Quick Q and A with Eric McDonald (Matching Orange)
 by Kathy S-B  ·  19 February 2011

Eric McDonald is much in demand. He’s one of the most talented players in the greater Boston area and he’s been someone we’ve been aware of since he was in his teens in a band called Jaded Mandolin. One does not often see him without his mando or guitar in hand. Seems like a day or night doesn’t go by without Eric having a gig somewhere! There’s lots of good information about the band Matching Orange on their website. Here’s a video of the band doing a couple of lively reels. If this doesn’t make you want to get up and dance, nothing will.

How did you guys come up with the name Matching Orange?

Well, I’ve never really figured out the best way to answer this question. Sometimes we make a joke about a beach vacation and speedos, but I won’t go there. When this band first formed, it came from a partnership between myself and Eric Reiner our pianist. Eric had compiled a decent amount of music which he packaged in orange music folders. When we needed a name, it came up as a passing comment. Somehow we paused and have gone with it ever since.

In your bio, you list a number of different styles that affect your sound. Where did these influences come from?

Well, at this point we’ve all been playing music for a long time, and we’ve all done a number of different things. We’ve all been interested in acoustic music for a long time. I started playing metal when I was in high school, and when I went to music school for two and a half years, I did everything I could to expose myself to many different styles. Brendan has recently gotten into techno and electronica music and actually gigs as a dj. He’s also done a lot of jazz playing. Eric has been playing piano since he was seven with lots of different teachers, which has exposed him to all sorts of different things. He’s also really good at figuring things out. For instance, we had to learn a tango for a recent gig, and Eric learned, recorded and taught us how to do it, and it worked great. He’s amazingly talented in that way. I mean...there are so many places that these influences come from. The funny thing is that the three of us found each other playing traditional music. The way these influences creep in is very subtle, we hope. Basically, we’re trying to play music that feels traditional, but that allows us to experiment and exploit the musical relationships that the three of us have.

So how did you guys get together anyway?

Basically we just met around town. I met Eric through the fiddle player in my old band, Jaded Mandolin. They used to do gigs together, and we actually played with him for a while before Brendan came along. When we were looking for a fiddle player, Brendan came up. Eric had known Brendan from fiddle contests over the years. I actually don’t even remember how I knew him, but I knew who he was. We know a lot of the same people. Anyway, Brendan sat in for a gig we had and it was so much fun we asked him to join the band. We’ve been having a blast since then.

So you guys play a lot of instrumental music. But you’re playing concerts and coffeehouses. How do you make that work? Don’t people get bored?

It’s true that when you’re playing instrumental music for performance, it can be very difficult to keep people interested. For us, we have a number of things working in our favor. First of all, our repertoire includes a large number of traditional songs, and we always include these in our sets. Occasionally we’ll throw in a song of mine as well. Most importantly, though, we are playing traditional music. The energy of this style is infectious. It keeps you on your toes the entire the time. It is much more a part of people’s makeup then they realize, and it is extremely prominent in today’s world. When you go to the movies, when you’re shopping in a store, when you’re listening to the radio...this music is present. To see it up on stage in a more formal performance setting feels natural, even exciting. In addition to this, our arrangements have to be tight or a piece will drag. Using the textures we have in our toolbox, we have to create something that is cohesive but that is constantly changing. It has to tell a story without words. Luckily this music has a lot of stories to tell. I have been extremely pleased with the feedback from song lovers about our music. If we can get the emotions across, we can succeed in speaking to people without words.

You guy just put out your first CD. What can you say about it?

Well first of all, we’re extremely relieved it’s out! We had some serious delays getting the CD out. We recorded it very shortly after we started playing with Brendan, about a year and a half ago. Then we ran out of money, and it never came back. You know how these things work. Anyway, we got some extremely generous support from fans, and we chipped away at it. Finally we started selling pre-orders and that pushed us over the hump and helped us get it out. As far as what it sounds like, I have to say it’s really exciting to hear the character of the album. It’s a fine mix of original and traditional tunes, and I snuck in a number of traditional songs as well. While we have come a long way since then, this album is an excellent snapshot of a really intense time for this band. We were playing and rehearsing a lot and arranging a whole bunch of tunes. The album was mostly recorded live in Eric Reiner’s living room, so it really captures the moment well. I think it’s a great project and I’m really happy we can finally share it.

Quick Q and A with Adam Ezra
 by Kathy S-B  ·  14 February 2011

Adam Ezra Group is one of the most talked about bands in the greater Boston music scene. Music fans rave about their live shows . . . smart lyrics, tight instrumentation, and amazing energy and charisma. The AEG are not only musically driven but are passionate about changing the world one gig at a time. They are devoted to helping others and often give their time and energy to charity. This year’s partnership is with Feeding America. Check out Adam’s website to learn more about the band. Here’s a video that will give you a taste of what the band is like on stage!

How would you explain your music?

Acoustic stories and tattered rock n roll.

Where do you see yourselves in a year from now and 5 years from now?

1 year from now: Having just received a Grammy for best new artist, I will be working on developing a raging heroine addiction while dating Lady Gaga.

5 years from now: VH1’s “Where Are They Now.”

Serious Answer): So much of this business is about constantly striving for the next rung on the ladder . . . I made a pact with myself a while ago to do my best to enjoy the moments as they come, and be appreciative of the fact that I get to do what inspires me. Whether 1 year, 5 years, or 50 years from today, I will consider myself lucky if I’m still making music.

Was there a moment where you suddenly knew you just had to play music full time no matter what? Or was it gradual — like low tide / high tide?

I was working on a farm in Canada, and one night I made a deal with myself that no matter what happens, from that moment on I would live my life within music . . . SCARY NIGHT!! . . . never once regretted it.

When do you think you’ll know it’s the right time to quit your day jobs, believe in your music and hit the road?

No day jobs for us. We are already doing this full time . . . . and there is never a “right time” to make that decision, by the way. Whenever one decides to become a full time musician they are accepting the fact that, at least for a while, they will undoubtedly be poverty stricken . . . and of course, no matter how good an artist is, there are never any guarantees that things will get easier. For me though, poverty always seemed like a fair trade off in order to do what I love.

If you were a food, what kind of food would you be and why?

Hmmm . . . if I could choose, I think I’d like to be a garbanzo bean because I’d like people to smile when they said my name. . . . but in truth, I’m probably more like a beet, because I’m always staining things.

What’s been your biggest challenge as a band? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?

Many big challenges! I think being creative with five people is very hard. Can you imagine making five painters share one canvas? It’s important to find a balance, I’ve found, between letting my voice be heard and allowing others to steer the ship. This pertains to music arrangement as well as business decisions that we make as a group.

Oh yeah . . . and spending a month in a van with 4 other smelly guys . . . that’s hard too.

If you were to use your talents to create something to express the essence of the uprising in Egypt, what would it be, feel like and do?

Phew . . . finally an easy one! (har)

There are many incredible things one could focus on here, but for me, the “essence” of the latest events in Egypt stems from the power of community. When people come together with passion, vision, and respect, it shapes the world. This is true whether it’s on a momentous scale like the Egyptian revolution, or a small local scale, like a high school event I attended last Friday in which students brought together all of their friends for a night of performances and activism.

The things people can do when they connect with each other continues to fascinate me like nothing else in this world. As far as using our talents to express this, I think it’s something we constantly try to create within our fan base. Check out www.getrambled.com for our latest effort in empowering community.

Do you name your guitars? And if so, do you consider the strings children?

No names for the guitars, though if whoever wrote this question has any suggestions, I would be happy to hear them! We named our van, Daisy, on a radio show the other day in Chicago based on a caller’s suggestion. Maybe it’s time to give my guitars some names . . .

So . . . let it hereby stand that we will be taking all requests and guitar-naming suggestions at the me & thee Coffeehouse this Friday!

Quick Q and A with Mary Gauthier
 by Kathy S-B  ·  5 February 2011

Mary Gauthier is one of a kind. Her music is profound. Her life story is inspirational. She’s a songwriter’s songwriter. I did something a little different with this Q and A and I asked several of Mary’s fans if they had any questions they’d like to ask Mary. So here they are! Thanks to Amy, Clytia, Brendan, John, and Tim!

For additional information about Mary and her music, check out her website. Please take a moment to view Mary’s contribution to the “It Gets Better Project.” Mary’s message is a positive one for so many young gay people.

Do you have a favorite destination for playing music outside the US? What has surprised you about playing your music to those audiences?

I love playing anywhere people listen to my songs. I love small theatres and clubs that seat a couple hundred attentive listeners. I don’t have a favorite country . . . but this is my favorite environment to perform in. Give me this environment and it doesn’t matter to me where it is.

There’s not many surprises these day, I’ve been touring the world for a long time now and have been so many places that it’s very rare for me to go to a new city that I have not been to.

What are your writing habits like? How do you typically write a song? Do you have kind of set process?

I write when I am rested and not jet lagged. I write when I am inspired and when I am not inspired. I write at home and on the road. In hotels and at my desk at home. I go for long periods without writing, then write for weeks and weeks at a time, every day. The only thing consistent about my writing process is its inconsistency.

What is the most important thing you want to emphasize to your students when you teach songwriting?

I try to teach my students to reveal themselves, to open up all the way, to say the things most people wouldn’t want to say about themselves...to be vulnerable, to be honest. To know their songs are the very best they can write before they bring them out into the world.

What are the similarities between the restaurant business and songwriting?

Both businesses boast more failures than successes. Both businesses are very, very hard to sustain. Both present challenges that I find attractive because of their levels of difficulty.

We know that you had a successful restaurant here in Boston. Do you still like to cook? What do you cook when you want to “impress” someone?

I think that simplicity is impressive, be it in songwriting or in food. I keep it simple. There’s nothing more impressive than a homegrown tomato in the summer time, juicy and ripe, drizzled in a great olive oil and balsamic vinegar with cracked fresh black pepper and sea salt, and maybe some chopped sweet basil tossed on top. Simple, wonderful, and memorable. I see no need to get much more complicated than that.

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