Accidente, Cache Tolman

As you may or may not know, local musician Cache Tolman of Iceburn fame (also School Rivals and Lindsay Heath Orchestra) suffered a pretty bad bike accident back in June, causing several head injuries and a broken clavicle. Now on the recovery while still playing, many of his closest friends have been setting up funds to help with his medical expenses and the family. Including a show this past Wednesday over at the Urban Lounge. I popped in to donate and check out the show, plus interview Accidenté and Cache himself. Along with extra blurry in-action photos you can check out here, that include Cache's two-man project CTSC going head-to-head in a band battle with The Red Bennies. And please, donate to help out Cache.

Accidenté (Josh Asher, Ben Dodds, Sebastian Lizarzaburu and Peter Makowski)

http://www.myspace.com/accidenteband

Gavin:Hey guys, first off, tell us a little about yourselves.

Ben:We are Josh Asher on guitar and a little voice, Peter Makowski on the lead voice, Sebastian Lizarzaburu on the drums, and me on the bass guitar. We’ve all played in various bands. Josh’s previous band was the New Transit Direction, and for a short time, he played guitar in Form of Rocket, as well. Sebastian played in Grimmway and various other groups over the years, Peter and I both played in Form of Rocket. I guess you could say we all have threads of common interests enough that we play in this band together and we usually enjoy each other’s company. That and we all have the music bug to one degree or other. So, there you have it.

Gavin:Last time we chatted, most of you were still playing in Form of Rocket. How have you been since then?

Ben:I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all been extraordinarily busy with our lives. I make time to play music because it’s a bit of a release and a break from the pace and demands of ordinary life, job, family, etc. When you’re playing music, it’s a bit like meditation, I’m guessing, because it focuses the mind on that one singular activity and everything else drops away, at least for the time. So, I want to say, it’s therapeutic. We’ve been well.

Gavin:How did the idea come about to start up Accidenté?

Ben:Kevin Ivers and I just started getting together and working on a bunch of different song ideas that I had written for Form of Rocket, which were sort of the “throw outs”, but that I just liked too much to let them go. Originally, I liked the idea of doing a two-piece. The simplicity of that was so appealing. We wavered on that concept after we had several songs finished and we began talking about how much a guitar could bring to the ideas. We called our friend, Josh, whose guitar playing we both greatly admire and he came down to listen. He came a few times to our practices and then brought his guitar. He seemed to understand what we were doing so well and how to accentuate and elevate the ideas to much more full, completeness, and without overdoing it. Josh knows when not to play, when to play minimally, and when to tear it up. After we played our first show, which was at Kilby Court, Peter approached us on his interest in doing vocals. Accidenté was born.

Gavin:What was it like for you both playing as a two-piece?

Ben:The two of us practice together without the full band quite a bit. Drums and bass are linked so much sound-wise, so it’s great.

Gavin:Back in 2008 you put out your debut album, Exotic Payday. What was it like recording it and what issues did you run into along the way?

Ben:That was probably the most painless, easy, and effortless recording I’ve ever been a part of. We finished the instruments in just a couple of hours, except for a couple of second guitar parts Josh did during another session.

Gavin:What did you think of the reviews and public reaction to its release?

Ben:Hmmm. I really don’t have much of an opinion about it. I don’t think I ever really have. It’s nice to hear people who say nice things, obviously. When they’re not into it, well, everyone’s got their tastes and is entitled to an opinion. When my Mom cringes and gets quiet when she hears my CD’s, I can’t blame her, ya know. My tastes are not in line with, probably, the majority of people, especially of people my age. When people hear I play in a band and ask to hear it, I often forewarn them that we’re not exactly relaxing.

Gavin:What made you guys choose to go with Exigent Records?

Ben:Exigent Records is local and seemed interested in us. We aren’t able to tour all that often these days and when you accept a deal from bigger indie labels, there is usually an expectation that you’ll be touring a lot more than we’re able to. So, it seemed like the right idea, to release with a small local label which seems to be interested in our music without the expectation that we’re going to be some sort of cash cow, which would be extraordinarily silly of someone to think.

Gavin:Recently the label was purchased from Cody by Jarom Bischoff, what's your take on the change of ownership and what he's been doing for the label?

Ben:He’s got some really, I think, novel ideas for the label. He has the idea of making the label something whereby the bands that he chooses to release are involving themselves a bit more into the financial part of their own release. Obviously, that can make doing a release a bit tougher for the band, but the band keeps 100% of the profits of the CD’s and let’s Jarom work up some revenue by his efforts in selling MP3’s and such, the online side of things. I think the idea may help inject a bit of reality into the release for the band and may be a factor in a band choosing to do as small of a run on the CD’s as possible or work harder and tour more to recoup their investment.

Gavin:Are there any plans in the works for a new album or just playing gigs for now?

Ben:We have a new album that we are finishing right now. I just listened to the mastered CD today. I need to think about the art, the layout, etc, etc, and then releasing it.

Gavin:Going state-wide, what are your thoughts on the local music scene, both good and bad?

Ben:I don’t know. There are a few good bands around, a few maybe not-so-good bands, and some ones in between. That question was maybe at one time in my life something I might have thought about more than I do now. I don’t have time to think about it anymore. It does seem like there was more energy and interest in local music a decade ago. But maybe it just seemed that way. What do you think?

Gavin:That's a discussion that could take an hour with me. Aside yourselves, who are your favorite acts in the scene right now?

Ben:Maybe Eagle Twin and Blackhole. I like Tolchok Trio and Red Bennies, also. I recently heard Night Sweats and thought that was pretty neat.

Gavin:What's your opinion on the current airplay on community radio these days and how its affecting local artists?

Ben:KRCL isn’t so bad. One thing I’ve noticed is that people seem to be really into tame music these days. Maybe it’s just that everyone around me has become an adult and mellowed out and I haven’t yet. I enjoy some of that mellow, poppy indie stuff as well, but it seems like community radio doesn’t play anything with a sense of danger or urgency to it. I don’t know about the second part of your question. I grew up in the country and never had any radio station to listen to that was playing anything other than Top 40 or Country.

Gavin:What can we expect from you guys over the rest of the year?

Ben:Hopefully we’ll have that new record we finished released and another new album’s worth of material ready to record.

Gavin:Is there anything you'd like to plug or promote?

Ben:You’ve been resting on your laurels for far too long. Life is short.


Cache Tolman

http://www.myspace.com/cachetolman

Gavin:Hey Cache, first off, tell us a little about yourself.

Cache:My name is Cache Tolman I'm a 34 year old man, farmer by culture, musician by profession and my true labor of Love is caring for my daughter Izabella Blue Love Simone Tolman.

Gavin:What got you interested in music, and who were some of your favorite acts and musical influences growing up?

Cache:I've never had much interest in music, but rather music has had a profound interest in me. The bands that influenced me growing up are still some of my favorite. Grateful Dead, Bad Brains, Black Flag, Youth of Today, Creedence, and the Ramones

Gavin:What was it like for you first playing around in our music scene?

Cache:My first performance was April 15th, 1989 at the Tainted Word in Salt Lake City. The bands that played were my band, Stand Point, Right Side Up, Starving Artists, Headstrong, Better Way, Insight, Bad Yoderlers and Mr. T Experience jumped on the bill at the last minute. I was twelve years old. All the bands were so amazing, I'd never experienced anything like it and like a junky to dope, I was hooked.

Gavin:How did you eventually join up with Iceburn, and what was it like being a part of that band?

Cache:In August of 1991, Gentry asked me to play inIceburn. They had only been playin' shows since December of the previous year and already had become a national act.And at the age of fifteen I went on my first U.S tour. Playing in Iceburn was the best, I received what seems like a college education due to the fact that Gentry and Chubba were in college.I've played with the finest musicians in the world and still, nobody's better at guitar than Gentry Densley.

Gavin:How did the opportunity come about to join Rival Schools?

Cache:In January of '98 the New York hardcore band CIV needed a bass player, and the drummer Sam Siegler remembered an amazing show Iceburn played in New York five years earlier, so he got my number and cold called me. I agreed to do the gig on the grounds they would fly me in so I wouldn't have to live in New York. After playing with CIV throughout 1998 I moved to New York in February 1999 and started Rival Schools with Sam, Walter and Ian. And eleven years later our second album is due out this fall. We recently played a few shows with Weezer and and in the fall we have a fall tour booked with Gas Light Anthem. In which we get to play Radio Music City hall.

Gavin:You've also joined up with the Lindsay Heath Orchestra, how has that been going playing gigs and gearing up for her new album?

Cache:Of those things, namely I'm appreciative of my good friend Lindsay Heath. I have been playing music with her for a number of years and recently it's crystallized into the Lindsay Heath Orchestra. She is one of my two favorite musicians in Salt Lake, one of my best friends in the whole world and in my opinion one of the hardest working musicians in this town as well as any other town. I am very excited to have the opportunity to work on her new record

Gavin:Recently you were in a pretty bad accident. Can you tell us a bit about what happened?

Cache:I got into a bicycle accident and all my life I've been performing at any and all kinds of benefit shows and my joke was, " hey how 'bout a benefit for me?" The reality coming to fruition is far from funny and I am enormously humbled and extremely grateful for what Lindsay Heath, Angela Brown and all involved in organizing and supporting this benefit. It's been a great lesson for me in swallowing my pride, learning how to accept help when it's needed and appreciating all the great people and things in life.

Gavin:Going local, aside your projects, who are your favorite acts in our scene right now?

Cache:As far as my favorite acts in the scene not connected to myself, easy. Eagle Twin, INVDRS, Red Bennies, Spell Talk, Cub Country, Accidenté, and All Systems Fail.

Gavin:What's your opinion on the current airplay on community radio these days and how its affecting local artists?

Cache: As far as community radio, it may be too soft for me, I think Brad Wheeler and all at KRCL do a great job and play what people want to hear. It's just not what I like to listen to. The last radio show I was into was Behind The Zion Current with Brad Collins. I would like to perform on KRCL, but the last person to invite me down to the studio was Brad Collins, twenty years ago.

Gavin: What's your take on file sharing these days and how it affects you as a musician?

Cache:File sharing is horrible, I'm poor because of it.

Gavin:Is there anything you'd like to plug or promote?

Cache:Please come see Lindsay Heath Orchestra soon!

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