Below, you can read our interview with René and Richard of According to Bazooka. Stay connected with A2B and the exciting things that are coming next for the band on their website.
Q: Great speaking with you again A2B! It’s been a while since we’ve interviewed you, can you give us a summary of what’s been going on in the band since 2018?
René: Thanks so much for having us! When we did our 2018 interview, Richard and I were performing as a duo. Then in 2019, we were fortunate to connect with Jamie Knapp on upright bass and harmony, and Don Johnston on Drums.
Richard: Yes, and we’ve been performing and writing. We recorded two more albums: “The Devil’s in the Details” and “Swanky”.
Q: The last release we got our hands on was your 2021 album “Swanky”. How was that project received by fans?
Richard: It’s been good. We’re selling albums at shows and through band camp. One of the songs “Bakersfield” has become a fan favorite. We get requests for it every time we play.
René: We invited fans to help us celebrate the release with a “Swanky Roof Top Concert” hosted by the John Natsoulas Gallery in downtown Davis. We had the Sacramento band Proxy Moon open up. We showcased all 12 songs on the album. I designed some special “Swanky” teeshirts. People are connecting well with the songs.
Q: Since “Swanky” you’ve added a fifth member to the lineup – violinist Daphna Rahmil. What was the thought process behind expanding and are there thoughts of adding more members in the future?
Richard: No plans for more. We were not even planning on adding Daphna. She contacted us and sold us on the idea. We invited her over to try some songs and it all worked.
René: Violin has been on my mind for a while but we never had a formal search. The quartet dynamic was working really well. But then, Daphna contacted us after seeing one of our performances and asked if we’d ever want to have violin sitting in. We met up and started working on songs. With the easy vibe between us and the parts fit so comfortably into place, it didn’t take long to decide this was right.
Q: This year you released a live-performance style music video for the single “Bakersfield”. What was the filming experience like? Any more music videos planned?
Richard: The process was short and sweet. Three passes through the song and we were done.
René: I started plans for a video as soon as I felt Daphna was going to work out. I wanted to document the sound ASAP. Jamie suggested “Bakersfield” and we all agreed. I booked an afternoon at Foxtail Sound for a live mix, hired Luke Cheng as the videographer and fast tracked a video. Sac Media Center has an expansive white room that I had dreamed of using for a video, so I decided to do it the way I imagined. Everything fell into place.
We will make another video when the moment seems right. I have lots of ideas for locations that I’d love to try out. Right now, we are moving towards the next album.
Q: We also heard you submitted to the 2023 NPR Tiny Desk Concert. Can you explain how you chose which song to enter with and what the overall process has been like for A2B?
René: “Rhythm” is one of the songs that will come out on our next album. We have performed it out only a handful of times, but we felt comfortable in using as our Tiny Desk Contest Entry. The contest requires the video to have a desk, and for this year, we had fun with it and set up a tiny stage and instruments with a miniature desk. I really love the way this video came out. We filmed it at the Melon Ball Hall in Davis.
Richard: We felt the song “Rhythm” was really strong. We decided to go for it even though it is a new song for us.
René: We have entered the NPR contest every year since 2018 and usually make a homespun video recorded on an iPad. After the experience of making the video for “Bakersfield” I decided to bring in the same team for our 2023 entry. We set up all our equipment and performed as usual. It all came together really fast.
Q: Are there plans in the works for your next full-length release?
Richard: Yes! Every time we get 10 songs written, we start recording. I have 7 now.
René: We are playing the new songs for audiences and getting the feel honed in. We should be ready to start work by the end of the year. Richard keeps writing new tunes and brings them to the band where we work together. We play around with them, trying out ideas and working on the arrangements.
Q: What about live performances? Where can fans catch you next?
René: Fans can check out our website for show updates. Some cool venues coming up are Taber Ranch Vinyard in Capay Valley, The Art Boutiki Music Hall in San Jose, and Ruhstaller Farm in Dixon.
Q: What do you think the rest of 2023 holds for the band?
Richard: more songs, more gigs, and expanding our reach.
René: We keep writing music and looking to book interesting venues. We are getting a really good response to our latest material . I’m looking forward to us recording with producer David Houston at Moon Studio in Sacramento again soon. Who knows what other shenanigans we might get into!
Q: Any shout-outs you wanna make?
Richard: We really want to thank Luke Cheng, Steve O’Neill, Pamella Craven, David Houston and Art Luna to name a few. These are some of the people we work with that are helping with our success. Art Luna, owner of Luna’s Cafe in Sacramento was the first club to help us in breaking into the Sacramento scene.
René: David Houston, the producer of four of our albums, is a big influence on us and expands our creative thinking. Luke Cheng captures our vision and has become our go to photographer and videographer. Steve O’Neill captures our live sound. Pamella Craven is full of hospitality and good vibes every time we play at Ruhstaller Farm. They are some of the many people who help inspire the creative community. We have so much appreciation for the fans and all the people who support local bands.
Q: Anything else you’d like to add?
René: The band has been talking lately about how much we appreciate each other and the support in tough times. When we work on songs, rehearse and play shows, we feel happy. The songs we are coming up with for the next album will have a lot of the themes of facing challenges. We use music to help do that. Like our song “Rhythm” explains, “it’s gonna take your blues away”.
RHYTHM lyrics https://youtu.be/KufgtNYV7GM
Now ever since the world began
People love to sing and clap their hands
They’re diggin’ that rhythm (you need rhythm)
Gotta have rhythm in my day
’
Well, I told my dad when I was three
I know what my future’s gonna be
Gonna dig that rhythm (you need rhythm)
gotta have rhythm in my day
Cause rhythm is your friend
it gonna to take the blues away
It’s on your street..around the bend
it’s down the block..and then it’s back again.
Diggin’ that rhythm (you need rhythm)
Gotta have rhythm in my day
So if you find you’re feeling blue
and You don’t know just what you ought to do
Start digging’ that rhythm (you need rhythm)
I gotta have rhythm in your day
Cause rhythm is your friend
He’s gonna take those blues away
Now ever since the world began
People love to sing and clap their hands
They’re diggin’ that rhythm (you need rhythm)
I gotta have rhythm in my day
Cause rhythm is your friend
It’s gonna you take the blues away (you need rhythm, you need rhythm)
Gotta dig that rhythm (you need rhythm)
Gotta have that rhythm in my day
Gotta dig that rhythm (you need rhythm)
Gotta have that rhythm in my day
Gotta dig that rhythm (you need rhythm)
Gotta have that rhythm in my day
Gotta dig that rhythm (you need rhythm)
Gotta have that rhythm in my day
Cause rhythm is your friend
It’s gonna you take the blues, those nasty ol’ blues, away
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