Written by Priscilla Tasker
In America's popular culture, the frontman is the face of a band. Often times, he (or she) writes the lyrics that connect people to the emotions behind the music; he is the most accessible, vulnerably projecting his voice out to the world. Yet, this man does not stand alone.
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Tom Evanchuck
©The Rhythm Report |
Most songs we hear on the radio, in a live music venue, or ringing through our MP3 players are carefully crafted from a single idea, one line of words or music written by an individual and built upon by another or several others. Let's not forget it takes a team to create the sounds that become our favorite tunes. (I have faith that Rhythm Report readers do not take this whole for granted.)
One of Ohio's most laudable solo acts recognized the power collaboration brings to his music and has spent the better part of the year growing his band from one, to two, and then, to four. Tom Evanchuck released his first electric record, Tom Evanchuck is Back as The Evanchucks, in May, a composition that would not have been possible without Will Nolan's wild key coordination and the drone of G. Patrick Jenkin III's bass to bring out the soul and blues. And, of course, what is a rock 'n' roll record without the crashing beat of the drums?
The group has endured lineup changes since the release. Nolan moved on to pursue a personal project, and, with Jenkins living in Washington D.C., Evanchuck and drummer, Anthony Evanchuck, played gigs on their own throughout the spring and summer. But the band began to solidify its current lineup when Jenkins returned to Ohio to perform with the group full time, and with his homecoming came a new identity – Tom Evanchuck and The Old Money.
To give a voice to the musicians who are helping to guide Evanchuck down a new road away from his acoustic folk roots, The Rhythm Report interviewed Jenkins, A. Evanchuck, and the newest band member to get the instrumentalists' perspective on the band's evolution, its week-long "trial tour" in September, and its extended fall tour this October. (Of course, Tom shared a few words, too.)
RR: The band recently added “The Old Money” to Tom’s name. How does the name reflect the band’s new direction?
Anthony Evanchuck: The name reflects our new direction, in my eyes, because it's not just Tom anymore. He is the brainchild of the whole thing, but we're a group now. It kind of gives us an identity. When people ask me what my band name is, I'm not saying "Tom Evanchuck;" I get to say "and The Old Money." It's pretty cool.
G. Patrick Jenkins III (PJ): It was Tom and Tom's talents before. Now, we all get to share this idea of music. We all get to kind of chew up ideas and spit them out. After a while, it starts to look like something new. A good friend, Will [Nolan], played keys on the album and that has such a different feel from the way these songs are played now. Every change in the lineup changes these songs. Not just in instrumentation but in emotion. I guess I am still trying to see how it effects the band's direction. When you are playing with skilled musicians, it's always positive. Always changing, I guess.
RR: Is there a story behind the term?
AE: I have no idea how we came up with The Old Money. I'm pretty sure it was Pat's idea, and we ran with it. I like it, and it's fun. It's cool because I think people really enjoy it, too.
PJ: The Old Money came from a long brainstorming process for a name. The idea of finding a name and branding is a bit tougher than we expected. We all have wanted to keep Tom Evanchuck in the name, but adding a name for the rest of band helps identify us, personally and to the listener. The Old Money comes from the idea of our influences. Instead of going to college on the bank roll of some dead grandpa who was a tobacco farmer, we are playing and writing music on the influences of some really great American artists. Our influences are old, and we are using what they have given us.
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G. Patrick Jenkins III
©The Rhythm Report |
RR: Pat, you moved back to Ohio (from D.C.) to fully commit to playing with the band, and left what seemed to be a pretty good job, what was your motivation?
PJ: Well, "pretty good job" is subjective. I personally think playing guitar along side Tom Evanchuck and some best friends is the best job for me! In all seriousness, this is what I want to do with my life. Tom knew that and it was always part of our friendship. He had always talked about helping me get there and did just that. I hope I have offered the same support to him. I loved D.C. and the office job and all that, but I am sure a lot of that was the fact that I have seen five seasons of the The Office and wanted an excuse to wear loafers with tassels. O.K. Someone may judge me for that one!
RR: You've got a new band member. Who is he?
Tom Evanchuck: Yes, we have a new band member. Our good friend, Chris [Verdi], moved home to travel with us.
RR: Chris, what prompted you to join the group?
Chris Verdi: [It was an] opportunity of a lifetime: travel the country with some of my closest friends, and they just happen to be talented musicians.
RR: Where were you and what were you doing before coming back to Ohio?
CV: Working as a banker out in Washington. [I] was primarily out there to climb and explore the northwest. I ended up injuring my knee in May, leaving me out this climbing season, which turned out to be a sort of serendipitous thing, 'cause here I am now.
RR: Tom, you've mentioned that you and Pat were coaxing Chris to return from Washington, why was it important for you to have him join the band?
TE: Well, Pat is a guitar player, and we always talked about [moving him from bass to guitar]. And rather than move him over to guitar on the next record, we figured we might as well do it now. Chris was a big role in making that happen – put Chris on bass and start the evolution.
RR: What is he bringing to your musical collaboration?
TE: Chris brings fresh ears and new ideas; not much more you could ask for.
RR: Pat, with the new band member taking over bass, you're moving on to lead guitar? Is guitar more natural for you?
PJ: I started on bass when I was in like 8th grade, but guitar is the reason I am in love with playing music. It is way more natural; also, more of a challenge. I am kind of hard on myself when it comes to guitar. If you ask the guys they will tell you that, if I am home, I am multitasking while playing guitar. It is as much a part of my life as eating now. Maybe more, I think I have skipped a meal or two.
RR: I've had the pleasure of witnessing you and Tom writing together, how is the synergy with the full band? Are you writing new music now?
PJ: Yeah, Tom and I with guitars really becomes a black hole of time. If only we could remember all the stuff we fool around on! Right now, I think we are all just trying to grow as musicians. We are playing a lot together and playing a lot of nonsense together. The songs are the songs and the performance, but I know I am really working hard to grow personally as a musician. I couldn't do that without the band, and I think the same goes for all of them. As far as writing, it just seems like it happens. Tom sends me a text with a sound clip of something he strummed out at 3 a.m. It's wild. I live with the guy and he still finds these ways to make his process mysterious. That is probably why, even after sharing laundry appliances, I am still a massive fan of Tom Evanchuck.
AE: We just wrote a new song with the whole band. A few little things came together and, before you knew it, we had something that all four of us collaborated on and created. I can see our future writing coming with any combination of the four of us. Whether it's Pat and I, Tom and Pat, etc. We all get ideas every once in a while. By having more minds and different perspectives on music, one little jam or just sitting there putzing around, I can see it turning into our next song.
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Anthony Evanchuck
©The Rhythm Report |
RR: Anthony, how did you and Tom write together before adding members to your two-piece band?
AE: Before the addition of Pat and Chris, Tom and I locked ourselves in the back room with a couple beers and jammed 'til we had something we liked. Then, Tom put words to it. The songs were open enough that, when we added people, parts just fit right in. I think that's the beauty of what Tom and I did. We wrote songs for the two of us, but the vision of more people was already there whether it was going to happen or not. We're extremely lucky to have Pat and Chris now. They add so much to the music; not only playing, but with ideas and visions. They've not just joined Tom and I. They jumped in and said, "Hey, I want to be a part of this, and I want to make these songs the best that they can be."
RR: Chris, being the new member, what are your musical influences and what do you think you'll bring to the band?
CV: A lot of the same as the rest of the band, very into soul and the blues ... You always hope to bring fresh perspective and creativity. That and solid bass to keep Anthony happy.
RR: So, Anthony, is Chris keeping you happy?
AE: Yes, I like Chris a lot. He's a great all-around musician, and he's really great to bounce ideas around. I was definitely skeptical at first. I really loved the three-piece, but Chris stepped right in and rocked the thing. And it gave Pat the chance to play lead, which I think he was itching to do anyway. You can tell its made the band better. Plus, it's one more person in the van. It's hard to piss three people off, so you always have someone to talk to.
RR: You just came off a brief stint on the road. Did it feel different from playing gigs at home in the Cleveland area?
PJ: Yea, we went south for a few dates. It definitely had its differences.
AE: It's a different kind of excitement. We're wowing new people for the first time, and meeting new people. Here, [in Cleveland], everyone knows our songs and sings along. On the road, you see all new reactions, pretty cool.
PJ: I know a lot of it was the excitement of playing for new people in new cities, but that is very much accompanied by the anxiety of playing for all new people. We are lucky our parents love to come out to support us when we are in the Cleveland area. That is a level of comfort you understand when they aren't there. However, the south was really receptive and welcoming. "Roll Tide."
RR: "Roll Tide"? Care to elaborate on your use of the reference?
PJ: We adopted that while we were in Tuscaloosa. It was a game night, and I have never seen anything like that. It was a lot of fun.
RR: The trip was the longest the band has shared on the road together. What was it like being cooped up with three other guys in a packed van for a week?
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Tom Evanchuck and The Old Money
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
July 2011 ©The Rhythm Report |
AE: Our first real trip out was a pretty, enlightening experience. You learn a lot about people being cooped up in a van for a while. It was probably the best thing that could have happened though. It was long enough to really get to know each other and find out quirks and habits, but short enough that I could sit back and know just what I'm getting into on future trips. It's also funny working out bathroom breaks and the diminishing turkey sandwich supply.
PJ: It was definitely a learning experience. More of it was logistics – food, sleep, finances and how long we are able to drive straight. As far as the four of us, we can spend hours talking about nothing and everything. I think we had one verbal scuffle over a BBQ menu but I can accept blame for that. We were all ready to eat!
RR: You're heading back out after the recent Eddy & Iggy's show in Lakewood. Where are you going and how long will you be on the road?
PJ: We will be out for about three weeks. Looking at 16 dates, I believe. Another small stint. Starts in Kentucky and just works its way south. I think we end up in Georgia.
AE: I've been itching to really do a longer tour, and this is the first one we'll really have to grind out. That first one was a week; this one's quite longer with dates nearly everyday. I'm excited to go back to Tuscaloosa, but getting to play Nashville and visit states I've never really been to, such as Georgia and Mississippi, is really exciting.
RR: Tom's put out two (and a half) records this year – a solo acoustic album, a full-band electric and a three-song EP. Amidst the band's touring, are there plans to get back in the studio any time soon?
PJ: We would love to record the new sound and the new lineup, but there is nothing set (that I know of!). Right now, we want to play shows, we want to spread the word. Records just aren't as important anymore I feel like. I think Tom's philosophy has gotten in my head which is a good thing. We don't like to tell people we are recording when they ask what the band is up to. We like to be able to say we are playing shows and meeting new people; probably because that is what we like about it. I personally want to see the band grow a little bit more before we etch the sound into MP3 for all of eternity!
AE: There are definitely plans to get into the studio again. I think, right now, we're still getting to know each other. I definitely think we're going to get in and record a new CD, but it's down the road. We're concentrating now on tightening up what we have now. Tom has historically written in just a flash. The electric album, we wrote eight of those songs in one week. I think once we sit down and try, we'll come up with something, but we're not dwelling on it right now. We're open to writing. And, like I said, we just wrote a new song. But we're not killing ourselves to get into a studio right now. We're putting all our efforts into being on the road.
Read more on Tom Evanchuck in these Rhythm Report articles:
Also, check out photos of the band's summer festival junket in Ohio in The Rhythm Report's Facebook albums:
Raise your voice at the The Modern Electric's Northcoast Christmas show tonight at The Grog Shop. The doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Admission is $6.
