Nashville recording artist John Laprade's latest release "Giving up the Ghost" is a collection of lush, well crafted pop in the tradition of Neil Finn, Matthew Sweet, and Elliott Smith. It is a "break-up" record between Laprade and NYC (his previous home for over 25 years). Produced by Chris Cubeta at Studio G, Brooklyn, the songs are seeped in vocal harmonies, cinematic string arrangements, and soaring guitars. John Laprade was a founding member of the NYC power pop outfit Astro Chicken (HoneyDarling/MeaningfulRecords) with principal songwriter Barney Miller and brother Michael Miller.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
(Kamil) Hey John Laprade, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Hey Kamil.
My grandfather was the drummer/leader of his own big band orchestra that played standards from the big band era like Glen Miller and Tommy Dorsey. I was fascinated seeing him play the drums, so I wanted to be a drummer too. I got a little kid’s drum set for Christmas when I was about 6 years old and used to spend hours playing along to my older siblings' records: The Beatles, The Stones, Heart, Fleetwood Mac. I later played drums in my middle school and high school concert bands (fun fact: J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. was also a drummer with me in those bands). As I got older I graduated to a real drum kit and began playing in cover bands as a drummer/singer. I eventually picked up a guitar and began writing songs and that opened a whole new world.
How do you balance your time in the studio with other commitments such as a part-time job, family, admin?
To be honest that is a real struggle. I would love to be writing, playing and recording full-time, but the sad hard truth is that it is very tough to pay rent solely with music related income. Right now I have to have a job in order to make music, so I just end up burning the candle at both ends. That said, writing, playing and recording music is also what inspires me and gives me inspiration to get up everyday.
Your latest release is 'Giving up the Ghost'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
I decided to make the record shortly after realizing I would be moving out of NYC. The building in Brooklyn that my family and friends and I lived in was being sold, so we had to move out. After living and playing music in NYC for over 25 years I was already getting frustrated with the increasingly insane cost of living (as well as closing of so many great music venues for indie artists), so I decided to leave the city altogether. I wanted to do one last record before moving, so I used the circumstances and time-crunch of having to move as motivation to not let perfectionism and procrastination get the best of me (which is my usual M.O.) and called Chris Cubeta at Studio G in Brooklyn.
Where did you get the inspiration for this EP?
The songs on Giving Up The Ghost are inspired by my love for NYC and my complicated exit from a place that had changed so drastically. It’s hard to leave a place filled with memories, friends, family and a creative community and spirit. Change is especially hard for me.
How long did you work on 'Giving Up The Ghost'? Was it an easy process for you?
I recorded “Giving Up the Ghost” in 5 days at Studio G in Brooklyn kind of on a whim. I had met producer/songwriter Chris Cubeta through the Rockwood Music Hall scene and was really excited to get a chance to work with him. Chris and co-producer Gary Atturio are amazingly talented musicians as well as producer/engineers and I trusted their sensibilities completely. So together with drummer Spencer Cohen (who had played in my live band) and Cellist Emily Hope Price,, we banged out the EP in a very short time. Because of the time crunch of losing my apartment, I didn’t have the luxury to over-obsess about anything in the studio and that turned out to be a good thing. I was literally still writing lyrics to these songs in the studio during the recording. We made decisions really quickly without second guessing and I think that gives the recordings a live and unfussy-vibe. It was an easy and creatively exciting experience working with Chris, Gary, and Spencer and I highly recommend Studio G.
How do you know when a work is finished?
I am the WORST at this. I love recording and being in the studio and I think I could keep working on things indefinitely. The truth is that I know work is finished when I’m out of money ;)
Can you write what was your best performance in your career? How do you remember it?
I was in a power-pop outfit called Astro Chicken with my good friend Barney Miller in the 90’s and 2000s and we had a really exciting “in-store” show at HMV records in Times Square. We were on a tiny independent label at the time that distributed and promoted our debut record and the store was packed with people. HMV and Tower were the big record stores back in the day and it was nerve-racking to play on a stage where I’d seen many big artists play. A handful of kids and their parents asked to have their CDs autographed after the show and for a (very) brief moment it felt like we might “make it”.
How do you find yourself in the music business? When you started out in music, did you know it would be like this?
When I started playing in bands and recording in NYC in the ‘90s, the music business was a totally different model. Before high quality home recording came along It was really difficult to make a good record independently, so everybody was playing live a lot and trying to “get signed” or find a cash-cow or work a side hustle to be able to afford a studio to record in. Today there are many, many more options for exposure and amazing home recording set-ups that allow artists to do it all on their own. I do love to record solo at home and make elaborate demos, but for me there is a real pay-off in working with other creative people and combining different skills, talents, and expertise.
Who is your favourite musician?
It’s way too hard to pick one: Elliot Smith, Beck, Adam Schlesigner & Chris Collingwood, Aimee Mann, Neil Finn, and Jeff Tweedy to name a few.
What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future are to keep playing as many live shows as possible (both solo and with my band), keep writing songs, and start saving for my next record.
Thanks Kamil!
John Laprade