TOWNSHIP
PHOTO BY: Jillian Santella  l  WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/thefamilytownship

Interview answered by Marc Pinansky

HOW DID THE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO JOIN THIS BAND COME ABOUT?

For me, it was the opportunity to start the band itself, when I heard that Greg had moved to Boston. It was early Autumn 2005. I had met him a couple of times throughout the years and even participated in a session together organized by a producer we had both worked with. When he arrived in Boston we were both still nursing our wounds from post band break-ups, but were also both ready to get back on that horse and tame it. I knew that we appreciated a lot of the same music, but when we hung out we realized that we were both in the same emotional state. The time was right and we immediately went to work assembling the rest of the team.

THE BAND HAS SELF-RELEASED TWO EP’S AND TWO FULL LENGTH ALBUMS IN JUST LESS THAN THREE YEARS. WOULD YOU CALL YOURSELVES SONG WRITING MACHINES?

We are machines in the sense that it is one of primary functions as individuals and as a unit, but I wouldn’t say that we are machine-like in that we spit out songs in a perfunctory manner. We write out of necessity to both satisfy our desire to express and to keep both the band and fans interested and evolving. It is something we are compelled to do, so we have no choice, but we are in the lucky position of all working so well together. It is a fascinating process. We love all of our songs, but we know that there are always bigger, better and deeper songs to be written, so we just keep writing and crafting. We are quite hard on ourselves about the quality, so that keeps us pushing forward. The other important step is to get it out there by whatever means necessary so people can hear it, you can tour on it and you can get to work on a new project. That, thankfully, seems to be intrinsic in the song writing process for us – see it through to fruition.

YOUR LATEST ALBUM TITLED “TOWNSHIP, VOL. 1” WAS RELEASED IN FEBRUARY. DOES THE “VOL. 1” IN THE TITLE INDICATE A NEW START OR BEGINNING FOR THE BAND?

It does, in a way. The Vol. 1 represents what we were able to accomplish by ourselves while showing a glimpse of the future. We signed with King Yum Management in the Fall of 2009 and it really represented a new phase for the band. King Yum wanted to make our lives easier on the road by offering one comprehensive musical package, the cream of the crop, for folks who were unsure where to start. It was getting difficult as we played more and more new cities to be able to suggest which CD to buy when there are 4 discs on the table and we play songs from all of them. King Yum put out a beautiful, remastered collection that makes the decision easy. The artwork and larger release of this disc also signifies the future of Township as our team has grown larger and stronger. We are all very proud of what the Vol. 1 represents, and it is indeed a volume of work that correctly suggests many more to follow.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY HAS INFLUENCED AND INSPIRED YOUR MUSIC THE MOST OVER THE YEARS THAT HAS MADE YOU THE MUSICIAN YOU ARE TODAY?

Passion over proficiency. Communicating to the listener. My love and interest in technical heroics ebbs and flows, but hearing someone whose voice shines through, literally or through their instrument or words or as collective group, stops me dead in my tracks and I can feel it in my heart. Music is a craft like any other and it takes years upon years to find your comfort level and voice. I think what is tricky is that it is never really clear to oneself when they are getting there; it is the audience who lets you know. My level of skill on various instruments has always been about reaching where I need to be to communicate what I am trying to say.

THE CLASSIC ROCK AND ROLL SOUND SEEMS TO FIT THE BAND LIKE A GLOVE. IS IT ALWAYS A CHALLENGE AS A MUSICIAN TO CREATE YOUR OWN STYLE OF ROCK AND ROLL BECAUSE THE GENRE HAS BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES?

It has been a challenge, but strictly a fun one. Every member of the band believes that the genre is a highly respectable art form. We are students of Classic Rock. If an influence shows, we are aware of it and think of it as a display of our studies. Classic Rock in its infancy was like a crab – its body was (and remains) electric guitars, drums, bass and voice, but the legs spread out into so many exciting permutations, from psych to latin to fusion, etc. What has been pumped down people’s throats (ears) for the past 10-15 years is only the easily digestible, known “hits.” Make no mistake, we love and respect these songs just as much, if not more, than anyone listening, but it has severely over-shadowed a rich history of experimentation and ultimately wonderful, passionate music. We draw influence and inspiration from all these forgotten masters and innovators, and when it is filtered through our own experiences, abilities and sensibilities, it becomes something familiar yet new. Interestingly, we do not choose to adhere to one particular “sound,” that is just what seems to come naturally to our group. This is not a genre that is any way dead or done evolving. As any true art form, it is a respected medium within which to work, but it requires an appropriate amount of study and copious amounts of passion, because after all, it is rock n’ roll and that comes from the gut – which is equidistant from the heart and the crotch.

THE COOL THING ABOUT THE TIMES WE ARE LIVING IN NOW IS THAT THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT. DO YOU AIM TO WRITE LYRICS WITH A CERTAIN THEME OR JUST WHATEVER IS ON YOUR MIND SOMETIMES?

Ultimately, the over-arching lyrical bend to the band is about being human and all the struggles, urges, bad, good, hopelessness, redemption, damage and sweetness that comes with it. There are certain themes I would love to address constantly – injustice, intolerance, environment, but the phrase that ignites the lyrical process must happen organically.

The music tends to come first for a lot of our songs, because we mostly write together. The melody will begin to appear based on the way the music is moving me and usually the pattern and phrasing of that melody will begin to form words on its own. From those initial lyrical bits, the story and/or theme will unfold. We are predominantly a rock n’ roll band, and thusly a lot of our songs are upbeat or stompy or just generally exciting, so we probably have equal amounts of lyrics about sex, good times, wild places and things like that, because that is where the music takes us. Other times, things will delve deeper and darker, but personally, as the lyricist, in those songs I try to either examine both sides of a story or make the theme itself a little more ambiguous. By taking this approach, I find I am less apt to alienate or divide our listeners, and they can draw their own meanings and conclusions. The songs that stick with you are the ones that you have created a personal attachment to because the lyrics remind you of a particular time or event. It doesn’t matter what the writer intended, it matters what the listener creates. I do feel that musicians have a platform in which to shed a larger light on issues, but as much as I want to make people think, I’d rather have them be entertained. I don’t want to be a distraction from all that is happening around us, but I do want people to know that it’s ok to let their hair down, feel the beat and have a good time with a bunch of strangers for awhile. We are ultimately entertainers, and that is a noble and necessary function to serve in life.

HAS THERE BEEN MANY LINE-UP CHANGES SINCE THE BAND STARTED, AND IS IT ALWAYS HARD TO CONNECT WITH SOMEONE NEW ON A CREATIVE LEVEL AGAIN AND GET THE BAND BACK ON TRACK?

The nucleus of the band has always been John, Greg and myself. Our rotating spot has been the additional guitar. We have been very fortunate, but also careful, to always have aligned ourselves with great musicians who fit well with the band at the time, but also have their own personality and sound to enhance and push the band. Due to the level of skill with each of these players (Jason Gillis, Carter Tanton, Matty Smart), we never lost any ground in being able to step right on stage and kick ass in the way that people expected from us. The pattern of absorbing that new sound into the fold always seemed to follow the same schedule - 3 months and we are already comfortable and inspired to be writing new material with the new unit, 6 months and the “new guy” feels is completely gone, and by 8 months we are stronger than before and ready to make new record. Although it’s always a bit daunting to lose a member, we viewed the change-ups as an exciting opportunity to have a new writing partner and to push ourselves into unknown territory. Now with Alex (Necochea) for the past year, it was immediately apparent that this band was THE band. Alex has been able to take all the parts of our previous players, and add another totally new sonic palette and prowess to the band. His power is unmistakable and his writing talents and vision have shown us that we finally have the fourth pillar.

THESE DAYS LESS AND LESS PEOPLE ARE BUYING CD’S. HAVE YOU GUYS ALSO CONSIDERED DIFFERENT WAYS OF RELEASING YOUR MUSIC?

We always revisit different ideas on this, but we always come back to the fact that we ultimately need to press CD’s to send to radio, press, etc., so the CD must still be there as the ultimate promo tool. We have always had our music available on-line in about 20 different locations and make sure that it coincides with the physical release. We occasionally do exclusive on-line things, but generally, we have followed a pretty basic release pattern. Now that things are growing we are able to finally discuss the growing popularity in vinyl, download cards, DVD’s and exciting options that weren’t previously within our budget.

ONE OF THE FUN THINGS ABOUT TOURING MUST BE THAT YOU NEVER REALLY KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO GET WHEN IT COMES TO VENUES?

That is for sure. Or rather, you never know what a venue, when empty and in the day, is going to look and feel like when it is showtime. I get very excited by this transformation – it’s like the club is this personified, nocturnal being that comes to life just after dusk. It also really does cement the fact that you are in a new town, city, state or country when you see the different stickers on the walls, accents of the staff, things on the menu and beers on the walls. When I first walk into the new venue, I never lose the childlike wonder and small amount of satisfaction taken for the hard work to think, “Wow, look where music has taken me to today.”

HAVE THE EXPERIENCES THAT YOU’VE HAD WITH THIS BAND ON THE ROAD OVER THE YEARS, REVEALED SIDES OF YOURSELF THAT YOU NEVER KNEW YOU HAD?

Why, who have you been talking to? I wish I could say I was joking. There are certainly mostly good sides revealed in being out there, particularly the ability and desire to meet new people and listen to what life is like in their town. When at home, I think we’re all a bit reclusive, spending most free nights practicing or writing. It starts to get you wondering if you’re a shy guy or socially awkward or damaged from being up on a stage for so many years, but when you’re forced to interact with total strangers for most of the day, it helps to show that you can still connect with folks and you are a normal person.

That being said, there are wild elements in being on the road that reveal other sides, as well. It’s not a normal life to have a very few responsibilities on tour other than playing the absolute best you can and being places on time. The playing is indeed extremely hard work. It can come easy to you in a natural sense, but if you’re not working hard, than don’t waste people’s time. That leaves a lot of area for killing time and decompressing after a very highly energetic and rewarding hour or two (or three). Leave it to say that we get in trouble sometimes. We are not malicious guys in any way, but sometimes it can get the better of you. It might come from a positive place of feeling good about the show and being in band with your best buds, but things can get out of hand. We try and keep this in check, but as we say in the band, sometimes The Wolf gets loose.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

We’re most excited to announce that we are heading back into the studio at the end of October to record our new album. It will be released in early March 2011. We’re dying to capture this new batch of songs. It’s the record we were born to make.

Other than that, I’d like to reiterate that we are a band doing everything on our own without the support of the label system. We are proud of this, and survive solely on music sales and touring, so it’s nice for the fans to know that they are directly responsible for keeping us moving and growing. This is a unique time for bands to have so much power in their own hands. We embraced this new development in the music industry, because it was perfect for a band like us, since rock n’ roll seems to be “outsider art” again. The hard work you have to put in to hustle and build a grassroots following is ultimately going to make you a better band and really just brings things back to what it is supposed to be about – believing in your art enough to do whatever it takes to play it in front of and for as many as people as possible. You can release it on your own, you can tour on your own and eventually, you can survive on your own. This forces you to check out as many bands as possible to help make friendships and connections, and now with EVERYTHING on-line it’s so easy and inspiring. You don’t have to quit your day job, because as long as you are near a computer, you can run your band from work right up until the point when you can quit.

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL