In this day and age, I can’t think of anything more pertinent than the statement “Make Art, Not War”. We need to embrace an unabashed value system based on innovation, creation, and community. Creativity is what stirs us with ambition and passion that can be shared with the fervor of wildfire.

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Photo by _SiD_”

Late one evening on the last day of a tour we did with Worn In Red back in 2009, there was a party in Richmond, Virginia at Matt Neagle’s – the bassist’s – house. It was cold outside, and everyone was keeping warm with drinking and yelling. Putting on wigs for compromising photos to be laughed about and shared days after online, the last day celebration went late night well into the early morning.

Somewhere between two and three a.m. I fell asleep sitting straight up on a couch with my sleeping bag over my head and wrapped around me. Opposite side of the living room the stereo was blasting directly at me from atop the television. Eugene Hutz warbling in his Ukrainian accent over the gypsy frenzy of Gogol Bordello. As I drifted to sleep I thought, “damn…this is pretty amazing…..”

When I first heard of Gogol Bordello, my reaction to that was similar to that of any band doing the culture/punk mash-up – e.g. Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphy’s – “Fuck this, keep punk, punk. Fuck your re-appropriating punk rock to fit yer bullshit.”

But fortunately, my ignorance was short-lived. That tour specifically, I was bumping the likes of Man Man, which was confusing I think to people who knew my musical tastes up to that point – loud, angry, punk. Albeit I still am not a fan of Dropkick or Flogging Molly, Gogol Bordello seized me to the point of fan-boy adoration. To think that I would love something to the extent that I do that is labeled as “gypsy punk” amazes me to this day.

I get it though. Gogol Bordello is what music should be – over-the-top, theatrical and exaggerated, larger than life, an escape from the boring frivolity of reality.

So few bands aim to do this. They stare at the floor, put on a face, and expect us to give ourselves to them. Hey, I’ve been in the same place. We want people to dig our bands . Cool, I get it. But music is so much more than that. It’s creativity. It’s art. Whoever stared at the painting of a bowl of fruit and really thought that shit was amazing?

Take a piece from Banksy, or Jason deClaires Taylor though. That hits us with it’s brutal honesty, it’s magnification of reality, it’s theatricality. “Holy shit, how did they do that?” Why do you suppose movies and video games have supplanted music and books? Couldn’t possibly be the over-the-top effects, the explosions or chases, or any other flame for the A.D.D. moth-like generation.

That shouldn’t be mistaken that I think music should drink from the same fountain of mindless entertainment. Of course not. These days I simply want more from the music I listen to. I want to feel the words you’re singing. I want to believe the things your spouting. Walking the walk while talking the talk, if there’s any talk to be had at all.

So ultimately there’s only a handful of bands/artists that I’ve been listening to this last year. Epic, weird, original stuff is what I crave for. I feel that there can’t be enough emphasis on originality these days. These days of music regurgitation. Past ad nauseum straight into full-blown arms hugging the toilet bowl and spewing.

It seems that we’re now in a realm of music where very few individuals are interested in being different. You look at every decade in music, and it seemed at least someone was trying to push the envelope as a movement. The hippies of the 60′s, punk rearing it’s head in the 70′s, hardcore in the 80′s, grunge from late 80′s into the 90′s, even “emo” in the early 2000′s…but what now?

Between All Time Low and Ke$ha, I’ve had my fill. Even a lot of punk bands are bent on perfecting their carbon copy version of their favorite band. We don’t need another Dillinger Four. We don’t need another Kid Dynamite. We need you – uniquely. Specifically. Originally.

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Hey there,

Sorry for the lack of updates. Things on the Sakes Alive!! end have been put on stand-still at the moment. A couple weeks ago I moved from Rochester, NY to New York City, and have been getting acclimated since to my new surroundings. CMJ has been in full effect, and it’s my first time attending anything related to it. “Culture shock” wouldn’t be an accurate statement, but to be surrounded by so much music and people at all times has been, what I would call, “mind-blowing”.

It’s been a long held dream of mine to relocate to this city, and I’ve been taking it in with near ecstasy. Rochester is home to my closest friends, but creatively and regarding life experiences I felt infinitely stifled.

After much hemming and hawing, the leap was finally made.

Since having moved, I’ve been surrounded by a tremendous amount of life and inspiration. It’s been invigorating to say the least. Sure, it’s maybe safe to assume it’s cut-throat city, a sickening social/business ladder of the vapid and egotistic, probably staggering what the gap between the haves and have-nots actually is, if you really look into it.

But no matter where I am there are no less than three languages being spoken around me at all times that I can’t understand. Sights that prompt my mouth to sling open and hang slack-jawed – looking probably damned tourist-y and foolish – because the buildings are so immense and steeped in a history that is stark and enigmatic to me, yet invites the ambition to learn and experience it all. I’ve run into so many friends that aren’t even residents of this city more times already than any year previous. For once in a place that I live I haven’t been bored, but felt an energy to experience and create in real life.

Sean Morris from The Reveling said to me a couple nights ago at show in Brooklyn, “this is where you belong man. Even if for only a little while” – this I have to agree.

Regarding Act III, The last track is nearly finished. Unfortunately I didn’t have the time to complete the horn sections in Rochester, and moved with that dissatisfaction hanging in mind. Through the last couple weeks of that in the back of my head – tied to a lot of regret – it dawned upon me that perhaps my friends in Aficionado might be able to help me out yet again for this remaining track.

Nick and Laura had previously contributed their amazing voices to the last track, A World Asleep. And this time their keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist Craig agreed to take the time to record himself in his own studio in Albany, NY the remaining horn sections. For this I’m infinitely appreciative. Thank you Craig Dutra.

This record has taken me a ridiculously long-time to write, record and release, admittedly. I have such a burning vision in my head for what Sakes Alive!! is going to be. My perfectionism won’t allow me to settle in any aspect of my life. Is it perfectionism? Maybe it’s my uncompromising, bull-headed attitude.

Nonetheless, why settle for less than your very best? Could anyone imagine slapping a deadline on any great artist in history? I couldn’t. Art takes time to realize.

Music and art are very much my life’s salvation. I know there must be other people out there who feel the same.

I’d love to talk to those who do.

Thanks,

-Chris / Sakes Alive!!

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Finally, track four for Act III is complete. A World Asleep is available for free download for everyone via the Bandcamp player above. This release has been quite the eye-opening experience for me. Creatively, collaboratively, and personally. I really appreciate you taking the time to check it out.

My good, good friends – who have been a tremendous influence on Sakes Alive!! – Aficionado, took the time to contribute some guest vocals on this track. Flutist Laura Carrozza and singer Nick Warchol provided a stunning job. Their new full length on No Sleep Records is by far one of the best records of 2011. Take the time to check them out.

This song is a bundle of mixed thoughts and emotions. Most of this year I refused to sleep. I would fall asleep in the very early hours of the morning, and wake up early. My average amount of sleep was around 4 hours every night.

I often feel like I can’t run fast enough to accomplish everything I want to do. There aren’t enough hours in the day. Which is a fallacy, of course. But I feel like when there’s a world of life to experience in every step, I don’t want to spend a single moment of that asleep.

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Courtesy of Laura Homsey.

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Life can be fucking nuts.

My whole life I’ve felt absolutely alone. No support system, my family is completely bunk, and everything I want out of life seems to run completely opposite of everyone I’m surrounded by. Not boo hoo. Life simply has persuaded me to be a lone wolf (ala Zach Galifianakis in the Hangover, of course).

“Every Wave Crashes” is all about that. It’s all about those feelings that it’s a struggle through life alone. But I can’t shake the bohemian ideal I have in my head. Why the fuck settle for shit when there’s so much to live and be inspired by?

Music is a siren song I can’t shake. I embrace the tempting calamity with open arms.

“I’ve been sailing a long, long time alone
Manning a broken vessel on my own
(I’m all alone, I’m all alone)

For every anchor I cut
A main sail’s lost
I fight ocean waves
Yet get swept along
(I’m swept along, I’m swept along)

(Chorus)
To the end
To the ends of the earth I go
To the ends of the world
I’m always alone
(I’m always alone, I’m always alone)

To the end
To the ends of the earth I know
To the ends of the world
I’m fighting to own
(I’m fighting to own)

Swept past the island towns
Swept past any love I’ve ever found
(I’ve ever found, I’ve ever found)

The ship I steer is the only thing I have
And the ocean beckons
So I fight for my chance
(I fight for my fucking chance in this life…)

(Chorus)
To the end
To the ends of the earth I go
To the ends of the world
I’ll fight alone
(I fight alone, I fight alone)

To the end
To the ends of the earth I know
To the ends of the world
I’ll fight to own
(I’ll fight to own)

Every wave crashes into me
Every siren sings for me
“Come on home…”
Sing for me my tumultuous symphony
(“Come on home…”)
This is not my home

(Chorus)
To the end
To the ends of the earth I go
To the ends of the world
I’ll fight alone
(I fight alone, I fight alone)

To the end
To the ends of the earth I know
To the ends of the world
I’ll fight to own
(I’ll fight to own)”

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I recently did an interview with Bill Leary from pmpdblog.com about the current recording of Act III. We talked about inspirations, day jobs, and Gogol Bordello.

Here’s the link to the interview, or read below: http://pmpdblog.com/post/6624173119/interview-sakes-alive

“You may have known Sakes Alive!! as the five piece punk band that wrote thrashy tunes about the struggles of life. You may not know the super evolved version of the band that came to be when the lineup dwindled down to a single member, frontman Chris Vandeviver, and gained an orchestra of sound.

To celebrate the upcoming release of Act III out now on Black Numbers records, Chris Vandeviver talked to us about the bands’ mantra, day jobs, and Gogol Bordello.”

There is a very serious message behind the music you make, could you talk to us about the Sakes Alive!! mantra?

Chris Vandeviver: Sakes Alive!!’s message is the struggle of life. Regardless if you’re rich or poor, blessed or cursed, there’s an overwhelming amount of outside forces trying to control or guide us through life. Whether that’s a conscious effort of those outside forces or not, it exists. A wonderful book that attempts to explain this social phenomenon is Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. A book I found to be extremely eye-opening to what the possible causes are that I am the person I am today. I strongly suggest reading it. You might be a little shaken in the process.

So on a personal level, I feel confined by things like the place I live, the economic class I exist in, the politics of the U.S., family obligations, my day job – a whole variety of things. And I don’t think I’m the only one who feels this struggle. That life is not really our choice so much as here’s options A, B and C that you are forced to pick, not because you necessarily wanted to be a part of any of them, but because you’re being pressured into it by your current situation.

That’s the dreary end of the Sakes Alive!! mantra. However, I’m at heart an idealist. I believe in poetic justice. I believe in creating the reality you want to see. That not giving up is the most important thing you absolutely must do. Let’s be the group of intelligent, creative, idealistic and unwavering individuals this world needs.

How does Act III, your most recent release, continue to follow that theme?

When I came back from musical limbo, I decided to focus more on my direct experiences this time than ambiguous analogies. I have very strong opinions on politics and people, but my life this moment is what I know best. So I felt that was the most honest thing I could talk about. Which directly relates, because it’s about my struggles and unwavering will to live life the way I want to.

Is Act III the final act or does it serve as the climax in a five act saga?

Act III is the final Act, but not the final release for Sakes Alive!!. Undoubtedly there will be another release this year. The theatrical imagery and approach will continue through each release regardless if an Act or not.

How do the acts connect to one another?

Well, certainly aesthetically they’re all attached – theatrical imagery, always the inclusion of the curtains in the artwork, screamy, loud – all the things I think people have come to expect from Sakes Alive!!.

Thematically I think it’s also the same. Like I mentioned earlier, it maintains a feeling of desperation, and an unwavering idealism. It’s a musical growth that connects them as well. How performing and touring in band affected my attitude and thoughts. Act I was pretty tongue in cheek as well as in your face. Act II I became disillusioned with music and punk rock, and I wrote a record to slightly antagonize. Act III is me finally growing up and writing music the way I wanted to write all along.

Are we eventually going to see a collection of all of the acts?

That’s the goal after I record all of Act III. It’s taken a long time, but we’ve reached it.

You record and mix your own material, what was that process like on the new album?

I only began recording and mixing my own material since September of 2010. The experience is both so rewarding and humbling at the same time. I feel like I have such a stronger sense of crafting songs now that I’ve gotten my hands dirty with the production side. That I could actually walk into a real studio and be able to do something really awesome because I know what the heck goes on with the engineering side. Not me necessarily working the console, but knowing how to get what I want and facilitating those needs to the engineer.

The track “Day Jobs” is sort of the single for this release, what was the motivation behind the song?

A huge motivation was to hear Aaron Scott from Attica! Attica! sing on one of my songs! That was a significant achievement in my book. Aaron is a great source of inspiration for me.

Otherwise, it’s the desire to escape the rat race and live life creatively. I don’t hate my current job at all surprisingly. But thinking of it as a long-term commitment makes me anxious. Our commitment should be to ourselves, not to faceless companies.

What are some of the day jobs that you have worked? Which was the best one that you left to pursue music?

I’ve worked a number of jobs that were barely tolerable and uninspiring to say the least. Currently I work at a coffee shop here in Rochester, which has been a wonderfully different pace from my previous experiences with work week drudgery. Nonetheless, I don’t want it to be the one thing I am defined by. When you start experiencing the ability to create the life the way you want to see it, you become hungry – starving. Punk rock taught me wonderfully in that department. Need to play a show? Book it yourself. Need shirts? Print them yourself. The DIY aesthetic makes you realize that really anything you want to accomplish is within your grasp.

You have a diverse set of influences ranging from Against Me! to Gogol Bordello to None More Black. You don’t really sound like any of them though, what different aspects of them do you bring into your music?

The records I’ve been listening exclusively to lately have been Foxy Shazam, Aficionado, Gogol Bordello, Janelle Monae. Music that is creatively ambitious, that no one sounds like. Sakes Alive!! may not sound like any of the aforementioned, but I’ve learned a great deal from each of them about music. Music is supposed to be adventurous and unapologetic. It’s over the top and challenges you.

Music these days is so cookie-cutter. No one wants to stick out, they want to fit in. Indie music is dance music now. The new disco. Hardcore is simply a reason to posture and act tough. Background noise, not the focus. And punk rock hides in a basement and shies away from ambition. When the Ramones/Sex Pistols/Clash hit the scene, they all sounded unique from each other. They actively chose to stick out and shake things up. Now we’re all sonic clones. Like how the world can’t escape the imprint of the Beatles, punk and hardcore can’t escape Black Flag or Minor Threat.

Obviously my roots are in punk and hardcore. But my creative ambitions have me clawing for more challenging music. That’s why Sakes Alive!! has become a punk rock orchestra.

You’re the only member of a once five person group. How did that come to be?

Well, touring is hard. Getting five people in a room and agreeing on stuff is also hard. Me being a control-freak was equally hard for both me and the guys who were in the band. There was a laundry list of reasons why Sakes Alive!! wasn’t gonna make it at the rate it was going as a touring band. Our drummer quit right after Fest 8 in Gainesville, and everyone else had expressed they were thinking about it as well. So it seemed like for SA!! to continue at all, I had to go it alone.

Who is the backing band going to be comprised of on tours?

Not really sure to be honest. There haven’t been any touring plans yet. But it’s finally starting to creep back into my peripherals…

Is it more stressful now that everything lies solely on your shoulders or is it less trying now that all the decisions are left up to you?

It’s actually been the most liberating decision of my life. Nothing could have been more relieving or necessary. The only thing that is stressful is my “need” to do everything myself. My eyes are too large for my stomach sometimes, so to speak. I’m ambitious so I try to do it all. But that can be overwhelming. I’m learning to pick my battles. Learning to understand my strengths and weaknesses.

What does the future have in store for Sakes Alive!! What projects are on the horizon?

Act III is nearly complete. A surprise recording will be emerging as well. Some collaborations are popping up as well. Carry the Torch from California have been communicating and sending material back and forth with me. I’m also moving to New York City in the next few months. I have a feeling that move will be the jump-start Sakes Alive!! needs.

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I’ve always been a fan of bands who explain what their songs are about. I’ve never understood singers who don’t feel like they need to. What was the point of writing lyrics then? Furthermore, bands who don’t include lyrics with their records. Really, what was the point of even singing?

Act III is a bit more of a personal release this time around. I want to talk about things that I have direct interactions with, and not ambiguous, theoretical situations.

“To Hell I’m Gone” is the most personal and vulnerable lyrics I’ve ever written. Directly relating to me, which may/may not be relate-able for others. But I think the general theme is pretty universal.

It’s a song about personal liberation. Directly speaking about Sakes Alive!!, my personal history and being, and my ambitions. I draw a lot of influence from a variety of people. When I was writing that song I was watching the Ramones “End of a Century” quite a bit, and looking through Banksy’s “Wall and Piece” for inspiration.

It explains how old I am, where I’ve come from musically, that I’m still here and kicking even if no one’s around to hear what I’m doing.

I’ve spent a significant chunk of my 27 years on this planet playing music, touring, reading about music, listening to it, living vicariously through the lyrics of bands like Kid Dynamite and American Nightmare. Literally, I’ve lived and breathed music for over a decade.

Nobody owes me a damn thing for it. That’s absolutely true. But I feel that I owe it to me to express myself and push myself as far as I can go in this realm for the monk-like dedication I’ve had for punk rock.

Which is a huge thing I believe in for people as a whole. Do you love art? Do you love acting? Shit, do you love plumbing or building cars?

Then you should actively live and breath daily the things you love. Your friends and family should be a support system for you to achieve a lifestyle that allows you to live those things. And absolutely to hell with the critics and assholes who feel the need to dismiss and tear down your passions. If their contribution to this world is to tear things down, to hell with them. To hell we’ve already gone, and have come back stronger because of it.

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