A Conversation with Dead Rock West’s Cindy Wasserman – HuffPost 4.29.11
Mike Ragogna: Cindy, creatively, what was yours and Frank’s approach with Bright Morning Stars‘ spirituals that differs from how you recorded your debut album, Honey And Salt?
Cindy Wasserman: The recording process for BMS was fast & focused. We recorded the record in 4 days. We were all in one room and we never did more than 4 takes of any song. It was such a liberating experience, in a world of Pro Tools where people do upwards of 20 or more takes of something with endless tracks to edit later, to make decisions right there in the studio. It was amazing, and personally speaking, it’s my favorite way to record! That focus was one of the reasons we wanted Peter Case to produce this record.
In contrast, Honey And Salt was a much slower process. Producing it ourselves, recording to tape, and eventually flying to Nashville to mix with Richard Dodd all took much more time. It paid off but was a very different experience from Bright Morning Stars.
MR: What inspired you to record an album of spirituals?
CW: I was searching for something to light my fire again! While Frank and I were on tour in Europe I became obsessed with visiting all the churches that we would pass by. The beauty and craftsmanship of those amazing historical buildings excited and moved me. The spiritual history in those places started me delving back into the world of the old traditional gospel and church music again and pulling out those old records. Anything I could get my hands on that was “out of print” or from certain time periods became my mission. That music really hits me in the gut and makes me feel something. Just like that, my fire was re-lit again and Frank and I became obsessed with the idea of making an album of those songs. Frank suggested that we call Peter and once the idea was planted we were off and running. Luckily Peter said “yes”!
MR: Was part of the mission to capture the energy and enthusiasm contained in the original versions or reinterpret them with a new light?
CW: Great question! The answer would be both to capture the energy and
enthusiasm of the original recordings, but then to make those songs our own. Songs we loved but wanted to stamp as a Dead Rock West song. In the same way that Johnny Cash would live with those songs that he covered and take time to make them his own before he ever recorded them. That’s how we approached the record.
MR: How did you choose your tracklist?
CW: Well, actually, we let Peter Case choose the tracklist. We had talked a lot together about theses songs and the tone of the record that we wanted. We knew that he had a strong idea about how the tracklist could tell a certain story, so we asked him to sequence the record.
MR: Did you come across these songs by having owned the original records, hearing them on the radio, hearing friends play them, etc.?
CW: We pulled from our own music collections and from outside sources. Myself, Frank and Peter were all involved in choosing the songs. I started with a box set called Goodbye Babylon, which are digitally re-mastered gospel songs from the original 78s, then we moved on to the Alan Lomax collection. We went to the library and borrowed music from friends. Even Exene Cervenka joined the search and began sending us CDs with her
favorite traditionals. Other musician friends also generously shared their collections with us. The three of us listened to alot of music together. We met every week for a listening session and that alone for me was pure joy. Peter eventually suggested we pick a theme for the record
and that led us to our final choices.
MR: Are there any that are especially connected from personal experience?
CW: Both Frank and I had a lot of life changes and loss during the making of the record. One of which was that we all lost a dear friend of ours, musician Duane Jarvis. He was originally supposed to play on Bright Morning Stars but we had to delay the start of the record and then he went out on tour so he couldn’t join us for the sessions. He had been even more sick than many people realized. He was already ill during that European tour that Frank and I were on, and he was the real reason that we began going into all those churches. I had made it my mission to light a candle for Duane in evey church that I could find to send him any sort of healing hope. Then he passed away which was particularly tough for me
because I didn’t make it back home from tour in time to say goodbye. When I sing the song “Tell the Angels” I feel very connected to him. I always sing it to him, every time, and it is very cathartic to think of him standing next to me listening, especially since he never heard the
finished record. As a result of Duane really we became inspired again, spending that time in those old mystical places lighting candles and it sparked this entire record. We owe a debt to Duane. And you know, I still light a candle for him in any church that I pass by.
MR: What was it like working with Peter Case as producer?
CW: Peter Case is a dream to work with. The organic way in which he works was perfect for us, as well as his spontaneity. Honestly we had no idea what was going to happen that first day of tracking or how we were gonna pull this off, but after the first take I knew we were onto something special. Peter was and is my dream producer. We are hoping we can lure him into doing this again with us! The way he works, his knowledge of the songs…Peter is a true musicologist. Separate from tracking the record, it was amazing to get to sit around and listen to songs with him and to hear what he would bring in each week. The whole process was such a treat for both Frank and I being both huge fans of Peter as a songwriter and musician. One of the reasons we chose “Beyond the Blues” as one of the
songs was a tip of the hat to Peter, but that song and “God Help Me” by The Jesus And Mary Chain’s William Reid are both in my opinion modern day spirituals so Frank and I knew that they belonged on the record.
MR: How did your guests John Doe, Exene Cervenka, and Mark Olson come on board for guest shots and do you have any stories about working with them for the album?
Basically we called some of our favorite musicians and asked them to be on our record, and were thrilled when they all said they “yes”! To add punk rock icons Exene Cervenka and John Doe along with Peter Case on a spirituals record just seemed like the perfect idea to us. Then Mark Olson said yes and it all came together very fast. We became exited to hear what twist they would all bring to the sound of the record. All of them are so well versed in all genres of music. Walking encyclopedias of tune-age. Mark Olson is an amazing harmony singer and Frank and I owe a lot to his influence in The Jayhawks. Then of course there is the huge musical debt that Frank and I both owe to John and Exene and X. What more could we ask
for–not to mention that our drummer for the session was none other than DJ Bonebrake of X as well! When we asked them all to come down and sing, they thought that they would be singing on just one song each. But in true Peter Case style, once they were in the studio, he would say “Hey how bout you try singing on this song as well?”. The end result was so much more organic. We even got some great ghost stories from Exene about the studio that we were recording in. She and John had recorded there with their band “The Knitters” and said that they’d had many a ghostly encounter! Luckily, all the spirits for our session were in good moods and quite helpful. Perhaps they were trying to get us out of there fast? Who knows, maybe the ghosts even saved us some money! The track that Mark Olson sings on,
“Wings of Angels,” had been recorded with the band before he arrived. Mark was just going to come in and overdub his harmony, but in true Mark fashion, he came in, sat down at the piano to work out his harmonies and the next thing we knew he and I were re-cutting the vocals together live. Then of course, Peter pulled his “hey, how about…” with Mark so he ended up being a part of the “choir” as well on “This May Be The Last Time” and “Two Wings”. Needless to say, we had a great time with everyone who came in to sing on the record.
MR: Cindy, have you played the album for your brother Bob Wasserman and if so, what was his reaction?
CW: Yes, we played the record for my brother Rob when it was in it’s early stages and couldn’t really tell what he thought. But my mom called me about a week later to tell me me that he loved it! He’s a shy guy really and and tells her in more detail what he thinks for some reason versus telling me directly! But yes, we were relieved that he actually loved it.
MR: What’s in Dead Rock West’s immediate future?
CW: More touring! We are getting ready to head back overseas to Europe. We just got back from a UK tour and are on our way over again already. We also have another record in the “can” which we can’t divulge any details about yet, but my brother Rob makes a guest appearance on that one. I am really exited because i have played live with Rob before, but we have never been on a record together until now. But more on that next year!
MR: So, what’s your advice for new artists?
CW: As corny or cliche as it may sound, surround yourself with music and
people that inspire you. Find the folks who fire you up and challenge you to strengthen your talent, be a better human being and get rid of those who don’t. Sounds harsh, but necessary. Like all relationships you need to be nurtured and pushed no matter how great you think you already are. And you only get better at your craft by doing it, not thinking about it. So, stop the talkin’ and get walkin’!