Papadosio

ARTICLE BY S. STILSON

EDITING BY J.WARNER

ALL PHOTOS TAKEN BY S.CHOUDHARY

 

Ohio natives Papadosio brought their unique blend of “electro-organic spirit music” to the Lafayette Theater and Events Center, in Lafayette, Indiana, October 12th, 2011. The group, consisting of Anthony Thogmartin (Lead Guitar, Vocals, Ableton Live), Billy Brouse (Synthesizers, Vocals), Robert McConnell (Bass Guitar), Sam Brouse (Keyboards, Vocals), and Mike Healy (Drums), played to a packed room of over three hundred. OMFC had an opportunity to sit down with Papadosio and discuss the group’s philosophy, goals, past, and future.

 

OMFC: When people hear the name Papadosio, what do you want them to think?

Healy: Positivity and creative thinking. Trying to break people out of the bubble they get caught in during their everyday lives. Letting people think out of the box and opening their eyes to new thoughts.

Brouse: I definitely don’t want them to think that we’re only the next big thing in the jamtronica scene, like the next Disco Biscuits or Soundtribe. When people hear Papadosio, we want them to think we are our own thing. That’s really the end goal, to be our own entity and have an original sound.

McConnell: Freedom from all the craziness. This is what we do — what we believe in, and we just want to spread that message.

 

OMFC: What are some of the music artists that you enjoy listening to?

Brouse: Radiohead, for sure is top notch. Pink Floyd, we have been listening to a lot of Pink Floyd lately. We listen to really everything.

McConnell: My number one… 90% of the time I’m in the car, I’m honestly listening to Radiohead.

Healy: Overall, Radiohead is everyone’s favorite in the band, but we like a lot of DJ’s as well. Like Amon Tobin, Zedd, Aphex Twin. Also, a lot of music that makes you think a little bit, like Tool and Nine Inch Nails, that kind of stuff.

OMFC: How would you describe your band’s personality to someone who has never met you before?

Healy: Probably the goofiest dudes you ever met.

Brouse: It depends on when you catch us.

McConnell: You might get offended, but it depends on who you are. We always joke around.

Healy: We try to be as friendly as possible all the time, no matter what, unlike some other bands we know who don’t share that vibe back. No one should be a dick, so we try our best to be friendly and humble.

 

OMFC: What do you think your band’s driving force is?

Healy: For me, it is about being constantly creative with a group of brothers, my friends. To create music and to know that for some of the kids in the crowd, it’s the best time they have ever had. Being able to create that feeling — its the best feeling in the world.

McConnell: For me its about knowing that we can get better and better. To clear up the vision even more, you know? With the music and everything around the show, some things are still a bit blurry. What we want people to experience is not quite there yet.

Brouse: It’s trying to keep the show not stagnant, for us too. For us, its really hard to keep ourselves satisfied with the music. Personally, the drive and passion I have is changing how people are listening to music, making sure fans like us because of the music, not because we’re a big band.

 

OMFC: How do you give back to your fans?

Healy: Well, we never play the same set twice, ever. We try to, every night, play something different, either with songs or with improve. We do a lot of improvising; on the spot, in between songs, in songs. We try to always keep it as fresh as possible.

McConnell: I think I can answer that in two ways: We did Rootwire, twice now, and I feel like it’s a good opportunity for fans to come and really experience what we’re about, in that atmosphere. The second way we give back, it’s kind of odd saying but, we tour our asses off.

Brouse: We kill ourselves. We tour our asses off and on top of that, we make sure that this tour is completely different from the last one. We do it for the fans, but we also do it for our own satisfaction as well.

McConnell: My biggest fear is disappointing the people who listen to our music. Everyday, all day long, we’re thinking about ways to improve the show.

 

 

OMFC: What about Rootwire sets it apart from other comparable festivals?

Healy: Rootwire this summer, which is now getting its name on the map as an awesome festival, had way more art than any major festival we went to. We really focused hard on the visual art aspect by having tons of live painters, sculpture artists, and decorations all about the woods. That was the goal, to bring as much art together as possible. To create a new kind of vibe that other festivals completely neglect. We also sets it apart is our choice of amazing small bands that don’t get invited to larger festivals. It gives our fans in Ohio a chance to listen to all these awesome bands we play with around the country.

McConnell: Every band that’s there are people we have hooked up with. We play with them and we love it, so it just makes sense. It gives the midwest something new too.

Healy: Rootwire focuses on spiritual energy as well. We had a lot of healers come in and do discussions amongst five teepee’s, all holding different workshops and movie screenings. We’re trying to create an outlet for people to learn about different types of healing, enlightenment and consciousness. A lot of people, including myself, aren’t tapped into those things, but its really nice learning more about them. That’s what happens at Rootwire every year, a lot of learning.

 

 

OMFC: What can you tell me about your AllGood set and how you think it has influenced your popularity?

Healy: Both years, this year and last year, were the two biggest shows we ever played. Last year we played in between Dr. Dog and Railroad Earth, and there were about 10,000 people on the hill. This year we played right after moe. and right before Primus, and there were 30,000 people. In both years we saw a very similar thing happen for us, which were just ridiculous turn outs. People really caught on to us and all of a sudden we’re playing a sold out 300, 400 person room, night after night. Kids seeing us at All Good is a common thing we hear a lot.

McConnell: We got a little bit of a different crowd this year too. We got to play at night, we used lights, which looks a lot cooler, and on top of that, we got to play before Primus

 

OMFC: What can you tell us about your two day New Years Eve celebration with The Werks, in Columbus, Ohio?

Healy: It’s going to be two nights at the LC Pavilion, which will be a really intense weekend for us because Sunday we play a festival in Florida. So we fly out right after new years eve to make the festival. The Werks are really good friends of ours and we will be trading back and forth with them each night. We also have some really fun openers and some cool DJ’s. It’s going to be a really really good time.

 

OMFC: Where do you think your music is going to take you in the next 5 years?

Healy: I think it’s going to keep getting better and better. Every year we get more and more fans, shows keep getting bigger. We’re working on this album right now that hopefully will be out in a year. We’re taking our time and not going to put it out too quickly like previous albums with a set deadline. It’s a completely different approach, the album is going to be done when its done and we’re going to promote it in stores to try and get our name out there.

Brouse: It’s really where we’re going to take our music. We have to make the right decisions to get where we want to go. I did an interview by myself recently. I was talking to this guy and he asked me, “Do you guys think you are the next Sound Tribe or Disco Biscuits or the next big jam band?”. Well, why cant we just be a band? We love our fans and we love our audience, but its the scene were playing at all the festivals. We want to be a band, not necessarily another jam band or jamtronic band. We’re trying to get ourselves in a different market.

Healy: We want to get into the more mainstream audience scene. We’re never going to change our music in anyway for anyone, but that can be a challenge when you start working in the mainstream world. We want to keep true to what we do, but also get it out to more people.

 Check out OMFC’s review of Papapdosio’s 2011 Festival Rootwire here.

Papadosio tour dates and information availiable at: www.papadosio.com

Rootwire Music and Arts festival: www.rootwirefestival.com