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The Bomb Squad
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articles/contests
"About two weeks after losing in the final ten in LA, we got a call from Dick Clark's office...they only told us that we were going to be able to compete in the final three in New York City a couple weeks later. It began to feel like we were destined to win it all, because it was like we were playing the championship game with home field advantage."
"As far as the 'funk' side of things, that's just one aspect. That is where things begin with the groove in our music, but it doesn't end there...The most important thing is to just keep it loose and be open to everything..."
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1.14.05
Droppin' Bombs of Joy: The Bomb Squad Reflects on Its Rise to Prominence
by Bill Clifford
So you say you want to be a rock and roll star? This may be a tired cliché to be sure, but it's a fitting introduction for an American Music Award-winning funk band. The nine-piece ensemble called The Bomb Squad came together on stage at New York's Irving Plaza in 2001. Guitarist Ian McHugh (AKA Q of the band EMCQ) asked singer Jen Durkin, who had previously held down vocal duties for fellow funk powerhouse Deep Banana Blackout, to fill in for Javier Colon, who was on the road singing with the Derek Trucks band at the time. The rest, as they say, is history.
Along with seven other full-time members, McHugh and Durkin lead one of the most original, soulful, and deeply funky bands to have come out of the Northeast's improvisational music community. In 2003, after releasing just one CD, The Bomb Squad was chosen by a combination of online voters and industry veterans to receive the third annual Coca-Cola New Music Award. Musictoday journalist Bill Clifford caught up with Ian and Jen before a sold-out homecoming gig in New Haven, Connecticut.
Musictoday: It seems odd that a band so deeply rooted in such a non-traditional genre would even be interested in an award such as the AMA. Which member of your band submitted your music in the first place?
Jen Durkin: We didn't. Our fan and friend Lencia Payne had been working for CMJ as a volunteer for several years, and she sent in a two-song demo and the press kit that we had. She was a gigantic impetus for us to go and get involved with the contest.
Ian McHugh: We didn't officially make the top three when we went out to LA. We didn't come in the top three. We flew home the next day defeated, thinking, "Well, okay, at least we went out there, we had a good time, met some people." And we had a call about two weeks later saying that there was a little complication with the way the contest went down, and that we were actually in the top three.
Mt: What "complication" filtered you into the top three of the award after initially not making the cut?
IM: We were actually never told what happened. About two weeks after losing in the final ten in LA, we got a call from Dick Clark's office saying that one of the other acts had been forced to withdraw from the contest. They wouldn't say why, they only told us that we were going to be able to compete in the final three in New York City a couple weeks later. It began to feel like we were destined to win it all, because it was like we were playing the championship game with home field advantage.
Mt: Once you were chosen as the winner, what was the prize you took home? Did you get instruments, studio time, money? And what have you done with the prize?
IM: They flew us out [to LA], put us up in a hotel across from the Whiskey A-Go-Go, and led us down the red carpet. Besides that, we won a whole hell of a lot of Bomb Squad exposure. They said like 40 million people tuned in to the AMA's in the U.S. Our performance aired internationally, as well. And we knew that because, in the weeks following, we were selling hundreds of CDs each day from online sells. The orders were coming in from across the board — Australia, France, Germany, Korea, England, Denmark, and all over the United States. So many people asked us in the days following the awards: "did you get signed yet?" or "did anything happen yet?" It's like, you're missing the point here. Of course something happened: we performed in front of millions of people in one sitting. Not to mention the fact that we interviewed on almost every major market radio station that was broadcasting live out of the Shrine Auditorium for the AMA's. Before then, we didn't have a manager; we were totally self-made. In the months following, we spoke with almost every label, management company, and crooked attorney the music industry has to offer, and we were offered some deals, but we chose to stay independent until the right deal came along. Sometimes, the industry tries to push you into being something that you're not. What we do, and how we do it, is everything to who we are. We aren't going to change our whole vibe just for a few bucks or some record deal that would probably never pan out. We were patient and waited for the right situations to present themselves. Now, we have a manager that worked closely with Paul McCartney, a lawyer that also represents Megadeth and Billy Joel, and a producer that has worked with everyone from Madonna to the Rolling Stones and Britney Spears, but we only choose to work with these people because they liked where we were coming from. Instead of trying to mold us in to some pop-punk-emo-rock flavor-of-the-day whatever band, they were more interested in taking what we were and diving deeper into those roots. In summary, I think worldwide exposure to new fans and the opportunity to build an increasingly strong management family is what we got out of the New Music Award.
JD: Especially the radio. The day in between our tech rehearsal and the actual shooting, we spent the entire day getting interviewed by radio stations all over the county — probably about twenty-five — both rock and hip hop stations. We met really, really great DJs and got to play our music live on the air and talk about it with people from New Orleans, Chicago…and all in the same room! And that experience was…that was thousands and thousands of dollars worth of radio promotions right there that we got to do in one afternoon, so that was a big plus.
Mt: You've talked about yourself as an independent band. Can an independent band survive in today's marketplace without a major label and corporate distribution?
JD: You know, when you figure that we've gone to the trouble to completely produce the record on our own dime, we deserve to make half. If somebody's going to make it available and promote it, okay, you deserve the other half of the pie, because those two things can't really work without each other. And I think publishing is a thing that they've got to get on top of, as far as keeping track of the digital plays and what's getting downloaded and stuff like that. That, I think, will become a new source of revenue, if it's handled properly. I think there has never been an easier or better time for independent artists to promote themselves and to use the Internet and the digital downloads for exposure that they could never get before this. Some people see it as the end of an era, but the old way of doing things — spending a million dollars on a record — it just doesn't make sense anymore when you can do it so much easier and cheaper, so people can start making money on the back end right away.
On November 24, 2004, the band released its second CD, Bomb Squad II. While this new recording retains the band's elemental funk roots, it expands into individual band members' influences. Cuts such as "Rip It Up" and "Starbanger," both co-written by Durkin, come across with a heavier, rocking sound, while "El Stinko" and "Do Whatcha Gotta" delve into Latin funk. Even though "Maybe" and "NYC Song" take on quite a pop flare, tracks like "Big Hot Money Spot" and "Rise" leave no doubt that The Bomb Squad is a funk band at heart. Furthermore, II has the polished edge of a band maturing in the studio together, the result of working with a professional producer such as Jimmy Bralower.
Mt: What role did Jimmy play in the recording of Bomb Squad II for each of you individually, as well as for the band as a whole?
IM: A great music producer is kind of like a musician's counselor in the studio. His attitude and enthusiasm should create a spark in the room. I knew Jimmy was a great match the first time I spoke with him. He has such thoughtful ideas and really understood where we were coming from. He asks all the right questions in pre-production and knows how to get the answers on the record. It was an exciting process. First, he broke the songs down to their most simple form (acoustic guitar and vocals), and we worked on the bare bones. Then, he sat down with the rhythm section (guitar, bass, drums, and keys) and talked about grooves — pocket — and made sure the drums were really driving the song the way he wanted. Next up, he sprinkled in the horns, and, at the end, we added the vocals back on top again. It was a great method that brought the most out of the song. Jimmy is all about catching a vibe on record. Most importantly, he understands personalities and is sensitive to each member's creative force. He is a nice guy, but commands respect and drives you to be the best.
JD: He was very encouraging. Believe me, I get sort of down on myself the more I sing something, and the more I…I want to sing it again cause it wasn't good. "I could do better! I could do that all night." So he was just very encouraging like, "No, no. That was really…" You know, "I'm sure you could do better, but hey, that was great!" And sometimes you need somebody like that. To make you not sit there and do it a million times, because sometimes you do it to death, and it's not as good. Sometimes, the first take is the one. And its funny 'cause we'd go back and we'd listen to some of the first takes and go, "Ah yeah, it was a little fresh there." And he was right, so he was a tremendous help in that sense.
Mt: How did you come up with the band name?
IM: I was brainstorming for a little while about a new name. After a few weeks and a ton of ideas, Bomb Squad was at the top of the list. I kept saying, "Well, I like Bomb Squad better than this or that." Then, the night we played Irving Plaza, our first gig with Jen, I decided that we'd try the changeover from EMCQ to The Bomb Squad. Jen really took to it and started saying things between songs like, "droppin' the bombs of funk," etc. Then, after 9/11, a lot of people questioned us using that name. The bottom line is that the Bomb Squad are good guys, clutch performers who put their butts on the line to save the day. It's really not unlike using the band name the Police. We definitely aren't trying to conjure up any bad vibes whatsoever. I like names that sort of put an image in your mind without hearing the music. You hear the words Bomb Squad and right away you think "bad-ass." Our music is hard hitting. You want a band name that people will remember. Bomb Squad is certainly hard to forget. It's simple, to the point. There are nine of us on stage; we're definitely a SQUAD. And the songs are the Bombs, but in a good sense of the word, like a homerun or touchdown.
Mt: Whose idea was it to call the CD BSQD II (especially since there is not a BSQD I), as opposed to using Big Hot Money Spot, as it was first thought to have been called?
IM: Actually, Jen came up with the title BHMS, and she and I had been speaking for some time, really since the first album came out, about calling the second record Big Hot Money Spot. In fact, I ended up writing a song based around the idea. It's the lead track on the album. The management of the band suggested that we call it something more general and broad, something more appropriate for a wide audience. I decided that II would be cool, not only because I'm a Zep fan, but also because it signifies that there was a first album and that there will be more to come!
Mt: Which of the songs on this new release are you (as a singer) the most proud of and why?
JD: I really like to sing "Starbanger," which is kind of about somebody who is living his or her life ultimately just to be a star, or at least act like one. [laughter] You know, it's a funny kind of song. Of course, it's totally not a serious song at all, but at the end of it, I threw some real metal screams into it that I'm really especially proud of. And "Rip It Up," of course. It's a historical party song. It's like the penultimate end-of-the-night song, and again more metal screaming, what I like to talk about as total harmonic distortion. You know, that's my vocal effect that I just have organically and it's not digital. [laughs] And I like to use it on "Supernatural," too, which is kind of a little more jazzy funk… [snaps fingers and hums a funk beat] And it's got a little more R&B funk pocket. You know? And we have a rocker, like a rockin' tune called "Come By Here," which is basically what "Cumbayah" means, and it's kind of based on the whole…it's kind of like a prayer, but it's like rock metal church prayer. [laughter] Can you tell I kind of like gospel and metal? I like the idea of, like, mixing gospel and metal, 'cause I love Living Colour. Got to meet those guys last year, wow! Awesome group of people and a huge influence on me.
Mt: Yeah, I understand that you've worked with many of your influences. What's more thrilling, being on stage with some of your influences or winning the AMA and being on stage with more popular acts and in front of a worldwide audience?
JD: Got to work of course with P-Funk — Bernie Worrell, George Clinton, Original P. Gotten to work with some of these guys that were musically huge, writing-wise, huge influences like…I remember writing the lyrics to "Supernatural" ten years ago after seeing George Clinton. So, I've gotten to play with some of the major league guys, you know? Some of that stuff was more thrilling than the AMA's. I have to be honest. The AMA's is, like, commercial television, and there's, like, lots of people there that you're not really that impressed with their abilities yet. I mean, how can you really even compare some of the music that gets made by fifteen-year-olds to, you know, guys like Alan Jackson and what was going on that night with Outkast. That stuff is so much better than Britney Spears and the Hillary Duff stuff, you know? Musically, being on stage with influences and stuff like that…that was more of a thrill to me. Opening up for James Brown — that kind of stuff — was more of a thrill to me probably than being on commercial television in front of millions of people, because of the whole musician aspect of it and having been obsessed with these people and their music. It's just intense.
Mt: Do you think your audience, especially some of the younger fans, has an understanding of your respective influences? An appreciation for what "funk" is?
IM: It really comes down to such a broad spectrum of influence, from classic jazz right down to metal. I have heroes that have influenced me over time, and my list continues to grow. If I had to give a list I'd say Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Steve Harris, Wes Montgomery, and Gray Sargent, to name a few. As far as the "funk" side of things, that's just one aspect. That is where things begin with the groove in our music, but it doesn't end there. The young fan thing is very interesting. Yesterday, my sister had our first CD on, and her little baby daughter, who is only two years old, was dancing around singing all the words to her favorite song, "Sophistafunk." But not only was she singing words, she was singing horn lines and nailing all the drum hits. It was unbelievable! Now, she has no understanding whatsoever about where our roots come from, whether that is funk or soul or rock or whatever, but she was connecting with the track. And that, to me, is everything. The most important thing is to just keep it loose and be open to everything — all kinds of music. You'd be surprised at what you end up liking if you keep an open mind.
JD: Funk is about space, so we try to make, I think, a lot of space in the music. In the studio process, you're in the mixing of it and figuring out, "Okay, maybe the horns and keyboards are playing the same note and the same rhythm here. Let's move that — create some space in the sound." You know? I think it makes it more danceable. 'Cause you know how if something gets too noodle-y and you're off to the races, it ends up being musical masturbation all night instead of like… [snaps fingers and sways in rhythm] You know people laying down a…well, that's what funk is! That's why people come out and dance. It's very dance-oriented music.
In November of 2002, Durkin gave birth to a daughter, Cheyenne Rose. Both she and McHugh expect 2005 to be a banner year for The Bomb Squad. With Durkin's charismatic stage presence and deeply soulful vocals atop this nine-piece band's tremendous tightness, here's betting it will be an explosive year for The Bomb Squad!
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