Joe Bonamassa: A Different Kind of Bluesman



photo by Rhonda Pierce

 

At 37, Joe Bonamassa has already spent a quarter century establishing him as one of the greatest blues guitarists America has ever produced. With his new album, Different Shades of Blue, Bonamassa is riding a seemingly never-ending wave of success, beginning with his discovery at the tender age of 12 by the legendary B.B. King. Different Shades of Blue features all original material, which Bonamassa co-wrote with master songwriters Jonathan Cain (Journey), James House (Diamond Rio, Dwight Yoakam, Martina McBride), Jerry Flowers (Keith Urban), Gary Nicholson (Toby Keith), and Jeffrey Steele (Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw). Renowned producer Kevin Shirley (Black Crowes, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin) has been with Bonamassa for the artist’s past fifteen projects. Of this latest collaboration, Shirley says, “It’s definitely my favorite Joe Bonamassa record to date. It’s an album that deserves to be listened to in its entirety. Luckily Joe’s fan base really seems to appreciate a body of work and not just songs.”

 

Keeping a relentless touring schedule, Bonamassa continues to expand his fan base, gaining the respect and admiration of new listeners around the world. His charting record speaks for itself: Bonamassa now has more Number One Billboard Blues albums than any other artist. Bonamassa’s success is all the more remarkable because he has achieved it on his own terms, maintaining his devotion to the music and his fans while preserving his integrity as an artist.  

 

Not only does Joe Bonamassa remain committed to the music which has inspired him since childhood, he also focuses his efforts toward ensuring that young people continue to have music programs available to them in school. His Keeping the Blues Alive organization has already helped more than 20,000 students across the country. A music festival cruise planned for February is the next in a series of fundraisers for the program.

 

Currently in rehearsal for his much-anticipated performances at Radio City Music Hall on January 23^rd and 24^th, the bluesman graciously took the time to answer a handful of questions about his extraordinary journey.

 

Roy Abrams: You've been described as "the hardest working man in show business." What drives you?

 

Joe Bonamassa: You get a lot of motivation when someone tells you that you can’t do what you want to do. I was always a hard worker but the moment we got dropped from Sony, Roy Weisman (my manager and business partner) and I decided we were going to do this ourselves. That really lit a fire and we’ve been determined to prove the naysayers wrong ever since. I’ve also never had a plan B. I started playing professionally 25 years ago and it’s always been what I’ve wanted to do. And I always say I’m one of the luckiest cats in the world because I get to do what I love for a living. 

RA: You've stated your devotion to the genre by declaring that your desire is not to outplay Clapton or Hendrix but to keep organic music alive. Can you elaborate on this? Also, how do you characterize the current musical landscape from a creative standpoint?

 

JB: I really want to make sure organic music—as in made by human beings—has a voice. I’m starting to see too many computer screens on stage. I don’t ever plan to make music like that. I think organic music, roots music is important and I want to do my part to make sure it sticks around. It’s one of the reasons I recently pared down my rig. I now play exclusively on stage with vintage amps and guitars—all from 1965 or earlier. I’m plugging straight in and playing which is a really organic and honest way of playing. No bells and whistles.  

RA: In another interview, you talked about your perception that artists such as the Black Keys and Jack White have succeeded in connecting with a younger audience while you feel that you have failed to do so. Your perspective on this differs from reality if one examines the demographics of your audience. How do you account for the apparent disconnect?

 

JB: I’m a family friendly kind of guy. Most of my audience is 40+ and often they’ll bring their kids. My music seems to resonate most with that group. I think the Black Keys and Jack White and Gary Clark, Jr. have really hit a chord with kids in their 20s and 30s. I just love that all these people, whether they realize it or not, are listening to and loving the blues. I think the genre is actually in a really healthy place right now.

RA: For the new album, can you talk about the marathon songwriting sessions in Nashville, what each co-writer brought to the table, and how these partnerships arose?

 

JB: For this album I needed to do something different and Kevin Shirley (my producer) suggested I write all original songs. It’s something I hadn’t done before and something we both knew the fans would love. I’m not a songwriter. I can write but I needed people who know about song craft and song structure. So Kevin suggested we go to Nashville and hook up with writers. I already knew Jerry Flowers, I knew Jonathan Cain, I’d met James House; I didn’t know Gary Nicholson or Jeffrey Steele before meeting them in Nashville. There’s a real artistry and craft to songwriting—knowing when to add a chorus or a bridge—and all these guys are master songwriters. And they’re all deep lyricists, great with words and really soulful writers. I learned so much from each of them.

RA: Revisiting the early days of your career, are there any memorable Utica stories where you realized that life was irrevocably changing for you?

 

JB: When I was 12, I had my own band called Smokin’ Joe Bonamassa. We played clubs in upstate New York—around Utica and Buffalo and in some cities in Pennsylvania. We played on the weekends because I had school during the week and my mom didn’t want me out late on a school night. I think the moment I was asked to open for B.B. King in 1989 was the moment I felt things start to change. We played to about 5,000 people—by far the biggest crowd I’d played to in my life at that point. I played about 20 shows with B.B. that summer and, when I looked at him and watched him play, I knew that was exactly how I wanted to live my life. 



photo by Rhonda Pierce

RA: Can you discuss the influences that Jethro Tull and Genesis had upon you in the respective forms of Tull guitarists Martin Barre and Mick Abrahams and Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett?

JB: Martin and Mick were big influences for me. I really dug Martin Barre’s playing. Jethro Tull is one of my favorite bands and Stand Up is one of my favorite blues albums of all time. It was Tull’s first record after Mick Abrahams departed. Mick's a fantastic guitarist. I loved his band Blodwyn Pig’s 1970 record Getting to This. Steve Hackett, he’s an amazing guitarist, with Genesis and solo. I often like to practice things that are outside my normal sphere of playing whether that’s picking up a mandolin or practicing prog rock. We used to play Genesis’ “Los Endos” from the record A Trick of the Tail during shows.

RA: You’ve said that the English interpretation of the blues hit you a lot better than traditional blues. How so? (It’s an interesting statement that recalls how the early Beatles’ interpretations of American R&R, R&B, and C&W songs hit American audiences “better” than the original versions.)

 

JB: When I first started buying records as a kid, I liked the guys that rocked louder, heavier and faster. And that came in the form of the English and Irish cats like Eric Clapton, the Jeff Beck Group, Free, Led Zeppelin, Gary Moore, and Rory Gallagher. I was enthralled with this interpretation of the blues and I subsequently went back and discovered the masters. But ultimately it boiled down to that was the kind of music I really wanted to play.

RA: As an educator, I am most impressed with your commitment to young people through your work with the Keeping the Blues Alive program.  Can you talk about what lead to its formation, its goals and activities, and the upcoming Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea cruise?

JB: I wanted to give back and a big thing I’ve been seeing lately is that arts programs in schools across the country are getting cut. The schools don’t have the money they need for books or classes and it’s the first thing to go. We donate instruments and help fund programs and scholarships for students and teachers. Or we get companies like Ernie Ball to send guitar strings. We do this for schools across the country, in every state. Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea is our first cruise and it will benefit KTBA. We have some great bands coming with us like John Hiatt, Robben Ford, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Ana Popovic, Joanne Shaw Taylor, and others. It’s our first cruise and hopefully not our last!

 

RA: Your approach to your career, from your preferred recording techniques to the indie label/management company you've been with for 25 years, is very refreshing and has proven that one doesn't have to “play the game” by industry “rules” and expectations in order to establish a successful, long-term career in this field. How do you view the music industry and your relationship to it?

 

JB: Necessity is the mother of invention. The inspiration came with Sony calling to say they were going to drop us from the label. It was at that moment that all of this started. We (Roy and I) just could not leave everything we’d worked so hard for and this vision and our goal to die. And we couldn’t trust it in the hands of other people either. So we started J&R Adventures—our own label, management, booking, and promotion business—and what we figured out quickly is that when you own it, you can be very nimble and make decisions much quicker and much easier than under a slow-moving behemoth record label. Having that freedom and flexibility allows you to make decisions that are good for you as an artist and as a business. 

 

At this point, the music industry is an antiquated business model. All the major labels are looking for is the next big pop act. They don’t give young musicians a chance. But the message I want to send to those young musicians is that you can do it on your own. Record a song; put it on social media, book a show. Get your music out there and you got your own business! You own it and you’re in control. Musicians just have to put the music out there in any way we can. And the Internet is a big part of that.

RA: Given your ever-growing list of accomplishments, with all releases since 2006 reaching #1 on the Billboard Blues chart (13 #1 Blues albums to date!), to the new album debuting at #8 on Billboard's Top 200, from your perspective, how do you describe it all?

JB: It’s been amazing. I’m just a blues boy from upstate New York who loves to play the guitar. I never imagined the music would be embraced like it has and I feel truly blessed to have all the unbelievable support from the fans who make all this possible. With each record or ticket they buy, they help us fund the next album. We wouldn’t be able to do any of this without them.  



photo by Rick Gould

RA: How is 2015 shaping up as far as touring plans are concerned?

JB: We’ll be touring amphitheaters in the U.S. this summer with a new tribute show! I can’t say yet what we’re tributing but just think of three crowns. (That would be Albert, B.B., and Freddie King – RA)

RA: Final question: Any thoughts on the upcoming Radio City Music Hall shows?

 

JB: I’m very honored to be playing Radio City Music Hall and I think it’s one of the greatest honors any performer could ever achieve. I want to play these shows like I would any other show. Give the fans 110% and have people walking out and saying it was one of the best shows they’ve ever seen. That’s always my goal.

 

© 2015 by Roy Abrams

 

 

 

The Little Red Men: The Next Front Line

 

 

THE LITTLE RED MEN

For the past six months, I have been following a band that possesses musical originality in performance and composition on a level which I have not experienced for a long time ... and certainly never before from a group of high school-age musicians. These Long Island based teens are creating musical magic right now, and anyone who wonders where the next "front line" will emerge needs look no further than The Little Red Men.

Earlier this year, I was invited by my friend Rick Eberle to attend an event in Great Neck that featured live performances from a variety of young Long Island-based artists. It was a last-minute invitation, and it had already been a long day, so I was somewhat on the fence about making the trip westward. I decided to do a bit of research on the performers to help make my decision. Clicking on the various links to the artist/band web pages, I was unimpressed until I got to The Little Red Men … and then the pendulum swung. Listening to the opening chord progression of “Off Guard”, my eyes widened in wonder as I marveled to the musical ingenuity my ears were absorbing. In fact, the first thirty seconds of that track was the impetus that got me in the car headed to Great Neck to see what this band could do live. The four-piece band delivered a set that left no doubt as to the potential inherent in this group of musicians.

I attended several additional shows from that point, from Smithtown to Montauk, and became more convinced that this was indeed a band to be reckoned with. After a change in drummers, the current lineup is comprised of Brandon Gurba (vocals, rhythm guitar), Nicholas Granelle (lead guitar), Andrew Golub (bass guitar) and Jordan Godfrey (drums). Each of these individuals is a first-rate musician, and the songwriting team of Gurba and Granelle produces material that is miles above the mindless pap of   radio fodder that is currently infesting the airwaves. Songs like “Off Guard”, “Jessie”, “6”, “Psycho”, “Jibberish” and “Blueberry Jam” demonstrate a level of songwriting ability and musical prowess that is, to these ears, unmatched by their peers. The Little Red Men are my favorite new band, hands down.

The Little Red Men have been lighting fires all across Long Island, playing venues such as the venerable Stephen Talkhouse, Revolution Musical Hall, Amityville Music Hall, the Vibe Lounge, Swallow East, Mulcahy’s of Wantagh, and a slew of events such as the 2014 Li Roxx Festival in Long Beach, the Sayville Summer Festival, the Cedar Beach Blues Festival, the Smithtown Day Festival, the Merrick Fall Festival, St. James Day 2014, and the Deepwells Fall Festival. They also managed to land a gig at the legendary Bitter End in NYC. For these high school students, staying on top of their studies is a priority but an increasing challenge as their reputation continues to build.

Live in Montauk - July 2014

I recently spent a Saturday evening interviewing the band, also checking out some new studio recordings, and was treated to a live performance of songs both old and new, all in the privacy and comfort of the band’s home studio/rehearsal space. The newly-recorded version of “Off Guard” with its fusion of radio-friendly alternative rock with progressive swing, funk, and jazz stunned me with its professional mixing, arrangement, and performances, both instrumental and vocal. Live, the band has soared to new creative heights at an altitude that most groups can only dream of, let alone achieve. The musical maturity exhibited by The Little Red Men exists side by side with a four-cornered friendship that each member is fiercely proud of and committed to. Sitting around the Granelle’s dining room table, we got down to business, discussing the recent past, the present, and what the band hopes will be an exciting future.

Roy Abrams: This new configuration has existed since May and there’s been a whirlwind of activity since then. Are you surprised at the relative speed at which this seems to have occurred?

Nick Granelle: We thought that we were going to be further behind (after deciding to part ways with our original drummer) but then we got Jordan, and it turned out that we got a lot better than we used to be. We were a little worried, because Jordan has different influences than our original drummer, but it’s a lot better because he’s more cooperative.

RA: How did the songwriting partnership evolve?

Brandon Gurba: I met Nick for the first time in 5th grade when I moved to St. James. We were in the same class together. In 7th grade, Nick and I performed separately in our school talent show. This is where I saw him play guitar for the first time. He was playing in a band called No Admission. I performed a medley of "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles, and "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King. We both really wanted to play together, so he invited me into the band. Once I joined the group, the name was changed to Fully Charged. Nick and I played with Fully Charged for about two years. Then, we decided it was time to move on to bigger and better things. We wanted to perform and write songs of our own, so we started The Little Red Men in August of 2013. Nick and I have been playing together for four years. We both started attempting to write songs when we were about 12 years old. I'd say we finally got the hang of it about a year ago, when the band started up.
 

RA: Jordan, who are some of your influences?

Jordan Godfrey: Buddy Rich, Max Roach, people like that … Dave Weckl, a lot of people.

RA: You had a sizable amount of songs back in July, when I saw you perform at the Swallow East in Montauk. Is there any new material?

NG: Yeah! We’re done with all the first album songs, and we’re going to record all those; now we’re working on the second album.

RA: How many songs do you plan to include on the first album?

NG: About nine.

RA:  Andrew—as a bass player, when you’re very used to playing with a drummer for a period of time and that situation changes, there’s always a period of adjustment. What was that process like for you and Jordan? How did you find that link?

Andrew Golub: I’d actually played with Jordan before he was even in the band. I felt this weird musical connection to him, and thought, wow, this kid is good!

BG: He’s real easy to play with—

AG: It was easier to jump into and have him match what I was doing, and vice versa.

RA: To Brandon and Nick … talk to me about what’s been going on since July.

BG: We’ve had the addition of a couple of songs, we have “I Won’t Be Far” which is a new one that we’ve added to the set and it’s going to be on the first album.

NG: Jordan has been coming up with things that I wouldn’t usually think of. I have a vision about the song, just basic drum beats, and he’ll add something and—

RA: —it takes on a whole new direction ….

BG: Four heads are better than one …

RA: How did your Stephen Talkhouse gig go? A lot of illustrious people have performed on that stage.

AG: It was awesome!

Brandon Gurba - Vocals, rhythm guitar

Nick Granelle - Lead guitar

                                                                                                                                                     

RA: What are some other special gigs that you’ve done since we last spoke?

BG: The Bitter End in NYC. That was a really great experience, seeing what it’s like to play in such a cultured town and in such a historic place. It has a great vibe, and it was our best show that we played (up to that point).

RA: What was the response like?

NG: It was really loud in there, too. It was fun! We also played at Mulcahy’s in Wantagh.

BG: We played at the Amityville Music Hall and that was really cool. We’re always jumping around from place to place with the shows, so we never really got a feeling for a Long Island music scene, I hadn’t really, up to that moment, seen anything, but when I got there, I recognized so many people from these other bands. I realized that there is a scene, and we want to be a part of it.

RA: How would you define the Long Island original music scene as you’ve come to discover it?

BG: Most of it is hardcore music, hardcore metal, hardcore, a lot harder than stuff that we play. But I feel like stuff that we’re working on for the second album, you can tell that we’re from Long Island. We are influenced by local bands that we’ve played with or have seen, so it feels like we’re really developing and starting to get a good feeling of ourselves.

RA: You made an interesting statement that I’ve never heard anybody say before: “You can tell that we’re from Long Island.” What exactly does that mean?

BG: Well, not necessarily with our first album and the older songs, but into the direction that we’re going with some of our songs, you can kind of tell with the subject matter, musical things that kind of relates to something …. Long Island is famous for a certain sound, and I feel that’s somewhat influenced us as a band. We’re influenced by artists around us, and proud to be from Long Island.

RA: What sound are we talking about?

NG: Alternative rock, like it’s kind of a new kind of wave of rock.

BG: It’s a mixture of a bunch of different things; indie/alternative music. Long Island is famous for producing artists like that, and I feel like all these artists have influenced us just the same as “big” artists like Foo Fighters.

RA: What other Long Island bands would you be happy to share the stage with?

NG: The Montauk Project; we played with them at the Talkhouse and at Mulcahy’s. They have a really cool sound. (There’s also) the Innoculated Canaries. My cousin is in a band called Oogee Wawa and he plays more like reggae stuff, and he’s touring all over the country.

BG: There’s also a band that I recently saw at Amityville Music Hall, I think they’re called Tallest Trees in the Universe, and I feel like they’re really good.

AG: There’s a band that’s getting pretty big lately, Bayside, and I’d be happy to share the stage with them.

RA: Bayside has been around for years; I knew their original drummer, John Holohan—a great guy.

BG: There’s an older band that started in the early 2000s called Brand New that I’m heavily influenced by and they’re from Long Island. I look up to them because they’re from the same area; the same with bands like Taking Back Sunday.

RA: Is there an artist or band that all four of you share as a common denominator as an influence?

NG: The Foo Fighters, I guess.

JG: Black Sabbath … [general murmurs of agreement]

BG: Some more than others! [Laughter] We just like a lot of different bands.

RA: What’s your rehearsal schedule like, what with school and all?

NG: Every weekend, and we try as much as we can to get weekdays to record.

RA: You have a home studio all set up here, right? What program are you using?

NG: Logic. We’re just recording drums now.

BG: For the kick drum we’re using a Shure SM-52 Beta.

NG: We have Shure SM-57s and SM-58s.

RA: Who’s responsible for doing most of the tracking?

BG: Nick knows how to work the program, but we all have a say (in the mixing process).

RA: So Nick does the actual engineering, but the production is shared by all four of you?

BG: Yeah.

RA: What are your official release plans?

AG: We’re releasing a three-song EP first, and that’s going to hopefully tide people over until we get the album finished.

RA: Which three songs?

AG: “Psycho,” “Off Guard,” and “Jibberish.” We’re aiming to have the album out before next summer.

RA: How do you juggle the responsibilities of being students with everything that’s going on musically?

BG: It’s very hard. It’s pretty much just like coming home from school, doing your homework, and coming over here to record or go to a show, or write. We always find time to work on the band.

AG: If you care about something enough, you’ll make it work.

Andrew Golub - Bass guitar



Jordan Godfrey - Drums

                                                                

RA: When are you looking to release the EP?

AG: Hopefully by the new year, like really soon next year, like January, hopefully!

RA: Any shows coming up?

BG: We’re playing at Adelphi University on December 5^th.

AG: We’re playing an acoustic show at Barnes and Noble at the Smith Haven Mall on December 3^rd from 6:00 to 6:45 PM. And then we have a cool show at Revolution Music Hall on January 4^th. There’s a great sound system there, there are going to be a lot of great bands there, and it’ll be a great show.

BG: Our main goal is to write timeless music and keep going!

NG: Our goal is pretty much to get signed to a major record label.

RA: Why?

AG: They have the resources that we don’t necessarily have for ourselves to put us places where we wouldn’t normally be able to go. We’re looking for a record label that has all the qualities that we can’t get for ourselves; all the things on the managerial end that can put us forward to a place that we’re looking to go but can’t necessarily get there without their help.

RA: Personally, I think you should research that thoroughly, because that’s a huge step, and I think you guys are too good to put your eggs in one basket and rely on an environment and a situation where they aren’t necessarily looking out for you and your interests first.

BG: The Arctic Monkeys, which is one of the biggest bands in the world right now, is signed to Domino Records (an independent label);. They chose to do that for the creative control. A lot of bands choose to do that, and if they want to branch off to go to a bigger record label, then that’s a choice.

RA: You’ve recently released one of your songs on iTunes, right?

BG: We released our first single, “Jessie”, on iTunes on September 4^th. We’ve gotten a pretty good response from it. It’s something to get our feet wet; that’s how we’re looking at it.

RA: The first time I saw you guys play, you included Neil Young’s “Down by the River” in your set. What made you choose that song?

NG: It’s something that we could jam and do whatever we want with. It’s a classic song.

BG: I did, because I love Neil Young.

RA: Jordan, what’s your take of the band, as the newest member?

JG: It’s great, it’s really good.

RA: What’s your recording process like? Are you tracking one instrument at a time or are you doing basic tracks?

NG: W do everything separately because we don’t have enough mics to do it live, the right way. It just works better because if we record two guys at a time and one guy messes up, it’s annoying for the other guy. It’s just better, and it sounds better. It’s more focused.

BG: We’re specifically focusing on one track at a time.

AG: It’s easier to mix; there’s less bleed.

NG: For guitar micing, we’re trying to use as many good mics as we can, as opposed to one.

RA: So the songwriting is basically the domain of you and Brandon, but going back to what you said earlier, regardless of whoever brings the song in, by the time you’re ready to record, each member has put his own stamp on it?

NG: Pretty much, yeah.

BG: There’s a lot of stuff that Jordan brings to the table, because there’s a lot of stuff that we wouldn’t necessarily think of, and he’s a great drummer! It’s great that he’s in the band.

RA: You guys are obviously very close friends. What degree of importance do you attach to that in terms of your ability to make the music that you make?

NG: We have to be. We just naturally are. We’re always together. (With regard to our future), one guy makes a decision, and it affects all of our futures, so—

RA: Everyone kind of watches out for the other. Interesting!

BG: It’s really like family. We function as a family, except that we don’t love each other! [Laughter] We’re each other’s best friends and it’s great to be playing with who we’re playing with!

RA: What is your opinion of songs that are on the radio today?

BG: It just seems so manufactured to me.

RA: If you listen just from a musical standpoint, a lot of what is defined as “hits” these days sounds the same.

NG: I’m surprised there are no copyright issues, because it’s all pretty much the same. We’re in the car and we’re all singing different songs to the one that’s on the radio. And the producing is also really similar.

RA: Who do you admire as record producers?

BG: I really like Rick Rubin, who worked with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, worked with an upcoming artist named Jake Bugg. I really admire George Martin just because he was the producer of the Beatles, because they were so innovative. I really admire Brian Wilson not only as a genius composer, but also as the innovative producer of the Beach Boys. Pet Sounds is one of my favorite albums of all time. I love Jeff Lynne's work too, especially on A New World Record. I also find Butch Vig's work fantastic on Nirvana's Nevermind and Wasting Light by the Foo Fighters.

NG: Jack Douglas, who worked with Aerosmith.

RA: Given the relative youth of your band, I would imagine that you’ve had to deal with what can best be called “ageism”—how do you deal with it?

[At this point, Doug Granelle, father of Nick, chimes in. Doug is without peer as a tireless supporter of his son’s band, acting as manager, chauffer, booking agent, cheerleader, and surrogate father to the three other members of the band. His enthusiasm is infectious, his devotion complete, and I have the utmost respect for him for all that he does. Doug points to four areas that, for him, make up the heart and soul of The Little Red Men: “The confidence, the control, the timing, and the energy.”]

Doug Granelle: If they’re playing in a bar for the first time, they see that they’re kids, and they don’t want them to play right away.  The respect level is down. At one venue, when they jumped up and played, you had to see, almost every single person in that bar was bopping. (The venue manager) didn’t want to look at them or talk to them. He was like, “All right, let them play” and after they played, he was like, “Wow. These guys are good.” Everybody in the bar just kept coming over to them; it was a complete turnaround in respect after they played.

AG: It’s a common theme. It’s kind of annoying that every time we go to a venue, it doesn’t matter what it is, even the other bands are going “It’s just some kids.”

BG: And there are so many venues in the city that we can’t do because we’re not 21.

AG: Yeah, we hear, “We love your music! Come play! Are you over 21?” It’s so commonly accepted that no one sees it as a problem, except … it is!

RA: What’s on the agenda for pursuing radio airplay?

AG: We have a connection at the Sachem High School radio station that’s actually pretty popular on Long Island and they should be airing our EP when it’s released.

RA:  I think that for you guys, it’s only a matter of exposure. The music is already there, which is a great thing.

AG: We also realized how heavily the music industry stresses your image.

NG: We’re trying to realize that.

AG: We’re working on it.

RA: How so?

NG: Looking at other bands and how our genre kind of ….

BG: We’re more so looking at ourselves …

RA: You say “our genre”—what would you define “our genre” as?

NG: Alternative rock, indie rock …

AG: The problem is that there are so many different extremes of alternative music that you can’t just …

BG: When we have to write what genre we are, for now we just pretty much write “rock” and if we have to go deeper we write “alternative”—but we’re still trying to figure ourselves out.

RA: When I first heard “Off Guard” it really took me off guard, because there are so many different influences in there, up to and including that whole swing thing …

AG: That was me. I’m a big jazz guy. I love jazz, big bands …

RA: Really! Who do you listen to?

AG: Coltrane.

RA: Do you?!

AG: Yeah. I’m a sax player as well, so I love all that; big bands, swing.

JG: We played at a record store in Montauk, and somebody told me I played exactly like the drummer for The Who. I don’t know them that well, but I started to research it when I got home that night, and I don’t see it, but if other people see it, then OK! [Author’s note: He does!]

AG: Multiple people have compared us to The Doors …

BG: Are you serious?

AG: Yeah.

BG: That’s awesome!

RA: I can’t compare you guys to anybody, and I love that, because you don't get to say that that often about any band.

BG: That’s a really big goal, because when you say like, a band like The Beatles, there’s not really anyone like them. We want to have our own sound, we want to be original and bring something new.

NG: We just don’t want people to say, oh, they rip off these guys.

BG: We’re really big on—

AG: —Originality.

RA: My ears are telling me is that you have a lot of influences, but such is the nature of each of you as a musician and as a creative soul, and the chemistry you’ve developed results in something that is really unique. Nobody else sounds like you.

BG: Once we release our EP and the first album, we were thinking of doing a small tour, because we’re getting people from different states, saying we should come there to play—all these different places.

AG: We’re trying to create a buzz about ourselves to get a spot on a local Warped Tour date. Because the Warped Tour—that’s our audience right there, those are the people who would say, “Yeah, you guys are cool, I’ll buy your album.” Those are the real people in this industry that care about the music. Kevin Lyman, the guy who runs the Warped Tour, he’s a down to earth guy; he’s in it for the music.

BG: A lot of huge bands got their start on the Warped Tour: Foo Fighters, Green Day, Paramore.

Kudos to these four young musicians! I fully expect great things from them and cast my vote for The Little Red Men as Best New Artist/Band of the Year.

—Roy Abrams

    Long Island, NY