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The other day I wrote about the influence of music in your life, and in your children's lives. I talked about how music reflects points in your life and helps to define generations. So what happens when music is inspired instead by your life, and is created out of the influences at home - such as your children? Well, sometimes the result is chummy kid-centric music that cause adults to grind their teeth. Other times, we get independent musical gems as the latest offering from the newly formed Backpeddlers.
When lead singer Mark Norris pitched his band to me, he explained The Backpeddlers album, Songs of Guilt & Revenge as "songs exploring the joys and travails of fatherhood that don't sound like kid music." I want to make sure that statement is explained - this is not grown-up kids music, like the education albums from They Might Be Giants. This is a rock album, straight up. The subject matter might be along the lines of getting older and fatherhood (and going to the doctor) but it's written and performed as if it's not. I would put this album right next to El Camino from the Black Keys, as far as quality and style. This should not be categorized or pigeonholed as "kids" or "family" music. Sure, it's good for the whole family because it's got no cursing, etc., you get the point.
The album kicks off with definite shades of gritty garage rock. The vocals have a tinge of deep expression like you'd find with old blues crooners, though on the opening track "Turn the Tables" I immediately thought of the lead singer of the Hives. Actually, part of what I really got with the vocals was Levon Helm. Mark Norris brings the same intensity and unique spirit to this album. At the same time, there is a definite punk feel to it. Via email, Mark explains his early influences:
In college Mark ran with a band called Girlpope, a power pop group. They had a respectable following for a while and a few albums on an independent label. For Mark, it was the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. That is, until he hit his 30s and found out he was going to be a father. Now, Mark works in higher education and had pretty much stopped playing. This portion of his life is the clear inspiration for the song "New Father Blues" which pretty much describes how once married with a kid, you aren't going out every night anymore. For us married-with-kids guys, a song lamenting not being able to smoke, drink and toke hits home.
Says Mark about giving up the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, "Before I had kids I thought being married and having kids was about the least rock 'n' roll thing going. It seemed that when a musician settled down, their music also went soft. I really wasn't into writing happy-go-lucky songs about domestic bliss and couldn't fathom the idea of composing real kids' music. Although I've made up plenty of songs for my kids and tried to impart a love of rhythm and harmony to them, I never considered releasing anything like a children's album."
But the itch to keep writing music was one Mark couldn't resist scratching. We all have our hobbies. So he kept writing. Then in 2010, a succession of life changing events prompted Mark to buckle down and get back in the studio. Motivated by these two events — the death of his father and meeting one of his musical heroes Alex Chilton — and with the support of his wife and young children, Mark returned to the studio.
"Both events proved motivation enough to get me going again. I decided that if I was going to exert the time and energy required to make a new record, I needed to do three things: write for myself, have the songs be true to what I was experiencing, and release the recordings on vinyl (a longtime dream).
"The actual writing itself turned out to be the easiest part. I allowed myself to write about all sorts of things that I was feeling and addressed some of the conflicting aspects of parenting in the songs. Like, yes, having kids is totally rewarding, humbling, and amazing; however, it can sometimes be boring, frustrating, and not a whole lot of fun. Becoming OK with the later part took me a while, and writing this album helped."
That personal inspiration - fatherhood - is clearly reflected in the lyrics, but not in a way that you'd classify the music as for parents or even about parenting. For instance, the song "Get What You Wanted (Lose What You Had)" not only has a healthy dose of jaw harp in the background, but is one of those songs where the subject matter is vague enough that it could be applied to any aspect of your life. That's a major key in writing good music, that it can be conformed to your life. This elicits emotion and feeling along with the lyrics. In this case, Mark is clearly talking about the transition to fatherhood from the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, but you wouldn't know that unless you knew that. As you do now.
Some of the songs have a clear sarcastic tone to them, like the jaunty tune "Doctor Friend." The song describes going to a "Doctor" who does not have a degree, yet hands out medical treatment. One would have to assume that Mark is talking about either a drug dealer (doubtful at this stage in his life) or a chiropractor. As light as this song is, with a bit of a blues club feel to it, you can tell how tight the whole band is. While Mark did all the writing, he didn't play every instrument. Rounding out the Buffalo, NY, band is Roger Bryan (guitar/vocals), Andy Vaeth (bass, vocals), Jeff Pietrzak (drums, percussion, piano, organ.)
Mark points out the advantage of having a full band: "I was recording with friends who were extremely talented and, most importantly, a good decade younger than myself. Their energy and enthusiasm made recording a real pleasure, for once." Aside from recording, it also helps to have a full band, just in case you get to open for Elvis Costello, as the Backpeddlers did this past summer.
Once the recording was done, the next step was releasing the album. With the help of Kickstarter and funding from friends, Mark was able to not only release the album fully produced, but on Vinyl as well. "Since I was a kid, I had always wanted to be able to put one of my own records on the shelf next to some of those that I've treasured for years. The effect just isn't the same with CDs! Many people discouraged a vinyl release because of the cost and relatively small interest, but I knew it was something I had to do."
Vinyl tends to have a different sound than digital music, as you should be well aware. Such as with the song "How I'm Inclined" you actually feel like you are mingling outside the garage while the band rocks in front of you. Remember when Weezer released "The Sweater Song?" It's like that, they are just there rocking in the background, but in the forefront at the same time. The faint sound of drumming on bottles gives a homey feel to the song, especially poignant on vinyl.
From start to finish, Songs of Guilt & Revenge is very therapeutic. Both for the listener and for Mark. The songs all have the accessibility to not only reach you, no matter your position or standing in life, but enough generalities to appeal to a wider audience. The music is rhythmic and full of gritty realism at times, smooth and melodic the next. Throughout the album you get a sense of an overall message, though what that message is depends on the listener. For me, it felt like frustration that had boiled over, but in that frustration, the guilt of feeling misplaced in the world was washed away and you realize, it's perfectly alright.
Really though, it doesn't matter what we think of the album. There was only one person whose opinion mattered over anyone else's when it came down to it. Mark explains who that is, and what role she played in the creative process. "My oldest daughter provided a lot of inspiration for the record: from certain lyrical phrasings, to melodies, even to the cover. I played the record for her and asked, 'What do you think?' Her reply was 'Good!' That’s all I needed to hear.
"When she started humming one of the tunes a few days later, it felt better than getting a glowing review in some music magazine. It was truly encouraging."
Isn't that what it's all about after you become a parent? Not just raising and giving your kids a healthy life, but looking for a connection with them through something other than just blood and genetics. The music on Songs of Guilt & Revenge have that feeling to them, that they will enable parents to connect to children through shared experience and lyrics that resonate. Plus, it's a testament to the rebirth of the creative process, something many of us parents have dealt with. Mark finished our conversation with that very sentiment.
"All in all, the process provided a re-birth for my musical creativity, some therapy for those early parenting woes, and a sense that I could accomplish something if I really needed to.
"This process has taught me that you can love your kids and still be creative on your own terms – you don’t have to get an x-ray to find a heart that's fully in love with children and still set free by rock 'n' roll."
Wired: A good time from start to finish, The Backpeddlers album Songs of Guilt & Revenge will have you foot stomping and clapping along to the Americana garage rock beats and old school pop-punk guitar. Also: clean lyrics so the kids can dig on this one too.
Tired: Coming in at under 35 minutes, just when you really get into the album it ends with a slow song and you're out. For some, that's the perfect comedown. Others, it might seem like it came up short.
