Chris Darby and Ty Maxon Monday, February 22nd 9 PM Silvies Lounge 1902 West Irving Park Road
Graham Green Hosts 'Cover the Other' (everyone playing will cover a song or two from another musician they know) Monday, February 22nd 9 PM The Grafton 4530 North Lincoln Avenue
Here, today, we have the great fortune of putting up a nice little give and take between one of our contributors, Chris Darby, as he recently had a moment to submit a list of questions to Justin Birchard of Facing Winter, a local Chicago band from the western suburbs. Chris and Justin have known each other for the better part of 6 years now. Recently Justin took part in a singer-songwriter night at Phyllis' Musical Inn at 1800 W Division St. in Upper Wicker Park Heights, as Jeremy Raskin used to call it. Chris submitted some questions to Justin over e-mail and Justin sent these questions back. There is also a very small snippet of a longer interview from that songwriter night at Phyllis' that will be at the end of this interview.
A few notes about Facing Winter, certainly not comprehensive, but sincere. This band is a remarkable unit (Current line-up consists of Justin Birchard, Jeff Goluszka, and Drew DeWaard). They have a sound that is many things, and the two songs that will be provided as samples at the end of this post won't be entirely representative as most of their music is quite dynamic, but I often feel as though a loaded freight train is roaring past when this band kicks it into high gear during a set. I can't sing their praises enough on a personal level and with respect to their craft. I hope to do, as do many others also, as much as within my means to see that these guys get the recognition that they deserve because their music deserves to be heard. Their fans are rabid and it is infectious to be around this band's whole community. We'll certainly be writing more about these great men in the future. For now, we'll focus on the interview.
Great photo of the band in late 2008 at Abbey Pub in Chicago, IL. Liam Doyle on bass, Liam was the original bassist for the band. photo by Chad Headley
Please enjoy, and thanks for stopping by the blog for a look!
begin the Interview with Justin Birchard of Facing Winter
1) you have a new cd on the horizon. tell me about that. what was the process like?
The new album will be called 'Gifts from Gravity'. We do all the recording and mixing ourselves at our studio in West Chicago. We have a pretty simple setup and do all of the tracking onto a PC. When I was younger I used to wonder why it sometimes took bands a full year (or more) to release new albums. I definitely don't wonder about that anymore. I think the process could be equated to running a marathon. It's painful, monotonous, and time consuming. But at the same time it's peaceful, exhilarating, and empowering.
2) this being your second album, what similarities and differences do you find between the two? what can fans expect from this new material?
Strangely enough, I think GfG ('Gifts from Gravity' - forthcoming Facing Winter album) will be both heavier, and more mellow than SDIS (previous Facing Winter EP 'Seas Drain Into Space'). A lot of the key elements that we are known for will still be there... but the surroundings and atmosphere will have changed a bit. The drums and bass are more explosive, and there's a lot more vocal experimentation. There will also be new instruments... like accordion, xylophone, mandolin, and piano.
3) does the album have a theme? are there certain subjects that come into play more than others? how would you describe the mood/feel of the whole record?
A lot of these songs made me feel really uncomfortable. Especially at first. There is still penty of optimism... but as a whole, it might be the darkest collection of songs I've written. I was forced to see a different side of myself this year. Once I saw it, it changed me. And it changed my outlook on life. It helped me understand things I had no concept of before. I think the album definitely reflects that.
photo by Jeff Goluszka
4) what things shape your songwriting? do you gather ideas from the world surrounding, or the world inside yourself? maybe a mix of the two?
I try to mix the two... but overall I get very distracted with what is going on in my own head.
5) If you could name any artist, past or current, that is influencing you at the moment, who would it be? What about their music or their work that is speaking to you?
This is a really tough one because there are so many... but for the last month I feel I have been very influenced by the Shins, Cake, Ben Folds, and Sunny Day Real Estate.
6) are there any other musicians out there right now, that are unsigned or unnoticed by the masses, that you feel deserve a second or better glance because of their great songs and/or consistently great live shows/performances?
Another tough one because there are just so many... Nathan Kalish and the Wildfire, Them Damn Kids, Algernon, Dan and Leland, and Rachel Reis.
7) Any advice that has been helpful or insightful for you, that you might offer to aspiring musicians?
This is my personal advice: Sing and play everday... even if it's just for 15 minutes. Perform something somewhere for someone everyweek. Stay away from the opposite sex. Stay away from drugs. And when you can't do it anymore, keep doing it anyway.
photo by Chad Headley
8) you recently made a pretty drastic change in personnel. would you care to comment on this, and how the 'new guy' is filling out your sound?
Liam did a really great job for us for 5 years. It's really hard to see him go... both personally and musically. But I fully support his decision to move on and pursue other things with his life. Liam will always be around. And he'll continue to be a direct influence on the music. In fact, Liam helped us teach Drew how to play the songs... which is neat because it has made the transition much easier. Just like Liam, Drew is a very special type of musician. But I'm not going to spoil it... I'll let Drew's bass playing speak for itself.
9) What does the near and distant future hold for Facing Winter? What are some goals you would like to accomplish by the end of both 2010, and 2050?
If I can give back what others have given to me through music... and if I can continue to understand myself and the world around me better by writing, recording, and performing... then it will all be worth it. No matter what year it is!
10) What are you reading these days?
The last two books I read were "Born on a Blue Day" and the "Celestine Prophecies". They were both pretty interesting.
A photo from a recent FW show (Thurs Dec 10 2009) at Mad Maggie's in Elgin, IL with new bassist Drew DeWaard. photo by Chad Headley
A few songs to get new fans started, both of which feature Liam Doyle on bass. Justin is always writing new material. It won't be long before new Facing Winter tracks with Drew DeWaard on bass are unveiled for the world to hear.
Note: Justin braved 12 degree weather to chat with Derelict Songs for a time after his set at the mentioned Phyllis' show on Wed Dec 9 2009. Half of the interview was lost due to a technical snag, but this is a nice segment that still remains on tape.ShareThis
[Chris Darby in late July 2008, Sleeper, Missouri. Chris was recording a demo getting the best sound possible with the most clever of methods in mind.]
In recent weeks I have been watching a considerable amount of televised interviews with Charlie Rose. I work with an intern from a foreign land and I have this crazy notion that there are myriad ways in which a soul can learn and develop a facility with the English language. I often encourage my intern, their friends, and previous interns, with whom I am still in contact, to watch Charlie Rose interviews on his website: www.charlierose.com. One of the interviews I caught about two weeks ago was one in which Charlie interviews Steve Jobs and Jon Lasseter, the director of the Pixar film 'Toy Story' (interview from 1996). I am interested in this Steve Jobs fella because he was ousted from Apple in the 1980's only to be brought back in the 1990's to successfully restore the company to a certain market dominance. The company was viable again, and still is, under Jobs' direction.
The Singer-Songwriter night at Phyllis' Musical Inn coming up on Wed Dec 9 2009 has a story nearing that of the Apple story. There may well be some parallels to draw upon. Chris Darby is a singer-songwriter that has been calling Chicago home for the past 7 years, with the exception of a few remarkable journeys that took him out of the city, of which one should inquire to learn more. Missouri native, the guy has pipes, and he can craft a song that will get you to stop your conversation during the first song of his set. More about his songs in coming entries.
The history of this songwriter night at Phyllis', in my mind, begins with a guy named Craig Moorefield, who is no longer physically present, but certainly is in spirit. Chris is the protagonist now and brings the story to its current sequence. Chris and his friend Rob Reid have taken the night and built upon it with some additional embellishments, much like Steve Jobs did with the Apple company. The night is switched to a Wednesday compared to former times, which was Sunday. There is a program each night with a bio section of every individual on the given night's bill. And there appears to be a core audience that is faithful to show up during each presentation. As this Derelict Songs Blog began to unfold as an rough idea, and I continued to incessantly watch Charlie Rose, I knew that an interview with Chris Darby would be in order, and very captivating. I submitted a list of questions and Chris was prompt to agree to an interview in advance of the next Chris Darby and Friends Singer-Songwriter Night at Phyllis' Musical Inn.
Steve Jobs, in that Charlie Rose interview, shared some great wisdom on the impact of working as a team, with others, when trying to achieve mutually shared goals. In like measure, Chris Darby has a few thoughts on the subject, too. The interview picks up below. I hope you enjoy!
2. How do you choose who is best for the bill? How do you get the musicians for each bill, not speaking about phone calls or e-mails here? But how do you conclude in your mind who to ask, what informs that decision or thought process? Going after a theme for each night? Does frequency come into the process?
I give a great deal of thought to each songwriter night. With each night, I try to formulate a show that will be a good experience for both the performers, and the audience. The people I book generally have several things in common. They are hard working, they write well thought out songs, and they are interested in being involved in a musical community in Chicago. How the exact pairing comes about is sort of hard for me to define, and perhaps a bit arbitrary as well. I generally spend some time wondering how each person’s music would sound, before or after another person’s music. If I can imagine it working in my mind, I will set it up that way, and see how it goes. If I can't imagine it, I will see about another spot, or another date. Much of it also has to do with the performer's schedule. For instance, I have been asking Arthi to play one of these nights for several months now, but because of tour obligations with her band, she was unable until now. Regarding frequency, I do try to keep things mixed up, and always look for other people who might be interested in playing. I find that it's easier to keep people coming back to see the shows, if the lineup is always changing, at least a little bit.
3. How did the Singer Songwriter nights come about for you?
To me, music is as much about the sharing of oneself, as it is about the music itself. The two are intertwined to me. I have found bits and pieces of a music community in Chicago since 2002, when I began to be active in the music scene with my band. One goal of the nights was just to bring together all these seemingly separate pieces, and make them a unified whole. By working together, we as humans can create much more than if everyone works separately. I guess the main goal was to help foster a small community of musicians who were already interested in these ideas. Another way to look at it is just me doing my part to keep things happening in Chicago, musically speaking. Around 2004, my bandmate and i decided that it might be best to play some shows at our house, and invite friends to play as well. This evolved into a truly wonderful house concert series, which became a great vessel to help support touring musicians. It was always a great night when one of these events would happen, simply for the atmosphere of musicians playing songs for the joy of playing the songs. This is the truly great thing about a house concert atmosphere. Once that concert series began to fade, I started to look for other ways, and venues where I could maintain this spirit of friendship and music. The singer/songwriter night idea came about from a musician named Craig Moorefield, who ran a monthly night at Phyllis’ for over five years. I liked his shows, and I decided to combine that idea with the intimacy of the house shows, to further help out this great community of musicians who are all interested in working hard, and lending a helping hand when appropriate. When Craig moved to New York City, I stepped in, and asked the bar if I might take up the torch, as it were, and continue the nights.
4. What do these events accomplish for you and the musicians participating and attending?
It seems that when people have a full room of attentive people to play to, they feel a great sense of encouragement. When people play on a bill that is full of other interested, and interesting musicians, there is also a sense of encouragement. For me, these nights accomplish much, in that they bring together musicians who might not otherwise have known each other. I believe they also encourage further songwriting, and community building for those involved. I have seen this is action on a couple of occasions, when the performers decided to write an entire new set of songs for the occasion of the songwriter night. This is exactly the sort of thing I had hoped would happen when I first had thought about these nights. Its exciting to see ideas come to fruition sometimes.
5. What do the next few months hold in store for Chris Darby and the music?
I am planning a full US solo tour, beginning in early July of 2010. At this juncture, I am unsure of how long this will take, but my thought is that it will be longer than 6 months. The plan as it stands is that the tour will take place in conjunction with the release of a solo EP, which will be recorded in January.
6. Are there any goals that you are setting for yourself now to achieve by the end of 2010?
Aside from the touring bit, I hope to have some more songs written by the end of next year. If I could play a couple hundred shows by the end of 2010, I would be more than pleased.
7. What part of the creative process, in writing songs – the composing of the music and the designing of the lyrical narrative, presents itself as the biggest challenge for you at this particular time?
Songwriting in general always seems to be a difficult process for me. I will struggle with trying to write progressions, lyrics, and melodies…for months sometimes. Then it will just all click, and ill have several decent songs all at once. I don’t know that any particular field is any more difficult than the other. I do tend to take a lot of time writing and re-writing the words, because good lyrics are hard to come by.
8. Any advice that has been helpful or insightful for you, that you might offer to aspiring musicians?
Go play shows. Research places on the Internet, and go tour for a week or two at a time. Even weekends, if that’s all that you can do. The playing of shows constantly will make you a better musician and performer. This is true in my own case, and in the case of everyone else I know. It is not difficult to find places to play, if you are determined to tour. Play shows, as many as you can.
9. If you could sit down and have a cup of coffee with another musician, irrespective of time period or age, be they alive or dead, who would you be most interested in having a conversation with?
I would say William Blackart, who I consider to be the greatest living songwriter at this time.
10. Any other musicians out there right now, that are unsigned or unnoticed by the masses, that you feel deserve a second or better glance because of their great songs and/or consistently great live shows/performances?
Yes. There are too many to name in this blog post, but one songwriter who comes to mind at the moment is someone I played a show with in Oakland, California once in 2007. His name is Padraic Finbar Hagerty-Hammond. He really has a way with spinning words, and more people should definitely know his name.
Phyllis' Musical Inn 1800 West Division Street Chicago, IL 60622 Show starts at: 9PM
This has to happen sometime, so I have chosen now as the day or the hour. Goals? How about expectations first. I'd love to provide eloquence and erudition, but I am certain I will fall woefully short of such an endeavor or lofty ambitions. But I suppose the story proceeds that I grew up with my own favorites within what is called 'music'. I'd like to share commentary on songs, or even bodies of song that I might have on repeat play within the confines of my car or my messy bedroom, if you can call it a bedroom.
And so it begins. Mr. Mister. I came up with four older siblings. In growing up, I won't suggest that I was advanced in my pursuit of the underdog band or songwriter, I pretty much took what was fed to me. The bulk of my music came from KSHE 95, the radio station in St. Louis, Missouri (94.7 FM). I hope to continue reflection on KSHE as this blogging process continues and advances. It will more than likely require referencing in subsequent entries. The pink pig with black shades on and headphones. Real Rock Radio.
Mr. Mister. When I think of this group I think of the 80's. I thinkof Miami Vice. 'Vice' is a central piece that figures into my understanding of the 80's. I hope I am still impressionable, but certainly in the first ten years of anyone's life they are impressionable. It was no different for me. With this band I recall the remarkable voice and the song that paid the band members' mortgages, 'Broken Wings'. I have no idea what the song is about, who can truly conjecture what a song is about? But who needs to know true meaning regarding song-smithing? I guess maybe that is the purpose of the blog: I think there needs to be more written about bands that don't get on the more popular blogs. If there isn't a chance to get on more popular blogs, then create one and make it work. I will.
OK. Another tangent, and that suits this blog perfectly well. Currently I am hacking away currently at the bass guitar in two bands, and so when I listen to 'Broken Wings' I hear the beat that is kept by the lead singer/bassist/chief songwriter Richard Page. Cheezeball as ever, that I am. There is no regret.
Commentary is sure to vary. Questions regarding the importance of a certain song will be entertained. Surely reflections on composition will occur. Am I qualified? Absolutely not. I craft songs by sound and not by understanding of theory. I listen in my car to songs because I feel them at the time or during the moment, and most often need them. There won't be easy answers on this blog. There will undoubtedly be easy conclusions that might very well be the very opposite of anything resembling complexity.
Why write about Mr. Mister? And why not? This will be a question to ask of every entry on this blog. Good questions these will be, and they should be asked. Music seems to be attached to time and often to place. Again, Mr. Mister launches me back 23 1/2 years to 1985 when I heard it on the radio. There is nothing remarkable about how I heard the song. The remarkable piece is that the song is still viable for me and always will be. Does this song need to be compared to any other song? Not sure. Does it need to measured? What would be the purpose? And assuredly there are far better questions to ask. No matter, the music moves. And that is probably what it is supposed to do.
What will be the parameters of this enterprise? There are none determined yet. There are certainly some goals that I wish to achieve. As a fledgling musician who plays in a few local outfits already, it is apparent that blogs have rivaled and in many ways surpassed the impact of what 'Rolling Stone' magazine used to be for bands. So one must go with it! Yet there exists a tremendous gap within the genre of the blog, as it has come to exist, and that is what is of greatest concern. I am one that appreciates some of the more popular blogs that come to mind, but none of them can remember the Hoyne show at the Mutiny in Dec of 2003. Believe me, I have tried to find anyone writing a review of that show. I have tried to find photos of Guy Grace playing bass on floor, Dangerous D on the drums and Mike Rizzo belching out the classics from that yet to be produced full-length that the Chicago music community desperately yearns for. What about reviews of those early Dragonfly Red shows at Bar Vertigo on Western Avenue? Is there a living record of these morsels of history? How about Ben Summers solo sets at Uncommon Ground from 2005? Why is this stuff lost? And what has been lost? The bigger blogs can't handle all of it.
The future is promising. Elsinore has added a new member to their fold in 2009. Adam Faucett just finished 7 to 8 weeks of travel with his 3-piece band, stretching across the entire expanse of the country. Bile Greene is back in Philadelphia crafting more precious gems out of that lovely little Vox amp of his. William Blackart just underwent knee surgery, you can count on that man coming up with good material during his convalescence in Russellville, Arkansas. E.P. Hall has a new album coming out this November and is putting on a cd release show in less than two weeks. There are so many more. The parameters are set, I suppose.
Contributors to this blog, I can only hope, will expand and increase in number. Good music is happening everywhere and it isn't getting enough attention. Believe me, to some, the Avett Brothers are still unknowns, but how many more times do we need to read about them on blogs, which by creation are and were supposed to be tools of shouting out loud the merits of new and upcoming bands? This blog may only mention a few of the local favorites in limited amounts, this might be best as I can only hope they gain greater numbers of adherents to their songs and their live shows. It is my hope that I can convince some of my friends/acquaintances/band mates to contribute thoughts to this blog. There won't be a measuring system, there won't be a yardstick, and such a choice and direction is purposeful. It simply isn't an interest of mine, and if this blog is under my e-mail, then maybe that is my only request of my contributors: lay off the harsh criticisms.
Well, another parameter has been cast: the promotion of the lower tier, primarily, but also to reflect on some of the music that moves me and has moved me historically. No apologies if there is an entry about Tom Kiefer's rhythm guitar playing, the singer of the 80's metal band Cinderella. I must define what consists in the lower tier, as a phrase or a description. What does it involve? It is nothing more than bands that are not making it to these other well-known blogs. It is no description or criticism of talent. The talent is there, it just isn't getting the recognition it deserves.
The format, hopefully, will be expansive. Hopefully this blog can provides links to live shows, videos, mp3's (with permission, in most cases), schwag, concert reviews, live webcasts, websites, etc. This blog will concern itself with music and the endeavoring toward making good music ubiquitous.
A few apologies to begin with. I wish I was a creative writer, I am not. Do I read enough? I do not. Will I reference enough film when I provide reviews of concerts? I will not. Will there be order to this? Does there need to be order?
This is not a club. This is borne out of frustration that a band like Facing Winter is not getting enough recognition for the significant work that they are doing and have done. The house show they played in West Chicago in Feb 2009 was incredible, did anybody ever write about it or produce some good, representative photography of the event? Of course not. I was there, but I didn't even think to bring a camera. My fault.
What about that show at the A Zone on Milwaukee Ave with Brown Stuff (John Bellows) sometime in the winter of 2003? The show took place in the basement of the A Zone. The Coughs played there. Fantastic show, first time I had seen The Coughs. Brown Stuff gave away his tapes out of a brown paper bag after the show, only accepted donations. It was a beautiful event. That crowd was not pleased with George W. Bush, as I recall.
Let's get on with this.
First up is a link to the Mr. Mister song 'Broken Wings'. Remember, this blog seeks to provide an outlet. My own posts won't reveal a refined taste in music, it will only reveal what I enjoy and for my own reasons. I will not portend to speak for my fellow contributors, of which there are none currently. I hope by the 58th blog entry I might have 3 contributors on the roster. It is a lofty goal to ask someone to contribute to a blog that references Cinderella in its inaugural blog posting. I know my tastes can tend to separate the wheat from the chaff. I ally myself with the chaff.
Enjoy the blog!
LINK:
Thank you for reading. Support these bands if they interest you!
Hey Everyone! This blog was based out of Chicago since its inception (summer 2009). However, I just moved to Columbia, Missouri in early August 2011 and now am trying to capture a snapshot of how things are going here, with regards to music. The locals call this place 'COMO', for short. I might try to document things capturing my attention as I travel to St. Louis or Kansas City, or anywhere else nearby, for that matter.
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