Dear Friends,
It occurred to me that out of all my birthdays, this one was right up there. I mean, on my birthday I have seen Jesus Lizard and Girls Against Boys, David Bowie and Nine Inch Nails, and played a good handful of shows, too. This one was pretty cool.
I’ve learned a lot about people.
Brandon and I have now played music together in four different states. I like playing music with Brandon a lot. I love how he approaches a song. The guy is a pro.
Dave’s fun to play with, too, and both Dave and Brandon are kick ass guitar players. I love watching (and listening, too) them go to work. Dave and I have played in three states together. I’m guessing we will add more states to the list, too.
Kaz is a really good drummer. What a joy to get to discover these songs together as a rhythm section. It’s only going to get better. It’s been fun getting to know him, too.
And then there is Clif. Mr. Hanger. There is no one quite like him. In his way, Clif is a punk rock legend. It is criminally underrated that more people don’t know his work. The guy can write a lyric, that’s for sure.
The experience of doing this weekend together at this point in my life has been wild.
*****
Getting high on my own supply number 10.
All About Everything is the second full-length record we did as The Father Figures. We started working on it pretty soon after we finished the first one, Lesson No. 1. The songs really came together and the three of us, Bobby, Michael, and I, often talked about how this record felt like the record we made together since a lot of the songs on the first CD had existed in some capacity before we all became The Father Figures.
The record was recorded at Villain with Byron Filson, but we had to delay it a bit because Michael fell down while skateboarding and sprained his wrists pretty badly. Bill Goethe helped Bobby and I stay loose and rocked these songs with us while Michael recuperated. Bobby and I really thought hard about adding Bill as a fourth member of the band, but ultimately, we decided to stay on the path as a three-piece.
We love Bill, but it was the right choice.
I’m trying to remember which of these songs we came up with first in the writing process, but I can’t remember. We were rehearsing at 11th Street and Van Buren in the Francisco Studios there. We did a lot of fine work in that room.
“Maid in China” kicks off the record and this was one that I think I came up with originally. We really were working quite well together, so it is difficult for me to say it is my song (or anyone’s) because we all brought our flavors together.
It’s a fast, punk rock song that is about US policy in the Far East. Having grown up watching a lot of movies about Viet Nam, I think I have a healthy distrust for how our government has done its business on the west side of the Pacific Ocean.
This one is also the song that has made The Father Figures the most money (which is not much). It got put on a TV show, Yellow Jackets, for the briefest of seconds. We get royalties for it, though, even though the song is playing in a car that drives through a scene and you can’t even really hear it. You can just kind of hear me scream.
Our claim to fame.
“The Over/Under” was a Bobby riff to start, but Michael and I did our stuff. I like the bass line Bobby came up with a lot and it was really fun to play. The lyrics are about how it feels to not know what is going on with your own body. “Lord, help me help myself/What the over/under on my health?” The way this one builds up always makes me smile.
“Switch” is about skateboarding. It was a Michael riff. This one was pretty popular, and I enjoyed playing and singing it. The lyrics went through many iterations, but I’m very thankful we landed where we did with them. I really like what Michael did on the guitar with this one, too.
“How To Succeed” is one that I wish we would have played more. We did it a handful of times while playing live, but I would have liked to have played it more. I can’t remember who came up with the main riff, but I really liked playing the main bass line. It was a song that our friend, Bucky, always requested. It’s about working in a job that is stealing your soul.
“Hollow” was a Michael riff, I think, that became an overtly political song. I was tired of being inundated with political adds during the second Obama election and wrote about the feeling that all politicians are basically insincere. I still feel this way.
“Tin Soldiers” was one of my riffs and we played it right up until the end. It’s super simple but I love it. I came up with some pretty great lyrics and the feel of the song is kind of manic. We may have played this one as much as any other song.
“All About Everything” is the token instrumental and title track for the CD. It’s kind of a backwards riff that tries to eat its own tail. I love that about it, too. Michael came up with the idea of switching the key mid song and it made it great.
“Transparent” is about growing up on Desert Park Lane which was where my grandparents lived when I was a kid. The street is just south of Northern, and the lyrics are about my friends and I. The song is one that makes me feel kind of raw and emotional sometimes. I think most people can probably identify with outgrowing people.
“Crosstown” was a Bobby riff. I really like that one. It has a super KISS kind of feel to it and reminds me of “Detroit Rock City.” It’s about assassins and maybe a little bit about how someone might be hunting any of us at any given time.
“Fleecing the Peace” was another Bobby riff, I think, but I could be wrong on that one. My brain is failing me. I know it wasn’t mine. I did add my little flavor, of course, and I really like a lot of how this song turned out. We didn’t play this one very many times live at all. I think it never really sank the teeth into any of us. I do like it when I listen to it now, especially the backing vocals.
“Start Loud” is another riff that I came up with originally but when I listen now, I can hear how all of us made this one as cool as it turned out. Michael plays some really cool guitar on it and Bobby’s drums are super sweet. “And Mr. Preacher man, you want to save my soul? Well, there’s not much to save/but that much you know.” That’s my favorite line in the song. It’s about going through the motions.
One thing we didn’t do on this record, though, is go through the motions. I love every bit of it. All About Everything might be my favorite of all our records. I love them all, of course, but this one is really special to me. It flows so well.
We had a fun CD release party at the Crescent and put a pretty darn good crowd in there. It was a really proud moment for us. I’m so glad to be able to pop it into the CD player in my car and rock out. I really do get high on my own supply.
*****
See you tomorrow.
jazz AI.
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