INTERVIEW: FROG

MOTEL VOID: You’re from New York. Which part? And how would you describe the current ‘indie’ music scene there? Do you feel that you’re part of it?

FROG: I grew up in New Rochelle, but I lived all around the city for 15 years until I moved back to New Rochelle when I had kids. I’m a suburban dad. I have no idea what the current indie scene is like besides when I get to play shows, and then I meet the other bands. Everyone we’ve played with has been amazing and awesome though.

MOTEL VOID: Could you recommend your favorite local artists and venues?

FROG: Most of the places that we grew up playing are gone – I used to love Cakeshop– but some of the places that we’ve been playing lately are Union Pool & the Broadway. Very nice people! As for seeing shows – I love the old, beautiful venues they converted from the old movie theatres – just amazing places to spend time in. United Palace is the one they have uptown, and I think they just opened another one in brooklyn. New York has had a lot of architectural eras that vary pretty widely in quality, but buildings from around the turn of the century are still so gorgeous to me. The buildings from the 60s are ugly but they have some charm. The glass towers from the 21st century are generally my least favorite but there are exceptions.

MOTEL VOID: I really love your new song ‘DOOM SONG’. Could you tell us more about the writing and recording process?

FROG: For most of our songs, the best ones at least, it all just comes from me and Steve having fun making as much noise as possible. On this one Steve was doing this throat singing thing as background vocals, and I was just having fun with a g minor tuning – the song writes itself as soon as the riff emerges. One mic on the drums, one mic on the guitar amp, might have to double or redo some of the vox, but in general 15 minutes later we got a hit :). The vibe is what’s important- everything else takes care of itself! For mics, If I’m doing mono drum OH I use an sm7, vocals/amp we use a 57 or 58.

MOTEL VOID: Your influences are e.g. Modest Mouse, Silver Jews…what is your favorite album by them?

FROG: My favorite Silver Jews record is either Bright Flight or Natural Bridge, but they’re all worth listening to. When I finished ‘Kind of Blah’, I sent it to Dave Berman – I sent him a lot of my music because he used to give out his email address at some of his in-person readings. I still have his reply from when I sent it, copied below – it really meant the world to me at the time and honestly still does. The reason I think that this is worth showing others is because it’s an example of someone who did not at all need to spend any time or energy listening and replying to some kid’s music, but did anyway. We should all aspire to show as much humanity to the world and the people around us as we can, because it really does make a difference.

“Hi danny,

well i just listened to it and its excellent.

is there so much good music out there that this is not spreading like wiredfire?

its like a tomato bisque to the arizona records pack of ketchup
and a cup of hot water. if we had been able to make a record
as up to the task yours, the task being, make a youngs guys living in a borogh
record, it would have made us (as you) stars with a mandate to estrange.”

Reading this as a 25 year-old me was basically like if Jesus Christ DMed you on insta – it helped me to keep going, and maybe still is helping me. RIP DCB, we miss you.

MOTEL VOID: Your plans for the rest of the year?

FROG: We have a show on december 19th in the LES.

We have a video coming out soon. And! Whenever the plant sends them out to me we’re gonna drop the CDs for Grog.

Thanks for doing this, and thanks to everyone reading!