Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Tuesday 19 June 2018
Rock trio Record Company is back but not much changed

By MARK KENNEDY was mostly in a hallway
Associated Press because his headphone
NEW YORK (AP) — Nowhere cord didn't reach far
is there a better sign of how enough. Nevertheless, they
far the rock trio The Record made magic.
Company has come than "It sounded like something
in the difference between right away. That very first
where the group recorded day, we sat on my patio
its first and second albums. and I cranked the volume
The trio made its debut in up," says Stiff. "So we had a
the bassist's unassuming good starting place and,
living room in Los Feliz, a from there, it was up to us
hillside neighborhood near to work hard at it."
Hollywood. The band had Part of their success is due
to contend with barking to a demand to make
dogs, neighbors unhappy sure whatever they did
with the sound of crashing could be reproduced live
cymbals and even the and that they decided to
mailman's daily interruption. challenge themselves with
The second was recorded their choices of instrument.
at Boulevard Recording, a (Cazorla was normally on
studio on Sunset Boulevard keys, Stiff was a usually a
where rock's royalty has guitarist.)
worked, including Ringo Naming the band was a
Starr, Carly Simon, Billy little harder. The threesome
Preston, Art Garfunkel soon had four or five songs
and Alice Cooper. Steely but no identity yet, a fact
Dan did most of the basic This image released by Concord Records shows, from left, Marc Cazorla, Chris Vos and Alex Stiff that was beginning to wear
tracking for "Gaucho" there. of The Record Company. Associated Press on them. Inspiration finally
It was where Pink Floyd's came to Stiff.
"The Wall" was finished and Guitarist and lead singer know?" says Cazorla with a to the grind of touring and "I was taking a nap with
mixed. Chris Vos, bassist Alex laugh. "We're still the guys struggling, but it's actually my dog and I woke up
But if you expect the Stiff and drummer Marc psyched to get assigned about hitting rock bottom. in a daze and I just said
massive studio upgrade to Cazorla are as down-to- Group A boarding on "It is funny that you could to myself, 'You're going
have made the trio now earth as their blues-based Southwest Airlines. It's like, construe it as, you know, to get the name. You're
frighteningly pretentious, rock is honest. 'Cool, I get a window seat.'" 'Oh, we're now on yachts going to get it right now.'
you'd be out of luck. "We're still dudes, you The Record Company is now.' It's not quite that," And the words 'The Record
back this month with its says Stiff, who notes the Company' popped into my
sophomore album, "All of band is currently staying head. It's very weird," he
This Life," which continues at a Hampton Inn a few says.
its spare and heady mix of blocks from the Holland Stiff quickly checked to
rock, roots and blues, one Tunnel, hardly glamorous. see if it had been taken
both respectful of the past Voss explains that the song by someone. It hadn't. "It's
and yet fresh sounding. is really about letting go of so right in front of you but
The first single, "Life to Fix," addiction, or bad love or nobody pinpointed that
has reached No. 2 on the self-doubt: "You're saying, that could be a band
Billboard Adult Alternative 'I'm done. I'm evolving. I'm name," he says.
chart. moving on,'" he says. "Once They think it fits them. They
"We wanted to take a leap you say, 'This is over,' the don't want to be a singles
lyrically, musically, sonically. clouds part and you realize band and they don't
We wanted to have that that you were very much in apologize for sounding
natural evolution," says Stiff. control of your destiny." old- fashioned. They still like
"It really was us challenging The members of The Record putting on a Rolling Stones
ourselves to come up with Company came together record and soaking it all in.
the best songs that we as friends before they "The focus isn't 'Listen to how
could." became bandmates. Vos, sweet this guitar solo is.' It's
Expectations are high who grew up on a dairy 'Listen to this song. Listen to
after the band earned a farm in Wisconsin, moved the vibe of this thing,'" says
Grammy nomination for to Los Angeles in 2010 and Vos. "We kind of all shared
its first album, were invited met Stiff and Cazorla, who that from Day One."q
to tour with John Mayer had been in a bunch of
and got its songs used in failed bands together.
commercials for Coors The trio hung out for a
Light, Subaru and Miller year until one day they
Lite, as well as shows like were inspired to jam while
Showtime's "Shameless," listening to the John Lee
ABC's "Nashville" and "CSI: Hooker-Canned Heat
Crime Scene Investigation." album "Hooker N' Heat."
One of the new songs, Within days, they recorded
"Goodbye to the Hard some songs in Stiff's living
Life," might appear to be room. It was such a
the band bidding farewell makeshift setup that Stiff