How an Unsigned, Unknown Band Raised $20,000 for Their Dream Debut LP with The Dreaded Laramie

by Isaac Kuhlman

Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Powered By Rock podcast, host Isaac Kuhlman dives into the intriguing journey of The Dreaded Laramie, a Nashville-based power pop indie rock band.

Isaac gets the inside scoop from band members MC and Zach regarding their unexpected success in raising $20,000 on Kickstarter for their debut LP.

The episode is a compelling mix of music industry insights, personal anecdotes, and valuable lessons for aspiring musicians and bands.

Isaac kicks off the conversation by highlighting the band's impressive achievement, discussing the expected financial difficulties of indie bands and how The Dreaded Laramie stood out by successfully crowdfunding their project.

The band members elaborate on their DIY approach, relentless pursuit of opportunities, and the importance of saying yes to challenges, reflecting a determination that sets them apart from their peers.

Key topics covered include the band's early years, the pivotal decisions that led to their momentum, and the strategy behind their ambitious crowdfunding campaign.

The discussion also touches on the recording experience with legendary producer Dave Schiffman, the professional yet enjoyable studio sessions, and the significance of his expertise in shaping their album.

As the conversation progresses, MC and Zach share the highs and lows of their journey, including a major lineup change right before their album release.

Despite these challenges, the band remains resilient, continuing to tour and work on new music.

This insightful episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the dedication required to make it in the indie music scene.

Intro Music: Birds Love Filters "Colorado" - ⁠⁠https://youtu.be/dqD_jMhZGqU⁠⁠

Outro Music: Speedway Sleeper "Snail Mail" - ⁠⁠https://youtu.be/21-vX3bBagc⁠⁠

Please consider purchasing some cool merch or some musical instrument accessories at our site - ⁠⁠https://poweredbyrock.com⁠⁠

Indie Musicians - check out the FREE DIY Rock Career Playlist here - ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_2jRJsJubw&list=PL465-TazTQf5tZ9zGHitfmWQpYsbVlF99⁠⁠

You can also learn more at ⁠⁠https://diyrockcareer.com/⁠

Key Takeaways:

  • Embrace a DIY mindset: The importance of taking initiative and booking your own tours if opportunities don't come to you.

  • Effective Crowdfunding: Creating engaging and compelling Kickstarter campaigns to achieve funding goals.

  • Working with Industry Experts: How collaboration with experienced producers can elevate the quality of music.

  • Navigating Changes: Handling lineup changes and still moving forward as a band.

  • Constant Hustle: Continual efforts to tour, make music, and keep fans engaged

About the Guest(s):

The Dreaded Laramie is a power pop indie rock band based in Nashville, Tennessee. Formed by MC and Zach, who met during their collegiate years, the band has been active for eight years and has built a strong DIY ethos.

They’ve garnered attention recently by raising $20,000 through a Kickstarter campaign for their debut album, "Princesses Feedback," which they recorded with acclaimed producer Dave Schiffman.

Resources:

Cover Photo Courtesy of @warrenmartian on Instagram - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/warrenmartian/⁠

Timeline:

00:00 - Episode Introduction

01:10 - The Dreaded Laramie’s Steady Rise & Their Ambitious Goal

24:10 - The Kickstarter Campaign That Changed Their Lives

38:49 - The Recording Process and the Release Plan for Their Debut Album Princess Feedback

48:43 - The Final Product - Princess Feedback Vinyl Reveal

49:06 - Band Splits Upon Launching Princess Feedback to the World

59:20 - Where Do The Dreaded Laramie Go From Here?

 

Transcript:

0:00:00 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Almost every indie rock band struggles with the same issues when it comes to how they make money to support their careers. Of course, most are well aware that, at best, the idea of being in a rock band is a break even business venture during the best of times. That's why when I saw a little known band with less than 3000 followers on instagram at the time, raised $20,000 for their debut lp, I was pretty shocked. Their goal was pretty simple. They wanted to crowdfund their first full length album so they could work with legendary producer Dave Schiffman, who had worked with one of the band's shared inspirations, Weezer.

0:00:31 - (Isaac Kuhlman): The recording, mixing, mastering, printing, the vinyls and merch and other expenses likely cost even more than $20,000. But the band figured if they could achieve this milestone, they'd be able to carry the cost of the rest of the production themselves. So how'd they do it, and what was the end result of their efforts? How did the album sound? Also, why did the band's lineup split in half right before the release of their debut album?

0:00:52 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Well, that's what I'm going to find out today while I speak with MC and Zach from the Nashville based power pop indie rock band, the dreaded Laramie. All right, so, hey, Zach. Hey, Mc. How are things going there? I think you guys now are in Colorado, and actually, that's Zach's childhood bedroom right there. As he mentioned before we came on here, he specifically mentioned, look at the Pokemon plush up there. So that's what we're going to do. Look at the Pokemon plush.

0:01:37 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Would you like to go through your collection there, Zach? No, I'm just kidding.

0:01:40 - (Zach): I pretend that I'm ashamed of it, but really, I'm just hoping that y'all will notice and admire it, because you would think that that was something that we installed when I was, like, six years old or something, and it's not. It was right after I graduated high school. Like, my last thing in this room before I left was putting up a little shelf and display, displaying the critters.

0:02:01 - (MC): And what you can't see is that it goes around the perimeter of the whole room.

0:02:05 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Kind of like one of those things that, as an indie rock band, if you ever don't make money on a tour, it's like, well, I got that thing. I could put it up on eBay now, right?

0:02:14 - (Zach): Yeah. Although they'll pry it out of my cold, dead hands, you know?

0:02:19 - (Isaac Kuhlman): And she's like, come on, man. It's worth like $200. Like, no. All right, so obviously like I was saying before he came on air, like, it's been about two years since we talked on a podcast, but in that time, a lot of things have happened. You know, you've actually come to Vegas twice, stayed at my house a couple times to, you know, play shows here at the Red Dwarf, which, you know, maybe someday you'll be playing, like, house of blues or something, which will be even better. But, you know, red. Red dwarfs, an awesome bar. But, you know, there are bigger, better things out there, obviously, that for financially, for an artist that they could do. So I kind of want to break down a little bit of, like, where you guys, like, rise came from. And how did you come up with this ambitious goal for your first album? So kind of, like, walk me through what was the first years of being in the dreaded Laramie, like, for you guys? And at what point did you kind of start to see some good momentum?

0:03:09 - (MC): So I'll have to take us back to the beginning at first and say the dreaded Laramie has actually existed for eight years. We may not have that much to show for it, but, yeah, we finally made our first record. Yeah, the band started during my last year of college and Zach's first year of law school, and it was a pretty. I mean, it was something we cared about, but it was a more casual thing. And then, like, a year into the band's existence, I moved to Kentucky for grad school, but somehow it became a lot more serious while I was away, like, while we were living in separate places.

0:03:55 - (MC): And then we, yeah, started doing kind of more and more. We got a stable lineup a few years in.

0:04:04 - (Zach): Yeah, I feel like when MC moved to Lexington, she was determined to, like, prove to herself and kind of to the world that it, you know, didn't have to affect the music that we were making and could, like, you know, become kind of. Kind of an asset instead of, like, a liability. And even though it was incredibly difficult and everything, like, if anybody could make that an advantage, you know, it was MC. And so she hustled through grad school and everything, but managed to, like, also get really plugged into the Lexington scene, which embraced us in a way that, like, you know, Nashville, because it's so saturated, might not have. And we got to kind of have the best of both worlds. Being a Nashville band and a Lexington band for that time, maybe that's more detail than we needed for, like, that period, but just figured, like, it's really hard to do long distance, especially at the level that we were at at the time, but yeah, we made it work.

0:05:05 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah. And I definitely remember you talking about that. And I think, right as I met you guys or knew of you guys, you were moving back to Nashville at that point. So about two years ago, and now you are both in Nashville. Obviously, you're touring right now, but, you know, full time living in Nashville, and it's crazy because you guys have, you know, like, these extended degrees and stuff like that, and you're like, we're in an indie rock band, so suck it.

0:05:29 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Academia, for sure. So do you guys remember any sort of, like, decisions that you guys made during this time that, like, kind of helped your band springboard ahead of where other bands might have kind of been at the time that were kind of in your peer group? Not that you guys are, like, rich and famous and super successful, but, you know, you got a bit of notoriety. You're able to tour when other bands aren't, obviously. And you do have a, you know, a debut lp that you've funded before you even started recording it. Right. So that's a huge advantage that most bands never seed.

0:06:01 - (MC): I think. I think what gives us the advantage is in what you said a second ago about, you know, that we're able to tour when other bands aren't. I don't know if there's anything special about us that makes us able to tour. It's just we decide we're gonna do it and so we do it.

0:06:18 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah.

0:06:18 - (MC): Like, it's. I think part of it is that we're both willing to hit our heads against the wall enough times, like, until something happens. Yeah. Like, yeah, we're. We're totally diy. Booking everything. We've played something like 100 dates in the last twelve months, and the vast majority of those we've booked ourselves, like, we've, you know, been lucky enough to get on a cup, like a, you know, a tour, or, like, we'll be sharing a tour with another band and we'll share booking duties or something. But, like, we have done a lot to make things happen that would not have happened otherwise, you know, that no one would have given to us. And, I mean, I think that's the story with the record, too. Like, yeah, there was no reason we should have been able to make a record that required a $20,000 kickstarter.

0:07:09 - (MC): But we, like, found the opportunity, you know, we found a dream producer, which I still don't know how that, you know, is real life, but, yeah, was like, okay, like, this opportunity is here. We can't let it go, you know, and I don't know. I won't speak for you. Maybe you can speak. Yeah. To your, like, experience with this, but I think for me, anyway, like, part of it is a little bit of, like, not necessarily the most healthy mindset, but, like, of just knowing there's no guarantees that any of this stuff will work out. And so, like, when an opportunity shows up, you have to take it and you have to make the most of it.

0:07:50 - (MC): And so, yeah, anytime, like, we're always seeking out opportunities and we're always trying to do whatever we can to say yes to cool things that come along, which can definitely have, you know, negative effects, too, and require sacrifice and affects relationships and affects the other parts of your life that aren't just the band, but it's. Yeah, a lot of it is kind of bending over backwards and putting in work to make things happen, and, yeah, the result is still very little. Like, yeah, we're playing at the red Dwarf. We're not playing at the house of Blues, but we love it and it's worthwhile, you know, so we keep doing it.

0:08:33 - (Zach): The cold email to Dave Schiffman was, like, a huge leap of faith, and we didn't really expect anything to come from it. But I feel like both of us have taken shots like that that have surprisingly, like, worked out for us and just, like, yeah, like. Like, believe in yourself. Yeah. But also, yeah, just like, it's. It's throwing a lot of spaghetti at the wall and kind of seeing what sticks, I think.

0:08:58 - (Zach): And also, like, having a team that, like, believes in itself so that when crazy opportunities come along, that it's like, oh, my God. Like, we couldn't possibly raise that amount of money in order to do that or something. Like, we have the anxiety response and we go, oh, God. Oh, no. Oh, no. No way. Right? And then we take a deep breath and one of us is like, usually MC is like, okay, wait, actually, I've broken this down, and I think that this is somehow possible, and then we just take it one, like, bite at a time.

0:09:35 - (MC): Yeah, well, and it's, like, alternative. Like, don't try. You know? Like, what's the worst that can happen? The same thing that would have happened if you didn't try.

0:09:47 - (Isaac Kuhlman): I think there's a couple things there that you guys mentioned that are worth mentioning again, it's the fact that you say yes to things when they come around, when a lot of people will think no. Like, their first response is, no, that can't be. That's not possible. Like you were saying, zach, and then they don't have anybody to say, you know what? Actually, it is possible. Let's try it. But again, like, that's where most bands stop, is when they hit a challenge that seems too hard, so they just say no, and then they don't move on. So it's like, the difference, I think, between you guys and a lot of bands is that you're willing to take these risks. You're willing to go on tour.

0:10:21 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah. You like, some bands might have families and stuff like that, but everybody has ties to where they live, right? So you have to make sacrifices, you know, like, well, how do I make bills? And how do I. What do I do with my empty house while I'm gone? Or, you know, what if I have pets and all this other stuff? Like, you got to figure all that stuff out. But the fact that you're willing to say yes, and obviously, you guys obviously have careers and jobs as well that you have to worry about and.

0:10:44 - (Isaac Kuhlman): And work around that, but other people will just be like, oh, no, I can't. I got work, or, no, I can't. I got this. It's like, say yes and then find a way to make it happen, right? Don't say no, and then. Then regret it later. So, like, again, like you said, what's the worst that can happen? So most people, they don't take their shot, and that's, you know, I think that's a Hamilton line, right? Take your shot. But I think it's worth repeating that, you know, anytime you're presented with an opportunity, say yes and then try to make it happen. And if you really, really, really can't do it, then go back and say, I'm sorry, we can't do it. Because that's the least you can do, is at least try to make it happen. Right?

0:11:20 - (MC): Yeah. I mean, and I think it's a matter of priorities, too. Like, you know, like, with the job thing. Oh, I'm not going to be able to, you know, take this much time off work or something. Like, okay, what do you want your job to be? Do you want it to be being on tour, or do you want it to be like, you know, whatever the thing is that's keeping you home? If you continue to prioritize the thing that's keeping you home, then, like, yeah, that's gonna be the thing that is the center of your life. But you. I mean, it's not to say it's easy or, like, remotely possible, but, like, yeah, you can make the other thing the priority and treat it like the priority and go, okay, yeah. Like, I can say goodbye to my comfort zone and my job or, you know, whatever.

0:11:59 - (Zach): Yeah. We're almost always with us, but, like, kind of creeping into artist way territory about, I think about Julia Cameron talking about how, like, like, you know, believing that everyone and anyone kind of can be an artist, but that you're not necessarily guaranteed, like, a home or, like, yeah, like a super fancy house or, like, to, you know, immediate wealth for quitting your job to be an artist or something. But I feel like it's.

0:12:33 - (Zach): It does take a little bit of that leap of faith and, like, you kind of find a way to make it work. I want to say, yeah.

0:12:41 - (Isaac Kuhlman): And I think it helps when you have somebody that kind of supports in the exact same dream that you want. Right. Like, if you. If it's one person in the band pushing really hard and everybody else being like, no, I can't do it, it's a lot more difficult to make that work. Right. So then you're like, surround yourself with people that can help you fulfill your dreams. That was the second thing I was going to say, is that you guys did surround yourself with people that help you make your dreams come possible.

0:13:07 - (Isaac Kuhlman): What I do want to talk about is the decision. Like, again, you had to make another decision. How did you decide that you wanted to work with Dave Schiffman on your debut album?

0:13:15 - (MC): I think well, so, okay, I'm going to go the long way, but the shortest road possible to the long way. Zach showed me this podcast episode a few years ago about it doesn't even matter what it's about. The missing hit.

0:13:31 - (Zach): Oh, yeah.

0:13:32 - (MC): That's really what it's from.

0:13:34 - (Zach): Are you serious?

0:13:34 - (MC): Yeah. And in this podcast episode, being a band is kind of a, it's about trying to find a song that was stuck in someone's head and they couldn't remember what it was. But anyway, somewhere along the way in the episode, they're like, oh, well, you. To try and find the song, maybe we should talk to, like, a handful of these producers who, like, all worked on, you know, the most interesting stuff. And there's this tangent at one point about, like, this one producer and how, like, oh, yeah, she's responsible for, you know, all these great things. And so, you know, it would make sense for a band that wanted to sound like that, to seek her out, and it was like, oh, how have we not thought of, or how have I not thought of this? Like, yeah, like, let me look at my favorite records right now and, like, see who's responsible for them and why not talk to them.

0:14:22 - (MC): And Dave was, like, the big common thread. I mean, the biggest thing is that he made. He produced, mix, and engineered the first three pup records, which are, like, huge for us. You know, we love that band, and those records are amazing, especially the third one. But then it was also, like, I was just looking at the credits for all of my favorite releases around, like, 2021 when we were thinking about this, and it was like, oh, produced by Dave, mixed by Dave, you know, engineered by Dave. Like, it was. He was just all over anything I was liking at the time.

0:14:59 - (MC): And so it was like, okay, yeah, I'm gonna email him. Which, yeah, like Zach said, on the one hand was, like, a big leap of faith, but on the other hand was, like, Tuesday because were always throwing stuff at the wall and just seeing what sticks. And so I, you know, I emailed him and expected never to hear anything and, like, okay, cool. And then we'll figure something else out. But, like, he got back to me within a day and was like, oh, I really like these demos. Like, let's talk soon.

0:15:25 - (MC): It would be cool to work together. And we're, like, freaking out. I'm freaking out. At the dermatologist's office. She's giving me a hug. It was, like, a big day, but, yeah, I mean, I think so. Mostly. Like, he's made a lot of records that we love, you know, or has had a hand in them one way or another. And, like, really across the board, too, you know? Like, there's the pup thing, but he also engineered songs on the new Olivia Rodrigo record, you know, so it's like.

0:15:51 - (MC): And though, I mean, both of those are things that we love just kind of on different ends of the popular music spectrum. Yeah, but, yeah, I don't know. That's what I would say. Like, he just doesn't miss. He only makes great stuff.

0:16:05 - (Zach): Yeah, we can. I mean, I feel like I could. I could keep listing off things that Dave has touched that were, like, hugely influential to me and that I loved.

0:16:15 - (MC): And it's.

0:16:16 - (Zach): It's fun to work with him and be like, hey, so what's Weezer like, you know?

0:16:21 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah.

0:16:26 - (Zach): You know, Nashville is, like, so saturated with just, like, super, super talented musicians. And I think, like, you know, the indie band thing to do, which would have been a cool route to go or whatever, is to find a friend who does production stuff and, like, get to record the album that way. Like, but for me, what was, like, so exciting about working with Dave, as MC said, was just, like, it's, like, such a different level of experience, right? Like, he's nothing.

0:16:57 - (Zach): He's not like one of the Nashville guys or like, one of the friends in the scene who I think also could have done a really good job, but he was somebody who has, like, you know, was trained on tape machine and, you know, had worked on this, you know, making records through the eighties and nineties and, like, truly understood that kind of thing. And so, like, you know, like, even though there was a more kind of familiar route that we could have gone down with the production of the album, the.

0:17:25 - (Zach): That he was so experienced and also far enough outside of our circle that we knew that he would offer a perspective that we, like, wouldn't have gotten otherwise, made it so that, like, you know, MC and I agreed kind of from the beginning that it was like, whatever Dave says, let's just go with it, whether we agree with it or not, you know?

0:17:46 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah.

0:17:49 - (Zach): And tell him if we disagree with it or something, but, like, he's.

0:17:53 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Like, change the name. What?

0:17:55 - (Zach): Yeah, yeah. Trusting his judgment on things and, you know, like, even in the creative process, doing what we call throw it in the Dave pile, which is just like, oh, I don't know if this should be two bpm faster or two bpm slower. Well, let's. Let's let Dave decide. Like, let's just keep offering that as his, you know, opinion so that we don't have to, like, get into any, like, sort of, like, gridlocks creatively with the.

0:18:23 - (Zach): Internally, with the band, and just rely on this, like, wealth of experience that was willing to work with us.

0:18:35 - (Isaac Kuhlman): So how did you actually set the goal and break it down into a realistic number? Because I think that's one thing that people are going to really sit there and go, like, 20 grand. How does that make sense? What's the recording fees? Obviously, you guys had to purchase other stuff to go along with it. How did you set the goal and how did you break it down?

0:18:52 - (MC): You know, his manager, Dave's manager, was really helpful in that process. I spent a lot of time on the phone with her talking about, like, okay, what is the bare minimum we can make work? Because believe it or not, that was really the homey discount that we got for the record. You know, like, Dave is pretty flexible, is in demand enough that he makes only the records he wants to make in a year, and so wanted to do, you know, whatever possible to meet us where we were at, but at the same time has the kind of standards that it's like, yeah, we're not gonna make the record in Timmy's basement. In East Nashville.

0:19:31 - (MC): So it was like, okay, I mean, first of all, we need to get him out here and get him housed for three weeks because that was the amount of time we spent, and he's in LA. But then it was like, all right, now we need to find. And this was kind of a joint project with Dave's manager and us finding a studio that was going to be, like, at the caliber that he would want, you know, to have all the equipment and to be able to do the kinds of things we would want to do, which is, I mean, easier to find in Nashville than in most places, but still, like, you know, there aren't many of them, but finding the middle ground between something that was going to be, know, high quality enough that he would stand behind the project or the product, but then also, like, you know, not going to totally break our bank.

0:20:20 - (MC): So studio time was a. Was a big part of it. That was about half of the budget, and then, like, it was. I don't remember what the exact numbers are. I don't. It might be uncouth to.

0:20:34 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Sure, sure. You don't have to divulge all the.

0:20:38 - (MC): I will say a very small, like, relatively small part was actually for, like, the engineering and mixing of the songs. Oh, vinyl was a big part of it, too. We knew we wanted to press vinyl, and we ended up partnering with Smartpunk, but we wanted to be sure that we would be able to, you know, that we would be set up with the money to have the kind of release we would want to have in terms of vinyl and merch, too. So we factored that into the number we were raising as well.

0:21:20 - (Zach): The figure that we asked for, for, like, the Kickstarter campaign was, like, higher than some of the initial, like, amounts that we had talked about. Like, we were just like, oh, God, is that. Is that so much? But, I mean, honestly, I like one. I'm happy because it was a successful campaign, and so we were able to get it. But also, like, doing a Kickstarter campaign is also really expensive. Like, all of the.

0:21:46 - (Zach): All of the benefits and everything that we came up with, even though we went on the cheap side of things, it was, or not cheap, but the, like, more affordable side of things. It's like, it really is, like, a lot to. To manage. Not, like, not dunking on it or anything, but, like, I'm glad that we ended up asking for the higher amount just because it was, like, a big slice of the pie of what we needed. And also the pie ended up being larger than we were expecting.

0:22:19 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah, as things do.

0:22:21 - (MC): Yeah. Oh, sorry, go ahead.

0:22:23 - (Zach): And.

0:22:23 - (Isaac Kuhlman): No good.

0:22:24 - (MC): I was going to say Zach has been the Kickstarter manager, like, extraordinaire, which. Yeah, we did it in October of 2021, and we are now in July 2024, and we just, like, totally wrapped the Kickstarter. It's insane, but, yeah, like, I mean, it's. It's expensive and, like, Kickstarter takes a cut, too. You know, not a big one, but they take a cut. Like, we didn't take home all $20,000.

0:22:49 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Kickstarter is happy to take people's money for sure. That's the platform. Right?

0:22:54 - (MC): Right, yeah. Which we've been having to get all the rewards together and, like, keep backers updated. Like, Zack writes. I mean, now, thankfully, is done, but has been writing, like, an at least monthly ish update for nearly three years to these people.

0:23:13 - (Zach): Yeah, it's like our newsletter, kind of for the band, and usually it starts with a. With, like, an apology because just, like, things have happened, and I'm just like, I'm sorry I haven't let you know.

0:23:25 - (MC): Yeah, but I mean, and it's amazing. Like, it's really cool. Like, in a cool opportunity to have people, you know, who are willing to financially back the band, like, kind of all in one place for communication like that. That's been great for kind of fostering fan base, but, like, it also has been a ton, especially for Zack to keep up with, so. Yeah, like, it's incredible. It's amazing that we were able to reach that goal. Yeah, that's still bizarre to me. I actually had someone the day before we launched the Kickstarter campaign try and talk me down from launching it.

0:23:58 - (MC): Someone be like, wait, you shouldn't do this. Yeah, but we did, and it worked.

0:24:07 - (Zach): I forget who that was, but tell me after the interview.

0:24:24 - (Isaac Kuhlman): All right, so let's kind of break it into the second phase of this. You guys actually, what I call, you know, you achieved the Kickstarter campaign that essentially changed your lives. I mean, in several ways. I think this actually did change your. Your lives better, worse, indifferently, in many different ways. Right. So where did you guys actually get the idea to do this on a Kickstarter?

0:24:46 - (MC): I think we. We just knew that it. I don't know if it was me, to be honest. It was. I don't know, whoever. Like, I think the crowdfunding thing was, like, instant. We were all just like, we don't have that much money in our bank account. We're not gonna make that much money from touring before the record. If we want to do this, it's going to have to be crowdfunded one way or another. And then there was like, you know, a little bit of research into, like, what's it gonna, you know, which, which platform is gonna make the most sense? Cause I thought about Gofundme, like, or there's, I don't know, like a few different ones, but for whatever reason, Kickstarter was the thing that made the most sense. But, yeah, I mean, it was just kind of necessity. It was like, here's this gulf. Like, we're not getting here on our own.

0:25:29 - (MC): I wish we lived in Canada so that we could apply for grants for recording. That would be awesome. But we don't. So, yeah, crowdfunding, I think you could.

0:25:39 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Apply for the McCarthy genius grant or whatever it's called. I think that's going to be pretty.

0:25:43 - (MC): Tough for a debut nominated. I don't.

0:25:47 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Well, just tell me. I would have written a letter for you.

0:25:52 - (MC): Oh, man. Yeah.

0:25:54 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah. Well, then obviously you had to put this campaign together, right? So you, you offer, you know, pre release, like tiers, right? So, like, this is a tier based system where, and I think this is always smart, even if you don't use Kickstarter, use some sort of tier based system to essentially get people to buy as early as possible. Right. So, like, have the early phase one, early phase 23456 and then give different bonuses at different prices as well. So, like, if you buy early, you get these bonuses. If you, if you buy at this level, like for more money, you get these bonuses. I think I got a hat.

0:26:27 - (Isaac Kuhlman): I think I got the signed record merch bag, a few other things. I obviously donated to the thing and then I still bought the shirt later at a show. But yeah, there's a ton of ways that you can do this, but talk about how these kinds of bonuses that you work through help inspire people to buy more than just your album because, you know, you're not looking for just a $20 donation and then being like, thank you, like, see you later. That's all we need from you. Right? You're looking to build a fan based community through this.

0:26:57 - (MC): Yeah. And, you know, it was a little surprising. Like, I think the average donation was like a $100. Like, we found that if people were at the point where they wanted to support the Kickstarter, like, they were willing to, you know, support it in a more meaningful way. And, I mean, we had plenty of, like $25 donations, but for the most part, there were, like, significantly more hundred dollar tier backers than $25. Tier backers, which was something that really surprised me.

0:27:30 - (MC): But, yeah, I mean, we wanted to, and so we had the physical stuff, which is really cool, but what felt like kind of especially fan base building to me, I think, were some of the intangible things. Like, for some of the high or for early backers, we offered to give demo recordings of b sides, whatever tracks didn't make the record because we gave Dave a lot more songs to kind of choose from than we had space to record.

0:27:57 - (MC): And then for, like, backers at a certain tier or above, we gave, like, the demo version of the whole album, you know, so you could hear, you know, track for track. Where were things at in February 20? Or, I guess, sorry, technically September 2022. All the songs, you know, one to ten on the record and how it changed, you know, totally transformed to the album it is now. So, yeah, I don't know. I think those were some of the ones that I thought were cool, but.

0:28:33 - (Isaac Kuhlman): And then, obviously, you have to promote this, right? So, like, I. You weren't, like, you didn't have, like, 30,000 followers on Instagram. You didn't have, you know, the 10,000 person email list or anything like that. How did you go about promoting this, man?

0:28:48 - (Zach): I won't use the term whoring yourself out.

0:28:53 - (Isaac Kuhlman): I won't use it.

0:28:54 - (Zach): Yeah, yeah.

0:28:55 - (Isaac Kuhlman): It wasn't exactly that, but don't use that term.

0:28:57 - (Zach): But it was some advice that I got very, like, kind of early on about doing a Kickstarter campaign was, like, the number one reason that people will not donate is if you don't ask, and don't ask, like, the question. And so it felt very, like, to me, anyway, like, it felt very kind of grassroots where, like, it was hitting up people that I hadn't talked to in a while and saying, look, this is, like, this is what we're doing.

0:29:32 - (Zach): It would mean the world to me if you, like, donated to it. Here are, like, some of the tears and stuff. And we just thought of, like, I thought of teachers from school that, like, growing up, like, just anybody that I think would be like, oh, it's cool that Zach is trying to make a record with a. With a famous producer. And I think each of us did a lot of that. And, you know, I feel like, also, like, you know, we don't have 30,000 Instagram followers, but the Instagram followers that we do have, like, engage with us quite a bit. And, yeah, and so there was a lot of, like, promotion that we did on Instagram asking people for that.

0:30:14 - (Zach): But, yeah, I, I know this is, like, a little bit of a buzzword, but it just, like, kind of comes back down to community and just being, like, being willing to ask, even though it is, like, kind of uncomfortable because, like, if I feel like it's. If you genuinely believe in what you're doing, that it's going to be, like a good, really cool thing, then asking for money to promote that is not ripping anybody off.

0:30:42 - (Zach): Yeah. You know, it's like you're not, you're not trying to sell them bullshit. You're trying to tell them, like, oh, this is investing in something that is going to, like, be a net positive. Right. So I had to just keep myself in mind with that because, like, ick, like, asking people I haven't talked to in a while for money is a, is a big, uncomfortable thing. But it really did feel like we were kind of inviting them into the world of the record making process. And I think, like, with the, like, with the Kickstarter emails and everything and kind of building a bit of a community with the updates that I've been writing, like, it did feel more like inviting people into the process because, like, it wasn't just give me your money and we'll send you a record in two years or something. It was like, you know, like, let me, like, let's take you along the way and keep you updated and show you how much this means to you and. Or means to us. And, yeah.

0:31:41 - (Zach): You know, for especially, like, you know, certain relatives and things that I have, people that I have who have always admired rock bands but don't really know too much about what goes into it. I think it was like an added benefit that they got to kind of see our experience from sort of the passenger seat.

0:32:01 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah, for sure. I mean, you think about all the famous rock bands out there. They had a very similar journey as to what you guys did for your first album, except for back in the nineties or something like that. A record label would put them up for like 20 grand for an advance or something like that. It's just a different time, but now it's pretty much all diY. Everybody, everybody that's in a rock band has to do it themselves. So either you take out a loan and put a lot of risk on yourselves or you get a lot of people to help you. Right. And so I think that's it's great to have a supportive community.

0:32:32 - (Isaac Kuhlman): What did you guys think, like, when you actually hit the goal? Because I remember seeing the emails, like, along the ways, like, we're this close we're this close. We're this close. Like, we're almost there. Like, you're last thousand dollars and stuff like that. But what did you feel like? What did you. What did you guys do when you actually hit the goal?

0:32:46 - (Zach): Screamed.

0:32:49 - (MC): I'm trying to remember where I was. I'm pretty sure I was, like, at school.

0:32:54 - (Zach): But was I, like, what was I in Baltimore with Mark?

0:32:58 - (MC): That sounds right.

0:33:00 - (Zach): Yeah, yeah, it happened right around. Yeah, it was like. And it was, like, right around my birthday, I think, because I remember people thinking, like, whoa. Like, that's, like, the best birthday gift ever.

0:33:11 - (MC): Yeah, yeah.

0:33:12 - (Zach): And it was.

0:33:13 - (MC): Yeah, no, it was just, like, total disbelief. Yeah. Crazy.

0:33:19 - (Isaac Kuhlman): I mean, it launched pretty quickly. Cause you only have, what, like, three weeks to four weeks, something like that, to complete the campaign. So I think it started off pretty. Pretty hot, right?

0:33:28 - (MC): Yeah, it was wild. We made, like, half the number in less than the first week that was. And, I mean, that's something we kind of knew to experience, that the big jump is, like, in the first week and in the last week, and then.

0:33:43 - (Isaac Kuhlman): It was usually the last two days.

0:33:44 - (MC): Yeah, yeah, yeah. And, you know, I think we got it in the third week. Like, we had a significant amount of time after, and we did actually get past the goal by about a $1,000, which was even more unbelievable. And I think this is a lot of what we do with, like, band work is it's just, like, you give them what you consider, like, the normal kind of rules, or I, like, a break. Just, like, put them out of sight, and it's like, okay, yeah, this is. It doesn't matter if this thing is crazy. Like, this is the thing that we're doing, like, you know, blinders on. Okay. We're. You know, I'm gonna be reaching out to five to ten people every day for the next four weeks, and, like, you not paying too much attention to how much money we have, because it's like, you know, you don't want to get overconfident. You also don't want to let it get to you. When it's, like, two weeks in and you hit the plateau, it's just like.

0:34:38 - (MC): So I think we were all in kind of, like, work mode, and then it was like, ah, it happened.

0:34:46 - (Zach): Yeah, yeah. Kickstarter's the scary one, too, because that's, like, the, you know, the platform where if you don't hit the goal, you don't make anything, you get nothing a little more real.

0:34:58 - (MC): Yeah, sure.

0:34:59 - (Isaac Kuhlman): I mean, did you guys have a backup plan? Had the goal not gone through.

0:35:03 - (Zach): No.

0:35:03 - (MC): Nope.

0:35:04 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Thrown in a dumpster. We quit the band. We're out.

0:35:07 - (Zach): Oh, yeah. If that would have happened. I don't. I don't know. I mean, we didn't even know Dave that well yet, so I don't think we could have, like, begged to, like, road trip out to him to go.

0:35:18 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah.

0:35:20 - (Zach): I don't even know.

0:35:21 - (MC): It was like. I mean, I have kind of, in my head maybe some things we would have done, but this was something we specifically talked about on the front end, like, that we didn't want to come up with a plan B because we wanted to just, like, go, no, this is gonna be the thing that works. Like, why treat it like it could fail?

0:35:36 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Exactly. And I think that's a successful mindset, as they say. Like, everybody always says, like, don't have a plan b, and you'll. You'll accomplish plan a. It's true. You just work hard enough and never quit, you will accomplish plan a at some point. It might not be the level of ability that you think that you're gonna get, but it's gonna be, to some extent, that plan a. Right? It's gonna be maybe a morph version of it, but you will never.

0:35:59 - (Isaac Kuhlman): If you never stop, you'll never fail. That's what I always tell people.

0:36:02 - (Zach): Yeah, and, yeah, and with, like, with this whole thing, too, it's. It's genuinely been like. Like, I feel like the phrase that we kept saying was like, well, we can't not do this, right? Like, we can't be like, nah, probably not. And then, you know, five years from now or something, we're just like, ah, yeah, that was something that we thought about maybe doing or whatever. Like, it kind of just, like, friends and family who we talked to about this were just like, we got to make it work, right? Like.

0:36:35 - (Zach): Like, you can't. You can't just say no to an opportunity like this.

0:36:41 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah, yeah, from memory.

0:36:43 - (MC): It's not like I think I was worried. My family was certainly worried that it would maybe be like, a kind of, okay, we raise all this money, and then, like, we use it all, and then, okay, you know, now what? But it, like, has truly been an investment. You know, we made a record that we would not have been able to make otherwise. And, like, that got us hooked up with smart punk. And now, like, we have a number we're very happy with, you know, for the second album.

0:37:10 - (MC): Like, should they, you know, take that option? So, like, yeah, we're set for the next record. Like, you know, to make lp two in a way that would have been beyond our dreams for the first one. And, like. Yeah. Have all kinds of great team support. Like, it has really already paid off for us in terms of the resources we've gotten in exchange for the quality of the record we've been able to share with people.

0:37:38 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah. And I believe one of the actual benefits of a certain tier was you got to name the album. Did you get somebody who actually got to name the album and. No, no.

0:37:47 - (MC): I think that was, like 10,000 or $20,000 or something crazy. You know, it's like, you know, why leave money on the table? Sure. We'll give it.

0:37:56 - (Isaac Kuhlman): You can play. You can play cowbell. In our band, we don't care for 20 grand.

0:38:01 - (MC): Yeah.

0:38:01 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Right.

0:38:02 - (MC): Which I kind of wish someone else had had named it, because. Not that I don't love the name. I love the name, but it was, like, agonizing, figuring it out.

0:38:11 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah. The process of naming an album, especially your debut album, is tough.

0:38:15 - (Zach): Yeah, we brainstormed a lot for that. And it was. Yeah, it was just a whole process.

0:38:23 - (MC): Yeah. It, like, kind of. I mean, once again, I say this now, like, loving the name, but it was, like, about a year of. Or, I don't know, maybe six months of kind of going back and forth about it, and. And it was like everyone hated the name that the other person loved, and it was definitely the number. The name that everyone hated the least.

0:38:44 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah, that's how it usually goes. Like, well, we don't hate this one as much as this other one, but, yeah. So let's talk about the recording process, because I mentioned we would talk about this. Obviously now, when you're in the studio with Dave Schiffman, you really got to be professional, right? Like, he's not going to just be like, hey, turn up and, you know, tell jokes and be funny, and we're going to make a record together. He's like, you, my time is important, right? Not that anybody is, but you're paying for him to be there, right? It's like, let's get this thing together. Let's get the show on the road. We could still have a good time, but let's get it together.

0:39:27 - (Isaac Kuhlman): What was that recording experience like for you guys?

0:39:30 - (Zach): I feel like Dave usually showed up with the jokes.

0:39:32 - (MC): Yeah, I was gonna say it kind of was show up and make jokes.

0:39:35 - (Zach): Like, I put on my nicest sweater, my best pants. I was like, time. Time to do this. And, like, I mean, we weren't, like, screwing around in the studio or something, but there was always, like, a chunk of time at the beginning of the day. That was Dave sitting there with a coffee cup, just, like, telling stories to us.

0:39:53 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah.

0:39:55 - (Zach): But, yeah, no, it was, like, professional, though, too.

0:39:59 - (MC): Sure. Yeah. It felt like kind of getting the flow of being in the studio was navigating that. Like, kind of, you know, like, okay, part of this is, like, hang time, decompression time, and then, like, getting into a serious workflow and staying in that for a while. Like. And then we have lunch, and, like, we're able to chill out a little bit, and then we have a very serious evening, you know? Yeah.

0:40:21 - (MC): And not in a, like, not in a whiplashy kind of way, either. Like, it all felt natural.

0:40:26 - (Isaac Kuhlman): But again, again, I didn't mean like.

0:40:30 - (MC): That kind of whiplash, but that's so funny.

0:40:34 - (Isaac Kuhlman): But anyway, so, yeah, obviously, when you're going through the process of playing the songs, did you have any things that you guys thought in your head, we're gonna work for songs that you didn't work on and didn't put on the album, and then did you have things that you really were like, dave, I don't think that's gonna work. And then you did put it on the album.

0:40:50 - (MC): Yes, to both. I mean, I think one of the biggest things for the first category of things you said was, like, there were a lot of songs that didn't get on the album that I was surprised didn't get on the album that were, like, way stronger than songs that. Or, you know, to me, I thought were songs that were a lot stronger than ones that made it on the album that, you know, like, one of the songs that. On the album that I'm like, why is this on there?

0:41:15 - (MC): But, you know, like. Like we said if we were gonna trust his taste, because that's literally what we're paying him for.

0:41:21 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah.

0:41:22 - (MC): So, yeah, this one song that I was like, I don't get why this is on there. And then now, like, of course it wasn't a single, but it's, like, out streaming all the songs that were singles.

0:41:34 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah. Which one is it?

0:41:36 - (MC): Happiness, track four.

0:41:37 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Okay.

0:41:37 - (MC): Why does it exist? Just kidding. No, I like it. I think it's great. But I don't get why people like it so much compared to other ones, but, yeah, I don't know. So that's one for me, that, like, stuff that I didn't expect to work, that did, like, just down to song choice or, like, you know, I don't know, certain tones for parts.

0:41:58 - (Zach): Yeah, Dave. Dave was pretty clear going into it. Like, from even our first meeting with him that, you know, he was not so interested in who came up with what part. He only was interested in figuring out what felt the best for the song specifically, which, I mean, God, that's a. Like, that's a kind of tough thing. I know it was for me to navigate at the time, and I think I've gotten better at it since then, but, like, just not being quite so attached to something that you wrote, even if you like, even if you think like, oh, that was.

0:42:34 - (Zach): That was my. My fingerprints on that, you know, because he doesn't care about that. He just wants to do, like, the best thing in service of the song.

0:42:44 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah.

0:42:45 - (Zach): And so there were. There were parts that I had.

0:42:49 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Zack used to be on the album, and now he's totally cut out of the album.

0:42:53 - (Zach): Yeah, exactly. I'm just tambourine on track. Not really, but there were parts definitely that I thought were going to be on the chopping block because Dave was, like, not that into it, and it was kind of frustrating in the studio, but then, lo and behold, made it onto the album and, like, he. He made it work. Like, I always think of, like, that part. Mess.

0:43:19 - (MC): Yeah.

0:43:20 - (Zach): There's, like, a little guitar part that we got, like, a really wacky tone on that was different than what I was in the envisioning for it, and I don't think I quite fully realized what I was thinking of for it, but it made it onto the song, and he, you know, found a way to make it in service of the song, and I'm really stoked about how that one came out. You know, it's the first track on the record.

0:43:47 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Now, obviously spent all this time putting the Kickstarter campaign together, you know, begging and pleading people to get this to work for you, putting in the effort to recording it, working through the entire process, you know, and then obviously, well, you know, putting out the release plan. You didn't. Most people would be like, oh, now it's recorded. Let's just go ahead and put it out. Like, no, you actually took the time to set it all up and get it ready and put a release plan out there.

0:44:13 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Would you do this process again? Obviously, you said that you have the lineup for the next album, but I. If you go back in time, would you do that again, or would you rather try to make it work on an easier scale? I should say easier because, you know, it's one of those things where you can just say it's a lot more comfortable, just go work with people, or it's uncomfortable, but works better the way that we did it.

0:44:35 - (Isaac Kuhlman): You know, do you have, like, a. Would you rather go through this process again, or would you rather find another way to do it?

0:44:41 - (MC): It would make me sick to think about having done this record a different way.

0:44:45 - (Zach): Yeah, yeah, 100%, I feel like to go back in time 100%. Would, like, do it this way again for, you know, LP three or something like that. Probably would not want to. Want to ask again just because it. It, you know, it does take a lot of. A lot of faith and a lot of kind of relationship, like, strain and soul to ask for at one time. And I don't want it to be a thing where it's like, oh, it's, you know, it's that time of year again where Zach reaches out to me and I haven't talked to him at all, but he's telling me that his band needs money.

0:45:30 - (Isaac Kuhlman): You know, like that Bernie Sanders meme. It's like, once again, I'm going to ask you for a donation.

0:45:35 - (MC): Yeah, exactly. But, yeah, I mean, and, like, like you mentioned and, like, we already talked about, that's one of the, like, also one of the reasons I would not do it a different way because, like, okay, great. Yeah, now we don't have to do that. Whereas, yeah, before it might have even been like, all right, we've got a really scrape, you know, to get the resources to record it in Timmy's basement.

0:45:56 - (MC): All right, time for LP two. We gotta scrape up our resources again to make it in, like, Timmy's upstairs this time. But, like, yeah, no, we did. I don't know, like, made a serious effort to set ourselves up for success so that we can not beg people for money in the future, like, which is, I feel like, a big part of the. The conversation, like, with the way we've prepared for this record that gets left out, you know, like, it's easy for people to just go.

0:46:29 - (MC): I mean, just speaking for, like, anecdotally in my conversations with people, it's easier for people to focus on, like, you know, like, oh, what was it like? Was it so uncomfortable to ask for, you know, that much money? But, like, it's like, the. Yeah, the product that we're getting from that is not just this one record. Like, it is truly an investment in the future. Yeah, the band. Yeah, that is, like, honestly, maybe an even bigger part of it.

0:46:59 - (Zach): Yeah. And I think, too, like, one of the fun things about doing the Kickstarter campaign the way that we did it was, like, we looked at a lot of other people's campaigns and tried to find a way that we could make it feel like us and not do it necessarily in the exact way that somebody else did it would be successful and not doing it in the way that it's like, oh, well, this is, like, what you do when you do a Kickstarter campaign. Like, we. We tried to add a lot of ourselves into it, into even, like, what we named the tiers, and, like, that made it more fun for us. And I also think that it kind of invited people into the culture of the band in a way that hopefully helped us stand out because, like, I mean, the majority of our background were, of course, people that we knew and everything, but there were some backers who just, like, responded to it from just being on Kickstarter, who we. Who we didn't know. And I feel like that was.

0:47:56 - (Zach): That was another part of this sort of investment that you're talking about into our, like, careers. Is it forced us to, like, I don't know, set ourselves up as, like, professional, but still have a sense of silliness that I think is, like, very, very natural and innate to who we are and what we do. And for me, that, like, I don't know, vulnerability felt organic to me. And I think, like, makes it so that the relationship that we have with our kicks, with our Kickstarter backers, I'm hoping is one where they're, like, excited to follow along now post album, too, and we'll still be sort of cheering us on into the.

0:48:38 - (Zach): The next chapter.

0:48:46 - (Isaac Kuhlman): So this is. This is the finished cool liner notes and all that stuff. Pretty awesome. I won't take the vinyl out because I might drop it or break it, and I don't want to do that because it didn't. It wasn't free, obviously. So let's talk about, obviously, the next phase, which was releasing the album into the wild, letting the world know about Princess feedback. And then right before this happened, you guys had a shake up in the bands lineup. So, right as your recording process wrapped, obviously you guys started touring pretty heavily, even with your jobs, careers, all that stuff. And then about two weeks before Princess feedback came out, your basis? Drew and drummer Andrew both left for different reasons. Can you shed some light on what the situations were that led to these decisions?

0:49:50 - (Zach): Yeah, you know, there's. It's. It's a. It's a pretty, like, complicated thing, and I feel like it's still, like, pretty fresh. I don't know. Like, I. I don't know what. How much is, like, respectful to talk about because there's personal stuff going on for both of them with their families and with themselves. Yeah. That they're, like, kind of working through. But, you know, for us, I would say that, yeah, it's definitely had, like, a huge.

0:50:31 - (Zach): A huge impact on us. But again, like, MC mentioned earlier with the kind of, like, when specifically with this band, like, when there is a huge thing that needs to be done, like a Kickstarter campaign or, like, a huge tour or, like. Like, oh, wow, this is an obstacle. Like, I'm trying to view things as, like, a puzzle rather than, like, a challenge, even though that is what it is. And just, like, kind of focus in on, like, okay, the band needs this.

0:51:12 - (Zach): Like, how do we. How do we play with this and figure out what it means, you know, because, like, I, like, touring has felt very different without those people and, you know, eventually, like, you know, creative stuff will feel different without those people, but it doesn't have to mean, like, the end of anything because at the end of the day, like, MC and I started this, like you said, it's an eight.

0:51:42 - (Zach): An eight year old band, and kind of. I still think that the core elements are there for it, and we put so much time and energy into the band in general, but into this album and everything, and so I feel like we just. We need to show up for it and keep, like, showing up for the project, even when it's, like. Like, difficult to do. So, I guess, you know?

0:52:14 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah, for sure. I know, obviously, I don't know, you know, personally, the dynamic, but I know that you guys were all quite good friends. Obviously, you spent a lot of time together, so it's. It's tough when, you know, you've spent that much time with somebody and then now they're just not really part of your daily lives anymore, which is kind of the toughest part, I think, about any. Any band split or any, you know, even moving out with roommates, stuff like that. It's like you just don't see him anymore. And all of a sudden, like, ten years down the road, you're like, man, I haven't seen that guy in, like, three, four years. Like, what the is going on with life? Like, how does that happen? Like, I used to live with this person. I used to see them every day. I woke up, and now it's just weird. But, you know, obviously with a band and something that's not focused on any individual person, you kind of just have to make it move on and keep going, right?

0:52:59 - (Zach): Dude, I feel like that with co workers sometimes, like, but you're like, God.

0:53:04 - (Isaac Kuhlman): I haven't seen you. And I thank God I haven't seen you.

0:53:07 - (Zach): No, no. Yeah. Like, there are people at, like, my day job from, like, five years ago or whatever that I'm just, like. At the time, they were, like, such a huge part of my life, and I don't know. Sometimes I'm just like, oh, like, what are they. What are they up to? Sometimes they're like, there was a lot of turnover at the place that I used to work, and so it was like, sometimes I forget people's names that I worked with every day there. I feel like a jerk for that, but it's just like, it's. I don't know.

0:53:39 - (Zach): It's crazy how. How life is. Life is funny.

0:53:44 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Life is funny.

0:53:45 - (MC): Yeah. I mean, it's like you said, you know, like, we've been talking about earlier, the last few years of this project have been pretty transformative and pretty, like, edifying, and, yeah, it's like, things were. And it's like, it's been awesome being in a band with Drew and Andrew, and the band looks really different than it did three years ago, and, like, demands different things and, like, yeah, it's not the same thing that it was certain ways before, and so, like, yeah, certain things serve people at certain times and don't at other times, and that's okay.

0:54:24 - (MC): Yeah. And, yeah, like, it's been really tough because, yeah, they're both, you know, wonderful people, but it is also, like, I don't know. I've been reminding myself, and you probably have, too, like, oh, yeah. Like, we were this band for literally years before that rhythm section was in this band, and so, yeah, it's a little bit, like. It's a weird feeling putting out the record, and it's like, okay, we have finally put out our first record, and it's back to the original band.

0:54:58 - (MC): Yeah. I also just wanted on the record that we, like, have a lot of love for them, and, like, I. You know, we. I think the four of us know that this is for the best for everyone, and, like, we totally wish them the best in their future musical endeavors and otherwise.

0:55:17 - (Isaac Kuhlman): So let's get back to the talk about the release of the album, because you did actually mention that some of the songs that you didn't expect. Didn't even expect to make. It kind of had better reception than you thought. What are some of the surprise songs on there? And what were some of the songs that you were like, this is a great song. This is actually even better than we thought. And did you have any surprise songs that were just like, oh, man, that's a really.

0:55:38 - (Isaac Kuhlman): That came out really, really well.

0:55:40 - (Zach): One of my favorite stories about this is when we were setting out to record, we were like, okay, we're thinking about this Kickstarter campaign. What is the one song that we know is going to be on the album that for sure is going to be our hit? And so we built this whole campaign around the crystal ball motif from where's my crystal ball? Track ten on Princess.

0:56:04 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah.

0:56:05 - (Zach): And we. We were like, for sure. And when we sent Dave the song, it's like, that was not on his list, and we kind of had to convince him that we were like, oh. Like, when we all individually voted for, like, which ones we thought had to be on the record, like, that was kind of all on one of our lists. So that was the first level of Crystal Ball was, like, just. Just us laughing, because, like, for a second, there was a chance that, like, maybe that one didn't make the album. And we, like, had these graphics designed and stuff, and, like, had already started working on all the Kickstarter merch that had the crystal ball motif and everything.

0:56:45 - (Zach): But also, I wanted to say that, like, that recording came out so strong. Like, I remember hearing that one for the first time and just being totally blown away from it and having, you know, very, very minimal notes to give back to Dave.

0:57:02 - (MC): And he, like, totally did surgery on the arrangement of that song, too, like, in pre production and stuff. It's a very different song than the.

0:57:09 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Demo we sent him from memory. That's the song that's, like, that bean oh nino nino. Right. Where's my crystal ball? Right. So then at some point, you actually mouth it. It was that part of his. His advice to it. So, like, instead of playing the guitar solo in that one stop part where you actually just go dee doo doo or whatever you do. Is that from his production, or was that your guys?

0:57:31 - (MC): At first, it was just a vocal, every chorus, and it was his call to make that a guitar part in all the choruses except for that part.

0:57:42 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah.

0:57:43 - (MC): Like, works a lot better.

0:57:45 - (Zach): Yeah. I was kind of just doing this sort of, like, noodley guitar part underneath everything that was going on in the chorus, and he felt like it was, like, too busy and, you know, suggested that we just do the, like, do it as, like, guitar harmonies, basically. And now when we do it live, I, like, I'll play that part and we'll do the BGB's with it just because it helps, like, kind of beef it up a little. Bit.

0:58:11 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah. Yeah, I think it was pretty. I could tell that there was something about it that was, you know, producer oriented, because I'm like, you either think of that or you. Or, like, you have it churched up in production, because, like, it sounds really good. Like, it sounds like one of them songs that, like, a Veruca salt or, you know, like one of these old nineties bands. Just, like, power guitar songs. Like, goddamn, that sounds really good. Like, you don't just hear that, like, from a band just playing in a bar. Right?

0:58:38 - (Isaac Kuhlman): You hear that when a band goes in the studio and figures out exactly how they want that to sound. So it's interesting, a little story from that one, because that's a great guitar part, and I'm glad Dave convinced you to tone down the noodling and just play the two notes or whatever it is.

0:58:52 - (Zach): Well, a version of that part still is on the. Still is on the record. It's just, like, pretty low in the mix.

0:59:00 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah, it's like a third mix below.

0:59:02 - (Zach): It, which I'm so here for that kind of stuff. I like the kind of thing that you don't really realize on your first ten listens. And then on the 11th one, you're like, wait, what's going on down there?

0:59:11 - (MC): You know?

0:59:12 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah. Especially with some good headphones on or something like that. And you can hear, like, a 3d spacing and all that stuff. The hell is going on in this here? Let's talk about, like, where you guys are gonna go. Obviously, you're not stopping anytime soon. You guys aren't, like, my age, where it's like, oh, it's time to retire from music now. Like, we're good. We're out. The album just came out a few weeks ago, and you guys are already playing more shows. Obviously, you're in Colorado right now.

0:59:48 - (Isaac Kuhlman): You have some fill in members. Is that a plan to make them a bit more permanent, or is that just, like, kind of a piece of necessity right now? And then you kind of go back and figure out kind of the band members from there.

0:59:58 - (MC): Yeah, we're taking things a day at a time.

1:00:00 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah, we had a real sports sports reporter attitude answer right there. Like, one game at a time, coach.

1:00:06 - (Zach): Like, we had a Logan from Pink Squeeze, who we're touring with right now, filling on drums for us last night, which was, like, so much fun. And they're going to like, yeah, be kind of covering. Covering us for the rest of the tour. So it's fun getting to teach the set to new people and see their, like, takes on it and everything.

1:00:28 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah. Now, are you. You guys aren't. You guys are playing full band every night, though, right, while you're on tour with them? Yeah, that's what I thought.

1:00:36 - (MC): Steve from Ghost Town Remedy has been on drums with us this run, but he, and we knew this from the beginning, had a couple of ghost Town shows he needed to get back to Nashville for, so Sunday was our last date with him. And then for these last four dates of this run, we've got Logan from Pink squeeze filling in.

1:00:56 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Obviously, knowing you guys, tracks that didn't make the album, tracks that I think you've even played live recently, you guys probably have another ten to 20 more songs lined up that you're looking forward to recording. Is that something that's coming up anytime soon? I know you guys just released this album, but it's not like anybody ever stops looking forward, right? So what's kind of going on in the immediate future for you guys?

1:01:18 - (MC): Oh, well, we actually. This isn't public knowledge, but I guess it is now recorded. Recorded three more songs with Dave in March in Toronto. And it's not totally clear what that's gonna look like release wise, but they're awesome, and I think they're a total level up from the record. So. Yeah, like, there is. There is recorded, finished material and. Yeah, like, we are excited to make more music, but what exactly the release looks like, it's not at all clear yet.

1:01:54 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah, I was gonna say, you guys, I know you guys always have shows lined up because it's summer and why not? Like, obviously, I know you. You teach during the regular part of the year, but you still tour even during the, you know, the breaks and stuff like that. So you. You seem to find a way to never sit still, which is interesting. I think both of you guys are very good at filling any time. Like, right now, you probably be off doing something way more cool than sitting here on a couch talking to me, but here we are. This is at least beneficial, right?

1:02:21 - (MC): Oh, this is awesome. No, we love getting to chat with you, Isaac. Thank you for penciling us in.

1:02:27 - (Zach): What do you mean more cool? I've got Pokemon plush above my head.

1:02:38 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah. Yeah, this is. This is. I had to design this a little bit more cool than what I would have. I just have a blank wall or something behind me, but I, you know, for podcast purposes, people don't want to just look at a blank wall and be like, who's this guy? He's just standing in a corner in his office, like, exactly what I'm doing. But I got some cool stuff behind me, I guess.

1:02:57 - (Zach): Yeah. We were admiring your decent criminal record back there.

1:03:00 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah. Yeah. And that's a. That's another Nashville band right there. Safari room.

1:03:05 - (MC): Oh, yeah, it is.

1:03:06 - (Zach): No way.

1:03:07 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah.

1:03:08 - (Zach): Did you know I used to live with him?

1:03:10 - (Isaac Kuhlman): That's awesome. Yeah. Alex. A good dude. He's been on the podcast before. I love all of his music. The guy's awesome.

1:03:15 - (Zach): Yeah. Alec Kogel. Oh, my God. Yeah. If y'all. If anybody listening to this hasn't checked out, safari room. They're incredibly talented.

1:03:25 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yep.

1:03:26 - (Zach): And, yeah, dude, that guy hustles. Holy.

1:03:29 - (MC): Yeah.

1:03:29 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah. I'm like, how do you keep putting out an album every year? He's like, I have no idea. I'm like, that's crazy.

1:03:39 - (MC): Yeah. I mean, the biggest thing is, like, listen to. Listen to princess feedback, please. Like, we've been talking about this record. If you take the time to give it a listen, that would mean a lot to us. You can judge whether or not you think it was worth the money that we put into it. Plenty of people have been letting us know whether or not they think it's worth it.

1:03:59 - (Isaac Kuhlman): The comments section is going crazy.

1:04:03 - (MC): Oh, I want to let people know because someone got upset on the Internet about this the other day that the guitar on the COVID Yes, we did really burn it. No, I won't apologize for it. It's still playable. I played it at the album release show, and. But, yeah, anyway, we do have shows coming up. We're gonna be on tour at the end of August. Will this be out by the end of August?

1:04:30 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yes, it will be out by the.

1:04:31 - (MC): End of August, for sure. At the end of August, we'll be on tour with teens in trouble and batde a couple of fans on asian man records that we love. And that will be shout out to.

1:04:42 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Mike park and Asian man records. Yeah.

1:04:43 - (MC): Yeah. Heck yeah. That tour will be going around the east coast and midwest during part of the United States. So that's coming up. And then we're heading to fest in October, and we will have a little tour on the way down there that hasn't been announced yet, so.

1:04:59 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Yeah, you don't usually just drop into fest. You have to get there, right?

1:05:02 - (MC): That's, oh, by the record, like by vinyl. That would be awesome. We've got some. Some sweet variants out there between the band and smart punk you can buy, like, the band variant on Bandcamp, if not at one of the gigs. It's just really cool, like pink and purple smash things.

1:05:20 - (Isaac Kuhlman): We just bring up the album again. Here so people can see what they're, what they're gonna buy here.

1:05:24 - (MC): Yep.

1:05:25 - (Zach): We also have a bunch of, like, brand new merch that we're gonna start offering. Like, it's available to buy when you come to our shows right now, but I'm hoping to get that on the Internet so that people can purchase it, too. And we've just been super, super psyched about it because it's some of the first merch that we haven't really, like, made ourselves. Yeah, smart punk has helped us with that. And so it's like, yeah, super good quality.

1:05:50 - (Zach): We've been really excited to show people at shows and everything so.

1:05:54 - (Isaac Kuhlman): Well, as always, it's great. My pleasure, you know, great to talk to you guys, and I thank you for being here and spending some time with me, and I hope everybody who's listening gets a chance to listen to Princess Feedback does buy the album. I mean, if only five people watch this and then all five people buy it, that's. That's a great return on investment right there, but you won't be disappointed. I think the, you know, the best way I can describe it is, like, you know, a mix of some of those bands, like Verruca, Salt, Weezer, little no doubt sound. Obviously, your voice is kind of in the Gwen Stefani, you know, vocal range era, but then with, like, the. Just the great guitars and all that work and the soundscapes that Dave and you guys kind of melded together within some of those songs, you know, I think easy is one of my favorite songs on the album. Just for the strange, it just. It just doesn't seem like it's part of the album. And then it's like, it's so good, it fits right in. It's like, that's a great song. So, you know, I think. I think I even saw somebody commented when you guys asked, what's your favorite song?

1:06:49 - (Isaac Kuhlman): A couple people said, easy, and I was like, that was the one that kind of stood out on first listen and obviously, like, fishnets, you know, the crystal ball breakup songs. All three of the singles are great. Go check out the music videos and all that stuff. And, you know, again, thank you guys for being here, and we'll talk to you soon.

1:07:06 - (MC): Thanks.

1:07:07 - (Zach): Thanks for hanging out. Isaac.

1:07:09 - (Isaac Kuhlman): That's the show for today. I hope you enjoyed this episode. If you learned anything or like, what you heard on the show today, please show us some support and subscribe to this channel and, like, comment and share this video with a friend or put it up on social media. I hate to keep asking, but without those small actions, the YouTube bots pretty much ignore this channel. Putting these videos out is a lot of work. If you want to show your appreciation, please consider purchasing some of our musical accessories or merch from our store at powered by rock.com.

1:07:34 - (Isaac Kuhlman): you can read our blog and follow us in the links below as well. Those are the plugs and that's all I have. I'll see you soon for the next episode. Until then, rock on.

1:08:06 - (Zach): What was supposed to be easy, it's coming up on. That's why I've already in before it.

1:08:16 - (MC): Can start nothing away.

Back to Powered By Rock Podcast - Season 6