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Your name:
Rob Merz.
Where are you
from:
Chicago, IL.
Name
of band:
Static in Verona.
Who
else is in your band?
I do everything in the band - from playing all the instruments and
singing to producing, mixing and mastering all the recordings. I even do all
the album art, web design and promotion. After being in several bands, it’s
nice to not have a committee telling you what to do.
How
would you describe yourself?
A recent review very eloquently described it as: “Dreamy power pop
weaving around an eclectic mixture of experimental, electronic and rock, as
sound bursts with creativity and intrigue.”
The music I strive to make is
always based around catchy pop songs, but with elements of experimental,
electronic and ambience surrounding them. I love strong harmonies and melodies,
but also love a wall of sound.
Who
are your main influences musically?
I listen to many types of music (rock, pop, jazz, classical) and I like
to think I draw influence from all of it. I love artists like Beck who can
really do any genre of music, but ultimately it still sounds like a Beck song.
What
do you hope to achieve in music?
To get as many people to hear my music as possible by any means
necessary. Whether they buy it, stream it, burn it or download it. I just love
people listening to it.
What
has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
My latest album, Everything You Knew Before You Knew Everything took
over four years to record and I went through a lot during it (my parents
separated, my children were born, I moved to a different town). There were
times where I thought I would never finish it. I was suffering from some
writer’s block, so I created it in a somewhat unique way where I recorded all
the music first and then I’d listen to it over and over again (in the car, at
home, etc.) and write lyrics in small doses when something hit me. So basically
I wrote 13 songs at the same time (which is about as productive as it sounds).
After several years of this, I got really used to hearing the songs as
instrumentals and was worried about messing them up with lyrics and vocals. But
when I finally sang on that first song, it was very liberating. Kind of like
that first time you drive a car by yourself. After that, the rest of the songs
took shape and I was really excited about finishing the album. It finally came
out earlier this year.
So I would say the highlight so far was not only finishing and releasing
the album, but the amazing reception it has received. It’s amazing to know all
my hard work paid off in the end.
And
what’s the moment you want to forget?
I really don’t have any regrets about anything musically. I think every
bad experience, every bad song or bad show is a learning experience to make you
stronger in the end.
If
you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it
be and why?
I always have a hard time picking one song for people to listen to
because to understand my sound you really need to hear several songs so they
don’t get labeled as just pop or shoegaze or electronic. So I’m gonna cheat and
pick two:
Friendly Fires: This was one of the first songs I finished for the album
and I released it a year before the entire album was complete on a free teaser
EP called “Some Things You Knew” (which is still available on Bandcamp
and staticinverona.com). It was a song that I could
hear very vividly in my heard but was worried I wouldn’t be able to get the
same sound on record. There are 8 or 9 tracks of vocals that intertwine and it
was a complete headache to mix but in the end I think it surpassed my original
idea. I think it shows my pop sensibility but also has elements of electronic,
mixed with the layers of guitar that I love. The album also contains a bonus
track with a striped down remix of this song that really showcases some of the
subtle nuances buried within.
Black Windows: This was one of the first songs I started for the record,
but one of the last ones I finished. It has some of the most personal lyrics
I’ve ever written, but it was a long road to get there, with probably 10-15
different drafts. I think it showcases not only my lyrical ability but the
different layers of instruments I like use. At one point I think there’s drums,
several tracks of vocals, guitars, piano, organ, Rhodes, horns and synths all
playing off each other. I’m really proud of this one.
Where
can we listen to it?
Where
can we find out more about your music?
Anything
else you’d like to say that I forgot to ask?
I am currently working on a follow-up album tentatively titled “Anyone
Anymore” and I am really hoping to cut down the recording time drastically.
Hopefully it was be ready to be released in Spring 2015. Whether it will be an
EP or a full-length, I’m not sure yet, but either way it will probably be free
(or at least pay what you want). I have one song completed and six more with
music, not to mention another 3 or 4 b-sides from the last album. The song
“Heavy Hands” from it is already on Soundcloud at https://soundcloud.com/staticinverona/heavy-hands-rough-mix.
