Salem Hill: The Millenium Interview By Warren S. Moore III
1. Describe your audience:
Pat: Anybody with brains and a love of melody.
Kevin: Small, but dedicated.
Carl: SH fans (“peculiar people”) care about content. By and large, they’re well-educated, miss the meatier music from bygone days, and find us. This last fact is striking in that it flies in the face of conventional music marketing strategy. Simply put, most SH fans would have found us whether we marketed ourselves or not. They’re hungry for meaningful new stuff and they expend considerable energy seeking it out.
Mike D: There have been people who traveled from other states to see us play, people who buy all the albums and actually care about the next one coming out, etc., all of which we greatly appreciate. Other than that, they tend to be intelligent, well read and (obviously) computer-literate.
Mike A.: Actually, the audiences for our live shows here in Nashville have been quite different from those who actually listen to our CDs. When we’ve played out here in town, most people have had no idea what progressive rock is. They usually listen with slightly confused expressions, trying to figure out where the song’s “hook” is, and why it’s longer than three minutes. Then they always come up to us after the show and say the same thing; “Wow! I didn’t know there was anything like this in Nashville!” I’m still trying to figure out if that’s a compliment. The only exception was the show we did at the Boardwalk Cafe a year or so ago, when the audience consisted almost entirely of musicians, most of them friends of ours. That was a great night. Our listening audience seems to be largely European, especially in Germany and the Netherlands. Of course, prog is a much more popular idiom there, and European audiences are not as swayed by commercial radio as Americans are.
2. Now describe your ideal audience.
Kevin: Large, and dedicated. With the Internet audience, there is much more hope of reaching those select listeners who are looking for the special something I believe this band possesses.
Carl: Actually, I’m quite proud of our audience. They are ideal. I’d just like to see the size exponentially expanded!
Mike A.: An ideal audience to me is any audience that enjoys the music, and enjoys being at the show, and enjoys listening to the CD. And that’s all there is to say about that.
3. What role (if any) do you see SH playing in the ongoing conversation that is the current music scene?
Pat: I think SH is the ‘voice crying in the wilderness’, and that it’s OK to solo, keyboards are in fact COOL, and there’s more out there than getting laid. Substance is Virtue!
Mike A.: To be perfectly honest, I would prefer that Salem Hill play absolutely NO role in that conversational minefield, and that we let our music speak for itself. There is far too much nit-picking, labeling, and defensive posturing as it is. The current music scene is a wasteland, and I want us to be able to always take the high road. If that sounds arrogant or pretentious, sorry….NOT.
Mike D.: I think SH, or anyone else playing this type of music will exist outside the music “scene”. The industry is set up to cater to teenagers and people who buy large numbers of “units” of “product”. This is not meant to be a criticism necessarily but a statement of fact. If Britney Spears started doing album-length concept pieces, I doubt she’d maintain such an audience.
Carl: Granted, this is a pretentious answer, but I see us as mediators between the mainstream and the so-called “progressive” scene. We’re in a strangely unwinnable position (I’d have it no other way) in that we’re accused of being too mainstream by the hard-line progholes and too “out there” by the mainstream. To the mainstream I say “there’s more to the musical world than Britney Spears and bubble gum fluff.” To the progholes I say “melody, craft and, yes, restraint do matter.”
4. What (if anything) does SH consider off-limits?
Carl: Apparently, SH considers more things off-limits than I do. The new record is more of a democratic effort than the last two and for the first time I experienced a veto from some of my band mates on a certain word I’d chosen to use in the song “We Don’t Know”. Wasn’t a pleasant experience. Still isn’t, as a matter of fact. Although I’d fight tooth and nail if someone brought in a country or (c)rap tune, I’m fairly open. Musically, virtually anything goes. Lyrically, anything should go. I’m a firm believer in “words mean things”, and in a band as expressive as SH, I believe we should paint from a full palette. On TroM I used a couple of “profane” words in the song “Someday” to convey anger. Although I received a couple of mild complaints from some of our fans, I stand by the decision firmly.
Mike A.: Judging from the flak Carl took over the original lyrics to “We Don’t Know”, I guess the “F” word is pretty much out, at least in public. Ultimately, though, I think that the only “off-limits” areas pertain to questions of quality; When I first joined Salem Hill, what impressed me most were the standards they set for themselves, and the way they refused to let anything below those standards creep in. So far, on the new CD, we have managed to not only keep those standards, but increase them.
Mike D.: The obvious answer is: bad music. Other than that, I can’t think of anything, but if Mr. Ayers comes in with a rap piece, I might change my mind.
5. If you could compare your performance to a professional athlete, who would it be and why?
Carl: Well, from a keyboard perspective I guess it’d be Dennis Rodman. For when they find out how bad I actually am, I’m toast! For the guitar? Ugh! What a question. I guess it’d be DiMaggio or Gehrig. No unnecessary frills. No flair. Just the right thing.
Mike D.: I’m at a bit of a disadvantage here, since I really don’t follow sports much. What I try to do is answer the question, “What does the music require?” In other words, “What can I add to the piece at hand?” With a lot of the songs we’re currently working on, the answer is, “Not much.” In that case what I try to do is come up with some little small something that adds a bit of icing to the music, because we can get extremely thick sounding very quickly. So, to get back to the actual question, maybe a good offensive lineman?
Kevin: Probably a special teams offensive player, because they, essentially, establish the foundation by which the rest of the team will have to develop their plays to reach the goal. If I lay down an exciting track, I think it motivates and propels the other band members to match with their best efforts, initiating the sparks of their own creativity. Or maybe it’s the waterboy 🙂
Mike A.: Dan Marino, no question. He can still put some zip on the ball, but don’t ask him to leave the pocket. I am not a front man or lead singer, and I like it behind my protective wall of keyboards.
Pat: Hmmm, I would say my bass playing is like Tonya Harding. It ain’t real pretty, it ain’t real quick, but its blunt end will bring you to your knees.
6. Tell me your most satisfying moment experienced with SH.
Pat: “Icarus” with David Ragsdale.
Mike A.: For me, one brilliant moment was being voted one of the most requested bands at one of those progfests (which shall remain forever nameless) that wouldn’t invite us because we’re too “accessible”.
Mike D.: ProgDay ’97. There was very much a sense within the band of having an important job to do, and we managed to get it together enough to do it. I thought we played very well, and generally had a lot of fun.
Carl: Performing “The Judgment” at Belmont University in 1999. All five of us were clicking that day. It was magical.
Kevin: It’s always when the latest CD’s are taken out of the box for the first time and listened to in the presence of family and friends.
The most disappointing?
Carl: My most disappointing moment was hearing the Klaatu tribute CD for which we recorded their song, “Around the Universe in 80 Days.” We took the task very seriously, spent a great deal of time and money on it, and produced a wonderful recording. Apparently, some of the other artists and the record company didn’t share the same commitment. I felt like calling the members of Klaatu (heroes of mine since I was a kid) and apologizing.
Mike A. : That would probably have to be the moment my naivete shattered and I realized that we are not going to ever be able to open up the music scene in Nashville.
Kevin: Lukewarm audience responses after a great performance. The day Mike D. chose to go to Canada with another band after the release of our first project. The day Pat told us he was quitting the band to go on the road with another band.
7. You are declared “Dictator of Music” for one day. What is the first thing you do?
Carl: Outlaw vocal acrobatics. Remind the inhabitants of the land of Music what melody is and let them know that going beyond that more than occasionally is ostentatious and, therefore, punishable. Plus, more often than not it is simply in poor taste.
Mike D.: I could program VH-1, MTV and radio for the day and hopefully expose people to things they might not ordinarily hear – who knows, they could possibly like some of it!
Kevin: Broadcast uninterrupted cuts of all the music that I would categorize as timeless and essential to the history of modern music (on every radio station) with the hope of reaching an audience who has never had opportunity to hear what great music is.
Mike A.: The first thing I would do would be to ban commercial radio for all time. Then I would return artistic control of record labels back over to the musicians who actually make the music (provided they can actually play their instruments — that’s not a given these days). Then I would probably publicly execute the label executives and radio station managers who have gotten the music industry into this mess in the first place.
Pat: “Kashmir” becomes our national anthem, and all radio stations are required to play “Utopia”, followed by “Summerland”, “Deacon Blues”, “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun”, “Cut the Cake”, and finally, “Black Hole Sun” to remind us of who we are.
8. Tell me a story about being SH in Nashville.
Kevin: It’s a story of heartbreak, sadness, frustration, and many club closings after our performances.
Pat: A story: I was once in Mississippi and was asked if I was in a band. I then proceeded to tell them I was in a prog-rock band in Nashville, and without missing a beat, this person asked me if I knew Reba.
Mike D.: I don’t really have one – I am pleasantly surprised by how interested other people I know are in SH. I encounter a lot of people at my regular gig (blues club) and the people there seem very receptive to checking out SH-hopefully they do.
Mike A.: Probably the most telling indication of what Nashville is like was our show at The End last fall. We were booked to play on a Tuesday night at 8:30 PM. We had gotten radio advertising and a write-up in the local newspaper, complete with photograph. The night of the show, the sound check was two hours late, the soundman went out and got high before we played, and we didn’t go on until 11:00 PM. On a weeknight! So, we played to the bartender and the other band. Of course, this was after another club booking agent had told me he couldn’t book us because we didn’t sound like anyone famous.
Carl: One of many: We did a show at a seedy place (they’re all fairly much shit here, anyway) in late ’98. We’d actually gotten a wonderful write-up in the daily newspaper (reported circulation of about a quarter mil!). Despite the publicity and write-up, only a handful of people showed for the gig. I think there were ten people in the room (including the band slated to follow us). The sound man was an idiot. The club owner was an idiot. It was one gaffe after another for the whole night. But we went on (we always honor our commitments) and did our thing. In retrospect, the most memorable moment of all was seeing the looks on the faces of our already scanty audience after we finished playing “The Judgment”. All ten of them looked frightened and would not make eye contact with any members of the band for the rest of the night. That helped me regard the show as not a total waste of time.
9. Name the last album (your own work excluded) you were excited to see released. Did it live up to your anticipation?
Pat: Surfacing by Sarah McLachlan. It is truly wonderful!
Kevin: Each new KingsX CD…they have always lived up to my expectations.
Carl: I anxiously awaited Joe Jackson’s follow-up to Heaven and Hell. I though Hu0026amp;H was a masterpiece and couldn’t wait to see what direction he would go for the next one. It’s called Symphony No. 1 and is marvelous. Instrumental. A chamber sized orchestra consisting of traditional symphonic and modern instrumentation. Great players. Steve Vai plays guitar (very “un-Vai-like”, also). It’s a marriage of many different types of music and Jackson makes it work. I was not disappointed.
Mike D.: The only one recently would be the new Marillion, which unfortunately I haven’t had time to pick up yet, but I will – I’ve bought every one since the first one as soon as I knew they were out.
Mike A.: The last one would have to be The Ladder by Yes. After the debacle of Open Your Eyes and being rather pleased by Keys to Ascension, I was not sure what to expect, but very excited. Then I finally got to hear it, and was TREMENDOUSLY disappointed. Sounded like they were trying to recreate 90125 and Big Generator without Trevor Rabin. Now THAT’S trying to drive a car without the engine!
10. What do you listen to that would shock Salem Hill fans?
Pat: Perhaps Kim Richey and any one of Paul Davis’s hits from the late ’70’s would be a sure freak.
Mike A.: Well, no one knows this, but I’m a big fan of Myron Floren’s polka music, and I just LOVE Sousa marches. Hell, I don’t know. Anyone who knows me at all wouldn’t be surprised at ANYTHING I listen to. People might be surprised to know that I’m a great lover of Celtic music; I’d marry Loreena McKennitt if she’d just sing to me.
Carl: Never met an Aimee Mann song I didn’t like. I think that would be enough to get me kicked out of “Prog School.”
Kevin: Nothing. But they would probably be shocked to know that I play country music three nights a week to help pay the bills.
Mike D.: Most of what I listen to might surprise them, but I doubt it would shock, except that I don’t listen to much prog. Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of David Crosby related stuff, especially his new band CPR. If any of you don’t have their record, go buy it NOW. I’ve also been listening to the Beatles (I know, surprise, surprise), Miles Davis, Mahler, ELP, and attempting (usually in vain) to find new stuff on the radio to hold my interest for more than 30 seconds. I find that generally I listen to music that fills a void in what I’m mostly playing. Since 99% of my musical life these days is in a blues/r u0026amp; b group, I’m a bit melody starved at the moment.
11. How do you balance SH with the rest of your life?
Carl: Poorly-at least on the new record. We all have other full time gigs, so it’s always been a challenge to allot time for SH. To actually give the band as much time as it needs is an even bigger challenge. For the first time ever, the recording studio is not in one of the band members’ houses. None of us has a drive less than 45 minutes. Add to that the fact that the five of us are spread out all over (for example, Kevin lives in a different state, about 3 hours from Mike Dearing), and you see the potential difficulties in finding harmonious schedules. From my own standpoint, this has been an extremely unpleasant experience. I’ve had to be at all but a handful of sessions as scheduler, engineer, cheerleader, and producer, and it’s taken its toll on my family and me. I read recently about Ian Anderson’s daily routine, and was green with envy. Like Zappa used to do, Anderson wakes up, spends his 8 hours doing various musically related things, and then goes about with life. For me since April of last year, my routine has been to wake up, go to my day gig for 8 hours, come home, eat, and go put in another 5 to 7 hours with SH, come home, and spend another 2-3 with SH Web/’Net administration. I realize that there are hundreds of independent musicians who do the same thing-have to-but it is incredibly taxing. I think there comes a point in your life that you don’t want to “make it” so much for the fame and fortune, but for the sheer freedom it’ll give you to devote x amount of hours to your craft, get paid for it, and get on with living.
Mike A.: Well, I’m not sure there really IS a balance; Salem Hill pretty much comes first with me. Of course, being single with no children, it’s easier for me to do that. The only thing I might wish is that we were in a position where I didn’t have to do ANYTHING but Salem Hill for a living….Boy, wouldn’t that be a dream come true.
Mike D.: At the moment, my life is so hectic that SH suffers, so the short answer is: Not Very Well. I just have to fit in time when- and wherever I can. Fortunately the other guys have been extremely understanding about that.
Pat: It’s hard to squeeze SH time in between episodes of X-files, Ally McBeal, ER, and MTV(just kidding), but somehow I manage.
12. What question were you hoping I’d ask you?…and what is your answer to that question?
Pat: What is your favorite key? My answer would be… 🙂
Carl: I was hoping you’d ask who I thought was doing some interesting work (besides us, of course!) musically right now. And my answer would have been Chris Cornell and Joe Jackson.
Mike D.: Where do you want me to send the royalty check?
Kevin: How’s the wife and kids? They are doing fine.
Mike A.: Well, I was hoping you would ask something to do with how I feel about the upcoming CD, and my answer would be that it’s been a difficult and long birth, but I really believe this is going to be a breakthrough for us. You’re going to hear a completely different side of Salem Hill.
By Warren S. (SMITTY) Moore III