Sounds Good Ink: I’d like to preface this by saying I’m not a movie critic. I do like good movies, though. Regardless, if my questions seem a bit elementary then just bear with me [laughs].

Ryan: Well, if my answers are elementary then I’m sorry, too [laughs]. I’m not a movie critic either

SGI: Fair enough. Well, my first question just regards the basic stuff. When did you first start getting into filmmaking?

R: I guess I’d really have to say that since I was a kid I’ve really liked it. I had a Tyco camera that you could plug into a TV and you could record to your VHS player. It was a black n’ white Tyco camera. And we had an old VHS camera. So, I mean, I’d been running around, making ninja videotapes and stuff for years. But, taking it serious, that would be after I went to acting school in 2005 and 2006.

SGI: Where did you go?

R: [chuckles] Oh god…I went to AMDA. The American Music and Drama Academy. I didn’t do any musical stuff, though. I was pretty focused on the film stuff. But, I was only sort of generally involved in the film side of it all. Not just technically, but performance wise and paying attention to that stuff. But, right after that, I got a new computer with a webcam on it and I started making webcam stuff. In 2007 I made “The Really Cool Show,” which is a web series I had. It’s really ridiculous stuff. We shot the first five episodes on the webcam, and then I started using a shitty little DVD camera. But we’ve reached thirteen and a half million views. It’s ridiculous. I mean, part of it is clever tagging and whatever…

SGI: Man, that might even be more than the “Chocolate Rain” guy.

R: [laughs] Oh yeah! I wonder about that. But, just doing our show alone, we shot 10 episodes in 10 weeks. I think just having that work flow and constantly having to invent, I think that’s how my filming began. It just sort of morphed from that. I wanted to do a feature, then did that. Every time I make something I think it gets better, which I think is the idea.

SGI: Right. It’s amazing how much the simple phrase “practice makes perfect” is really at the core of any creative endeavor, whether it’s making music, films, paintings, etc.

R: Yeah. Totally

SGI: Even for geniuses…I would think even they have to be motivated by a desire to constantly work hard and constantly improve as a result.

R: I think it’s just the action of “making.” You know what I mean? The people who end up doing great work are the people who are just doing work. Who are constantly doing work in one form or another. I mean, there’s no perfection per se. The mistakes are kind of what make for good art in general. It goes for any art form. You look at music. You hear a song and think, “Wow, these nuances are so wonderful.” Well, half of them are probably mistakes.

SGI: Very true. So, when did you make your first feature film?

R: I think it was 2007. I’m really bad with dates. I think it was the same year we did “The Really Cool Show.” I had just gotten a job working at the Gazillion Bubble Show, which is some ridiculous off-Broadway show with bubbles in it. I ran the multimedia part of that, so I had access to some cameras. I said to them, “I’ll learn these cameras better and get better at editing if I can take these out and use them for my own personal project.” And they were gracious and let me do it. So I made this film called Sandcastles, which is pretty much lost now. I have no interest in selling it. I was gonna go back and recut it, make it sharper. But, honestly, it’s just not worth it to me now. I’d rather move on. I feel in some ways, you put something out there and stick with it. A painter puts out a painting and doesn’t have to say, “Well, I’m gonna just do it over one more time.” No, he lets it be what it is. Not that I’m a painter [chuckles].

SGI: But you have been putting your stuff out there. For instance, you’ve had your films in some festival circuits, correct?

R: Yeah. That has been a good experience, showing people something that I’ve made. I made the film Carter also, and that played in some places in Europe and the U.K. I didn’t go to it or anything, and I didn’t know it got selected. It was a free festival we submitted to. But it got selected and played and they never even told us. That was kind of funny. But what was really funny was that, at that festival, our film was the only foreign film that night [laughs]. But that was the point when, with Carter, I started doing festivals. It wasn’t well-received in a lot of ways. I also didn’t push it too much. The film festival thing is totally expensive just on a submission level. You’re talking an average of 30-40 dollars per submission per festival. And, you know, it’s really worth it. At one time you may get angsty about it, but it’s worth it. Carter was the film where I thought, “You know? I can do better. I’m gonna keep on working at it.” With this new movie, Everyone Says I Look Just Like Her, I started developing it almost right away because I knew there was something better I could do. And now I’m getting to a place where I just had it appear in a festival in Indianapolis, and there are about 10 or 11 I’m waiting to hear from to see if I get in. If it gets in 2 or 3 more then I’ll be content. I don’t feel like I have to go and do another film right away.

SGI: Now, I’m more familiar with how the independent music business works. There sort of is a template for success. Basically, you make an album, then you tour constantly, use the internet to promote your music as much as possible, play your cards right, and if you do this then you might even make a little bit of money off of it. So some people who are not even necessarily famous have made something of a full-time living off of it. From your experience, are there any similarities between how independent filmmakers like yourself maneuver through the business and how independent musicians do? I guess what I’m really asking is…is it possible for filmmakers who are not necessarily famous to still have a career?

R: I think there is constantly a dialogue between film and music people. I think independent filmmakers looks to music a lot to see what’s going on, even on the business side of things. I think there are a lot of things we could model. I’ve always seen myself as a DIY filmmaker. Not in the sense that it’s just me, because it’s totally a group effort. But I think there’s this whole talk in film about doing your own distribution, which has been going on in independent music for forever. Selling your own DVDs after a screening is the same thing as selling your CDs after a concert. And there’s a taboo about it. A distributor could give you a lot in the same way a record label could give you a lot. You know, bragging rights and such. But, you know, the way the business is working, and with digital distribution for music and film, you can in a lot of ways cut out the middleman. And that’s the point where you can make a little money. The thing is, the movies I’m making cost so little to make in the big picture. My current film has cost me the most, but I still don’t owe anybody financially. For the most part, everybody’s been paid off. It’s easier for someone like me to say, “Ok, play the festival circuit for a while, look at it like it’s a theatrical release.” That’s where movies build there audience. Movies don’t make a lot of money in theaters, unless you’re James Cameron or something. A major theater is, I imagine, similar to music venues that are run by Clear Channel or something. They aren’t likely to let a lot of independent people in; that’s competition for them.

SGI: Let’s talk about your own movies. In watching them, I noticed a few interesting characteristics that hold them together. One characteristic is the dialogue. The characters in your movies have a certain way of speaking. Let me use a real life example. Have you noticed that when really close couples or close friends are always together they develop a way of speaking and communicating that makes perfect sense to them, but doesn’t necessarily make sense to onlookers or people around them? Then, you get to know the couple or the friends better, adjust to their way of communicating, and it gradually starts making sense to you. Well, that’s how a lot of your characters communicate with each other. And that’s what I find very interesting and realistic about your movies. I mean, your movies do make sense. It’s not like all the dialogue is senseless. But there is that sort of dynamic in them. When I first started watching your films, I didn’t totally get what was going on. Yet, as I got to know the characters more and adjusted to it all and to your own style, it started to make more sense.

R: Definitely. A lot of the dialogue is a series of inside jokes. The fact that most of the dialogue is improvised adds to that. I started off with a script. We wrote a script. The script gave me structure. But Everyone Says I Look Just Like Her was the first time I had shot with a script. Usually it’s been just an outline. Carter was an outline. There’s still a lot of the script in the latest film. But, a lot of the dialogue was improvised because I prefer that. I want to have real moments where we are forced to listen to each other, or we’re forced to expose that we’re not listening to each other. That element of surprise. Then there’re the mistakes. 50% of the things that we think are brilliant in music and film are mistakes. So, I’m going after those mistakes. Our day to day lives are improvised. And it’s not that our day to day lives are remotely interesting. But if you can take our most interesting moments in one day or one year, and you can cut it down to our most poignant action or reaction, then I think you’ll find that it’s pretty compelling stuff. Being a human being is kind of interesting.

SGI: Absolutely. Have you ever read anything by Chuck Klosterman?

R: Yeah.

SGI: In one of his books he has this fascinating chapter about how he and some girlfriend of his used to sit in their cars and spy on people through the windows of an apartment complex. And he says that he thinks he learned more about those people from spying on them then he ever would from actually getting to know them. He also said that, even though the people in the apartments were always doing completely mundane activities, like watering plants and watching TV, he found it fun to watch them because he had no idea what to expect next. I think there’s a lot of truth to that. And I sort of feel like, in watching your movies, we are spying on the characters. There’s not even a lot of drama or action in your movies, but the fact that we are spying on them in a sense means that we never know exactly what to expect next. That certainly makes your movies more interesting.

R: Right. It’s tiny, miniscule drama. Human things that bother us during the day. As a culture, people expect these big dramatic movies with this brilliant dialogue. I mean, there are some brilliant actors who can say this brilliant dialogue and make it sound as if it just came to their mind. But, I think a prime example comes from Jaws. I love Jaws. Easily one of my favorite movies. But I was watching the behind the scenes featurette, and on it there was a disagreement about the ending between Steven Spielberg and the guy who wrote the novel. The author wrote an ending where the shark just drowns; the shark just sinks to the bottom. The novel ended that way. But Steven Spielberg said, “No, the audience wants big explosions.” So the shark has a tank in its mouth and it explodes…And I think it’s great. I never thought twice about the ending. But the novelist, being realistic, said, “Well, that’s never going to happen. The shark isn’t going to explode like that.” Then Steven Spielberg said, “You know, we’ve had them for this long. I will have had them for an hour and twenty minutes. I think by that point the audience is gonna believe anything I show them.” Well, I think my movies do the opposite of that. Maybe that will change as I get older. But, for now, I just like the absurdity of being a human being.

SGI: Right. But, your films still have a sort of grandiose quality to them. There’s a sort of struggle between the big stuff of life and the mundane stuff of it. Between our big ideas and how we actually live. For instance, Carter, though it goes through the normal day-to-day life of a couple, the premise of the movie is really quite enormous, even absurd. You have this guy who says that if he’s not married by a certain age then he’ll kill himself…then he falls in love with a girl who is perfect for him but still isn’t married and the “birthday deadline” he set for himself is coming right up. That’s a huge, dramatic premise. But, really, the movie consists mostly of a couple walking around town and goofing off. Nothing big, nothing outrageous.

R: Yeah. The stakes are really high in the film. But those stakes really make him ask himself which things he really values. And what he values is time with someone else. Really, that’s a lot better than what most people discover.

SGI: Now, let’s talk about your latest film, Everyone Says I Look Just Like Her. One thing I noticed about this film is that, like Carter, there was a huge focus on the mundane activities of the characters. But, in this latest film, one of those mundane activities that is highlighted quite a bit is sex. You know, one minute a couple will be standing on a dock chatting, and then suddenly they are fucking in a car [laughs]. There’s no build up, no music, no kiss or anything.

R: [laughs] Well, at the same time, the couple that you see in the car actually did get to know each other on a plane ride. But, the audience never sees that. So there’s actually a sort of tenderness there. But yes, it is shocking to see. And it’s good for the audience to be thrown out of their expectations for the narrative.

SGI: What are some of the things about this current film that you are really proud of? What are some things that you think the audience will really like?

R: I definitely have to say that, as far as the quality of the film on a technical level, I’m really proud of that. I think we put together a good film. It was a good group of people that put together the movie. And it was a small crew. Only three people, excluding me. So I’m proud of it on a technical level. But also Lisa, who is the program director at Indianapolis International Film Festival where we are playing, she said something great. She said, “We think it’s going to be challenging for the audience, but in a good way.” [laughs] And I love that. That’s the best compliment. It’s not going to be easy for people at first. And there’re the sex scenes. I hope those scenes make people feel as awkward and uncomfortable as sex makes them feel in real life [chuckles]. But I hope that the film is an accurate depiction of how some of us behave. And that’s what I’m most excited about. I think it’s a movie that, on a technical level, is going to be competitive. I also think it’s a movie that people can understand and accept.

Find out more about Ryan Balas and his films at: www.ryanbalas.com

The Kominas : Sharia Law in the U.S.A.

The Kominas are a Boston-based punk band, consisting mostly of Muslims (and an atheist). As you probably guessed from the title, The Kominas take a very politically incorrect route with their music. Other song titles include “Rumi Was A Homo” and “Suicide Bomb the GAP.” While it wouldn’t take a rhetorical genius to argue that these guys go a tad too far with their song titles, interviews with the band highlight motives from that are, at the very least, provocative. As bassist Basim Usamani said in an interview with CNN “We aren’t [just] some alternative to a stereotypical Muslim. We actually might be offering some sort of insights for people at large about religion, about the world…You sort of have to throw it in peoples’ faces and be shocking in order to give people a different way to think about stuff.” Punk bands like The Kominas, with their adherence to Islam and their knack for penning controversial lyrics on all matters religious, have helped to form “the taqwacore movement.”

Mos Def

Mos Def fully converted to Islam when he was 19. He recently spoke to the popular interfaith website beliefnet about his conversion. His lyrics have brilliantly touched on just about every relevant political/social issue our world has faced, from 9/11 to the Bush Administration and Hurricane Katrina. Oh, and white people like him.

Yusef Islam: Where Do The Children Play

Shocking that he’d be mentioned. But yes, Yusef, formerly known as Cat Stevens, converted to Islam in 1978. As he stated in a recent interview with Rolling Stone, “I had found the spiritual home I’d been seeking for most of my life. And if you listen to my music and lyrics, like “Peace Train” and “On The Road To Find Out”, it clearly shows my yearning for direction and the spiritual path I was traveling.”

John Whitehead: One More Time

John Whitehead was half of the successful r&b/disco/soul duo McFadden & Whitehead. John converted to Islam in 1996, shortly before studying at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. Sadly, John was murdered in 2004 by two unknown gunmen while he and his nephew were fixing a car just outside of his home in Philadelphia.

Jermaine Jackson: Let’s Get Serious

Jermaine Jackson of the famous Jackson Family (duh, right?) is one booty-shakin’, electric keyboard pumpin’, peace-lovin’ follower of Allah. And, all religious differences aside, “Let’s Get Serious” kicks some serious ass.

Salman Ahmad

Salman Ahmad is a fascinating guy. He’s a musician, professor, and activist, and all of these activities are usually focused on two things: Islam and Rock n’ Roll. And here’s a clip from his old 80s Pakistani synth-rock band, Vital Signs.

Vital Signs: Dil Dil Pakistan

The pan flute may be a bit shrill, but that’s a catchy little chorus.

Peter Murphy: Bela Lugosi’s Dead

That’s right. The gothy frontman of Bauhaus and Love & Rockets is a “Fan of the Koran.” He’s an adherent of Sufism and is currently living in Turkey with his family. I’m not sure if he’s still driving around in the “Bauhearse,” but it wouldn’t surprise me.

Zain Bhikha: Mohammed

Zain Bhikha is a popular singer-songwriter of the Muslim faith, currently living in South Africa. He has strong ties to Yusef Islam and other well-known artists. He’s also one of the singers in the African chorus featured on the soundtrack of the movie The Lion King.

And we’ll close this “10 For Tuesday” with this beautiful song for which I have no information. The song and video are mysterious, and for the majority of us who are still confounded, and at at times fearful, of Islam, it’s even confusing.

If anyone hears about other Muslim artists, feel free to share about them in the comment section. And it’s fine to disagree about the messages they speak and the issues surrounding the complicated Americans-Christians-Muslims dynamic and controversies therein. But when you disagree, just be civil and reasoned about it.

Aside from a few sound issues that made the vocals difficult to hear during the first couple songs, Frontier Ruckus put on a show that was at times soft and contemplative, while at other times foot-stomping and energetic. The crowd seemed perfectly pleased. When asked about the show, Dan Jesse of Grandville, MI said, “I sure love indie-folk, but these guys take it to a much greater level than most of the stuff I’ve been hearing from that genre these days.”

Others, like Mallory Bartz of Grand Rapids, MI, were less impressed with the show. “I really love their album,” she said, “but it was really hard to hear the singer.” Longtime Frontier Ruckus fan Ben Perez didn’t say much about the performance, but was impressed by the number of attendees. “I grew up with these guys,” he said, “and the crowd keeps getting bigger.”

The band members themselves all had a great time. Zachary Nichols, the band’s multi-instrumentalist, said, “It’s great to be back in Michigan. It’s been five months. This is our first extended stay in a while.” Frontier Ruckus frontman and songwriter Matthew Milia also said he had a good time playing. “I love Founders. We’ve been playing here for a while now.” When pressed about the Ryan Adams endorsement, Matthew didn’t share a whole lot. “He’s been saying good things about our new album on his Twitter quite a bit, which is nice.”

The Founders stage also showcased other Michigan artists that night. Grand Rapids’ chamber pop outfit Wonder Caverns opened the evening. Frontman Jon Pataky was feeling especially positive about their performance. “Best show we played so far,” he said, clutching a beer and sandwich in each hand. “It was the best sound we’ve had here. It felt like a full band.” Wonder Cavern’s lead guitarist Dan Fisher was also pleased with the evening, saying, “I felt great about it. I think we played well, good turn out, and the crowd was really awesome.”

Wonder Caverns fan Mandi Crevling said their performance showed a great deal of improvement compared to the band’s earlier shows. “You know, I saw them when they first started playing. I was like, ‘They have a lot of potential, but still need to get their shit together,’” Mandi said with a chuckle. “I feel like tonight was better than usual. I very much enjoyed the show.”

Ypsilanti’s Matt Jones followed Wonder Caverns with his odd but always pleasant folk music. Longtime fans Devon Wilkins and Stephanie Cermak were both singing the praises of Matt Jones. “Loved them,” said Devon. “They were really tight together. Stephanie agreed, adding, “I saw them play at a festival in Ypsilanti recently. Tonight was a similar sound to that.”

All three bands will continue playing plenty of shows throughout the rest of the year. For more information, click on the links below. For future shows at Founders Brewery, check out the website

www.frontierruckus.com
www.myspace.com/mattspainting
www.wondercaverns.com

Below are five songs that just nail it. How do you they nail it? Who knows, but they do. You could also say that they simply get it right. You hear it and are immediately feeling something, whether those feelings be joyful ones, sad ones, or a mash-up of both. “Viva La Revolucion!” you’ll cry, even if you’ve never been actively concerned about a social cause in your life. But that’s OK, because great music makes you feel strong, even if you’re a weakling. Good music makes you feel like the cool kid, though your hair may be dripping toilet water and your underpants may be wedged up your asscrack.

So here are few tunes to remind you why life isn’t so bad after all.

The Replacements: Bastards of Young

Replacements frontman Paul Westerberg is incapable of writing a bad melody. And best of all, whenever he sings something he really means it. Neil Diamond should be proud of him for this. But unlike Neil Diamond, Westerberg is kind of a badass. Heck, every member of The Replacements is kind of one. So really, it’s no wonder that their balls-out performance of “Bastards of Young” on Saturday Night Live also got them suspended from any future performances on the show. And if anyone can find a video of that performance then please send it on over.

Third Eye Blind: Narcolepsy

Yeah-yeah-yeah, Stephen Jenkins of 3EB may be kind of a dink and several of the songs from their debut album may have spent a few too many years on the radio charts. Regardless, it’s just a solid album from beginning to end. Aside from the hits (and even those have held up pretty well), it’s one of those records that you can listen to over and over. Lesser known tracks like “Narcolepsy” show off Jenkins’ knack for clever lyrics, and the band’s talent for composing a damn fine song. Not sure who the young girl sleeping and running through the woods above is, but Red Bull should finance her college education.

Fugees: Fu-Gee-La

Aside from the skits in between the songs (I still don’t get why rappers consider these skits either necessary or interesting) Fugees made music history by releasing The Score, and made all their fans mad by never, ever releasing another album together again. “Fu-Gee-La” has about as indelible of a chorus as your bound to hear.

Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger

There’s really not a whole lot good to say about the personalities of Noel and Liam Gallagher, but there is plenty good to say about their music. Everyone bragged up “Champagne Supernova,” and for good reason…but I still think “Don’t Look Back in Anger” is their best hit.

The Wannadies: You And Me Song

Wannadies – You And Me Song
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This song got the band a little mainstream popularity via it’s inclusion on the Romeo & Juliet Soundtrack. Great band that not only makes great songs, but also great albums. This “You and Me” song is especially impressive because it is so ahead of its time. It could be inserted into a mix tape of current indie rock favorites and, unless you already knew that the song was written in 1996, you might think it was just as current as Arcade Fire or Stars or whatever other trendy shit you hipsters listen to.

What David Dondero has lacked in worldwide fame, he has made up for in critical acclaim, artistic influence, and devoted fans. His vocal and lyrical stylings have influenced artists such as Conor Oberst, Jolie Holland, and many more. Robin Hilton of NPR’s All Songs Considered cited him as one of the best living songwriters, right up there with Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, and Paul McCartney. Sound Good Ink recently chatted with David about his craft, his ideas about the music business, and his literary influences.

You’ve received a good deal of acclaim for your songwriting. Your lyrics are especially noteworthy. When it comes to writing lyrics, do you find much of your inspiration from other musical artists who are noted for their lyrics? Or do you find more from various authors, poets? What are some other forms of inspiration that you think have been absolutely essential to your songwriting, in particular lyrics?

Early on in life I found a lot of inspiration in other musical artists such as Jim Croce, Simon and Garfunkel and Roger Miller. This was stuff my Grandma and Mom listened to. I would compete with my sister to memorize lyrics…lyrics for songs like ”Bad Bad Leroy Brown” (Jim Croce), “Baby Driver” (Paul Simon), or “Dang Me”(Roger Miller). We also memorized “Strawberry Fields Forever” by the Beatles, of course..…in the backseat seeing who would mess up first. Later, when I hit my teens, hip hop started coming out and then we tried memorizing the lyrics to acts like Whodini’s “5 Minutes of Funk” or “Jam On It” by Nucleus.. all the while I was a closeted Springsteen fan memorizing lyrics to songs off Greetings from Asbury Park… particularly “Does the Bus Stop at 82nd St.” and “Blinded by the Light.” This was a catalyst for me starting to write my own lyrics. As my interest in literature grew stronger and started creeping into my psyche…Kerouac, Dostoevsky, Rimbaud, Robert Pirsig, Henry Miller, Jack London, Nietzsche etc…so many authors…it’s hard to say…probably Kerouac had the biggest influence on me…and the ever changing environment of work and living…what people say or have said to me…what I’ve overheard.

Does writing lyrics come fairly easy to you, or is it something you really have to grind out and get to work at?

It’s only a grind if I feel I need to edit. Sometimes I write it all out in one shot with no edit required and it’s really easy. Sometimes there’s that one line that’s just not right and it keeps me up for months. I accumulate lots of stuff. I do write a lot and throw most of it away.

Talk a little about your songwriting process. Is it fairly scheduled, or totally random? Are there certain times that you work best at (ie. night vs. day)? Do you have a certain room that you work best in? Be as specific as you’d like.

There is no schedule…it’s completely random. I write songs at work, in the car, late at night, first thing in the morning…. in hotels… sometimes on the spot in the studio.

You’ve been in a couple other bands before going solo. What were some of the factors that led to going solo? Did it get to the point where you simply wanted more creative control? Along these lines, have you considered working with a band as a side project, or are you completely settled as a solo artist?

I think the major reason for going solo initially was that my band Sunbrain broke up. That was a big deal for me. We grew up together and it was an all for one thing…for along time. We all got older, got married, got mortgages and kids. They got tied down and weren’t able to tour. I didn’t want those things, so I kept going. As far as This Bike is a Pipe Bomb goes, I was playing drums for them and wanted to do my own songs; you know, control my own destiny. Now it’s evolved into a comfort zone of playing alone. I’ve got that down pretty well now and like to do it that way. Although I did bring a 5 piece band around a few years ago, which was fun. We did 55 shows in 56 nights. We got home and everybody got there couple hundred bucks and had to find jobs. I felt a bit bad for the low profit and leaving everybody hanging at the end of the line. Nothing I could do if I don’t really bring the crowds, but if you’re splitting up a couple hundred bucks 5 ways after spending 100 on gas to get someplace and food it doesn’t amount to a whole lot, especially if you a blow a transmission on the way. So I don’t mind rolling solo. I can afford that. I love to play with bands though around town. If I stay put for awhile.

Who are some of the other artists with whom you’ve formed friendships with, and how have they benefited you as an artist?

Scott Kannberg/Spiral Stairs of Pavement, Tom Gabel of Against Me!, Jolie Holland, Darren Hanlon, and Conor Oberst have all been very supportive of me. They’ve taken me on tours or offered me support slots. Also, My Morning Jacket, Mountain Goats and David Bazan. They have all been incredibly nice to me and I appreciate that. The sad thing about music business is that sometimes you don’t see these people for a long time or maybe never again. Like ghosts coming in and out of your life. Constantly moving around so much.

Your current label, Team Love, is noted for running it’s business in a different sort of way. Most notably, they give away a lot of free albums via the internet. Do you feel that this has helped you get your music out there and also support you as an artist?

I think it helps get the music out there but not sure about the giving it away for free. Not sure if it helps or hurts. I guess people are gonna get it for free anyway, so might as well know who they are. Giving your music away for free vs. getting paid for your music…that’s a good question. I’m not a trust fund kid. I am not independently wealthy. In fact, my checking account was over drawn 26 bucks just a couple days ago with plenty of bills coming in. I am a 41 year old man trying to make a living and I don’t sell a lot of records or tickets to my shows. So giving it away for free, I’d have to say I disagree with it. “But David…if we give it away for free it will generate hype for your show and lotsa people will go and you’ll make money at the show and and and” … NO that’s not how it’s working.

You’ve often written about religious themes, and have often sung of them in a darker light. Yet, you don’t seem to have a terribly negative view of the divine but, rather, one that is simply more grounded in the day to day experience, as opposed to some overly “heavenly” or “dogmatic” viewpoint. Your track “Rothko Chapel,” for instance, is an excellent example of this. Do you consider yourself, if not religious, fairly spiritual? Or does your coverage of such themes more reflect just an interest in such matters?

Certainly spiritual but sway towards the periodic table.

What are some projects you are currently working on?

I’ve got a new song about the southern border fence called “They’re Building the New Berlin Wall.”

For more info about David Dondero and to check out his albums, visit: www.davedondero.com

SGI: What kind of puppy do you have?

Laura: He’s a mutt from the humane society [chuckles]. They say he’s supposed to be a Chesapeake Bay retriever and cattle dog, but he looks like a black lab with the coloring of a Doberman or Rottweiler. I’m not sure what he is. He’s got half of a tail, which wasn’t ripped off, but he was just born with half-a-tail. He’s pretty handsome [laughs].

SGI: Is this your first dog?

L: Oh no. This is my first one I’ve had on my own, since he’s a puppy. I’ve had my family dog since I was a baby. But my dog’s a cutie.

SGI: Well good for you. Now, let’s talk about your new CD, What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood. You’ve read my review, you know how I feel about it. But it’s really a great album. And it seems to have some very deep roots in a few very important musical genres and traditions.

L: Oh, thank you.

SGI: There wasn’t a whole lot of information I could find about you on the internet. But, do you listen to a lot of older, more traditional music? And were you intentional about making this sort of album?

L: Oh yeah…I definitely listen to a lot of it. You know, when I was getting ready to make this record, I thought, “This is my opportunity to make the kind of record I want to make.” And I’ve really tried to be purposeful in that, and to think, “How did I come to music? What music had really touched me the most? Which music do I feel most intimate with?” And I found myself going back to records that I grew up with. Things like Carol King, Nina Simone, and Neil Young. And even things like hymns and traditional folk-songs. Gospel. So, I tried to think not in terms of what is popular. Also, I didn’t try to simply make a record that I thought people would like. I wanted to make something that I thought was timeless and true to myself.

SGI: Now, not to limit you to one thing, but do you expect the kind of music we hear on your album to be your particular sound? I hate to use the word “brand,” but I think you catch my drift.

L: You know, I’ve been thinking about that recently. What do I do for the next record? I think I’m just gonna approach it the same way that I approached the current one, which is to write songs and orchestrate them and record them in the way that the songs require them to be recorded.

SGI: Right. And, when you are the main one in control of your music, you have more freedom to make each album sound different than the other.

L: Right.

SGI: That’s especially true for singer/songwriters. Singer/songwriters are often not confined to one genre because they essentially are their own genre. For instance, Tom Waits has created his own sound. When you hear his music you don’t think of some other genre, you just think of him. I use this example because I wondered where you hope to fit in the spectrum.

L: You know, it’s interesting. When I started making music I’d put out solo records before Georgie James. I had my own record label, but I’m not doing anything with it anymore. And, you know, that was something I always would come back to. But when The Mynabirds came out I asked myself, “Do I want to be a singer/songwriter?” And I thought, “No I don’t. ” In my mind, with a band, you have even more flexibility because maybe I’ll be the primary songwriter, or maybe some other people will come in. But, who knows? Since I am sort of the driving force behind the band then who knows what the next record will sound like?
I kinda wanna go in a bolder, more garage, raw, blues-rock direction. That’s how I’m feeling right now. When I actually record it, it might change. I guess there’s a lot of room to play around.

SGI: Do you have freedom from your label to do that? To play around?

L: Yeah, yeah. Absolutely. I think if I came back with a rap record then they might be confused [laughs].

SGI: How did you end up working with Richard Swift? Was this an old partnership?

L: It’s funny. I was absolutely in love with his record Dressed Up for the Letdown.

SGI: Phenomenal. Phenomenal album.

L: My favorite record of 2007. When we we found out we were going to be doing the album with Saddle Creek, I was talking with one of the guys from the label and I said, “Oh my god, you have to hear this record, Dressed Up for the Letdown,” and he laughed and said, “We’re putting out this album in Europe.” I got in touch with Richard in 2007 just to say, “Hey, I’m a huge fan of this record. It’s beautiful. So if it would ever work out for us to collaborate then let’s do it. ”

We just kept in touch over the years. And, when it was time to find a producer for this record, I thought Richard Swift was exactly the right person to produce these songs. He wanted to work together. He considers it a record that we made together, rather than one that he produced, which is really lovely and a lovely idea. But, I think it’s pretty true to the process as well.

SGI: I really liked his double album set, which had The Novelist and Walking Without Effort on it. That album just really hit me. I went really ga-ga over that one. I actually begged he and his publicist to let me interview Richard, and it ended up happening. But, as far as sounds go, he just has such a true sound. He’s so rooted in the great music of the past, but he’s also unafraid of experimentation.

L: Yeah…it’s classic songwriting, you know? Like Burt Bacharach and…who’s that other guy? I have to tell you, my least favorite part of an interview is when I’m asked, “Who are your influences and who are your favorite artists?” My mind just blanks. I don’t know what it is [laughs]. I’m always afraid I’m gonna say someone that people are gonna laugh at [laughs].

SGI: Right. Like, “My favorite is definitely Celine Dion.”

L: [laughs] Exactly. I’m like, “Celine Dion and Mariah Carey.”

SGI: You know, I kind of like Mariah Carey’s Christmas song.

L: [laughs]

SGI: Anyways, is Richard Swift considered a part of your band now? Like, is he going to tour with you? Or was this more a one-time only thing?

L: We haven’t made any plans to do concerts, and now I have a different band. It’s mainly because he’s so busy. He’s been producing a lot, and I think he tours pretty frequently. He’s a total family man. He loves to stay close with his family friends, and he really wants to be home. He tries to work around that, which is really commendable.

SGI: Right. I’ve seen his name on a lot of projects lately. And it’s interesting because I think a lot of people have become sick of the sound that the word “indie” has become associated with…

L: Yeah.

SGI: And I’ve wondered what the next sound will be. Well, a lot of the impressive stuff coming out, including your album, seem to have a lot more soul and R&B influences. When I first heard Richard Swift several years ago, I noticed that it had a great deal of soul and even R&B in it. So, I hope that he can become something of a “mover and shaker” in helping craft the new sound that’s coming around the corner.

L: He’s really funny. The one thing I think that a lot of people have in common who’ve worked with Richard, or who know him and love his music, is that we’re all fans of classic R&B, soul, classic rock n’ roll…the roots of where all of Pop music from today comes from. So, it’s funny to me. He had, like, Sean Lennon appear on his last record, and he’s good friends with Wilco…you know, these purveyors of classic pop music in today’s culture. I think, in my mind, that’s the string that’s tying everything together. And, quite frankly, I just think that most all pop on the radio is total shit. I think that indie music is, on one hand, trying to push the envelope and create something new or move in a different direction, but on the other hand hold onto the core of really great classic rock. I personally think one of the reasons for this R&B/soul kind of feel is directly related to a resurgence of early 90s R&B and hip-hop.

SGI: For you personally or on a larger level?

L: On a larger level. And for me, definitely. I’ve been thinking a lot about the music that really influenced me. It was the classic records from, you know, The Beatles , Neil Young, Carol King, etc. But also, when I was ten years old and listening to the radio for the first time, I was listening to the R&B station. Like Boys II Men [chuckles] and all those beautiful harmonies.

SGI: For sure. I think a lot of people forget that they were on Motown. I mean, you don’t get much truer to soul music than that. And for hip-hop, I think that, based on conversations I’ve had with music fans, a lot of people are simply rediscovering how great the early 90s hip-hop was. Often times we listen to hip-hop or rap simply to be funny or ironic or whatever. But, with that early 90s stuff, you listen to it now with fresh ears and realize how creative and risk-taking it was. And not just underground hip hop, but the Top 40 stuff that played back then.

L: Totally. We were driving on tour…I think we were in Birmingham. Anyways, we came across this amazing hip-hop station. It was all hip-hop and R&B from the early 90s. Just incredible, incredible stuff. I thought, “Man, I miss this.”

SGI: There’s also new jack from that time, which mixed hip-hop and R&B. You know, Tony! Toni! Tone!, Blackstreet, etc.

L: Oh, of course.

SGI: A lot of it has aged very well. There’re a few synthesized blips that haven’t. But the overall pulse of it still resonates well. Then there’s the fact that some of those people are starting to make a comeback on their own. For instance, have you heard Raphael Saadiq’s fairly-recent solo album?

L: Oh, I love that record. I picked it up a couple years ago. It’s amazing. It is so amazing. Raphael Saadiq

SGI: NPR recently put out a soul revival compilation, and Raphael has a new song on there. And, I tell you, it is top-shelf stuff. Seriously, it is soul music of the highest calibre. The fact that NPR is now endorsing a soul resurgence definitely says a lot about the direction we can expect music to take.

L: Right. I personally love mixing styles. I think that’s really amazing. It’s interesting, you have people like Paul Simon and Vampire Weekend who will mix in some African beats and different sounds, things like that. I feel like a lot of people are starting to sound a little like Paul Simon, too. There’s just so much music out there. And you can continue doing the same thing, or you can add different elements and come up with something new. I’m interested in going in that latter direction.

SGI: So how have your efforts to move in this new direction been going? Has your new record been getting a strong amount of press and notice?

L: Well, you know what’s funny, we’ve gotten some lovely press, and NPR recently featured our album on Fresh Air, which I was really excited about. I thought, “We’re one step closer to meeting Terry Gross” [chuckles]. I’m kind of a nerd. But that’s really been exciting to me. And the record is doing really well, as far as anything I’ve been involved with. And we’re just getting ready to do our first West Coast tour, then we’re going to be out in September and October. I have faith that this record is going to be a little bit of a slow grow, and that is exciting to me. I don’t feel like anything needs to be rushed. And I feel like I aim to make a classic feeling record, so I don’t feel like there’s any reason to push it now. It can take it’s time, that’s fine.

SGI: Are you doing this full time?

L: I have been recently.

SGI: Were you already signed to Saddle Creek, playing as The Mynabirds, upon recording What We Lose in the Fire…?

L: I went out on my own and talked to Richard Swift and funded the entire record myself. I had sort of passed along to Saddle Creek a couple of early demos that I had and said, “Look, I’m thinking of doing this album. Would you like to work with me? How does this work?” I know that they have had lots of artists from bands who have gone on to record new projects and release those projects. So I asked, “How do I do this?” Their response was, basically, “Why don’t you go out and make the record you want to make. And, that way, you as an artist need to be sure that you are working for the right label for the music.” And, at this time, I thought, “Well, they must just hate the music…” But, I went out to make the album that I wanted to make. And I’m really proud of it, you know?”

SGI: Have you enjoyed working with Saddle Creek thus far?

Oh yeah. They’re really amazing. From an outside perspective, I really loved the idea of working with Saddle Creek. Outsiders (at least I did) think of the label as being a sort of family. It’s this group of people together in this small midwestern town, who banded together to help each other be successful. That really resonated, and it still resonates with me. They’ve certainly extended their family. They have a lot of artists who don’t live in Omaha. But, at the core of it, it’s a bunch of people who have known each other for a long, long, long time. And it really is a family, you know? I’m at that point in my life where I’m trying to decide, “Ok, can I actually make music work as a career? Can I make a living at music? How do you want to do it? Do you want to be involved in the rat-race of the music industry?” And then here I find these lovely, down-to-earth guys who just put out great records. That’s the way they work. They don’t put out music just because they want to make a profit; they just put out music they love. In my mind, that’s who an artist should be working with. Of course, they’re a great label and they do keep an eye on their finances. They make really good business decisions. At the same time, they work for the love of it.

SGI: Do you currently live in Omaha?

L: I do.

SGI: I’ve always been fascinated too by the fact that Saddle Creek was one of the first of the new independent labels of the last ten years that freely encouraged their artists to sing about those two areas that many shy away from: politics and religion. I wouldn’t describe your album as overtly political, but it does make definite use of religious imagery and explores religious/spiritual ideas.

L: It’s funny. I grew up in a very conservative, Christian environment. I quit going to church when I was thirteen because the pastor got up in front the church and said that homosexuals weren’t welcome, and I thought, “Wait a second, I thought God is love…” Since then, I’ve been really, really interested in religions. And it’s amazing, you know? Following September 11th you see what happens to Islam…And I think, after my run-in with Christianity, my upbringing, I started looking for other religions. Did some reading about Buddhism, [though] I would never call myself a Buddhist. In my mind, the fact that religion is a universal thing, that there is something in our human nature that strives to look for greater meaning and greater purpose, is an interesting thing. And sort of finding the thread that goes through all of those religions. Finding the similarities, that is interesting to me.

SGI: I hear ya. And I think we had something of a similar upbringing in terms of religion. But, as I’ve grown older and have reconnected to matters of faith in a healthier way, I’ve developed a new-found appreciation for the literary imagery and themes of religious texts. I think they can be especially effective when it comes to songwriting. And it’s interesting because, if you think about it, throughout the 80s and most of the 90s, musicians either shied away from singing about religious/spiritual matters completely, or artists did it in a way that made for a lot of bad art. Contemporary Christian Music, for example, which always put the message of the music over and against the quality of the music itself.

L: Right. I think it’s interesting how people deal with religion and the idea of faith. In my mind, let’s make it as simple as we can. The idea of talking about faith is interesting. Because you can talk to anybody, whether they believe in god or not, about faith and the belief that there is some purpose to our lives. I think language gets in our way a lot. Words hamper our ability to have a decent conversation about.

SGI: Sure. But language can also enrich our discussion regarding matters of faith, and our music. For instance, your album title and song, “What We Lose in the Fire, We Gain in the Flood.” Very strong religious imagery, but at the same time it’s such a powerful sounding sentence.

L: The title of the record came to me and, in my mind, summed up the entire process. And that’s what a title should be. The personal journey that I had been through in writing the songs, recording them, and just where I was personally. To me it’s a hopeful statement, but it’s a hopeful statement.

Find out more about The Mynabirds, their album, and their touring schedule at: www.themynabirds.com

I could probably have simplified things for myself by just putting together ten of my favorite Decemberists videos featuring dead people, but I wanted to challenge myself. That said, any list of videos featuring death would be incomplete without them. I’m not sure if I’m a pale teenage girl covered in black makeup, but something about romantic and macabre storytelling just gets me every time. Also, The Decemberists have no silly ideas about having to be attractive to be in a music video.

2. Thriller by Michael Jackson

Ok, so I wanted to pick “Smooth Criminal” for this one, but no one seems to die in the actual video. If I don’t follow my own rules for this list, who will? But “Thriller” is certainly worthy of watching as well. I was not yet five years old when this video came out and all I remember is how much the cat eyes at the end scared the pants off of me.

3. My Name is Mud by Primus

There are very few songs or videos more about someone getting dead than this one. Les Claypool plays an extraordinarily convincing creepy, scary, backwoods, hick murderer. This is the perfect video to watch whenever you need your “fat hairy man” fix. Side note: My wife hates Primus and, despite the fact that I like them quite a bit, I can’t honestly say I blame her.

4. The Unthinking Majority by Serj Tankian

Serj Tankian- The Unthinking Majority
Uploaded by bouncer99. – Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

This song features a number of toy soldiers getting mortally wounded. I’m not sure if we actually see any of them die, but it is definitely implied. Most importantly, it is about actual soldiers who are actually dying right now and some of the reasons that they were sent to war. Also, it’s very catchy.

5. Mary Jane’s Last Dance by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

I’m really not sure how I could make this list without including this particular song. The video features Tom Petty as a creepy morgue worker who kidnaps a pretty dead lady so that he can go have dinner with her, dance with her in a room that is clearly a fire hazard and finally dump her in the ocean. This is all pretty much on par for Tom Petty. Did you know that he played “Lucky” on King of the Hill? Yeah, he did!

6. Possum Kingdom by The Toadies

Now this is just a good old-fashioned song about murder. The video is about as literal as you could possibly hope for, with a plastic bag of lady being dragged through a lake. Apparently, they have an actual lake in Texas called Possum Kingdom. No, really. That’s, like, something they do in Texas. No, I don’t know why. Stop asking.

7. Sweaty and Hot by Alan Thicke

Embedding Not Allowed For This Video

Click to Watch

Nope, nobody dies in this video. It fits the category though, because the sexyness level of the song combined with the sexyness level of Alan Thicke may well cause your heart to fail before the video ends.

8. Lightning Crashes by Live

This is one of those videos that will forever be part of my teenage memories as it arrived on the scene at about the same time that cable television first made its presence in my house. Yes, I didn’t have anything but crappy network tv over the antenna until 1993 or so. Make fun of me. I dare you. No, please don’t. I’m very sensitive.

9. Delia’s Gone by Johnny Cash

Holy poopers is this a great song! It’s about shooting the lady that you love! Repeatedly!

10. MMMBop by Hanson

I thought you could use some cheering up.

On July 12th, 2010, the world lost an original voice. I was on my way home, passing through the cell-phone wormholes of Vermont’s mountains, when my wife, Kristin, called to deliver the news. I almost had to pull over.

In my life, few “famous” peoples’ passings have affected me. Last year when Michael Jackson passed, sure I felt that something significant had occurred, but I didn’t get choked up about it. Thus far only the deaths of Jim Henson and Charles Schulz had touched me deep down, and now Harvey Pekar has joined that unfortunate list.

The works of Harvey Pekar gave me courage to begin creating comics three years ago. He was, for me and other cartoonists, the equivalent of punk rock and DIY bands inspiring folks to express their own voice, saying “hey, I can do that!” His entertaining and insightful comics about everyday life elevated mundane experiences to a place of importance and gravity. You didn’t have to live in Chicago, San Francisco, LA, or New York to make art. Just look around you. Begin with the personal. Pick your medium. And go with it.

The movie of his life: American Splendor is an example of the bioflick/documentary done right. It pays homage to the medium he worked in while incorporating “the man himself.” The movie acts as a common ground for my wife and me when approaching the life of a cartoonist/creative type. It’s always been helpful to put on when she’s trying to make sense of my…comic/obsessive tendencies.

As a writer, Pekar was brilliant. He knew how to use comics to their greatest potential without getting overly flashy or showy with the art or page-layout. Since he never drew a single finished comic but relied on several artists to create the comic worlds of each narrative, his autobiographical “self” was always visually shifting from story to story. The Pekar of American Splendor was a character more than a representation of the author. Give his work a chance and it will win you over. It won’t feel like other shoe-gazer bio-comics (like mine) because Pekar was always interested with his relation to other things and people. In a way his musings and stories were those of an Everyman. While deeply personal, he found a way of speaking what others felt was true in their own lives (the mark of good memoir).

Harvey Pekar will be greatly missed by those of us in the comics world and anyone who has enjoyed his work. His is a voice and an example that I hope continues to inspire creators in the comics world and beyond.

Sam Carbaugh is a professional cartoonist. He is responsible for all the great graphics on Sounds Good Ink as well. Check out more of his work at: www.samcarbaugh.com

Sounds Good Ink: Chain of Lakes is your solo project, but do you ever play with a full band?

Kyle: Nothing that anyone would categorize as full, that’s for sure. No, I had a violin player who played with me on the record playing with me for a while, which was only for two shows. Now she’s cleaning up the Gulf of Mexico, so it makes practicing harder. I have a singer that plays with me regularly. But, no, I’ve never actually performed this music with a full band.

Sounds Good Ink: Would you prefer having a full band, or do you like just using the loop pedal and doing your own thing?

Kyle: You’d have to ask me, like, 30 seconds after I’ve walked into wherever I’m playing that night. You know what I mean? Sometimes it’s like, if I could just push a button and have it be me and my guitar then that would be great. Then there’s other times when, you know, I enjoy having a loop pedal and someone singing with me. Oftentimes nowadays I’d just love to have a drummer and a rhythm section; that would be great. Maybe even an electric guitar, which I don’t even do very often.

Sounds Good Ink: You play mostly acoustic?

Kyle: Oh, that’s all I’ve ever done with this music.

Sounds Good Ink: How would you describe your music to people have not yet heard you?

Kyle: You know, the first word out is always “mellow,” whether I mean for it to come out that way or not. Wow.. [looks flabbergasted]

Sounds Good Ink: Well, would you describe it as folk, or chamber-pop? Rock?

Kyle: Yeah, you know, I guess “pop” is something you’d have to associate with it, just because I think they are accessible melodies. But they are stripped down, deconstructed a bit…I definitely don’t stray from the “folk.” I’ve played more folk venues than anything else.

Sounds Good Ink: And you like playing those?

Kyle: I love those, I love those. Where there are people sittin’ down listening. I almost feel bad when there’s people standing up during my shows. I’m like, “you don’t have to exert that much energy for this. Please.”

Sounds Good Ink: Is there a pretty close relationship between what you play and what you listen to? It may sound like a dumb question, but very often I’ve found there isn’t a direct relationship. For instance, a lot of the folk singers I’ve interviewed say they listen to more punk than folk.

Kyle: Yeah…you know, I love Iron & Wine. I love the Great Lake Swimmers. Some of the people that kind of do the same kind of folk stuff. At the same time, what I listen to is so defined by who I am hanging out with. I’m so inspired by the music my friends make. My friends in New York play in a band that’s like this electronic, dance-pop, loud music. And I totally dig on that kind of music, too. No matter what kind of music I write, it always seems to come back to when I perform. Being limited by just you and your acoustic guitar, everything is gonna sound folk for a while, you know what I’m saying?

Sounds Good Ink: Sure. At the same time, often the most innovative bands are that way because they do so much with limited resources.

Kyle: Absolutely. Absolutely. And that’s kind of what I’m trying to do with the loop pedal. Trying to create almost string-arrangements vocally, and try to branch out that way. But, I guess to answer your question, no…there’s a huge, broad spectrum of what I listen to, but I can definitely pinpoint where on that spectrum I fit in, and that would be towards the Iron & Wine and Great Lakes Swimmers kind of stuff. But, that’s maybe 20% of what I listen to.

Sounds Good Ink: Now, I’ll try to word this next question so that your answer won’t make you sound like some arrogant prick…

Kyle: Well, I am pretty awesome [laughs].

Sounds Good Ink: Sure. But, which musical talent do you think you excel at? Wow…I guess there’s really no humble way to ask that one. But, you know, some people recognize that writing lyrics is their strong point, so they are more conscious in their efforts to constantly improve that talent. Others excel at playing the guitar, etc.

Kyle: Well, as far as what I think I’m naturally OK at, my best instrument is probably my voice. But, that’s completely dictated by the fact that I’m not very good at guitar [chuckles]. But I do love vocal arrangements. I’m a total choir dork at heart. I was in choir all through high school.

Sounds Good Ink: What about church choir? Aren’t you a good Catholic boy?

Kyle: I’m a bad Catholic boy. But my high school that I went to just had an incredible chorale program. It was just the best, so I think that I naturally migrated to that. And then all through college I worked with Jonathan Reed at Michigan State and Men’s Glee Club. I mean, I got to sing in these amazing cathedrals in San Antonio with, like, 110 voices that all knew what they were doing with it. I mean, that’s really powerful stuff. And I think I migrate towards that type of music, too. I grew up on the Simon & Garfunkel, Cat Stevens, and Jim Croce kind-of-stuff. I just love to sing. So if there’s anything I’d like to flaunt it would be the vocal stuff, especially the harmony parts. Every band that I’ve been in, that was my instrument.

Sounds Good Ink: That’s funny that you have been so inspired by choir music, since you are a solo artists.

Kyle: Yeah. Well, like I said, I bring that loop pedal along and there’s at least four Kyles going on that thing. I love just the layers of the voices.

Sounds Good Ink: Now, lyrically, do you try to be more straightforward or abstract with your words?

Kyle: It’s funny…my buddies all make fun of me because it sounds abstract. But I’m like, “Oh no, that’s just about me walking home from the hospital.” I do put a lot of time into it, though. If I get any credit for my lyrics it’s not because I’m as naturally gifted at it as that I’m not just going to shit something out…And, obviously as a performer, if you’re going to say it over and over and over again, then you might as well make it something that you’re decently proud of.

Sounds Good Ink: Now, as a married person with a full-time job, what type of “songwriting schedule” do you have? Does your life force you to have a fairly regimented one?

Kyle: You know, I’ve explored that. Definitely it takes more effort to get into it; to sit down with a pen and be left alone for a while. But, I don’t know, my songs just kinda come at different paces. I just recorded one that took an hour and a half, and then I’m still working on ones I’ve had for six months. I don’t know if you’d be able to pick if you heard the finished projects. I’ve never had a regimented recipe for it. But I do set time aside every day to pluck the guitar strings a little bit, to sit down at the piano. But, that’s just kinda more for my sanity then for preparing any output.

Sounds Good Ink: Are you hoping to do this full-time?

Kyle: Music will always be there in my life. As far as where it is and how in the forefront it is, I’d make it as much so as I could.

Sounds Good Ink: I wonder if eventually most independent artists, even some of the more famous ones, will still have to have a day job, or at least a job they do when they aren’t on tour. Especially since CD sales have dropped so much. I don’t know how anyone can make that much money off of CD sales.

Kyle: Music is changing. Nowadays if you sell 500 records as a local artist it’s a whopping success. You know, when your parents ask you where the torrent is it tells you what’s happening to the music industry. But I would love to score films or something.

Sounds Good Ink: Have you done any film scoring, or any music for films?

Kyle: No. I mean, I’ve done some projects where people have asked me to collaborate with them. There’s a beat engineer in New York, in Brooklyn, that’s about to release a record. His moniker is Hamacide, and his real name is Yusuke Hama. He sent me chord structures and beat arrangements and the BPM and had me write some stuff. Other than that, not so much. I’d love to. That’s my goal. Even more than being some touring artist, I’d like to be in the studio all the time. I love movies.

Sounds Good Ink: What are some of your favorite movies?

Kyle: Gosh, for someone who reads interviews I have no idea what to say. I don’t know how to describe my music, I don’t know what fuckin’ movies I like [laughs]. I could watch Castaway every day.

Sounds Good Ink: The volleyball scene really gets to you, huh…

Kyle: [laughs] I just ball my eyes out for Wilson. Let me see…My first favorite movie was Wizard of Oz. I love Christopher Guest movies. I probably watch three of them a week. I just want to get an amp that goes to eleven.

Sounds Good Ink: I was watching this documentary from ‘96 titled Hype. It was about grunge. And I guess a good portion of the bands who helped build up the Seattle grunge scene did so partially as a response to Spinal Tap. Because that movie, as ridiculous as it is, was in many ways a pretty accurate reflection of how dumb so much music, especially hard rock music, had become.

Kyle: That movie is spot on. That’s why it’s so good. Everything about it is such an accurate satire. I think A Mighty Wind is probably the best. My wife and I could sit up and watch his Best in Show every night.

Sounds Good Ink: Well, for the final question, is there anything of yours you’d like to point readers to?

Kyle: I just released the first record. If anyone wants to be the 31st person to buy it on iTunes then have at it. And I’m back in the studio. My approach right now is just to keep making songs. I’m hoping to put out 2 EPs in the fall. That might be an ambitious but, you know, I’ve just got to throw the dart and follow it.

To find out more about Chain of Lakes, visit: www.myspace.com/chainoflakesmusic
To purchase his album, go to: Chain of Lakes on iTunes

Had you been doing fairly well as a band before you were signed to Ramseur Records?

Well, before Ramseur The Orion Songbook came out on Quite Scientific Records out of Ann Arbor. The first touring that we did was for that. That did pretty well on its own, in that it got us our first little bit of national exposure. It’s definitely burgeoning much more rapidly since Ramseur Records, of course. They have more sway nationally and have been around more longer; they are more established.

But The Orion Songbook did a lot for us on its own. It got a nice little dedicated following, just from people who really liked that album. It definitely wasn’t anything too magnificent, but it at least got a handful of people who became aware of us. And those who did like it really liked it. That was a nice thing because that’s an album we’re really proud of. I think that it will hopefully stand the test of time. I like that album a lot and I like that it’s our first album. I love that there are people out there who fell in love with it.

Have you been touring regularly as a band, even before your recent success?

Yeah. One of the first points of business with Ramseur Records was getting a really good booking agent. We wanted to be touring nonstop. We all graduated from college and touring is what we wanted to do. The first couple tours I booked myself. Our friend Brandon in New York City helped book our first couple tours with me. And those shows could be really spotty. You know, we’d show up at a venue and they didn’t even know we were playing that night [laughs]. I mean, this was really early on. Then things started to slowly get more legitimate. Then, since we got a booking agent last year, we’ve been touring non-stop and it’s been increasingly more productive.

So now the venues actually know you are supposed to be playing [chuckles].

Yeah. On a good night, yeah [laughs]. We also have a good booking agent in Europe, so we just got back from a month over there for a second time. That’s amazing as well.

Alright, this next question, if you haven’t been asked it a million times already, then I assure you that you’ll be asked it a million times eventually. Regardless, talk about your experiences playing for a European audience. Were there notable differences from your experiences performing for American audiences, or were there a lot of similarities?

It was really fantastic in Europe. I think it might be similar to the way that Americans receive European bands. Like, European bands do really well over here. Maybe it’s the exoticism of it. It’s like a precious import. The fact that they are so far away makes us give them more attention for it. But the crowds over there, people come out to see American bands for one reason or another, but they are also very attentive. Audiences were just really into it. It was either that you couldn’t hear a pin drop because they were so quiet, or they happened to know the words and were singing along at the top of their lungs.

You must have had a European following that welcomed you.

A little bit. Yeah, people would come to the shows and they know us over there, which is mind blowing. But we’ll hopefully just keep going back and build it similarly to how we do it over here.

Now, was this European following something you all intentionally sought and tried to build, or was it more a pleasant surprise? Like, one day did you just start noticing a sizable amount of people from Europe were visiting your site and hearing your music?

Well, the first time we went over there was before we were on Ramseur. We got invited to go over there by this Norwegian festival. They flew us over there, so that was the big hurdle right there. If someone was gonna pay for our flights then, well, we were gonna go. I set up whatever I could around it, getting us to a couple more countries. We had great experiences in London, Netherlands, and Germany. So those were the countries that we returned to this time, with a couple more. We played the same place in London twice now and got really close to selling it out this time.

Has everyone in the band basically wanted to be in a band since you were all young, or did Frontier Ruckus start off more as just a fun thing that grew into something more serious?

Well, it truly started in high school with Dave and I, just playing guitar and banjo together. It really just started as a way to express myself. But I just fell in love with writing songs. I definitely didn’t start writing songs as a means to travel and see the world, but that was a by product that just came around organically later. We are fortunate, and really grateful, that it happened. So in high school it was really just for fun, and really gratifying creatively.

In college we started a full band. It was really fun to play music and to play live. That was when the whole live element came in. We just loved playing at Max’s Bar in Lansing and The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, then the Division Avenue Arts Cooperative in Grand Rapids. It was fun. Again, I continue to write more complex songs, I guess, and that was increasingly gratifying. It was the creative expression of writing songs and the cathartic energy of playing them live, then developing a small community of people that supported us. But in college most of what we did and our development was in Michigan. We made these connections of people amongst the various towns we played in, making this little network of friends and other bands.

Now, in regards to the songwriting, are the main songwriter for Frontier Ruckus?
Yeah, I write all the songs.

As far as your own personal songwriting process, are you fairly regimented and disciplined in your approach? Or do the songs come more randomly? Or is it a little of both?

Well, I’m in a weird lifestyle now because I’m always on the road. I really don’t have much private time on the road. On the road I’m constantly shredding my notebook with images and rhymes and such, but I’m really not writing complete and cohesive songs. That is, unless I get an off day and into a room by myself, but that’s very rare. But when I do get home, I pretty much just wake up in the morning and am so eager to have some time to just piece together some new little fragments I’m working on. But I really don’t get home enough. I’m hoping for some down time coming up in the next couple months. We have a new album coming out next month, so it looks like the touring cycle is coming up again [chuckles].

In regards to the album, it must be really nice and refreshing to know that your upcoming album will have so much professional promotion behind it.

Yeah. It’s a bigger machine. I just really am proud of this new album. I’m excited for it to come out, and I’m grateful to have a bigger machine behind it. I’d like it to get out to as many people as possible.

Will the new album have a sound that your fans are already familiar with, or is it more experimental than your previous work?

It’s really not that much of a departure, and I don’t mean that in a humdrum, negative way. I can’t think of anything that’s that different. If anything, it’s just a little more focused than what we were trying to do with The Orion Songbook. We’re trying to perfect something, though I don’t know what that is. I guess it’s just the current stage of Frontier Ruckus. If you look at Bob Dylan albums, they seem to come in groups, or different stages. For instance, Highway 61 Revisited and Bringing it All Back Home, those are kind of in the same vein, though one may be a more intense version of the other, or less diluted. I see this as the same stage of Frontier Ruckus. Our upcoming album is a little more intense than The Orion Songbook. It’s a little more challenging. There’s a song on our new album called “Pontiac, the Nightbrink,” which is about nine minutes long.

That must be the longest song you’ve recorded up to this point.

Yeah, I’d say so. There are also a lot of cool scenes on the album, and they interweave. I really like the album. I can’t really describe the concept, but I feel it. When I listen to the songs I feel that interweaving. And, like anything I write, it’s about memory first and foremost.

So memory is the terrain that your songs explore the most?

Yeah, that’s pretty much why I write; to deal with memories.

As much as you can pinpoint this, who were some of the artists and bands you were listening to while writing and developing the songs for Deadmalls & Nightfalls?

Bob Dylan & Neil Young, Leonard Cohen & Paul Simon…they are always my greatest influences for songwriting. Maybe some Bruce Springsteen for the more anthemic songs [laughs]. But there are some songs, like “Nerves of the Nightmind” and “Silverfishes,” which have a more epic, anthemic quality, so maybe there’s some Bruce Springsteen in there.

The thing that’s so interesting about Bruce Springsteen is that I think a lot of people, especially those more familiar with his hit songs, forget how great and special of a lyricist he is. I mean, he’s always been in the mainstream, and mainstream has always had a stigma attached to it, some deserved and some not. But, you read his lyrics and think, “Wow, this really unbelievable.” Very intelligent and literary stuff.

Yeah, like Greetings From Asbury Park, his first album, is really a lyrical mindfuck.

Absolutely. And on that album he crams so many words into each line.

Right. I do that too, so maybe that’s his influence as well. I love language. I kind of overdose on language. I can’t get enough of it [chuckles].

Sure. Though, Springsteen did become less verbose as he went on. He seems to now put more space between the words as well and draw them out. But, as far as your writing goes, have you always written with this “language overdose”?

Yeah, I’ve always been pretty verbose. I really don’t know how to write things in a simplified manner. The things I write about really overwhelm me. You know, complex associations of memories and places and such. Actually, as an experiment in self-imposed challenges, I’ve been trying to write in a more simplified and laconic way. I don’t know if it’s going to work. There is definitely a lot to be said for understatement in the economy of language. I’m attempting that, and we’ll see how that works out.

Frontier Ruckus will be releasing Deadmalls & Nightfalls on July 20th. For more information, check out: www.frontierruckus.com