Published: November 25, 2009 8:58 PM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA (Juniorscave.com)
New Music Spotlight December 2009 Edition
The Comforts
The Comforts
Music from the heart is what can best de described about this next band. Our Webzine recently spoke to Dave (bass) of the Indie Rock group The Comforts about the band's origin, their influences, and what can fans expect from the band's music. We were delighted to learn all that was revealed in this ultra cool spotlight. Enjoy!
Isaac: What's the name of your band? What's the origin of that name? Have you changed the band's name before?
The Comforts: We are The Comforts from Cincinnati, Ohio. The name was chosen based on our affinity for comfortable attire. No previous names.
Isaac: What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?
The Comforts: We play straight-up pop-rock but you can hear subtle folk, hard rock and/or adult contemporary undertones in some of our songs. Our influences include a spectrum of artists from different genres from The Byrds to Mazzy Star to X. We don't intentionally try to sound like any other bands. We play what we like.
Isaac: How long have you all known each other? How did you meet?
The Comforts: We've been together since 2005. Paul (vocals and guitar) and I (Dave- bass) are next door neighbors. Jim (Drums) and Tim (vocals, keys, guitar) live within walking distance of us. Frances (vocals) and I are brother/sister in-law (I am married to Frances's lovely sister).
Isaac: When did you form your band? What inspired you to make music together?
The Comforts: In 2004, I moved next door to Paul. One night, we were talking about musical interests in the driveway when Paul mentioned he played guitar. I had been playing bass for years so we immediately scurried to Paul's basement to jam. The first song we played together was "Substitute" by The Who. However, I only knew the Sex Pistols cover so we played a rather unique version of it. There was a real energy between the two of us so we decided to make a go of it as a band. Paul called neighborhood friend, Jim to play drums and I called my sister-in-law Frances, who, for years, we tried to put a band together. We quickly learned several cover songs and were invited to play a birthday party. Although I'm sure we sounded pretty amateur at the time, we felt like rock stars! However, a lot of the songs we played had keys. Paul put an ad in a local music magazine searching for a keyboardist. We found Tim, who, unbeknownst to us at the time, lived within a stone's throw. From that point forward, we've been playing the local Cincinnati scene non-stop.
Isaac: Do you have a record label? Are you a member of any music organizations?
The Comforts: Not yet. We wrote, recorded and published our debut CD, COME ON IN!, on our own. It's empowering to be independent but label sponsorship would be greatly appreciated (hint, wink, to all labels out there!)
Isaac: What can you tell me about your instruments? (i.e., Are you subject to brand loyalty or will you play with whatever's available? What made you choose the instruments you have now? Was it cost or was it a style/model/brand/color preference?
The Comforts: We all play instruments from different brands including Ibanez, Fender, Pearl, Yamaha, etc. Most of our guitar pedals are Boss, mic's are all Shure and our entire PA system is Yamaha, which has been very reliable. I guess we all chose our instruments based on comfort :-) more than anything else.
Isaac: Where have you performed? What are your favorite and least favorite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?
The Comforts: Most of our gigs have been in or around the greater Cincinnati region. Places like the Northside Tavern, Arnolds, Anderson Bar and Grill, York St. Café and Batavia Station have treated us real well. We've also played several festivals (IHM, St. Ann's) over consecutive years and those events are always a blast. We'll be at the York St. Café in Newport, KY on December 11th with very special guests, The Fireside Chats, opening for us.
Isaac: Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers? Do you have a set play list?
The Comforts: We typically fit all our originals into a gig. "Never Look Back" and "Small Town Girl" are fan favorites; both songs can be heard on online radio stations from LA to New York. We include covers in our set lists, which we customize for each show. You will almost always hear a Byrd's medley, "Rock & Roll Star"/"Feel a Whole Lot Better" and one of our favorite songs "Peace, Love and Understanding" by Elvis Costello.
Isaac: Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs? Do you think these topics will change over time?
The Comforts: Paul is the main song writer but Tim, Dave and Frances have brought songs to the band as well (We don't trust Jim :-) ). Most songs are about relationships; "Small Town Girl" is about first love awkwardness while "Circles Never End" is about re-connecting with a long lost love. "You're that Girl" has unintentionally become an anthem for stalkers :-) It's about a guy who just can't get enough of the girl he yearns for. You can never go wrong with writing songs about love and relationships; they are universal desires.
Isaac: Could you briefly describe the music-making process?
The Comforts: Paul and Tim make it real easy for the rest of the band because their songs come 90% complete. They both have a real knack for writing great pop songs. They are also really open to suggestions which make song writing fun.
Isaac: What are your rehearsals generally like? Do you have a set time each week in which you practice or are rehearsals more spontaneous?
The Comforts: We practice at least once a week in the "Comfort Hole" (Paul's basement studio). Practice is usually very relaxed. We'll have a few beers and goof off a bit however; we get serious when it comes time to work on polishing our songs. We may spend a few hours on just one part of a song whether it be finding the perfect harmony or tightening a transition.
Isaac: How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?
The Comforts: The songs we are writing for our second CD include influences different than those found on COME ON IN! For example, "Not Far Away" has a heavy blues-garage rock sound and "Dixie Cups" is our first venture into the folk/country/americana genre.
Isaac: What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
The Comforts: Our biggest challenge has been gaining regional/national attention. There are thousands of great independent bands all over the country competing for label attention and a broader fan base. We all have day jobs and families that come before the band. This makes it difficult to dedicate the huge amount of time it takes to "make it" in the music industry. Honestly, we are "seasoned musicians" in a younger person's world (Frances is the only one that turns heads :-) ) . However, we are completely comfortable with where we are as a band. Our fans are gonna get a high-energy, good-time show from us every gig: We welcome crowd members on stage for sing-alongs; we'll jump into the audience, etc. We do so not as a gimmick, but because we feel like it. We're having fun and we hope the crowd feeds off that. However, we don't pander to typical rock clichés (sorry folks, no "sex and drugs" rambling from this band). Maybe our carefree attitude makes us more rock & roll than I think we are???
Isaac: What's your ultimate direction for your band? Are you seeking fame and fortune?
The Comforts: It would be nice to gain some regional attention. We'd be thrilled to play a show in Cleveland, Indianapolis or Pittsburgh and have people in the crowd, other than friends and family, know who we were. Fortune would be nice but we're mindful of what it takes to reach the "big time". Quite frankly, I think we have the potential to make it happen. Our debut CD was the first time any of us recorded in a professional studio. We pulled off six original songs for under $4K and received several rave local reviews. That feels very satisfying. We are all proud of what we accomplished even if our CD doesn't bring us fame or fortune (but we wouldn't turn it down if it came our way :-) ).
Isaac: What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?
The Comforts: Don't start a band for fame and fortune. Write and play songs you love. Be yourself. A band is a team, not a dictatorship (band members with differences in opinion can get along!). Be thankful to the venues, fans and anybody else who is willing to give you a shot. Have fun!
The Comforts
Isaac: How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
Isaac: Is there anyone you'd like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?
The Comforts: We want to give a huge shout out to all our family, friends and fans. Our debut CD is dedicated to Michael, Mary, Destiny, Brendon, Mason, Maria, Collin, Justin, Sara, Julia, Tony, Ben, Alex and Max (our kids and future Comforts). We are indebted to Jeff D. (www.sonicfrontier.com) and QCA Inc. (www.go-qca.com) for helping with our debut CD. Thanks to Jeff and Chris (Anderson Bar and Grill), Ed R. (Northside Tavern), Rhonda (Arnolds), Terry and Betsy C. (York St. Café), Tim C. (Batavia Station), Alex W. (CITYBEAT), Kara (Eastside Vibe), and all other bar owners, event coordinators, booking agents, music critics, etc. that have given us the opportunity to live our rock & roll dreams.
Isaac: Any last words?
The Comforts: Thank you, Isaac, for the interview. Your support means a lot to us!
