My musical friend Spud Davenport is releasing a 5-song EP titled Assterisk*.
I got an advanced copy and have been loving it; I can't wait for him to put this out into the world.
It's super well-produced, thoughtful and funny songs that really bounce.
Sure, it probably has no place on the charts because it doesn't fit into a Sabrina Carpenter pop world nor does it fit into a Bon Iver introspective world.
But who gives a shit?
If you love real songs and get it into your ears, you're gonna love it no matter how few or many likes it has.
I wanted to sit down with Spud over a beer and interview the man about this record, as if I were an actual journalist.
Here is that interview.
Which track best represents the album-even if it isn't the single?
Zoo America.
It’s where this project started out. I was having dreams of panoramic camera shots spanning a once positive and thriving America. Factories and farms that were shut down. Ghost towns where people once raised their families. Broken-down Carnivals and Circuses where we used to entertain ourselves. I know a lot of folks are gonna hate to hear this, but I’ve made these visions come to life through AI. Not for the music, but the videos.
If this album were a movie, what genre would it be-and who would you cast as the lead?
Genre? Is Tarantino a genre? I see Sean Penn as the beat-up Uncle Sam character.
Is there a song you expect fans to misinterpret in an interesting way?
Yeah, probably ALL of them. That would make me happy because if people don’t have an opinion, they probably didn’t listen.
What one person do you want to hear this album?
Dexter Holland of The Offspring. I think he’s a top-tier Rock Satirist and I’d love to jam. (laughing)
Who’s the target audience for Assterisk*?
Fans of what artists would also like this?
Besides The Offspring? Well, in the world of tongue-in-cheek Rock-n-Roll, I’d say Green Day, Cheap Trick, Elvis Costello, the Kinks, Frank Zappa, the Replacements, Todd Snider, Tom Waits, Randy Freeking Newman (laughing)
What’s your favorite one-line lyric on the album?
I’ve got a few but probably the best:
Why try being decent when it’s such a hassle?
You make it look so easy to be an asshole.
What pushed you toward this sound on this record compared to your previous work?
Well, the big push was getting back to tracking drums myself. The last two singles I did with Christopher Hoffee, I used Matt Lynott (The White Buffalo) on tubs so that I could "lead the parade" as the frontman / singer. This time it was just Hoffee and me, bangin’ it out. And it became this spontaneous thing that I’ve not done very often.
Does this album have its own identity instead of just being a collection of songs?
Yessirree. The 5 songs are all about the current state of America and the ass clown in the White House. Most of America knows that Democracy is being challenged, and this EP is most likely the beginning of a SERIES of recordings, chronicling these historic moments.
Which song on the album changed the most from demo to final version?
And why?
That would be Sloganeer because I brought it into Hoffee as a piano ballad, and we hated it. (laughs) So after various attempts, I said, "Hey, let’s see how we can conjure up a Merry-go-round, Carnival sound"
And with my co-producer’s magic, that’s how it got there.
Is there a song you're proud of that you know will never be a "crowd favorite"?
Yeah, Asshole. Because it’s sooooooo relatable, and outside of the orange menace, even assholes will be offended.
What was the hardest lyric to keep because it felt a little too honest?
Probably in Zoo America. I’m singing:
When monkeys become King, they’ll ruin everything
Or is that exactly where we’re at?
When the bullshit gets deeper, we’ll need a new Zookeeper
To shovel all the elephant crap."
I looked at Hoffee and asked, "Is this too ’on the nose’?"
He said, "You’re way past that now."
What about your most recent music video, Man Baby?
EDITOR NOTE: Video is at the bottom of this page
Oh MAN, baby! (laughs) My finest moment, probably the greatest of all moments, ever, in history!
Anyway, going back 9 years, I had written this tune when the Orange Julius was first in office.
I had people around me saying, "You don’t want to alienate half the country, do you? Ya know, like Michael Jordan said, even Republicans wear sneakers"
And at the time, I agreed. But when America hired him a second time, that’s it. Gloves off.
Man Baby is the first single from Assterisk*.
It's an amazing video.
The AI effects are perfectly used.
What do you think about working with AI?
The video is my second produced with the help of AI. And I’ve been getting a bit of heat over this. But I know, the pioneers get the most arrows and I love it.
I’m finding ways of making it create my vision, not create the idea. And I gotta say I will NEVER use it to make music. That’s for people who don’t want to make the commitment to learning an instrument and practicing the art of songwriting. Besides, child labor laws would probably prevent me from filming a Baby T. (laughs)
I had a blast putting the video together and I hope it makes people smile, chuckle, or flat-out guffaw.
How long are you going to keep writing and recording music?
Is music a habit you can’t quit?
"A habit I can’t quit". There’s a song in there somewhere, buddy. Yes, I am a miserable fuckwad if I’m not writing and recording. I’ve tried to give it up but, no, that ain’t gonna happen. And I hope to make some more music with this good friend of mine in our band, Leaders In The Clubhouse. Maybe you’ve heard of them?
