Boston-based band Eddie Japan stopped by 88.9 WERS to play some songs for Wicked Local Wednesday, which kicks off at 9pm Wednesday nights on 88.9. After their set, WERS' Lily sat down to talk with them about the new music they’re working on, their time spent with The Cars’ Greg Hawkes, and interesting pre-performance rituals.
Lily: First, I want to take it way, way back—how did you guys first meet and become a band?
David Santos (Vocals): It all started over a decade ago. I started the band with a guy who’s not in it anymore. We started an open mic and he started bringing in musicians. I kind of had a vision back at that time, and he played the trumpet. He helped me flesh out what I was hearing. We’ve changed lineups quite a bit. Bart [Lopiccolo] is really the only original “Eddie.” Women joined the fray in 2013. It’s been a long, but cool trip.
Lily: You guys are going to be returning to Sally O’Brien’s in Somerville later in February. Are you excited to be going back?
DS: Yes, we haven’t been there for many years, not since the remodel, but we’ve been there for other reincarnations. The club really has a nice vibe going there now, so we’re really happy to be going back. We’re playing with a very cool band named “No Hugs.”
Lily: Have you guys been working on any new projects lately?
DS: We recorded a couple of songs last fall that will definitely be included in this release. We are in the process of writing. We do a lot of self-recording. We’re hoping to release a five-or-six- song EP in the early summer.
Lily: Will this EP be any different from what you guys have done before, or is it sort of similar in sound to your previous work?
DS: I think we’re still evolving. The last record, Golden Age, was sort of classic and lush. I think there’ll be some rougher edges in this new batch of songs. Not so much a rock record, but a new sound. Not quite as lush as before.
Lily: I am so interested to hear, with all these people that you have in this band, what your recording process is like.
Chuck Ferreira (Drums and Percussion): We usually lay down drums and bass and rhythm guitar first. That means that not everybody even needs to be there for that. Then, we sort of layer things on as we go along. It’s rare that we’re all in the studio exactly at the same time, really. That’s pretty accurate, right? [laughs].
Aaron Rosenthal (Piano and Keyboards): It’s a really complicated cake, I would say [laughs]. CF: A multi-layered cake. Aaron likes cake [laughs].
Lily: [laughs] Is it thought not being in the studio at the same time, or do you find that that process works for you?
CF: Oh, it works.
Bart Lopiccolo (Guitars): It works for us because a lot of times, when we’re in the writing stages, we don’t really have the parts fully fleshed out. Once you have a bass laid down, it makes it a lot easier to come up with ideas and see if it works.
Lily: Do you guys have a most memorable performance in the Boston/Massachusetts area that you guys can recall.
DS: I think we have a few standouts. Winning the Rumble in 2013, that was quite a great show. That was a lot of fun. But we’ve had the pleasure of playing with Greg Hawkes from The Cars on a couple of occasions. He produced our record Golden Age. He’s been nice enough to join us onstage. We’ve gotten to play some Cars’s songs with him, which is just about as grand as it gets [laughs].
Emily Drohan (Vocals): We all just get this stupid grin when he comes up to us [laughs].
Lily: Has Greg’s music or The Cars’s music influenced you guys in any way? Do you draw inspiration from them?
DS: Yeah, we’re a pop band at heart and they were definitely a pop/pop-rock band. A lot of what we might draw from is how well they did guitars and keys together, and how those two existed within the songs. That’s something that we’ve definitely taken from them.
Lily: For sure. I’ve got a bit of a fun question now—do you guys have any per-performance rituals?
CF: Whiskey [laughs].
Lily: Sounds about good to me [laughs].
CF: We all have a different degree of how many whiskeys we have before, during, and after. Everybody’s still figuring out their limit [laughs].
Lily: [laughs] It’s a pre-show, mid-show, and post-show ritual then. CF: Yeah, but there’s no all-hands in ritual.
DS: There are no altars, really [laughs].
CF: Yeah, there’s no “Eddie Japan on three.” We jut get loose with some whiskey together, that’s about it.
Lily: Now, to anyone who may not know Eddie Japan as well, how would you describe your sound to them?
DS: We call it “cinematic pop music,” which translates to a bit of a sweeping, big pop sound with several dollops of glamour.
CF: We draw comparisons to Roxy Music and Morrissey, to a degree. A few others in that kind of world, maybe Bowie a little bit.
Lily: Do you guys plan on staying local as a band? Would you ever want to venture out and do a tour or something?
DS: We’re always open to it. We’ve toured a little bit three years ago. We toured with an ’80s band called The Motels. We stay in touch with them. We’d love to do that again. Touring is tough, and it’s expensive.
Lily: Especially with such a big band [laughs].
DS: Yeah, the hotel room thing would be tricky. But it’s always a goal.
Lily: [laughs] Definitely. Now, last question—where can anyone find you guys if they want to listen to Eddie Japan?
DS: Eddiejapan.com. We really push Spotify. Bandcamp, too, all of our music is there.
CF: Follow us on Instagram, iTunes, Amazon, Pandora, Facebook.
DS: We’re everywhere [laughs]. All the places.
Lily: Perfect! Well, I think that’s it for me, thank you guys so much for taking the time.
