Interview with Main Street East

by Michael Grosvenor

Dreams Awake: This is Michael Grosvenor with Dreams Awake. It is Friday, June 20th, 2003, I'm sitting here with Atlanta's own Main Street East. Let me go around the table. Everybody introduce themselves and say what they do in the band.

Craig Eck: My name is Craig and I play drums.

Tristan Brown: Tristan, I play lead guitar and keys.

Allen Rodgers: Al, I play bass.

Steven Schuler: Steve, I play guitar and lead vocals.

DA: Excellent. So how did Main Street East get together? How did the nucleus of this band form?

SS: Me and Craig started out in a couple of high school bands, I think around '97 or '98 ... we got a bass player, we lost a bass player, then we got Al. We played around Atlanta for about a year or so ... then 6 months ago, we brought Tristan Brown into the band, playing bass. Not too long ago, we moved him over to guitars and keyboards. We then brought Allen back in to play bass.

DA: I personally think that the move of Tristan over to keyboards and guitars works very well to fill out your sound and make for a stronger live show. Your first recordings came in 2001, then you came out last year with a 5 song EP. I notice that Clay Cook (former songwriting partner with John Mayer) produced the CD. How did you all come about to work with Clay?

CE: Not many people know, but me and Steve both went to the same high school as Clay Cook. We became re-acquainted with each other later in life. He saw potential in the band. We recorded one song with him, "Thinkin' About." We enjoyed the time we spent with him and his recording procedure. We decided that if we wanted to produce anything, that we wanted to do it with the same quality, so we decided to continue with Clay to record the EP to come out with a product that we could be proud of and to hopefully shop around to a few labels.

DA: Are you all from the Atlanta area?

AR: I've been here about 26 years.

CE: I think we've all lived here for quite a long time.

SS: I've been here all my life.

TB: 16-17 years ... I moved from Jersey. I'm a Jersey Boy.

DA: Now tell me, where do you all come from musically? It can be ranging from what you grew up listening to, to what you're into today. CE: It started with me with Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and I still find myself dusting off the Counting Crows records as well as finding out new bands. I'm liking stuff like Graham Colton and Phantom Planet. I really make an effort to seek out new bands that are out there working. AR: I think my earliest influences had to have been The Beatles, The (Rolling) Stones, and Led Zeppelin. But I like to keep one ear in the past and one in the present. TB: A little of this and that really. I grew up on the oldies with my folks and all through the 80s, was forced to listen to every single Huey Lewis and The News record. After listening to bands who fuse different music together like 311, it made me realize that music is not as cut and dry as people may think it is. People like Charles Parkening and Wes Montgomery influenced me in crafting my sound.

DA: Steve, how about you?

SS: The first record I ever bought was Sting's "Greatest Hits." After that, it was a lot of the grunge ... Pearl Jam and Nirvana. The 80s stuff, like Phil Collins and also the classic stuff like Elton John.

DA: Steve, take me through your songwriting process, start to finish.

SS: Well, it starts out with me and the acoustic guitar. Just usually fooling around until I find something I like. It starts with a simple verse and chorus. I start with a line that I like and try and work from there.

DA: Do you start with a basic song idea before you bring it to the band? Or do they have a strong part in the arrangement process?

SS: A lot of the times, I don't have the lyrics together when I bring it to the band ... it's just a bare acoustic guitar. And I see what everybody else adds in and that also can change the direction of the song.

CE: (to Steve) I think there have been a couple of times where you've thought a song was going to go a softer route and when you brought it to us, it went a different and more aggressive direction.

DA: I'm going to go around the table one more time. If you could tour with one other artist, who would it be?

CE: Dave Matthews.

AR: No idea.

TB: Wait, you mean living or dead??

CE: Yeah ... Dave Matthews ... I just wanted to clarify!

TB: Easily, I'd say The Doors and Jimi Hendrix. To witness the life of what was rock and roll.

SS: Elton John for me. He is my all-time favorite.

DA: Have you guys given any thought to going into the studio to cut a full CD? SS: We've thought about it. Right now, lack of money seems to be the big problem. CE: Like any struggling band, I mean ... when you go to college and come out with a degree, you can have jobs waiting for you. But when you take on the responsibility of playing music, you've got to make all the contacts, you've got to work your butt off ... it's like starting your own business ... you have to market your product. We're just not comfortable enough or financially stable enough to make a record just yet. AR: We're broke, Mike! (LAUGHTER) DA: At this point in your career as a band, what do you feel is the best way and resource you have to market yourselves and get your music out to different people? CE: I think mp3.com/mainstreeteast has been great to us. SS: Again, I'd go with the internet. It's the easiest way to check out new music ... aside from going to a show.

(Allen Rodgers leaves the interview)

DA: I'm going to go around the table one more time. Give me your current favorite Main Street East song.

CE: "Angel" and "Maybe She Will."

TB: I'm opted to say "The Road Ahead" because it is one of my BIG solo songs. I'd have to say that "Caroline" will always be a favorite. But "Maybe She Will," you should be able to get a taste of that on www.mainstreeteast.net pretty soon.

SS: I'd say "Angel" is one of my personal favorites.

CE: I just really hope that when we record that, that we can really capture the feeling of when we play it live. It's just a great song.

DA: I'm going to go around the table one last time with you guys. Give me one word to describe your band.

CE: Glorious!

TB: Positive.

SS: Guadalajara.

DA: Steve ... translation?

SS: I don't know!

DA: I'd like to thank Main Street East for sitting down with me and Dreams Awake for the great chance to give this great band some exposure. Thank you guys for taking part in this!

Main Street East: Thank you, Mike.

For more information on Main Street East, visit their website at www.mainstreeteast.net. For music downloads, go to www.mp3.com/mainstreeteast.