Like
the changing of the seasons, the eclipse of the full moon this week,
or waiting for the Utah Jazz to choke; without fail the Utah Arts
Festival takes over Library Square. Hundreds
of artists from around the country and Canada decent upon downtown
Salt Lake City to take over four days at Library Square to showcase
and sell their artwork, along with good eats, Big Mouth Cafe with poetry, teh Fear No Film Fest in the library, and of course
the music on several stages. But you've heard all this before.
--- For some who
don't have the time or money, or for
those who are just pathetically lazy, a good number of people can't
make it out to the festival. But fear not, we're covering all four
days with interviews from some of the performing bands. First up the
synthpop rockers%uFFFDThe
Black Arrows,
and then Irish rock group Swagger.
Not to mention pictures from both these band's performances as well
as pictures of Day One and Day Two of the many booths and activities
happening, including extra photos from Starmy, Palace Of Buddies
and Lindsay Heath Orchestra.
The Black Arrows
(Chris
Hanna, Joe Irvin, Ashley Ray, Austin Merkley & Justin
Carrell)
http://www.myspace.com/theblackarrowsmusic
(For
this interview the band chose to answer as a group.)
Gavin:
Hey guys, first off, tell us a little about yourselves.
BA:
Well, we started off as a basketball team. Our dream: to play in the
NBA. But... that didn't pan out, so we resorted to our backup plan:
playing in a band.
Gavin:
What got you interested in music, and who were some of your favorite
acts and musical influences growing up?
BA:
It was hearing Weezer’s "Only In Dreams" for the first
time. They couldn’t sing, they couldn’t harmonize, and they could
hardly play their instruments, but when you listened to that song you
knew exactly how Rivers Cuomo must have been feeling when he wrote
it. And if they could do it, why couldn’t we? We also listened to
The Beatles, Radiohead, Rage Against The Machine, and The Smashing
Pumpkins.
Gavin:
How did you meet each other and form Vicious Starfish?
BA:
Online dating. Who says it never works out? Actually, we were all in
different bands that were playing the same venues, so we got to know
each other through the performance circuit. Justin was in a
reggae-rock band, Austin was doing progressive rock, Chris was in an
indie band, Joe was in a blues rock band, and Ashley was singing
jazz-based music. We were all looking for something different,
though, so we decided to collaborate.
Gavin:
Your music comes off as alternative with a synth touch. What made
you decide on that sound, and how was it for you meshing those styles
together?
BA:
We started out playing progressive rock, of all things, but we
decided it’s too cerebral. Sometimes the mood you’re trying to
convey gets lost in the complexity. Trying to show off as a virtuoso
only leaves a fleeting impression on listeners. But if you
successfully convey an emotion, on a visceral level, it can stay with
them for a lifetime. There’s something to be said for simplicity.
So that’s why we chose to combine alternative and synthpop. In the
beginning it was like trying to mix oil and water, but we’re
improving our recipe. Maybe it’s na%uFFFDve, but we dream of a
world where guitars and synthesizers can live together in
peace.
Gavin:
What was it like for all of you performing around and building up the
minor cult following you have around town?
BA:
As anyone who has played Salt Lake City venues knows, it's
hit-and-miss in terms of how big the crowd is. You never know how it
will be. We've played exhilarating shows where there's a huge number
of people, and others where we played for the bar tender and the
custodian. But we agreed when we started out that no matter how many
people we may be playing for we'd always give it everything we have,
and we've tried to do that.
Gavin:
How did the decision come about to change the name to The Black
Arrows?
BA:
We found out "Vicious Starfish" is a euphemism for anal
rape. And while we have nothing against anal
rape per se, an internet search for our band was bringing up some
distracting hits.
Gavin:
Recently you released your debut album We've Been Saying So Long For
So Long. What was the recording process like, and what difficulties
did you meet along the way?
BA:
We recorded the album with Steve Phillips at Full Fidelity Studio.
He's a true mastermind when it comes to recording techniques,
instrument tones, engineering and mastering--just about everything.
He was great to work with, and he's the guy we'll be going to in the
future. We think of Steve as the honorary sixth member of The Black
Arrows. As for difficulties, artists are always their own worst
critics, or at least they should be. Before our lineup was
complete--and before we brought in Steve--we scrapped the first two
incarnations of the album. Third time’s a charm, though. We finally
captured the sound we wanted for this project. And if William Shatner
has taught us anything about the music business, it’s that you
don’t give up, no matter what.
Gavin:
What did you think of the reaction to it when it was finally
released?
BA:
We’ve gotten positive feedback, and that just makes us want to top
it with our next release.
Gavin:
Are there any plans in the works for a tour or sticking around to
home for now?
BA:
Our future rock-and-roll memoirs are going to need plenty of
on-the-road hijinks and tales of debauchery, so we’ll definitely
need to fit in some extended tours. But at the moment we’re all
about the "one-city tour", taking a trip to just one city
at a time for specific events. In the meantime, our local hijinks
and debauchery are coming along swimmingly.
Gavin:
Going state-wide, what are your thoughts on the local music scene,
both good and bad?
BA:
The good is that there is a ton of great musical talent in Utah.
There are also a few venues that try hard along with City Weekly and
Slug Magazine to get people excited about local music. The bad
however, is most this musical talent goes unnoticed. Many radio
stations say they support local music, but it seems like KRCL is the
only one that actually plays local music during hours when there is a
captive audience paying attention. We have been turned on to so many
new bands over the years by listening to KRCL and would like to say
thank you KRCL for supporting local music for real. UtahFM, where
Portia Early now resides, is another great local music supporter and
we love listening to their internet radio station. Its too bad that
the only way most local radio stations try to show their support for
local music is by throwing a "battle of the bands" once or
twice a year. Which causes local bands to fight over the prize (which
is usually opening for some bigger touring act) like a pack of dogs
fighting over the last piece of meat in hopes they will finally get
their big break! These competitions hurt the music scene by turning
artists against each other when they should be working together. We
know why radio stations really host these battles, but we will leave
that up to the readers to decide for themselves.
Gavin:
Is there anything you believe could be done to make it bigger or
better?
BA:
Salt Lake City needs a central hub for local music. We need a venue
that caters to the counter-culture crowd where local bands are always
playing, and it needs to draw the same people in every weekend--like
New York's CBGB in the 1970's. That venue was the birthplace of
American punk music. Where's our CBGB? Where's our local music
headquarters? That's the only way that a solid music scene is going
to develop here.
Gavin:
Aside yourselves, who are your favorite acts in the scene right
now?
BA: Our
favorites are Tolchock Trio, Cavedoll, The Vile Blue Shades, Muscle
Hawk, Fat Apollo & The Cellulites and Ayin. Band-member overlap
also makes us a bit biased toward The Craving.
Gavin:
What's your opinion on the current airplay on community radio these
days and how its affecting local artists?
BA:
Once again we gotta give props to KRCL and to people like Portia
Early, Daniel Gentry and the whole UtahFM team for supporting local
artists. Without them, local artists wouldn't get any airplay at all.
Without naming any names, we have to say it's unfortunate that
certain local radio stations that claim to be independent refuse to
play independent music, opting to fill air time with recycled 90's
staples like Sublime instead of using that time to support local
acts.
Gavin:
What's your take on file sharing these days and how it affects you as
musicians?
BA:
File sharing is just a fact of the modern world, whether you agree
with it or not. These days you’d have to be delusional to think you
can support yourself as a musician off of song sales alone. Financial
support has to come from other facets of the industry. Technology is
a positive thing for musicians like us, though, because it means we
can get our music out to more listeners more easily, and that’s
what really counts.
Gavin:
What can we expect from you guys over the rest of the year?
BA:
Our fortune cookies tell us we’ll find love in an unusual place,
so that’s promising. Other than that, we’ll be performing at
local venues, we’ll be putting some music videos together, and
we’ve got a third album in the works. Plus, we’re checking into
some indie and subsidiary labels in order to expand our
exposure.
Gavin:
Is there anything you'd like to plug or promote?
BA:
We'll be playing Music @ Main on July 13th, Club Vegas on
July 16th, and UtahFM's first big local show August 21st
at Bar Deluxe.
Swagger (Stephan Wallace, Rick Butler, Mark Mottonon, Dennis Harrington, Eric Slaymaker & Sam Cotrell)
http://www.swaggertheband.com
Gavin:
Hey guys, first off, tell us a little about yourselves.
Rick:
Swagger was formed by me in
April 2007. I moved to Utah in 2006 after spending twenty-five years playing
music in California. The rest of the group is made up of local
musicians with the exception of the fiddle player Dennis Harrington.
Dennis has been the string music director for the Park City School
District for twelve years. After several line up changes, this group
formed and everything fell into place. I just knew I had the right
players to take on my journey.
Mark:
Swagger is Rick Butler - Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin, Primary
Songwriter. Dennis Harrington - Fiddles, Vocals, Golfer and Lover.
Sam Cottrell - Guitars, Vocals, Green Tambourine and Diatribes.
Stephan Wallace - Bass, Vocals, Vociferation and Hockey. Mark
Mottonon - Drums and Percussion, Voice of Reason.
Gavin:
What got you interested in music, and who were some of your favorite
acts and musical influences growing up?
Rick: All
of us started at an early playing music in Junior High School Band.
As our music education grew so did our desire to play more
instruments. Speaking for myself, my influences on Celtic music are
varied. As a writer Van Morrison, Christy Moore, Shane McGowen and
Elvis Costello stand out. Musical influences are The Young Dubliners,
Flogging Molly, The Chieftans, The Pogues, The Elders, The Tossers,
U2, Ryan Adams and Enter The Haggis.
Stephan:
Dennis's father had an extensive classical music collection and
Dennis started playing piano and violin at eight. Classical, especially
Vivaldi. Bach, Pagannini, Rachmaninov, Slade, and Rush. Sam's
neighbor was Jay Ruben (Music Village in Ogden) and he started guitar
at nine. He is also a Beasley - Neil Diamond, Franky Lane, Eric Johnson,
Led Zeppelin, Jeff Beck, Big Country, the Alarm, the Fixx, Jethro
Tull, Genesis, Stephen Stills, David Gilmoure. Rick started out in
Jr. High Band on Sax - Stevie Ray Vaghan, the Pogues, U2, Van
Morrison, the Waterboys, the Doobie Brothers, Robin Trower, Bad
Relgion, Mark's uncle is Glen Garrett (Fowler Brothers, Danny Elfman,
Buddy Rich) and his other uncle is a drummer - Boston, Styx, Kiss
followed by Miles Davis, and Frank Zappa. Stephan found a guitar in
his garage and also did band in Jr. High playing sax -AC/DC, Pink
Floyd, Led Zeppelin, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, ZZ Top. We are all
commonly influenced by the Pogues, Led Zeppelin, Monty Python, the
Muppet Show, Terry Gillam, and Bill Murray.
Gavin:
How did you all meet each other and formed Swagger?
Rick:
I walked into the Piper Down
in the fall of 2006. I told owner Dave Morris I just moved to town &
was looking for musicians to start an Irish band with. He gave me a
couple numbers and I called around town. I did not get a very good
response at first. Later I got a call from Dennis Harrington
who expressed some interest. I went to Back Beat music and asked
for a list of local drummers. Dennis contacted Sam Cottrell who
played guitar. Sam contacted Stephan. Spring 2007 we all met at my
studio & the band just clicked right away.
Sam:
Rick moved up to Utah from SoCal, after playing with the McGrath
Brothers and the Limericks for ten years, and started looking for a
band. He walked in to Piper Down and Dave Morris referred him to Eric
Slaymaker. Eric suggested he call Dennis Harrington, who had played
with Sam Cottrell in a band with Carmen Rasmussen, Sam had played in
a band at the Olympics with Stephan Wallace, and Rick just started
calling drummers from a list he got from Backbeats. Mark Mottonen
mysteriously appeared at one of our early rehearsals and dazzled us
all.
Gavin:
What made you all decide on playing Celtic influenced rock, and how
was it developing that unique sound?
Dennis:
Some of us have Celtic backgrounds, Stephan's Grandma is Scottish,
Sam has several Scottish and Irish family lines, but the two factors
that take precedence are probably the fact that the music is fun to
play and, because of that, it really stands out. To master the sound
we had a fairly long set of traditionals that we played, but as we
are prone to tinker, many of those songs now sound quite different.
Everyone has a unique background and we use the Celtic sound as the
platter we serve our influences on. We have fused in ska, country (&
western), blues, jazz, reggae, funk, salsa, and occasionally fall
into a Floyd hole. Dennis even rips into some Paganini during one
song.
Rick: I
had been playing in cover bands for ten years in California. Summer
1992 I saw The Fenians playing in a park in Orange County. I was
hooked immediately. As for the rest of the band I think Celtic music
was so different from radio rock and yet so familiar because so
much music came out of the Irish culture and has ended up in
American music today that it made sense. Developing our own Celtic
sound was part of the challenge that musicians love to do. Writing,
producing and performing your own music is the most gratifying
thing a musician can do.
Gavin:
Was there any hesitation over performing since most local bands who
do this same kind of music are either cover groups or use it as a
gimmick?
Rick: Swagger
knew right away what we were going to do and how we would bring it
live. I have always worn a kilt when performing this music.
Eventually the rest of the band started to do the same. Our image
just seemed to form as we developed our sound and look. Every band
has a gimmick, ours works well for us.
Mark:
Not at all. On the national scene there are some really serious
bands doing this, the Young Dubs, Flogging Molly, the Prodigals, etc.
Rick had all ready been doing it for ten years in SoCal and Dennis for
five or six years with Eric Slaymaker. Besides, everyone has a gimmick,
even if it is not having a gimmick, some become a look and others
kitch.
Gavin:
In 2008 you recorded your debut album, Trouble On The Green.
What was the recording process like, and what difficulties did you
meet along the way?
Sam:
It was probably a bit early to get into the studio, but it helped us
begin to define what we liked and didn't like about what we were
doing. There was lots of stewing over approaches to tracking and the
usual frustrations over time and money, but we had fun as well as an
education. Hopefully things go smoother next time, which, consequently, starts this weekend.
Rick: Swagger’s
debut CD was recorded only ten months after
the band formed. Some of the difficulties came in recording the
material that was still very new. Every new band has to start from
scratch. Working out all of the details in a studio environment can
be a challenge. There are 5-6 people who have to make dozens of
decisions every day and at the end all agree on an issue &andmove
on. This process is crucial to a bands success. Getting the work done
is the only way to get yourself to the next level.
Gavin:
What was the public reaction like to the album when it was finally
released?
Rick: We
released the album in March of 2008, one week
before our first.
St. Patrick’s Day show at the Piper Down. We were pleasantly
surprised at the steady sales we were getting. We had done some media
blitzing on radio and TV but for the most part we sold CDs every
night at our shows. The first 1,000 copies have been sold &
we will be running another batch this summer.
Stephan:
It was surprisingly good. Rick's song "I Will Love You"
has resulted in us playing several weddings, and we get compliments
on some of the fun ideas we had, like infusing ska and reggae into
"Black Velvet Band", writing a song to get us into Piper
Down, and Rick's yarn about a tequila adventure in Mexico called
"Tito".
Gavin:
Now that you've becomes established around Utah, how is it for all
of you informally representing the Irish piece of the
community?
Dennis:
It's great! The Hibernians have been willing and able partners on a
few ventures, we enjoy camaraderie with some the local Catholic
parishes, and we get lots of free shots of whiskey. Ardbeg Scotch,
Maker's Mark bourbon, and Paddy's Irish are preferred.
Rick:
The Irish community has been
wonderful to us. We have worked with several churches playing various
fundraisers, benefits and free concerts. The Utah Hibernian Society
has been a huge support to us. We helped raise money to save the St.
Patrick’s Day parade with a benefit concert at Judge Memorial High
School. We are also helping Father Carley & St. Joseph’s church
by playing their Irish Festival in September to raise money for their
new church. I have a deep commitment to the church and the Celtic
music I love so much.
Gavin:
Are there any plans in the works for a second album, or just playing
gigs for now?
Rick: Swagger
will be going into the studio June 25th
to start recordings our second album. Much of the new
material has been worked out in the clubs we have been playing for
the last year. As with the first CD there will be special
guests playing on several songs. The release date has not been set
but will certainly be out before the end of the year.
Dennis:
By the time you read these responses we will be in the studio
beginning the process. May God have mercy on our souls!
Gavin:
Going state-wide, what are your thoughts on the local music scene,
both good and bad?
Mark:
There are some local acts that are doing great things and some
promising happenings. Cavedoll, Shakey Trade, and the Brobecks are
making great music. Insatiable is back at it, Royal Bliss and Ryan
Shupe and the Rubber Band have gotten national attention. Slaymaker
Hill is getting active again and Hoo Ray Who? is getting back
together. We may be in line for another resurgence in local music.
Things seem to have dropped way off after the Olympics and that has
been compounded by the economic woes.
Rick: When
I first moved here
I was given the doom and gloom story about the local music scene. I
chose to ignore the apparent lack of a scene and concentrated on my
own project. The good thing is that no one else is playing this kind
of music here, at least not at the touring level. I choose to believe
in my own destiny. I would rather go get it myself than wait for some
one to find me.
Sam:
I think two completely contradictory things are needed to improve
things. A. If you want to draw a crowd you have to meet them half way
with accessible music. The average bar hopper doesn't care that you
just channeled Zubin Mehta meets Taj Mahal in your solo, he wants to
pick up chicks and chicks want something to dance to. Once you have
them move on to B. B. We need more diversity in our local sound. You
see a lot of punk/metal bands, blues/classic rock bands, and
reggae-folk-jam bands in Salt Lake. Some of them are really good, but
you aren't adding much if you copy them. We all have been through
those stages, but eventually you realize that the world of music is
as big as the world we live in. What interests you? You can take
those common threads and mix them with the eclectic without losing
your audience or your integrity.
Gavin:
Is there anything you believe could be done to make it bigger or
better?
Rick: It
has been very difficult for musicians to get decent pay in this town.
Musicians drive a music scene and they have to make it happen. I
would ask them to push for better pay, bring a good show and keep
playing. There needs to be more festivals and concerts that local
musicians can be included in. By pulling from the local musicians a
healthy music scene can flourish.
Dennis:
The Utah Musician's Breakfast Club is a great start, look them up on
Facebook. We all need to get together and figure things out. The
club owners are welcome, booking agents, management, and engineers as
well. We think that by getting the most active locals together to
stuff their faces, nurse their hangovers, and discuss what is on
their on their mind once a month, will have some positive
results.
Sam:
It would be nice to have more established live venues. The weeding
out of our best places, the Speedway (yes, we are that old), the Dead
Goat, Port O' Call, and the Zephyr, has left a void, and in some
cases, a visible scar, on the downtown scene. Piper Down and Club
Vegas are great venues, but have their established crowds and
applicable music. That isn't a bad thing at all, but there is room
for more diverse venues. It is always a fight with the establishment
to expand, but thanks to some local businessmen, like Dave Morris,
things are happening in the positive. I grew up Mormon
and I understand where some of these people are coming from, and I am
glad people like Dave have gone to them and had respectful
discussions rather than the usual back and forth mud slinging. The bigotry has got to stop on both sides and more understanding
established for things to continue to get better.
Gavin:
Aside yourselves, who are your favorite acts in the scene right
now?
Stephan:
Cavedoll, Shakey Trade, and the Brobecks. And any of Tony Oros's projects. Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band are still some of the most
incredible musicians this state has produced, even if you don't like
that country flavor.
Rick: Because
we primarily play Park City, I like the groups that Tony Oros has
been involved in. Not just the music but the energy and positive
effect he brings to the music scene in Park City.
Gavin:
What's your opinion on the current airplay on community radio these
days and how its affecting local artists?
Rick: I
don’t listen to radio that much. With Sirius radio I can listen to
exactly what I want with out all of the dribble. I don’t know what
effect it has on any local artist. We play on the radio a couple
times a year and do some TV as well. Usually it is to promote an
event that we have coming up.
Mark:
It is nearly non-existent. KPCW in Park City has been great to us.
Randy Barton in particular. KRCL does some and there has been talk of
X96 getting someone to do it again. Mick and Allen have been very
supportive of local music with the Bandwagon on Comcast, but with
them and X96 it is the same issue for radio play. They are owned by
corporations and getting space in their programming for local guys is
next to impossible. I think also some of the past attempts have ended
in frustration between musicians whining about getting their stuff
played and getting enough listener interest. Perhaps if one of these
stations took advantage of the internet and streamed local music from
their website. Hmmm!!! The bottom line, though, is market forces. If
people take an interest in local music and get behind it these
businesses will be able to justify making room for us. It then
becomes self perpetuating and expands the scene by getting music into
more ears.
Gavin:
What's your take on file sharing these days and how it affects you
as musicians?
Dennis:
People often have never heard of you until their friend shoots them
one of your songs and then you have a new fan. It is the price of
marketing. On the other hand, if you value someone's music you should
pay them, period. If you don't pay it is tougher to make a living at
it and produce more value for you. Sure, if you are Disney's new
sexpot, studio made, pitch corrected princess, it doesn't affect your
bottom line much, but that doesn't make it right or you more
honest.
Rick: I
don’t like it. I feel that if you can write good material you
should be able to market and sell it as you please. There is so
much crap out there that you can’t see the good stuff. That is why
it is on the community radio.
Gavin:
What can we expect from you guys over the rest of the year?
Rick:
We spend most of our time out
on the road out of state. The club scene is very slow in the summer
here in Utah. We go where the people are at festivals, Casinos and
clubs. We start back up in the fall in anticipation for the ski
season. Meanwhile, we will be in the studio recording our next CD. We
are working on tour dates to go out on the road with the Young
Dubliners in March 2011.
Stephan:
A new album, the Irish Music Festival that we all owe our vocalist,
Rick Butler, for. We are still in shock and awe that he pulled this
thing off. Dennis will attempt to qualify for the WPGA, Stephan will
find the perfect bottle of... something, Rick will get stranded in Las
Vegas with a defunct transmission... wait, that all ready happened,
Sam will find a new style of facial hair that doesn't remind everyone
of less than stellar civil war generals, and Mark will participate in
a seance to commune with the ghost of Buddy Rich.
Gavin:
Is there anything you'd like to plug or promote?
Sam:
Irish Music Festival at Deer
Valley - August 1st, 2010, Doors open at noon. The Young Dubliners,
Swagger, Slaymaker Hill, the Wailing O'Sheas, and the California
Celts. We are on Facebook, MySpace, and our website. World
peace, getting Paddy's Irish Whiskey in Utah liquor stores, and TV
Land to start airing reruns of Barney Miller.
Rick:
Yes! I have teamed up with Toby Martin at Park City
Concerts to organize Utah’s first Annual Irish Music
Festival. The festival will be held at Deer Valley Ski Resort on Sunday, August 1st. Tickets are on sale at SmithTix, Ticket Cake and Piper Down. I have been working on this since I moved to Utah in 2006. I felt that there was not enough going on for the Irish community and music lovers here. After a long search for the right venue and promoter, I have finally booked my festival.%uFFFD The Young Dubliners will headline the festival. In my effort to focus on local musicians I have booked Swagger, Slaymaker Hill, The Wailing O’Sheas and The Heathen Highlander Pipe Band to play. I have also invited another band The California Celts. Local dancer Jill Crawford will be bringing her school of Irish Dance to the stage as well. We have secured Guinness and Miller Lite as a sponsor as well as many more local business owners.%uFFFD This is a family event as well & there will be a kids fun zone with games and prizes. I have secured several local vendors for our craft area as well. Deer Valley will be providing the food and beverages. There will be two Beer Gardens. The Guinness Beer Garden open to general admission and The Piper Down VIP Garden open to VIP ticket holders only. VIP tickets can only be purchased at Piper Down or by contacting Dave Morris. Sponsors for the festival are: Guinness/Miller Lite, Wingers, Piper Down, Sport Kilt, Utah Hibernian Society, St. Joseph’s Church, Sport Kilt, ComCast, Shirts Illustrated, Mzi.media & MHC Sign Design.