I spoke with guitarist Joey Guese about the tour, the album and the collaborations as their tour with Simpson launched. So you guys opened your tour last night?
Joey Guese: Actually tonight.
Oh, it good moved back to tonight.
Yeah.
So are you guys ready for it?
Uh, I think so. (laughs). We've been rehearsing quite a bit.
How long have you guys been rehearsing?
For a couple weeks. We took about a week off and drove out here from Boston.
Are you guys driving this tour?
Yeah.
Do you guys have a van? A bus?
Uh, yeah. We have a minivan and a U-Haul.
Is this tour any different from what you guys have done before? Because I saw you've played a lot of good opening slots before.
Um, yeah. This is like the first big tour we've ever done. We've never really played outside of the Northeast.
So, which you of is going to date Ashlee?
Uh, I'd have to say the drummer.
Is he working on it already?
No, but I assume he will start.
You said you haven't played out here, but have you ever been to Chicago?
I've driven through Chicago a few times but never actually stayed in Chicago.
So are you guys all kind of the same, where you haven't been around a lot yet, and this will be the first time?
Well, I took a lot of family road trips as a kid, so I've seen a lot of the country. But I've never been to Chicago.
Over to the album real quick. Is the album just on hold until the tour is over?
It's done, everything's ready to go. We're just waiting to get all the artwork and all that stuff.
You guys were in other bands before, right? What were the names of those bands? Did they make any headway at all?
Not a lot. I was in a band with Ethan and Ben called Oscar Bravo. Then Joey was in a band called For Reasons Unseen. We were all kind of friends in Boston. And, I don’t know, both those bands just kind of fell apart. They just weren't going anywhere, and we all kind of wanted to do something more poppy, and catchy songs, whatever.
Had you guys recorded with those other bands before.
Yeah, we both recorded EPs on our own.
How then did you get hooked up with your producer? Did that happen before you guys got signed? How did that work out?
Well, we all kind of lived in the same house, got this group going or whatever, and then, I don't know. We just were kind of lucky enough to get management and it just kind of all fell into place. We got our producer Mike Denneen and he recorded a couple songs with us and that's how we shopped for the [record] deal.
And then you guys completed the album with him?
Yeah.
So you guys just got together like a little over a year ago, officially, with this group?
Yeah, like last October (2003).
So you just got lucky to find a producer who helped you get signed?
Yeah, it just kind of, everything came together.
How did you guys get hooked up with Paul Stanley and Adam Schlesinger? Did you meet them in person?
Well our producer, Mike Denneen, he mixed a Fountains of Wayne record and produced the last one. So he knew Adam from that.
Did he just call him and tell him he's got a band that he wants Adam to write for?
Yeah, it was in that vein, you know, with material, and, 'Do you have anything?' With Paul Stanley, our manager was Kiss's road manager in the '80s, so he's been friends with Paul for a while.
Did you get to meet Paul and Adam?
Yeah, we've met both of them.
Everything else on the album you guys wrote, is that correct?
Yeah.
Just the three songs were written by them?
Yeah.
You guys used to just be called the Click, is that right?
Yeah.
Why the change? Is that your giving in to corporate pressure from the industry? (laughs)
No, it's more legal stuff. We would have probably been sued had we stuck with the Click.
Why's that, is it another band name or something?
There's some rap group in the early '90s and the label said that you can't use it.
They have a huge list that they looked at?
Yeah, they do a trademark search and it just came back with too many whatever. Stuff like that happens all the time.
Did you actually learn anything at Berklee (College of Music in Boston)?
I think I got a lot out of it. But I don’t think as far as styles of music I got a lot out of it. It gave me an opportunity to meet like-minded people that I otherwise wouldn't have met. So that was a big plus about Berklee. And yeah, it just kind of gives you a good musical base of theory and whatnot.
Being that you played guitar, you probably learned by ear. Is that correct?
Yeah, I'd say so.
So coming into Berklee, do they do a lot of textbook work?
Yeah, but I'd been playing guitar for a couple years at that point. All the stuff that they were teaching you was just kind of like, "Oh, yeah, I knew that." But now I know what to call it or whatever.
Do they actually work with you as a guitarist personally?
Yeah, you have a private guitar instructor.
In several of your articles, you're referred to as a boy band and all that. And because the New Kids are from Boston, there's the comparisons and all that. Do you guys think you can match them as far as looks go?
As far as looks? Not me personally! (laughs)
Are you tired today or something? You seem kind of quiet?
No, we rehearsed yesterday from eight in the morning to midnight.
Oh, wow. That is rehearsing. All right, man, final question, because I saw another guy you played with is Rod Stewart. I have to ask how that experience was.
Um, we actually didn't have any contact with him. It was kind of interesting though, because he's doing this whole older American Songbook album. But it was at this venue in Massachusetts where they have like a main stage and a smaller stage when you walk in. So it wasn't like we were going to get on stage with Rod Stewart.
Well, that's all I have for you today, anything else you want to add?
Um, not really.
Thanks for your time.
No problem.
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TC5
Written by Guest on 2006-09-19 14:50:35
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No One Better
Written by Guest on 2007-01-21 20:12:34
Click 5 is so awesome!!!!!!!!!  |
Written by Guest on 2009-02-17 20:21:51
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