WHEN THE JOKE GOES TOO FAR BUT SOUNDS SO GOOD (interview: Dan Boyle)

You’re multitalented. I’ve seen you absolutely kill it on vocals across many genres from the extreme depths of metal to melodic pop punk. Is your process the same for each genre or different and do they influence one another?

Thank you! I’ve always tried to keep my musical interests diverse. I think that having a well-rounded set of influences helps me adapt to whatever genre I’m writing for at the time. It’s subconscious most of the time. I often fail to realize the things that influenced certain parts I write until after it’s recorded. I’ll be listening to music and hear the thing that initially influenced me and just be like “that’s where I got that idea from!”  If something sounds familiar while I’m writing it, I’ll google the lyrics I wrote to make sure I didn’t rip them off someone else. The process is always a little bit different each time but at the core it’s generally the same. I like to write alone. Sometimes when the band and I are working on a song together, I’ll start humming out a melody or a pattern, but the bulk of the lyrics get done when I’m away from everyone else. I like to have a melody in mind and then I’ll make the lyrics fit to it rather than trying to cram lyrics into a song. The hard part is finding a balance between what I think are two equally crucial elements, making the melody or pattern add to the song and actually making the lyrics coherent and meaningful. It would be easy to write nonsense that sounds good and equally simple to write well-thought-out lyrics that don’t necessarily fit with a song. It’s a tight rope act to get both things just right.

I totally get that.  Each word has to be powerful and not distract from the message of the song.  No room for filler. I get turned off when I read lyrics that are obviously just to hold place, or lyrics that are so obscure it just comes off as trying too hard. Do you play instruments too? 

Yes, I play guitar as well. I actually started playing and writing music on guitar. I didn’t learn to scream or sing until it was clear that I wasn’t particularly good at guitar. I was jamming with some friends, and I just wasn’t working out on guitar for how technical that band was becoming. Our friend, Pat, who is an incredible guitarist, was sitting in on all of these practices. One day, he picked up a guitar and started messing around while a few of us went to grab food. By the time I came back, I was informed that Pat was the new guitarist. I didn’t take it too hard because I knew that he was much more skilled and dedicated to playing than I was. That band fizzled out quickly and me and the members of that band decided to start a joke band called MISSINGNO where I decided that if I wanted to continue to play music, I’d have to find another way to stick around. So, I taught myself to scream in the car while driving to and from college every day and I’ve been doing it, as well as singing (which I’m still definitely learning lol) for about 14 years now. I still play guitar but mostly acoustic stuff. Hopefully I’ll release some of it one day.

I don't think a lot of people could put their ego aside, like you did in that guitar situation.  It's admirable.  Do you have projects other than SIPHONED SHIT, going on now? 

Currently I’m playing with SIPHONED SHIT but I also play in a metal band called FALLING THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE EARTH and a post-punk/pop-punk project next called SANDCAP.

Awesome. I’m stoked to hear the SANDCAP project. You taught yourself well. Have you noticed a change in the way you approach lyrics for different bands you’re in? Like does SIPHONED SHIT cover different themes than FALLING THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE EARTH? If you’re comfortable sharing, maybe tell more of where the influence came from lyrically for specific songs from each. 

SIPHONED SHIT is like a half comedy, half serious band. The lyrics are mostly ridiculous. Like, most of the songs feature references to chugging beer or funneling human excrement. We even have a song about Papa John’s disturbing tell-all TV interview meltdown. We take the music seriously but the whole band is just ludicrous fun. We definitely take influences from bands like MUNICIPAL WASTE, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and other thrash bands that walk the line between fun, sometimes goofy delivery and ripping thrash metal. 

Honestly, I feel like there's a good place for music and lyrical content that doesn't take itself too seriously...an escape.  It's like watching a horror movie, or a dark comedy.  It helps you forget about the real horrors of the world for the time you engage with it.  

FALLING THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE EARTH definitely has more serious undertones as far as lyrics are concerned. The lyrics range from politics to struggles with depression and mental health. I try to take a serious approach to writing those songs. It allows me to vent. I pull influence from a lot of hardcore as well as metal bands with FTTCOTE. I’ve always been a fan of the politically motivated, sometimes emotional lyrical content of hardcore music. Bands like MINOR THREAT, HAVE HEART, BLACK FLAG, VERSE…etc have all influenced me in a major way, even if it’s not overly apparent because we play a different genre of music. As for metal, I’ve always leaned towards more technical stuff. Delivery wise I’ve definitely pulled from bands like BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, And HELL FOLLOWED WITH, JOB FOR a COWBOY, and THE FACELESS to name a few.

Tell me a little more about SIPHONED SHIT since you have a show coming up.  Where did the name come from? What challenges do you face with a name like that?

The name SIPHONED SHIT came from a stupid running joke within our friend group. Eventually that joke turned into “that would be a rad thrash metal band name.” We didn’t plan on taking the band too seriously, so we figured we should use it. As for struggles because of the name, we don’t try to play out too much or do anything too seriously so if it’s been a problem, who cares? This band is about getting together with friends and partying and if someone takes offense to the name, they aren’t invited to the party. We have rarely played at a serious music venue with this band. We’ve played in living rooms, garages, sheds, thrift stores, basements and the occasional self-booked bar show at local hangouts. I imagine that having a name like SIPHONED SHIT would hinder us if we were talking to labels or something but I don’t imagine that’s in the cards for us. This band is just for fun.

It’s awesome you have both the fun and serious outlets. As someone who plays in multiple bands myself, I understand that each band may serve a different purpose or outlet. I could see you killing in a band similar to VERSE or HAVE HEART. It’s rad to hear you pull from there even though it’s not that style. 

I think we are around the same age.  I find certain aspects of putting yourself out there get more difficult but other aspects like decent recordings come easier because we have full-time jobs now and can afford it and shit.  Do you agree? What keeps you doing it as you get older?

As I get older, I find myself at a weird crossroads. I love to play but I also have other responsibilities that’s take priority over it. I have a wife and a 3-year-old at home and I own a small business (shout out Virile Barber & Shop Morristown!). I spent a few years touring and playing every weekend when we weren’t on the road and those were some of the best times of my life. But eventually, if the lifestyle can’t sustain itself, it’s tough to keep that up. I had other goals as well, like starting a family, and once I jumped into that I realized that raising a kid is the most important thing I’ve ever done and will ever do. I wouldn’t hold a steady job because I was really trying to do music and I would quit for tours or weekends; I was pretty fearful of ever really settling down because I thought it would be the end of that dream. It took a long time to realize that music doesn’t have to be living in a van and eating McDonald’s (RIP dollar menu) every night. Like I said, they were some of the best times of my life and I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything but music, at the heart of it, can be played anywhere, with anyone, for anyone. If I’m just playing guitar in my basement, I’m still making music. If I’m just releasing a few songs a year and playing a show here or there, I’m still making music. I stopped looking at it as a potential career and I started to remember why I got into it in the first place, it’s because I love music. It’s easier now with a full-time job to pay for musical endeavors but my time is limited so I don’t do nearly as much. But I’m ok with that. I’ll never stop making music. Even when I’m 80, sitting in my living room strumming a guitar, I’m still technically making music…and that will be good enough for me.

I love that response. I can definitely relate to the idea of never stopping, sometimes I feel like a break would be the best thing I can do, but I just don't have it in me to stop. It's definitely easier to make the music with home studios and stuff now, but there's something to be said for being in a full studio environment far from home that just gets something out of you.   Do you have favorite studios that you've worked with?   

We always had a great connection with Kevin Kumetz when he was at Barbershop studio in Lake Hopatcong, NJ. He recorded all of the stuff we did with SIRENS back in the day, as well as the DOUBLE OVERTIME album. He’s a really great guy and has an excellent ear which really helps when putting together an album. Plus, Barbershop Studio is pretty much the best location for a studio of all time. Right on the lake, it’s in a beautiful old church with an Italian restaurant attached to the bottom of it. The rooms there were top tier and it helped to be able to hang out on the deck overlooking the lake while waiting for people to record their parts. We have also worked with Kevin Antreassian at Backroom Studio in Rockaway, NJ and actually just played a show there last year. We went in to mix the FALLING THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE EARTH EP in 2015 and he was very hands on and had great suggestions while being receptive to our input which helped that album sound awesome. He’s a very solid dude and Backroom is a great facility. 

I know that spot! I went there for a session as an observer once and was in awe of he stained glass.  Does your kid show any gravitation towards music?  

My daughter absolutely loves music, and it makes me so happy. When we are in the car, she only wants to listen to music, no podcasts, no radio (I’m a sports radio junkie), only music. It doesn’t even matter the genre, she vibes with all of it and hasn’t really objected to anything I’ve put on yet. I feel very lucky, she’s a happy kid, always smiling, singing and dancing…which gets me singing and dancing with her all the time. 

That's so awesome! Okay, last question. You brought up touring.  Do you have any stories that stick out that you want to share?  Also, what was your go-to McDonald's dollar menu tour meal?

As far as tour is concerned, we had a blast. Looking back, it was pretty much living in a van with four of my closest friends. Definitely a special time in my life that I’ll always look back on fondly. It creates a bond that won’t ever be broken. Those guys are my brothers. We would fight, it was dirty in the van, we didn’t always have the ideal sleeping situation, it definitely wasn’t glamorous, but we always got through it and became better friends from it. Once in Connecticut, we stopped in a Walmart parking lot to sleep for the night before heading up to New Hampshire and we were kind of at each other’s throats. We had only been out for a night or two but our bassist and merch guy were getting chippy with each other the whole time. Eventually things came to a head and they started fighting, things ended up on the ground and the manager of the Walmart came walking around the van in time to see someone get kicked in the head. He freaked out (understandably so) and told us to get out of there. We all jumped in the van and left and the two guys who were fighting ended up sitting next to each other in the scramble to leave and ended up talking things out on the ride to the next show. The only way to describe it is brotherhood. You can fight and then make up a second later and it’s water under the bridge. It’s a special thing. 

For anyone reading, I believe you can legally stay overnight in any WalMart parking lot.  Unless, you wanna "fist fight in the parking lot" that is.

Anything else you want to plug?

I'm releasing a song called “Never the Same” with a new project called SANDCAP on April 12 on all streaming platforms. It’s a two-person project I’m doing with my longtime friend and bandmate Aristotle. He wrote and recorded all the music; I wrote and recorded all the vocals. It’s kind of a departure from what we have done in the past. Very emotionally driven, super personal lyrics. Musically we are kind of branching out and trying some different stuff and I hope people connect with it. 

We also have a show with SIPHONED SHIT on April 13 at The Lakeshore Inn in Hewitt, NJ. We do a show there almost annually at this point and it’s been a lot of fun in the past. It’s free and the lineup is stacked. You might recognize CONTROL and THIEV ;). It’s our hometown so it’s bound to be a reunion. I’m excited to see a bunch of people that I don’t see nearly enough anymore. 

We are also about to book some studio time for later in the year to record a full length with FALLING THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE EARTH. We have been writing this album for almost ten years now and I’m excited to finally record and share it with everyone. 

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