IndieRec Interview with The Crayons May, 2003
By Dave DiSanzo
http://www.indierec.com

The Crayons are a melodic rock band from New Jersey that have recently released their first full length cd called "What Color Are You". Produced by fellow New Jersey popsters The Churchills, the album sports ten harmonic rockers that mix breezy melancholic chords with riffy tune structures, powerful vocals, and multi-layered guitars. It's emotion fueled pop, though I wouldn't label it Emo. It's catchy and melodic, but I would hesitate to label it power pop. It really is a music all their own and something that you should hear for yourself if you are a fan of such things as You Am I, The Bigger Lovers, Tommy Keene, Better Than Ezra, Blink 182, Fountains of Wayne, The Rosenbergs, The Gigolo Aunts, Death Cab for Cutie, and other similar such sound alikes. They record for the NYC Cropduster label which is more of a community of artists banding together for the purpose of presenting good music than a business venture. They have also been involved in the Artist Amplification promo machine http://www.artistamplification.com. Visit them at http://www.thecrayons.net. Check out the new cd and an older acoustic EP that may still be available if you hurry!

I was able to fire some questions away at head Crayon "Blue" (aka Keith Caruana). Keith is responsible for writing all the tunes and lyrics as well as playing that gee-tar and doing vocals. Here's the results....................

IR: So how long have the band been together and what are your backgrounds/influences/reasons for being a band?!

KC: The Crayons are an interesting cast of revolving characters. In reality it is my project - I have been lucky enough to surround myself with great players and friends. The band I've been playing with and have been touring with : Nick Ferriero on guitar, he appears on both cd's and has been a Crayon for almost 3 years. Josh Van Ness on drums has been with us for about 1 1/2 years. He has released a solo e.p. and will begin recording a full length disc in the coming weeks. Geb Zurburg came on a few months before our U.S. tour. He also fronts a NJ based band called Echofission. They have a new record being mastered now. In the indie world it seems difficult to keep people hungry and focused on a common goal. In my case it has worked out as a positive to have different people at different times. As far as influences go, I grew up on my mom's 70's one hit wonder collection and Queen! Then I found bands like The Posies, Teenage Fanclub, Trip Shakespeare, Sensefield, Dishwalla..... I could go on and on.

IR: After releasing your debut disc on your own label, how was it that you came to be associated with the Cropduster family of artists?

KC: As kid I was a huge fan of a band called Winter Hours. I used to stalk those guys! I met Bob Perry (Winter Hours guitarist and main man at Cropduster Records - he started it for his post-Winter Hours band Tabula Rasa - IR) then. I hadn't seem him in ages then we ended up on a bill together. Everyone involved with Cropduster was there and they knew we had a new cd ready to be released. I guess they liked what they heard and that was that. OR it was the Winter Hours cover we did that night! Ha ha. All the bands and artists are great people with a lot of talent. We were a little surprised they wanted us to join as the bands on Cropduster have more of a roots rock slant. We were happy about it and they have been really cool with us.

IR: Funny, I was also a follower of Winter Hours. Are the Cropduster bands really all good pals?

KC: Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's like joining some hip, cool commune!

IR: How did the Churchills come to produce you - who in the band was involved with the production duties and to what extent was their involvement in the arrangements and quality of the music?

KC: I met The Churchills at a show shortly after they released "You Are Here" I was a huge fan of theirs. I gave them a copy of our acoustic ep. I saw Ron a few weeks later and he knew the songs! Nick and I were looking for a rhythm section but leaving for a month long tour of the southeast. When we got back The Churchills offered to produce and play on the next disc! We worked out a schedule and a deal with Frankensound (great studio-The Churchills recorded "Big Ideas" there).

I usually make demos on a digital 8 track. Their quality usually sucks but I'm able to get a large majority of the arranging done. I work out guitar riffs, some basic bass lines, background vox and an overall vibe.

We started with a few days of rehearsal with Alex on Drums and Ron on bass. They knew the songs so well. I knew I was in good hands. They had so many great ideas and Ron knew exactly what I was after. Having 3 producers was great. Each guy had his thing. Bart was the engineer and the vocal and mix master. Alex was great with drum and guitar sounds, and Ron was the idea guy. The hands on guy. We all had become such good friends so the recording and mixing went really well. They have had a huge influence on me personally and musically.

IR: I know that the Churchills have independently licensed many of their songs for use in TV ads and sit-coms, is this something that you are going to try and pursue and if so, how? It certainly can prove to be a major revenue stream!

KC: Yeah, that's next. I had been focusing on the tour, and the radio and press for that. I heard a few people say we had that soundtrack thing. I guess it's time to convince the right people!!

IR: What are the short term plans for the band?

KC: A few local shows, record a bunch of demos for the next cd, I'll probably play some solo acoustic shows. I just want to keep spreading the word.

IR: You've been associated with New Jersey's Artist Amplification promotion organization. How has this worked to help you get the word out?

KC: We appeared on 2 comps and played at shows sponsored by them. We met a ton of musicians being a part of it. Andy Gesner (the man behind ArtistAmp - IR) finds some amazing independent bands and artists. Those comps go out everywhere, which really exposes you to a lot of people you might not normally reach. (ArtistAmp produces compilation cds of bands that are involved and distributes these to crowds at shows for free. - IR)

IR: The band seems to have a very strong sense of melody, yet you stand out from the majority of the melodic rock bands out there because your music has an "earthy" feel to it due to the melancholy inherent in the songs and the ethereal dream-pop-like production. Care to comment on this?

KC: Cool description! I cannot sit down and write a song. I usually feel them coming on. The main thing is that there is some kind of feeling behind them. I know how the songs should sound in my head and I try and get them recorded that way. To be honest, half the time I don't even know the names of the chords I'm playing, I just LISTEN for what I want.

IR: Well I love the music - thanks for your time and best of luck! Cheers.