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Interview with Scott McGinley of Pop Is Art (Sept 2006)
E.C.: What was the first record you bought & when? Scott McGinley: My first record I bought was a Beach Boys greatest hits album. My older brother had been home from college and he enjoyed teaching me about different types of music (classical, rock, progressive). He turned me on to the Beach Boys and I was hooked! Those beautiful harmonies and great songs; I couldn't get enough. When he went back to college I had to start my OWN record collection since he took his with him. E.C.: What was the first song that made you wanna become a musician? Scott McGinley: When I was a little kid in school, I remember really being into all different types of music (from my older brothers and sisters and the current stuff on the radio). I started out wanting to be a drummer but my parents just dismissed it thinking «every kid wants to bang on the drums» so I would «air drum» practice songs in my bedroom dreaming of the day I could play for real. It actually really helped me learn songs that way. I don't remember a single song that made me want to play. I've wanted to play as long as I can remember. At that time I also would sneak into my brothers closet when no one was home and pluck out melody's on his acoustic guitar. It wasn't until I made a «drum set» out of plastic food containers that they heard me play and said, «he's good, let's get him a real drum set.» E.C.: Which band would you call your biggest influence? Scott McGinley: I'd have to say my biggest influence is a tie between the Beatles and the Beach Boys. I think the Beatles rocked a little more, but I also love the harmonies and the classical influence and orchestration of Brian and the Beach Boys. If you asked me when I was a kid, Kiss would also be in that list. I LOVED them (still like 'em), but I can't honestly say I can hear any influence in my music! ;-) I was into the Beach Boys first, though. The Beatles came a little later. E.C.: When did you form your first group? Scott McGinley: I formed my first group in school; I guess I was about 14 with any local musicians I could find. I was the drummer and vocalist. E.C.: What kind of music did they play and did you record anything with them? Scott McGinley: We played Led Zeppelin, the Who, the Cars, and Rush. Rush had great musicians, so all the local guys figured; if you can play rush you must be good. I did a few basement tapes, but nothing to speak of. I also started to write songs when I was about 14, but it took a few years to find the confidence to show them to other people. E.C.: What was the first instrument you picked up and when? Scott McGinley: My very first instrument was the clarinet. I started it in school because my parents saw my love of music at an early age and wanted to encourage me. Clarinet was not exactly what I had in mind.... it’s hard to rock on a clarinet! But I still love the sound of it. I used one (though I didn't play it) on Epiphany on the track «Here Comes The Music» on the bridge section. I would get in trouble at clarinet lessons because I would play by ear or memorize the parts instead of sight-reading the music. One day the teacher turned the page too late by mistake but realized I was already playing what was on the next page! I still can't read music very well. E.C.: How many instruments do you play today? Scott McGinley: I play the Drums, guitars, bass, and keys, ukulele and some harmonica. I feel very comfortable with them and I can learn parts for recording on a lot of other things like sax, accordion, different percussion instruments, mandolin, banjo and vibes. But I wouldn't say I was proficient at any of those instruments. E.C.: When did you form New Religion and how long did they exist? Scott McGinley: I formed New Religion in the early 90's.... maybe '92. We played around Philadelphia and New York, and built up a strong following. Then we went to Asia and did the same until 1997, when New Religion was disbanded. E.C.: What was the biggest success with them? Scott McGinley: Our biggest success in New Religion was achieving a top 10 CD in Taiwan plus releasing many other CD's in the years prior to that that also did very well. We cumulatively played in front of millions of people over those years. E.C.: What was the biggest disappointment with them? Scott McGinley: I don't really have a major disappointment with New Religion. Out of all the bands I’ve been in up to PoP is ArT, New Religion was the closest thing to the ultimate «band of brothers» that musicians dream of being a part of. We all got along (most of the time) went through hardships together and lived together for years. I suppose if I had to list a disappointment with New Religion, it would be that the band got tired of touring just at the point that it was really beginning to pay off. One other disappointment would be that there was no email back then, so I don't have any way of contacting fans of my music from back then. E.C.: When did you form Bliss and how long did the band exist? Scott McGinley: Bliss was formed out of New Religion. New Religion had been touring Asia for a few years and had some success with our releases under a small US label called «paradigm». But the band was wearing out. After being away from home for years at a time and playing 6 nights a week, people in the band were burnt out. When New Religion had a top 10 CD in Taiwan, it got the interest of many other labels and when the label we chose (Terry Ellis' label Imago/Tigerstar) was only interested in me, I signed under the condition that I could keep my keyboardist Patrick McCabe with me. He had been my musical partner over the years and had recently joined New Religion, so he wasn't tired of it all like the rest of the band. So I disbanded New Religion and signed with Terry. We went off to record in LA with the legendary producer Keith Olsen (Heart, Fleetwood Mac, Santana, Foreigner), and some serious studio musicians (Jason Scheff of Chicago, Alex Liggertwood of Santana, Tim Peirce of Rick Springfield band). The record was done first, then the name picked....THEN we found musicians to tour with. We then toured for about a year straight. E.C.: What was the biggest success with them? Scott McGinley: The biggest success with Bliss was 4 top ten hits in 9 countries and 3 top 10 videos on MTV Asia, plus playing concerts in front of 30,000 people. Also one of my biggest successes was working in the studio with these great people and having them say how great the songs were. I also learned alot about recording. E.C.: What was the biggest disappointment with them? Scott McGinley: The biggest disappointment with Bliss was that the record company forced us to play with people that we weren't happy with (they weren’t 't experienced musicians and weren't from a pop background, but were very full of themselves), but Terry (the company owner) would tell me «don't worry Scott, it will all pay off for YOU in the end, people will buy your songs and you'll make money from it». But it didn't pay off. The company quietly closed its doors (without paying me any royalties) and I regretted not standing up for what I thought was right. in hindsight, though, it was an awesome experience and I don't regret it any longer. E.C.: What was your worst experience with a record company? Scott McGinley: The worst experience I've had with a record company was what I spoke of above with Bliss. The owner of the company was very strict about what he wanted for the rest of the band; young, good looking guys. but musicianship wasn't really an issue. After recording the Bliss CD with some of the best musicians around and then playing it with people who didn't care about pop music (they were all very jazz oriented) was really hard. Terry Ellis (the owner of the label) had threatened; if you don't find musicians soon, we'll hire actors to play the part of your band», I just couldn't imagine that! So when we toured and played live in front of 30,000 people where all always dreamed of being, I felt like «this is the worst band I’ve played with in since I was a kid!» I'm friendly with the Bliss members today, but at the time, it was a really tough experience to go through. E.C.: What did you learn from that? Scott McGinley: It took a while to realize, but I learned, that although the music business is full of compromise for an artist, you have to make sure you retain SOME joy of making music. I sort of gave everything away for the promise of fame and fortune. And in hindsight, I learned to try to look for «the silver lining» of any situation. I would do it all over again. E.C.: What is your position towards record companies today? Scott McGinley: I understand record companies better now, and while I'd never rule out being signed, I am much happier recording and doing things myself, realizing my OWN vision of the music I write. The hardest thing, though, is not having someone help focus you. A record company will say «we want x type of song and you come up with it», it's hard to know what to decide when you're working alone. That's why it was good for me too bring in outside musicians and engineers for Epiphany. I could get some input from them. E.C.: How come you had success in Asia? Scott McGinley: It was my manager’s idea to go to Asia and build a following. He had managed an American-Indonesian artist, and when they went to Indonesia to promote his CD, he really saw the potential there (it was and probably still is the fastest growing record buying market in the world). at the time being an American band in Asia was a little bit like being the Beatles-people would stop you on the street and ask for pictures or autographs. And while it may seem a weird thing to do, bands (I use the term «band» loosely here) like the Backstreet Boys and Spice girls took advantage of building momentum in Asia before having success in the rest of the world. E.C.: Why do you have today 2 bands (Pop is Art, Insiders)? Scott McGinley: PoP is ArT is a concept I came up with at the time we were getting ready to sign with Terry Ellis. The thing I've always struggled with in music is that I REALLY LOVE different kinds of music. I may sit down and write a reggae song or a country song or a rock song....I just love it all. But record companies don't like that. They don't know how to market it. They want want you to sound the same all the time so they can sell you as a product that people will recognize. So I thought of this idea; Pop music is many things, so pop is art could be my name that I will make whatever kind of music I want. Of course, the idea was not well accepted at the time, but I kept it in my notebook for future reference! Anyway, PoP is ArT is basically Scott McGinley's original music project. The Insiders is a 2-piece band I'm in with my wife Vicky. We play cover music in the Philadelphia/Atlantic City area and release our (Vicky and I together) original music occasionally. E.C.: On the cover of your new album with Pop is Art you stand on a kind of a crossroad. Does that have a relation to your life? If yes, in what way? Scott McGinley: The cover of «Epiphany» really means something to me. After Bliss was finished, I felt sorry for myself for a while, and was depressed and self-medicating. I had compromised and compromised until I had too little invested to enjoy it. I was thinking in a very unhealthy, negative way. and I really did have an «Epiphany», although it took me a while to actually see it clearly. I realized that life is what you make it and you can process almost anything as a good experience or a bad one. I figured; how many musicians would kill to do what I did with Bliss and New Religion? so I decided that instead of focusing my mental energy on «we never made it in my own country, so I’m still a nobody to everyone here», I decided to focus on «having 4 hits and playing in front of 30,000 people is a GREAT experience and I LOVE music, so keep doing what I love on my own terms». The crossroads represent all the different paths facing me at that time and me deciding to go down the path of a higher more enlightened, happy life. E.C.: Why did you call the album "Epiphany"? Scott McGinley: It's called «Epiphany» because of working through this album, the writing, and recording was a long process; it took over 3 (sometimes frustrating) years. But the experience was cathartic. It helped me put some of the demons I was battling in place. And it reinforced the idea that you CAN do something on your own terms and have it turn out great without a record company. E.C.: Is it a kind of a concept work? If yes, in what way? Scott McGinley: The first, what I call A «side», like the old LP days, of «Epiphany» is some Pop songs with some slightly progressive leanings at times, but pretty straight forward. The B «side» is more thought out and conceptual. It loosely explains the things I was going through to reach my «Epiphany»; bad relationships, death of loved ones, substance abuse, anger, blaming, and spirituality. I love some of those great concept albums I grew up with, so I wanted to do my best to do something like that. E.C.: What is the song «Father father» about? Scott McGinley: «Father father» has 2 sections. In the first the character is simply saying «I know I have lost my way, but I don't know what to do, or even want to do anything about it.». In the reprise of «father father», the character knows his life is a mess and wants to change it. He asks «help me find my way». And when you want to change your life and you ask for help you'll get it so the response in essence is: «wake up! What you are effects everyone around you». You are important. E.C.: Is this "Angry you man"? If yes, what did cause this? Scott McGinley: It's sort of me and an amalgam of different people and situations. It's partly my story of always striving for more but never being happy. Getting a record deal, but wanting a bigger one...more more more. The song in the middle is more about blaming everyone else for the things only you can change, and ends in the last line of avarice singing about an «Epiphany». E.C.: I hear influences from Alan Parsons, Beach Boys, Beatles or Neal Morse (Spocks Beard) on «Epiphany». Is there any band or sound that did clearly influence you for the album or does this more happen on a unconscious level? Scott McGinley: I think it happens more unconsciously. People have named bands they hear in the music that I never realized I sound like. You mentioning Alan Parsons for instance. I love most of his work, but would never think to list him as an influence. One thing that I did have in the back of my mind was that I really miss «Albums». Real albums that a lot of love and care were put into. «Abbey road», and «dark side of the moon», and the cars first album. I wanted to make an album with a conceptual feel. and put total love into the creation. E.C.: How do you earn your living today? Scott McGinley: I earn a living playing mostly cover music with my wife Vicky in The Insiders. I first thought the Insiders would be a big outlet for my original music, but we've focused more on making a living and being business minded with it. In the places we play, people want to hear songs they are familiar with. So we do a party/sing along kind of atmosphere. And we do pretty well doing it playing clubs, weddings, and casinos. After Bliss I really had a hard time enjoying doing this, but as I said above: I truly LOVE music, so after my spiritual «Epiphany» I now find a lot of enjoyment with The Insiders. It's amazing to me that in 2000 I was miserable and depressed, not getting along with my girl, my family or my work. hating doing the insiders and basically broke. Now I have the same girl, same family, same work and still play with the same Insiders and I feel so happy and lucky to have my life! The only difference in the equation is me; my attitude. I find that mind blowing! I treat the Insiders like sitting on a couch playing and singing songs with my friends. It's just hundreds or so friends instead of 5 or 10! E.C.: Are there any future projects that you can tell me about? Scott McGinley: I think my next projects will be an Insiders CD which will most likely be cover songs and a few originals that were left off the «Epiphany» CD, and a children’s song CD which is songs I’ve written for my daughter, I'd also like to do a holiday CD, since I already have a handful of original x-mas songs recorded, but I don't know if I'll get to it this season. I also want to edit and release all the footage recorded during the years of the New Religion tours..... AND I AM already thinking of ideas for the next PoP is ArT CD. I am the king of putting too many ideas on my plate! :-) That's part of the reason it takes me so long to finish things!
EAR CANDY:
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