IndieRec Interview with Tommy Keene - October, 2004
By David DiSanzo
http://www.indierec.com

Tommy Keene crashed on the music scene in the late 70's as part of the DC area new wave rock outfit Razz. During the 80's he went solo and released some of the most intelligently written and melodically sublime guitar rock records of the decade. With a Geffen label deal and production from heavyweights like T-Bone Burnett, Don Dixon, and Geoff Emerick, Keene was groomed for success. Somehow superstardom eluded him, yet he continues to thrive releasing new albums and touring periodically all the while converting new and younger fans to his stable of faithful followers, myself proudly included.

I had the opportunity to ask Tommy some questions regarding his career and the music business in general. He was very generous with his answers. It was a pleasure to get to pick the brain of someone who has made a lasting impression on me. I consider him one of the finest songwriters and guitar players out there.

www.tommykeene.com Check out Tommy's site.

www.notlame.com This will get you to the site that released Tommy's recent record - you can also buy it there (or at you favorite GOOD record store).

IR: Your brand new release, "Drowning", is a 20 track "Odds and Sods" styled compilation of previously unreleased or hard to obtain recordings. Were there any licensing issues due to some of the songs being released on Matador in Japan or some of the recordings being demos that were made while you were signed to Geffen? I noticed that the acoustic version of "Faith in Love" (which I love) that was used for a Geffen B-Side is not included. Was it not obtainable through Geffen?

TK: The original idea was to release a four CD box set. Disc 1 would contain the record Strange Alliance which we put out on our own. We made up the name Avenue Records and released it in June 82, then we did another pressing and inserted the single-Back To Zero Now b/w Mr. Roland inside the album. Also on disc one would be out-takes from that period 81-83 of which there are many. Disc 2 would basically be the same as the re-released "Songs From The Film" that Geffen reissued in 98 plus the only unreleased track from the original "Songs" produced by T Bone Burnett and Don Dixon, "Fall Down Too" Disc 3 would have been "Based On Happy Times" with out-takes and disc 4 would be the CD that is now known as "Drowning" We proposed this idea to Universal (which now owns Geffen) since they own for FOREVER all of the above except disc 4 and they said yes on the condition that you sell XXXXX copies and if you don't then YOU owe us the money for the unsold units. This was not a practical idea so we opted to just release the single disc of which I could do sort of without their involvement. There were no other restrictions with any of the other labels such as Matador.

IR: It is unfortunate that the box didn't happen. I would kill to hear the "Based On..." outtakes as I am sure many of your fans would, indeed the rerelease of that album alone on CD would satisfy a great demand (old copies sell for quite a lot on eBay whenever they appear). As far as what is on Drowning, it is amazing that most of these songs are just reaching your fans now as some of these are clearly among your greatest recordings. There is something about the simplicity of "Disarray" that I always loved, for instance. Also "A Wish Ago" is classic Keene incorporating a beautiful melody and just the right amount of melancholia. This is your first Not Lame release. Might the next album proper appear on that label as well? Can we expect another record anytime in the near future?

TK: I'm recording a new record right now and I hope to have it finished by the end of this year, I suspect it will come out around late summer/fall of 05. I don't know at this time who will release it.

IR: You certainly have had your share of record company experience! Dolphin, Geffen, Alias, Matador, SpinArt, Parasol, Not Lame, and then there was your first release, Strange Alliance that appeared in the early 80's on Park Avenue Records which I believe was a Maryland local indie. The last track on the new release is called "The Scam and the Flim Flam Man" which is said to be about an "industry guy" and the evils of the industry in general. If you could go back and straighten something out that happened during your career what would it be? You've certainly had a nice level of success and undoubtedly loads of critical acclaim but your fans, myself included, can't figure out why your name is not known in every household. Perhaps you could lend some advice to our readers, many of which are just starting out in this industry.

TK: Two things that I very deeply regret were the result of the people at Geffen issuing me ultimatums. One was that the original "Songs" that we recorded in summer 84 (with T Bone and Dioxin) and which was to be released in early 85, did not come out because they didn't like it, had nothing to do with it? or something of that self-serving nature and they threatened to pull the plug on the record deal if we did indeed go ahead and put out that record. We had established a presence at college radio, Places That Are Gone being in the top ten, and the single "Back Again... Try" reaching #4, plus we had been touring regularly on the East coast and had slowly been building up an audience outside of DC our home base. While I wasn't thrilled with that record at the time I think it was the right record to release at that time. It would have built on what we had been working on for 3-4 years. Then we would have come out with our first major label record after that, believe me I had enough songs! The other decision that I regret is they also said if I didn't fire my current manager they would again pull the deal. I remember one incident where Ted Niceley, (bass player at the time) yelled at one of them and said they were acting like Nazis!!! Being young guys we thought that this was probably our only chance at getting a major label deal (and it truly might have been, it wasn't as if there was a bidding war or anything) so we didn't want to jeopardize it. Looking back we should have told them to fuck off! Maybe??? The whole experience was a nightmare from one perspective but as I alluded to in the last sentence maybe it WAS our ONLY shot, who knows???? Maybe if they hadn't offered us a deal I wouldn't be writing this interview right now or still be making music!

IR: You can't rewrite history, but speaking of it, I noticed that the "Strange Alliance" album is available for downloading on www.mp3.com which is nice because it has been an extremely sought after release among pop rock aficionados since you released that well received Dolphin material a few years later. As a matter of fact, that is still the only hole in my Tommy Keene collection.

TK: Strange Alliance is not available on any legal site as far as I know, since Geffen owns it AND the only existing tape of it is somewhere in their vaults.

IR: Yikes. How much of your time is spent these days either playing, recording, or writing new material?

TK: I have been working on recording this new record since March. I have my own studio now and it's amazing I can record whenever I feel like it and don't have to watch the clock.

IR: Are you still enjoying LA life? Do you pay attention to the music scene there still? There have been quite a few great artists from there over the past few years.

TK: I do like Los Angeles, the people are from another planet though. I can't believe I've lived here now for 16 years. I don't think of LA having any particular scene but that's possibly because it's right in the eye of the industry, so many people move here from elsewhere to try and make it and there are still are many pay to play clubs.

IR: Tell us about your upcoming tour with Guided by Voices. How many dates are you doing and will you be doing any solo shows as well?

TK: We're doing five shows with GBV this year. Sometime in the future I'm going to do a project/record with Bob Pollard where I write and record all the music and he then supplies lyrics and sings! This was going to happen this year but then he decided that the current GBV record would be their last and needed more time to devote to his first post GBV solo album.

IR: Your live performances are exhilarating experiences. You successfully ride the wave toward reckless abandon but always hang on to the edge maintaining a sort of powerful grace throughout each number. Performing live is obviously something you enjoy. You've also done some work in other's bands, notably Paul Westerberg and The Velvet Crush. Do you enjoy taking that back seat as well? Is it something we may be seeing more of?

TK: love working with other people, where I'm more of a supporting player, I wish I could do it more often. Being the lead singer, frontman is very stressful, plus I have to wear many other hats now, road manager, manager, booking agent, travel agent, etc.

IR: It seems that intelligent, riffy, guitar-fueled pop songs with blistering guitar solos and infectious choruses every now and again become fashionable! It never seems to be the level of quality but more the timing. It is a strange situation. The industry itself is in a very strange situation these days. How do you feel about the current state of the music industry (consolidation, piracy, etc.)?

TK: The major labels are killing themselves, music has gotten so dumbed down what with American Idol etc.I could go on and on about how ridiculous insulting and shitty I think it is. Now we have people out of nowhere singing" Over The Rainbow" and selling out arenas. They don't even write their own songs, it's comparable to the pre Beatles Fabian era! I also believe that CD copying off the net is hurting the business, people argue what's the difference between that and making a cassette copy in the 80's or 90's. I think there's a big difference, I know my sales are down from say '96 and that certainly is a part of it, not all of it though.

IR: Here's one you must have gotten many times. Working with Geoff Emerick, was it impossible not to keep asking him questions about the Beatles and Badfinger?

TK: Emerick told us many great Beatles stories, but to the tune of 200k+ it wasn't worth it. He is a very talented and gracious man but we disagreed on how that record should sound. We all wanted a very rocking record like the live show, but he saw me as more of a singer-songwriter, also it didn't help that Geffen basically never liked my band.

IR: And one more that you probably get a lot - what was the origin of the Bruce Springstone release?!

TK: Oh the Bruce Springstone record was a bunch of rock journalists in the DC Baltimore area's idea. I was paid $50 for about an hour's work. Amazing timing on their part, it was released right at the height of Born In The USA fever and went on to sell over 100,000 copies, so I'm told.

IR: Your latest releases have seen you with much greater artistic control over the whole package as opposed to your days at Geffen. Many of the photos used were taken by you. What do you try to accomplish when designing a record cover, take "Isolation Party" for example. It has a mysterious cover that is very stark, which corresponds nicely to the bleakness in the album's title and many of its tracks.

TK: A great thing about being on indies is that you really do have what has become such a cliche, CREATIVE CONTROL, down to the art work and photos. The art budgets for those major label records were more expensive than many of the recording budgets on the indies, plus I was never happy with them. "Based ..." being the best example (Horrible and inappropriate cover, turned a lot of people off). It was always a situation of trying to please too many cooks involved and not stepping on anyone's toes, who lost out in the end? ME.

IR: "Isolation Party" is actually a favorite of mine. The songs "Happy When Your Sad", "Waiting Without You" and "Take me Back" are all doses of pop blues, if you will. They are refreshing sounding, invigorating and uplifting even though the subject matter may not be. It's not that they sound bluesy at all, they don't, it is their effect that I am contemplating. "Take Me Back" is actually one of my all time favorite pop songs. Ever. It is up there with "Day After Day" by Badfinger for me. When that album came out I was astounded that someone could be making music this good in a rock and roll band. Would you please comment on the song for me?

TK: Isolation Party is not one of my fave records but I would have to say that "Take Me Back" and "Long Time Missing" are two of my favorite songs that I've ever written.

IR: Your song "Astronomy" from your first Geffen release, "Songs From the Film" is about 1.5 minutes of high-octane, adrenalin-fueled rock. It crams so much melody and rhythmic intensity into such a short time space that it works like some sort of orgasmic rock and roll head rush of musical energy. Was this something that came to you quickly or was it difficult to develop in the studio?

TK: Astronomy was one of those songs that came out of nowhere fully formed, I loved that there was no instrumental break and the song was really short, still a favorite of mine. As a songwriter, breaking convention like that is really refreshing.

IR: One more stupid question then I'll call it quits. On the title track of Based on Happy Times there is an interlude where you can clearly hear a sped up tape recording of someone speaking. Care to comment?

TK: I think what you're referring to in the middle of the song, "Based...." is actually some dialogue between me and one of the engineer/producers, John Hampton, while I was recording the vocal. We didn't clean up the track for a while and when he suggested that we do I had gotten so used to the talking that I thought it sounded cool, so we kept it in. Funny, a friend of mine now makes fun of that bit, "What's that stupid talking in the middle of that song?"

IR: Thanks so much for your time and honesty. Thanks also for all the great recordings and performances over the years. I hope we can expect many more years of Tommy Keene records trickling out!!!