December 2003

THE SERFS

Band Name:

The Serfs, also known as Gary Sredzienski & the Serfs

Genre:

Ethnic, Instrumental Rock & Xtreme Polkas

Geographical Area:

Serfs currently play all over New Hampshire, and some North Shore Massachusetts

Interview details:

The Serfs got together for a brief business meeting (Thursday, Nov 20, 2003, 1900 hours) at Gary's space-age colonial bachelor pad on Chauncey Creek, in Kittery Point, Maine, where he just got back from his (almost) daily 3 mile swim, wrapped in titanium and rubber. Jamie was on his way out to teach the weekly drumming lesson to Jim's son Slaid. Jim and Chris are also present.

1. What is the current line-up of your band?

Gary Sredzienski, serf "Accordion Warrior", Jamie Decato serf drums, Jim Taylor serf bass, and Chris Decato serf guitar. And yes, they are brothers

2. How and when did you get started with your band?

GARY: it's a beautiful story, at the Polish wedding 14 years ago, Jim was playing rockabilly and surf music (with the Beach Cowboys). It was forbidden for an accordionist to be playing rock & roll in a Polish neighborhood when I was growing up. You had to do it in secret, they even kicked my brother out of the folk masses for trying to bring in his accordion! When I got up and jammed a few polkas with the band it signified my own personal accordion uprising. We got the fever right away ... there was no stopping us ... there's nothing like it, and we knew then we were going to be doing it a long time!

JIM: our first studio venture was seven years later for a comp CD. We recorded a medley called ‘Serf City,’ of speed-Yiddish & Ukrainian folk tunes. Gary and me, with Jim Tierney (from the Beach Cowboys & the guitarist and engineer of our first CD "Serfin' with the Poodle' in 2001), and Steve Toland (the Cadillac Hitman's monster drummer of the seacoast). We’ve worked at developing the original concept and getting the right musicians for many years … it’s been a real serious but fun process!

3. What bands or music have influenced you most?

The Serfs are able to peg the Ventures, and other early rock and pop instrumental bands, especially Herb Alpert, 101 Strings, Percy Faith, Esquivel, Ray Conniff, and Henry Mancini, as directional influences.

Jim is the roots rock guy. He was there for the early garage and psychedelic pop in the 60's, through the Grateful Dead years, and is into roots rocking Texas music from favorite writers, Joe Ely, Butch Hancock, and Billy Joe Shaver. He rediscovered his surf roots with the Cowabunga box set after working in Boston repairing (mostly Fender) amps, and meeting Nokie Edwards on one of the Ventures tours in the 80's.

Gary claims no one single powerful influence. He says so many have impressed and made a mark upon him that he feels like a walking musical compilation of hundreds of people and a wide variety of cultural influences. Favorites though? Gary is hooked on the music from the 60s TV Supermarionation show, the Thunderbirds, Barry Gray, James Bond & Godzilla music. His musical influences are Scottish accordionist Phil Cunningham, Dick Dale, Klezmer music from the 30s NYC, Dave Tarras, Ukrainian fiddler Pawel Humeniuk (1930's), eastern European gypsy and middle eastern music, Django Reinhardt, and his biggest rock influence of all … Pink Floyd.

Chris says he did get into the Ventures for a bit, and loves the older Dick Dale stuff, but was more into Led Zeppelin and Yes. Pat Matheny and Volenwieder came later, then weird computer guys like Jon Hassle, and Towa Tie from Dee Lite. Had an alternative spell, then the funk stuff like James Brown, and the Meters, Earth Wind and Fire... now he digs Bjork and film guys like Thomas Newman.

4. What is the break down of cover vs. original material in your live shows and/or recordings?

Serfs agree that the usual night will be about 40% original, 30% serf styled rock covers, and 30% traditional ethnic tunes all hopped up!

5. What recording have you done?

Cruising the Creek will be Gary's fifth CD, and the second by the Serfs. Gary has played on at least about 30 tracks on CD's by various artists. You can find out more about the traditional Gary at his website www.GarySred.com and even hear some of the Serfs new music by going to http://www.broadjam.com/artists/artist.asp?artistID=8240 . Jim has played on both Serfs CDs, and two other CDs of Gary’s, and also had a 1980’s cassette releases with the Beach Cowboys & the Seventh Peak (early 80’s NH jam band). Chris and Jamie have also played as session musicians on many recording projects, and have CD's out as the avant garde jazz trio 'color'. Chris has a very interesting recording track record ... started doing the computer thing after hanging out with Ray Burnell (the Jethroes - a regular on Dr Demento), and Marc Dole, a video/animation guy. He got his 1st machine around '93 and was hooked. Chris learned a lot about Mac's at Fishtraks (recording studio formerly in Portsmouth, NH) over the 4 or 5 years, and learned Sonic Solutions. Chris has recorded just about every band and every genre that happens in the NH area, including the Angel Band, Say Zuzu, Elroy and Torez. You can hear more of his trademark work at www.decatosound.com.

6. What is your band’s favorite food/beverage?

Serfs will eat almost anything (even their vegetables) … faves are ... fried clams, fried chicken, seafood, cheeseburgers, BBQ, and Mexican and Asian food, and sushi, and pizzas, burritos, but not at the same time ... and wash it all down with fresh OJ and grape fruit juice, carbonated water, Dancing Goats coffee (strong & black) and French red wine ... Why do you ask? Is NESMA planning to feed the Serfs?

7. How do you get gigs?

Gary gets gigs all the time! 13 hard working years of earning a solo reputation, word of mouth, building a fan base. Also 16 years as a volunteer DJ on college radio at www.wunh.org. The Polka Party radio show, every Saturday, 9 to 11 am, has its fringe benefits. Having albums, and a website, Gary takes bookings via phone and mostly email lately, and gets calls every day. Gary sends most Serfs inquiries to Jim, who says the largest issue is finding enough money gigs to actually get the Serfs out of their committed musical ventures to play together! "The other three guys in the band work the music business full time for their living. They have committed gigs, teach lessons, book or record sessions for bands, TV and radio spots and film scores. The real challenge is playing with a world-class musician like Gary, who gets $200 to $300 an hour working any of his Mom & Pop gigs. It’s tough to convince a musician as successful as Gary is, that he wants to go play the smokey bars for a possible $100 because it might be good for the Serfs! It's kind of funny when you think about it, but it does help you to focus on the question “what do the Serfs really want?” Maybe we should all be playing accordions!

 
8. What are the difficulties you find playing your kind of music in your area?

Jim says: Trying to work a bar for a booking, telling them no one sings, and you have an accordionist! Then you get the people who walk in, look at the accordion and want to leave right away (more of a male reaction). Serf music is like a virus … you might not get it listening to a track, but it’s easy to catch when you see it! Gary is more to the point on this issue ... "there are a lot of stupid people! I have to prove what the accordion can do. Everyone always freakin' says, ‘we heard accordion, we were laughing and wondering what that would be all about. Then we heard it, and couldn't believe it.’ They end up loving it.” Gary would like to play more hip venues where we wouldn't have to deal with obnoxious drunks. We all need more places to perform, where people can come to listen, and dance, and understand what instrumental music is all about.

9. What positive attributes does your band have that sets you apart from other bands (of any genre)?

Gary's not shy! "Without a doubt, we have kick-ass accordion, and the perfect opportunity for the instrument to shine and be unique. We have found nothing like us anywhere, and finally, we have band members who realize the potential we have as a band, and the unique product that we have!"

10. What have you found to be the single most effective promotional tool you've used to further your band's musical path?

Jim says “definitely Gary”! He’s a one-man band pounding the pavement solo all these years, and he wants to bring us along whenever he can. Also, you get the fringe benefits of a guy who has a very popular college radio show and airplay! Obviously the “right answer” these days is the Internet! A resource the Serfs have just begun to tap. We have the Serfs website that we are looking to upgrade - more info for you & easier to update for us. We are looking to add Pay Pal, links to CDBaby when we get the new CD this month. Gary has a website to cover the traditional side of his act, and some of “Cruising the Creek” is already on the web at Gary’s Broadjam site. Broadjam is part of Gary’s Taxi Music Service efforts to find new outlets in film & TV … he already has music on the Food Network, that’s his accordion work on all of the Smuttynose Ale adds, and even the Serfs have music in a few Indy films.

11. What’s the most interesting performance experience you've had?

The Serfs had one of the coolest gigs ever at a farewell party for a NH Arts conference last summer. We played for about 150 people, mostly artists, musicians and musical educators. Near the end of the second song almost everyone in the room sprung up on the dance floor and did every dance step ever made for the rest of the night. Gary’s coolest adventure so far was a tour of Romania sponsored by the Governor of NH and the State Dept. For 10 days Gary and Bill traveled the country, lip-synced to the Serfs CD on national TV, and performed after the Embassy propaganda machine did their daily presentations. (Bill Zecker is a multi-instrumentalist who often accompanies Gary, and plays on his CDs, and is also known as ‘the fifth Serf’ or ‘the Serf with the fifth’ … only kidding Bill)

12. What do you hope to get out of being a NESMA member?

Gary says more gigs and joint concerts with other bands of our genre. We all need to work together to promote our kind of music and get real busy and stay alive doing this! Jim says it’s real nice of Mike & Sandy to recognize the Serfs in a ‘Surf Music’ organization. We aren’t out there calling ourselves a surf band, but we are certainly surf influenced, and surf music fans are more open minded than a lot of our fellow musicians who don’t want to think of surf music going outside of it’s little box. Free your minds! Serfs want to get some surf bands to come up to NH & we hope we can get enough future interest to have an NH Surf Summit in the summer with the Cadillac Hitmen & bring down the Urban Surf Kings. NESMA is a great opportunity for a region of people with similar goals to share ideas and work up more possibilities for each other in that region. It’s more focused than say the Cowabunga list, and therefore could have a better, localized effect. Good luck to us all …

 Check in with The Serfs website later in December for their newest release, “Cruisin’ the Creek”. The CD Release Party is scheduled for Saturday, December 27, 2003 at The Press Room in Portsmouth, NH. See www.theSerfs.com for more information.

 
(See more information & photos of the band here.)

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