Info Magizine – 4th Quarter 09

2MORROW EVR AFTER
featured band

Q.._What are your musical influences as a group?
Stacy: My influences are really diverse - the Beatles, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana and Prince.
Dan: I think our influences are constantly changing too, constantly evolving,
Kevin: I think we also incorporate elements of Johnny Cash, all the way through Tool.

Q.._What brought everyone together?
S: Dan and I have been playing together for many years, previously in a group called Woolton Parrish. Our bass player moved to Georgia, and Dan and I decided to put together a whole new band, a different thing. And Tomorrow Ever After came about through that.

Q.._How would you describe TEA's sound?
Geno: I would say our sound is kind of a new alternative vibe, but it's also got a sort of classic twist – you can tell we have major influences from 70's, 80's, 90's bands. It's really progressive.
Chris: I really like how the influences that were mentioned earlier really come into the music, with the guitar riffs and vocals; it really brings a new sound - especially with the newer bands today that we follow.
K: We have a wide range of sound from the 60's to 90's, mostly large melodies and really hard riffs.

Q.._Since Stacy is doing most of the song writing, in what ways do the other band members contribute to the process?
S: The goal is for everyone to contribute to the song; I usually bring in a pretty filled-out demo so that we have a really good sketch - and that way, everyone can see if the song actually works, From there, there might be some, or a lot of change ... there might be a part where I want someone to play something specific, but I still want everyone in the group to interpret it in their own way.
G: Everything Stacy just said is a lie - he's a real ball-buster. [laughs] .. The songs are usually really laid out, but you can also tell that each person's individual influences come into play - you know, whether someone has a blues or rock or metal background, There's always somewhere each person can fill in what they think sounds good, It's really cool.

Q.._Since the core of your group has been playing together much longer, what is it like to bring in 2 new band members, and how are they enhancing or broadening what you've always done?
S: It's really exciting! Dan and I know each other so well, and we can communicate in strange ways, in which we understand one another, but it's really exciting to bring in new people that interpret things in much different ways... so long as the chemistry is there, then it provides endless synergy and creativity. And in the end, it benefits the song greatly, because the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
D: We started off (Stacy and I) in a 3-piece band; now with a new group of 5 players, it's so cool to add so much more possibility to a song - so much texture and layers. It's really great to hear it come together!
K: Knowing Stacy and Dan for almost 20 years, we've refined so much of the song writing and playing over that course of time, But now with more guitar, we can add additional melody - it really makes the sound much bigger.

Q.. Describe your "Rock" look as a band.
D: A work in progress. [laughs]
C: A large pile of man-meat. [more laughs]
S: Beefcakes - that's what we are! [and even more laughs]

Q.. How is it for the new players (Gino, Chris ) coming into a band that is already so well heeled as a group?
G: As they'll tell you, I was really nervous in my audition because I knew that they had all known one another for so long - you could totally tell by my shaking and screwing up parts of the song that I thought I knew! But they (the band) were very supportive and encouraging, and didn't push me to learn everything so quickly and perfectly. They were very welcoming, and I'm just happy to have the opportunity.
C: It's a pretty easy fit for me; as I mentioned before, the chemistry from the beginning has made it easy for me to show the extension of the musicality with which I play or can add to what the group is already doing. I think it's turned out to be a pretty good blend.

Q.. How would you describe your sound?
S: I would call it "Rock N' Roll Nouveau." At some point in my head, I was thinking that people left the word 'Roll' off of 'Rock N' Roll," and everything became Rock. When I look at some of the bigger bands such as the Beatles, The Who, Rolling Stones and The Kinks, they all did everything in their repertoire... and at some point, a lot of that diversity in bands stopped, because it became important to target your market or your audience. But we stretch pretty wide as a band; we don't want to limit ourselves.
D: I think that most bands go for a target audience, rather than opening up their minds to what they could be playing or writing. When you bring in all your influences musically, it's amazing to think about what bands could be doing.

Q How is Milwaukee as a marketplace for the style of music that you play?
D: I think Milwaukee has really improved and it's getting better all the time. There are so many great bands here now, and everyone always seems to be getting stronger. Compared to where Milwaukee used to be, I think we're shaping up to be a hot spot.
S: I've heard some really great Milwaukee bands on the Internet lately, and I'm very impressed how well polished the music and songwriting is. The difference now, versus the 1990's, is the Internet - you're able to find so much information on or about how to develop your writing, recording, etc. It's definitely accelerating the quality of the music in our marketplace.
G: There are a lot of places to play, some really solid venues. I've always seen this city as hip and trendy for the Midwest, and there are a lot of new sounds coming from diverse groups here.

Q.. Is there anything outside of music that inspires you?
C: Girls ... [laugh ]
G: Why does anyone pick up a guitar? [more laughs] It's just a cool outlet; music just says so much about a person, a great outlet for creativity. It's said that "Music is an outward expression of humanity" ... or at least that's what I read off a book of matches. [laugh ]
S: I'd say that life in general inspires me... I'm so excited to get up everyday and meet and experience people, it's such a great way to draw inspiration for writing. It's very cathartic in a way, to get out what's inside of you, to give it back in a way. It's a very positive thing, and I hope that people will someday draw inspiration from our music.

Q.._Any traveling or touring coming up?
S: Our long-term goal is to get into the studio and record through the winter, and then to concentrate on some shows both locally and in Chicago in the spring of this next year.

Q.. Where do you see the band in 5 years?
S: Selling millions of records and touring the world.
G: I would like to see us continuing to do what we love - whether we sell millions of albums or not, I would just like to keep playing and doing what we love.
C: I think that this band has the potential to get to any heights that it wants to get to.
K: A beach in Cabo. [laughs]