HMS: Did you guys study music formally?
Angus: Yeah, I went to Berkeley. I won’t say anything about that. (ha) I’ve been taking lessons since I was 13. One teacher taught me how to read music, another was a Classical teacher, Flamenco. I went to USC that had a studio guitar program, playing pop and Jazz style music. Then I came back to New York and went to the graduate program at NYU. I studied with these guys that were more New York style Jazz and have been through the “Berkeley method” of Jazz training. It’s a very specific thing. I’ve have some training in what that’s about, but it’s not my thing. I thought, “Yeah, that’s cool and all, but have you heard the live Sabbath in Belgium with the different lyrics to ‘War Pigs’? Have you heard that? It’s awesome!” And at that point your teacher looks at you like, “You pot-head!” … Well, maybe I’m not in the right place. (ha) You need to go make rock music! What about you, Andrew? You’ve had quite a bit of education.
Andrew: My mom told me to spread myself as thin as possible and study acting, singing and other studies. But music is in my family. My grandparents play banjo and mandolin. That’s why I gravitated towards Bluegrass. Even the electric guitar is still kind of foreign to me because I started out on acoustic and then jumped over to banjo and mandolin. The mandolin I use in the intro to “Chronicles” is actually my grandfather’s. No formal music training. I took voice lessons and acting - I even took a couple of dance classes if you could believe that! I’m really, really bad. There was a moment where I wanted to do musical theater… Why? I don’t know.
Angus: ‘Cause it’s a good way to meet girls! It’s the best reason to do anything, man!
Andrew: Yeah! I’m gonna’ put on these 1400’s tights and sit next to Ashley…
HMS: Now, Andrew. Your EP “Letters” has a very moving atmosphere about it.
Andrew: Thanks. You know, it was something I had recorded a long time ago and hadn’t done anything with it. I ended up playing it for our guitar player Aurelien at the house one day. He says, “Hey, this is cool. Can I add some stuff to it?” So I said, yeah. Six months later he sends it back to me and I’m like, “WOE!” It has a whole new life. Because before Aurelien, it was just acoustic guitar and easy drums. He just busts it out. So we put it on iTunes… Yeah, I was just sitting around the house one day and wrote it all in one sitting and recorded it. I like it as it’s very autobiographical. Really it was Metallica and Alice in Chains that made me wanna start singing in the first place. That’s the stuff I would sing in the shower. Singing to them was how I learned to harness pitch and things like that.
HMS: Speaking of Alice in Chains, I was listening to “I Stay Away” on my way home from work.
Andrew: Isn’t Lane Staley the best?! He sounded - I don’t how to describe it, but he sounded like a MAN! So cool…. Yeah… He was intense. Look at the “Dirt” album, even the “Mad Season” album! It sounded like it was recorded in two days. It’s a well written record and it was fresh. “Dirt” was more meticulously produced. But that’s a landmark. It’s a masterpiece…
And I think with “Mad Season” at their first gig, they never rehearsed together. They got up on stage in front of a lot of people and just started jamming! That song “Brother” (from Jar of Flies) came out of that jam.
And then when you listen to the record with the dog on three legs, it’s underwritten. It’s like they said, “Ok, I got a one and a half verses and half a chorus, that’s cool.” (ha) I guess at that time Lane was more preoccupied with how he “felt” throughout the day. That was just sad. So stay away from drugs, everybody! And Jerry Cantrell (guitars for AIC), how he worked around his particular harmony vocals was what made the Dirt album sound so tremendous. The diversity of it is amazing.
Angus: And depressing! If you listen to that album, by the time you get to “Would?” you’re like, “Awe, man!
Andrew: Then you hear a happy song and you’re all mad at it!
Angus: Tim, you know, this should be a band conversation, practically.
Andrew: Dude!
HMS: We should do a Skype thing when you get all the guys together.
Angus: Yes.
HMS: Well, I just want to thank you guys for taking time out for us here and Godspeed with the new record.
Angus: Thanks, man. We’re getting to work. We’ll hit you with a sample when we get it done.
HMS: Excellent, I look forward to it.
Angus: Thank you, Tim. As soon as we have any news or updates, we’ll be posting it on the Facebook page and our web site. When we get your link we’ll share it everywhere we can.
HMS: Again, I appreciate you guys and talk to you soon.
Angus and Andrew: OK, man thanks. Take care, now.
(I told my friend at work that the interview took on a life of its own and he said, “Man, you can’t be a fan and expect things to go the way you have it on paper.” He’s right, but you know what – it can’t be all business either. This was one of those times where business went out the window. I hope I have more like this…)
Once more, thanks to me wife for the dictations, Angus Clark, Andrew Ross, Al Pitrelli and Joel Hoekstra for being super cool dudes! Check out Angus and Andrew at daredevilsquadron.com, angusclark.com, andrewmross.com and their respective Facebook pages. Get DareDevil Squadron music on at amazon.com. Gear and music on the DDS web site also.
“You got your Super Man, I got my evil plan. Got my kryptonite, it’s alright! You got your Power Trip, well you’re gonna slip (like I knew you would) It’s all good!”
Tim Duran, HMS
Lunatic's Serenade Menu