GADFLY INTERVIEW

(L to R: Tommy, DK & Father Bacon )

Hailing from Ocean Beach California, Gadly's Tommy was nice enough to answer The Pier's following quick and dirty Q&A.

The Pier: Introduce us to Gadfly for those who don't know you guys?

Tommy: Well Gadfly is a three piece Rock Steady Rock Band with Father Bacon on the upright bass and vocals, DK on the drums and myself, Tommy Dubs on guitar and vocals. We are from Ocean Beach and have been together for about three years now.

The Pier: What can you tell us about the new album you have been working on, Problem to Solve all your Problems? How much time have you spent on it and when can we pick it up?

Tommy: We have been working on the record for about six months now utilizing two different studios in San Diego. We are mixing the last of the songs right now and we are stoked with how it is turning out. It will for sure be out in January and will be available on all music download sites with some extra tracks. This record really means a lot to us and we couldn't be more excited.

The Pier: Nice. Do you have any interesting recording stories you would like to share?

Tommy: Honestly so much shit has happened during the recording of this record. Like the first day we showed up to record and we were unloading the van right out front of the studio. We took our eye of the gear for maybe two minutes and next thing you know someone stole DK's snare drum. Luckily the studio had a bunch from us to choose from, but that really put a damper on our spirits for the first hour or so.

A couple of days later, DK was searching craigslist and found the fucking tweaker that stole it. We were all ready to go down there and take that drum back, but the guy would never meet up with us. I’m pretty sure he got scared off and probably ended up just throwing the thing out which is a damn shame.

Another time we had someone just walk in the studio looking for his master tapes while we were mixing. The guy started off being kind of a jerk to us, but then heard the track we were mixing and five minutes later he was laying down vocals on it. We didn’t end up using it, but maybe it will end up on a remix version some day.

The Pier: Wow, that’s amazing. Is the song Cool Down that was leaked on The Pier a good representation of what we can expect this time round?

Tommy: There are some other dub influenced tunes on the record, but for the most part Problem to Solve all your Problems is a rock record. That song (Cool Down) was written live at a house party on Muir in Ocean Beach and is about posers and wannabes and basically just annoying people in general. People try to represent so many things these days, especially in So Cal, that they lose their own identity and get mixed up in some lame scene. For me that song is really powerful cause it takes on so many meanings. We have been talking about doing a dub album and I’m sure we will do a straight dub version of that song.

The Pier: So how does of the rest of this new album compare musically to your debut album, Forgot to Stand?

Tommy: Forgot to Stand was all about getting in the studio and recording an album as quickly as possible. The record has a live feel to it and we basically stayed away from any production techniques at all. This new record rocks way more and we are taking more time on production.

Our song writing has grown so much over the last two years and I really think that is evident in this recording. We didn’t intend for this album to be a "concept album" but it is turning out to be somewhat of one. I also think we are taking more chances on this record stylistically. There are some straight up rock songs, some reggae influenced stuff, a ska tune and even some indie sounding tunes.

The Pier: Cool. So what was some of your songwriting inspirations this time then?

Tommy: Before we started recording the record we sat down and discussed what each song meant to us because we wanted to embrace the feeling of the record before we went into the studio. We listed out the songs and figured the record had songs about ex-girlfriends, playing games with the devil, politics, one night stands, religion, addictions, love, tweakers and other random shit.

We knew that it was a dark record, but it is honest. Speaking for myself I have never been so honest in my song writing before... it kind of scares me.... anyone who is listening is going to find out an awful lot about my life. I have been on one hell of a roller coaster ride the past two years and that is where I’m drawing my main inspiration from. Three of the songs I wrote on the record (Pistols, Just Alright and Whiskey and Whine) all have to do with the same story and I guess you can say they make up a trilogy.

The Pier: The site just interviewed Mike Pinto, who is living down there in Ocean Beach too. Sounds like there is a nice little scene developing down there?

Tommy: Shit OB has always had a scene it’s just different now from what it was five years ago. We got a hell of a lot of good music and good vibes. Honestly I like the OB venue Winstons better than most other clubs in San Diego.

The thing I love about this place is that on any day just walk around and you will hear bands practicing in the alleys, or home studios in session or you will see people jamming on the streets. Just last night I was hanging at this bar called the Catalina Lounge and I heard a drummer next door. I walked over and in a place I would have never guessed was this recording studio/rehearsal space/commune kind of thing... OB - where the ghetto meets the sea!

The Pier: Haha cool. Mike Pinto was saying Ocean Beach can be a non-stop party if you want it to be. Is that what it is like for you?

Tommy: Mike Pinto can’t hold his liquor...ha ha. No seriously, for the last 2 years it has been. It can be a dangerous place if you don’t have your head on straight. The dynamic in OB is strange. You got a shit load of musicians, a shit load of locals, a shit load of homeless and then a whole bunch of families living on top of the hill. You can go on week long binges or hide yourself away and I tell you I’ve done both. It’s important to know when to say goodnight and put an end to the party, but it is also important to live. Living in OB has shown me a lot about life, friendships and music. You got some really talented people living down here and the vibes are mostly positive.

The Pier: Now you also lived in Argentina for a while and the band recently recorded with the Sin Fronteras project down there. Tell us about that?

Tommy: Well the Sin Fronteras project started in 2001 when I lived in Argentina and met the guys from Aztecas Tupro. We forged a great friendship and the last time I was down there we rented out a recording studio and just laid down some vocal tracks over some instrumental shit I was working on. The three bands that are involved in the project are Go Lem System, Aztecas Tupro and Gadfly. That project is a perfect example of music uniting different people and cultures. We couldn’t always communicate because of language barriers, but we could all speak to each other through music. Literally I played songs with some of those guys before even speaking a word to them.

Basically, we recorded some songs and then we all went back to our respective countries and mixed different versions. A year later we brought all the mixes together and made the CD. The cool thing is, right now Aleko from Go Lem System and Pablo from Aztecas Tupro are recording vocal takes on the new Gadfly record simultaneously in Barcelona and Buenos Aires. The power of the internet. So the version of Cool Down that you guys leaked will probably be different on the album.

The Pier: Wow an even bigger exclusive leak then. So when the album drops, what is going to be your show plans? Going to do any touring?

Tommy: Shit...I think we are going to make some babies... ummmmm, touring is not for us right now. Father Bacon and I have both spent many a month in a van and right now that is not what we feel is best for us. We will continue to regionally tour and play all over California, but as far as national touring, it’s not in the cards. I think we will be looking at doing a Live CD and then on to the next studio album.

Thanks to Tommy for taking the time to answer questions. Make sure to check out some more Gadfly goodness on the interweb here:
Gadfly MySpace