I am hanging out today with a band form the Indianapolis area that has been making their way through the ranks for quite some time now. Peal is another example of a band that does not over saturate themselves in the area and plays a select number of shows. Having seen Peal in the past you are always in for a treat as they bring industry standard vocals, polished instrumentals, and a fun energetic stage presence. Sit with me today as I proudly introduce to you Peal.
Where did you guys all meet?
(Andy) Where did we meet?
(Tim) The first time I remember meeting you, Libey and Brent was at Scotty’s in Muncie. Paging Raymond was playing there and you guys were playing somewhere else on the Ball State campus and you came to hear some of our show because you heard how cool we were. I know this to be true because Scotty’s doesn’t serve Jack Daniels, and Andy would otherwise never frequent such a vile establishment.
(Andy) I do remember the lack of Jack, I do not remember the awesomeness factor.
How long have you been together?
(Tim) That is a good question. Not sure, we’re waiting on the results from the carbon dating lab.
When did you know that music was a career choice?
(Tim) People make a career out of this? I had no idea that was an option.
(Andy) Wait, people get paid to do this?
Do you have other jobs or is music it?
(Andy) Therapist by day, musician by night.
(Tim) I edit television, and am a co-owner and producer for www.laundromatinee.com
What is the largest crowd you have played for?
(Tim) We played to 3,000 Vertical Horizon fans and 56 Peal fans one night in Louisville. The crowd didn’t know we were ‘locals’. It was fun.
(Andy) Technically we are not locals in Louisville.
(Tim) That’s why I made the universal quote sign with my fingers when I said that.
The smallest?
(Tim) I think I played for Mike, Sue, & Al one night at Birdy’s.
(Andy) I think we played for a sound man and 1 bartender a few times.
(Tim) Right, Mike & Sue are an Indy bar tending team and Al, the one time sound man at Birdy’s.
What is your favorite venue to play?
(Tim) I like Radio Radio the best. Andy would say The Biergarten at the Rathskeller.
(Andy) I would say that.
(Tim) See
Any plans for a tour to support your latest album?
(Tim) Well that ones been out in the world for nearly three years, we did a lot of touring in the region when it was fresh. At the moment the touring schedule is light. I’ve got a stack of songs that we need to sift through to start shaping the next release. Once that comes out we’ll see what happens.
Correct me if I am wrong but is that a baby elephant on the cover?
(Tim) The cover is actually a little dog dressed in a tiny elephant costume. If you can believe it, we had to buy the rights to use that particular photograph. There was a model release attached to that picture. Not sure if it was the guy or the dog, but one of them got a little bit of money because we used their picture on our CD cover.
What is the meaning behind that?
(Tim) That album was a long time in the making. Not unlike the gestation period of an elephant. (It’s a metaphor.)
Describe your genre in one word.
(Tim) I’m going to create a new word out of two existing words. By removing the space between those two words I will be able to accomplish this difficult and hard-hitting, self-exploratory question. Ready? Here it goes. Wussrock. See? No hyphen or nothing. If you want an actual, real word I’d ask if nineteen-ninety-nine was one word.
(Andy) Momrock.
Let’s get some pizza. What toppings?
(Tim) Hamburger, green olives, tomatoes, mushrooms, no cheese or pineapple and pepperoni, also no cheese.
(Andy) Cheese, peperoni, mushroom and more cheese. And an extra side of the garlic dipping sauce.
What is the one song you guys play in every set?
(Tim) I’m pretty sure that Fall Away and Carousel Junkie have been in every set we have ever played. The one song that we’ve never played is the last one on the CD its a secret unlisted track. Which was a very 90’s thing to do, the whole secret track thing, but we sound like the 90’s so its OK I guess. In fact, it’s so secret I’m not going to even tell you the name of it.
(Andy) There is an unlisted track on the CD? That just proves how secret it is.
Where can I get your album?
(Tim) Luna Music, Karma Records, on cdbaby.com, on iTunes, on emusic.com, and even on discrevolt.com.
You can also buy it at Amazon.com for a penny plus shipping and handling. Most of which are radio promoters, or program directors of college radio stations that were sent the disc when we did our college radio campaign. Lots of them played the CD, others immediately listed it for sale on Amazon.com Which I think is kind of funny, you have the power to create demand for a product that you’re about to put on the market. Why not actually heighten the demand (at least locally) by spinning it?
So what shot are you taking in that photo on your MySpace page?
(Tim) Without having looked at the picture in question I can say with certainty that it was Jack.
(Andy) Had to be Jack, unless we drank them out of it, then it would likely be Beam.
Speaking of MySpace do you think it is good for musicians?
(Tim) Practice is good for musicians. Free gear is good for musicians. Connecting to fans and audiences is good for bands, MySpace is a means to that end. I think it did a great job at that for a few years, now its just an easy way to quickly listen to a band. The rest of the site is so fucking slow its painful. We’re barely ever on there anymore. We’ve been really bad about updating the MySpace and website in general lately. And by we we mean Tim. Our email list is the best way to get us. pealmusic@gmail.com is where you can get a hold of us.
(Andy) I think MySpace was great for musicians when it first started. Then I think some bands turned it into a never ending email reminder and most people, myself included, just started to shut it out. Once it turns into a game of how many friends you have on your site it stops being about the music and turns into fragile musicians trying to make up for being an outcast in high school by getting as many “friends” as possible.
Where did you guys record your album?
(Tim) At a converted christain (misspelling intentional, that’s how its spelled in the concrete) church in Bloomington, Indiana called Farm Fresh Studios with a guy named Jake who is still alive and a dog named Cletus who is not.
(Andy) RIP Cletus, I hope you are stealing someone else’s u
nattended fries in heaven.
(Tim) I’ve never seen any being more focused than that dog when food was nearby. Dude has some stinky, stinky, gas too. I mean, bad, bad, gas.
(Andy) Yeah, um, it was the dog. Sure Tim.
PC or Mac?
(Tim) If you’re asking what we recorded on, it would be PC. If you’re asking which I prefer and own, I’d say Mac.
(Andy) I am a PC.
(Tim) He is actually a PC.
(Andy) Mr. Roboto has nothing on me. I’m Killroy.
Who are you biggest influences?
(Tim) You’re most likely going to need to look most of these up but; Bob Schneider, Angie Aparo, David Mead, Duncan Sheik, Toad the Wet Sprocket–basically anyone who can actually play their instruments well. has a big pop sensibility, great vocals and semi-intelligent lyrics.
(Andy) Just semi-intelligent though, we do not want to think too much.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
(Tim) Either in Nashville or LA writing and pitching songs to film & TV or other artists more than focusing on performing. I really hate Indiana winters. Especially this one, plus in five years I’ll be 33 🙂 and that’s ancient in music-industry years.
(Andy) Hopefully Tim will be in a math class by then.
What do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done?
(Tim) I hope people remember us as a good, fun band to come see, and I hope that people made some lasting connection to the songs. So that after the booze wears off and the CD gets a little dusty, and all of us are old and married, the songs will still hold up.
(Andy) I hope people will remember us as a band that was talented and more concerned with making quality music performed well live. And Handsome, I definitely hope people remember us as handsome.
Let’s say you are about to headline a show at Verizon Wireless Music Center. Who is your opener?
(Tim) Hrrmmm. Another hard-hitting question Ricky Potts! I’d like to think that we’d be more of a Murat Theater or Egyptian Room kind of band, but either way how about A young, up-and-coming :wink:, all-girl band that completely idolizes us.
(Andy) I have not heard of this band yet, but I already like them.
Any tattoos in the group?
(Tim) Nope. But, I’m thinking of getting one for my 30th birthday in a couple years.
(Andy) I am afraid of needles.
Do you get cold in the winter with that bald head?
(Tim) Ricky, I get cold in the summer with this bald head. When you shave your head, you have to have a lot of great hats. I mean, I don’t have the option to comb my hair a certain way, so I gotta wear a cool hat. In fact, if you’re reading this and you know of a cool hat, you should take pity and send it to me.
I always let the artist get the last word. Go.
(Tim) Fauteuil. It’s the French word for easy-chair. My high school French teacher used to say it like every day. It is the first thing that popped into my head. Now the Sta Puft Marshmallow man is in my head.
(Andy) Plethora; I have always liked that word.
(Tim) Do you know what a plethora is?
(Andy) I do, you are not the only word nerd in this band.
(Tim) Oooohh sorry, I was looking for “A great many”.
