A Conversation with The Postelles’ Daniel Balk – HuffPost 6.1.11
Mike Ragogna: How did The Postelles get together?
Daniel Balk: It was basically destiny. We all went to the same high school together in New York and David (Dargahi) and I would catch each other writing ultimate festival lineups in our notebooks. So, we decided to start a band and we found John (Speyer) was a fan of The Beatles and Billy (Cadden) was too good looking to pass up.
MR: How long have you been playing around New York?
DB: We have been playing in New York since high school. We have probably played every bar, restaurant, and venue in the city.
MR: Where and when was your first gig?
DB: We played an all-girl’s school open mic night in high school. Our last show will probably be an all-boy’s school open mic night.
MR: What genre would you say your music is?
DB: Elvis Presley.
MR: Making the band’s leader…
DB: …Chuck Berry.
MR: Exactly. So, how do you guys do your create thing song-wise?
DB: Depends on the song. Usually, I’ll have a few chords or melodies in mind and bring them to a rehearsal. For example, “Sleep On The Dance Floor” came from when John said, “Tonight I’m gonna fall asleep on the dance floor,” and than I came up with a melody with the line. “123 Stop” started with a guitar riff David had and everything was layered over that.
MR: How do you react to people calling you “retro”?
DB: We usually react with, “No, you’re retro!” If retro means we sound like a lot of the great rock ‘n’ roll bands from the past, than we’re okay with it.
MR: Favorite classic bands and music? Favorite songs of the last five years?
DB: We all love The Band. They are on heavy rotation when we are traveling on tour. Also, everyone should go get the album All Things Must Pass by George Harrison. I would say some of our favorite tracks from the last five years would be Fleet Foxes’ “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song,” MGMT’s “Weekend Wars,” The Kooks’ “Sway,” and Robert Johnson’s “Me And The Devil Blues.”
MR: So, was there really any falling asleep on the dance floor? Got any stories about the making of that video?
DB: John definitely fell asleep on the dance floor. In terms of making the video, we had just got back from a six-week US tour, and we were exhausted. We got back home and our managers said, “Tomorrow, you are making a video!” So, we showed up to the set at this old gymnasium downtown and all these people were there, which was incredibly nice that so many people showed up to help out. Although we were exhausted, it ended up being a lot of fun to shoot.
MR: Do you guys really like each other, and if you don’t, how long have you been tolerating each other?
DB: We’ve been tolerating each other since we all met on a blind date in high school.
MR: What’s the story behind the “White Night” video?
DB: The story behind the ‘White Night’ video was just about getting a feeling of a night out in New York. Our friend Miranda was brave enough to trek through the ice and snow of a winter night in New York for us and be the star of the video. I like how the slashing rhythm guitar is complemented by the shots of the video. It worked out well.
MR: Who is this guy Albert Hammond anyway, and who does he think he is producing so many potential hits for your debut album?
DB: He’s a hitmaker. We told him in the studio to stop producing the hits, but we couldn’t stop him. Once he gets in the studio, there is no stopping him!
MR: Seriously, what was it like working with him in the studio?
DB: It was amazing. We learned a lot, in terms of achieving a certain sound. Albert and engineer Gus Oberg are masters of crafting a sound, whether it means messing around with the wires of the amp or taping up all the drums. It was a great experience.
MR: Nice. What advice do you have for new artists?
DB: Practice your instrument! If it’s vocals, start singing in the shower. If it’s guitar, go get a guitar and listen to B.B. King and start playing with his recordings. And if it’s drums, go into your kitchen and start banging on stuff!