Rock n Roll Chicago Podcast
The Rock n Roll Chicago Podcast is a weekly podcast that interviews bands and musicians from the Chicago area. The podcast is hosted by Ray Bernadisius ("Ray the Roadie") and Mike Metoyer ("Hollywood Mike" of Cadillac Groove, Mike & The Stillmasters). The podcast covers a wide range of topics, including the history of rock n roll in Chicago, the current state of the scene, and the challenges and opportunities facing musicians today.
Founded in 2019 by Ray the Roadie and Paul Martin, the two co-hosted the show until 2022. In 2023 Ray was joined by Mike Metoyer as the new show co-host.
The Rock n Roll Chicago Podcast is a great resource for fans of rock n roll and musicians alike. The podcast is informative, entertaining, and inspiring. It is a must-listen for anyone who loves rock n roll and wants to learn more about the Chicago music scene.
Here are some of the things you can expect to hear on the Rock n Roll Chicago Podcast:
Interviews with bands and musicians from the Chicago area
Discussions about the history of rock n roll in Chicago
Information about upcoming concerts and events
Tips and advice for musicians
And much more!
If you're a fan of rock n roll, or if you're just curious about the Chicago music scene, then you need to check out the Rock n Roll Chicago Podcast. You can find the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and other major podcast platforms.
Show your support of the podcast and visit our Swag Store. Just click copy and paste this link in your browser: https://tinyurl.com/yr5pa7zt
The Rock n Roll Chicago Podcast is edited by Paul Martin.
Theme song courtesy of M&R Rush.
Rock n Roll Chicago Podcast
Ep 46 Sunshine Boys
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Sunshine Boys are a Chicago-based trio of veteran recording and touring artists from some of the most revered bands in indie rock. Featuring Freda Love Smith (Blake Babies, Antenna, Mysteries of Life), Jacqueline Schimmel (Justin Roberts, Big Hello), and Dag Juhlin (Poi Dog Pondering, The Slugs), Sunshine Boys offer a propulsive, melodic take on pop rock.
Podcast edited by Paul Martin.
Theme song courtesy of M&R Rush.
www.rocknrollchicagopodcast.com
This is Paul Martin. And Ray the Roadie. For the Rock and Roll Chicago podcast.
How are you doing today, Ray? I'm doing great. I just got an order of masks in, all different colors, all that. It's very cool.
Wow. Yeah. Where'd you get that one from? Your neighbor lady? Masks R Us.
Oh, nice. Yeah. It's www.masks.rus. Same day shipping.
No, I'm joking. I don't want people looking at trying to look it up and say, man, you said you can get masks out there and I can't. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Now there probably is a website, Masks R Us, right? Yeah. Well, we just, today's podcast is brought to you by Masks R Us. That's right.
Make sure you send your sponsorship check. So what is today's podcast about? Today's podcast is about sunshine. Sunshine.
Sunshine, the Sunshine Boys. That's right. You're kidding.
Walter Matthau and George Burns? No, no, no. I thought they were dead. Not those Sunshine Boys.
Oh. We're talking about the band, Sunshine Boys. Oh.
With Jackie Schimmel and Frida Love Smith and Dag Julen. Oh, I know them. So we talked with them and found out that they've got a new album coming out this week.
That's what I hear. On Friday. And we actually have some cuts from it.
We actually got an advanced copy of it. Just like a real podcast, like a real radio station. Wow.
So we could like sneak peek. That's right. We will.
We will. We will be playing some of their music. So listen, and let's listen now.
Listen for the phrase that pays. No, just listen to the music. You're going to love it.
Just listen to the music. Let's see what they had to say for themselves and what they have to say about their new album. Let's go.
How are you doing, everybody? Welcome to the Rock and Roll Chicago podcast. We're meeting tonight with the Sunshine Boys, Chicago's own Sunshine Boys, I should say. We've got Jackie Schimmel on bass.
Hi, Jackie. Hello. And Frida Love Smith, who plays drums.
Hi, Frida. Hi. And Dag Julen, guitar player.
Hi. And glad you guys could make it with us tonight. And Ray the Roadie, co-host.
Oh, yes. I forgot about you. So we're glad you could join us tonight.
So much else going on. Yeah. Well, I know it's tough, but how are you surviving with this? I'm assuming you're all in well, in good health, right? Yeah.
So far, so good. So far, so good. Doing okay.
And how's the band surviving? What have you guys been doing? Have you been able to do any recording or any practicing or anything together? Who wants to tell the story of the rehearsal we just tried? Just moments ago, we attempted to have a rehearsal via Zoom and found it impossible to be in sync and made us wonder, what are we doing wrong? Because we have seen people like doing live performances via Zoom. So it's going to require some research. I just watched, before I clicked on, I just watched like a full on full gallery, like, you know, Brady Bunch style, nine people in an ELO cover band, perfectly in sync doing any and I was thinking, wow, just there's only three of us.
We should be able to do that, right? Yeah. I think, I think you have to, I think you have to record individually and then take it and edit it down. I think you need, because I'm trying to figure out the same thing of how people were doing this.
We wouldn't even be able to play. We wouldn't be able just to keep playing individually at the same time and then edit it together. No.
Do you have to, do you have to record it and then pass it to the next person? And then they, right. I'm pretty kidding. Wow.
It would probably be just like recording a song, you know, start with the drums and the bass and then the guitar. Interesting. Yeah.
That doesn't sound fun. Like there's anything else going on. Right.
All right. Well, we'll figure something out. Doug, you've got, you're, you're in a couple of bands still.
You're still with Expo 76 and that's got to be for some guys. Yeah. And we just haven't, no one's played, you know, no one can.
So, and no one can practice. We can't rehearse in the same room yet. So everybody's in the same boat, you know, just hanging out and looking at the screen, you know, and just going, Oh, what are you drinking? I'm drinking beer.
What are you drinking? Tequila. Well, I had a shot at tequila, but I've got to be my tequila come after. Okay.
Exciting water. So tell us, uh, you guys got together in 2016. Uh, how did this all come together? Kind of an interesting story.
If I, um, let's see if I can remember. We, um, there's a couple of friends of ours who are songwriters. We now have a group called the Last Afternoons.
They, um, uh, singer, Brett Nouveau and singer guitarist, Rich Sparks. They, they formed a duo and then they, they asked, uh, certain people to help them out to do a gig. And they asked Frida to play drums.
They, they, they're all friends and, um, and Evanston and Northwestern connections with, uh, Frida and Brett. And I knew those guys from other things in the past. And they, um, they asked both of us separately and we both agreed to do it.
And then there was a guy called Jason Narducci who was kind of a big shot bass player around town. He, um, was in, was asked to do it with them to sort of help them, uh, put together a group for the international pop overthrow festival. Uh, and he, Jason couldn't do it.
And I said, guys, trust me on this. Jackie Schimmel needs to play bass. And Jackie agreed to do it.
And then my ulterior motive was to get the three of us together, Frida, Jackie, and myself and play. Cause I kind of thought we'd, I thought those two would sound great together. And I thought that, that the three of us would have some chemistry.
And as we played with this other band, it became apparent pretty much right away that the three of us had something going on instantly. And, and we, we followed it from there. And I guess that was 2016 immediately began writing songs, just went right into it, went on a real tear of writing and practicing and put out blue music, our first album in 2018.
And even as that album was wrapping up, we were already starting the process of writing and learning songs for work and love our second album. So if you, if you say we've got together in 2016, here it is 2020, we've already done two albums. So we've been working a pretty fast clip these past couple of years.
Are all of you, uh, writers, all three of you write, um, the music and songs? No, uh, all the, all the material is, is dog's creation. But I think that, that Frida and I, when we, when we rehearse, there's a lot of things that change about the arrangements, over the course of that process. Um, which is why I'm really glad that for, for both of these records, um, when we've, we've, we've, we've crowdsourced the, the, the financing for them.
And one of the things that we offer as a, as a perk is a CD of the demos that, that dog created and brought to the band. Cause I think it's very interesting for listeners and not just the band members to sort of hear, here's how he created it initially. So you can compare and contrast what it was as a, as a demo and what it became on the actual album.
It's like, here's how it was created initially. And here's where the two of us felt dog went so horribly wrong. I think you might actually hear more of those kinds of changes on this new, this second set of accompanying demos, but yeah.
And, and the songs are credited to all of us because, um, the, the parts and the ideas for arrangements, uh, and everything else about the song, uh, is, is a total group effort, you know? So it, it just, it really, to me, it's, it's all, it's all of us contributing. I just might have come up with the chords and lyrics and stuff, but I feel like it's, it's a real effort on all of our parts. Well, I understand for blue music, Doug, that you, uh, you had a week or so of, of, uh, some interesting writing up in Michigan or something.
Um, yeah, I, I, um, and I think I did some of that for this album as well. They're just, um, uh, up in Marquette, Michigan, there's a really great library and there's, there's a family up there too. So I went up there and, and stayed for a week, um, and kind of did some kayaking and went out to a cabin, uh, nearby and just wrote and wrote and wrote.
There was something about just being away and just being essentially only focused on writing. It was, it was great. And it helped me for this record as well.
So I had the opportunity just to kind of like let things, let things out and do a lot of writing and then a bunch of recording as well too. So it worked out well. Blue music, uh, became pretty popular pretty quick.
A lot of people liked it. Um, yeah, I mean, it got, it got some really glowing reviews from people and a couple of, uh, a couple of DJs named it as their album of the year, which was really nice for us. We felt very strongly about the album.
We feel very strongly about this album too. Including my buddy, my buddy, Boris Bowden. Yeah.
Yes. He plays your stuff quite a bit. Yeah.
He's, uh, we appreciate it. Yeah. Along with Mike Lidskin, he's, he's perhaps our greatest champion and we're very, very grateful to Boris and Mike for all the incredible, uh, um, encouragement and support and airplay that they've given us.
I know Boris, I know Boris very well, and I've known him, known him for probably close to a hundred years. Yeah. And, uh, and, uh, and now he's actually, uh, uh, kind of a neighbor of mine.
So is that yeah, it's a good guy. We finally, we, we met him at one of our, I think, was it our last show? I don't know when our last show was, but we, he came out, he came out to that show at Reggie's, but I mean, I've known Boris for nearly 25 years because he was a fan of Big Hello and would come to the shows all the time. Nice.
Now, speaking of Big Hello, Jackie, uh, uh, tell, tell us about, tell us about your past a little bit and tell us, uh, what, what, what bands you've been involved with besides Big Hello? Um, well, I mean, Big Hello with, yeah, Big Hello with Brad Elvis and, and, and Chloe, uh, Orwell and Johnny Million. We, we, I was playing with them in the late nineties. Um, and you know, for the last 22 years, I've been playing, uh, with Justin Roberts, who's a musician for kids and families, um, three-time Grammy nominee, um, which is super fun.
And I'm also currently playing in this kind of metal glam band called Tiny Bit of Giant's Blood. Um, so it's, I have the full, I have the full, uh, assortment. Oh yeah, look at you, you got your, quite, quite an assortment of different musical genres that I've played.
But I mean, my, my background is I got my undergrad degree in orchestral double bass. So, uh, lots of different, lots of different kinds of music. From, from where'd you get the degree? Uh, I went to Rice in Houston, Texas.
And are you from there or where are you from? Uh, no, I'm, I'm from Chicago. I just, I just went down there for college. I see.
What about you, Frida? Yeah, I played in a lot of bands, um, starting back in the mid and late eighties. I played in a band in Boston called Blake Babies, um, that, that played in Chicago a lot and played, played all over, um, put out a few records, um, and, um, had, there's a band that kind of grew out of Blake Babies called Antenna that I played, did a couple of records, um, and then a band that grew out of Antenna called Mysteries of Life that recorded for, for RCA. Um, I've been in a few other bands, but, but, um, but yeah, it's been kind of non nonstop, um, since 1986, I think.
Are you a native Chicagoan too, or are you from the Boston area? I'm from Bloomington, Indiana, and I'm actually in Indianapolis right now. Um, I live in Evanston and I also lived in Boston, um, for those kind of four or five years when the Blake Babies were most active. Um, so I've kind of been all over, but mostly in the Midwest and now Evanston is home.
Very good. So tell us a little bit about, about this new record that, that, uh, that's going to be released, uh, this week, right? Yeah. Um, May 1st.
Uh, it's called Work and Love. Jackie, tell, tell them why we called it Work and Love. Uh, well, all of us really enjoy the, uh, the Finnish, uh, author and, uh, uh, designer and graphic artist, uh, Tove Jansson.
And she, uh, she had sort of as her, as her motto, uh, Work and Love. And it just seemed like a really good title, uh, and a really good ethos. So, uh, so we decided to keep it as our, as our album title.
Essentially, essentially Work and Love being the two things that, that people really, all that all people want, all people strive for, or basically need is, is meaningful work and love. And it just, uh, it really fit as, as Jackie said, we all, we all love Tove Jansson and it just kind of, um, doing a record is equal parts, both, you know, it's equal parts, work and love. So it made, it made real sense to us.
And, and, and, um, I don't want to jinx anything, but like most of the decisions that we make as a group, they all there, you know, it was like an instant agreement, you know, as, as, uh, as instant as, as what we were going to call the band. It just was, we were all on board and we all agreed with, with what the title meant to us personally. And so, and it was great having it, having it done so early.
We just said, we just moved through it with, and that kind of, I suppose, is in our mind the whole time, the fact that it was called Work and Love. I wanted to chime in about the release date being May 1st, because I really think that's really clear to it is that May Day is an international, um, day celebrating workers and also a kind of an ancient holiday celebrating love. So I really like that.
Yeah. It really worked on all these different levels for us. It was, it was perfect.
The fact that, that may, may 1st represents that stuff as well. So yeah. So I'm sure there's a lot of people out there that are wondering, where did the name Sunshine Boys come from? Well, they're going to have to keep wondering.
Thank you for that answer. Next question. It was, it was really, it was really, um, a joke, I think, between Freda and myself when we were talking, uh, early on when we had met that, that we had played so many different places, uh, the same places and knew a lot of the same people.
And it, it just, it was kind of this thing where it reminded us of a, of a scene from the movie, The Sunshine Boys, where these two old actors are kind of reminiscing about theaters, having disagreements about who they were, the name of the theater or whatever. It was just kind of an offhanded comment of, well, if we ever form a band, we'll call it The Sunshine Boys or Sunshine Boys. And that was sort of the last it was ever brought up.
And then it just came up and it turns out there's been hundreds of other groups called Sunshine Boys. A lot of them kind of like, um, uh, Southern, uh, religious, uh, uh, you know, groups of singers and stuff like that. And there's, I think there's still some problem, some other ones out there, but we just, you know, we went with it, you know? So you know, everybody, everybody, you know, lots of people go, you know, um, you guys are called Sunshine Boys, but two of the three of you are women.
Very controversial in that respect. Can I add something, Frida? Oh, no, I just, I really liked it. The name of our band evokes this movie about really old, even marginal singers, uh, that are, you know, maybe past their prime, but, uh, still, still working it a little bit.
Yeah. What was that again? Can you speak up? No, we've spoken to some other groups too that we've, uh, interviewed and asked how they, you know, some of them have unique names and we've asked them the same question. And a few of them said, uh, they go online, they Google the name.
If they're over a hundred miles away, good to go. They can steal the name. Yep.
Yeah. Yeah. There's definitely, there's definitely other groups called that, but we don't care.
They probably don't either. So. So you were writing these songs for the new album right after the music.
Um, yeah, yeah, no, they definitely, I, I'm, I'm trying to look over some of my, my old notebooks and stuff, but yeah, no, they, we were still recording and learning new stuff. You know, like we, you can have enough, uh, material for an album, but when it comes time to doing a show, you know, you need a little bit more material to choose from. So I just, and, and, and, and I was really, um, just so kind of happy with the way we all sounded together.
And I think I just wanted to keep these guys, keep their attention and just like keep throwing songs at them and keep learning songs and stuff. But I mean, along the way, we had some, some, some stuff to, to deal with as well. Um, Frida had a, had back surgery that put her out of commission for quite a bit.
Jackie was in the hospital, uh, sick for awhile. And, um, uh, you know, so we, we, um, we've, we've been not only working and writing and recording, but, you know, Frida changed her complete drum setup from, from being a sit down kind of four or five piece drum kit to, to standing up. So we've, you know, we've had to kind of, she's, she came back really from, from, from being almost completely incapacitated and, you know, at least not, you know, well, you can, you, you, you fill in the details.
Frida, I saw, I saw that you stood up and play, right? Yeah. That's post-surgery. I just find that, um, it really keeps me out of pain.
It feels comfortable. Um, and, and I've really, and it's, it's something that I have experimented with before and I have done in the past. So it wasn't completely new.
Um, but now it feels, I feel very subtle into that as my way of playing. And actually I've come to love it. Like I, I like the energy of being on.
I love, I love it with my bandmates. Uh, it feels a lot dance here. And, uh, I've always thought that, um, you know, a lot of innovation can come out of constraints and I kind of enjoy the challenge of working within my limitations.
I've always had limitations and we all do, but, um, but yeah, I've ended up kind of falling in love with it. I really like it. And it's, I'll tell you the load in as much, much better.
It's really like we talked about Brad Elvis earlier when we did this gig with, with them, we just watched Brad Elvis loading in card after card of drum gear and all this stuff. And, and we just thought, Oh my God, look at poor Brad Elvis. And I think he was looking at Frida and going, Oh, this is a genius move on her part.
I'm very much doubt that Brad would never want to pare down his kids. But I also, I also really put it to anybody to listen to the new record and realize that that's a snare drum, a floor tom, an electronic kick and one symbol. And what Frida has been able to do, like finding the subtleties and the versatility within this kind of kit is really amazing.
And, and it's, it's, we, to go back to how, how it was when we first started, it's, it's so, it's like so strong. It's not, it's, I don't feel like we've missed a step musically. And I love the fact that, that we can all line up at the front of the stage basically.
And, and, and as, as I say, or as everybody else said, we have this incredibly easy load in, we all fit in, we fit everything in the back of a minivan, you know, it's great. No, but it's, it's totally still rocking. I mean, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm very invested in having a very strong, you know, aggressive rhythm section.
And so there was some trepidation initially that, that, that, that, you know, okay, well, we're not gonna be able to play as hard anymore, but that has not proven to be the case at all, which it's, it's amazing. And visually, it's great. And it just, it feels, it just feels fantastic to take the stage in this powerful, unique configuration.
I just love it. I really do. Yeah.
So you played, you played the drums, even on the recording in the studio standing up? Yeah, I did everything on the, in the studio here on Working Love is, it's just the, you know, the two drums and the trigger and the cymbal, and a little bit of overdub percussion here and there, but we kept it minimal. But yeah, I think, and I hope it's still, it's still powerful. Oh, yeah, yeah.
Less can be more for sure. It's great. It's great.
And Jack and I use really small amps. We got a giant sound. I don't know.
It's like when we were, when we were opening for Juliana Hatfield earlier this year, you know, it was, it was very gratifying to see the audiences be sort of like, whoa, they were very surprised as we started our set that like, they thought this was going to be some sort of little muted affair. And that was not at all what they got. Now, Jackie, Jackie, I saw a, an eight string bass.
And the pictures, did you play that? Is that what you play regularly? It's, it's no, it's not what I play regularly. But there was one song where it's just like, when I got the demo from Dog and we were rehearsing, I was just going, this, this should sound like Tom Peterson. It should be an eight string on this one.
So, so I found a music store where the guy, Heath Jensen, who owns it, had an eight string that I could, I could borrow. And so I just, I used it on the record for that, for that one track. And that was super fun.
The very first song, I was already done. Tell us a little bit about the new album and, and, and what, what's, what's, your favorite tunes out of it? What's, what's your baby? Maybe. Well, I think, I think the right where you need it, the, the closing song is, is probably my favorite.
It's, it's the, it's the most involved, I guess, that there's just a huge amount of vocal overdubs that I did on this to sort of create a kind of a whole choir of me. And, and there's some phenomenal string parts that Susan Vells, who plays with Dog in Poi Dog, she wrote the arrangement. She's on violin and our friend Anna Steinhoff on cello.
And it just, that, that song really feels like the heart and soul of the album. And it's a, it's, it's got the longest fade out I've ever heard on any song ever. Yeah, very much.
I just, I, I just love that one. But the whole record, I mean, I realize I'm a little biased, but the whole record is great. What I've listened to, which I just, I just got it tonight.
So I didn't have a chance, but I kind of skimmed through some of it, but it's got some great tunes in there. And the acoustic guitar in every step is awesome. I love the acoustic guitar there at the beginning.
Cool, yeah. Throughout the whole song. I tuned my A string down to a G, which I never did before.
I don't know why that happened, but then a song came out of it. So that was cool. Oh, really? Yeah.
And that's also got a bunch of, some really nice strings on it. Three songs have string arrangements. Well, well, I know the last time we talked to you, Dog, you were going into the studio to do some string arrangements.
That was that session. Yeah. Right there in the city.
And what, now who all plays strings? Susan Valza, who's from Poydog Pondering, and Anna Stein, she played violin and wrote the arrangements. Anna Steinhoff is a cellist, and she's actually married to Justin Roberts, who Jackie plays with and is a friend of all of ours. And so we kind of kept it all in the family.
Tell me a little bit about A Ghost at Best. It's an interesting title. I kind of like that song.
What's the inspiration behind that? Basically, it confirms my utter uselessness without someone to keep me, just smack me around and keep me in line. I noticed you pick it up a little bit on Infinity Girl, and it's got a little bit more rocking guitar in there. Yeah, I guess that's one of the more rocking tunes on the album.
That was another song that goes back a ways. And what we did with that was we created, we did a video for that song, first ever kind of video that we've done. And that was a friend of mine called Jennifer Reeder, who's a very, she was an emerging film director globally, getting a real presence and asked her to do this video, which is a real girl power kind of song.
And she is about as fierce a feminist as there is out there and a very, has a great visual style. And she was way into the idea and the song. And we did it one Sunday afternoon at an art gallery in Evanston and a friend of ours, who's a DJ at Chirp Radio.
And his daughter starred in the role as Infinity Girl for the video. And it's a great, it's a great looking video. You know, it's a great look.
So everybody should, should have a look at that. Now you've released one song from there, right? Haven't you? Two songs prior to that. Which two, which two have you released? Um, Infinity Girl, and then another one called Summertime Kids, which, which is a song about, about, it's, it's really, it's, I guess it's written from a parental point of view about kids growing up quickly and do it as a parent, trying to see if you do all the things you're supposed to do to get them sorted.
And maybe sometimes you don't, and you can't help it, and you try to do your best, and it's not always perfect. And so, um, I found that out myself. Yeah, yeah, there you go.
So it's, it's, it's a song that Jackie and Frida, when we started playing it, they're like, or maybe I have to record it. They said, Oh, that's, that's the Fleetwood Mac song. But it's a rhythmic feel.
Yeah, yeah, it's definitely got that kind of that feel. And along with Right Where You Need It, which Jackie mentioned, which is a favorite of mine, for a lot of reasons. Summertime Kids is also up there as a favorite of mine.
So are you working on anything for the third album? Yes, I'm working on the third album. Whether or not the world will allow us to record a third album or what else is going on in our lives. But I, there was a point where I just sort of stopped writing for the first time in a couple of years, just to kind of focus on getting this record out.
And then I found myself going, Oh, geez, I don't know if I don't know if I said it all. I don't know. You know, there still might be some things that have to come out.
But we'll have to see if that if that works for us as a band and what else is going on in our lives and stuff. I wish that I wish that things were normal out in the world and that that we could be out there playing songs from this album. And we had just done a tremendous couple of short little jaunts opening up for Frida's old bandmate, Juliana Hadfield.
And they were so great for us because they confirmed all these suspicions that we had that we were, in fact, a really good band. And we went out in front of people who had never heard us before and played really well each night. And people were super into it.
And it kind of felt like just as that, like sort of level, we finally got to that level that we've been dreaming about and ready to take it to the next one. Then everything happened, you know, and we're we got this new album and we can't really kind of give it the big splash that we wanted. And, you know, it's it means a lot to us, this record.
But there's a lot going on in the world and people are focused on that. And we don't blame them for that. You know, it's just like we had this thing that, you know, that we have been thinking about and working on.
And it comes like, you know, the finish line's in sight and we're ready to play our record release show and do all this sort of promo and like say we've done it again. We have another really great record. And then people are saying, yes, good for you.
But, you know, I can't breathe, you know, so it's a different thing out there. And so we're adapting to that. We're waiting patiently for things to get better and, you know, dealing with our own personal situations, you know, where all of our work lives have been impacted.
You know, just things are different. So there's a there's a these are moments of perspective, I guess. But the thing remains, though, we have a we have a terrific album and people will get it.
It'll be out there. And, you know, it's just it's a kind of it's a it's a different world. Yes.
Yes, it certainly is. You're absolutely right about that. And it's very disheartening.
Yes. And like you said, you just don't know where it's going to go or what's going to become of it. We're we're happy.
We're very fortunate in that our record was crowdfunded completely and generously. And so and we got all of that in under the wire before everything happened in school. And so people are going to still get their copies of the record and, you know, but we just had these little kind of other things that people could do, like, hey, let's go out and have drinks with the band or let's do a house concert.
That stuff has to wait until until whenever. But we maybe maybe maybe a nice album is just our gift to the current situation. And maybe it's just going to be something that people will will maybe it'll maybe it'll make people feel good on an afternoon when they listen to it.
I don't know. You know, absolutely. Well, we're we're privileged here at the Rock and Roll Chicago podcast to be able to.
God damn right you are. Yes, we are. Yes, we are.
To be able to to to play a little snippets from from your new album that's coming out this Friday, March 1st. And and I have one I have one more question for you guys that I saw on your website. I was looking through some of the pictures, which which which I used to love to do with albums, you know, especially double albums.
And you open them up and read about the bands and and read about everything. But but I saw it sounds like there's some pictures on your website as I was listening to your music. And and I saw a picture of a note that said quick verse, chorus two times single.
OK, I want to know what I get the quick verse, the chorus two times. What the hell's single? I'm going to let you take this one. Yeah, you should tell us.
I don't know. Oh, come on. Don't tell me that.
Well, I'll give you a little more background. So we were recording work in love. We recorded it at Northwestern University where I work.
We were able to get into a beautiful recording studio there. At where? At Northwestern University. Northwestern.
OK. Yeah. And the week before we were in the studio, Northwestern hosted a pre-college program.
So like high school students program called Cherubs. And they were in the studio doing different work. And they left that message on the board.
And I just found it beautiful. And I assume they will finish. I don't know, but I just was obsessed with that.
I looked at it all week and then finally I took a photo to say about it. I love it. I love it.
Somebody out there. So there's a group of kids that knows what Fingle means and it means something to them. Maybe it was an inside joke from camp.
It was like a camp joke. Remember now? Band camp, right? It means something to us. And I'm happy just to have our own version of our own meaning of Fingle.
Yep. Since we're all socially distancing, where socially can people find the Sunshine Boys? Well, sunshineboys.net is the website. And of course we're on Facebook and Sunshine Boys is on Twitter, but there's a link for band camp, which is where the record will be available on May 1st.
And coincidentally on May 1st band camp is for one day only not collecting their portion of the sales price. So all money goes to the actual artists on band camp on May 1st. So that'd be a great way for people to buy the record that day.
Yeah. And it's only a $10 download too. So that's something.
And it exists both on CD and on vinyl as well. Yes. And on Facebook? Have we found you on Facebook? Yes, you can.
Sunshine Boys music, I think is what it is on Facebook. I think so. Yep.
Alrighty, well, thanks a lot for staying up late with us tonight. Hope we're not past anybody's bedtime. You hear those knocks? We're hanging in there.
We're old, but we're hanging in there. Alrighty, well, thanks a lot, guys. Thank you so much.
Thank you, Ray. Thank you, Paul. Thanks so much.
Good luck with the album. Well, you were right. I was.
I'm always right. It wasn't Walter Matthau or George Burns. No, no, no, no.
It was the band. Yes, it was. Yes, it was.
And some good stories there. Some great about how they wrote the songs and got into the recording studio and did their thing. But unfortunately, it can't be playing right now.
It can't be out there rocking and rolling and playing their music right now. Yeah, that's a shame. They were supposed to have a CD release party this coming Thursday.
Those are always a lot of fun, boy, to get your new music out there to the masses. And everybody was cut short and everything. And that's just another casualty.
But you can get it Friday, May 1st. You can download it at Bandcamp. It's only $10.
And they're waiving all their fees that day. The band members get 100% of the profits for every CD or download sold. So make sure you guys go out there and check out their new album this Friday.
Make sure you're always checking us out. Find us on Facebook, on YouTube, on our website, on any podcast program you use to download your podcasts. And make sure you check us out on the Road to Rock radio every Monday at 6 p.m., where they feature one of our past podcasts.
They do. They do every single Monday, like clockwork. Wow, that's awesome.
Yeah, that's a professional outfit there, I gotta tell you. Yes. Well, you're talking about us, right? Yeah, us too.
Us too. Yeah. Yeah.
All right. Well, good deal. Good deal.
Be sure to check it out. And thanks once again for listening, everybody. And be sure and go to Bandcamp and get your copy of Sunshine Boy's new album called Work and Love.
And go get your mask. That's right. Don't upset Pritzker.
Thanks for listening, everybody. Thank you. See you next week.
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