GREGG YDE w/ BLACK LAUREL

How did you get hooked on rock and roll?  It was unavoidable in the house I grew up in. I had four older siblings who were all into music. My brother Mike played drums and my brother Mark played guitar. We had the jam room in the basement with tapestry covered walls with Mateus bottles everywhere. Illegal ashtrays. This was the 70’s and everybody who came into my orbit had long hair and KISS or UFO shirts on. I was baptized into Rock and Roll and have been a devout follower ever since.

What was your first public/live performance like?  It was probably sometime around sophomore year in high school at our local community center in Libertyville Illinois. They hosted a weekly open mike. I don’t remember much about it except I played solo acoustic. I don’t remember being nervous. I rarely get stage fright and when I do it is usually for smaller crowds. The intimacy of playing to a handful of people can be intimidating. Throw me up in front of a packed room and I’m ready to go.

Favorite albums growing up?  The first truly great record that entered my world was the Jackson 5’s Greatest Hits. The J5 were still a young outfit and pre puberty Michael. Such a great album when Motown was still on top. Around the same time my Sister brought home the Beach Boys Greatest Hits and that really struck a chord with me. The first album I bought with my own money was around 4th or 5th grade. The Beatles Revolver. My brother Matt who was a couple years older bought the Rolling Stones Black and Blue on the same outing. By the time I was in 7th grade you could find most Beatle albums, some ELO, Chicago, Queen and the Who in my young collection. I also had that Steve Martin album with King Tut on it…..but don’t tell anybody.;)

 

Do you hear their influences still in your new stuff?  Sure, it’s all rolling around in there. I’m trying to push out the pre Jackson 5 / Osmand Brother period and I think I’ve been successful.

How did Black Laurel come about?  I was new to New Orleans and looking to get back in the game after a long sabbatical as a family man. I just started asking around for like-minded musicians. My buddy and co worker at the hardware store I worked at in the Quarter played, so we got together, wrote some songs. When we felt we had a set, we went to Craigslist to find a rhythm section. The rest will hopefully be history. Of course, I’m the only original guy left. It has been addition by subtraction ever since.

Did you have specific goals for the recording sessions for debut EP?  We just wanted to capture our sound as economically as possible. The EP is just us playing live with a quick overdub session for vocals and some doubling of rhythm guitar and solo’s. It was produced by Rick Nelson of Afghan Whigs at Marigny Recording Studio, just down the street from my house. The next one we hope will be more relaxed, but money for diy bands is always tight.

Were the songs all new or were there some that you had been sitting on for a while?   Two of the songs were written by our bass player, Rade Pejic and I’m assuming are current. Of my five songs, all were newer, with the exception of ‘Set Your City Free’ which was written awhile ago. The line “were gonna march into your town. Knock all your statues down” was about the invasion of Iraq but in New Orleans, everyone thinks it’s about the removal of Confederate monuments.

How would you compare Chicago and New Orleans in terms influence to Black Laurel’s music?  New Orleans references are sprinkled  throughout our lyrics. Not so much musically. Chicago had a great rock scene when I was active there. Jesus Lizard, Ministry, Smashing Pumpkins, Liz Phair, Boom Hank, Veruca Salt, Red Red Meat. New Orleans is a Jazz and R&B town. There is a nice underground rock scene starting to bubble to the surface, but the tourists don’t want anything to do with it. I will say that living in New Orleans has been great for my playing as there are so many unbelievable musicians everywhere. Shake a tree and a great musician will fall out……along with some beads and discarded crawfish shells.

Songwriters often say they think of their songs as almost like their children — how do you feel about the old Nurv material when you hear it now?  Some need to go to their rooms without supper. Some deserve to go to College.

You go down to the crossroads, your rider by your side and come across the Devil  listening to “Judy Brown. He wants to strike a deal — he wants your guitar; what do you ask of him? 

Depends on the guitar and what Trump…..er…Lucifer is offering in return.

ALYNDA LEE SEGARRA w/ HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF

Does the name ‘Hurray for The Riff Raff’ reflect a personal or band philosophy of sorts?  I would say the name comes from my love and feeling of camaraderie for the underdog of all walks of life. Growing up in New York City exposed me to people who live on the fringes of society and sometimes go unseen yet they have so much unique energy they give the city. The homeless subway singers, the runaway teenagers from middle america, the gender benders, and the Puerto Rican Poets of the lower east side. I felt at home with this lot of folk right away.

Do you have a favorite track on the new release, Look Out Mama?  I’d say my favorite track is “Ode to John and Yoko”, it was really fun to record and mess around with. Andrija Tokic really helped me bring that song to life. I had the song and some ideas but him and Sam Doores had a lot of great ideas about how we could use Beatles-esque recording tricks etc to make it what it is. Dan Cutler is the man when it comes to vocal arrangements, so with the help of the whole team this recording came about and I couldn’t be prouder.

How did the relationship with the HBO show ‘Treme’ come about?  Treme has been awesome about wanting real New Orleans musicians on the show, the crew really respects New Orleans artists and they want us to benefit from the success. I was just lucky enough they decided to use us.

Could you have become the artist you are today had you not run away from home and the Bronx at 17?   I’m sure I’d be an artists of some sort since i’ve been making art since childhood, but I think everyone has a path and a purpose in life and great things come to you when you follow your path. It’s not always easy but it’s rewarding. It was very hard for me to leave and the life was not easy by any means, honestly I wish I could have some of that time back to connect with my family. But it was what I think I needed to do to come to the place I am now mentally and artistically. It brought me to New Orleans and to the musicians who taught me how to play, in that respect I am so grateful I took the plunge and now have this outlet.

Is that when you became ‘riff raff’?  I have always felt like riff raff since I was born. I have always felt a little different than your average bear. My aunt who raised me can attest to that! But being on the road opened my eyes in many ways. There are a lot of people in this country who have no where to call home, they don’t have food to eat. There’s also people who have an extreme amount of wealth. I learned about the privileges I have and don’t have, it taught me that balance more than anything. What I want to fight for and what I want to remember how lucky I am to have. Now I’m trying to make music that I hope will have some kind of positive effect on this country and our world.

How does your Bronx upbringing inform your music today if at all?  The Bronx is a beautiful place to grow up, there’s a lot  of the hard working people there. It’s unpretentious as it gets. These folks are also Riff Raff in my mind, the person who’s just working really hard to raise their family and seems to not be able to get a break. Where I grew up it was a lot of Irish, Puerto Rican and Dominican and Jewish families. A great mix of people. I had some a great best friend who would walk the neighborhood with me. We both grew up with a respect for our elders and a longing for the New York of the 1960’s we heard about in song and stories. We both wanted West Side Story and Doo Wop music. A lot of Puerto Rican artists sang in those groups, gals and guys from the neighborhoods singing on the street corners.  In that way it effected my music very much and that Doo Wop influence is growing. I was just singing on the corners in New Orleans with a banjo.

Do songs just ‘happen’ for you or do you have to work hard on them and build them up over time?  I do both. Sometimes they fall on you from the sky, and sometimes you have to craft them. I just try to follow my inspiration.

What comes first for you; the content? melody? chords?  Most of the time it’s melody, I normally sing something and then pick up the instrument.

What’s your feeling about categories and genre’s when it comes to your music?  I feel like it’s hard for me to pick them, but if someone else wants to go ahead. Just listen to it is what I say! If you want to call it anything, call it folk music.

What are some of your influences growing up and are they still today?   Growing up I loved Judy Garland, Madonna and Marilyn Manson! I was a strange child, I had all sorts of role models. I was also very influenced by the songs on the oldies radio station that I’d listen to with my family. But as I got into middle school I began getting really into the Punk scene. That influenced me too, I loved the energy of the live shows, the political views and the community feeling. Punk led me to American Folk music, old time, Woody Guthrie, traveling songs. Punk music led me to travel and learn songs from people I met on the road.  But it’s more recent that I’ve found John Lennon, Townes Van Zandt, Gillian Welch and Bob Dylan. When I met Sam Doores in New Orleans he introduced me to a lot of music I missed somehow. He taught me about the beauty of a well written song. I loved his appreciation and dedication to songwriting. He became a big influence of me as well, as we all down here in New Orleans inspire and influence each other.