Q: “My Sanity” is an inspirational track about leaving a toxic relationship behind. What was your creative process in making this song?
ROOFTOP SCREAMERS: The song started with a chord progression I was playing on the guitar. Soon after that a melody came to me. As with most of my songs, the lyrics come last. I tend to start with a chord progression and a melody and then craft the rest of the song from there. Once I felt I had a solid musical arrangement and melodies for each section, I recorded a demo with acoustic guitar and I sang gibberish words as a template until the actual lyrics were written. Once I played the rough idea back, I could hear in my head the rhythmic synthesizer part in the verses. That really felt like a cool musical hook and with that texture in there, it sort of laid the groundwork for a more synth based song. As far as the inspiration for the lyrical content, the words “You tell I’m wrong when I was right. You always seem to gaslight” just came to me as I was humming the verse melody. Those words felt like they fit the mood of the song and from there I let the lyrics sort of write themselves, as it seemed obvious it was going to be about gaslighting and a toxic relationship. And not necessarily with just one person, but it can also be about a relationship with an authoritative figure, the media, etc.
Q: Did any real-life events occur in your life that inspired the song?
ROOFTOP SCREAMERS: Yes and no. Yes in that I have experienced gaslighting on a personal level, but also from observing and having conversations with friends that have gone through the experience of a one-sided or toxic relationship. In the end, I wanted the song to have some positivity and a sense of reclaiming your self worth and “Sanity” after going through it.
Q: Was there a pivotal moment in your life when you decided to follow your path as a musician?
ROOFTOP SCREAMERS: A few. I think the earliest one was when I got Peter Frampton’s iconic live album “Frampton Comes Alive” for Christmas when I was a kid. The music spoke to me, but so did the roar of the crowd reacting to the music. I think that set-off a light bulb in my head. The following year I got KISS Alive 2 for Christmas. That music was edgier and also spoke to me. Also Peter Criss became my first drum hero. I would get into my mom’s makeup and try to make my face look like his famous Catman character. I would string up Christmas lights in my room to look like stage lights and I would beat on a kitchen chair with wooden spoons and pretend I was in “The Hottest Band In the World…KISS!” And I believe it was a year later that I got my first pair of drumsticks and a practice pad for Christmas. It was from my mom, so I guess she was trying to tell me to stop abusing the furniture and the kitchen utensils! That planted the final seed and a year after that I had a paper-route and bought my first drum set with the earnings from said paper-route. From there I was full speed ahead with my pursuit of becoming a drummer and would later get the songwriting bug.
Q: Who would you most like to collaborate with, if it could be anyone in the world?
ROOFTOP SCREAMERS: I’ve been fortunate to work with some of my musical heroes over the years, either as a drummer or a collaborator on the Rooftop Screamers stuff. People like Cy Curnin, Earl Slick, Mark Plati and David Paton to name a few. If I had to pick just one right now, it would probably be Neil Finn of Crowded House fame. He is one of my all-time favorite songwriters and I think his sense of melody and songwriting in general has rubbed off on me more than just about anyone. He comes from that Beatles school of melody and hook writing that has always appealed to me. I think working with a master of his craft like that would be inspiring and a huge honor, to say the least.
Q: In your own words, how would you describe the music that you typically create?
ROOFTOP SCREAMERS:A lot of the time it falls under the genre of Power Pop. Again, from the Beatles and British Invasion school of rock. Also bands like Jellyfish, ELO, Cheap Trick, etc. But I’m also a huge fan of David Bowie, progressive rock and psychedelic rock. So the aforementioned artists and styles tend to creep into my music. But I like everything under the sun and I think more of my progressive rock and even New Wave influences are starting to take shape in my latest batch of songs and I’m excited to continue explore that side of things.
Q: What projects are currently in the works?
ROOFTOP SCREAMERS: I’m currently finishing up the last three songs that will be on a ten song album and I plan on releasing in Spring or early Summer. I’ve released seven singles (including the latest one-My Sanity) over the last two years. The three that are currently In production will be added to the previously released singles to form a full length album. There’s going to be a good variety of songs and genres on it. I can say that a song I just finished with my longtime producer/collaborator-Mark Plati features Royston Langdon on vocals. Some might remember him from his band Spacehog and their big hit “In The Meantime”. I’ve always loved his unique and rich voice and felt he was the perfect fit for this psychedelic tinged song I wrote. I knew Mark had worked with him in the past on an album he produced for my pal Earl Slick. Royston was a guest vocalist on Slick’s album-Zig Zag. Mark made the connection and luckily Royston was open to and excited to add his vocals to the song. It’s called “Blink Of An Eye” and will be the next single, or I should say, the first single off the upcoming full length album.
Interviewed by Taylor Berry
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