PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALAN SNODGRASS
FOLK FOR THE FUTURE
INTERVIEW WITH SINGER, SONGWRITER, AND GUITARIST MIKEY CARNEVALE BY J. POET
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he Frights never intended to be bums. The band moved over to Ep- they came pretty seamlessly. I didn’t everything else. The production Richa full-time touring band. The itaph Records for their third album, expect anyone would ever hear them, ard contributed is very insane, almost trio - guitarist and songwriter Hypochondriac. That record saw so they became a bit more personal.â€? an instrument in itself. It’s full of tiny, Mikey Carnevale, bassist Rich- a shift in their style, moving away weird sounds.â€? ard Dotson, and drummer Mark from the surf/punk sound, towards The album, out now on Epitaph, was Finn - knew each other from groups a more contemplative approach. recorded in a cabin in Idyllwild, Everything Seems Like Yesterday they played in during high school in California. Because of scheduling sounds like a classic folk album, San Diego. “I was in a folk punk band in high conflicts, the other band members with acoustic guitar, harmonica, school,â€? Carnevale says. “I started couldn’t participate, so Carnevale mixed down bass, and subtle per“I was a drummer in a band when I writing more personal songs. The and Dotson recorded the album as cussion touches. There are waltzes, was 14,â€? Carnevale says. “I got the songs on Hypochondriac came out a duo. ballads, swing, and a rich blend of fire in me and wanted to be up so well, I thought about making a backing harmonies. front, so I started playing guitar folky solo album.â€? “We used Richard’s laptop, a bunch and writing songs. I put together a of speakers, some mics we bor- “When we played it for Mark, I band that wasn’t that great, but we “I started writing the songs on Every- rowed from a studio in L.A., all my thought he hated it, but he said this played gigs with the bands Richard thing Seems Like Yesterday without acoustic guitars, one bass, an elec- should be our new direction, so we and Mark were in. We had a super any expectations for how they were tric guitar, a couple of amps and decided to release it as a Frights friendly rivalry going, and got to- going to sound,â€? he continues. “I some random percussion stuff,â€? album,â€? says Carnevale. “I know gether after we were all in college didn’t see them as Frights songs, Carnevale says. people are gonna freak out about for a one-off gig.â€? but they ended up going that way. it, but they always do, so who cares? When Richard and I got together “This is the first time that I wrote all the We’ve never played these songs After playing that gig, the security to record them, we were so happy parts of the arrangements,â€? he con- together, so we have no fucking guard who was standing outside with the way it turned out, we de- tinues. “Before this, I’d bring songs to idea about what’s going to hapoffered them a deal with his indie cided to make it a Frights album. I the band, and we’d all work them out pen. We’ll just do whatever we want, label. They signed up, put out a focused a lot more on lyrics, and it together. This time, Richard played and see who sticks around and who couple of EPs and began making al- took a lot out of me emotionally, but electric guitar and bass, and I played doesn’t.â€?  đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł
NEW NOISE 13
