Interview: Crow Follow on the making of ‘Red Velvet Radio’
Tim Sprague and Agent Judy discuss their debut Crow Follow disc, how it came together, and the creative environment from which is spawned
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Photo Credit: Kelly Davidson Studio
There’s a moment midway through Red Velvet Radio, the debut album from Boston urban cabaret and velvet shaman swamp rock brigade Crow Follow, where things slow down for just a moment and take on a reflective and somber tone, as if the band collectively stopped looking outside the window on the long journey that is life and suddenly peered within. That moment comes across five moody minutes during the appropriately titled “The Ride of Our Lives,” and surfaces squarely in the middle of the record – a divider line for a collection of 10 songs that show off a sound less concerned with any destination but rather with the journey it took to get there.
Because what comes before and after that track are two sides, not necessarily in any order, that display the creativity and craftsmanship behind an eclectic, weathered album set for streaming release on Friday, September 30, the same night Crow Follow presented it to the masses life from the stage at The Square Root in the Roslindale neighborhood in Boston. To find a place like Rozzie, as the locals call it, one has to know where to look. And to understand how Crow Follow got to the point of Red Velvet Radio’s long awaited release, one has to look in several places all at once, the core of a songwriting partnership by co-conspirators Tim Sprague and Agent Judy.
The 10 tracks on Red Velvet Radio reflect a journey that’s still ongoing, a process that began before the pandemic and still shakes out across stages. To document Crow Follow’s current standing in their own sonic forest, the album represents a broader snapshot of creativity and collaboration, one that has seen the pair of songwriters open their melodic vaults to others. This is a band rounded out by integral players that act as glue between Sprague and Judy: John Keegan on baritone saxophone (a defining force in “Iron Bottom Sound”); L. Ramona Herboldsheimer: on drums (whose addition solidified and elevated the project’s focus); and Carolyn Jean Corella on bass (locking in a low-end groove that permeates through every track).
Beyond that, additional contributions make Crow Follow more of a living, breathing force than simply a band: Amy Gee on bass and vocals; Ruby Viens providing a vocal counterpunch on “Indiana Line”; Linnea Herzog on guitar and vocals; Peter Danilchuk on the esteemed Fender Rhodes; and Rich Gilbert on Hammond Organ.
The title Red Velvet Radio refers to a magical feeling connected to darkness and music, a throwback to a time when music had to be sought out, and when found, comforted the soul as a direct line from a radio DJ to the listener. Each track on Red Velvet Radio tends to evoke a certain type of picture, story, and vibe that has the ability to transport and transcend. The album’s artwork, designed by Judy, furthers this notion – a blend of grit and tech that represents the Crow Follow sound and character. She assembled it based on an actual radio bought off eBay, then copied in foamcore, red velvet, and glue, photographed and edited with layers of images in Illustrator. Judy calls it an “amalgam of the material and digital world,” and it’s a portal into the music cased inside.
To go deeper into their world, we caught up with Tim Sprague and Agent Judy to explore the depths of their debut disc, discussing its themes, creative songwriting origins, musical DNA, and how to spread the glue that holds it all together. Read into it all below.
publi*sist: How good does it feel to finally release this album?
Tim Sprague: It feels pretty darn good to have gotten to the point of releasing Red Velvet Radio. Lockdown split the making of Red Velvet Radio into two widely separated groups of recording sessions. There was a stretch when we couldn’t even get into New Alliance to track. We tried different strategies, Band 4 Band backyard collaboration video shoots, Once Virtual Venue productions, and releases of singles, to keep the music moving forward. We even recorded and mixed “DOOM BUGGY!” remotely in collaboration with Linnea’s Garden and Ethan Dussault at New Alliance. To be part of the Boston Music recording renaissance on the other side of midnight is a liberating, exhilarating experience.
Agent Judy: Insanely good. Kinda miraculous. Huge. But also like it happened a while ago now. Like watching waves on the ocean; this one washed over us swimming in deep waters a while ago. Now we’re already exploring new waters and it’s crashing on the shore behind us as we’re turning around to have another good long look. I’m very, very happy and proud, and also kinda stunned.
Let's talk timeline: When did the album start coming together, and was there a point in the process where the band felt it had enough material for a proper LP?
Sprague: To be honest, the timeline for this album is a bit of a blur. Like most startup bands, we moved through a bunch of members as we were warming up the engine. Agent Judy and I had the intention of recording from the start of Crow Follow. We are both songwriters, and as such, it is pretty much part of our essences to bring these tunes to life, and their natural habitat ranges from the studio to the stage. I had this smarty pants idea that the best modern strategy was to release songs as singles, one at a time. Lockdown pushed us in that direction, but Agent Judy always said “I want an album!” and she had the right idea. In 2019, as soon as we had locked in Ramona on drums, it became clear that we had the solid foundation to manifest our sound in the studio. We went in and over a series of sessions, we worked out the first five tunes. Then the pandemic hit, and during the lockdown we managed to put out “DOOM BUGGY!” with Linnea’s Garden. As lockdown eased up, we were fortunate to bring Carolyn Jean Corella on board with her majestic bass skills. As soon as we were able to get back in to record again, we tracked the rest of what has become Red Velvet Radio.
Judy: I can’t seem to remember when we first went into the studio. 2018? Tim and Ethan (Dussault, engineer) may know. The vision assembled itself bit by bit. I knew from jump I wanted it to be an album. We had four songs done and a couple more started when Covid came. It descended so fast that we just stopped, like everything did. On Friday, March 13, 2020 everything just stopped. Tim wrote and produced “DOOM BUGGY!” remotely during lockdown. Eventually we went back to the studio, gradually. By then we really knew what we wanted to do. We did have to make some choices, but the songs on the album were the ones that were ready. They scanned our timeline from before Crow Follow’s inception to newly written. They display the musical and instrumental range and dynamics that are central to our sonic goals. The album carries messages of the times we’ve shared and illustrates our experiences and thoughts in art and sound. That’s the theoretical view. The practicality of that involves grinding out tracks, one by one, and keeping each true to the essence and then blending them without mercy until the potion is mixed.
The LP has six previously released tracks and four new songs: What can we expect from the new stuff?
Sprague: With Agent Judy and me continuing as writers on the second phase of Red Velvet Radio recording, we are still pushing the vibe and intention that Crow Follow started with. “Follow the Crow”: As the crow flies into the heart of the forest, where our deepest memories and feelings dwell, we strive to have the courage to follow and bring back the songs that are a bit harder to write, and a little scarier to perform. Not because they are spooky, but because they are linked to those deep feelings that we all share. After the struggle with Covid, I feel we were even more committed to bring these tunes to life.
Judy: I’d be curious to see if anyone could pick out which four were the first. Except “DOOM BUGGY!”, which has some pandemic references, there’s really no specific change in the writing or execution of the material. Some of the songs we recorded after covid had been written before. Evolution is the nature of art, so when I look at them in some sort of sequential order, there is an incremental upping of our game, new twists of instrumentation, harmony, and arrangements. That building sophistication continues to expand us creatively. You could say it started with “Cadillac” and ended with “Indiana Line”, but the road is not a straight line and we spiral a lot.
How do the older songs fit together with the new on the album?
Sprague: When we went back in the studio, we had a cohesive vibe that benefitted from our experiences. Judith has upped her game on the guitar and I think I got more courageous in my lead playing so “Ride of our Lives” and “Brambles” have a thicker, almost psychedelic vibe to them. We also learned from the “DOOM BUGGY!” experience, and opened up to session collaboration, with the ‘Legendary Rich Gilbert’ adding a touch of Hammond to “Brambles,” and Peter Danilchuck bringing some glittering funk with the Fender Rhodes on “Iron Bottom Sound.” “Indiana Line” was a new animal, with an aggressive drive born in the hurly burly of a practice jam, and lit off when Ruby Viens copped the counterpunch poetry. These new joints are well set off with the spare yet lush cabaret vibe of a tune like “Copper Flowers.”
Judy: This thing took long enough that we evolved as we made it. We had a change of personnel along the way. Also we started it before Covid. For over a year the band only got together twice. We had band practice in the driveway in 2020. We also shot an outdoor video. But we didn’t get back together in the studio for a long time. Tim did “DOOM BUGGY!” as a fully digital production with contributions from Linnea Herzog and Amy Gee, who was our bass player before Carolyn Jean Corella. I did my parts in Tim’s office. Everyone else sent files. The way it blends into the flow of the album is evidence of the cohesive stylistic threads that weave the band together.
More to the point of your question; I can't seem to identify a hard line between the four we recorded before covid and the other six. Songs are living things. A recording grabs a snippet of that life, but it was different before and will continue to evolve through live performances and new ways of listening. It’s never the same twice unless it’s a recording. So those songs have continued to mature. An album is a snapshot of a creation.
Is this a cohesive record or more of a "greatest hits" compilation?
Judy: Red Velvet Radio is an assemblage of work representing Crow Follow’s cumulative growth over a block of time. It’s a weaving of early compositions pushed through a filter of current ideas and new compositions exploring those ideas more directly and with greater capacity along the way.
What are some recurring themes, both lyrical and musical, that run through the album?
Sprague: The album’s title Red Velvet Radio refers to a magical feeling connected to darkness and music. Alison Steele The Night Bird would come on WNEW late at night, and start her show with the Moon poem by The Moody Blues, and then cruise through the deepest meditative psychedelia you could imagine, bands like “Tonto’s Expanding Head Band” and the like. As a kid I felt like my bed was a magic carpet flying over the city to some mysterious castle, fueled by the music and the Night Bird’s voice. This was pre internet, so the visuals were all internally generated by the songs. Later, I worked in a photo lab, loading film for 2, 3 hours at a time in total darkness, with WMBR’s Late Risers Club and The Mystery Girls blasting punk rock. Again, the pictures were all in the mind. All the tunes on Red Velvet Radio tend to evoke pictures, stories, and vibes in those ways.
Judy: We joke about some of these. There are multiple references to rides; Long Ride, Ride of Our Lives. What’s a ride? A journey, a way from one place to another. While we are living, on the ride, what we feel, see, and do along the way is the story. Our lyrics often include observations of the landscape of our lives as we travel through. Themes of urban undergrounds, industrial wastelands, and natural wonders abound. The ephemera of a society in flux can make great lyrics, just look around, the things you see. Busted porcelain, spilled ink; mundane objects signal culture and settings. As lyricists, Tim and I share a penchant for sideways descriptions of experiences and emotions via environmental evidence.
There are consistent themes of gatherings, of the places where people gather, of nature and corruption, of dismay and determination, of dedication, action, scratching for hope, the power of creativity, and, of course, love.
Is there a certain mood or vibe Crow Follow is going for with this collection of songs?
Sprague: Looking at Red Velvet Radio as a whole, in the lyrics I can sense the vibe of journeying, seeking out the magical spaces where the joys of camaraderie and discovery are nestled. Sometimes that journey is stark, and requires some courage. Musically, there’s a loping, slow spine swaying groove to the tunes. We also try to leave enough air in the arrangements so the listener can breathe into the music.
Judy: We are relentlessly hopeful with a sometimes grim but determined take on things. That pretty much describes my own life view. Hope is a decision I make. My intention is to examine the roads to our betterment as people, as part of the earth. I could examine other things, but this is where I'm putting my attention.
Along the way, we observe the environment we’re in. There’s no point in ignoring challenges. There they are. That includes telling stories of our pasts and our losses and our loves. It may include abstract lists of objects by the side of the road, lost resources, flirtations, ragged people and places, deserted belongings, longings for justice in the world, and examples of the real life consequences of its increasing scarcity.
We are living through strange times. The recent pandemic, the rise of economic inequality, and social injustice have challenged us as artists to explore our world and share what we see; our own tiny perspective. We try for a multifaceted view of our experience to mirror our lives and maybe discover better ideas about how to live; go for a better ride. The lyrics are sometimes abstract, but they leave a tangible impression.
Parallel to the challenges of our times are unprecedented advances in science, social action, and the arts. Every day I see remarkable, innovative things happening all around us. Art in its many forms increasingly explores society in novel and contemporary ways. There is plenty to hope for.
The mood is hopeful with a rational eye on circumstances.
What are some personal favorites or highlights from the album?
Sprague: Personal favorites? Every time I hear John Keegan’s sax intro to “Copper Flowers” I get a rush like I am sinking into some cozy couch beside the stage in an underground bistro off a little street in some European city. “DOOM BUGGY!” always gives me a thrill because I remember how hard it was to bring everyone’s home brew diy tracks together to build that romp.
The psychedelic afternoon sun shining on “Ride of our Lives” and the slow patient burn to that final chorus with the chunking rhythm just makes me feel like I’m in Central Park at some massive Be In! Every time Crow Follow gets together, we feel stronger and more bonded. We are always learning. There are always new ideas percolating, and we are often challenging each other to up our game. I am excited to see where our next set of songs will take us!
Judy: Personally, I achieved so much in the making of this album. It’s my first album. I’d had a few studio experiences but nothing so concrete as this. I never would have imagined it. I am so delighted and grateful. This is for me a major achievement and I am fulfilled by it as nothing else has ever done.
I have returned to guitar playing which I had neglected til the last few years. In the course of this production I further explored my primary musical obsession with harmonies and I’m gratified by our vocals and arrangements. I’ve added to the percussive sounds we use, and that’s been fascinating and satisfying and a lot of fun.
I designed the album cover, and that was a project I really took to heart. I still get a thrill when I look at it. It integrates the blend of grit and tech that represents our sound and character. I assembled it in stages, starting with an actual radio I found on eBay that I then copied in foamcore, red velvet, and glue. I photographed that and then built layers of images in Illustrator. I’ve always been drawn to amalgams of the material and digital worlds.
The songs that Tim and I each write overlap musically enough to generate a consistent and multifaceted sound. We also benefit from the expansion of our stylistic spectrum that we access as a unit. Each member of the band weaves a thread. Everyone in this band reads lyrics, which I really love. They know what they are thinking about while they’re playing. That sinks into every note, influences tone and volume. Messages are built in the subtle undertones as well as the direct lyrical passages, melodies, and rhythm. It’s all woven in.
What’s some notable stuff to mention that we haven’t yet talked about?
Sprague: No album is created in a vacuum. I am grateful for the support and advice from friends like Linda Viens, Randy Black, Emily Grogan, Kelly Davidson, Michael Marotta, Catherine Capozzi, Marc Platt, Kristina Kehrer, Linnea Herzog, Walter Sickert, Thalia Zedek, Edrie Edrie, Matt Zappa, Nathan Logus, Phillipe Doucet, Charles Glazier, Tony Savarino, and Justine Covault.
Judy: Crow Follow’s instrumentation evokes the vibe of the messages and stories the lyrics describe. Everyone seems to feel the driving force that is beneath us. The melodic and chaotic horn, the relentless drums, the pounding and tuneful bass, the harmonies on the edge of dissonance, the guitar that moves from spare and dulcet to discord and heartbeat. Contradiction seems to model the world we live in. Paradox is sometimes the most accurate observation, and we instinctively exemplify it in our sound. We discuss the way sounds reflect reactions. How hard you hit it, when to drop down, when to expand. Music is a vehicle for expression and we continue to develop our skills and clarify our observations to better describe our viewpoints in the medium of sound.
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to create and share art and music. Having the bandwidth to invest in this kind of work is a treasure, and not taken lightly. Many people, to whom I am deeply grateful, have inspired, supported, and shared in the creation of this album and in my own growth as a musician. Among them are such artists as Thalia Zedek, Linda Viens, Emily Grogan, Randy Black, John Cremona, and many more whose work propelled my own drive to create music, and empowered me to do it.