Real Eyes Interview
Q: It's been twenty years since you guys started writing music together. Can you talk a little bit about how the process has changed over the years? And what has stayed the same.
A: For us, much like a lot of writers, the songwriting process starts with either a lyric hook or a music hook. Blake will usually bring the lyrics to the table and Buddy usually brings the music. Not necessarily does it always work out that way, but that’s the usual scenario. Either way, the process we go through takes two definite tracks that have become easier over the years. We either start out with a lyric or catchy saying or phrase we’ve picked up usually by overhearing a conversation or discussion. Then, we talk about it and expand on the literal side and then start playing around with some melodies. The other track is when we get a melody and we play around or improvise with what sounds good. The melody usually has a range or mode that comes with it, so it expands from there. The same is true for the first track where the lyric shows up and has a melody that comes about later. Sometimes, we are just jamming with the band and something just flies in the room and we run with it. Blake will start marking lyrics with some nonsense words or phrases and since we record all our rehearsals, we will go back and finish it lyrically afterwards.
It’s always been really easy to write together. From moment one, we were on the same page. That’s a key component. We just go with the idea. I guess it’s gotten easier because we have been doing it for so long. We aren’t very disciplined from a general standpoint. We don’t have a certain time or day that we write, but when we get together, we are very disciplined in keeping the vibe cool and open. I guess we are always writing even when nothing gets accomplished. Some weeks we’ll write 10 songs. Some weeks we won’t write anything, but we are always putting stuff in the pipeline even if it’s just ideas and not finished songs. We’ve written about 400 songs over the years and about 100 of them are pretty good (we think). Others are not necessarily bad, but their time just hasn’t come We’ve taken “bad” ones and totally reworked them to end up with a good concoction. Others, we just file away where no one can find them.
Q: Undiscovered is an album that bursts with Americana. From song titles like "Made in the USA" to the general vibe. How was this an influence on your music?
A: We are both from middle class backgrounds and always believed in the promise of America as an idea. Blake is from the south (Florida) and Buddy is from upstate New York (not far from Woodstock). So, there’s a lot of down to earth, sand in your shoes, kind of vibe. With that said, we tend to shy away from the literal meanings of things like you hear in country songs. We both tend to like the somewhat abstract or broader concepts that lend themselves to individual interpretation. Don’t get me wrong, we like the classic country stuff from Johnny Cash to Hank Williams, and the great blues players (BB King, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf) and that’s all pretty straightforward literal stuff. But the best stuff to us has a double meaning or several meanings. That’s what gives it its broader appeal.
More to your question though, a lot of our Americana or idea of America is full of the stuff of the paradox or contrast. “Made in the USA,” for example, is about the loss of what it used to mean versus what it means today.
But growing up and living in the south for as long as we have, it is impossible not to be influenced by the culture and music of the area. It’s all pretty real. Or we should say, the stuff that we like or that appeals tends to be genuine and authentic. All the rivers and bayous down here as well as the big water, tends to have a rhythm and a history to it that you just can’t help but pick up on. So, that’s where it comes out in our music. We have written on the banks of the bayous and there’s just a feeling that comes out when you’re that close.
On this album, the songs are much more polished than they are live. It’s always better live, right? But the energy from the live show, does come out in the production.
Q: Are there any general themes that run through the album that may not be so obvious to the listener?
A: Great question. A lot of the lyrical composition tends to be on the broad subject of those moments in life just before, during or after a breakdown or breakthrough. hings aren’t what they seem. The guy or girl that seemingly has it all, really doesn’t. And the person that looks lost and defeated is more powerful than you realize. The paradox of life and success. That’s definitely present on the album. A song like “Sea” is a bit cryptic both melodically and lyrically, but it’s basically a song about a guy who gains the world and has it taken back by “the sea,” which is a metaphor for greater good, karma, the universe and God. You get back double what you send out in the world, so make sure you are thinking about the net effect on the whole and not just your little greedy part.
“Picture” is probably one of my (Blake) favorite songs on the album from that perspective. It’s really well produced by Guy Prier, who’s a killer taskmaster for detail. It’s got that sense of introspection into the guy’s life and what he’s done with it, and what it all means.
Another example, “Empty Stare” is basically a third person perspective into the world of a guy who’s seemingly got it all, but is missing the point and doesn’t realize it. People with money tend to isolate themselves from the world because they feel they have left that world. Money is an intoxicant, a strange brew, that like any good intoxicant, tends to isolate the user.
Q: Are there any songs on your album that you play differently live? Are there any songs that your audience seems to love that you play live?
A: Everything is a bit faster, more raw, and longer than the record. We just see what the audience is jamming on and go with it. Buddy is such a great live lead guitar player that it’s easy to turn eight bars into 32 to let him get it all out. “Everybody knows” is a fan favorite along with “Sea.” There’s a lot of room in those songs to expand live. Some songs like “Made in the USA” and “Picture,” we really don’t play live just because they were more album songs. We do play them but they are not usually on the setlist.
Q: I would love to hear more about the recording process. it sounds like a band playing live in a room together. Can you talk a little bit about the recording process (you can talk about anything from overdubs, recording methods, etc.)?
A: Our take on a good production is to try to capture the live sound for rhythms and then add stuff that is overdubbed to polish it up a bit. We record drums, bass and rhythm guitar live with a scratch vocal. From there we add the keyboards, lead guitar, additional rhythm guitars (electric and acoustic) and vocals. We were real fortunate to hook up with Guy Prier who has an incredible studio in Oklahoma City. He got what we were trying to do from the get-go. We recorded all the basic rhythm tracks in about four hours and the rest of the album we took about a week on. We have been playing together so long that it’s pretty easy to know what the other guy is going to do, so it saves time. However, having the producer, like Guy, riding the faders to pick up on little parts that can be better, is priceless.
Q: What has the band been up to since the album dropped?
A: We have been playing live and working on our show. Our drummer, Bob “Bobby Custom” Matteson, has a rehearsal/studio (and drum museum) in a converted garage. He makes all of his own drums - very cool. Our bass player, Tom “Tom E. Deluxe” McMillan, has been playing with Bob for over 20 years. We all got together after the album was done. We worked with studio musicians for the record (Mike Myers on bass and Dustin Paige on drums). They were great to work with. We met Bob and Tom during the spring and it was magic. They are a solid rhythm section that work together like a clock. It’s been going very well. We have written about 20 new songs and we are looking to get back in the studio in the spring (2017).
Q: It's been twenty years since you guys started writing music together. Can you talk a little bit about how the process has changed over the years? And what has stayed the same.
A: For us, much like a lot of writers, the songwriting process starts with either a lyric hook or a music hook. Blake will usually bring the lyrics to the table and Buddy usually brings the music. Not necessarily does it always work out that way, but that’s the usual scenario. Either way, the process we go through takes two definite tracks that have become easier over the years. We either start out with a lyric or catchy saying or phrase we’ve picked up usually by overhearing a conversation or discussion. Then, we talk about it and expand on the literal side and then start playing around with some melodies. The other track is when we get a melody and we play around or improvise with what sounds good. The melody usually has a range or mode that comes with it, so it expands from there. The same is true for the first track where the lyric shows up and has a melody that comes about later. Sometimes, we are just jamming with the band and something just flies in the room and we run with it. Blake will start marking lyrics with some nonsense words or phrases and since we record all our rehearsals, we will go back and finish it lyrically afterwards.
It’s always been really easy to write together. From moment one, we were on the same page. That’s a key component. We just go with the idea. I guess it’s gotten easier because we have been doing it for so long. We aren’t very disciplined from a general standpoint. We don’t have a certain time or day that we write, but when we get together, we are very disciplined in keeping the vibe cool and open. I guess we are always writing even when nothing gets accomplished. Some weeks we’ll write 10 songs. Some weeks we won’t write anything, but we are always putting stuff in the pipeline even if it’s just ideas and not finished songs. We’ve written about 400 songs over the years and about 100 of them are pretty good (we think). Others are not necessarily bad, but their time just hasn’t come We’ve taken “bad” ones and totally reworked them to end up with a good concoction. Others, we just file away where no one can find them.
Q: Undiscovered is an album that bursts with Americana. From song titles like "Made in the USA" to the general vibe. How was this an influence on your music?
A: We are both from middle class backgrounds and always believed in the promise of America as an idea. Blake is from the south (Florida) and Buddy is from upstate New York (not far from Woodstock). So, there’s a lot of down to earth, sand in your shoes, kind of vibe. With that said, we tend to shy away from the literal meanings of things like you hear in country songs. We both tend to like the somewhat abstract or broader concepts that lend themselves to individual interpretation. Don’t get me wrong, we like the classic country stuff from Johnny Cash to Hank Williams, and the great blues players (BB King, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf) and that’s all pretty straightforward literal stuff. But the best stuff to us has a double meaning or several meanings. That’s what gives it its broader appeal.
More to your question though, a lot of our Americana or idea of America is full of the stuff of the paradox or contrast. “Made in the USA,” for example, is about the loss of what it used to mean versus what it means today.
But growing up and living in the south for as long as we have, it is impossible not to be influenced by the culture and music of the area. It’s all pretty real. Or we should say, the stuff that we like or that appeals tends to be genuine and authentic. All the rivers and bayous down here as well as the big water, tends to have a rhythm and a history to it that you just can’t help but pick up on. So, that’s where it comes out in our music. We have written on the banks of the bayous and there’s just a feeling that comes out when you’re that close.
On this album, the songs are much more polished than they are live. It’s always better live, right? But the energy from the live show, does come out in the production.
Q: Are there any general themes that run through the album that may not be so obvious to the listener?
A: Great question. A lot of the lyrical composition tends to be on the broad subject of those moments in life just before, during or after a breakdown or breakthrough. hings aren’t what they seem. The guy or girl that seemingly has it all, really doesn’t. And the person that looks lost and defeated is more powerful than you realize. The paradox of life and success. That’s definitely present on the album. A song like “Sea” is a bit cryptic both melodically and lyrically, but it’s basically a song about a guy who gains the world and has it taken back by “the sea,” which is a metaphor for greater good, karma, the universe and God. You get back double what you send out in the world, so make sure you are thinking about the net effect on the whole and not just your little greedy part.
“Picture” is probably one of my (Blake) favorite songs on the album from that perspective. It’s really well produced by Guy Prier, who’s a killer taskmaster for detail. It’s got that sense of introspection into the guy’s life and what he’s done with it, and what it all means.
Another example, “Empty Stare” is basically a third person perspective into the world of a guy who’s seemingly got it all, but is missing the point and doesn’t realize it. People with money tend to isolate themselves from the world because they feel they have left that world. Money is an intoxicant, a strange brew, that like any good intoxicant, tends to isolate the user.
Q: Are there any songs on your album that you play differently live? Are there any songs that your audience seems to love that you play live?
A: Everything is a bit faster, more raw, and longer than the record. We just see what the audience is jamming on and go with it. Buddy is such a great live lead guitar player that it’s easy to turn eight bars into 32 to let him get it all out. “Everybody knows” is a fan favorite along with “Sea.” There’s a lot of room in those songs to expand live. Some songs like “Made in the USA” and “Picture,” we really don’t play live just because they were more album songs. We do play them but they are not usually on the setlist.
Q: I would love to hear more about the recording process. it sounds like a band playing live in a room together. Can you talk a little bit about the recording process (you can talk about anything from overdubs, recording methods, etc.)?
A: Our take on a good production is to try to capture the live sound for rhythms and then add stuff that is overdubbed to polish it up a bit. We record drums, bass and rhythm guitar live with a scratch vocal. From there we add the keyboards, lead guitar, additional rhythm guitars (electric and acoustic) and vocals. We were real fortunate to hook up with Guy Prier who has an incredible studio in Oklahoma City. He got what we were trying to do from the get-go. We recorded all the basic rhythm tracks in about four hours and the rest of the album we took about a week on. We have been playing together so long that it’s pretty easy to know what the other guy is going to do, so it saves time. However, having the producer, like Guy, riding the faders to pick up on little parts that can be better, is priceless.
Q: What has the band been up to since the album dropped?
A: We have been playing live and working on our show. Our drummer, Bob “Bobby Custom” Matteson, has a rehearsal/studio (and drum museum) in a converted garage. He makes all of his own drums - very cool. Our bass player, Tom “Tom E. Deluxe” McMillan, has been playing with Bob for over 20 years. We all got together after the album was done. We worked with studio musicians for the record (Mike Myers on bass and Dustin Paige on drums). They were great to work with. We met Bob and Tom during the spring and it was magic. They are a solid rhythm section that work together like a clock. It’s been going very well. We have written about 20 new songs and we are looking to get back in the studio in the spring (2017).