[00:00:01] Speaker A: He was born on a Saturday in 73 he loves hard cry music fighting the thirties cabin in the dazzle rock now on the bench guitar with a short wind radio back his motherfucking Andy scolding look at motherfucker cuz here he comes Andy.
[00:00:25] Speaker B: Wearing his own welcome to unsigned 518.
I am here with Eric and Mike, a black tongue reverend and we played a gig last night. So if. If I'm. And when I say we, I mean like our bands. Yeah, played and then we, we even after partied and I'm a little slow today. Not gonna lie.
[00:00:46] Speaker C: I am a little slow too.
[00:00:47] Speaker B: So if there's. If there's stumbles or I forget shit, that is. That is why. And it was our fault. Cause we knew we were playing a gig. We knew. But then we're like, yeah, let's do a podcast at fucking. Yeah, tomorrow.
[00:01:01] Speaker C: We could have planned this better.
[00:01:02] Speaker B: Yeah, we could have. But. But we did not. But anyway, what I want to do is, because you were. Or Eric, you and Jeff were on.
[00:01:11] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:01:12] Speaker B: And what was it you said?
[00:01:13] Speaker C: It was like episode 26 or 26. It was like almost two years ago.
[00:01:19] Speaker B: I think that's. It's wild. And what got me thinking was you were saying how, you know, in the two year anniversary thing, you did the call in and you were like, yeah, you know, it was weird, like going to this podcast. We only had a couple songs out, blah, blah, blah, you know, and like, it was like, huh, man, you know. Cause I, like, just think of you as an established band now, you know what I mean? Because you've done so much. You're all over the place, like, you're playing shows outside of the area, you know, and like. So I kind of wanted to just talk and, you know, this is my mike, your first time on the show, so, you know, but I guess I just wanted to talk about kind of what's happened in the last two years and, you know, any input that you want to throw in from before the two years. But I just want to kind of shoot the shit about black tongue. Reverend, what's happened in the last, like I said, two years?
[00:02:12] Speaker C: Yeah, a lot.
Let's see, we released an lp.
We've played a bunch of shows.
[00:02:24] Speaker D: Few road trips.
[00:02:25] Speaker C: Yeah, a few road trips. A few eventful road trips in the.
[00:02:29] Speaker D: BTR van doors, not staying latch.
[00:02:32] Speaker B: Yeah, I saw that one.
[00:02:34] Speaker C: So a couple weeks ago, we went down to Long island and played a show down there. And on our way back, the driver's side door decided it would stop latching somewhere around yonkers so I was driving with one hand and holding the door closed with the other for, like, 100 miles, and it would just randomly fly open at 70 miles an hour and wake me up.
[00:03:05] Speaker D: I'd be nodding off there. I'd be going like this, and then I'd hear what's going on.
[00:03:11] Speaker C: Oh, no. Our bass player fell out.
[00:03:14] Speaker B: So now, when you were first on, you had. It was just the one ep.
[00:03:20] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah.
[00:03:21] Speaker B: And then you, if I remember correct. And, I mean, I actually. I do remember. I know the answer. But you basically do your own tracking and producing. And do you mix and master it as well?
[00:03:35] Speaker C: Like, yeah, I do. So we tracked everything in my living room, and then I did all the mixing. We used, like, an AI master tool or something, because I don't really. That's kind of black magic that I don't know, same total art into itself. Yeah, yeah.
[00:04:00] Speaker B: Like, literally. And, like, I've been. Because I don't know, a ton of behind, you know, my production, so to speak, is I edit audio or, you know, voices, like, you know, podcasts. I'm very good at doing that and, like, making commercials or whatever, but, like, the mastering, like, seeing, like, all the instruments laid out and, like, knowing how they work separately and how they'll work with the whole. And, like. Like you said this, ma, it's fucking black magic. Like, I don't understand how ears work that way.
[00:04:33] Speaker C: I don't either. I don't either. I just twiddle knobs and change things until it sounds good. And I think each. With each thing we've put out, it's sounded a bit better.
[00:04:44] Speaker D: Yeah. I think the last thing we did, Texas dune, was probably our best sounding as far as, like, production wise, because, you know, we kind of had, like, done it probably twelve times to that point. You know, everything we recorded.
[00:04:58] Speaker C: So that song was kind of interesting because that's a remix of our song, Texas Freeze, where there's now, like, four different versions of that song that we choose from.
[00:05:10] Speaker B: That's the one that's, like, down tuned.
[00:05:12] Speaker C: Yeah. So we were like, what if we tuned it even lower and played it slower? And then we were just like, at practice one day, we're like, well, let's try it. And we were like, oh. Oh, fuck, yeah.
[00:05:26] Speaker B: Speaking of fuck, yeah. Calvin just. I think. I think just got the fly. I think he got fly.
[00:05:31] Speaker D: He's got him trapped under the table.
[00:05:33] Speaker C: Good boy.
[00:05:34] Speaker B: Calvin's been trying to get flying. I think he got him, but, yeah, I like that one. You know, the. And I love the taking songs that are yours that you created and being like, let's do something different with what we had, you know, like, I love that idea. And, like, eerie who we just played with last night did that with a couple songs.
[00:05:56] Speaker C: Yeah, I've heard some of that. It sounds amazing.
[00:05:58] Speaker B: So it's so cool to, like, take these rock songs and like, you know, slow them down and turn them into something new.
[00:06:06] Speaker C: And now we never play that version.
[00:06:09] Speaker B: Well, the regular one or the doom one?
[00:06:11] Speaker C: The doom one. Now we play, we usually play, we call it Texas Jam.
[00:06:17] Speaker D: Yeah. Where I. Yeah, we just, we throw.
[00:06:20] Speaker C: Like an improv kind of jam session right in the middle and jam it out. Yeah, that's, that's Mike's song to kind of go crazy.
[00:06:30] Speaker B: All right, Calvin, now you're kind of annoying with the flag. Get the fuck out of here.
Get out of here, bud. And so that one you released as a single, right?
[00:06:38] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:06:39] Speaker B: That was not on the proper LP.
[00:06:43] Speaker C: No, no. We figured we would just, we wanted to do something, but we didn't have enough, like, for another EP or LP or whatever. So we just did that. But we are hopefully gonna hit the, well, the living room again this summer. Yeah, so we've got enough material that we're gonna do another LP.
And this time we've been able to, because last time we recorded our, you know, LP, all them have fangs. We hadn't even played a show yet, so some of those songs ended up kind of morphing a little bit.
[00:07:23] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:07:24] Speaker C: But this time we've been able to road test all pretty much everything.
[00:07:28] Speaker B: And I love the. It's like, super inspiring that, like, when you're like, oh, we're hitting the living room. Like, that's to me, like, because when you hear the, the. Your songs, like, the ep, the LP, they sound absolutely like they were in a recording studio and done with like a team, you know, whatever. Just the fact that you're doing it yourself, literally in a living room is so anybody listening, if you want to start making your own music, there's nothing stopping you.
[00:07:58] Speaker C: Right.
[00:07:58] Speaker D: We spent so much time, like, in the small amount of time we had to record when we spent so much time just like, redoing tracks to kind of get the sound the way we wanted to, that, like, I don't think any of us, like, picked up an instrument for like two, three weeks after we got done.
I don't want to look at my amp or guitar. Just like, get away from me.
[00:08:17] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. And, and then I had to, like, mix it for like, weeks and then, like, when it was finally done, I was like, I don't want to hear these songs for a month.
[00:08:26] Speaker B: Right. And I don't think people understand, like, doing that. Like, doing it yourself, how. How, like, familiar with the songs you become, because you're listening to the same literal, like, second, like, 1 second, 2 seconds over and over and over and over, and then you move on to the next couple of seconds. Then you listen to it as a whole. Then you pick it apart and back to seconds, and it's like, you get to know the songs. People, I guess, don't realize as artists, by the time a song is done and they're hearing it, you guys are, like, not sick of it, but you're.
[00:09:02] Speaker D: Like, by that point, you've already heard it a few hundred times. You probably played it a few hundred times in practice. It's just alone.
[00:09:07] Speaker B: Yes. By the time anybody hears it for the first time, you're like, we've put hundreds of hours into this stuff.
So that's a wild thing. And I think that's a cool way to approach it, is to. And it also, you don't have to worry about time. Not time, like, to do it, but, like, timing. You know, you're like, all right, the three of us are ready to do it.
[00:09:32] Speaker C: Right?
[00:09:33] Speaker B: Let's do it. You know, you don't have to. All right, the three of us are ready to do it. Let's try to find a place to do it. And an engineer and this, you know.
[00:09:41] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:09:41] Speaker B: So it's fucking true. Diy. And I dig that.
[00:09:44] Speaker C: Yeah. It gives us a lot of freedom.
[00:09:47] Speaker B: Right.
[00:09:47] Speaker C: And we're kind of, I don't know, as a band, we kind of just do everything ourselves. Like, I. I make our shirts.
You know, that's just kind of our. Our style.
[00:09:59] Speaker B: Yeah. And I do want to.
We will talk about the video because I do want to talk about. Definitely the video, but I think we should play a tune right now. And what do you. What do you want to play?
[00:10:10] Speaker D: Yankee.
[00:10:11] Speaker C: Yeah, let's play Yankee.
[00:10:12] Speaker B: All right, cool. So let's. Let's play Yankee, and then we'll be right back to talk some more with black tongue. Reverend.
[00:10:43] Speaker C: They don't make old men like machines each one is tied to their own time and place but when progress comes knocking at your door you're no longer in control of your fate.
[00:12:38] Speaker A: With dynamite.
[00:12:39] Speaker C: Closing in on you now shaking the walls of my future grave living now.
[00:12:52] Speaker A: They won't be living much longer.
[00:12:59] Speaker C: But I'll make dance sure they remember my name all right.
[00:15:55] Speaker B: That was yankee black tongue, reverend. And like I was saying before, I wanted to talk about the video. Cause that was a. It led to, like, a bunch of things. It was cool. I got. I was an extra on. On the set or whatever for a scene, which was my, you know, my big, big break. But it was really cool watching the whole setup of how the video was shot, and it was like, you know, george was just the one man guy, but, like, we went through the whole thing. But I want to, I guess, talk about who came up with the concept of the video, like, how the process went into before you shot the video, I guess.
[00:16:38] Speaker D: Yeah, that would be Eric.
[00:16:40] Speaker C: Yeah.
Well, I came up with a concept. So it was for the song relapse.
We filmed it down at El Dorado bar in Troy. They were super nice. Gave us, like, the run of the place for, like, 8 hours or something on a Sunday before they opened.
Really talented filmmaker George Paul goes by daydreaming. Camera did the. Did the video for us. But I think I came up with the concept of, like, of, like, me, you guys. So Mike and Jeff being coworkers and me being kind of, like, a drunk asshole.
But then they, I think you guys twisted the concept and were like, well, what if we don't like you and we just get you drunk to, like, laugh at you?
[00:17:43] Speaker B: Bully you into getting drunk?
[00:17:45] Speaker C: Yeah. So that was kind of the entire concept of the video. I was like, I was kind of dorky. I had, like, a bow tie and a ponytail and stuff. And, yeah, they proceed to just, like, ply me with beers.
[00:17:59] Speaker D: Well, you know, the song is called relapse, so it's like, you know, what if instead of just being a drunk, you come in the video, you're trying to be well and put together, but, you know, these two assholes off to the side here just can't leave it alone.
[00:18:13] Speaker B: Yeah. Poking you and poking.
[00:18:15] Speaker C: Yeah. It's kind of a darkly humorous song.
[00:18:19] Speaker B: Right. And I love, like, in the beginning when Mike, you and Jeff are, like, talking shit, and you're like, do you see that ponytail? Like, I know. What a nerd.
Yeah. And working with George, did he throw a ton of, like, input in with, like, the storyline?
[00:18:38] Speaker C: Yeah. Oh, yeah. So the.
I sat down with him a couple times, and, like, we planned everything out pretty much shot by shot.
And then.
And then it kind of all went out. Some of it kind of went out the window on the day of actual filming because everything got discombobulated. So we ended up improving some stuff. We were supposed to have more extras, and we only had a few.
[00:19:05] Speaker B: Yeah, that's tough. That's the tough part about it. That's why when we did ours, I made sure that I had a bunch of people that weren't extra, but that had, like, roles. So, yeah, you have to be here. Like, you have to be here, so don't say yes unless you're ready to commit all day.
[00:19:22] Speaker C: I feel bad because you sat around, like, all day, and you only ended up in, like, a 1 second shot.
[00:19:29] Speaker B: That's fine. It's fine. Like I said, for me, it was interesting to be what? You know, because the whole time I was there, like, watching you guys film the shots, like, I was. I just. I've always loved, like, the shooting video, and, like. And it was cool how he was doing, like, the coloring of the scenes and, like, lighting the scene. So, like, even though I was only in it for a bit, like, I wasn't just sitting around bored. Like, I was like, man, this is really fucking cool. And that's when I asked George, you know, hey, what would it take to do one of our videos, you know, and then we rolled into that.
[00:20:05] Speaker C: Yeah. So then, yeah, you met George, and then that's how you guys did your video.
[00:20:10] Speaker B: Yeah. Which you were.
[00:20:11] Speaker C: I was an extra in. Yeah, yeah, that was. That was really fun.
[00:20:16] Speaker B: That was fun. And, like, we had. It was the same, like, Georgia. It put a lot of input in, but a lot of the times, like, there was shit that didn't make sense. And I would just be like, leave it in. And he's like, but you've got members of the band on stage. And he's like, then when we go to the crowd, the members of the band are in the crowd, and I'm like, yeah, yeah, it's fine, it's fine. You know? Like, he's like, but it doesn't make sense.
[00:20:42] Speaker C: He's pretty meticulous, but he's, like, really good at thinking about that kind of stuff.
[00:20:48] Speaker B: Yeah, and it was like the same thing, though. Cause I was like, we don't have enough people to, like. So, like, everybody in this scene, it was like, but there's the band. Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter. Let him. Let it be in the scene. But, yeah, that was. That was super fun. And I'll throw a link in the show notes to the video so that people can go check it out, because I think it's pretty fucking funny.
[00:21:13] Speaker C: It turned out really good, I think.
[00:21:15] Speaker D: Yeah, definitely. It was fun overall experience doing it.
[00:21:19] Speaker B: And it looks so, like, so well. Shot. You know what I mean? Like, when you first see that opening scene of you walking in the, you know, in front of the El Dorado, you're just like, damn, that is a. It's a good looking video.
[00:21:33] Speaker D: I think we shot that the day after our gig, too. Yeah, I think that actually was the rat. Then we played the night before.
[00:21:40] Speaker C: Yeah, we played in a living room in Albany the night before. And then we got. Then I got home and my boiler had broken, and it was February, so I had no heat. I was, like. I was up till, like, three in the morning trying to fix it, and I couldn't fix it. And then I didn't get. But get up early in the morning and schlep over Detroit for a whole day of filming.
[00:22:06] Speaker B: Ten. What were the nine or ten in the morning?
[00:22:08] Speaker C: Yeah, like, nine in the morning.
[00:22:10] Speaker B: Yeah.
So, all right, we're. At this point, we've got the ep out. We've got the lp out. We've just made a video.
What would you say? Like, I guess what would be another big moment or just, you know, a moment where you were like, hey, like, we're fucking doing this? You know what I mean?
[00:22:29] Speaker C: Like, I don't know.
[00:22:33] Speaker D: It's probably this because right now it still feels all kind of new. Right? Like. But just as we've played more shows and, like, how you've gotten more crowd responses and, like, we've gone out to places and, you know, play with other bands, and it's to see, like, how, like, we start playing and you see people from everywhere kind of just gravitate towards the stage, and it's like, maybe we got something here, right?
[00:22:59] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. And, I mean, even last night, there was, I know a bunch of, you know, five one, eight musicians that I was talking to that were there at the show, and several of them were like, these guys fucking kind of rock, you know, like. Like, even carm Grasso, I don't know if you've ever seen his shit, and if you haven't, you should check it out after he fucking shreds on guitar and he had a put a video up of you shredding on guitar. So it's, you know, musicians recognize talent.
[00:23:26] Speaker D: So, like, still very, like, it's weird, like, hearing people, like, getting, like, appraisal. Like, people like, oh, you're good and whatnot. Because it's, like, don't really feel that way to some. Playing some notes.
[00:23:40] Speaker B: You know, it's like. And, I mean, this is just, like, my personal experience, but, like, I have, like, imposter syndrome a lot. You know what I mean? Like, when I'm up there playing, I'm like, at some point, somebody's gonna be like, ah, you're not very good.
[00:23:53] Speaker C: You know, I always get this paranoia that I'm, like, being Truman showed.
That's, like, my biggest fear. Like, one day the cameras are all just gonna come out and be like, ah, we got you.
You suck.
You thought you were good.
[00:24:12] Speaker B: Yeah.
And, like, speaking of, like, good, like, as someone who, like, plays bass or whatever, like, watching you the way you can play and the way you can play and sing and they're not the same thing to me again, makes you elevated in, like, your talent, because I'm, like, watching you play those fucking riffs and sing it along with them, I'm like, huh, I probably couldn't do that.
[00:24:41] Speaker C: Well, you know, I have to. I have to write around my somewhat limited ability to do that. We've definitely, like, done songs where I wrote words to it, and then I go to try to sing it, and it's like, I can't do this.
[00:24:57] Speaker B: Right.
Wow. I mean, the ones that you got, like, certainly, you know, cuz when I, like, play and sing, I'm always playing as a acoustic guitar player. Like, cuz that's my. That was my main instrument for 30 years. Like, I never. I didn't pick up the bass until, I mean, on and off. I, like, played the bass, but I always just play it like a guitar player, you know? Like, I can't get the.
The. Doing the bass lines and singing them. I'm just doing as if I'm playing an acoustic guitar, which is always singing in rhythm, you know? What do you mean?
[00:25:32] Speaker C: I mean, you. You sing and play in short wave.
[00:25:34] Speaker B: Yeah, but it's. It's. It's different. Like, I'm not doing, like, riffs or bass lines per se, you know what I mean? I'm doing notes. Like, I'm playing as if I was playing an acoustic guitar, you know, like, acoustic guitar. You're singing and keeping the four. Four beat with the. Or whatever, you know. So, like, to do riffs and sing to me blows my fucking mind because I can't do it.
[00:25:56] Speaker D: I think, like, part of, like, it's kind of my fault as a riff writer, too, like. Cause I give him riffs that are kind of like that because I. I grew up so, like, long not playing with anyone. So, like, no drummer. So I'd write. I just play very percussively. So, like, there's a lot of riffs that are just. It's a lot of notes in there, percussive. And, like, he's got a kind of. He can't just play root notes all the time, so he tries to mix it up and whatnot, but then you gotta sing over it.
[00:26:21] Speaker B: Yeah, that's what I mean. Like, I'm a root. I'm a root note player. Like that. Because that's, like, what I know. So, like, it impresses me when bass players can fucking riff it up and be, you know, doing the thing and then throwing in the singing.
[00:26:34] Speaker D: I'm like, I think also it's a three piece, too. Like, we need to. It's got to have. Be able to fill that space out, because if you just keep it too simple as a three piece and it's gonna be kind of a little bland, so to speak.
[00:26:49] Speaker B: Which is why, like, because we were originally a three piece with, you know, me, Lonnie, and John, and we were like, you know, we're limited. We need another guitar player, you know, like. And that's why we brought in Ryan and Abby.
[00:27:04] Speaker C: Yeah. There's pros and cons to each.
You know, it definitely having more instruments helps you have a fuller sound, but then it can encroach on your, like, freedom a little bit.
[00:27:16] Speaker B: Right? Yeah. Yeah. It's. I mean, anybody who's a musician listening, like, it's cool to get, you know, different arrangements that aren't just your typical, like, you know, bass, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, drums done. Like, you know, having, like you said, a three piece and having to fill that same space sonically with just three instruments and pulling it off is a feat, you know? So. So, I mean, I guess at this point, we should probably listen to another tune. Did you have a second one in mind?
[00:27:49] Speaker C: Yeah. Let's listen to relapse because we talked about the video.
[00:27:52] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, that's true. Yeah. So we can. We'll. Like I said, I'll put in the show notes, the link to the video, and obviously, to your Spotify page to check out. Check out all that. Is there anything that you want to say about the tomb before we roll?
[00:28:05] Speaker D: After playing it almost for two years live now, kind of wish we recorded it a little faster.
[00:28:11] Speaker C: Yeah.
Yeah. When we went to do the. When we went to do the video, like, we had been playing it for a little while and, you know, you have to. You have to mime the performance shots. Right. And we started trying to play along with it, and we kept getting ahead of it and, like, having to start over, and we're like, wow. Yeah. We really sped this one up.
[00:28:32] Speaker B: Yeah. Well, that's the way to do it. I love playing songs as fast as we can.
That's my pocket. Anyway, let's listen to relapse black tongue reverend, and we'll be right back to wrap it up.
[00:29:16] Speaker A: Tell me your story and I'll tell you mine?
Just entertain me for a moment here in time?
Another round and I'm into deep sickness awaken, I'm under whatever I feel fine but this water tastes like wine?
I can't escape what's in my past?
So I'll make my way to the bottom of my glass chips on the table giving away no one should leave and yet I stay just like the last time any time before I knew I'd end up on the far floor?
I'm underwater again but this water tastes like gin?
I can escape what's in my past?
So I'll make my way to the bottom of my class.
[00:32:51] Speaker B: All right, that was relapsed black tongue, reverend. Of course you can go see the video on. On YouTube, and I'll link to it in the show page. So, Mike, Eric, I want to thank you so much for taking time out of your morning after such a long and rough night last night. And, you know, really is. I really appreciate it. And before we go, I just want to give you both a chance to say what I refer to as your gratitude. So, Eric, if you want to start.
[00:33:17] Speaker C: Yeah. So I'm not going to make the same mistake that I made last time I was on the show. First, I need to thank my lovely wife for putting up with my antics and being extremely supportive and acting in our music video, and she slaps you in the face. Yeah, just being great all around.
And after that, you know, you for everything that you do, keep bringing us on shows and, you know, helping us out in any ways you can and doing the same for a ton of people in the 518 scene.
We got a good thing going here.
[00:34:03] Speaker D: Yeah.
I just had to thank my fiance, Jennifer, for putting up with the Shenanigans and, you know, buying more gear because I can never be happy with what I have, you know, and then all the 500 community, the bands we play with over the past two years, however long it's been, and even the bands outside, you guys, Gozer, who we played with a lot.
Twilight Drive, who we're playing with next weekend, Saturday at Adnola. And then. Yeah, just everyone in general. It's been a wild ride.
[00:34:41] Speaker B: Yeah, I think it's gonna get wilder.
[00:34:43] Speaker C: I'm here for it.
[00:34:45] Speaker B: Sweet. All right. Well, Mike Eric Black tongue reverend, I am Andy Scullen. This is unsigned 518. I'll see you on the road.
Unsigned 518 is produced and hosted by me, Andy Scullen. New episodes are available every week wherever you stream podcasts. If you would like to help support the show, please like and subscribe wherever you are listening. Or you could buy me a
[email protected]. Unsigned 518 if you would like to advertise on the show, send me an email at unsigned 508 mail.com. And to be a guest on the show, reach out to me through instagram. Unsigned 518 take care of one another and I'll see you next week.
