The Future and Beyond
The boys in TMK are content with the success that they have. They are still largely popular on the independent and underground music scene but have yet to release a largely popular record on the mainstream side. But they seem content with that fact and seem to agree that the moment hasn't yet come for them. While they wait for major mainstream success they hope that their future endeavors will help them reach this goal. Their newest and still yet unreleased major concept album "The Water's Edge" seems to be the record they hope will get them reaching the goal they strive for. They've hired Jason Smith as their producer and believe he is the right ingredient to the mix. Whether this album will be their crowning achievement still remains to be seen. Johnny: I knew as soon as we started writing this album and started talking concept ideas that Jason was the number one pick for us. We wanted him at the helm or nobody else. If we couldn't get him we were going to scrap the album altogether. He's definitely been a godsend behind the recording booth. The general consensus was to try and get a different sound along with some untapped resources out of us. Jason required us to reach down deep in the writing and recording process. It's something we don't regret.
Joe: There isn't enough we can say about Jason's direction for Water's Edge. He worked with us when we explained the idea and story behind it. It definitely became a shared vision among all of us, including Jason, to make this album the best it could be. He really helped us open up our sound to its fullest spectrum.
Mack: Having him not only in the booth but guesting for a few songs was absolutely perfect. Jason definitely is an honorary "kid" and we were glad to invite him into our studio. As well as have him spend time among our families. This album would never have been as near as good as it could have been or live up to its potential without having Jason at the front of it all.
Clyde: There just isn't enough words or enough time to describe all the cards that Jason brought to the table. He helped us keep our general sound yet expanded it at the same time. Every track was just gold. I don't think there's any recording on the album that we as a band don't like. Every song just clicked. It was just something we all stood back and stared at admiring how perfect it was. Kind of like looking at the ceiling on the Sistine Chapel.
Johnny: In my opinion I think this is the best album we've done to date. Everything was just there. The sound, the idea, and the music. There wasn't one thing that was out of place. Bringing Jason in brought it all together and made everything converge into a beautiful landscape of sound. It was everything we wanted it to be.
Even though the album has yet to be released the band considers it to be one of their best releases to date. Jason Smith has yet to release his comments on recording with the band. But with the new album coming the band is also exploring other avenues in their music. Each member wants to do a solo effort while still working with TMK as a collective unit. This has also lead to further discussion for more concept album based ideas and even a reworking of their first band. Johnny: Captain Phineas Showalter was sort of a hybrid of elaborated stories amongst the band as just a general party game that we played while passing the bottle around and smoking herb. One night Joe got the idea to record these ongoing stories that we would tell between each other. I'd start whatever idea I had in my head about the good Captain, take a hit from the joint, a swig from the bottle, and then pass these things over to Joe. Who in turn would elaborate on the original idea until he ran out of steam. Then he'd pass bottle and joint over to Mack and so on and so on. You get the idea.
Joe: I just decided to record all this drunken and stoned nonsense on night on a digital voice recorder. Then we kind of hashed out the other ideas when we were in a more sober state of mind. The rest kind of worked itself out really. I wish I could say it was more of a grand idea that we came up with one night while smoking our pipes together in the billiards room. But it's not. It was formed from stoned and drunk nonsense.
Mack: But we are dedicating the album to an author that we all like that was definitely a driving force behind the tall tales. Mark Twain. If any man could weave a story or come up with exploits like our great Captain Phineas T. Showalter, he could. So it's a rather obvious tongue in cheek dedication and tribute. Though we're putting our own spin on it.
Clyde: Captain Showalter was born out of a night of drunken debauchery and stoned sillyness as most of our great ideas are of course. We initially wanted to turn it into a sort of adult children's book or graphic novel of sorts. But then we all got to thinking what if we just made this into an album? That was all that need to be said. So we translated some of our inebriated ideas and tales into the mythos that will become Captain Showalter and of course his famous Elixir of Immortality.
Johnny: While we were all yukking it up about this grand idea to make a few albums on the tall tales of this really old mythical old western type figure some other ideas started taking shape. We were so fixated on the south and cowboys at that point. Then Joe brought up the name of our first band. We were really flowing on this concept idea. So it was natural that it would come up.
Joe: I remember watching David Bowie and how he did his whole Ziggie Stardust thing. Then I figured what if we did that with Mudd Flap and The Cruzers? Except the idea was to make them a more southern rock and blues type group. A sort of an Americanized version of the Rolling Stones. We've already got names picked out and everything. We're adding an old friend of ours into the fold as our second guitar player with Johnny strictly doing vocals and harmonica. It's going to be a trip.
Mack: The whole Andy Kaufman-esque ruse behind it is what I like the most. But we're not going to elaborate too much on it right now. We'll keep you guessing on when we're gonna show up. You never know when Mudd Flap and The Cruzers are going to make their
debut. But expect a spectacle.
Clyde: It's all under wraps for now. We like keeping the wool over everybody. Just keep your eyes peeled.....
Expecting a spectacle seems to be a true statement for any fan of TMK. They have a large following of fans from every spectrum of the music world. Their sound is a fusion that has developed into something all its own. Their future seems to grow more interesting by the minute. Whatever this band decides to do next is anyone's guess. But it's their unique musical formula that truly makes them a great band. They measure their success not by their charts or album sales. But by the fans and memories they make.Edited by user 18 July 2011 01:21:27(UTC)
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