The Hold Steady: Good for the soul, bad for cholesterol
TA Live recently had a chance to talk with Franz Nicolay, Keyboardist for the hippest bar-band currently known to man, The Hold Steady. Discussion of comfort food, fine wine, and general rock and roll malaise ensue.
TA Live: First of all, in doing my research on the band, one of the interesting things I read about was that you didn’t actually join the ranks until it was time to begin work on “Separation Sunday”, is that right?
Franz Nicolay: Yeah, I played on three of the tracks of almost killed me, sort of a guest thing, and then Craig and I were talking about getting together on the writing for the album that became separation Sunday and then they just said, “well, do you want to join the band?” and the song writing for that album was happening really fast. Only half the record was pre-written, the whole thing happened pretty quickly. But boys and girls in America was really the first time we were able to sit down and really write songs together.
TA: So how did you get involved with the guys?
FN: Well, I’ve played in a band called World Inferno Friendship Society for the last six or seven years and we had done some shows with Polar back in ’99 or 2000 and when polar had broken up and Craig moved to new york, he was working for a broadcast company who approached World Inferno about doing a live record. He got to talking about putting together his new band, he asked me if I wanted to come down and play on a track or two and it sort of went from there.
TA: When I first heard the hold steady, I thought this is the kind of music I want to listen to while I’m hanging out with friends, having a good time. You know, it’s feel-good music. It seems like an unlikely success story because of the fickle nature of the indie, blog-driven, music world right now especially considering that for the most part, they shun “feel-good” music in favor of more “fashionable” music. How were you guys able to over-come that and become the indie-allstar this year?
FN: Well, I think it’s a common misconception that what we’re doing is Indie-rock when it’s not. It’s feel-good music, it’s party music, it’s rejoicing music, and the people that really respond to that tend to not be the fickle, trend-chasing people you mentioned but more the people that have gotten past that and really like something for what it is, on its own merits.
TA: It’s definitely a more mature sound.
FN: Yeah, when you’re a music fan at 17 or 20 it’s less about the music and more about the identity. Like, I’m a punk rocker and I only listen to punk. Anything else sucks. Or when you go to college and all you listen to is indie rock and everything else is lame. Eventually you get past that judgment.
TA: I read another interview that quoted Craig as saying something about forming the band as a reaction to the lack of bands like The Replacements. Do you think the hold steady stands in a place in the music world that has been left vacant during the brit-pop/indie rock revival of the last few years?
FN: I’m not sure that’s something I’m qualified to speak on that, hah, but I think the reaction has to do with what you were talking about before. We’re not a style or fashion-based band. It’s comfort food and I think that’s relaxing for a lot of people.
TA: It’s the fried chicken and pizza of rock and roll.
FN: Yeah, something like that, haha.
TA: So, I’ve read that Almost killed Me took just a week to record, Separation Sunday took a month. How long did you guys spend in studio working on Boys and Girls in America? Tell me about the process of putting that record together.
FN: It also took only about a month. Obviously, it was a much bigger production but we were able to do it in a more economical way because we had so much more time to write the songs. When we went into the studio we had most of the parts worked out. Obviously, it was a different music environment, which was really exciting. We were exploring the idea of what would the band sound like with more melodic elements and of course bigger keyboards.
TA Live: First of all, in doing my research on the band, one of the interesting things I read about was that you didn’t actually join the ranks until it was time to begin work on “Separation Sunday”, is that right?
Franz Nicolay: Yeah, I played on three of the tracks of almost killed me, sort of a guest thing, and then Craig and I were talking about getting together on the writing for the album that became separation Sunday and then they just said, “well, do you want to join the band?” and the song writing for that album was happening really fast. Only half the record was pre-written, the whole thing happened pretty quickly. But boys and girls in America was really the first time we were able to sit down and really write songs together.
TA: So how did you get involved with the guys?
FN: Well, I’ve played in a band called World Inferno Friendship Society for the last six or seven years and we had done some shows with Polar back in ’99 or 2000 and when polar had broken up and Craig moved to new york, he was working for a broadcast company who approached World Inferno about doing a live record. He got to talking about putting together his new band, he asked me if I wanted to come down and play on a track or two and it sort of went from there.
TA: When I first heard the hold steady, I thought this is the kind of music I want to listen to while I’m hanging out with friends, having a good time. You know, it’s feel-good music. It seems like an unlikely success story because of the fickle nature of the indie, blog-driven, music world right now especially considering that for the most part, they shun “feel-good” music in favor of more “fashionable” music. How were you guys able to over-come that and become the indie-allstar this year?
FN: Well, I think it’s a common misconception that what we’re doing is Indie-rock when it’s not. It’s feel-good music, it’s party music, it’s rejoicing music, and the people that really respond to that tend to not be the fickle, trend-chasing people you mentioned but more the people that have gotten past that and really like something for what it is, on its own merits.
TA: It’s definitely a more mature sound.
FN: Yeah, when you’re a music fan at 17 or 20 it’s less about the music and more about the identity. Like, I’m a punk rocker and I only listen to punk. Anything else sucks. Or when you go to college and all you listen to is indie rock and everything else is lame. Eventually you get past that judgment.
TA: I read another interview that quoted Craig as saying something about forming the band as a reaction to the lack of bands like The Replacements. Do you think the hold steady stands in a place in the music world that has been left vacant during the brit-pop/indie rock revival of the last few years?
FN: I’m not sure that’s something I’m qualified to speak on that, hah, but I think the reaction has to do with what you were talking about before. We’re not a style or fashion-based band. It’s comfort food and I think that’s relaxing for a lot of people.
TA: It’s the fried chicken and pizza of rock and roll.
FN: Yeah, something like that, haha.
TA: So, I’ve read that Almost killed Me took just a week to record, Separation Sunday took a month. How long did you guys spend in studio working on Boys and Girls in America? Tell me about the process of putting that record together.
FN: It also took only about a month. Obviously, it was a much bigger production but we were able to do it in a more economical way because we had so much more time to write the songs. When we went into the studio we had most of the parts worked out. Obviously, it was a different music environment, which was really exciting. We were exploring the idea of what would the band sound like with more melodic elements and of course bigger keyboards.
TA: Now, on to the always fun Q&A with the rockstar.
FN: Sure.
TA: What’s the drink of choice?
FN: See, I’m a seasonal drinker. In the winter, it’s red wine and whiskey. Beer and Gin in the summer.
TA: So what can’t you get off your iPod’s playlist?
FN: The Psalters. It’s the most strange, proto-christian, anarchist, collective – kind of nomadic group – they live in a black school bus and smear ashes on their face. They’re a sort of cross over between anarchist folk and this nomadic, tribal, Bedouin sound. They chant and play oilcans. I’m totally fascinated with them, haha.
TA: What is the most surreal, read hair standing on the back of your neck, moment you’ve experienced with the hold steady so far.
FN: I’d say it’d have to be taping our performance on letterman the other day. We found out that morning that Madonna was going to be on. Now, we didn’t talk to Madonna per say, but as we were standing backstage waiting to go on she passed us and we exchanged nods. You know, the situation you tell your friends about – “The time we hung out with Madonna”.
- Kyle Dreaden
FN: Sure.
TA: What’s the drink of choice?
FN: See, I’m a seasonal drinker. In the winter, it’s red wine and whiskey. Beer and Gin in the summer.
TA: So what can’t you get off your iPod’s playlist?
FN: The Psalters. It’s the most strange, proto-christian, anarchist, collective – kind of nomadic group – they live in a black school bus and smear ashes on their face. They’re a sort of cross over between anarchist folk and this nomadic, tribal, Bedouin sound. They chant and play oilcans. I’m totally fascinated with them, haha.
TA: What is the most surreal, read hair standing on the back of your neck, moment you’ve experienced with the hold steady so far.
FN: I’d say it’d have to be taping our performance on letterman the other day. We found out that morning that Madonna was going to be on. Now, we didn’t talk to Madonna per say, but as we were standing backstage waiting to go on she passed us and we exchanged nods. You know, the situation you tell your friends about – “The time we hung out with Madonna”.
- Kyle Dreaden
Featured Show:
Sticky Fingerz Chicken Shack
Little Rock, AR
June 11, 2007
Little Rock, AR
June 11, 2007
Labels: interview, little rock, sticky fingerz chicken shack, the hold steady
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