"Have Mercy" on Mooney Suzuki!: Interview with Sam

"Have Mercy!" The title of Mooney Suzuki's new record comes as an expression of exasperation. The band struggled for two years to get this record out-- through label changes and lineup changes as well. Somehow front man Sammy James Jr kept it together and pushed on through! Before the band heads back on the road, TALive had a word with Sam about getting this record out, keeping spirits high, and ditching those old sunglasses.

TALive: How does it feel to have the release date just a couple weeks away after a couple years trying to get it together?
Sam: It’s pretty exciting. I mean, we literally finished recording this time last year, and we were working on writing it earlier than that. I know in the music industry, in the scheme of things, that’s not so bad. But still, it’s not so good either…

TALive: But there's been a lot of drama between now and then. Not all of it was in your control
Sam: Yeah, it certainly has. Not purely our drama, just the music industry in general and the way people have a relationship with media and entertainment. Everything is changing so much. That makes it exciting, but that was our third record label in like two years! Just, to have a release date at one point and send the record out to press…and then that release date doesn’t happen. It’s just…

TALive: Frustrating, I’m sure! When did you get in touch with Elixia Records?
Sam: I guess Jesse came to see us maybe at like CMJ? So September or so.

TALive: So he picked up the new record pretty quick.
Sam:Yeah, he was really on top of it and ready to go. There were other options and stuff, but nobody else was saying “we gotta get this out as soon as possible.” Everyone else was saying “well, we’ve got this going we’ve got that going…maybe we can get you going.” Jesse was just so on the ball and psyched that … he seemed like our dude. Plus, he had a Frank Zappa tattoo so that sealed the deal.

TALive: There's also been some linup changes, right? [lead guitarist] Graham is no longer in the band?
Sam: Well, you know... I don’t know if a few years hasn’t gone by that he hasn’t decided to quit music for good. So, he’s quitting music for good again. We’ll see what happens. If he decides that it is better for him then God bless him; he’s one of my oldest friends. There’s certainly no bad blood or anything. But we’re all having a great time so we’re going to keep moving.

TALive: Did Graham play on the latest record?
Sam: Yeah! Definitely, he’s on it. He worked on the songs...The album’s actually dedicated to his father who passed away in 2005. A lot of the songs are kind of about that and that period of time. Because his dad was almost like a fifth member of the band. We definitely inherited his record collection and played most of his guitars on a lot of our records.

TALive: This new record has sort of a smoother, bluesier sound; not quite as abrasive as the earlier records. Does that change have to do with the emotions you were feeling at the time or did it have to do with label tensions? Where was that energy coming from?
Sam: Well, it had to do with a lot of things which is why it just felt right. At the time, when I was writing that stuff, was kind of when the band was at its most fractured, and there really wasn’t a band. There wasn’t a rhythm section and there wasn’t.. that was a time when Tyler was not wanting to do music. So, I was just sitting in my apartment with an acoustic guitar. When you’re jamming with the boys all the time then you’re writing riffs, and you’re jumping around, and you’re having a good time, and you’re kicking it out.. and that’s where that kind of energy comes from. But when you’re alone in your apartment you’re like, ‘what’s happening with my life!’ (laughs). You’re going to come up with something else. Plus… I used to write songs for the band. Being like, when I get this song in the rehearsal space the guys are going to kick the shit out of it. I'd think about the band playing it when I'd write a riff. But now, when I wrote these songs, it was like, 'well I might be doing these on my own so it better sound good on an acoustic guitar with just me or otherwise…''Cause I didn’t feel like I had a band.
click "read more!" below for the rest of our interview!

TALive: I read that that was your approach to the songwriting. So, I was impressed with how rounded out the final record was. It doesn't sound sparse in anyway. It isn't as aggressive, but it still sounds full. It’s still upbeat despite the lyrical changes or changes in attitude.
Sam: Aww, thank you. It is what it is… Plus you know…when you first start making records it’s like “man, this has got to be the ultimate statement of my life," you know, “it’s gotta be this one certain way.” And once you get that record, or those couple records, out of your system then you feel, “well I could do it differently.” My first records are done. They’re out there, they’re made, and I’m happy about them. I’m proud of a lot of it. Some of it I listen to and I’m like "what was I thinking?” but it’s there, you know? I got it, it’s done. So now I feel like…it’s liberating. Plus, after doing the major label record and working with The Matrix and everything... After doing that, I can do anything ‘cause everybody is already pissed off at us that is going to be pissed off so...

TALive: Nobody left to impress, but yourself…
Sam: Yeah, and I mean.. Come on! Every classic rock band has gotta do their more bluesy, acoustic excursion, you know?
TALive: How do you think the new material and a new line up will affect the upcoming live shows? Or have you already toured with the current line up?
Sam: We’ve played a bunch of this stuff live and pared it down to the two or three songs that we noticed had an impact on people right off the bat. But now that we’re getting out there and people are going to have the new record, we’re going to have a lot more of the new songs in there. Some of them we actually did change to make them a little more… active, I guess. But some of them is still like, going for a groovier vibe instead of like a jumping up and down live. And just like anything else, you gotta work it into the flow.

TALive: I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Mooney Suzuki live a couple times and it’s always ridiculously exciting and energetic. So, I can’t imagine a show without at least some of that energy; especially if you play any of the older material.
Sam: Yeah, well, we’re playing all the older stuff, too. And that’s part of the fun now when you’re putting a set together. It’s almost like making your own personal greatest hits record. It’s like, wow, there’s no filler because we are just taking the two or three best songs from each record.

TALive: How long were you actually in studio for last record?
Sam: Not so long. Longer than our earlier records, but nothing compared to the three months we spent in LA doing the major label, Hollywood, clusterfuck festival of a record. We did about two weeks at Water Music in Hoboken, New Jersey. Then we did some overdubs at one of our producer’s project studio up in Woodstock. Oh, and then we mixed it in Malibu, which was incredible! I’d never been to Malibu before. It was a sun-drenched paradise!

TALive: Speaking of sun drenched. Most important question—where are the sunglasses? I haven’t seen them in the most recent press photos!
Sam: Yeah…Well you know, I still wear sunglasses.

TALive: Yeah, but THE sunglasses. They’re like a trademark!
Sam: Well the wrap-arounds-- I don’t know how much they go with the longer hair, you know? Well, actually, no, that’s not true… I guess it does have a lot to do with…the idea of the band originally was to not be a “singer” in a band. I didn’t want to be “the singer” or “the songwriter” or whatever. I just wanted it to be a band. Everyone would wear sunglasses and we’d be like a hive of ants. We’d just show up and get the fucking job done and that’s it. Especially with this record it didn’t feel like a band. It was just me. Maybe I just feel like…I’m not so against being a songwriter the way I used to be.