These United States - I Want You To Keep Everything
Weezer: (If You Are Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To
A completely awkward title, but one of Weezer’s best songs in awhile.
Part Deux interviews Endway
Endway recently caught the eye of some media outlets when Adam Sandler stopped by a recent gig outside retailer LouisBoston, but they’ve also made some waves by embracing digital distribution and social media to garner new fans. The band, who managed about 200 shows over the past couple of years, will be returning to Boston at the Middle East Upstairs on September 5 after a tour that took them down the East Coast including stops in New York City and DC.
I spoke with lead guitarist Kevin McHugh about innovative distribution methods, any secret plans for upcoming gigs, and the rock and roll lifestyle here in Boston.
PD: You’ve got a brand new album Running Man available online for free, coupled with the suggestion to donate to charity after downloading. Where did this distribution idea come from?
We are super excited about this album, and even more excited to give it away for free. Lets face it, no one is making money selling music except for the megastars and even they are struggling with the concept of distribution. In the end, we decided to give the music away with the idea that people would find value in it and make a donation to charity. By doing this more people will be downloading our music, and at the same time we raise awareness for the charity. It just makes sense to us.
PD: You’ve got an upcoming show at the Middle East on September 5th - anything special planned for that gig?
Ha, every Endway show is special.. But there is always a little something more in the air when we play at home. We’re really excited to play the new album, Running Man in Boston, we have only been playing it on the road.
[Note: I’ll have some notes up soon for this show, but in the meantime, you can check out the photos at flickr.]
PD: What’s your favorite social networking site to connect with your fans? Endway is all over the place, you have a blog on endway.com, twitter, facebook, myspace… does it get a little overwhelming?
They are all good and you’re right, they are overwhelming to keep them all current. We use Flickr, YouTube and Twitter to feed Endway.com but Facebook seems the most “real” to us.
PD: What’s it like being an indie band in Boston? Do you think it would be easier or harder to make the same decisions in another major music city, like NYC or LA?
Hmm….tough question. We play NYC all the time and love the vibe there. We’ve toyed with the idea of moving to LA but you know, in the end we love Boston. It’s been Endway’s home and we have such a strong loyal fan base here. Go Sox!!!!!!!!!
PD: What was your favorite concert you (or the band) attended recently?
A couple of us went to see McCartney at Fenway because we’re all Beatles fans. His show was really amazing. It was great because it’s still all the about the music for him after all these years… so much history!!
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Endway is: Morgan Dorr - lead vocals, bass; Kevin McHugh - lead guitar; Scott James - drums; Brian Lempert - keyboards. You can visit them online at endway.com and download their new album Running Man for free.
