When did the idea for a label germinate?
Chris Dyas (from The Lingering Doubts) was working on some music very slowly and he was kinda getting bummed out because members of his band were having kids and he couldn't hold them together. The material he was writing was unbelievable. I saw him play a few times and told him, "This is the best stuff you've ever written."
You'd played with him years ago?
I played with him 20 years ago in Orangutang. He was like, "Yeah, I know. I just can't get anyone motivated" and I said, "I'll come over and help you make your record." We picked a couple of nights a week; I went to his house and then he continued working on it. Sometime after that, I started playing with Greg Garing. My thing is that I always want to have a gig on New Year's. In New York it's really hard to get around that night — you have ten people with you and you can't get a cab. So I will find a gig. I will even put a band together in order to have a gig!
Why not?
It was already Christmas and a friend of mine said, "What are you doing on New Year's? I've got a gig and we need a drummer." I said, "Send me a song list and let me know." He said, "I don't think so... Just show up." I go to this club and I set up — the bass player's there, there's a horn player and then eventually, right before the set time, the singer [Greg Garing] sits down at the piano, doesn't even look at me, and just starts playing. We do three sets and Greg doesn't even talk to me. Not even a count-off.
Oh my god...
But it was awesome — his voice was great and he could play like crazy. The next week my friend said, "Hey, Greg wants to play with you again." And I said, "Really? Okay." I went and did another thing; this time it was a burlesque show. After three more sets we actually had a conversation. I finally realized it was the same guy that used to have a country show in the East Village ten years ago that I used to go to. So I started doing this show with him twice a month and, after a few months, we decided to finally have a rehearsal.
How strange.
I had the studio set up for a recording session. Matt Werden: I was here and it was 4 or 5 p.m. and Todd said, "Hey, what are you doing tonight? I need you to do a recording session." I asked, "What is it?" He said, "I'm not really sure."
See what happens.
