When I was a kid, growing up in a house with Cat Stevens,
Neil Diamond, and Simon and Garfunkel, the first time I ever heard Kiss's
"Detroit Rock City,"
it was a moment of musical epiphany. It was just so vicious, aggressive and
mean. It changed the way I listened to music. I've had a few minor epiphanies
since then, when you come across a band that just brings something new and
revolutionary to your ears.
What have been your musical epiphany moments?
Patrick: It is funny you mentioned all the bands you had
playing in your household, because it was very similar for me. One of the first albums that made me realize
I was listening to something I shouldn’t have been at 5 years old, was Appetite
for Destruction. But nothing was quite
an epiphany until those open chords for “Smells Like Teen Spirit” began to play
late one night in September of 1991. I
turned 10 the following week and the first thing I did with the $20.00 my
grandma gave me was buy Nevermind. That
album and Siamese Dream changed my life.
Jeremy: When I was
about 11 or 12 years old I got the Beatles anthology for Christmas. It was the
red one with two discs in it. Completely changed my world. Eleanor Rigby just
got me and I would listen to it over and over. That song is so beautiful and
haunting it just stuck......Hell, still does!
Grayson: Black Hole
Sun blew my 13yr old mind.
Talk to us about the song-writing process for you. What
comes first, the idea? A riff? The lyrics? How does it all fall into place?
Patrick: It really
depends for me. In the past when I was
doing things as a solo artist with a revolving cast of bandmates it could be
lyrics. Then I might sit down and build the progression around those lyrics, or
I might come back to the lyrics with a progression or riff and see if it
fits. Essentially a feeling that had to
come out in any form…so it does…whether that is a riff, song, or poetry for
that matter. If it is more of a prose
form, I will typically edit it down to fit something.
Over the past 18 months, we tend to come up with
progressions, parts, and riffs together.
So I find myself writing melodies while listening to the voice memos of
rehearsal in the car. It has been a lot
easier for me to write melodies this way as of late. It allows it to be a rock and roll banger in
a way that me writing with a guitar can hinder. Sometimes I will be sitting with the guitar
and the chords and lyrics just fall out in one fell swoop like “Lies” on the
new album. That song was complete in
about 10 minutes.
Jeremy: Patrick
brings an idea and then I just start playing what comes to me then do it a
thousand times, changing a little here and a little there till it solidifies as
a part. Playing new songs live really pulls it together for me. I may have been
playing something in rehearsal that I really like, then when we play it live I
realize it doesn't work.
Grayson: I generally
start with a riff and build from there.
Who has influenced you the most?
Patrick: As a
musician I would have to say my Uncle Bob Jones. When I was 11 he taught me how to play E, A,
and B7. Showed me a simple 12 bar blues
rhythm and said “If you can hold that rhythm down in a few months when we see
each other again, I will show you more.”.
That was the beginning of it all for me.
Well that combined with Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Jimi Hendrix, Blood
Sugar Sex Magic, Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Bob Dylan, and Willie Nelson.
Jeremy: That’s a hard
one, I don't know who I could say influenced me most in music. I mean a lot of
times I am influenced by other art or beauty or pain that translates into
music. So to say I am influenced the most by one artist, I don't think I could
say.
Grayson: My dad, Ken
Papa, an amazing guitar player, and my brother Austin Solomon, who is a
phenomenal bass player.
Where do you look for continuing inspiration? New ideas, new
motivation?
Patrick: I try to
find new music on spotify, band camp, and youtube. Luckily there is so much that I have never
heard before. Last summer while driving
around Southwest England for our tour we
listened to Neil Young and Crazy Horse Zuma non stop. It’s no wonder some folks have said the new
album has that vibe. For me that was a
new album. My folks never listened to
music like that. As far as the band
goes…all three of us come from different musical backgrounds. So the really heavy stuff like Elder, Yob,
Baroness, and other bands 100% get sent over to me from Grayson. I did some producing and engineering on an
album in the early 2000’s for a band called Hookerfight. T.J. Ferrari(the frontman) turned my ears on
to Show, Sleep, Sunn O))), as well as doom in general. I try to keep it new and not get stale with
my music.
We are also pretty lucky that there is such a diverse scene
in Nashville. So we can find great new music just about any
night of the week under normal circumstances.
But that will fit in the next answer better.
Jeremy: Everywhere
Grayson: My peers.
We're all a product of our environment. Tell us about the
band's hometown and how that reflects in the music?
Patrick: That is an
interesting question, being that the three of us are from three different parts
of the country. I (Patrick) am from Santa Rosa and Sacramento
mainly which is Northern California. I then moved to Seattle
and lived there for 3 years before moving to the greater Nashville area. Grayson is from Philly, and Jeremy is from Memphis. So we all bring our own vibe to the
project. As for the Bands hometown….Nashville
is such a diverse musical playground consisting of some of the best musicians I
have ever seen play. The caliber of
players, producers, engineers, recording studios, and venues blows my mind
daily. There are so many bands doing such unique stuff that is constantly
inspiring us and pushing us to do more.
Jeremy: Nashville, there is a lot
of music here, just not a lot of what we do. There is a thriving (albeit small)
rock and artist music scene here. I think some of the more Americana
sounding vocal lines that Patrick sings could be attributed to his time doing
the singer songwriter circuit here in Nashville.
Grayson: I’m not sure
we’re really “Nashville”
but there’s a lot of great music in this town that’s not country or western.
Where'd the band name come from?
Patrick: The guys
decided that we should use my last name as it is pretty unique and rare. The beauty of it is in the double
meaning. Not only is it my last name…but
it also means Mistake in Czech. So we thought that was fitting as it was sort
of an accident as to how we all met. I
was supposed to be playing a show with a couple other players. Due to a death in the family the drummer had
to bow out and the bassist followed suit.
At the show Grayson was playing bass in another band on the bill that
night and Jeremy was fronting his band Kitchn that night. After my set they both came up separately and
asked if I wanted to jam at some point.
We did and the rest is history.
So a fortunate accident. But an
accident nonetheless.
Grayson: Our fearless
leader, Patrick Nehoda.
You have one chance, what movie are you going to write the
soundtrack for?
Patrick: Oh man….that
is a tough one. I would have to say that
if Quentin Tarantino made a Spaghetti Western….that would be it. I know the Hateful Eight had the Ennio
Morricone Soundtrack and Django was a western….but I am talking Segio Leone
style Tarantino Western. That would be a
dream score for me. I was lucky enough
to do some work on a couple short films while I was living in Sacramento.
I really enjoy scoring films.
Jeremy: Willie Wonka
and The Chocolate Factory
Grayson: UHF
You now write for a music publication (The Ripple
Effect?). You're going to write a 1,000
word essay on one song. Which would it be and why?
Patrick: Tom Petty
“Honeybee”. I would write about this one
because it is genre crossing. It is a songwriters song, it is a rock and roller
song, and it is a swinging heavy song as well.
Just find footage of them playing it on SNL with Dave Grohl on drums
just after Kurt died. That was a monster
performance. Plus I feel a lot of folks
could benefit from listening to Wildflowers as a whole.
Jeremy: I’m dyslexic. I've never even read 1000 words so I
don't think I would write 1000 words about anything. But if I had to pick I'd
say "The Long and Winding
Road"......feels right.
Grayson: Dogs by Pink
Floyd. Lyrically and musically dense. Plus it’s my favorite Pink Floyd song.
Come on, share with us a couple of your great, Spinal Tap,
rock and roll moments?
Patrick: When I was
in 8th grade at Faith Lutheran School
in Fair Oaks California,
we were permitted to play a set. It was
myself on Guitar and vocals, Matthew Steinkrauss on guitar as well, and Bob
Lovesee on drums. We had a set list of
Nirvana, Green Day, Weezer, and a song I wrote.
We didn’t make it past the second song.
I decided that we should play “Rape Me”.
The Mr. Evanson and Mrs. Patterson literally flipped the breaker mid
song and shut us down. They tried saying
I idolized a devil worshipper as well as a man who killed himself. I told them that Jesus forgave everyone. Needless to say that didn’t go over well.
Jeremy: Not sure, but
I did have a guy try to fight me over my socks one time when I got off stage.
Grayson: Played a gig
opening for Dirty Diamond, Philly’s premier filthy Neil Diamond tribute act,
and a busload of swingers showed up. Only time I’ve ever been flashed on stage.
Tell us about playing live and the live experience for you
and for your fans?
Patrick: It is my
drug of choice. Leaving it all on the
stage and posing my heart out…there is nothing better than that feeling. I miss it deeply.
Jeremy: It is the only thing that keeps me going. I love the
energy of being on stage no matter how big or small it is. I think smaller
crowds are harder to play for because I feel so exposed. Like they can hear or
smell every mistake or insecurity. But I always try to play as if the show I'm
playing right now is the greatest show of my life
Grayson: I really
miss seeing and playing shows. It’s been such a big part of my life for so long
it’s hard being without it.
What makes a great song?
Patrick: When it
resonates in your soul. I cannot explain
how or why…but you know how it feels when it does. The harmonic connection to your soul I guess.
Jeremy: Who knows?
Grayson: Depends on
the listener.
Tell us about the first song you ever wrote?
Patrick: Die In
Black….It was garbage. But The riff came
to me in a dream when I was about 11.
Kurt Cobain was there and he said hey…try this. I remember hearing it in my dream. Been a while since I thought about that one.
Jeremy: It was about
my truck but everyone thought it was about weed.
Grayson: I think it
was called Outer Banks and it was terrible.
What was your first ever band, and what were they like?
Patrick: My first
real band was called Fermatta. We were
playing alternative music in Sacramento
around 2000. It only lasted about 5
months, but we had fun.
Jeremy: Highschool, the band was Sifter we covered, Creep
and praise and worship music.....yah it was a weird time.
Grayson: We were
called Inflatable Crustacean, named after a pool float, and we played our first
show in a bookstore in Bridgeton,
NJ. We ruled.
What piece of your music are particularly proud of?
Patrick: I am truly
proud of our new album. We recorded it
live, without any edits or overdubs(aside from a couple vocal doubles and one
acoustic guitar line) We wanted to
capture a moment and thankfully we did right before the world shut down.
Jeremy: Are you
kidding me! Nehoda “But Anyways…” duhh
Grayson: Our upcoming
album.
Who today, writes great songs? Who just kicks your ass? Why?
Patrick: Man there
are a lot of folks who write great songs.
Margo Price, Sturgill Simpson, Radiohead, Russian Circles, Black Mountain,
Sleep, Neil Young…
Who kicks my ass? Bob Dylan’s new album is out of this
world. Sleep live at Third Man Records
Kicked my ass. But nothing compares to
Seeing Sunn O))) in the Caverns in Tennessee
4/20/19. That made my goddamn clothes
shake! Last but not least….Ennio
Morricone is the ultimate. What a
composer. He could create a sweeping
epic from two notes like The Man with a Harmonica Theme from Once Upon a Time
In The West. R.I.P.
Jeremy: Dave Bazan,
he just speaks to me.
Grayson: Anderson .Paak, dude
writes great songs and plays/sings his ass off.
Vinyl, CD, or digital? What's your format of choice?
Patrick: Vinyl all
day every day if there is a choice.
Jeremy: Digital
only because its easy
Grayson: Vinyl
Whiskey or beer? And
defend your choice
Patrick:
Whiskey…preferably Bourbon or Scotch.
Man I am 6’7 330 lbs. Beer takes
too long and makes me feel too damn full!
Especially if I am singing...Then I stick to Gin and Tonics.
Jeremy: Both....no
defense necessary
Grayson: Beer,
because I can’t drink 10 whiskeys.
We, at the Ripple Effect, are constantly looking for new
music. What's your hometown, and when we get there, what's the best record
store to lose ourselves in?
Patrick:
Man….Grimey’s and The Groove for Nashville. It used to be Dimple and Tower in Sacramento….but sadly
they are both gone now. RIP.
Jeremy: Memphis, Goner (if its
still there)
Grayson: I’m kind of
a nomad, but the best record stores in Nashville
to me are Grimey's and the Groove.
What's next for the band?
Patrick: Our new
Album But Anyways… comes out October 3rd.
So we are really doing everything we can to get that out there and
heard. We just released a single to
vinyl titled “Dear Mr. President”. o we
are doing our damnedest to get these heard given that we cannot play
anywhere. If things had stayed the same,
we would be getting ready right now to go do a month long tour of England and Europe
again. With that being said we are
currently working on new songs for the next album and set once the world
reopens.
Jeremy: If the plague
will ever go away....tour, tour, tour!!
Grayson: We’ve got a
full length album coming out later this year and we continue to work on new
music and look forward to the day we can all get back on stage.
Any final comments or thoughts you'd like to share with our
readers, the waveriders?
Patrick: Whatever you
do…keep supporting music….keep playing music…keep making art….do not give
up….do not let them win….we will see you on the other side.
Jeremy: Wear a mask
so we can all go to and play live shows again sooner rather than later.
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