New American Cuisine – Thanks for Asking!

New American Cuisine – Thanks for Asking! – by Liam Sweeny.

Please choose any six questions. Copy and paste them into a Word doc, text file, or the body of an email and answer them. Send them back to liam.sweeny@gmail.com. Include 2 pictures for us to choose from for the article.

New American Cuisine (NAC) –  5-piece Indie band from Saratoga Springs, NY

RRX: Every artist’s first song is a milestone. But so is the latest song. Describe the first song/album you recorded, and also the latest song/album you recorded; what are the differences?

Bryce North: Unlike our latest songs, our first recording experience was filled with uncertainty. We even changed the name of the song during the process. “This is True” from NAC – I is a John Mayer inspired indie pop love song that started with the name “18” (we were all 18 at the time, embarrassing, yes, we know). Although our lead guitarist and singer, Ben, made a demo with lyrics and solos, we were riding at maybe 50% confidence when we went into the studio. Our attitude was that we would figure it out as we go, which has changed quite a bit as our writing confidence has grown. Overall with “This is True”, we didn’t have much control over the process because everything was new to us. I think you can hear that in the recording. We are playing relatively quietly and carefully, but it’s a nice tune. There are trumpets and harmonized guitar solos, classic NAC.

Our most recently recorded song is “Talking ‘Bout the Weather” from NAC – III. It’s a self-recorded, politically charged, LOUD tune. We’ve certainly grown from the timid studio musicians that we used to be. I think that’s come from our transition to home-recording, which started with “Lily of the Aztecs” in 2019. It’s allowed us to be more expressive and even risky. On NAC – III as a whole, we were committing to very different genres for each song, but it still seems to flow. The lyrics describe deep political frustrations, something that we wouldn’t have even though of when we first started as a band. Overall, we are much less timid now.

RRX: Like songs, every artist has a unique feeling about their first show. What was your first show like? Was it your best show? If not, what was your best show like?

BN: Although our first show was technically playing covers at the high school pep rally, our first show with the name “New American Cuisine” was busking outside in the cold at the 2017 Victorian Street Walk in Saratoga Springs, NY. We played at the local Ben and Jerry’s with jackets and a space heater, some of us wearing fingerless gloves to keep our hands warm while still feeling the strings. At a certain point our bassist couldn’t feel their fingers, and mind you, this is in early winter in upstate NY. Attendance was low for our little corner of downtown. We had an additional guitarist at the time, Harry, who graduated high school a year ahead of us. Luckily, his tube amp survived the cold, though our name did not. We changed it to “Summer Tour” at some point thereafter, which lasted all of maybe two months before we reverted to NAC.

RRX: Music genres are difficult for some artists. Some strictly adhere; others not so much. What is your perspective on the genre you play, or the genres you hover around?

BN: We strictly do not adhere. If anyone asks, we just say we play indie. In large part, the variety is because all members write songs and our interests are very dynamic. We take inspiration anywhere from Gregorian chants to punk to church organ, folk, pop, and alternative. It’s what keeps things interesting for us. We think as you listen, there is continuity from hearing familiar voices – Ben and Bryce switch lead vocals – but we rarely stick to just one style. Overall, we hover around folk, rock, indie, blues, and pop.

RRX: A band is a business. A business of love, but you got to work for it. Let’s pretend, instead of a band, you all owned a business. What would it be, and why would it be good?

BN: We’d own a bookstore café call “New American Caffeine.” Our songs are quite varied like the contents of a bookstore. It would have great vibes inside, but it wouldn’t be well known, just niche. That’s what’s special about it.

RRX: Cover art is cool. It shows listeners what the artist thinks the album is all about. Because music can be felt visually. If you had to give the public a visual image that you think they would see and just “get” your groove right away, what would it be?

BN: The cover of our latest album, NAC – III, sums us up well. At our core, we are all goofy. This photo is special to us in that it was our last show at Caffe Lena. We are all peaking out of the green room into the hallway that leads to the stage. By using the couch and the door frame, we could layer ourselves up horizontally. Henry’s partner Miya took the photo with this retro digital camera of Ben’s. The brown and earthy colors capture our production style: acoustic, natural. Love this photo.

RRX: We have to play somewhere, and sometimes those places have more going for them than a stage and a power outlet. What is a memorable place you played, and bonus points if it’s not a well-known place.

BN: Caffe Lena. The people make the experience: Joe who runs the sound and Joel, who is no longer with us. He mixed for the livestream and was wildly overqualified to work with us. But because we are local, we felt so supported. Our first show here was in December 2022. It gave us a new sense of professionalism and pride in what we were doing. The onstage sound is hands down the best we’ve ever experienced. Any artist will tell you how important that is for a great performance. We’ve been lucky enough to play at Caffe Lena four times, and we owe that success to Sarah Craig, who gave us a chance in the first place, and everyone who came out to listen and support us. We still remember playing the open mics here, and to be on that stage where Bob Dylan and so many great artists have played is an incredible honor. The answer is always no until you ask!

Credit-
NAC – III Cover: Miya Libman

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