Interview with The Hard Lessons

We recently caught up with Augie of The Hard Lessons (who are in the middle of an impressive 20 State, 100 date US tour,) to find out what life is like on the road with a new drummer as well as a new record coming out.  You can catch the Hard Lessons‘ tomorrow night at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor with Boston’s folky, pop rock trio Ezra Furman & the Harpoons (18+ $10)

You guys have always been abut rock with a capital R, but tell us about the new approach you took to your band’s sound on the upcoming record?
We started as a live band, which used to be the way all bands started. Now anyone with a computer can put up a myspace page before they’ve ever stepped foot in a club or played with other musicians. When we put the band together our live show was the result of all of this youth, restlessness, anticipation, boredom, frustration… everything that makes good Rock N Roll. We would get 20 minute sets and we would just kill it for all 20 minutes. That mentality was a huge part of our band and our live show for the first couple of years and I think that is why people continue to have that perception of us. Plus we cover a Neil Young song about Rock N Roll that has been misinterpreted by people who don’t get it or don’t know it’s a cover. That song is sacred scripture. I found out about it after Kurt Cobain’s suicide note referenced it. I was in elementary school and hadn’t really heard much Neil Young. The more time I spend in a band, the more I see genius in those lyrics. But then again, in the age of the internet, both history and context come a distant second to asinine knee-jerk reactions.

Last fall your long time friend and drummer Christoph (a.k.a. the Anvil) left the band to had out to LA, what’s it been like replacing him and have you guys kept in touch?
As I mentioned, from our first show on, it was full speed ahead. I was booking the band in Columbus on a Wednesday when we had to be in East Lansing Thursday morning. Christophe went along for all of our crazy ideas, which was great. Go go go go… When we finally slowed down to record “B&G Sides” last year, we just realized we saw some things pretty differently and had different goals for the future. He really wanted to get out to LA, and Korin and I were getting married and writing songs for a new record. The amicable split ended up being the best possible thing for all involved. We ended up getting really invigorated by a chance to start over, both with the band and in our personal lives. Working in the studio with Zach Shipps was a super creative and exciting time and it shows in the final product. In the studio Mike Alonso from Electric Six just killed it. There are a couple songs on the record that he only had to play once, and we all looked at each other and said, “Yup, that’s it. Let’s move on.” This last tour with Ryan Vandeberghe was the smoothest we’ve ever had personally and musically. I guess overall the change forced us to rexamine everything about the band and live show. Any hurdles and difficult times we’ve faced have made us a better band. The Chicago stop on this tour was hands down our best in that city ever. Its a good feeling approaching the release of Arms Forest. (We also have a new 45 out featuring our longtime friend Mark Dawson on drums and vocals). Its been a good process to go through. Stagnation can kill a band, and the last year has been far from it. And yes, we’ve kept in touch with Tophe. He got out to LA last February and is looking for work and taking some acting classes and I’m positive he’s enjoying never having to shovel ever again.

So how do you and Korin, a married couple, spend so much time together. I mean, I’m married and I love my wife, but if I had to tour and record albums with her I would ring her neck.
We’re built differently is the only way to explain it. I don’t know anyone who is in their significant other’s face as much as I am and vice versa. It definitely takes its toll at times, but I don’t really have any stories of huge blowups or anything like that. The biggest advice I have for anyone in a relationship is don’t mess it up. The grass isn’t greener 99% of the time. Oh yeah, and its nice to be able to share luggage on tour.

What was it like working with Zack Ships (Electric Six), does he make you call him The Colonel? Did he give you an “oh so rare” Atomic Numbers CD to have of your very own?
I’ve known Zach since I was 18. I saw The Atomic Numbers play and they blew my mind. If I wasn’t their #1 fan, I was in the top 3. The first time Zach and I ever recorded together was back in 2001. We cut a rap song at his place in Hamtramck that sampled Wendy Case. When you have that much history with someone, working together just gets easier and easier. This time around was the most creative and productive time we’ve ever had in the studio (and in his kitchen). He really pushed us to keep things spontaneous and not try to recapture moments that had a great vibe, even if the performance wasn’t “perfect.” I brought him a demo that I had recorded in my bedroom and we all agreed it sounded really cool. So fuck it; we kept it. Arms Forest has a great feel, and it is the type of record that grows on you. That’s what we set out to make, and we didn’t constrain ourselves by any perceived “rules” or expectations. We invited in a bunch of friends to play on it and are honored to have their performances on the record. I have to give props to Dave Feeny too, for his additional production while Zach was on tour. And I spent a week living in a closet in Chicago while mixing with Bill Racine, which was one of my favorite parts of completing this record. He’s worked with the Flaming Lips, Rogue Wave, Mates of State and even Whirlwind Heat. But to answer your question, my Atomic Numbers collection is unparalleled. I’ve got set lists, posters, guitar picks, cassette tapes, recording logs, stickers… and now I’ve got Matt Aljian’s first percusive appearance on album since Brendan Benson’s “The Alternative To Love.” Dreams come true!

FEATURED TRACK:
“Arms Forest”

So the owner of the WAB Chris Johnston (former 19Wheels & Hannibals frontman) is your manager, does this mean that you and Korin get as much free WAB “Raspberry Blonde” as you like?
We’ve definitely gotten some perks. They special ordered Korin and I some pasta for our rehearsal dinner at the Emory for my Italian relatives. We also had our reception at the WAB. We can’t really abuse the relationship, though. We could end up cleaning the floor with toothbrushes or touring the north pole. Chris isn’t a traditional business man by any means. He believes that if you treat people right, it will come back to you. That’s how we like to operate. We turned down managers who promised us quick fortune and fame by any means necessary. Slow and steady wins the race as far as we’re concerned and I’m proud of everything this band has done.

So you recently had a 7 inch Release party in St. Louis, is that your second home (like Detroit is Kiss’s second home?) Does this mean your going the way of Kwame and be relocating from Detroit soon?
When the record store in a town gets behind you, it really helps because they deal with real music fans on a daily basis. An article in the weekly is cool, flyers on a street post will get the word out, but if the clerks at the record store can vouch for you, you know the shows in that town are going to go well. That is what happened in St. Louis. Euclid Records has always supported us and they put out that 45. The songs are also tied in with St. Louis, so it just made sense to have the release party there. As far as going the way of Kwame and Jack White, hmmmmm… There is a joke there about sending sexually explicit text messages on a cell phone you pretend not to have.

So what was playing SXSW like this year?
SXSW makes every shitty weekday show on the way down to Texas worthwhile. Dickies put us up in a house this year, which was awesome. Javelins crashed with us, as did half of Mick Bassett’s band. It was like one big high school party when we were there and I cooked lunch for everyone every day too. Our shows went really well and we ended up playing in front of over 1,000 people and doing the impossible: selling merchandise. We debated even bringing it in to the shows because no one wants to carry around an LP in the Texas sun, drunk and walking around for 8 hours in and out of crowded bars. Well some people do, I guess. I’ll put it this way: this was the first time time at the festival where I played soccer in a backyard, went to bed at 7:00 am, cooked burgers on the side of a screen, drank “ding dongs” with both Matts from Javelins, saw Echo and the Bunnymen wear jackets in 90 degree weather, met Perry Farrel, drank a lakes-worth of Shiner Bock… I don’t know. I could go on and on. It was sweet. I’m glad I didn’t go on “spring break” when I was in high school. Who needs Cancun when you’ve got 6th Street.

Do you regret being on the road during the Blowout both as a fan and a performer?
I love the Blowout. We played it 4 years in a row, every which way we possibly could. Pre-party, post-party, opening, headlining… it just didn’t fit into our schedule this year. I don’t regret that because the out-of-town shows we played starting on the Wednesday of Blowout were the best of the tour before SXSW. Matt Rickle was telling me people thought Javelins and Hard Lessons were purposely skipping out on Blowout. No, we just went on tour. Sometimes there isn’t some crazy ulterior motive. I heard it was great success, and was happy to hear it.

How has the whole Quack! Record deal been working out for you?
Its been great. It is a partnership, so in the end we have complete control over what we do as a band. I’ve heard too many horrible label stories from The Von Bondies, The Fags, Satin Peaches… this is just in the last few years. The times are changing, and the magic label fairy isn’t swooping down to take anyone away to superstardom anymore, and that is completely fine with me. I think people expect some sort of overnight success, both bands and fans. Our trajectory has been a slow build, and we’re happy with that. The flash in the pan hype that builds a band up just to break them down is ridiculous. We’ve had time to develop and grow and we were able to experiment in different directions over the years and now we have the best record of our lives coming out this summer. Its exciting to have that kind of support from a label. People are constantly saying “labels don’t let bands develop anymore…” What kind of labels? Quack! is all about that. Its like saying music was better in the 70s. You just need to open your eyes and your ears. There are people doing it right out there.

What do you have in store for the rest of 2009?
Arms Forest comes out on CD and Vinyl at the end of May, and we’re trying to plan something really special for a Detroit release party, as it will be the band’s first hometown performance in 2009. We’ve already been on tour a ton this year, and I’m sure we’ll be traveling throughout the rest of the year as well. We’re really proud of this record and our band. It sort of feels like we’ve finally arrived after all of these years. No rules. No regrets.

* photo by Ivy Lovell