Tag: Maroon 5

Interview: Sam Farrar

March 6, 2018 / aftertheshow

I sat down with Sam Farrar of Maroon 5 to talk about his pre-show rituals, world map drawings, and favorite Phantom Planet album.

We also discussed the ups and downs of starting a music career at a young age and how the music industry has changed over the last 20+ years.

Photo courtesy of Maroon 5

You’ve performed at venues from the Troubadour and Roxy to the Hollywood Bowl, Madison Square Garden, and SNL stage. Do you have a favorite and least favorite type of show to play?

They all have their advantages and their disadvantages. I’ll always be a lover of The Troubadour because it was the first place we [Phantom Planet] ever played. The intimacy you get, being able to hear everyone, see everyone’s face, the reactions are way more intense, and I like that. I also like the way a small club sounds — you can hear your own band.

But then you play Rock in Rio, where there’s 120,000 people, and people would think you’d be more intimidated and scared by it, but actually when there’s that many people, it just sort of looks like a wall that goes forever. And it’s crazy, and amazing, but it’s not nearly as intense to me for some reason.

Playing a song on an acoustic [guitar] in front of 5 people in my living room is way scarier than that.

Are there any tricks or techniques you use to amp yourself up or get in the zone for a performance, particularly if you’re not feeling in the mood to go out on stage?

I always have a cocktail [laughs], that’s pretty typical. I don’t drink too much because there’s a lot of responsibility on my plate, for how I play, but a shot of tequila is pretty nice, that calms me down a little bit.

But you also have to do things like make sure you don’t eat too close to the show. I try to put an hour and a half in between [eating and performing]. If you’re going to work out, that feels good, as long as you do it during the day.

And honestly I can’t figure out why some days I play really well, sometimes I won’t. I’ve really tried to get scientific about it: figure out how much I’ve eaten, and how much water I’ve had to drink. Some days my hands work better than others.

What about temperature, if you’re playing an outdoor show?

If it’s really hot and humid, it’s amazing because you can sing really easily. The humidity makes your vocal cords all soft and squishy — you can hit the high notes really easily.

When it’s really cold, it’s the opposite. But for the most part, I have to do a little bit of singing, stretch the hands out.

Photo courtesy of Maroon 5

You’ve created a mural, had an art show, and sell Samaps prints online. Where do you see yourself taking that project in the next few years?

It’s one of those things that just sort of happened and people reacted to it. I’ve always done art. I’ve drawn my whole life, I have tons of journals. People really reacted to the maps, they have a nostalgia. It’s very reliant on touring, though, so I wanted to do it in the city with a map that I got there. About 90% of the maps I’ve drawn are like that.

So the big question for me is whether or not I want to keep doing it this year. We have a couple tours coming up, and it’s a lot of work. It got creatively exhausting by the end of the last tour, so I’m not entirely sure I’m going to keep it up. I still do commissions for people, but I might have to adapt it into something else that’s a little easier.

Photo courtesy of Sam Farrar

How do you balance all your projects with your other responsibilities — music, art, family, etc?

Time management as a dad and a musician is so hard. It’s crazy. I write and produce music when I’m home – that’s basically my job — working with bands, trying to write songs for [big artists] and I’ll produce stuff.

My typical week is three or four days a week I have sessions with other writers or artists. The mornings before [the session] I’m up at 7, I get the kids to school. I finish up any work that I had from the day before, a mix or vocal editing. After the session, I get home, give my kids baths…it’s a long day.

But to me, the worst thing is being bored, as a creative person. I tend to be more creative and have more output when it’s constant — I don’t have time to think about anything but work, or kids.

It’s hard for me to do art full-on and music full-on. Touring is one thing because it’s a different side of the brain, but when you’re trying to write (or produce) songs and try to create art, they are hard to do at the same time. I kind of have to go back and forth.

I love the bass parts on “Always On My Mind” and “Hey Now Girl.” What do you remember about writing and recording those parts?

We did that record [The Guest] with [producer] Mitchell Froom. We sat down in rehearsal and I’m pretty sure Mitchell got me playing a certain motif and I went with it. The bass parts were always very, very well-thought out. We spent a lot of time on them. Alex [Greenwald] and I always wrote most of the bass lines together, he always had a pretty good idea of what he wanted to do. It was always about making the rhythm sections unique and not straightforward, but also catchy and not distracting.

We were such big fans of Elvis Costello, and their rhythm section was pretty much perfect, so I think we took a lot from that.

If you listen to a lot of those bass lines, the bass line always worked with the melody first and foremost, almost more than the drums. In fact, when we recorded The Guest, the bass was always the last thing we recorded. We’d track it as a band, and everyone would finish their parts, then I would come in at the end and make sure the bass parts fit with everything. There was definitely an importance placed on it, which was nice.

Is there a Phantom Planet album that sticks out as the one you’re most proud of?

You’ve been on a bunch of labels, including Geffen, Sony, Interscope, and Fueled by Ramen. How much impact did changing labels have on your work?

We [Phantom Planet] signed a record deal when I was 16 or 17 — I was in high school. And back then, it meant something. We were signing to the label that had Nirvana and Pearl Jam and all my favorite bands.

I think when you’re that young, you feel like you’re invincible and your band’s amazing and it’s going to sell a lot. It didn’t sell a lot, but it got us on the map and we played some shows. And then Geffen got bought and we went to Interscope.

I remember going in to Interscope and we had a meeting with Jimmy Iovine, and we had “California” but they didn’t get it, they didn’t think it was a single…which is fascinating. Jimmy Iovine played us “My Name Is” by Eminem a week before it came out, so they were very occupied with hip hop stuff.

Long story short, they let us go, and we went to Sony. And it took a while. I think we must have had 50 or 60 songs lying around, including “California.” And Sony believed enough in “California,” which was great.

So we went in with Mitchell Frooom — this is after trying a few different producers. Those transitions are hard because you lose a lot of time and you lose a lot of energy. But we made it, we did The Guest, it was great and it did really well.

Then once we did the second record for Sony, they realized that we weren’t seeing eye to eye. Money was running out, streaming was starting to happen. So then it got a little tricky.

And I think after we left Sony and [before we signed to] Fueled By Ramen was a few years of trying to figure out where to go. We were watching the [music] industry collapse, while enduring it, so it was scary.

We got through it by playing a lot of college gigs, and “California” blew up. We were very blessed to have enough momentum to keep going.

Every label has been a very different part of our career and our taste and how we’re feeling about the industry. At the beginning it was all about not “selling out” and not putting your stuff in commercials, and being a true artist, and by the end of it, we’re touring with bands we don’t sound anything like just because we know kids will see it.

Photo courtesy of Maroon 5

Looking back now, are you happy that you started playing music professionally so young? How has that timing impacted your career choices and trajectory?

I wouldn’t change anything because I’ve had a really good ride. But the only thing that worries me is I’m turning 40 this year, and I only know how to make music and art. So if this industry collapses, and I can’t keep working in it, I don’t know what else I would do. And that’s a byproduct of starting so young.

I’m not proud of this — I’ve never had a “real” job or a boss, per se. I think those sort of experiences are really important as an adult, for work ethic reasons. So that’s a weird thing that I have to grapple with as I’ve gotten older.

Having said that, it’s awesome that I’ve been in a successful enough band. And now I’m in a really big band. And I don’t have to stress that much. I consider myself very lucky that I can make a living in the music business because it’s really hard to do.

Thanks Sam! Check out Maroon 5’s upcoming tour dates and the SAMAPS print shop to see more of Sam’s artwork.

Interview: David Penn of Hit Songs Deconstructed

December 7, 2012 / aftertheshow

David Penn is the founder and editor-in-chief of Hit Songs Deconstructed, which gives in-depth analysis and commentary of hit songs and trends in pop music.

After The Show: How did you decide to start Hit Songs Deconstructed? 

David Penn: The idea came about while I was attending a music conference in Los Angeles. During one of the panels, the moderator asked “how many of you study the hits that are currently topping the charts?” No one, including myself, raised their hands. It then occurred to me that if I really wanted to get to the root of what makes hit songs successful, I should start analyzing them to their core to see what makes them tick.

As soon as I began “deconstructing” the songs, I started to see immediate results with my own songwriting. I was learning things that I never would have realized without doing the exercise. Equally as important, it was keeping me current with what was going on in the mainstream. It was then that I realized that this could be a really valuable tool for other songwriters and producers. Soon after, we officially launched Hit Songs Deconstructed.

How do you compile the research that goes into your reports? 

I developed a methodology for evaluating hit songs which allows us to track “like” elements and see how hit songwriting may be changing over time and across various genres. It’s all done manually, centered on LOTS of listening!

Are there noticeable cultural differences that change what kinds of songs are popular in different countries? On a micro-level within each song, are there commonalities between a hit song in Korea vs. Mexico vs. Australia, for example? 

Culture does play a role in what types of songs are most popular in different countries. For example, lots of the songs that top the charts in Brazil have a distinctive native Brazilian vibe and are performed by Brazilian artists. In Japan, the charts are currently dominated by native boy bands and girl groups like AKB48 and Kis-My-F12, all of which have a sound and vibe that’s distinctly J-Pop. In both these cases the native artists and songs don’t really translate into other cultures (markets).

That being said, many songs do cross over and top the charts outside of their native countries. This is especially the case with “phenomenons” such as “We Found Love,” “Gangnam Style” and “Somebody That I Used To Know,” for example.

On a micro level there are hit songwriting commonalities that traverse all cultures throughout the world. The songs might be sung in a different language, utilize different instrumentation and possess a unique vibe that’s indigenous to a specific country, but at their core they all utilize the same effective craft fundamentals that enables them to connect with the largest possible audience and resonate. This includes lyrical themes (i.e. love/relationships), simplicity, repetition, short intros, choruses hitting early within the song, amongst many others.

How do you account for the inexplicable element in something as creative and emotional as music? Does applying mathematical, rational criteria to a song’s components sometimes not fully explain why listeners connect viscerally to a song?

Both craft and the “inexplicable element” are equally important. The craft is the vehicle for delivering the “soul” of a song so that it connects and resonates on the deepest level possible. There needs to be a perfect balance between the two.

Has the importance of hit songs changed over the last few decades? Are they less valuable to artists now since major labels are putting less resources into an artist’s career longevity, just pursuing the latest hit? Rebecca Black’s “Friday” was a hit song, but that story ended so quickly. 

Rebecca Black’s “Friday” was a “hit” for all the wrong reasons, and her 15 minutes of fame came and went in a blink of an eye because there was no substance behind it. Remember, people love to see train wrecks and much as they love amazing talent. It’s all about the entertainment value.

I would say that hit songs are even MORE important now than ever before. Why? First and foremost it’s a singles driven business. The song can’t rely on an album to carry it – it needs to stand on its own.

Additionally, if you want any chance of getting a deal with a publisher or a label and securing longevity for yourself, you need to be writing songs that are undeniable hits – the best of the best – pure and simple. If you’re delivering, and they’re selling, publishers and labels would be more than happy to keep you in their ranks. That’s for sure.

It’s interesting that most hits today have some synth incorporated into other instrumentation. What’s your view on the staying power of EDM? 

All “fads” come and go. Disco, 80’s New Wave, Hair Metal and Grunge all had their day, but they never fully disappear. It will be the same with EDM. Electronic Dance Music is always going to be around in one manifestation or another, but it’s prominence in the mainstream will vary with the times.

What’s the role of individual, subjective musical taste in what makes a song a hit song? How important is timing and context (what other songs are on the charts at any given moment)? 

Musical taste is 100% subjective. The listener either connects with a song or they don’t – it’s that black and white. As for timing, it obviously helps. For example, if the Pop scene was completely being dominated by songs possessing an Electro Pop, Hip Hop/Rap influence, and that’s what was being pushed and marketed, then songs of that ilk will definitely have the best chance to succeed at that point in time.

Another good example is the grunge scene in the 90’s. Every label was scrambling to sign grunge bands. The ones that were the best (and most commercial) hit it big. But #1’s are a different kind on animal. They might be in-line with what’s going on within a particular scene, or they might go against the grain (i.e. Adele, Gotye, Fun, PSY). It usually comes down to the combination of the song plus external factors such as the video and dance associated with “Gangnam Style.” Or Fun’s “We Are Young” being featured on Glee and in a Super Bowl commercial.

Can it impede an artist’s natural creative process if labels, publishers, or managers tell artists and producers what kind of song to compose, based on your reports/what’s popular right now?

All songwriting and inspiration is “unique and creative” at its core. However, in the mainstream, producers, labels, songwriting teams, artists and others all have input into WHAT types of songs should be recorded and HOW they should be written. Remember – these songs need to be methodically structured to succeed with their intended audience on a mass level. That being said, the songwriters involved will always bring their “unique creative process” to the table each and every time they write. Sometimes there’s flexibility to push the envelope, and sometimes there’s not.

Where’s the line between trying to stay ahead of the curve and just writing in search of the next hit?

It all depends on what you want to do as an artist. Are you looking for mainstream success in Pop? If so, you should be paying attention to what’s going on within your core genre and thinking about ways that you can push the envelope to stand out from the pack and get noticed. You want stay ahead of the curve BECAUSE you’re in search of the next hit. They work hand in hand.

You’ve rolled out auxiliary products like the Song & Artist Development program. What do you envision for the future of Hit Songs Deconstructed?

We have a lot of new and exciting things planned that will really benefit both songwriters and the industry alike. We’ll keep you posted!

Check out Hit Songs Deconstructed

Like Hit Songs Deconstructed on Facebook

Tough Crowd

July 10, 2010 / aftertheshow

Tough Crowd was a side-project featuring Mickey Madden (bassist of Maroon 5) and Harley Viera-Newton.

Click here for their MySpace and listen to their great cover of “Forbidden City” by Electronic, yesterday’s Song of the Day.