Jon Drake & The Shakes, Chi-town stirring
1.0 – What songs or artists did you really connect with as a kid?
Jim (Drake) and I rocked out to David Bowie “Diamond Dogs”, Dire Straits “Tunnel of Love”, Queen “Bicycle Race”, Bruce Springsteen “I’m on Fire”, The Waterboys’ “Room to Roam” (the whole album) and our beloved The Might Be Giants’ “Flood” in its entirety. That Waterboysrecord really struck a chord in me and is actually the inspiration behind that ad I put on craigslist when I set out to build this big scrappy band. The Springsteen records were also an important piece of the puzzle. The E Street Band, Blood Sweat and Tears, Dire Straits, and even Sly and the Family Stone were gigantic parts of my early musical education on account of my dad. In the car on the way to the cabin, along with routine family squabbles and threats to stop the whole f***ing thing and turn around, we listened to The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and all the Motown hits you can think of. “Put on your seat belt!” …I love my mom.
4.0 – Do you record live as an 8-piece or do basic tracks first and then build it piecemeal?
Isn’t every music video a concept video?