An interview by Jeff Schad with Maryland band, Ballyhoo
Jeff Schad: How long have you guys been together?
Howi Spangler: Almost 14 years. We got together in the summer of 1995, playing
in my mom's basement and doing shows at school and friend's parties.
JS: Did you all come from previous music backgrounds or is Ballyhoo! the
original starting point for everyone?
Howi: Everyone in the band has their own style. We like the
same bands generally, but then each of us likes a different flavor. The tour
van playlist ranges from quirky instrumentals to metal to hip hop and reggae.
That's why our music sort of straddles genres.
JS: You hail from Aberdeen, MD, which seems to have a nice pulse of vitality
as far as bands like yours coming up. Were you guys the ones that began that
trend, and has it been a challenge getting out and getting noticed coming from
there?
Howi: We started doing the reggae/rock hybrid in our area years ago, but if you
go a little further south to Baltimore Jah Works and Colouring Lesson had been
doing it a couple years longer than us. We have seen a growth in the genre or
“circle”, as I call it, in the last couple years. Bands like 86 the Effort,
Pasadena, and Shoreline have gotten out there a bit now.
As far as the challenge, it’s always been a bit daunting.
There’s so much to choose from nowadays. But we know that our music is good and
we just keep this “on tour forever” mentality, we know that we have to bring
the attention to ourselves, rather than sitting around waiting for something to
happen.
JS: Ballyhoo! developed a strong core following off the release of Do It
For The Money. How far have you guys
come since then?
Howi: Yeah, DIFTM really propelled us. The music spread (and
still is) all over. We’ll go to a town we’ve never been to and there will be
close to 100 people that know the words to the songs. It’s really amazing and
just a wonderful feeling to hear them singing back. Since then, it’s been
relatively easier for Zack (Johnson, their agent) to book the shows. We even
got on some 311 dates. It’s pretty sick to know that one of our favorite bands
respected our sound enough to throw us a bone like that.
JS: Cheers! was released
earlier this year, and it's a very complete, well put-together album. Has it
pushed the band to a new level?
Howi: Yeah, it was produced by Scotch Ralston, former 311
engineer. He contacted us via Myspace and we got started from there. We
recorded and mixed it in 6 months in various locations around Harford County.
The drums, bass, and guitars were done at Wrightway Studios in Baltimore. It’s
funny, I recall laying down vocals in his RV behind a Target store. It was
guerilla style!
JS: It's not easy for any band from back East to make its mark in a totally
different market like California. That said, how was the recent tour of the
West Coast?
Howi: It was great! The shows went off, by our standards
anyway. We’ve been to the west 4 times now in the last 2 years and we’ve seen
the growth happening. We’ve made friends with many of the Cali bands in the
circle, so we always end up playing shows with them. Most of the fans of the
reggae rock genre listen to all bands that are cutting through, so we tend to
share.
JS: Ballyhoo! has branded your own style of playing non-stop shows, and
making each one a party. How do you find the drive and motivation to genuinely
bring that energy to your shows night after night?
Howi: We get tired from the travel and load in/load out
every night, but once we’re on stage the rush takes over. It’s this feeling of
“Well, we’re here, <the crowd sucks> but we want them to bring a friend
next time, so let’s rock it anyway”. It can be depressing sometimes, but you
have to put on a “show” regardless of attendance. It has to look like you’re
having a good time or they won’t believe it. And free beer makes a big
difference!
JS: Best and worst parts of touring...
Howi: Best Parts: Seeing new places, meeting the people that
are supporting our music, and just getting paid to play music.
Worst Parts: Making that straight 25 hour drive from Vegas
to Dallas. Shitty Door deals. Staying with someone we met at a show in an
effort to save money and their house smells like cat piss. It also really sucks
when the van catches on fire…