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| (Boomer Muth) I was born in Albany, Georgia (also the birthplace of Ray Charles), although I was raised in the Southside suburbs of Richmond. I believe the entire band was raised in the central VA area. I think you can hear it in our music, but only if you listen very closely and understand the native tongue. |
| (The Richmond Buzz) So where were you born and raised? |
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| (Boomer Muth) Most of my favorite bands are British. They always have been. Whenever I tell someone my favorite artists (The Beatles, U2, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Coldplay), they say 'Big deal, those are everyone's favorite bands.' My answer is 'There's a reason for that...they're the best.' I also really like a lot of modern indie rock bands, such as Arcade Fire, Rogue Wave, Interpol, and the National. While most of the band listens to a lot of the same music right now, one of the things that has helped us create a different sound is that all 4 of us grew up listening and playing many different genres. |
| (The Richmond Buzz) Tell me a little bit about yourself? What kind of music are you into and what artist is currently in your CD Player? |
| (Boomer Muth) I think that this is the album that we always wanted to make, and something that we can be really proud of. We wrote a lot of these songs together as a band in our practice space, so while there are many different feels and sounds on the album, there is still an underlying consistency. I think that same consistency comes across in the lyrics. We are a very introspective group, constantly trying to improve ourselves and figure out how we can deal with the challenges that life throws at us. Most of the songs are about the challenges and experiences that all people face in their every day life....how can I make this relationship work?....do I WANT to make this relationship work?......am I ready to make this big change in my life, or should I just keep doing what I am doing?......do I like my job?....is the world bigger than just us? Things like that. |
| (The Richmond Buzz) On September 19th, 2008 Copper Sails is going to release their 2nd album entitled "Hiding Place". The concepts that you all deal with on the album are very introspective, deals with questions about life and changes. Do you feel that the album mirrors the mind space the band is in after 5 years together? |
| (Boomer Muth) It's about a GOOD relationship and the bad things that each person brings to the table. What makes a great relationship, in my opinion, is one where one person's weaknesses are the other one's strengths. |
| (The Richmond Buzz) What is the inspiration behind the Copper Sails song "Hiding Place"? |
| (Boomer Muth) Working with Ted was awesome. He is definitely one of the young and up-and-coming producers in the indie rock scene. He's worked with some indie acts that we really respect, such as Zox, Army of Me, Honor By August, No Second Troy, Juniper Lane, etc..... He had a lot of great ideas in the studio that improved a lot of our songs. He did a great job of making us think about how breaking down to just one instrument or putting a short stop in a song can create more overall impact and leave the listener with a completely different impression. |
| (The Richmond Buzz) Copper Sails worked with Ted Comerford to help produce the new album, what was working with Ted like? |
| (Boomer Muth) We went into Mitch's studio in North Carolina thinking, 'Will he even talk to us?.....this is the guy who produced REM's 'Murmur.' We left the studio thinking Mitch might be the nicest and |
| (The Richmond Buzz) What was it like to work with Mixer and Engineer Mitch Easter who has worked with REM and Wilco? |
| (Boomer Muth) This is a great question, especially since it is something we need to do a better job of. We tend to trust that if someone really likes us then they'll proactively tell their friend about us and then their friend will tell another friend.....it's like a musical pyramid scheme. What we need to do is get better about the organization behind this. Please e-mail us at info@coppersails.com if you are interested in leading the Copper Sails Street Team. |
| (The Richmond Buzz) How do you utilize your fan base to promote your records and shows? |
| (Boomer Muth) That is a great summation of what that song is about. I wonder what it is about me that makes me seem like a risk taker....is it my short haircut? I'm glad that I seem like a risk taker. I guess I took a big risk in College when I decided to stop focusing on school work and to start focusing on the band. That has paid off.....not monetarily, but in other ways. The band took a big risk when we decided to invest a lot of money into this new album....whether that has paid off is yet to be determined, although we have something that we are really proud of and think people will really embrace, so it has already paid off in that way. |
| (The Richmond Buzz) In the Copper Sails song "Nobody Move" it talks about being stuck in the same rut, being afraid to take chances, and repeating the same mistakes. You seem like a risk taker, what are some risks you have taken that have paid off? |
| most down to earth person in the world. Not only that, he also knows a thing or two about mixing a great record. |
| (Boomer Muth) Kyle, our keyboardist, sometimes records local artists and I'll play bass on some of the tracks if he asks me to, but I focus all of my time on Copper Sails when it comes to songwriting, recording and performing. |
| (The Richmond Buzz) In the Copper Sails Song " Reckless Motorist " it hits on how people speed ahead with relationships and it just ends up a mess. Are you the type of person that is lead more by your heart or your mind? |
| (Boomer Muth) I'm led by both, equally. That would be a great cop out on that question wouldn't it? Let me instead talk about that particular song. One thing I really like about that song is that it has a dual lead vocal during the chorus with two completely different melodies going on at the same time. Jonathan is singing 'slow down, my beating heart..etc' (this is the mind part trying to talk to the heart), while I'm singing a faster melody with a lot of words 'take it out for a spill, it's too easy to spin..etc.' (this is the heart part, no logic, just looking for its next high). I like how that song shows the dichotomy of the two. |
| (The Richmond Buzz) Where do you see yourself and the band in 5 years? |
| (Boomer Muth) Hopefully we are doing music for a living and we have many fans. I'd be very happy if we were making enough money to live comfortably and we had a loyal, inspired, and dedicated fan base. The MTV thing would be nice, but there are enough indie bands out there who never show their face on TRL and are still very happy. |
| (Boomer Muth) I play bass in the band, which is probably what we should stick with. I enjoy playing acoustic guitar at home, but I'll stick with the bass......less strings and you only have to play one at a time. |
| (The Richmond Buzz) What instruments do you enjoy playing and how do you rate yourself as a guitarist? |
| (Boomer Muth) There are a lot of local and regional bands that we really love. Scott does a great job of giving all of them coverage on Richmond Buzz. Just to list some (I know I won't remember all of the great bands): Jubeus, At the Stars, Exebelle and the Rusted Cavalcade, Pennyshaker, Conshafter, 59H2O, Honor By August, No Second Troy, the Dreamscapes Project, Juniper Lane, Ki Theory, We Know Plato! |
| (The Richmond Buzz) Have you ever recorded songs with other local artists, if yes tell me about it? |
| (Boomer Muth) One time we had a girl fall onto the stage, knocking my mic over.....three different times.....same girl.....same show. Twice, I've gotten bloody noses on stage, one time I just sang through it. It's difficult to hold your nose, sing, and play bass at the same time. At a show recently I couldn't play through it, so I had to take a quick break. The band improvised a long intro to our next song 'Spinning,' and this inspired the intro that we now do for that song. So I guess that bloody nose was a blessing in disguise. |
| (The Richmond Buzz) What is the craziest thing that you witnessed or had to go through during a show? |
| (The Richmond Buzz) (The Richmond Buzz) The following questions are from fans: (Carolyn from Richmond) What would be the most memorable show played, and why? |
| (Boomer Muth) I would have to say the MOST memorable was when we opened up for the Strokes at the Norva. The only difficult part was when we were walking on the stage in the dark. The people in the front row could tell we weren't the Strokes, so they said 'you better be good!' The rest of the crowd thought we WERE the Strokes so they started cheering. Once we played our first chord and the lights came on the crowd switched opinions. The front row said 'not bad.' The rest of the crowd said 'damn it!, this isn't the Strokes.' |
| (Carolyn from Richmond) What would be their dream show - who would they play with, where would they play? |
| (Vera the Film Chic) If you were going to put together a road tour, what other local band(s) would you add to the lineup? |
| (Boomer Muth) I would have to say that a dream show would be opening for U2 at Madison Square Garden. There are a lot of other dream shows as well. That's just one scenario. |
| (Vera the Film Chic) I am a professional model and if you ever need a hottie for one of your music videos I am available! I'm a professional foot model and can do the "Milkshake" dance. |
| (Boomer Muth) Vera, We will be recording our first music video at our CD Release Party at the National in Richmond on September 19th, so please show up with your feet and your Milkshake dance, go to the front row, and we will make you famous. |
| The Richmond Buzz Presents the 2008 Men That Rock. Peter Beliaev, Jason Masi, Boomer Muth, and Joe Tann are this years' selected artists. TRB would like to acknowledge the talents of local Richmond singers and musicians. Join us in celebrating the wonderful talent Richmond has to offer and support these artists by going to a show. Featured Artist: Boomer Muth (from the band Copper Sails) |
| Album Release at the National on September 19th |