Milwaukee's Strangest Places has been around for a few years now, but is their latest disc, the accomplished "Very Loud Thoughts," released on the local Sparkler Records imprint, that will likely introduce the band to many Milwaukeeans.
Richly layered, the record is an accomplished set of modern rock songs, driven by soaring guitars. The disc, the band's second, was recorded at WMSE's studio and is among the first Sparkler releases.
We recently chatted with Strangest Places about the band, the record, working at WMSE and about their participation in Sparkler Records.
OMC: Tell us about how the band got together and especially how the current line-up came to be.
Jonathan Granger (lead vocals, keyboards): The band's seeds were planted around 1996, after (guitarist) Tim Johnson and I left a garage band to start something of our own. It was a two-man writing/performing show for years, until we started enlisting our friends to play instruments we physically couldn't play live. We were called Nowhere Fast at the time ... a very telling moniker. We just couldn't get the ball rolling.
It wasn't until about 1998 that Tim and I got this "songwriting" thing down, and really started to crank out the songs. We're a great team now. We just feed off each other's ideas and the tunes just happen.
Tim Johnson (guitar): A few months after we cut our first album in 1999, our bass player at the time decided to leave the band to pursue other interests. Luckily, we obtained Dave as our new bassist after meeting him through mutual friends.
Before we even knew that Dave could play both bass and guitar, he had already offered to design all of the artwork for our first album. We asked him to play a basement show with us when our current bassist at the time was going to be out of town, and Dave has been in the band ever since.
When it came time for us to delve into new material, it became apparent that a drum machine wasn't cutting it anymore, and the new sound needed a real drummer. We ended up recording our entire second album with former Men From Mars drummer Dan Hanke. Dan had been involved in a number of other music projects while recording and playing with us in 2001, and has since parted to concentrate on other projects.
OMC: How does the band benefit from the experiences that members like Dan Hanke and Joe Ramirez bring from previous bands?
JG: Both Dan and Joe have been playing in bands for years. People will remember Dan (drums) best from Sometime Sweet Susan, and Joe (guitar) from Dearly Beloved. Any time you get someone who has been on the scene for awhile, there are instant rewards. They know everyone: club owners, managers, other bands... you can network like no tomorrow. And they'll bring their own audiences from the bands they used to play in.
They've got experience under their belts. They bring a refined talent into the group, which makes everyone else play better. On a more rudimentary level, having these guys on board also means you can play parts you were never able to reproduce before in a live setting.
DC: It's like a melting pot of influences. I think it's amazing we can all sit down and come up with coherent songs. The experience really helps suppress egos as well; no one's trying to be the centerpiece of any song. Everyone's aware of the song as a whole. Everyone can ask "how does this fit?" and be very honest.
OMC: Your second disc "Very Loud Thoughts" was recorded at WMSE. You guys were involved in the setting up of that studio, weren't you?
JG: Well, we didn't set it up, but we were among the first to record music at WMSE studios. I think we were the first to record a full-length album there. So it was a learning experience for both the radio station and us.
DC: WMSE's studio has been around for a while. They'd record all the bands that come through and play live on the air which we had done that in early 2001. But through talking with (WMSE engineer/producer) Billy Cicerelli and (station manager) Tom Crawford, they wanted to try being an actual recording studio, and we were the guinea pigs. It was definitely a learning experience for everyone, but the whole process was a lot of fun and it turned out great. I guess in some ways we did help them figure out various things with the setup they had. I think they ended up buying a new computer and some ProTools plugins with the money we gave them, and they also proved to MSOE that they could operate as a recording studio and bring in money.
OMC: Tell us about how it was to work in the station's studio. How did it compare to working in other studios in town? Was the vibe any different?
TJ: This was actually the first time we had recorded in a real, professional recording studio. We recorded the first album by ourselves with a couple microphones and several computer sequencing programs. Billy had taken way more time with us and our album than we would have been able to afford at any of the other studios around town. I don't think we could have gotten a more enjoyable recording experience anywhere else.
JG: Working at WMSE was a dream. Totally different vibe from recording in a regular studio. They've got the latest gear (full ProTools studio) as well as prototype equipment, and a guy who knows how to use everything. They have a very friendly, giving staff who actually care about you and the quality of music you're making. These are people who want you to do well. WMSE's attitude was "let's take this slow, and get it done right." And we all really appreciated that.
OMC: The disc is also one of the first to come out on Sparkler Records. How did you become involved with the label?
JG: Sparkler Records approached us at our CD release show at Shank Hall last May. They liked our sound and work ethic, and after meeting with them, we liked what they had to offer: a blueprint to put Milwaukee musicians on the map.
TJ: Two of the members from Menlo had decided to start Sparkler Records with the desire to bring some excitement to the Milwaukee music scene. We knew Menlo's drummer, Joe Kirschling, through both Dave Clay as well as some other mutual friends, and they approached us about joining up with the label. We've been with them since April, and its been going very well. All of the bands on the label are very supportive of the other bands as well as Milwaukee music in general. We're pretty excited to see how the label will grow in 2003.
OMC: Why did you decide to release your record with Sparkler rather than on your own or with another label?
JG: "Very Loud Thoughts" actually was self-released. It wasn't until a few months after that we joined up with Sparkler Records. Our relationship with them is one of mutual promotion. They help promote our release and we help promote the label and its members. With Sparkler, we have the option -- at any time -- to resign with a different and/or larger label at no penalty. That was one of the reasons we chose to run with Sparkler.
DC: Sparkler Records isn't trying to be major independent label as much as it's trying to be a supportive collective of local rock bands. From day one Sparkler Records' goal has been to push the Milwaukee music scene further, not to make money or make it big. It's a vehicle for local bands to join together and get more recognition, aid in promotion and maybe even challenge Milwaukee clubs to do more for local bands. The label couldn't be happier if we were to "make it" or get signed with a major label. That's kind of the idea; it brings more attention to the Milwaukee scene.
OMC: Other than the common label, are their connections between Sparkler bands?
TJ: To me, many of the bands have a very similar vision of what they want to do and how they want to sound musically. All of the bands have different influences, but I feel collectively, the bands on this label are really good rock bands. I feel we all have an appreciation for bands that are not only entertaining to watch live, but also write solid songs. I think all of the bands on the label share that same vision.
JG: Sure. Milwaukee's not the biggest place in the world, and the music scene here is pretty tight-knit, so there are many non-label connections. Some of us have had gigs together before, some of us work together, others have been long time friends. For example, our bassist works with the drummer from Menlo. And one of the guitarists in Koala and I followed U2 around on their last tour.
OMC: Will the band be hitting the road to support the disc outside Milwaukee?
Todd Hellman (drums): Hopefully, yes. The rough part in succeeding on the road, however, is money and getting airplay on college stations to bring a crowd. There's no point in packing your bags with no education on the system and how fickle the road can actually be. You may only have a couple chances to tour in your life - you don't want to rush a tour because you're excited.
JG: We'd like to, but it's hard to set up shows without a booking agent or manager. With our current connections, we have gigs lined up in Chicago and Minneapolis. We're working on Indianapolis, Iowa City and some East Coast cities (Boston, New York/New Jersey area).
OMC: What's next for Strangest Places?
JG: Lots of shows and heavy promotion. We'll be sending out CDs to 100 of CMJ's top radio stations, followed by a heavy national radio request campaign. Meanwhile, we'll probably also put the wraps on a new record, which is about halfway done now.
TH: Hopefully we'll sign with a manager with some pull in the industry and/or some entertainment agencies who book in various clubs in different cities. I've worked with different managers and agents who don't have a clue about the reality of this business and listen to what a band's goal really is. ... Money is great, but trying to have everybody listen to originals while trying to crack the market is much more exciting.
Visit the band's Web site at www.strangestplaces.com.
Strangest Places shares the bill with labelmates Capital 8, Fri., Jan. 31 at Shank Hall, 1434 N. Farwell Ave. Cover is $6 and showtime is 10 p.m.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
