CASEY DESMOND
No Disguises ~ by Shady

      I’m tired and it’s raining—not exactly a brilliant combination. My day sucked from the get go, having woken up painfully early for work and having fight slower-than-death traffic in the rain. I find a surprisingly close parking spot, start walking, and evade raindrops as I prepare to meet up with Casey Desmond. If you aren’t familiar with Casey, she’s a young and talented singer-songwriter who’s made quite a name for herself in not a long period of time. Casey is funky, laid back, and from well known stock. She traces her lineage back to The Bentmen and the Sound Museum family. At a mere 20 years old, she has already recorded and released two discs with Taylor Barefoot as her co-producer. She was in the ’BCN Rumble last year and she tours all over the country. Casey has a tireless work ethic and is able to support herself through her musical efforts. I’m amazed and excited to see such a bright spark; it’s not common for someone to be so focused at such a tender age. This focus bodes well for her future and her talent for writing beautiful and interesting pop songs adds immeasurably to this mix. Casey’s passion is music and it shows in her enthusiasm, drive, and motivation.

Noise: Tell me how you got started in music.

Casey: I was in high school bands— I started real young. I began writing lots of folk songs and just acoustic guitar stuff. My parents were very supportive; I was doing the café thing because I was too young to play in clubs and bars. They really liked what was going on and they started to push me, and thought that I should do it full time. They wanted to make sure that it was okay with me.

Noise: That’s rare. Most parents want to at least make sure that you go college and are able to get a day job. Who manages your career?

Casey: My parents are actually my managers. They know tons because of being in the Boston rock scene for so long.

Noise: Tell me about your latest release No Disguise.

Casey: One of my favorite things about being a musician is the recording process. It is so much fun to me. My guitar player, Taylor Barefoot, is also my engineer and my co-producer.He is amazing.

Noise: What is your plan of attack now that No Disguise has been released?

Casey: I took a break from college and this is my full time job. I don’t do anything else but this. I usually get up and go to the office and do promotion. I go on tour and play colleges and clubs all over the place. It’s so great and such a blast.

Noise: That’s quite a luxury. Most local bands or artists aren’t lucky enough or maybe dedicated enough to do that.

Casey: Well, if they don’t mind living life with not a lot of money. I miss school, but I’m going to do one or the other. I will do this as long as I can and hopefully I’ll be able to finance my art career and then go back to school.

Noise: What’s your writing process like?

Casey: I write on acoustic guitar and piano. Sometimes I use the computer and write some synthy MIDI things and then just build on that. I’ve written three songs off of my two albums with Taylor [Barefoot], sort of spur of the moment—I love that stuff. I also wrote a song off of my first record with Will Ackerman.

Noise: How different is your writing approach now compared with how you wrote when you were younger?

Casey: There were always instruments around when I was younger so that I could mess around and be creative.

Noise: Does the melody come to you first?

Casey: At the moment I write the melody first and then write the words on top of the melody. I also write poetry and then set that to music. It’s all over the place. I don’t always have a specific way of writing. It’s more what comes to me in a given situation.

Noise: I want to go back to what you said in the beginning about writing folk songs growing up. Is that what you were inspired by or just what came to you?

Casey: I guess I was being stereotypical with the description of folk. I played acoustic guitar and I wasn’t really playing piano yet—at least not live. So, because I was doing everything solo acoustic, people always described me as folky. I would play all of the cafes and outside of the hippie shows, so they just started calling me folk. It’s the same exact music I play now, just played on an acoustic guitar.

Noise: I was noticing on the song “No Disguise” I can definitely hear the folk influence on the verse and then it progresses into more of a rock type of song during the choruses.

Casey: That song was one of the songs that Taylor and I came up with spontaneously in the studio. It came to us very quickly; it’s so great when that happens.

Noise: Where do you get inspiration from now—do you write every day?

Casey: I try to write every day—it comes in spurts. I’ve found that whenever there are emotional things going on in my life, that’s the toughest time for me to write. I tend to write after things have happened and I have all of these parts and things just come pouring out of me. It’s actually one of my favorite times in my life, because I feel so energetic and I have so much to say.

Noise: I want to go back to an earlier question. What was your recording process like on this record?

Casey: Some of it was demos that I made on my computer and then we would build on top of that. Or some of the songs I wrote on piano or guitar and I would come in and record them very simply and we would build around them musically. Mostly everything was done at Taylor’s place [Barefoot Studio].

Noise: What is your ultimate goal with your career?

Casey: Well, I love the rock star lifestyle of touring; it’s a lot of work but a lot of fun. I would also love to do soundtracks or commercials. This is what I want to do for a career and have fun.

Noise: Who are you influenced by musically?

Casey: This may come as a shock, but I’m a huge Nick Cave fan. He’s my favorite person in the world, his Birthday Party stuff into his solo stuff. I’m just starting to get into Grinderman.

Noise: I haven’t picked that up yet, is it any good?

Casey: I actually just got it, so I don’t really have an opinion yet. I’ve been a big fan of Ani DiFranco, from 11 years old on. I don’t really think I sound anything like her, but sometimes when I hear myself play, my picking patterns mimic hers a bit. I don’t limit myself to one style of music to listen to but I listen to a lot of trip hop. Most people don’t hear that at all.

Noise: I’m surprised; I wouldn’t have ever expected that.

Casey: I’d love to do a trip hop side project.

Noise: In your spare time? You mentioned earlier that you played in bands in high school, what style did you focus on then?

Casey: In high school I had a band called Adore. We were a really big Smashing Pumpkins style of band, obviously.

Noise: Really? And you were called Adore, picture it?

Casey: [laughs] Yeah, I know. You couldn’t imagine how many people would be like, Adore? You mean like one you walk through?

Noise: That is so lame. [laughs]

Casey: I’m also a big fan of the band Garbage. I did the rock stuff and then I did the acoustic stuff, so I basically combined the two to come up with what I am doing now.

Noise: What are you up to now with the record just being released—are you starting to tour?

Casey: Yeah, we played in Delaware and we just played the Paradise. My main focus is getting the record out to radio and doing promotion. We will be on tour for the next year though. We will be back in Boston too, because it’s my home and it’s where I love to play. It’s such a great experience to be on the road and seeing other places. Also, I love to see how people will respond to me. For some reason I’ve done really well in Cincinnati. People there totally love indie rock and just crave live music. People get drunk and dance. It’s really great. The people who like you will buy you drinks and dinner. It’s crazy.

Noise: I never knew that it was such a rock ’n’ roll town.

Casey: My favorite place to play is California, just because it’s California. When I go on the road, it’s just such a different thing. My band is my family all crammed in a van we have such a great time. Still, there is nothing better then coming home to play. I’m really proud of being from Boston.

www.caseydesmond.com

THE ROADSTEAMER

by Glenwood

The interview with Robby Roadsteamer about his upcoming record, I’ll Be At Your Funeral, written and recorded by the band rechristened as simply Roadsteamer, was a revelation.  I expected the obnoxious and ludicrous frontman who penned “I Put a Baby in You” to be cagey or difficult; I was miles off.  He’s genteel, oddly shy, and self-deprecating.

         It seems that after an unlucky recent run with the music business and love, he is now comfortable revealing his soft underbelly, his adoration of Boston, his loyalty to his friends, and a newfound musical maturity.  That doesn’t mean his new record doesn’t boast song titles like “I Hope you Get Ugly in Heaven” and “The North Shore is Where You’re Gonna Soar”; after all, he is still the man whose moniker means, to quote Mick Jagger, a “Turd on the Run.”  Go figure.

Noise: Is Robby Roadsteamer a character you’ve created or is that who you really are?

Robby Roadsteamer: I moved to Allston two years ago as a comedian trying to write funny songs. The character I created, “Robby Roadsteamer,” was a projection of the Masshole shit I’ve seen all around me. People shitting on other people on message boards, real life, everywhere... I joined in the fun. But over the last two years I’ve met some wonderful musicians, artists, people—this new album is just an attempt at trying to be one myself, and I think all the while to evolve the character. I’m sure there’s some deeply fucked up psychological problems with me growing to like the character I’m playing, but I’m changing it in a direction I’m actually going in.

Noise: Explain the titles of your recordings: Postcards from the Den of Failure, The Heart of a Rhino—and the current one: I’ll Be At Your Funeral.

Robby:  The Heart of a Rhino—no one wants me to do this shit. Everyone shits on me but I will keep going. Postcards From the Den of Failure—here’s a bunch of songs I wrote in my apartment about what I do in life. I’ll be at Your Funeral—I have a band. It’s time to put an end to me just being a cynic and take a chance of trying to write music for once.

Noise: Explain the bands name change from Robby Roadsteamer to simply Roadsteamer.

Robby: I never had the pleasure of having a solid band for a single album. I always worked with session guys that were really good friends, Ken Susi [Unearth], Adam D. [Killswitch Engage], Dave Pino [Waltham, Damone], Derek Kirswell [Seemless], Peet Golan [Waltham] and many more. Because of that it never ever felt like a band for the albums. On this album the band I’ve been with for the last two years is showcased. They’re all very talented musicians [even though no one has ever been nominated for shit in this town]. Nick on keys, Pete on guitar, Jay on bass, Ray on drums. On this album it’s a group effort. We all sing, we all write, we all enjoyed just being a band—me especially. The name change is just the fact I am very proud of these guys and wanted to show that there might be an evolution in what I’m doing.

Noise: What can people expect at one of your shows that say, The Dresden Dolls, wouldn’t do or give the audience?

Robby: Even though my character shits on them, I have a deep respect for the Dolls—as I think a lot of musicians do who won’t admit it. I think the amazing part of their show is how many local artist/people they got involved and how many people they tried to help when they made it. How any venue they play in becomes the show because the audience is such a part of it—how unique their sound is and how savvy they are at marketing. As for me, I don’t think my band is re-inventing the wheel on live performing, but I think if you come to our show you get a band who grew up in Massachusetts and rather than writing textbook song bullshit decided to just tell some tales of the North/South Shores, Western Mass, Route 9, the Berkshires; I’m so happy to be just a tiny part of this scene

Noise: How do you feel about your job as a DJ at WBCN?

Robby: WBCN saved my life. Even though it probably burned my bridges at other stations, I love the fact they let the character say anything on the air... anything... I can shit on the play-list, station, even the other DJ’s.... But in real life I couldn’t be happier with everyone down there. They are all down to earth dorks... no egos. I never look forward to anything more than the drive down Soldier’s Field Road to the station.

Noise: Are you still doing comedy shows? What’s the difference between working the crowd at the comedy show versus the rock show?

Robby:I stopped doing standup comedy a year ago for a few reasons. One being that I have to move to New York or Los Angeles to make it, and I’m in love with Boston. Why should I have to leave where I love to be when some dude born in New York can just walk down the street to make it. I feel like I’m playing for the Red Sox in this case... stay here and fight twice as hard for a championship, or move to New York and just be another muthafucka winning! Reason two: I hate how stale most audiences are at comedy clubs.... Even though I feel Nick and I do a great job at comedy clubs nothing beats a rock audience... the energy... the build-up... not the “make me laugh” faces you see at comedy clubs... can’t use amps to drown out douchebags in untucked dress shirts at comedy clubs.

Noise: What role does drugs play in the creation of your music?

Robby: I wrote this album in a really dark time last year. I got fucked over by a subsidiary of Universal, I loved and lost a girl, I sold hats… shit, I still do.  I went home every night and blazed to live with myself and found myself listening to my iPod on shuffle every night. Then I would write a song and feel better.... sometimes acid and ’shrooms would replace weed. Whether or not this makes me a better songwriter—most would say I’m a shitty one to begin with so who cares—I don’t know. All I know is I’m scared to write a song in my normal state because I’m too shy to not shit on myself too. I feel much more confident in bearing my soul when I’m in a different perception.

Noise: You have a very fitting rant about the Boston music scene in your latest video [which you can see on YouTube]—is that how you really feel? That it’s a bunch of aging hipsters pissing and moaning on message-boards?

Robby: I think it’s a big part of the problem. People will quickly say, “but Robby you shit on everyone.” What they fail to realize is I’m doing it in character and kind of make fun of the Masshole thing we have cooking. I hope being a cynic on a message-board is a fad that will date itself in 5-10 years. Musicians are fragile people and I heard a lot of them quote message-boards when they say people hate their music.... I know I know... suck it up. But there’s something to be said about the lack of bigger musicians appearing on a lot of these message-boards anymore because some fat-fuck on a futon is waiting to have his moment typing venom at them.

Noise: Some of the best musicians in the scene appear in your videos; would you say that making it into the Stronghold [Robby’s name for his apartment] is a rite of passage?

Robby: Every local band I mention or put in a video I love. Campaign For Real-time, Reverend Glasseye, Bang Camaro, The Snowleopards, Unearth, The Luxury, Seemless, Nowhere USA, Reverend Glasseye. I just want to show off some really cool people in the scene, but not do it in a way people feel they’re being force-fed—like an interview but instead, stick them in a shitcom about the Boston music scene!

Noise:  Who was your favorite apartment guest?

Robby: I have to say Reverend Glasseye. I have a great respect for him over the past year. We were both in heavy transitional periods of our careers, and after we would film our segments we’d sit in his tour van and talk about what we were experiencing in the scene. I’m really happy I got to befriend him before he ran away to Austin, Texas. I’ll always point to him as a reason I felt I could make an album like this.

Noise: What do you think your new record does that your past recordings didn’t do—what’s new lyrically, sonically, collaboratively?

Robby: We went to Q-Division and that right there is a fucking home run. All the vintage gear, great people working there—right down to the interns. When I called Ed Valauskas to book the studio he brought an intern named Wick back from the last time we recorded there—the kid drove two hours from Western Massachusetts to help us!  Kris Smith, our engineer, was the best thing to ever happen to us. He drilled us like a sergeant but gave us room to experiment. The result in my opinion is an album that is what I wanted to do with music from the beginning—not just write fucking funny songs, but rather cynical songs set to good music.

Noise: So is it a better record?

Robby: For me yes. I never spent more time in my life on something.

Noise: Last question.  You bear your chest onstage and on video; can you explain the significance of your favorite tattoo?

Robby: I have Carlton Fisk on my arm hitting the game winning home run in Game six of the ’75 World Series. That’s my favorite. The moment. One inch to the left and it’s a foul ball... but it goes off the fucking foul pole—that’s rare in itself. I could only imagine a moment like that in someone’s life. Even if it’s for a night. Everyone imagines something like that. But it’s just luck and it’s just inches and it’s once in a lifetime. I hope to have something like that before I move on.

Roadsteamer live: the CD release is June 23 at the Paradise with The Campaign For Real-Time, Fluttr Effect, and The Snowleopards  (the band whose BMA award he stole).

www.roadsteamer.com

DENNIS BRENNAN

O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!
THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE BRENNAN
by Kier Byrnes

                  There ain’t nobody in this town like Dennis Brennan.  Hell, if you like good ole’ rock ’n’ roll, if you like your country licks with a little soul, if you like your songs with a health dose of heartfelt loneliness and reckless abandon, there ain’t anyone anywhere like Dennis Brennan.  It took six years and a whole lot of heart to put together his newest CD, Engagement.  It was worth the wait; he’s a true poet, a hell of a rocker, and a monster of a showman. On top of that, he’s also probably one of the hardest working men in the business, logging in more shows in one month than most bands gig in their lifetime.  Player for player, he arguably has one of the most talented squads for his band: the phenomenal Andrew Mazzone on bass, the timeless Billy Beard on drums, and two axemen, Kevin Barry and Duke Levine, who are, in my opinion, the top two guitarists in the area. This whole crew is in a league of their own, and Dennis Brennan is the captain.

Noise: What separates Dennis Brennan from other musicians?

Dennis: Either thirty years or three feet.

Noise: Who are some of your influences?

Dennis: Mose Allison, Muddy Waters, Jimmie Rodgers, Jimmy Rogers, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, The Sonics, The J. Geils Band, Little Walter Jacobs, Big Walter Horton, Buddy Boy Hawkins, Justine Brennan, Jake Brennan, and Bing Crosby

Noise: You play with a lot of guys and the band can change from night to night.  How does this affect each night’s show? Are there any favorite combos of players that work better than others?

Dennis: Actually, the band has been remarkably stable over the last three years. This has made the shows much more consistent and has also allowed us to constantly change and add songs, which is the key to keeping a band and its audience fresh. I’m a lucky man to be working with Billy, Andrew, Kevin, and Duke.

Noise: If you go on the road, who would you bring?

Dennis: I would bring those four gentlemen, however I don’t think we’ll be going on the road. It’s very expensive and the romance of piling in a van to play a 40 minutes set in a cellar 300 miles away and then sleep on some fan’s floor has, shall we say, waned. “Gentleman Touring,” as Sandman used to call it would be nice but you need a hit record for that. If there’s any touring to be done, I’ll do it solo.

Noise: The music industry has changed a lot since you were in your first band. What do you think of the music industry now and the direction it’s headed?

Dennis: My first professional band was The Martells. We played soul music, whatever that is.  Our repertoire was all R&B played with a punk edge. Of course we didn’t think it was punk, but now when I listen to those tapes... that was 1975 to 1980. We played Great Scott three nights a week, twice a month, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. That helps you build up your song list. I don’t think about the music industry—the trick is to get the music industry to think about you. The people who run the seminars at SXSW and NEMO will tell you that’s wrong, and that’s why I’m a nobody. I beg to differ. Hire someone who you trust to think about the music business while you write some songs. Oh, and keep one eye on that someone you trust.

Noise: How many shows do you do a year? And how many are local?

Dennis: I average about three shows a week, almost all of them local or in state. Maybe a few a year in New York City. It helps that I have three different bands, The Dennis Brennan Band, The Iodine Brothers, and The White Owls. And about a thousand songs. No brag, it’s a fact. We can’t be doing the same set every week, you have to mix it up. Hats off to the musicians I play with for having big ears and the courage to use them. Learning songs on the spot is not something everyone can do well.

Noise: How long have you been playing with each of the guys in your band and how did you meet them?

Dennis: Kevin, 12 years, I met him in a bar. Duke, 11 years, I met him in a bar. Billy, five years, I met him in a bar. Andrew, five years, I met him in a bar.

Noise: Do you get anxious before you go on nowadays or is that old hat?

Dennis: I was, I think a reluctant performer as a young man. I didn’t really get comfortable in my own skin as a performer until I got out of a “band” situation. When you’re a solo act, if things go wrong there’s no one to blame but yourself. I still get butterflies, I think it’s natural and healthy.

Noise: What are some of your favorite personal rock ’n’ roll moments?

Dennis: Opening the show for Barry & the Remains at Westborough Town Hall with my first band, The Paranoids, when I was 15. Backing up Peter Wolf as he sang the great Otis Rush song “Homework” last night at the Lizard Lounge.

Noise: If you had to pick three musicians you haven’t already played with, who would they be?

Dennis: Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Chuck Berry.

Noise: I’ve been following you for the past several years but you’ve been on the scene much longer than that.  How did you get started playing music?

Dennis: I was a radio kid. AM radio. All different types of music on the same play list all day long. Imagine that. These days everyone has their own personal radio—their iPod. That’s okay, but it sure does lessen the chance of a human conversation about the music you love.

Noise: You’ve spent many late nights in bars and a lot of time in front of amps. Most people would have burned out a couple of decades ago. What’s your secret?

Dennis: Don’t play too loud and know when to stop.

Noise: Half your new album was done in the studio, half was done live. Both parts are amazing. Were there any overdubs on the live songs? The recordings are great and Duke’s solo on “Hard Traveling” is a hell-bent masterpiece. It’s hard to believe there weren’t any overdubs.

Dennis: Absolutely no overdubs. We recorded ten shows and had a lot of song versions to choose from. We’ve been playing together a long time now. It can get pretty intense on any given night. We [the band] tend to forget that. We really didn’t want to record the live shows, but Tom Dube, our soundman at the Lizard and producer of the live portion of Engagement, insisted. After the first night we forgot we were recording. Good things happen when you’re just playing the song and thinking about the lyric and not worried about so-called mistakes.

Noise: How has your songwriting has progressed, both stylistically and lyrically, over the years?

Dennis: I’m a better editor. I get to the point quicker with less screwing around. “Personal Assistant” on Engagement is only 2:15.

Noise: How do you write your songs?

Dennis: A deadline helps. Pressure is a great cudgel. It helps if money is involved too. Nothing moves the creative process better than the threat of financial doom. As far as the actual writing goes I try to stay away from a formula. It’s best to try a different path all the time.

Noise: What is your favorite song on Engagement?

Dennis: “It Ain’t What You Think It Is,” Brian Templeton, late of The Radio Kings sings the high third on that with me. He sings his ass off too!

Noise: How did you come up with Engagement for an album name?

Dennis: Again, pressure, deadline along with too many beers...

Noise: Your favorite places to play around town?

Dennis: The Middle East Downstairs is quite nice, The Regent Theatre has a cool vibe, and of course the Lizard Lounge. (The Dennis Brennan Band Engagement release show is at The Lizard Lounge on Friday and Saturday, 5/18 and 5/19... Ed)

Noise: Your son, Jake Brennan, is quite a rocker and is well on his way to creating his own legend. What is life like in such a musical family?

Dennis: Jake and his sister Justine were big influences on me just by what they listened to. I think they picked up some stuff they like from me too. Musical disagreements were not uncommon and sometimes vehement but that’s all part of being in a family isn’t it?

Noise: Any advice for the younger bands starting out today?

Dennis: Don’t be too blue when your band breaks up. All bands break up. Real musicians continue, somehow. If it’s in you it’s gotta come out.

www.dennisbrennan.com

WILL DAILEY by Glenwood

     “The one thing I tried to make sure of while putting my last two records together is that I was being purposeful. I could spend all my time recording songs and jerking around but now that everyone and their rabid dog can put a song on the web for free, I think artists have to pay attention—more than ever now—to the material they are putting out. The saturation epidemic is creating an immunity to “new” music. So in these ten songs I had to be sure that there was a need to record them and not just a want. Wanting isn’t good enough anymore. Wanting purpose does not bring purpose. Wanting peace does not bring peace. Wanting happiness will not bring happiness. Luckily, there is a need now, more than ever, for all those things.” – Will Dailey

     To listen to Will Dailey wax poetic on his rationale behind crafting his latest record, Back Flipping Forward, the state of the industry or even the nation is to listen to someone who puts his time, sweat, money, and heart in the place where others just place their ambition. He talks the talk and he walks the walk.  

     On March 13, before his flight to Texas to play South By Southwest, and before he would return to headline the Paradise on March 24, Will Dailey and I talked about playing music in Boston for 10 years before recently seeing his hard work pay its biggest dividend to date: a record deal with CBS records.

     A brief history of Will Dailey locally: he started Wheelkick Records and The Dissolver webzine, fronted the stellar and critically acclaimed rock band Mappari before setting off on a solo career as a singer-songwriter. He sold his car to finance his debut, Goodbyeredbullet, and then headed off to LA to court label support. His recent CD, Back Flipping Forward, won him Boston Music Award for best male singer-songwriter (2006). That, and he has a guitar sponsorship with First Act.

     Along the way, he’s shared the stage with Ric Ocasek, Tegan & Sara, Grant Heart (Hüsker Dü), The Figgs, Kay Hanley, Glen Tilbrooke, The Damnwells, John Butler Trio, Tim Burgess, Piebald, and Brett Dennen. He’s seen his music hit mainstream television (Jericho) and recently recorded one of Jack Kerouac’s poems with Dana Colley and Billy Conway (Twinemen).

Noise: You’re one of the few local musicians I know who managed to skip the day-job trap. What haven’t you done in the name of music? What have you done?

Will: Sold my car, worked about 37 different odd jobs, parted with guitars I’ve loved to pay the rent—some might meet that with condemnation but I had faith I would get them back, built a nice little pool of dept.

Noise: For readers who don’t know you, you are a driven man, one who eschews the hard partying and is a reliable guy.  What’s good and bad about that?

Will: Pluses: I’m not fucked up on drugs. Minuses: I don’t have any excuses. Plus, I was always too poor and had to drive myself to the next gig or book another show myself the next minute. I never had the time to waste the time. I look to people like Ian McKaye for how to handle myself professionally.

Noise: Why did you go and what did you do out in L.A.?

Will: To kick my own ass. Get some sun, see some friends, see what everyone is complaining about, follow through on some musical buzz, chase coyotes, play up and down the West Coast with more ease, find some money to record another album, take a break from Boston, develop home sickness, find Robert Goulet’s Hollywood star, work for Indie 103.1. I played shows, recorded demos, got a manager, got an agent, got an indie-label deal and came back home.

Noise: What is your deal with CBS?

Will:  It’s a major record label deal—big company—with an indie-deal mentality: just starting out and trying to foster the new paradigm in a mutating industry. Digital sales and TV placements are as paramount as touring and other traditional forms of exposing artists. We’ll see how it goes. Right now, I am on my third record deal but the first one that is a major. It doesn’t feel that different. I’m still hustling my ass off, but I feel like I got married and changed my last name... and there was no honeymoon. I just have a lot more people to communicate with when it used to just be me.

Noise: You’ve been traveling a lot lately; what were you up to in New Orleans?

Will: I went down to the lower 9th with some good friends just before Christmas. We worked for Habitat for Humanity on the Musicians Village project that is being partnered by Harry Connick, Jr., Branford and Ellis Marsalis. It was part getting some anger out and putting my money where my mouth is. I could say a lot about the whole experience and situation but I think the readers of The Noise are well-informed, and I am in a good mood right now and would hate to spoil it.

Noise: The big news is that CBS is taking your record Back Flipping Forward and re-releasing it. Where was it recorded, and with whom? Talk about what was new in terms of recording for you.

Will: I recorded nine of the ten songs at Q Division with Tom Polce. I was pretty burnt out when I had to start. As far as the L.A. trip, wound up in L.A. hospital with appendicitis and no health insurance and with the no insurance they kicked me out of the hospital as soon as I came to and didn’t give me antibiotics so then it got infected. The bill was 50 thousand dollars and I was cleaned out and fighting the rest of the bill. At the same time I got this indie deal and the money to record Back Flipping Forward.  I decided the best way to do that was in Boston with musicians that I trusted and knew. I had a budget for nine days and I knew that if I teamed with Polce—a cross between a Viking correction officer and a child prodigy—we could get the best possible album. I would have picked him over Rick Rubin at that point in my life to achieve the best album. That struggle to the finish line I guess is the back flipping forward. It is seldom one foot in front of the other.

Noise: How would you compare the two records?

Will: Goodbyeredbullet was recorded at Studio 247 with Jack Younger on 16 track one inch tape. No automation in the mix. Pretty raw and down to earth. A lot of first-take kind of stuff.

Noise: How has your use of piano, horns, and non-guitar, bass, and drums evolved as a recording artist?

Will: Exposure and finance. On the two albums there is mandolin, banjo, pedal steel, B3, harmonica, all kinds of back up vocalists and it just comes from a need to diversify the sonic landscape and answering what the song calls for.

Noise: How has your songwriting changed since Goodbyeredbullet?

Will: Well, it’s evolved… hopefully. Pushed it further. Some of these songs were little numbers that I wrote that were taken to a whole new level with Ken Clark on B3 or Tim Obetz on pedal steel.

Noise: What songs are you the most proud of from your newest record?

Will: It’s hard to pick one over another. I am really proud of “Dear Grace” because it is this little live to two-track performance that I did during a night off in California. I put some more tracks over it and it turned into a little gem. Songs like “Hollywood Hills” and “Undone” are really pleasing in simply that they feel complete with the horns and everything. Nothing was spared. The songs on this album get everything they need. I’m proud that it is an album you can listen to front to back. The way radio is accepting it is nice too. There doesn’t seem to be one song. Which I think might be a good thing. Of the stations adding the album there are five different songs being played right now.

Noise: I hear a Stones influence on songs like “Undone”; what era Stones do you dig?

Will: Exile on Main Street, Sticky Fingers. I had a very embarrassing moment while expressing my affinity for “Moonlight Mile” in front of six friends last year and they don’t let me forget it. I was drunk and who knows what else was going on but that song kills me.

Noise: Before we close the shop down… the touring question: How goes it?

Will: Some days are better than others. And youth centers in the middle of the desert can be better shows than the premiere club in a major city.

Noise: What writers, artists are currently with you (in your bag, on your iPod, etc) on your musical travels?

Will: David McCullough, Tom Waits, Neil Young, Wendell Berry, Joanna Newsom, E.B. White.

Noise: What are you hoping to do this calendar year?

Will: Tour and then sleep on Christmas day and then tour. Maybe record a single for a new song called “Peace of Mind” and then tour. Get things flowing with the label, see what comes of it.

Noise:  Is there anything you would do differently in your musical path?

Will: I would have become rich off my first gig. Other than that looking backwards can be a little self-destructive. I try not to do that. But it scares a lot of people when they drive with me.     

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