Introduction:
1. Welcome to KJAG Radio! Push Puppets is here with us today. How’s everything going?
Hey! It’s going good. Been an exciting day with the first single being released. I
appreciate you having me on,
New Single & Album:
Your new single, All Together On 3, is a fantastic introduction to your upcoming album
Tethered Together. What inspired this track, both musically and lyrically?
Like many of them, this one evolved quite a bit between being written, demos and the
final recording. I had a melody and a chord pattern for it and was driving to pick up
donuts when the verse lyrics came to me. The scene in the first verse with a “great
white coming for the beach” kinda unlocked what the song was about – needing
someone’s help out of a tough situation. Then the following verses approach that from
different angles – a house with “a light that wasn’t on before” and a roadblock.
The song builds up to a cinematic climax with strings and harpsichord—what was the
creative process like in crafting that dramatic effect?
Musically, this was one of the more rewarding ones to work on. There’s usually plenty
of melodic guitars or keyboards in Push Puppets’ music. But the string quartet added
another character in the mix. I love the way the strings pass musical motifs around
between sections as well as handing off melodies from one instrument to another.
You mentioned math rock influences in this song.
How did you incorporate those
elements while keeping it accessible for a wider audience?
True Math Rock guys would laugh at me for even raising the comparison, but ATO3 has
some dropped beats in the choruses and in the outro the musical phrase is a different
length than the vocal phrase, so the words fall on different chords each time. I think
that makes it more interesting for a repeated phrase because it’s crashing against a
different chord each time through.
Tethered Together features a string quartet on many tracks and even a horn section on
one. How did that orchestration enhance the overall sound of the album?
I’ve done a little string arranging before – such as on “Perfect Picture” from the
Allegory Grey album – but certainly nothing this involved. The bridge in ATO3 seemed
like it could benefit from strings, so once it was decided to have strings on one track, I
started getting ideas for how they could play a part in more songs. That definitely
reduced the number of guitar solos on the album, but I still managed to get a few in
there.
Songwriting & Production:
6. Erich, your songwriting has been praised for its introspective and poetic nature. What
themes or emotions did you explore most in this album?
Breakup has been a recurring theme in my writing for some time. It’s kind of a go-to
subject in my music – even if it’s not what I’m experiencing at that moment. But during
the writing for “Tethered Together”, I was going through a breakup after several years.
I wasn’t really thinking about it consciously while writing, but now I can see where past
relationships worked their way into some songs.
But there is a pretty wide variety of themes. One of my favorites on the album is called
“Tell Colleen to Calm Down” and it tells about a girl standing near me losing her mind
at a concert (kinda like a Beatle-maniac). The takeway in that song is that it’s best to
just her do her thing even if it’s annoying.
7. You worked with Doug McBride at Gravity Studios for production and mastering. How
did that collaboration shape the final sound?
This is the second album that I’ve worked on with Doug. We have very similar tastes –
such as a big appreciation for Jellyfish – so our ideas are usually pretty
complimentary.
We generally start with demos I’ve made, then Doug and I work with the bassist (John
William Lauler) and drummer (Greg Essig) to get their parts grooving and interesting.
The rest of the track is starting to build up at this time as Kyle Magnusson (keyboards)
and I bounce ideas around and I lay down guitars. I’ll periodically run that by Doug to
make sure we’re agreeing about the direction. And I’ll inevitably have way too many
tracks playing throughout the whole song. So Doug during the mix will bring elements
in out out to keep things changing.
Steve Frisbie (backup vocals) and I work out the harmonies with some input from Doug
– and more times that not that’ll mean recording like 4 passes of each part in a four-
part harmony to give it a big sound like Queen or The Cars.
8. With four albums under your belt, how do you think Push Puppets’ sound has evolved
since your debut?
For the first two albums, I was doing nearly everything myself – except for drums. I
was working with a different drummer at that time – Chris Morrow. I was mixing it
myself as well.
Now that there is a regular band of killer players and Doug is helping with the
production and doing the mixes, the new stuff just sounds more like a real record that
the early stuff, even though I still appreciate those songs.
Influences & Style:
9. Fans of bands like ELO, Crowded House, and Elvis Costello will find a lot to love in
your music. Who are some of your biggest influences, and how do they manifest in
your sound?
I’m a big fan of Elvis Costello. I have a slice of pizza that he handed me when I met him
using a fake backstage pass. I had it preserved with epoxy and it’s in a shadow-box
frame with the pass, album cover, etc. I think his vocal style has definitely had a
influence on mine as has his use of rich jazz chords and melodies.
I appreciate hooky pop, so it’s probably no surprise that I am a fan of Split Enz and
Crowded House. I listened to True Colours all the time, so the Finn way of crafting a
melody has probably had some impact on me.
I get a kick out of when catchy music has melancholy lyrics – like The Smiths. I
somewhat put ELO in that bucket – where the el
10. The album nods to the artistic excesses of the ’70s. Were there any particular
albums or artists from that era that inspired your approach?
I’ve always enjoyed the massive sound of bands like Queen, The Cars, Jellyfish, or
XTC. I like to think that the possibilities of a recording are endless – and not limited by
the instrumentation of the band. So I may put a ton of guitars on something that we
wouldn’t be able to pull off live, but then the live version will just be a different
interpretation.
Live Performances & Fan Connection:
11. With the album dropping on May 16, are there any upcoming live shows or tour
plans in the works?
There will be an album release show in Forest Park (Chicago area) at Robert’s
Westside on Friday, May 30 th . It will feature Sly and Katherine on violin and viola
respectively in addition to the full band.
We’ll likely be doing some regional shows and I’ll be doing some solo shows all over.
12. What has been your most memorable live performance so far?
When I think back about memorable performances, two painful incidents come to
mind. One was when I was playing guitar with my teeth at a small club and broke my
front tooth. And when I was unloading to perform at South by Southwest and slammed
my hand in the door. I was still able to play, but it was black the next day.
13. Your music has a warm, melodic quality that feels deeply personal. How do fans
typically connect with your songs? Do you hear any interesting interpretations of your
lyrics?
For the most part, I try to be pretty genuine what I write. I don’t set out to write a song
that sounds like something else. Once I have an idea, I just try to nurture it and bring it
to it’s potential. And I think people sense that it isn’t fake.
Final Thoughts:
14. What message or feeling do you hope listeners take away from Tethered
Together?
I like the idea of the album offering an escape for listeners for forty plus minutes. And
hopefully it makes them feel less alone.
15. Where can fans follow you, pre-save the album, and grab a physical copy when
it drops?
Spotify Pre-Save:
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/pushpuppets/tethered-together
Pre-Order CD:
https://www.pushpuppets.net/shop/
On Facebook/Instagram/BlueSky and YouTube as: @pushpuppetsband