Scott Krupa: Bass

Tom Segear: Drums

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

Bill M.: After playing bass in classic rock bands, the bar band scene payed well but became unfulfilling. "I won't pack my car unless I am guaranteed $100" was my credo in those days. Along the way I wanted to grow as a musician, so I took jazz guitar lessons to better understand the craft of rhythm guitar, harmonic theory and whatever else was goes on in a good rhythm section. Along the way I discovered some sweet sounding chord voicings which had a twangy, western and surfy sound.

After recording a 9-song demo (Bill's Suite of Surf-Like Songs), I proposed that the cover band I was playing in include one of my instro tunes to give the singer a break. Soon the cover band planned a "intervention" because they discovered I was recording my surf song Correr Las Olas behind their backs in a studio. They asked me to declare classic rock as my passion or I was kicked out of the band. So in the summer of 2003 I found myself bandless and with a lot of time to devote to learning surf songs, working on recording more demos of original instro songs and just getting more comfortable with the guitar. I joined NESMA in October 2003 and the first NESMA band I ever saw was The Sharkskins on Halloween at La Tazza. I also met Mike and Sandy at that gig. What a great introduction to surf and NESMA!

 In the fall of 2003 I called-up Tom Segear and he seemed excited to play surf/instro. We had a revolving door of bass players from fall 2003 onward and the band was called The Brine-iacs. Bass players would always seem to bug-out before we could book gigs. In the summer of 2004, Bill A. auditioned for keyboard for the band. His rig was a little cheesy, but he showed-up with a sweet 1960 reissue Les Paul the next week. Needing a bass player, Bill A. knew a guy Scott K. and we have practiced constantly since the fall of 2004. After all the heartache and false starts as the Brine-iacs, we chose The Indicators as our new band name, taken from a surf break in Rincon, PR. Soon though, we got email that said the name was taken. So we put a big, fat Fender "F" in front of Indicators because we are the F'in Indicators from New Jersey and the "F" stands for our big F'in Fender sound.

Bill A.: I work with Bill M. and he was looking for a bass player but asked if I could play bass parts on my keyboard.

Tom S.: Bill M. called me and asked if I wanted to record some original surf/instro songs. We had played in classic rock bands during the 90's.

Scott K: Bill A. called me to get a hold of this other guy to play bass in the band but he was busy so I went for the gig instead.

3. What bands or music have influenced you most?

Bill M: A lot of jazz, classic rock, Los Straitjackets, The Ventures, Paul Johnson, Duane Eddy, Spanish guitar

Scott K.: 9th Wave, Brian Wilson, Interpol

Bill A.: Led Zeppelin, The Ventures

Tom S.: The Allman Brothers, Los Straitjackets

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

Live shows: Now it is about 45% original and climbing.

Bill M.: We spend the first hour of practicing playing our set ist and the second hour working on new and mostly original songs . Scott K. has contributed a song and now we have another songwriter in the band.

Recordings: 4 out of 7 so far are originals. Soon in November we will record more originals so the ratio will change. we are planning on a 12+ song CD.


5. What recording have you done?

Correr Las Olas Sessions (it's all a blur now).

Surfing the Seven; a seven song CD-R which we sell at gigs.

Surfin' at Sunset; included on the "North East Surf Music Alive" compilation.

Bill M: I have a couple of original demo compilations which haven't been touched yet. I recorded Correr Las Olas and it was used in a animated short film. It has been shown at film festivals worldwide as well as recently in Brooklyn and Red Bank, NJ.



6. What kind of gear do you use?

Tom S.: '64 and '74 Ludwig drums with Zildjian A cymbals.

Scott K.: Fender Jazz Bass and a Ampeg Rocket bass combo.

Bill A.: 1960 Reissue Les Paul, Highway 1 Stratocaster, Marshall Valvestate Combo.

Bill M.: Dipinto Galaxie (with a Warmoth Strat neck), Fender Highway 1 Stratocaster, Fender Twin, Ampeg Gemini-22, Gibson Lancer Amp, Fender Reissue Reverb Tank.


7. What is your band's favorite food/beverage?

Bill M.: Hmm, we have such little time to do what needs to get done so whenever we see each other, food is not usually involved. My favorite dish is broiled freshly caught fish, like sea bass, and a glass of well-made beer. Pizza is pretty good too.

Scott K.: Lobster and Coke (-a-cola).

Bill A.: Coffee and ice cream.

Tom S.: Sushi, crabs, port wine.

8. How do you get gigs?

Bill M.: Well, Its all of our job to hustle to get gigs. I go out on "Business Trips" with press kits to make cold calls in person to venues I'd like to play or would have a crowd which would dig surf rock. NESMA and Unsteady Freddie have been instrumental in offering gigs and we have played a few through them. Networking is important because a friend of a friend is always looking to hire a band for a party, or something.

Scott K.: I know a few people who put on events and cold calls.

Tom S.: I know people who know people.

Bill A.: I am too busy getting lost trying to find the gigs that we are supposed to play at.

 

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

All: Central Jersey is "Cover Band Land". If you play Skynyrd, Allman Brothers, Bon Jovi or cliche metal you can come home with a quite few dollars in your pocket.

Bill M.: Every club owner doesn't care what you play as long as you can guarantee 100 warm and thirsty bodies, you can have a music career. The karoke and DJ thing going on here lately in central Jersey really burns me up. If I can figure out how to play twice a month in central Jersey, that will be a major accomplishment. Traveling to Manhattan really sucks, especially getting stuck in the Holland Tunnel. Now when I list our gigs in the local newspapers, certain newspapers have taken to printing our bands name as The Fin-DICTators and I know they know better than that.



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

Bill M.: I don't know of anything that we do that truly sets us apart but we do have total enthusiasm for the surf sound in general.  Maybe diligent and, believe it or not, sober practice and performance? We do strive for crisp arrangements, up-tempo energy, and try to convey enthusiasm.

Scott K.: People who come to see us in NJ expect Hawaiian shirts and sandals and think it is "unique" that we have matching bowling shirts. (These people need to see more surf/instro bands, Bill M.)

Bill M.: Personal hygiene, vintage surfing mags and vintage Spanish language National Geograpic-like magazines. How many bands do you know read those kind of mags after practice? This band is a boys club, after all,  and the Geo Mundo mag was always going to semi-naked tribes throughout the world.

Bill A.: Good quality sound and high energy.

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

Bill M.: By far, the internet. I have tried to make our website (http://theindicators.net/home.cfm) reflective of who we are when we perform and what we sound like live. I can tell the difference when I speak to a club owner who actually logs on to the site. Besides, the site statistics tells me what town people logon from. The age of the "press kit" is nearly over although I do assemble them, but the point these days is to get interested parties to see your website.

Tom S.: Our stickers are pretty popular and they have our website on them.

Bill M.: If you want a free Fin-Dicator surfboard sticker, email me through our website.

Scott K.: Me and my wife are on a mission to stick a band sticker in every possible venue bathroom or highly visible performance space.


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

Bill M.: As a blues band I played a gig at Stevens (Hoboken) Institute of Technology where a Rubenesque female engineer took off her top and did the grind one at a time against every one in the band on stage. All the while we were smiling because the guitar player had a video camera on a tripod in the corner. Unfortunately, he left the lens cap on the camera all night. OK, that's not surf, but it was interesting anyway.

Seriously, we wanted to donate out service to a charity event one time and they charged us admission for the event. Previously we were assured we would be treated to a lot of stuff for donating our time. We practiced hard for this gig and if we didn't play, we probably would all  had aneurisms. After driving over an hour to get there, we figured we might as well stay so we paid the admission, set-up and played. It was like 98*F and 98% humidity so within a few minutes playing we were all soaked from sweat like we stepped out of a shower. The guitar felt electrical and tingly. I thought that at any minute, the Fender Twin would pop a cap (capacitor) and you would read about me in the newspaper from death by electrocution. I'm happy to say we all made it but the charity made us pay for the lousy hamburgers too! Ingrates.

Setting-up the first central Jersey NESMA Surf Summit was a enthralling experience. It was well planned and went off flawlessly. Having 60-70 people show-up didn't hurt either. We had the greatest vibe that night and we left the club owner wanting more.  Hmm, was that better than a half naked female engineer doing the lambada on your leg while you play on stage? I'll let you decide.
 

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

Scott K.: To meet interesting people who are into the same surf music.

Bill A.: Get more gigs.

Tom S.: To experience other bands and other musicians style of playing.

Bill M.: To grow more as a musician and to be involved in a community of very motivated people who love what they are doing.
 

14. Anything else?

All: That charity group still owes us $60 dollars and a lot of free food.

Bill M.: Don't wait for others to give you exposure for your band. Be pro-active and go out and try new ways to expose you band and sound to people beyond friends, family, coworkers, or those of us on the surf/instro internet groups. Do something creative (and legal) which will have totally unrelated people repeating the name of your band, and it doesn't have to be expensive either.