Lucky Boys Confusion
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Interview
with Lucky Boys Confusion
Orlando
Florida Guide Interview with Ryan Fergus Drummer of Lucky Boys Confusion
at The House of Blues - Orlando, FL
December 11, 2003
OFG: Who started the band and how long has the band been together?
Ryan: The band has been together about six and a half years now. Me and Stubhy the singer were in a band prior as well as Adam and Joe around the same time. The four of us all came from the same area growing up. In the summer of '97 both bands broke up around the same time. We kinda knew each other from playing shows together in the past. Stubhy and I contacted Adam and Joe and we started jamming together. A month later we got Jason. That whole summer of '97 was kinda our big formation period. We started playing shows and recorded our first demo and played every backyard, VFW hall, Church basement we could find and that's kinda were things originated.
OFG: You have a new album out (Commitment) what's your favorite song?
Ryan: I like a lot of the record in general just because its little darker a little more serious than our past albums were. If I had to pick a track, I like "Closer To Our Graves" a lot and I like the hidden track "Champions" it's kinda like a Reggae, crazy headtrip song. I tend to gravitate towards the more serious stuff we do and the new record is a little more full of that. I'm pretty happy with it.
OFG: What's the bonus material in the CD?
Ryan: When you put the CD in the computer and connect to the Internet it sends you to this band link service and you go to a special page. Right now we have this six minute making of the record (Commitment) video that we shot while we were recording the record out in California. It's real punk rock. We basically shot it ourselves and edited it together on my ibook in Adam's kitchen and put it on this band link site. It's really raw. It has Interviews with us explaining how the record came about and the history of the group and that kind of thing. We should be adding more videos and content to it as time goes on. It's a cool feature kinda like an extra bonus for the kids who actually go out and buy the record at the store.
How long did it take for you to edit it?
Ryan: It was a good week long project. We had maybe 12 to 15 tapes of footage. The biggest process was sifting through all that and what were going to put in and what were going to save for later. We're also planning on doing a DVD sometime in the near future. So we had to decide what do we want to put on the band link site now for the kids who buy the record and what do we want to save for the DVD. That took a good week to week and a half. The editing took a couple of days when we were home.
OFG: How difficult was it getting inked to a record deal?
Ryan: When we started out we were maybe 19 - 20 years old just finishing High School and going to college trying to figure out what we wanted to do with our lives. We kinda knew all along this is what we wanted to do. So we made a pretty full blown effect to get a record deal. Just so we could take it to the next level. The first year or two playing shows; getting a reputation in the area and getting taken seriously as a credible rock band in Chicago which wasn't an easy thing to do at the time when you had The Smashing Pumpkins and Liz Phair and a lot of those kind of groups out. Being a Reggae Punk Rock band from the suburbs it took us a while to be taken seriously. We started building a following and selling out The Metro and the House of Blues in Chicago. A radio station in Chicago put us on a complication CD for local bands. As they say the wolves came out -- the labels came out courting. It took us a while to figure out where we wanted to go and whether we were making the right decision and for the most part I think we did. We felt were ready to take the next step. It took us a couple of years. By the time I was a junior in college we had a record deal. So it's cool.
OFG: What's the best thing about being from Chicago?
Ryan: Being from Chicago you kinda have a midwest point of view on things. So many bands that actually make it are from either New York or California. We feel like were in an interesting position because were from a big metropolitan city but we still have that Midwestern point of view on things and I think it gives us a different edge than being from Orange County (in California) or Manhattan or the Bronx. It gives us a different view on music and maybe things in general.
OFG: Who are some of the Chicago bands you listen to?
Ryan: Chicago bands there's a lot of them out there right now. Coming from the scene we come from every year we try and put on something called "Songs From The Scene" around Christmas time. We're doing it next month we're we spotlight young up and coming bands from the area. The ones that have really blown up like Allister and Fall Out Boy are bands were into. There really is a good bubbling rock scene. Plain White T's that were on tour with right now are on Fearless Records and doing their own thing holding their own. There is a lot of good stuff in Chicago right now, I don't want to say underground but it's bubbling under. I'm hoping in the next year or two Chicago is going to break through as one of the big music cities in the country.
OFG: There's been talk if people don't stop downloading music from file to file servers like Kazaa the music industry is going to stop making albums and just release singles. What's your thought's on this and how do you feel about fans downloading your music from say Kazaa instead of buying it?
Ryan: It's such a tough issue. The way we feel on it being where we are in our career obvious if we don't sell enough records we're going to get dropped and were not going to have a record label to distribute and promote the music. Which at first glance seems like a really terrible thing. But on the other hand and I'll be honest, I don't see a dime from when we sell a record at Tower Records. So the only way we really make any kind of money, minimally even is from playing out and touring. So if kids are downloading the songs and then coming out to see us play and paying to see us play and coming out to the shows that's something in the long run is going to build up our career a lot more. We're a live band by nature. I'm on both sides of the issue It's kinda a tough one. I think as far as the record disappearing and being more of a singles game I think if it comes to this point bands might have more freedom if it's Internet based and they can put out a single every month or an EP every couple of months or an album every year. Which is what we would like to do instead of every putting out a record every two and a half years like what we've been kinda forced to do. We would love to put out music more often at a more rapid pace. If it allows us to do that, I gotta think that would be an advantage for us.
OFG: Is it your decision to release an album say every two to two and a half years or is it the record label's decision?
Ryan: It's the record label. If it's up to us we'd be putting out records probably every eight to twelve months something like that just because we could. We'd put out a Reggae EP of just Reggae dubbed stuff. We'd do fun stuff. Naturally we haven't sold enough records to get to the point to where we can demand to do that sort of thing. "Throwing The Game" our last album came out in 2001 and it's been such a long time since then and when you wait that long people do forget about you and you kinda have to reacquaint yourself with the public and remind them you're still around. I definitely don't like to wait that long in-between releases and that is a label decision, because they have to gear up put in the money and promote it; or not promote it either way. Your playing in their ballpark and it's unfortunate it's that way and hopefully it won't always be the case.
OFG: If you could pick any artist/band past or present alive or dead to play with you in your dream concert who would it be and where would it be?
Ryan: For me and Stubhy especially when we discovered Nirvana that was a big turning point; very obvious choice. Nirvana was a big turning point for us we were in high school and were watching Poison and Bon Jovi on TV and to see a band like Nirvana come on and show you it didn't have to be that way that it really could be something real that you could wrap your arms around and feel. This processed polished thing that made a big impact on us. I never got to see Nirvana play unfortunately. I would love to play with Nirvana. We're all big Beatles fans and I'm a big Beach Boys fan. I'd love to see them in their hay day. As far as where? We've never been to Europe so maybe somewhere in Europe. I don't know, It's a good question.
OFG: What will be the first and last song at tonight's show?
Ryan: We're opening up with an Intro to our record "Champions Dub" (from the "Commitment" album) and I think first real song we're doing is "Breaking Rules" the first song off our "Throwing The Game" album and I think we're ending the set with "3 to 10" which is pretty much our closer song. Honestly after 3-10 there is not much we can follow that up with it's kinda our big cork rock and roll ending. That's what we will be ending with tonight.
OFG: How does the band decide this?
Ryan: As far as the set list live?
OFG: Yes
Ryan: You kinda feel it out. You have kids coming out who want to hear the old stuff and you have kids who only know the new stuff and only want to hear that. So you try and cater to everybody. You want to play the song that everyone wants to hear. Obviously you can't always do that. There's always going to be a song some kid came to hear and didn't hear it. A rarity or something. We try and get a fair amount of song from both records and maybe one or two of the really early songs. In Chicago we play a lot of the earlier stuff. It's a little different from sequencing a record. A record you can start soft and build up. With a live show you want to come out heavy slow it down in the middle and end it with a bang. That's kinda how we try and time it out.
OFG: What can we expect from Lucky Boys Confusion in 2004?
Ryan: Touring for this record basically until we can't anymore. We've been out on off since last June or July. Even before the record came out. Getting ready to promote and support it. We're going to take the holidays and January off for the most part. In February we're going to start hitting it hard. We might be doing our own headlining tour or we might be opening up for someone else. Plans are in the making. Playing music for people and hitting the same places over and over again. Getting the kids to come out and bring their friends and their friends. And build it up.
OFG: Any chance you'll do the Warped Tour in 2004?
Ryan: We'd love to. We're submitting for it and pushing hard for it. That's kinda our type of audience the Warped Tour kids. We'd love to be able to play for them. We did it two years ago. Like a week or two. We'd love to do the whole thing and really do the punk rock summer camp thing on the Warped Tour. Hopefully. Keep your fingers crossed.
OFG: We covered two Warped Tour shows and it was fun.
Ryan: It's always a blast. So many good bands. We'd be honored to do it.
OFG: It didn't matter what stage you went to you always saw a great band. Period.
Ryan: it's true. I remember when we did it two years ago. To be able and go over and watch Jimmy Eat World every day was a thrill.
OFG: Where do you see the band say five (5) years from Now?
Ryan: Hard to say. Rock and Roll is a young man's game. Somedays you feel like this business is so corrupt and at times evil. The real business side of it. It frustrates to you see bands who don't deserve it. Getting magazines covers and headling over you. Your like how much more of this can I handle? Then a kid comes up to you and says your music really got me through a tough time and that makes the battle thru the trenches worth it. We're going to do this as long as we can. It's the same five guys and I'd be hard pressed to imagine it being without one of the five guys. We're like a family. As long as the five of us are into it we're going to stick with it. I can see us making records for at least another five to ten years. Hopefully.
OFG: Last week I shot Kiss and Aerosmith and they have been around for thirty years. Lucky Boys Confusion could be around for thirty years too.
Ryan: That would be great thing. If I can get thru this life playing drums for a living I would be a happy man that's for sure.
OFG: Is there anything you would like to say to the fans of Lucky Boys Confusion and the readers of Orlando Florida Guide?
Ryan: I would like to say to the kids that stuck around for us thank you. It has been a while between records and were not the flavor of the week anymore. We're kinda seasoned veterans. We've being doing this for six or seven years now. I appreciate the kids who have stuck around and not forgotten about us and have checked out the new record and are still checking out our live show and continue to grow as we grow. This record is a little different from the last one and the next one will be more different probably. We're the kinda of band that is not going to make the same safe record over and over. Same punk pop three minute bullshit that's not us. We're going to keep changing and keep metamorphosing. Hopefully most of those kids can grow up with us and change with us and go along for the ride. For those that have so far. Thank you, we appreciate it.
OFG: It's good when a band can make different music. It shows how talented a band can be.
Ryan: We get bored easily. (laughs) We feel like were cheating not only the kids but ourselves if we made the same record over and over and over. So were going to keep doing things differently and experiment more and more as time goes on. Be a band like Radiohead where they take chances. It doesn't always work but at least they're taking chances and trying something new and different. I respect that and I know the rest of the guys do too. Hopefully we'll get there someday.
OFG: Thank you very much and I wish you much success.
Ryan: Thank you. I appreciate it.
OFG: You're Welcome.
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