Intro and where things actually stand right now [00:00:00]

Nicky P: Welcome everyone to another episode of We Came From Celluloid. I am Nicky P., here as always with the man, the myth, the legend, the brains behind the operation, maybe the heart, maybe the loins. Mr. Brian Pritchard,

How are we doing today, my good

Buddy?

Brian Pritchard: I'm good, man. Good to see you. Good to be here. Good to be connecting with, my, authentic creative self, you know?

It's been a, a whirlwind couple of weeks. But how are you? How are you this morning?

Nicky P: I am good. Obviously I've been, fairly inspired as far as things have gone this past couple weeks. I've, need to be a little bit better about my some of my business, my business side things. But, but I have been really, really motivated to learn and, try and f- see what it's, figure out what this is gonna look like moving forward with the band as far as like, you know, booking gigs, making the shows what I want the shows to be.

Brian's professional shift eating his creative bandwidth [00:01:00]

Branching out from like our current little, current little network and building something broader out into like other states and whatnot. You know, not necessarily working on a full new tour, but, getting ourselves out there a little bit more and dealing with, you know, grown-up schedules and all the other crap going on in life.

So it's been a, it's been a bit of a, a, a challenge and a life experience kinda throwing all that together.

Brian Pritchard: Yeah, you know, I, I have so much going on in terms of the professional shift that I'm making and the amount of time and attention that that t- takes. Um- And I've been looking for ways to connect, you know, on the creative side.

And, and some of that has just been as simple as, as going like, "Oh, cool," like it's nice to have blocks of time, you know, on the weekend or whatever to, watch, watch some movies, you know? Just do, do, do the relaxing things that I like that, again, as I was saying up front, even something like this, you know, that, that things that have been part of my routine, that, that, that anchor me as a person, if anything, I've just been trying to hold onto and maintain more so than even, worrying that much about...

Like a- all that to say I, I don't know that I've made any progress to speak of as it relates to our world, you know what I mean? More, more so just trying to stay in front of people, keep practices going. We've obviously, you know, made some progress with some shows. The, the show we booked in Geneva On The Lake, I'm, I'm, I'm excited about.

That just sort of popped up, you know, organically through a Facebook post and stuff like that. But, yeah, I, I, I think what happens for me is that the more routine my professional world starts to become, that needs to happen before, the bandwidth, I guess, in my brain frees up, to feel like I'm building as much as I, historically have and, and always want to.

But, yeah, there's just, fr- fragility, I guess, in my world at the moment trying to get my, business, you know, income-driving part of my world shored up.

Nicky P: Well, I kind of took that as a given, especially knowing like the... Like, people, people don't pay atten- pay attention I think enough to like how like- What might be, what might be a little change.

What feel like a little change can be a wild shift. Like, like in your instance, like your... You're not necessarily working a ton more hours, I don't think, than you would say would be normal. But the shift that everything's kind of later in the day for you really pushes out, like, a normal habit for you to be, "Hey, it's, it's the evening, let's go to a movie."

Booking research, out-of-town partner bands, and Geneva On The Lake [00:05:00]

And your- by the time movies are kind of... Y- your, your work schedule right now has kind of made that not an option necessarily. Like, unless you're catching the late, late, late show. So it's like things that would normally just be, "Let's go do this," you know, the obvious choice for you, is kind of, you know, not there.

As far as, like, you working on the, your, your, your income stuff, yeah, no, I kinda figured it went without saying that, like, right now my duty was to kinda be the driving force in all this, 'cause you can't be. And so I'm kind of working on the things that I can be, which isn't necessarily always the musical side of it.

A lot of what I've actually been doing is a lot of research on trying to find bands out of town to kinda partner with, seeing, finding venues. One of the things I've been working on is trying to find the ways in which we can synergistically utilize the fact that we have a podcast and, like, a movie-themed brand with the band.

And, that's to me, like, you know, like trying to find different cons and things to go to that may or may not, you know, line up with, different, shows and stuff. Like, as a for instance, I don't know, do you know anything about the Odd Mall? Oddmall is like a, I, I think once a month they get together and it's not necessarily con, it's like a big mall/festival of weird, like kinda kooky stuff.

Usually kinda centered around art and gaming and things like that. Definitely the kind of scene that we should probably at least get to a couple of them a year. Even if it's just to walk around and hand out stickers or something would be valuable to us. O- one of the places that they do set up is with something called Con on the Cob, which is a convention in Richfield, which is obviously like between us and Akron, so super close.

Oddmall, Con on the Cob, and cross-promoting the band at conventions [00:07:00]

And, it happens to fall on a week like, a week where is really, really difficult to get booked for bands, and particularly us. One of the other things I've been doing is, you know, looking at like what weekends are worth booking historically, you know, and things like that. Like is it worth to taking this time to go try and play a show?

And if we're gonna do it, what kind of shows should it be? Should it be local? Should we try and get out? You know, most of December they basically said don't bother trying to go out 'cause no one's gonna go to a show certainly not for an out of town band. Like, yeah, that makes sense. You know, so if I were to try and book that, like it's trying to get us, I guess, into one of the three regions of, Cleveland.

You know, we've played the, we played the west side, we've played like the south side. We don't get up into the east side much, so let's... The nut we gotta crack, I don't know if it's the Beachland or Tree Lawn or what, but I wanna get us up there somewhere. Just gotta find, I guess, the right opportunity.

Brian Pritchard: Yeah, and I, I keep coming back to, and I know we've, we've touched on it here and, and, and off mic as well, the, the minimum viable product. You know, that's, that's a, a business jargony kinda term where you're talking about, you know, it's right there in the name I suppose. It's like what, what, what is not what perfect looks like, but the minimum viable version of, of a thing that, that you can put out there and feel comfortable with.

And you and I, have talked about, but aren't currently quite at a point, like if we wanted to say, "Hey, this Friday you and me are gonna do an acoustic duo," even not having rehearsed together, if we had like a 30-minute set and you and I talked through, "Okay, we're gonna do New Soul, this, that and the other," I mean- The idea that again, you can play foundational sort of like root note acoustic stuff, you know, and that, that helps you sing and I could spice that up.

The "minimum viable product" version of Puma Thurman [00:09:00]

It would be nice to have a rehearsal or two, but even, even-

Nicky P: I'm ready whenever you are. You're the one that kind of drags your feet on that one.

Brian Pritchard: I hear you. No, no, no. I'm just saying, thinking out loud that, that like, There, there is a probably a minimum viable product version of the act that exists just as a, a duo and, um-

Nicky P: There's a couple places in mind that I'd like to play that would, would probably be the best option for us just because of the pl- like, they're like weekday gigs and I know how hard it is to get any of our other guys onto weekday gigs.

And they're places, they're not huge places either where, like, we could jump on a show as an acoustic duo would be a pretty easy deal. And I have enough connections, I could probably get that to happen pretty quickly.

Brian Pritchard: Well, I was thinking about even some of the convention-type stuff and going like, is that a viable option?

Like, can, can you sit there and have your vendor table be performance-based? You know what I mean? Or do they sit there and go like, "No, that's fucking noisy. You can't do that." Like...

Nicky P: I think for the r- I, for the record, I did actually look up, tables at Con on the Cob. I wasn't sure if that was gonna be... I wanna say they're like 75 bucks for a table up there.

Brian Pritchard: Well, it's funny 'cause even with like the crumble cookie stuff that I, I did, you know, over the last couple years, you see people at these different craft show-type events. Then again, like that's certainly, the people who are coming through those as buyers aren't necessarily people who are ever gonna go see us play live.

Can you busk at a convention vendor table? [00:11:00]

But, but, but, but the, the, the, the convention events that you're talking about would be. The, the attendees of those events, and the fellow vendors both overlapping as like a networking group, you know, worth pursuing is kind of intriguing. But I'd rather, I'd rather have an opportunity to perform, you know, if possible.

That'd be cool.

Nicky P: Well, well hey, if we're sitting at our, you know, table, I don't know who can stop us necessarily from... I mean, maybe it wouldn't be like a-

Brian Pritchard: With a PA, no, we probably couldn't bring a full PA system, but you're right. The idea that it would be almost like busking but in, in a contained indoor environment.

It's like, why the hell not?

Nicky P: You know, if we choose to sit there and sing and play acoustic guitars at our, you know, spot while people are walking by, that's, that's kinda up to us, isn't it?

Brian Pritchard: I think so. I mean, you know, I, I, I tend to almost overthink politeness stuff sometimes. But you know, y- depending who your neighbors are, it's like does it, does it inhibit their ability to conduct their, their business would be the only thing in my mind, you know, is not wanting to be a dick about it but...

Nicky P: Well, and I'm even envisioning, it's like nobody, nothing's saying that we even have to play like full songs. It could just be us, you know, like, "Hey," you know, spontaneously busting out a chorus or a verse or something to draw somebody in as they walk past

Brian Pritchard: Yeah, no, it's, it's, it's intriguing or like I've, I've certainly liked the idea, It would be a little intense in that particular environment, but I've thought about, like, in a Patreon-type setting certainly that, it would be cool to take requests.

You know? That to have, It would be cool to be at a point like I, I, I'm part of the VOLA fan club. I'm, I'm part of the fan club for a couple different podcasts where they'll have, like, a, you know, bronze, silver, gold kind of tiers, right? And it would be cool to have, like, a level of engagement and audience, that would have people, you know, again, like suggesting movies.

I like, I like the writing exercise of having that prompt, and I remember going to an improv comedy show with my dad where I was, first exposed to that idea of, like, performers coming out on stage and turning to the crowd and, and welcoming suggestions from, from a, from an audience to be like, "Come on, we'll riff on any topic.

What do you got?" You know?

Nicky P: Now that I, now that I think about it, have you... You've never actually seen me do an acoustic show, have you?

Brian Pritchard: Sure. I, I, I've come to see you perform, acoustic by yourself before for a couple hours. There was some event where your family was there. I brought my family. I, I, I have, yes.

The Halloween III: Season of the Witch bit begins [00:14:00]

Yeah.

Nicky P: I mean, that's, that's typically how my, like, standard acoustic show works is it's, "Hey, what do you wanna hear, folks?" And just throw them out and we'll see what, we'll see what sticks.

Brian Pritchard: Well, and, and again, I don't even mean existing songs. I, in, in the way that, like, I'll see people post and be like, "Hey, I need a last minute, you know, act for my retirement party, grad party, wedding," whatever it is.

And I'm thinking, like, "Okay, from a minimum viable product perspective, yes, I can come perform and be, a talented musician and razzle dazzle." But it's like that's not what they want, you know what I mean? They want you coming and going like, "I'm a jukebox full of material and can perform that material."

But, yeah, selfishly in a movie-themed engagement like that, it would be, it would be interesting to have somebody go like, "Okay, give me a song about Halloween III: Season of the Witch." And like, but, like, I would need a few minutes. That's the only thing is being like, "Okay, come back in fucking 20 minutes and I'll be ready.

Fuck off for a minute. Go round up some people. I'm gonna write the Season of the Witch song. You come back in 20 minutes." I don't know.

Nicky P: Well, you're thinking about... You're, see, you're thinking about this just, just you, buddy. You got me there. I could keep somebody talking for 20 minutes until you actually get the song ready, a whole time pulling ideas from them on what it could be.

Brian Pritchard: Well, I know, but, but, but you would have to learn the song to be able to perform it, so you can't be doing other shit. Although then, then, then suddenly we're closing off from all engagement

Nicky P: We would learn the song. They'll know half the songs we play when I play them on stage

Brian Pritchard: We'll have to pull the curtain down.

We'll have to bring a whole fucking, like, one of those army tents so that, like, when we're, when we're want to engage with people, we can, and then when it's writing time, we pull the curtain until until it's, until it's ready, until the meal has been ready to serve, you know?

The army tent curtain bit [00:16:00]

Nicky P: Well, there's that. We also have other options.

It's like, we could have, like, three or four kind of pieces ready at any given time, and then just kind of take the concept at the time and then throw it to one of the ideas.

Brian Pritchard: That's interesting.

Nicky P: Which also could be a good way to kind of, like, audition what ideas really work with the song.

Brian Pritchard: Uh-huh.

Nicky P: You know, maybe we, we play...

We, we keep the song in our back pocket like that until we come across, like, the right topic that we can just... That immediately just sells when we're doing it. You know? Like, that's the, the lyrics that really sing.

Brian Pritchard: That's true.

Nicky P: And well, that's how we know that's the one. I mean, I, I mean, to that matter, we've got probably at least fucking 10 songs that I know of I've heard from you that we don't, aren't actual songs yet, that don't have anything to them.

Brian's voice memo archive and the song he forgot he wrote [00:17:00]

You start getting into Ramsey and hats and it's all kinds of stuff.

Brian Pritchard: Whether it was for our, our long tour road trip or just, like, a family, you know, any block of time where I know I'm gonna be in the car, I'll think about, like, music playlists or podcasts or, like, other ways to, you know, what, how am I gonna entertain everybody?

But, I'd organized a list that, I thought maybe I could sneak in at some point, but never found my window that it felt appropriate. Anyway, I have, gone through a lot of my voice memos and flagged things, you know. One sort of terrifying moment re- recently, in a good way. Terrifying, that's a strong word.

But Lindsay went through, her voice memos and had something in there that she played for me that I was going like, "That's obviously me." Like, obviously unmistakably me and my writing, but I have zero recollection of it. You know what I mean? And, like, it, it, it must have ended up on her phone 'cause mine was out of battery or, like, whatever at, at the moment that, like, the idea was striking.

But yeah, it was weird. Like, it, the, the, the, there are, there are a lot of foundational things just waiting for, like, a little breath of life. You know what I mean? And, and they could be golden. So it's, it's always kinda curious what stuff like- Forces its way to the surface. I, I'd like to think a lot of times it is based on some sense of, like, quality that is insisting on itself, but sometimes it's just kind of a fluke of timing, you know?

And there have been times where I've, I've cranked out a bunch of material so fast that, like, it just didn't make sense to be like, "Okay, we're gonna learn all 10 of these songs right now." And but, like, as a result, yeah, some, some, some stuff just, like, sits in limbo. And the older I get, the, the more I wonder about, you know...

How "Labor Day" became As Long As the Snow Falls [00:19:00]

Or I, I have that certainly as a goal of going, I, I'd like to get everything officially, like, documented, even if it is in, like, acoustic form and released. That's been part of the fun of the acoustic albums I've put out with Brian. Some of that stuff turned into songs. Some of it is still only exists in acoustic form, but at least it's out there.

Nicky P: Absolutely. You know, I, I, as far as, like, what comes to pass, it's like there's always a certain amount of, like, you know, some stuff will just immediately click with me, and then there's just kind of like a natural progression of, oh, well, hey, this is already more fully formed than something else, so we just kind of push it.

You know, but then there are other songs where it's like- You know, Labor Day has always been one that kind of... That one was, just a, a force of Brian's will to make happen because for the longest time, like I just don't know what to do with this song, man. I, I don't know what you want me to do with it.

And for those who don't know, that is what became, As Long As the Snow Falls, which did turn out to be a very good song. I think we ended up c- lining up on some good melodies, but it took a lot of kind of... I think for me, this, there was so much going on in the guitar work that I, I always just, I didn't wanna muddle anything up and get in there.

And so I kinda just, I wouldn't say I was afraid to get in there, but it's like I, I just didn't wanna fuck anything up and I liked the way it sounded, so I kinda do my best to stay out of it. And it kinda took Brian stepping in and, not to say that all Brian's melodies stuck around throughout the whole thing, but like he kind of forced a way in where I could start conceiving of the song differently and see it for more than just an instrumental piece.

So, you know, it's sometimes it's just different ways that songs kind of happen. Right now, well there's certainly a different construction going on with, what I'm, I'm calling Bodhi for the moment And just, 'cause that song was, like, something you played at practice and, I liked it. I wanna work on it.

Bodhi, Point Break, and Brian forgetting his own riffs [00:21:00]

It's gonna sound very different than anything I think we've done ultimately, 'cause to me, like... Well, it's funny 'cause what, when I heard it, I'm hearing Pixies, and then I get something very different from you, like, in the actual recordings that you and Max did. And so I'm kind of, like, going back and trying to find the thing, the, the little magic that I found, and what I, like, some things that I wanted to do to it by putting those in there.

And so I haven't had a chance to lay the guitar stuff or guitar section that I, I want to be in there yet. But it's, it's just, you know, it's, it's been a very different creative process than anything else we've had, 'cause it's been kind of a work of you and me more than anything than talking to the other guitar players in the band.

So there's structural stuff that, like, I, I, I... Is gonna be different than I want. But I think it's gonna be very, v- very fun and very different to play than a lot of the other stuff because, you know, I don't write like the other guys write, and the song itself kind of just started from a different place.

Brian Pritchard: Yeah, I'm trying to even remember which song, which melodies, riffs and stuff like that you're thinking of. W- 'cause I thought the song that you'd mentioned as having a Pixies vibe almost was the Heartbreaker song I'd written for Max's wedding, but that's not the Point Break song, is it? Yeah, what's the Point Break song?

Bodhi. Damn it. Well, that doesn't tell me which one.

Nicky P: Bodhi. You remember the main character of Point Break?

Brian Pritchard: No, I know that. I know that. But I'm saying which melodies of mine are you thinking of, attached to a Point Break song? That's, that's the part that I'm actually forgetting.

Nicky P: You don't remember recording it and sending it to you with Max?

Brian Pritchard: I've recorded a lot of shit. And I'm like, "Which one is he thinking of?"

Nicky P: Yeah, no, I recorded some electronic drums in there and everything.

Brian Pritchard: Well, there was a really heavy one that I recorded with Max with electronic drums, but I'm trying to remember which one is Point Break. Damn. 'Cause there's the War Drums song, you know, that I've been messing with.

But yeah, it's okay. It's, that, that, that's, I'm sure I know the song. I just don't remember which one

Nicky P: You're talking about. I know. Well, maybe, and maybe I'm mistaking something, thinking it was something else, but it was, Either way.

Brian Pritchard: See, 'cause I remember our conversation about

That beach moment and him throwing his badge away and stuff like that, but like, yeah, as far as like what, what riffs does that go with? That's how disconnected I am, sir.

Nicky P: Well, and that's the thing, is it wasn't even so, for me it wasn't so much a riff, it was you actually playing chords for a change. It was you, you were doing something different.

I think ultimately you gave me riffs when that, when you like laid it down, 'cause that's how your brain goes, is like, "Oh, let me add the counter melodies and all that stuff to it."

Brian Pritchard: Well, I'll have to revisit that. Are we trying to talk to, our friends in Masterhand?

Nicky P: We're gonna, we're gonna end right now, folks, 'cause we actually have a recording with the guys from Masterhand that we're gonna be doing as a special episode before this coming show.

But, thank you all for watching and hanging out with us this week. Peace.

Brian Pritchard: And we're turning it into music and podcast for you