The Blog is jumbling it all up,but you can also find this Q&A at the following link:


Q&A with University of Idaho-The Argonaut






Talking with Nelo

Written by Gus Simpson - Argonaut Tuesday, 21 July 2009

 Nelo, an Austin, Texas-based pop-rock band, and I had the chance to speak with Matt Ragland, founding member of the band, who shared his thoughts on inspiration, influences, the record industry and life as a musician. Simpson: What’s your position in the band? Ragland: I’m the primary songwriter and band leader, and I play acoustic guitar and a little bit of piano. Electric guitar now too, actually. Simpson: Do you sing at all? Ragland: Yeah, I do. I sing backup, but I’m really the primary songwriter more than I am the singer. The singer, his name is Reid, he’s my buddy. Simpson: What’s it like being in a band where you write all the words and music but aren’t the lead vocalist? That’s kind of rare. Ragland: Yeah, that is rare. There have been some examples of that, I think Oasis has been like that, to name a big popular band. Of course, the band was like that from back in the ‘70s. I kind of like it, I mean, I’ve always kind of wished that I could sing my own songs, but it’s like the best alternative I can think of to have my best friend singing my songs, you know, so it’s a little different and Reid’s so good and he’s got a different style to his voice than I do to my own, so he brings his own flair to it, his own bit of magic to my songs. So the end result feels nicely collaborative. Simpson: I’ve got a copy of your “2 Years Ago” EP. I picked up on a really strong late-90s alt-rock, Dave Matthews Band kind of thing. Are you very influenced by these bands, or is this just a coincidence? Ragland: A while ago, when I was getting into music, I was very influenced by Dave Matthews Band, they kind of inspired me to even pick up the guitar in the first place, but that was early on, when I first started to get into music. Since then, I listen to all kinds of music, and really, the strange thing is, it’s not really in our genre. Well, some of it is, anyways. I love David Grey, for example, and, um…jeez, I mean, you name it, I probably like something that they’re doing. But, yeah, there is a late-‘90s influence, I think, because of my original influence as a writer, but as more time goes on and I write more and more songs I feel like I’m starting to get into just a straight-ahead rock style. Simpson: I noticed there are some jazz influences in the songs too, especially on the horn parts. Do you listen to a lot of jazz? Ragland: I do listen to a lot of jazz, but those horn parts, I didn’t write those, actually. The guys in the band, they come from a jazz background, they studied jazz at University of North Texas, so that’s kind of what they bring to the table. So although my background’s not in jazz, I do listen to jazz, but what you’re hearing on the record is not really coming from me as far as the jazz element goes, it’s really the drummer and the sax player and the bassist. Simpson: Who would you say is your biggest musical influence personally? Ragland: It’s really hard to say, honestly, because Dave Matthews Band was my “first” influence, but my biggest influence, gee…I mean, I listen to Damien Rice a lot, and I really like Iron & Wine, they’re one of my favorites. I saw Sam Beam at a music store the other day. Um…I can think of a couple more. I like Sigur Ros a lot. I listen to bands that are pretty different from us, but that’s what I like. You know what the strangest thing is, one of my favorite genres of music I listen to more than anything is music scoring. You might just want to list that as my biggest influence, because it probably is. Consistently over the years, that’s probably my biggest influence, is just movie scoring, like James Horner and Danny Elfman. Thomas Newman is one of my favorites. Simpson: What would you say influences your lyrics? I noticed some religious imagery, and a very strong focus on love. Where does that come from? Ragland: Yeah man, (laughs) I don’t know where the hell it comes from, and it’s kind of like there’s this empty page in front if me and it’s like, “Okay, well, I’ve gotta fill it.” I don’t have any real rules about it, I guess? But yeah, you’re right, there are some religious elements. That’s something that I’ve always been…it’s kind of one of those unanswerable questions, but I think it’s the most important question. And so it’s sort of an ongoing battle, and I know that it’s a battle I’ll never win. But the thing about religion and the question of the validity of religion for me is though it is sort of an unwinnable battle, it is such a battle worth having. So I’m always asking questions, and I’m always paying attention to it, and just feeling it. So that’s where the religion aspect comes from, and it’s just something I’ve always struggled with my whole life. And then the love aspect, I mean, that’s probably the first thing that sort of got me into writing is that idea, that ideal notion that there’s that one person out there for you. It’s very idealistic and the older I get the more I realize that maybe that’s not so true, but when I sit down to write and I’m in my idealistic world - yeah man, I still believe. I still believe there’s one person out there. That really fuels me creatively, that notion. Simpson: I guess that’s kind of the nice thing about writing songs, is that you can get into that ideal, and you don’t have to live in reality, you can kind of talk about whatever you want. Ragland: Exactly. It’s your world, and the interesting thing about it too, is even if you are so deep into this idealistic world of your own, you’re so, so connected to the real world too. So much of it can sort of help you through the real world stuff, and even get you some answers in reference to it. It’s weird how the two play on each other. Simpson: Cool. So what’s the significance of the title of your EP, “2 Years Ago?” Ragland: It’s the song that’s on the EP that’s called “2 Years Ago,” which is sort of the title track, but I think we wanted to call it that because, well, the band’s been together for about four years now. We put out a record that’s comprised mostly of songs I wrote when I was a kid. I was just really young. We’ve got all of this new material that even our fans haven’t heard, except in live shows. “2 Years Ago,” the song, I wrote two years after starting the band, and it was sort of a retrospective of the choice that I made to go ahead and do it, and the choice that we made together to go ahead and give it a shot. It was sort of an emotional thing. It was about the time period, and it was about what was going on emotionally during that time and during that decision. As to why we chose it for this EP, it was almost like it was a reminder, a “this is why we’re doing this” kind of thing, and the EP is something we’re really proud of. It’s hard for me to really analyze, The Univerisity of Idaho Summer Choir, Idaho Washington Concert Choir and Rendezvous Orchestra perform Mozart’s Requiem under the direction of UI assistant professor of music Michael Murphy Thursday in the Administration Building Auditorium. to be honest, I just know that it was the right call. It felt like home. This EP feels like where we’re coming from right now, and so to call it “2 Years Ago,” to name it after the song that looks back to the very first moment that we ever began the band, it felt like a good starting point, like this is what we need it to be. Simpson: You had one other full-length release before this one, correct? Ragland: Yeah, that’s the one I was referring to. That record’s basically comprised of songs that I wrote when I was a kid. Don’t get me wrong, I love those songs, we all do, but for me, they’re just not what I’m writing these days. I was so young. Not to take anything away from them, they’re just not current. But the reality is, we still want to play them, it’s just not where we’re coming from creatively now, not where I’m coming from. But that’s even a stretch, because it is where I’m coming from literally, I mean, that’s where I started, and I’m in a different spot now. I just want to get some new material out there, that’s all I’m really saying. The EP was a good chance to do that, and that’s part of the reason we’re so fired up about the EP. Simpson: I was looking at reviews people had submitted on iTunes for both your first release and your EP, and it was all overwhelmingly positive. What have you guys done to build this sort of underground following? Because I noticed a lot of people seemed to know you guys personally, and a lot of people mentioned you playing at Camp Longhorn, down in Texas. Ragland: Yeah, Camp Longhorn is actually the spot where Reid, the singer, and I met and first played together, so we have strong roots there. We were campers and counselors there, and we went back and played there a couple of summers. That’s what those fans are referring to. They saw us there, and that was a big fun experience for everyone. But yeah, how did we build it? We’re still doing it, I mean, it’s not like we’ve built anything enormous. We’ve just sort of employed the grassroots approach. We cut an 11-song demo right before we moved and started the band and I would just give that to people for free and we wouldn’t charge people for it that much, they’d just pass it around. So the music spread really quickly, and it’s just basically that whole grassroots approach, I guess. And then, we got some money to do a record and we got a record deal, and we sort of basically re-cut that record, with professional quality, and that what that first LP is. I would say the way we’ve done it is just word of mouth, and we’ve totally got to give the credit to our fans. It’s not been overwhelming radio play or anything like that, it’s just fans spreading the word. Simpson: In today’s musical climate, bands come and go on the Internet all the time. What do you think it takes for a band to stick out and have staying power? Ragland: Well, I’m glad you mentioned the Internet, because that’s been our biggest tool. The Internet is where we should probably give credit for spreading our music around, as well as the fans. I think this is a great time for bands to get started. The Internet is an amazing tool for bands who haven’t broken big. Major labels are struggling with the economy being down. I think the lasting effects of music sharing are still killing the major record label industry. So really, young bands and independent labels that really focus on the Internet, that’s the way of the future, as far as I’m concerned, and that’s the way of the majors, sooner or later. But making a change in the major labels is like turning a huge cruise ship around, there’s just so much that goes into it. So, to answer your question directly, I think this is a great time for young bands to really get started. What you can do with the Internet is so amazing and so controllable. Everything’s at your fingertips, you’re in complete control of what you release and what you don’t release, and it can cost you next to nothing to do it, which is an absolute perk and something that bands didn’t have in the past. We had it, though, and we used it. Simpson: Yeah, definitely. You mentioned music sharing. What are your thoughts on music sharing and illegal downloading, things of that nature? Ragland: Man, some people feel really strongly about this. I get both sides of the argument. I mean, I’m a songwriter, it’s supposed to be my “intellectual property,” but to be honest with you, I’m sort of all for it. It doesn’t bother me that much, because for me, it’s all about the music. I get the argument, record labels hate it, because it’s the only way they make their money. I gotta be honest, I’m usually a very decisive person, but I kind of sit on the fence on this one. I want first and foremost for people to hear our music, so if it’s between them not hearing the music, and them hearing the music by “stealing” it, then I’d rather them steal it, you know what I mean? Of course I’d like them to buy it, because we need to make a living, and really, the truth is, it feeds the machine, because the more people buy our stuff, the more money we’ll have to make more music, and better music in the future and better recordings. So in that regard, I really want people to buy our music. Simpson: How did you guys get your start? How did you all meet? Ragland: Most of the band are friends of mine from high school, actually. It’s really kind of a lucky thing. As soon as I started playing guitar (and I started really late, I’m self-taught, never had any music lessons or anything) and started to write songs, I felt that itch inside of me, I was comfortable writing. At the time, I really wanted to sing, too, and I still do, I wish I were more confident in my singing voice. But I didn’t really get serious. The guys I have in the band now, they were kind of my music friends, and we would play together. But then I sort of discovered Reid’s singing voice. I think I discovered it before he did. I wish he was here to comment on that. He knew he could carry a tune, but I don’t think he knew how amazing of a singer he was. I heard him at Camp Longhorn, of all places, and I just remember being totally floored, just thinking, “That’s the real thing, that’s not just a good singer, that’s the real thing.” So then I got really charged, I kind of realized I had all the tools I needed to have a real-deal band. So that’s how it started, I got re-interested in what I was doing, my songs and my music, and I called all my musician friends, and right after we graduated college, we went off and did it. Simpson: What does the name “Nelo” come from? Am I pronouncing it right? Ragland: Yeah, you are. Most people say “nee-lo,” but yeah, your right, it’s “neh-lo.” “Nelo” is a term from the card game Spades. Some people say “nil,” some say “nilo,” but I grew up saying “nelo.” It’s basically a strategy in the card game. I’ve got all this weird significance I’ve attached to it. Even before I started the band, it always had this weird sort of emotional significance, but I always feel like it reads poorly and it’s boring. Simpson: I noticed in all your materials you use a lower-case “n” at the beginning of the word. Ragland: Yeah, there’s no real reason for that. On top of the fact that we think it kinda looks cool, I will say that “nelo” literally translates, as far as I know, to “nothingness” in its purest form. Nothingness in that, for there to be any change, it must become something. So it’s sort of philosophical in that sense. So, for some reason, making that word look as tiny and as puny as possible made sense to me. That’s why I handwrite it in our logo, to keep it consistent with the meaning of the band name. Simpson: You’re playing here in Moscow at John’s Alley in a couple of weeks. What would you say makes a live performance different from your recordings? Ragland: This EP is a little more like our live shows than the record is. But I would say there’s a lot more improvisation in the live shows, and a lot of people say we rock more, you know? A lot of people say it’s “bigger” at the shows, I don’t really know. But I know that we improvise more, and there’s lots of energy. Simpson: Have you ever been up in Idaho or the Moscow area before? Ragland: Yes, it’s beautiful. I can’t wait to be up there. We’ve been to Sandpoint and a couple of other places in Idaho. Simpson: What’s our favorite part of being in a band and being on tour? Ragland: My favorite part of music is songwriting. I feel very at-home there, just by myself, writing music and putting words down with melodies. My favorite part of being in a band is the family feel of it, the feeling that we’re all in the trenches together, and I like that. My band, we’re all very, very different people, so it can be a little bit weird sometimes, and communication can get a little crossways, but it really feels like we’re a family, and that’s never more apparent than when we’re on the road. Traveling around in our van through different parts of the country, going out to grab a beer someplace you’ve never been, that sort of family feel is my favorite part of being in the band, I guess. But the music aspect is being able to write a song, having something start in my head, and then taking it to my friends and band-mates and finding this end product with everyone’s influence and feeling like it’s really big. I love that.