SAKES ALIVE!!
Q&A With Chris Vandeviver
By Stephanie ReppChris Vandeviver knew it was time to take a step back when his brainchild, SAKES ALIVE!! crumbled. Touring had worn down the hardcore punk quintet from Rochester, NY, and they were returning to upstate with empty pockets and short fuses. This would likely be the demise of the Rochester punk institution, as the members went their separate ways to work on different projects and their drummer outright left. But, time heals all wounds. And, in the case of this band, time not only heals the wounds of past missteps, but also enables creativity to flourish. Their album Act I was lauded on the home front. And, even though the upstate NY hardcore scene began declining in the mid-late 90′s, it has been front man Chris Vandeviver’s objective to not just maintain the punk status quo, but to make SAKES ALIVE!! thrive. But, Act II, their theatrical follow up EP was being panned by fans as a weird departure from their previous formula of soul-shredding lyrics and delivery laid over deafening guitars. Now reduced to a post-tour one-man show, Vandeviver gathered up the pieces and began scraping some money together. And, in the Fall of 2010, he reemerged on the punk scene with a new direction and Act III on the horizon. At the creative helm, Vandeviver is a hardcore Renaissance man: he writes and develops all the preliminary track work, inviting friends and fellow musicians (including local and national favorites, Kevin Mahoney, Mike Lasaponara, Ben Kotin) to fill out the tracks. Putting the weirdness of Act II behind him, SAKES ALIVE!!’s Act III is a more orchestral, holistic, approach to punk, that’s still not afraid to push the creative boundaries. I had a chance to meet up with Vandeviver on the brink of releasing his third song off of Act III, and in the midst of recording, to chat about where SAKES ALIVE!! has been, and where he’s taking it for the future:
When we last caught up in September, you were just releasing the first two tracks and getting more into the momentum of the album. What have you been up to since then?
I recently signed with Black Numbers out of New Jersey and am legitimately thrilled. They know what is important with music now and how to approach listeners with it. Most labels are record and money focused, but have no plan for how to sell it. When it fails, they are stuck with a pile of records. But, Black Numbers caters to each individual artist. It’s not one size fits all. And I love every single band on the record label.
You seem like you’re in good company.
I’m in great company within the record agency. Phil and Dave have a plan in mind. But they, (in my particular situation), accommodate my not wanting to tour. For most labels that would be a turn off, but not them. They appreciate that I’m going to do things differently than others. Signing with them has given me a more open mind and I’m more appreciative.
Your sound has changed a bit over the past few years. I mean, Every Wave Crashes sounds like it belongs in a chase scene from Kill Bill. What musical acts are inspiring you now?
GOGOL BORDELLO and FOXY SHAZAM are a huge inspiration for me. Kanye West –which I can’t believe I’m saying because he’s a complete douche bag – but his singles off this latest record are amazing. I’m starting to appreciate different artists. Epic, big, over the top stuff. Exploring more opera rock, experimental music. And, I’m mixing it with my more traditional loves like GLASS AND ASHES and AGAINST ME!.
Now that you’re down to a one-man show, how has that changed your process for developing the songs?
Process is the same as it was, I would write a song and the band would take it and run. Unless someone said ‘This sucks,’ we would practice it and perfect it and there it was. Now, I use step sequencer to demo the songs out, the rhythm section, and use midis to demo the horns and strings. Mike (Lasaponara, ROSES ARE RED] comes over and nails the song in like, half an hour. Then I record bass and guitars again to get them how I want them. Then I recruit any friends or contacts that I know can play a weird instrument and get them involved too. I write everything, and then see who can fill the shoes. But what I love is that these people are lending their own ideas to the songs now too. I don’t know anything about a trombone or a viola, so they’re teaching me about the constraints of the instruments. This next track will feature Aaron Scott (ATTICA! ATTICA!) singing the choruses. Aaron is recording all the way from Portland. I don’t want to tell Aaron what to sing, I want to see what he’ll come up with it. I want it to be big, epic, collaborative. Still to be my thing, but more than me now.
There are strings (notably viola) on some of your tracks and you now say that you are no longer a band, but a punk rock orchestra. What’s that all about?
I want to have this combined orchestral sound with punk rock. I write songs for me, and I hope that there are people out there who also enjoy it. I’m not trying to think too far in the future. I’m trying to be as honest as humanly possible with my music and writing. I’m not a hype person, I want to be honest. It’s more ‘sound’ right now that I’m shooting for, but who knows where it’ll go.
Honesty, eh? So, no synthesizer for you?
I just have this plan of doing the opposite of what everybody is doing. Not to be antagonizing, but I have a really different opinion these days about how music should be perceived. With the advent of the internet, music has become this mass void of ‘buy my CD’ and has become less about connecting with people. I don’t think anybody is wrong for what they’re creating, but it has started an avalanche of ‘buy our CD,’ ‘tweet us,’ ‘join my band,’ ‘follow my band.’ No connection anymore. It boils down to creating something that is an experience for people. Releasing a CD and T-shirt isn’t special any more.
You talk a lot about your passion for creating this music experience. What aspects do you like the most?
I have a lot of favorite parts. My favorite part is how my mind is expanding creatively, learning about these new instruments. I’ve never had to produce sheet music for anyone before. Learning about production and mixing is a whole new experience for me. Interacting with new musicians is awesome. The journey of putting my music out there and writing blog posts and putting myself out there and seeing what people get out of it. My life now is pretty pampered as compared to the touring band lifestyle, but I find this experience very fulfilling, awesome.
What can we expect from you and SAKES ALIVE!! in the future?
I see myself now more like an author or composer now than a rock and roll star dude who captivates the crowd. I’m releasing Act III, full-length album, and I’d like to create other aspects like music videos, for a full creative experience. I want to collaborate with different artists. I want to play with different bands and different people. Planting the seeds of a UK tour. I’m dying to go to Europe. I’ve seen the East Coast so many times; I want to see something new. But, I’m just excited to keep making music and sharing it with my audience.
Sakes Alive!! Is unapologetic punk rock from Rochester, NY. Headed by Chris Vandeviver. http://sakesalive.org/ PR: contact@sakesalive.org
Stephanie Repp is a former punk blogger from Rochester, NY, living in San Francisco. Contact: Steph.repp@yahoo.com
