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Archived: Shmat's Features
The Shmat has decided to discontinue the Features section for Shmat Records. That is to say, there will be no NEW interviews or features. If you are a band that was featured here earlier, rest assured that your feature will be archived here for eternity (or somewhere near that).
Like Shmat's Reviews, any future Interviews and Features will appear on the Palebear site.
Please note that the Shmat and his Peoples take no responsibility for typos, inaccuracies or misinterpretations contained within these articles.
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December 1, 2003 :
The Ladybug Transistor recently released their fifth studio album (their fourth for Chapel Hill, NC-based Merge Records). The new self-titled CD was recorded by veteran producer Craig Schumacher, whose credits include Calexico, Giant Sand, Friends of Dean Martinez and many others. In late October they headed out on a tour that would take them across the US and back to their home base of Brooklyn in less than a month. The Shmat caught up with guitarist Jeff Baron on his cell phone as the band wound their way through western Pennsylvania on a crisp, clear Autumn day.
- interview by
 Looks like we caught you at the beginning of your tour. Where are you today?
Jeff: We just left Pittsburgh. We're driving now, headed to Grand Rapids.
Well, congratulations on the new CD. You traveled from Brooklyn where you've done your previous recordings all the way to Tucson, Arizona to record the latest one. You recorded with Craig Shumacher at WaveLab Studios. Why did you decide to go with WaveLab and was it a good experience?
Jeff: It was a great experience. We decided to go there because we wanted a change from recording in our basement, doing everything on our own. We wanted to have someone else do it and do it in a shorter time period, and we knew he got a good sound on a lot of the records that he had made there. And, it was somewhere where it was warm, because it was in February. We read about his studio in Tape Op. He's a nice guy, he's a great guy too. There are a lot of reasons we went there.
You had Craig play on some songs. What are some of the songs he appears on?
Jeff: He played bass harmonica on "3=Wild" and he did some trumpet. He played along with Gary or may have done some harmony on some of the trumpet parts.
I noticed he also played bowed vibes?
Jeff: Oh yeah, that was cool. It's just a big xylophone, a big set of vibes, and he just bowed one at a time – or a couple of them -- with his big cello bow. It just resonated. We miked it up close.
And, which song was that on?
Jeff: That was also on "3=Wild."
Do you think you'll try to record future albums at your own studio, "Marlborough Farms", or do you think you'll try going to other studios in the future?
Jeff: I think we’ll do both, if we’re still making records together.
I finally picked up the re-issue of The Ladybug Transistor’s first cd "Marlborough Farms" just a couple months ago, and I’ve had a chance to listen to all the studio recordings now. One thing that strikes me after listening to your albums is that it sounds like there are always hints of things to come in each recording -- so if you listen to them in succession you kind of hear sounds that often show up in some form on the next CD. That's even true for "Marlborough Farms," which really sounds like it’s almost a different band than what the current band is. I guess it really was a different band?
Jeff: Yeah, it was entirely different except for Gary.
You came in with the second cd "Beverley Atonale." What kinds of things were you trying to do with that second CD? I mean it was definitely a departure from the first one.
 Jeff: Well, that was the first one where there was really a six-string guitar on it. The first one didn't have that at all. It had a little bit of acoustic, but it was mostly Gary's Dan Electro, which is a very special type of instrument. I won’t reveal the secret ingredient of what it is, but uh... I don't know, so that was different and also like the band before that was basically Gary and Ed Powers. They were both living at San's and I had seen them play live. They didn’t have a guitar player, so I added a few songs on that record (Beverley Atonale) and there was some six-string Rickenbacher. That was sort of branching out a little bit from the original sound that was on "Marlborough Farms."
I think it would be one thing if a band put out what was mostly a guitar-driven CD, which is what "Marlborough Farms" sounds like, and the next thing they put out is something like you just put out with your self-titled CD which sounds a lot different to me. But what I think you've done is you've really kind of given little hints of what's coming next and I know that's not really intentional or anything but I think it's cool to listen to each cd in succession and hear what might be coming next. I don't know if there’s really anything to comment on here, I'm just making an observation.
Jeff: No, you're right. Hopefully, most bands operate that way, but maybe sometimes they have a whole slew of songs that they can't record for one record so they use them for the next record. We always end up writing new songs for the next record and we usually do it right before we start to record that next record. It's not like we have 14 songs that didn't go on this record that we're gonna get together and record in four months.
So who are some of the bands or recordings you find you go back and listen to again and again?
Jeff: Again and again? Well, I think we listen to a lot of the canon of rock and roll and sort of almost exhaust it. Not really exhaust it, but we listen to all that stuff so much and we love it, but it’s not that often that we go back and put on the "White Album" or something like that. So, we’re constantly going through a lot of different music, and people make CDs for us. There’s this band the Reigning Sounds, do you know them?
No, I don’t.
Jeff: They’re from Memphis. I love them. A bunch of us love them. They’re really great.
What are they like?
Jeff: Well, I’ve heard two records by them. One is kind of country-rock, kind of pop stuff and the other is more like garage-rock. You know the band The Oblivions?
Yeah.
Jeff: It’s Greg Cartwright from The Oblivions. It’s his band. There’s one record called "Break Up, Break Down" that’s really great.
So, you’re listening to some current music and some from the past. Are there certain bands that maybe influenced your music more than others?
 Jeff: I think it’s more like sounds from different periods than bands that influenced our sound. Because, you know there’s a lot of us in the band now and the songwriting is three of us writing, and we all have different influences that we bring. So, I think we try to make music like the music we listen to - where the instruments are recorded well and you can hear them well. You’re not gonna get too much of a change between how they sound to the human ear and once they get on tape.
What comes through to me is that it sounds like you have an interest in some of the music from the 60’s and 70’s, but what you’ve done is you’ve combined that with a unique style of songwriting that makes it sound really fresh.
Jeff: Oh, thanks. I’m glad you like it. We’re crossing the Ohio River right now, just so you know.
Is it muddy?
Jeff: No, no. It’s beautiful. The trees and leaves are all changing and there’s tugboats and there’s lots of bridges going into Ohio.
Just a few more questions. Who’s in The Ladybug Transistor now and who plays what?
Jeff: Well, we’re in the van right now. Gary is sitting next to me. He sings and plays keyboards and guitar. I play guitar...
(Jeff’s cell phone begins to break up. I can’t hear him now... In 15 seconds I call him back. We pick up with the question about the band members.)
Jeff: I play guitar. Gary, singer and playing keyboards, trumpet. San plays drums. Julia plays bass and Sasha playing keyboards, piano and flute and singing. And, we all fit in the van, believe it or not, with all of our equipment.
Is Julia the "Julia" that The Essex Green sings about (on their latest CD "The Long Goodbye")?
Jeff: Oh, I don’t know. Actually, I’m curious about that myself.
Could you also talk a little bit about The Essex Green. That’s the band that you and Sasha are also in. You were on tour about six months ago?
 Jeff: Yeah, um... not that long ago. Well, maybe. No, no, we toured a month ago, too. We toured at the end of September. We were in Europe in August. And, yeah, we did a big US tour back in May.
How is The Essex Green different from Ladybug. Is it more of Chris Ziter’s (singer and guitarist for The Essex Green) project or do you guys feel you’re all together on that?
Jeff: Yeah, it’s more of a collaborative effort. Although, people write their songs individually more in The Essex Green.
Your sister (Jennifer Baron) used to play with The Ladybug Transistor. What is she up to now?
Jeff: She’s working in a museum in Pittsburgh.
Is that where you’re from?
Jeff: Yes.
So, she’s gotten out of music then?
Jeff: No, she plays in a band in Pittsburgh, too. So she’s still rocking and rolling and whatnot. They’re called the New Alcindors. I think it’s a takeoff on Lew Alcindor, but I don’t know...
You guys have a number of side projects. You and Sasha are in The Essex Green and also The Sixth Great Lake. Sasha also has The Finishing School. Are there other projects going on?
(Jeff’s cell phone begins to break up. I can’t hear him now… In 15 seconds I call him back.)
I think we got cutoff when I was asking you about the other projects that the band members are in. Anything else going on aside from The Essex Green, The Sixth Great Lake and The Finishing School?
Jeff: Oh, ummmm...maybe. I think you’ll have to stay tuned. (He chuckles) There’s a lot going on though. You’re right.
Do you guys have to hold down day jobs now – or are you able to devote your time to the music?
Jeff: Umm... hold on one second. (Jeff fishes out some change for the toll road. About 20 seconds later he comes back). I’m sorry. We were just paying the toll.
You’re in Ohio now?
Jeff: Well, not quite. I was wrong. We crossed the Ohio River, but we’re still in Pennsylvania. It doesn’t form the border where we are. It kind of bends around... So, what was that last question you asked?
I was just asking if you guys are holding down day jobs now or if you’re doing the band full time.
Jeff: Oh right. Some of us are and the one’s that aren’t should be.
(Jeff’s cell phone begins to break up. I can’t hear him now. Interview over. Cell phones suck.)
... To be continued (maybe)
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Archived Shmat Features
February 2005
Anamude
November 2004
American Analog Set
October 2004
Pants Yell!
July 2004
Snoozer
June 2004
Elk City
May 2004
Popgun Recordings
April 2004
East River Pipe
February 2004
Elliott The Letter Ostrich
January 2004
Damon of the Swirlies
December 2003
The Ladybug Transistor
November 2003
Bill Ricchini
October 2003
Shiny Around The Edges
September 2003
Dave Klotz of Fonda
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