salmo, BC – Shambhala Music Festival
Upstate New York singer/songwriter Ian Flanigan today debuts his single “Picture You,” produced by three-time Grammy winner Justin Guip (Levon Helm, Hot Tuna). Flanigan’s songwriting features husky vocals and evocative lyrics that highlight the rural landscapes of his compositions.
“Picture You” seamlessly weaves intricate acoustics and lyricism across supportive cello arrangements and skillful percussion. The song in its entirety is concise, persuading the listener to play it on repeat. “When the world feels like it’s about to break…” the melodious bridge sings out to the listener “…I picture you,” illustrating the comfort in familiarity—a feeling the listener will become familiar with after falling in love with “Picture You.”
Flanigan’s sound — an eclectic blend of progressive folk and percussive finger-style — is reminiscent of the road less traveled, paved with poignant lyrical truths of his past. Ian is a celebrated Kerrville Grassy Hill New Folk Festival finalist, and Emerging Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Artist.
Flanigan has had the pleasure of sharing stages with Corey Glover (Living Colour), Sean Rowe, The Pedrito Martinez Group, Session Americana, Chris Knight, and Dwight Yoakam. Follow Flanigan on and Facebook, and listen to “Picture You” and watch “Give Me Color.”
This week, Rochester’s Haewa embarks on a four-show run in May, taking them to Albany, Plymouth, NH and Burlington, VT, then back home to Rochester on May 10, where they will open up for Consider the Source at Flour City Station.
Originally a trio, Haewa started in 2011 with a foundation of fearless improvisation. They soon transformed into the four piece band they are today, featuring founding members Collin Jones (guitar) and Ben Chilbert (bass), as well as the newer additions of Troy Evan’s (keyboardist/synth wizard) and Marco Cirigliano (powerhouse drum master). The band’s roots allow their collaboration to create a unique sound that balances the sonic landscape between utter chaos and pure bliss.
Haewa’s matured sound encompasses unique songwriting, in depth instrumental compositions, as well as pure improvisation and vocals. Combining the spirit of rock-n-roll with trance-like, electronic influences and funk, Haewa commands their audience down the musical road less taken, into a familiar yet enlightening unknown.
Catch Haewa in Albany on May 2, Plymouth, NH on May 3, Burlington, VT on May 4, and back home in Rochester, supporting Consider the Source on May 10.
New York City’s post-punk, pop outfit, The Goodnight Darlings, are cutting edge. Bred from the William Faulkner quote ‘murder your darlings,’ nothing stands on safe ground. At any moment an explosion of creative energy, or sound, propels the band into an epic dance-rock performance on stage. With the glam of a fairytale princess, frontwoman, Kat Auster, commands the stage instantaneously while her counterpart, Wilson Jaramillo stretches the soundscapes of rock guitar.
Catch them this Thursday, May 2 at The Cutting Room in the heart of Manhattan at 9:30 pm.
Bonded by The Goodnight Darlings, and marriage, Auster and Jaramillo are one anothers’ creative spark. Auster’s style is bold, flailing on stage in a exuberant unicorn outfit earlier this year. A perfect match to the screaming notes from Jaramillo and his cutting distortion. As it turns out, the duo has been proven endlessly. Kat Auster is steeped in the likes of Madonna, Blondie and, according to The Village Voice, “Gwen Stefani’s evil twin.” Likewise, she is an esteemed Juilliard graduate and appeared as an MTV Made coach. Going toe-to-toe in his own light, Wilson toured with The Fugees, Wyclef Jean and sessioned for Mary J. Blige and DMC. The Fugees dubbed Wilson as ‘the punk’ and ‘the scientist’ because of his energy and endless effects.
“You can’t be too precious about your work, or get attached to pieces of it. The way I understood it [Faulkner] was to make sure you maintain irreverence and freedom when you write. When Wilson and I founded the band, we felt this way, having traveled around the world experimenting with different bands and genres,” said Kat. “Then we changed the band name slightly to The Goodnight Darlings; the name has a darkness or a sweetness to it, depending on perspective. This dichotomy of dark, yet sweet, is very true to us – like a cherry-bomb.”
Photo by Donna Renna
The Yin and Yang of The Goodnight Darlings is further exposed with Wilson’s influences. From The Clash and Public Enemy to Jane’s Addiction and Ice Cube, the punk has plenty to draw upon. “YYY’s and Santigold are big influences because we come from the same school. When we started GND I wanted to incorporate a city vibe which was more electronic and hip hop, but not lose that punk rock edge,” said Wilson – as if music was second nature to breathing.
“I was still learning how to walk when music hit me. My parents would listen to music from Ecuador and groups like The Platters. I would get lost in their perfect harmonies and felt a physical lump in my throat from the emotions coming out of the speakers,” added Wilson. “I also would get hyper while listening to Little Richard and early Elvis…I have always immersed myself in music of all types.”
The Goodnight Darlings continue to test their musical bounds in a collaboration with Oklahoma City rapper, Jabee on “Start Up,” a single released earlier this year. What spawned from hip hop photographer, Robert Mayer, turned into a lifelong relationship between Jabee and the darlings.
“From the beginning, Jabee asked for my lyrics and wanted to really understand what my message was in the song. The way he approached it made me feel really at home. He’s a kindred spirit. His energy is so special, and different from mine. We play off each other and I think it makes for captivating moments,” said Kat.
“Jabee is another pro, very conscious lyricist and easy to work with. When we finally met him in person we knew he was family for life,” added Wilson.
The bands musical sense is also inspired by their bond which is nothing short of family-for-life. Bassist Joey D’Alessio has been sucked into this familiar world. “When we jam over new material, it really is like playing with my siblings. It’s very free and unassuming, but rocks hard. GND is extremely collaborative and there are smiles for days in the rehearsal room. We are constantly surprising each other and playfully one-up each other to bring out the best. GND shows are exactly that, a show! The crowd gets involved, we command the stage and by the first hit it’s a frenetic ball of fun.”
All that The Goodnight Darlings are, transcend from their music and persona to visually breathtaking music videos. Their 2017 release of “Carousel” is as colorful as it sounds. Driving palm-muted guitar rushes in with the changing backdrop-rooms in rotation. “Empire Vampire” contrast in a darker sheen, featuring members of Cirque du Soleil.
Aside from The Goodnight Darlings, Kat and Wilson create musical jingles – a polar opposite of punk-rock. “I think one keeps the other fresh. What’s cool about writing jingles, is that you’re like an actor. You take on whatever the client or product needs. We always aim to do it super well, so it has to become a part of you,” said Kat. “ You can learn a new vibe or approach. One time I had to sing a Kesha cover, and I never really listened hard to her inflections. There’s always something cool to learn and throw in the cosmic stew of our music.”
The Goodnight Darlings are more entity than sound could bare. More edge and less genre, always pushing new musical territory. Their excitement is evident and as the band continues on their DIY path, creative doors are held wide open. Push your limits Thursday at The Cutting Room and become apart of the honorary Darling family. Get your tickets in advance HERE. Follow The Goodnight Darlings on Instagram and Spotify.
Calling all aspiring chefs, taste-testers and food lovers; Vinnie’s Kitchen is making a return to Summer Camp 2019! This year, moe.’s Vinnie Amico will be hosting his cooking show during the Thursday Pre-Party. Summer Camp is giving fans a chance to participate in the recording of the episode!
All you need to do to cook with Vinnie is share a description of your favorite festival food and attach a photo/video in a post on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In order to enter you must include the hashtag #VinniesKitchenSCamp19 by Friday, May 3. Then, fans will vote to see who wins the grand prize – a 4-day pass to Summer Camp, and you get to pick the recipe you and Vinnie cook together! For more info, visit Vinnie’s Kitchen.
New York-based electropop powerhouse Car Astor has released the new music video for her single “Don’t Stop, Don’t Speak.” The self-directed video contains elements of classic 90’s music videos by Garbage, Placebo and Foo Fighters, including fisheye lenses, loose narratives, and energetic performance footage.
“I was able to look to many of my earliest musical influences and nod my head to them with the performance aspect of the video,” says Car Astor. “It was such a blast. I really wanted to pull on the tension and desire that surrounds the lyrics of the song, and execute that in a symbolic, dark ‘me’ way.”
“‘Don’t Stop, Don’t Speak’ is a song that really pushed me to grow as an artist, and this video did the same exact thing,” says Car. “I’m super stoked with the end result. The project was a true labor of love from start to finish.”
Car Astor previously released “Don’t Stop, Don’t Speak” as a standalone single earlier this year, which served as the follow-up to her music video “Girlfriend”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II7iehfiJRs
Hailing from Long Island, Car Astor first emerged into the music world via YouTube known simply as SEE, creating a viral underground presence that infected a whole legion of internet fans.
Following Phish’s cow-funk laden 1997 Fall Tour, Phish embarked on a 4-night ‘Island Tour‘ with two shows each on Long Island and in Providence, Rhode Island. The result was four historic shows that continued the free flowing jams from 1997 and a new era of exploratory Phish. Unexpected jams arose from “Roses are Free,” “Cavern” and “Weekapaug Groove,” and debuts of “Shafty,” “Twist” and “Birds of a Feather” were peppered throughout the run.
As mentioned by Trey after the debut of “Birds of a Feather,” Phish was about to record Story of the Ghost shortly after the tour, before heading to Europe to test out even more new tunes before heading back for Summer Tour. Watch videos from the two Nassau Coliseum shows and relive the glory of Island Tour as it turns 21.
Colorado-based, three-piece stringband Head For The Hills released their newest studio work this past Friday, an EP: the politically minded and emotionally vibrant, four-song collection called Say Your Mind. Featuring a heady mix of special guest artists, like Pimps of Joytime’s Kim Dawson, Elephant Revival’s Darren Garvey and others, the record is some of the band’s most creatively satisfying work yet.
Born out of the Colorado music scene, Head For The Hills have been pushing boundaries in the studio and on stage for over fifteen years now, and that decade and a half has earned them regular performances at mega festivals like Telluride, SXSW, and High Sierra, along with recognitions from the likes of NPR and others.
Ahead of an East Coast tour this week that, starting in Virginia, will hit NYC, Burlington, Connecticut, Lima, NY and Mt Holly, NJ, the band’s bassist Matt Loewen talked with NYS Music about the new EP Say Your Mind, the title track’s new music video, and more.
Miles Hurley: So, your new release. How did you guys go about deciding to make an EP of four new songs rather than a full album or something else?
Matt Loewen: So, we’ve been in a little bit of a transitional period, in terms of being a band that had a mandolin player in it, to being a band that plays with percussion in it. We’ve been an acoustic four-piece band for a long time, so we’ve been in the process of evolving a little bit, I guess. And we went into the studio and recorded those four songs, and I really thought it was a strong statement. But in terms of the EP thing…the way the music industry goes, to make it work you kind of have to put stuff out all the time. And I think we’ve shifted from everybody just put out a record, and then twelve to eighteen months later you put out another record, and then twelve to eighteen months later you put out another record. But that’s just not the way it goes anymore. I mean, I love albums, I have thousands of records, I love the long play album format.
But I also think it’s cool how things have opened up, and how you have the full myriad of ways of going about releasing music, whether its a record, or an EP, or just a single, or just a video, etcetera. So we’re starting to look at doing all of that different stuff, and we’ve got some other interesting things later this year that are, again, not in the full album format, but just making music and getting it out there.
MH: That’s cool. So then, would you say the band is in a writing period? Or do you have material that you’re currently sitting on?
ML: I wouldn’t say we’re sitting on things, but writing, it’s just always happening. We all write a little bit, but there’s two primary writers, Adam and Joe, and they are always writing. So we’ve got some songs that we haven’t recorded. But we don’t do the thing where you hole up for a month and write a bunch of songs. We’re always writing and coming up with stuff.
MH: I’ve heard a similar sentiment from other artists I’ve spoken with recently, that it’s more common to be touring and working, and living life and all that, and songwriting is worked into the lifestyle.
ML: Yeah. Which is cool and not cool, sometimes. But overall I think its cool.
MH: So, for Head For The Hills, bringing guests into the studio process is not something new. But can you tell me about some of the artists you invited this time around? I see Kim Dawson, Todd Livingston, even a horn section. Are these old or new friends to the band?
ML: Everybody that’s on the EP are people that we’ve known for awhile. The drummer, Darren, was with Elephant Revival, their percussion guy, although they aren’t playing right now. That’s how we know him. The rest of the people we’ve known for awhile, and it was fun to have that kind of family atmosphere. Sometimes you do bring in people that you’ve never met before, and the first time you meet them is when you’re trying to be creative, which can in and of itself be really awesome. But yeah, this time it was bunch of friends, and we got them in there and it was cool. We’d been bringing in some of those people into the live show, locally, because they’re all our Colorado friends. We’ve had the horn section up at some concerts, we’ve had Kim come and sing…so there was a familiarity thing, and it was really rewarding.
MH: That’s always an interesting thing, hearing what artists create in the studio and then they sometimes have to choose what of that makes its way into the live show. For the EP, did you have to make decisions about trying to recreate some of it’s different sounds live, or maybe just playing them in a stripped down way?
ML: Well, that’s all part of the process, exactly what you’re talking about. Because inevitably, in the recording we do, there’s typically going to be overdubs. There’s always little things that you add, like Joe will double the violin part, and no matter what you just can’t be two people at once, right? (laughs) So we can’t do that live, and we have to figure out how to approach that. And, with this new stuff, these four new songs, we play pretty much everything. Like “Can’t Stay This Way For Long,” which has a pretty significant horn section on the album, we still play that live. What’s cool about it is, Joe and Todd Livingston, who is playing dobro on the road with us, they’ve learned those horn parts, right? So they’ll come in and replicate some of those parts. And, inevitably, the songs become their own thing live, because that’s just kind of what happens, which is cool. But that’s how I’d say we’ve kind of approached that, on this new stuff. Picking some of those new pieces up, and playing them in the tunes. It’s been fun.
MH: “Say Your Mind,” the title track, has a great music video along with it, which you directed. Can you tell me a bit about what’s going on in this video?
ML: The guy that plays the main character is Boots, the one with all the jewelry and that drives the car. He’s been a friend of the band for a long time, and he’s a local. He lives up in the canyon, outside of town. I just think he’s so f***ing interesting. You know, he was born in Queens, had famous parents, moved to the Bay and knew The Grateful Dead and Bill Graham, he was a technical guy that went on tour, was an animal person that was on the Jack Parr show. He’s just a fascinating dude. And I always wanted to make a music video with him, and the original concept was that he was going to be driving around town in this convertible. That was an idea in my head for a really long time.
Then it came time to do a video for this “Say Your Mind” song, and I started kicking that idea around again, with Boots, and it evolved into this story about a father and his relationship with his kid. There’s some heartache there, and so the story is about reconciliation, about coming together, and love and family can really bring things together. So that’s the story of the video, which to me is a parallel narrative to the song, because the song is really a message from a father to their child. Adam wrote it, he was inspired by this experience to write a song as a sort of letter to your child, and about doing your thing and being happy, living life to the fullest.
When I think about music videos, I’m most interested in parallel narratives if it’s going to be a narrative-based thing. So instead of something that’s directly following the words of the song, I’m into doing something that’s similar but not exactly the same thing, and telling a related story that can maybe highlight some elements of the lyrics but not be directly tied to it. So that’s what we did with “Say Your Mind.” The party at the end of the video is shot at Joe’s house, with a bunch of our friends and family, it’s Adam’s family that’s in the video, like his daughters.
MH: You’ve done a bunch of videos for your band in the past as well. Has video production been in your background for a long time?
ML: You know, I actually started doing it for the band. And yeah, I’ve been doing it for a little while at this point. My background with it is really all centered around making content for us. I’ve expanded and worked with other people. I’ll eventually be doing a video for another group, when we get back from tour. But yeah it began, well, years ago, before video became as ubiquitous and necessary as it is now. But I rented a camera when we recorded our self-titled record in the studio. And I thought, we should video this, why not? Let’s just rent a camera. So we took a bunch of video footage and then I was like, “Well shit, I guess I’ve gotta edit this, or do something with it.” (Laughs) So I got my software and did up the whole thing. That was pretty much the beginning of it, for me, and I’ve had a bit of a network from it, other bands and creative people that need stuff. It’s allowed me to grow and do different stuff, and I’m always looking for more work.
MH: The last track on the EP, “I Am The Problem.” Honestly, I don’t think I’ve heard anything quite like that, the mix of hip-hop and Americana songwriting.
ML: Good! Well thanks, I’ll take that as a compliment, whether you mean it that way or not (laughs).
MH: Definitely a compliment!
ML: Sweet! Yeah, that’s definitely a product of Joe’s personal background as a writer and as a musician. Separately, he has had different hip-hop groups, one in particular called Whiskey Blanket that still makes records. He’s done that for as long as he’s been with our band. I think, over time, those things get closer to each other, more and more hip-hop worked into his writing for Head For The Hills. Another example is from a few records ago, a song called “Never Does.” It’s very rapid-fire, and if you were to look at the words on a page and the way that the rhymes actually make out, and the way the end line rhymes, all that stuff, it’s pretty similar to the way someone would concept a hip-hop verse. So, flash forward to now, on “I Am The Problem.” The concept for the song was alway that there would be this part in the middle where he raps, essentially. And the decision was made to just go for that. And he goes on and on and on, which is progressive. It’s cool to hear it live, it’s a lot of words, and he just goes for it (laughs). I hope that people are ready for it!
MH: So, you have a little tour coming up soon, which will start on the East Coast and then head back out west. So I’m curious – over the years, as you’ve toured more and more with Head For The Hills, have there been certain scenes or places around the country that you’ve really taken a liking to, or looked forward to returning to?
ML: Yeah, I’d say so! You know, being based in Colorado, it’s a lot easier for us to get to the West Coast and the Midwest, so over the years that’s where we’ve spent a lot of time. Especially the Northwest, love going there, love Portland and Seattle and that whole area, it’s been good to the band. I would say the same for Chicago, it’s been a favorite for the group. But over the past couple of years, we’ve just started to expand a little bit more eastward, and have actually really enjoyed getting out there. And I say that because…my initial answer is always the Pacific Northwest, but part of that is bred in familiarity, like we go there all the time. I haven’t been to Burlington, VT ten times, I’ve only been twice, and I love that area. It’s a big-ass country, and there are just so many different people and places. And I find myself enjoying a lot of them where people are open minded, proudly respecting people for who they are, stuff like that. As long those elements are in place, I’m down. (Laughs) If people are close minded and weird, and there’s a bunch of bigotry going on, that makes it harder to really enjoy a place. I’m also really looking forward to getting back to New York, always such a crazy, vibrant place.
MH: Nice! Well I am personally planning to catch you guys on April 4 when you perform at Rockwood Music Hall. Have you played there before?
ML: We have been there before. The last time we played somewhere else, but the first time we played at Rockwood, and yeah, that’s a cool spot. The first night we played there, the music that was presented before us was a singer-songwriter with a pianist and bassist, and the bassist ended up being Leland Sklar, who’s like one of the most recorded, most famous studio bassists of all time. Which is just random, but that’s the way that place definitely is, and I got to meet him which was f***ing awesome. And then after him was this band from, like, South America. I’m not even sure what you would call it, definitely not a salsa band but like a modern dance, but it was so good. So yeah, such a cool place. I’m a big fan and definitely looking forward to getting back there.
