By: Lisa Steinberg
Photo By Steven Visneau
Q) How would you describe your sound?
A) Rock & Roll. I guess you could call it alternative rock, even though that’s a pretty vague term.
Q) Who are some of your musical influences?
A) As a band, some of our influences are the Pixies, AC/DC, Talking Heads and ZZ Top. But really we’re influenced by a lot of stuff. Just about everything we hear goes into the mix in one way or another.
Q) Guitarist Clark Vogeler handled directing and editing the video for the song. What was it about your sessions with Steve Albini that made it the perfect inspiration for the accompanying video?
A) The sessions were conducted in a kind of old school, all analogue way: four guys in a room playing together with two-inch tape recording everything. That was Albini’s preferred method and a big reason we chose to work with him. By extension, that back-to-basics approach is reflected in the stark black and white footage that Clark filmed during the recording process.
Q) What made the concept for the song “The Charmer” the perfect title to use for the new album coming out in May?
A) Vaden [Lewis] has stated that “The Charmer” is that voice in your head telling you that you’re no good, that maybe you should give up. And the song and the album are about transcending and overcoming that negative urge that we all experience from time to time.
Q) What is the band’s song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?
A) In pretty much all cases, the music comes first. Vaden is the principal songwriter in the band. He will usually come up with an idea for a song, and often will present us with a demo which we’ll use as a basis to flesh out and complete it. But, occasionally, someone else in the band might have a riff or an idea. In those cases, Vaden might take the riff and make a song around it, which the band will expand on and arrange until it sounds like a Toadies song.
Q) Steve Albini lent a hand on production for your upcoming album, but how much of a say does Toadies have in the production of the music?
A) Whenever we’re recording, we offer up ideas as a band and take part in the process. Put another way, we approve of all the decisions made during the recording process and don’t do something just because the producer says so. It’s a collaborative process.
Q) What are some themes you will be exploring on your upcoming album?
A) A lot of the album came together during, and as a reaction to, the COVID lockdown. So, that provides a kind of overarching theme to the album as a whole. But each individual song is a separate entity that explores various themes, such as desire, death, depression, deprivation… all the Ds…[laughs]
Q) What do you hope listeners take away from listening to The Charmer – the album – as a whole – either as a message or emotion?
A) I really just hope they enjoy it. There’s a lot of terrible shit going on in the world right now. So, music is a way to escape that for a short time, but also it should give a feeling that the listener is not alone, that we are experiencing this life together and we can get through it together.
Q) You have plenty of live shows on the horizon. What can fans expect from a live Toadies show?
A) We’ll be playing a lot of the new album, but also won’t forget to play the old favorites that we’ve built our reputation on. It’s about coming together as a team, band and audience, transcending all our worries and fears and having a good time for a couple hours.
Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?
A) Playing anywhere is pure joy, and having an audience there to enjoy it with us is a genuine privilege. That said, we of course love playing in our home state of Texas.
Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?
A) I’ve never given this much thought, but as Kelly Clarkson has said that the Toadies are one of her favorite bands it would be cool to do something with her in the future.
Q) What artist/musician are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?
A) I’ve recently started listening to this new band from Australia called The Gnomes. They write and perform songs that are reminiscent of pop/rock from the 1960s like the early Beatles or the Kinks, with maybe a bit of 1970s power pop in the mix, but all done in a modern style. Really catchy… and they rock!
Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?
A) Most of all, thank you! Thanks for supporting us for all these years and for listening to our music and coming to our shows! Thanks for spreading the word and turning other people on to our music. Without you, we couldn’t be doing this, and we don’t take that for granted.
All Questions Answered By Mark Reznicek