Photograph by Brian McClelland
A.J. Lane, Bob McMahon and Jeremy Goldmeier of Other People.
A New Release from Other People: Bob McMahon (guitar, drums, vocals) is a third of Other People, alongside bandmates A.J. Lane (bass) and Jeremy Goldmeier (keys, drums). True of only a select number of groups, this one goes all the way to the members’ pre-school days, as McMahon and Goldmeier met at that tender age. By college, the pair were at Mizzou, continuing their work on becoming proficient multi-instrumentalists, while launching an early version of the group a good decade ago.
Lots of shifts occurred since then, a few hiatuses were taken, and the band became a trio with Lane in 2014. And with all that history lived, the trio are ready to release an LP this weekend, with a free, January 7 show at Off Broadway, also featuring Dino Fight! and Super Fun Yeah Yeah Rocketship.
“Other Songs By Other People is the real debut of the band,” McMahon says. “As far as songwriting goes, I'd say we bring songs that are basically done to each other, and let the other members fill in the blanks on their instruments with some guidance. Sometimes we add harmonies/backing vocals and other ideas to each others' work, but the song would still be recognizable as the same before being given the Other People treatment, if you will. I should clarify: Generally, I play guitar and sing for my songs while Jeremy drums, and Jeremy plays keyboards and sings while I drum for his songs (A.J. always plays bass). There are occasional exceptions, such as one song Jeremy sings where I wrote the music and Jeremy and I co-wrote the lyrics with our Me and Other People bandmates ages ago. And I've been writing on piano, so I might play and sing on that sometime. But 90 perecent of the time, that's how it works out.”
Of this collaborative effort, McMahon (also a member of Aquitaine and the Stray Dog Theatre’s pit orchestra) says that, “These songs were written by Jeremy and me, but A.J. added a lot to them. His bass work really kicks our tunes to the next level, and he was key in shaping the sound. It wasn't a blast watching him spend an hour or so fiddling with amps, pedals, and guitars to find the right tone for recording, but it sure paid off. His mixing and occasional deployment of effects made these recordings sing, and proved him right when he said the initial tracking could be improved upon. Jeremy and I definitely had opinions on mixing, arrangements and such, so it's not like there wasn't ‘us’ in the recording, but A.J. was the sonic architect of the album if that makes sense."
As far as influences, McMahon says, “I'm always happy when I get compared to The Kinks, Elvis Costello, and/or The Shins. three of my favorite acts. Nuggets-style garage rock is maybe my favorite style of music, and I feel like that's something that inspires my writing, even if the outcome doesn't always sound exactly like that. Some people have said I sound like Green Day. While I like Dookie-era Green Day and listened to The Point growing up, I don't really hear that. I personally haven't listened to a lot of Ben Folds, and I don't think Jeremy has either, but he's a frequent point of comparison for Jeremy's songs.”
You can sample Other People at their Bandcamp page.
Video Watch: If it seems as if we’ve featured more than a few videos shot and edited by Louis Quatorze in recent months... it’s true we have. He makes them. Then he sends them along. (This is not to be construed as a hint. Ignore us if you want. No hurt feelings. It’s okay. Anyway.) He’s now several efforts into a working relationship with Anthony Lucius, who we asked to share some thoughts on the experience of creating his latest, “Bridge,” linked below.
On the creation and background of the video and track: “This year, I refused to be overlooked. I just simply want my respect. This song defines just that. 2016 was the year to get my feet wet, gain some experiences and see how to move with the art. We got a lot accomplished from gaining fans touring with SoFar Sounds and creating some quality videos with the talented Louis Quatorze. We're approaching the one-year anniversary of 'Six Feet Under,' so we figured that we had to reach new heights with our first video of 2017. I've been working on my new album, Welcome To St. Lucius, since June 2016. I presented Louis with 'The Bridge' in December, which was originally called 'Don't F*ck with Me' but we changed it for obvious reasons. My bandmate & co-engineer Travis Scott and I finished the recording/mixing after working eight-plus hours on the whole process. Sent it to Louis, he loved the song. We started drawing up ideas from the jump. This video shoot took us about five days total to finish. We got all the drone shots in one day. Performance in other days and the bridge scenes all in separate days.”
On working with Quatorze: “Louis Quatorze is responsible for helping me get further with the art. Honestly, he's like a big brother to me. Not the one that just is cool with whatever you do, but actually pushes us to be the best from the city. He never tells me what I want to hear. Whatever he does, he does it because he loves it. He has to, otherwise, it just wouldn't work. I put a lot of time and dedication in the music. He does just the same with the camera and post production. We need to cherish the people who actually care about the culture here. Nobody can convince me that there is a better shooter [director] in St. Louis than Louis Quatorze. He brought this track to life. Every video we do has a story behind it. Every video he does has one. This one I love, because of the attitude it shows. I'm very passionate about the art. I don't try to gain fans from gimmicks. I want to continue growing my fan base by proving I can hold my own on stage or in the studio. I'm confident with who I see in the mirror and what I'm becoming. No, I'm not from St. Louis. I'm from the East Side of the river. I have this chip on my shoulder, having to come elsewhere to prove that there are greats across that bridge as well. I refused to be overlooked. I'm gonna bring you into my world, and see what you take from it. not be anyone (just), Anthony Lucius. I know everyone won't like it, but respect it. That's my approach with music, and to see this vision come together was so dope.”
On the shooting locations: "87th st (Edgemont)—Where I grew up, my family still lives on that block. The second half of that block is literally a major part of my upbringing. Everyone lives there from grandma, my real father, uncles, and cousins. Lifelong friends including my artist: Ryan Racks. O'Fallon Bike Trail—I almost lost my life first moving to O'Fallon as a kid. Walking home, I was stabbed on that bike trail when I was 11 years old. I'll never forget that place. It's a street over from where my Mom's house is located. City of ESTL—Though, I got my education from O'Fallon. I'm a product of E. St Louis. I have no family in O'Fallon besides my household. My family lives all throughout the city. This the place I'm proud to be from. The streets show pain, and what has taken place over the years, but still standing strong. City of O'Fallon, IL—From the outside, this place is beautiful. Nice town. Although I received an outstanding education and earned some IHSA music awards here, you realize everything is not what it seems. My worst experiences come from this middle-class suburb. I hardly ever go back to O'Fallon, but when I do, I always get the creative process back rolling. These are the streets I use to walk during late nights, my high school, and a lot of my first experiences. From getting stabbed at 11, even getting first shot, at was in O'Fallon when we were 16. Though I come from the streets of ESTL. O'Fallon was not a city to just think it was sweet. The Bridge (opening/ending shot) Basically to show I'm walking to STL with Illinois on my back.”
Here’s “Bridge” by Anthony Lucius:
Words to Live By: Guitarist and songwriter Seth Porter (long of Blind Eyes, currently of Essential Knots), posted up a simple, smart Facebook post of such wisdom that we’ll let it stand without much added comment:
In 2016, I got in a rhythm of going to a lot of shows. Not Beatle Bob levels or anything, but one or two (occasionally 3 or 4) almost every week. The overwhelming majority of these shows cost between $0-$10, had fewer than 50 people in attendance, and had me tucked into bed by the same time as if I had stayed parked on the couch all night. I'm not terribly interested in lecturing people about what they choose to do with their free time, so I'll just say that I recommend the experience. The music was good, the people were nice, and the performers, especially at the small shows, appreciate every warm body that walks through the door. Hope to see you out there in 2017.”
Worth emulation, this.
Digital Readings & Sounds: Had a chance to write about a young entrepreneur named Nicholas Alsup for the RFT. Recently, he took on the ownership mantle of The Archive, a sizable club space on Lafayette in Soulard, and one that’s claimed many a club concept before him. Good luck to him on the new venture.
Kevin Johnson of the PD noted yesterday that vocalist Brian Owens has scored some good press from Rolling Stone. The venerable music magazine highlighted the track “For You,” the lead cut from the songwriter’s album Soul of Ferguson. Known for being a collaborative-driven performer, Owens’ cut features a second Ferguson vocalist in Michael McDonald.
The new year’s brought new music from hyper-talented songwriter and recording engineer David Beeman, who’s released four songs under his own name at Bandcamp. You can sample them there, or purchase for a modest price. This is the first digital offering from Dead Wax Recordings.
A tip of the cap to Brian Andrew Marek for noting the existence of digital files from the band Roger From The Dark. Based on the modest amount of plays on their Soundcloud page, a lot of folks who followed this popular pop-rock act back in the day haven’t seen/heard them in this form; at least not yet. If you were among their fanbase a couple decades back, here’s your motivation for a bit of time-traveling.
Catch Up to Local Music: Here are links to the last two Now Hear This editions: December 29; and December 22. Got tips? Send to: thomascrone314@gmail.com.
