Perpetual Groove’s nearly twenty-year history has surely had more ups-and-downs than an old, rickety, wooden roller-coaster. From battling everything from lineup changes, addiction, life, devastating loss within their inner circle, and seemingly everything in between, the band - Brock Butler (guitar, main vocals), Matt McDonald (keyboards, vocals), Adam Perry (bass) and Albert Suttle (drums)—“PGroove,” as they affectionately known, miraculously stand stronger than ever in 2019.
Having just releasedtheir first album in a decade, and a music video for the track, “Spirit Bear,”the roller coaster again seems to be ascending towards it highest peak yet,with the overall world of PGroove seemingly on more solid ground than it hasever been, possibly ever before.
Jambands contributingwriter, Brian Bavosa, who has a long history with PGroove, recently sharedemail exchanges with both Butler and McDonald, which can be read below.
Keep an eye out for PGroove on the road this summer.
MATTMCDONALD:
Why did it take 10 yearsto release a new studio album?
Well,the most obvious reason is that we took a couple of years off during that time.When we got back to work in 2015 we did release an EP (Familiar Stare)in 2016 and we also released the “Paper Dolls” single and video inlate 2015. So, it wasn’t like we didn’t put anything out at all during thoseten years, we just hadn’t put out a full-length album. I think part of that wastrying to fit with the times where singles dominate the airspace and to feedthe constant social media space that exists in now. Mostimportantly, we knew that there was a sound and songs we wanted to create thatwere very different from anything we had done in the past. So, in order to dothat most effectively, we took the last two years to make this albumtrue to our vision.
How would you describethe songwriting process? How is it different than years past/past albums?
Adamand Brock have always been the two main songwriters for the band. They shareequally in both lyrics and music. Every song also involves a process when allof us sit down to work together. Brock and Adam have always been incrediblyreceptive to what Albert and I bring to the table. Albert is very good athelping us figure out time signatures and nice shifts in feel to help craft abetter song. My forte and contribution is almost always in the arrangementdepartment. But, there are no rules and roles can change for any given song atany given time. At this point, we have a much stronger sense of each of ourroles during the songwriting process. "Collaborative" is a great wayto describe it.
How has the band beenbalancing family life in this newest renaissance of the band? (Weekend runs,shorter tours, etc.)
Sincecoming back in 2015 we've managed to keep a healthy balance of life on the roadand life at home. Yes, this means shorter tours compared to what we did 15years ago. But, it also means smarter business moves to keep everyone fresh andnot burnt out.
How did that idea andconcept for the “Spirit Bear” video come together?
Iapproached Dominar Films in Athens, Georgia per Jason Huffer‘s recommendation.We presented them with an idea that included puppets and going fromblack-and-white to color, but the director, Ben Roberds, brought that idea moreinto focus. We dumped the puppets and opted for solid color suits and rainbowumbrellas--way cooler! Ben discovered that the last 1/3 of the song wasequal in length to the first 2/3s if the first 2/3s was doubled inspeed--something we would have never thought of on our own. The idea of doingit as a single shot shooting at 24FPS was all Ben's idea. Shooting the entirevideo was a process that took less than three minutes for what would be thefinal take. So, when the video is played at regular speed it gives theslow-motion effect for the top of the video in black-and-white. Then, at theend of the video when everything runs in reverse, it’s actually at the speed wewere walking down that block going through the moves of the scene. I couldn’tbe happier with the results and look forward to doing more projects with theDominar Films' team.
PGroove is also knownfor having a sense of humor and almost tongue-in-cheek geekiness that oftenspills over into the music. How, if in any way, did that spill over into thenew album and its process?
Humorsaves us all! I’m certain there’s plenty of geekiness on the album butI’m not sure I can put my finger on any specific portion where it spilled intothe music. One thing that was not only new but felt a bit geeky for us was thebackground drums on Spirit Bear. I believe it was the second nightin the studio where we found ourselves all in the live room banging on drums,and anything else we could beat on, to create the percussion tracks. I canhonestly say the four of us have never taken part in a drum circle, at leastnot all together! So, that is pretty nerdy, right?
How is this albumtechnically any different from PGroove albums of the past?
It’snot hyperbole to say that this album is different in every way from anythingwe’ve ever done in the past. To start, we brought in a producer and aco-producer who worked with us through the entire process. We also gave thesesongs plenty of time to mature inside the studio, not on the road. None of the songson this album were ever played in a live venue, commonly referred to as getting"road tested". Having a team who can see the view from 10,000 feet ofwhat was best for the song, as opposed to what parts or lyrics that any one ofus might have been personally attached to, helped craft the best version ofeach song. It helped remove ego from the process for us and let the songs guidethe way. We also recorded in a studio that had all sorts of rare, old, coolinstruments that possess unique timbres with which we got to experiment and usein this album. Every studio is different, and studios will shape thetone, sound, and vibe of an album. We recorded the bones of the album at TheFidelitorium in Kernersville, North Carolina; I can’t say enough good thingsabout our experience there. We would go on to finish the album at Studio MG inRoswell, Georgia. Both of these studios are distinctive in their own ways andhelped us create our album very differently than anything we have done in thepast.
How has Brock’s sobrietybeen handled to avoid the same pitfalls of the road?
Weunderstand that this was a pretty public battle for Brock and the band, butit’s one that’s in the past. We’ve moved on and we hope that others can,too. Brock is the lead singer and guitar player and when the lead singeris off, everyone knows it. It's a tough microscope to be under but it’spart of the gig when you are the voice of the band. Brock has worked hard toovercome his demons and he’s been nothing but a champion these last coupleyears. He has stepped to the plate as a real partner and leader inside theband. Brock was not the only one who had issues in his personal life toaddress. We all have had things that we needed to take care of. Sometimes thesethings manifest in ways that aren’t as obvious as intoxication or drugaddiction. It’s not fair to put every bad thing that may have happened publiclyin the past with the band on Brock. At the end of the day, each ofus is responsible for our own actions. Brock's sobriety is notan elephant in the room for us like it was years ago; we can talk about thingswith each other quite honestly now. I would hope and believe Brock knows thatinside the band he has a support network of people that genuinely care about himand how he’s doing as a person, a friend, and bandmate. Avoiding pitfalls onthe road is a practice that applies to each of us. Now that all of us are inour 40s (or close!), we have a much healthier lifestyle on the road. This, ofcourse, has led to much healthier relationships that all of us have with eachother in every aspect of being in a band together. It’s a band that’s fun to bein, but it’s also a business, and it can also be like a sexless marriage!
How does the band decideon setlists? Bust outs? New covers? The band has always had their finger on thepulse of being at the forefront of pop music and debuting songs that arerelevant in today’s music. Can you elaborate on that?
Usually,the guys let me build the bones of the setlist. We have a shared notes appwhere we can all make suggestions and edits after a rough idea is laid out.However, the setlist that we start with rarely ends up being exactly whathappens over the course of a show. We make audibles and changes all the time whileon stage as we're feeling out the room and the crowd. So, at the end of theday, the set list is still very collaborative and quite often a livingbreathing thing that’s constantly changing. For bust outs and some covers,there’s always some planning as we want to make sure to rehearse these thingsbefore trying them live. Each of us has brought different covers to the catalogover the years. So many of these songs are the ones that you want to sing alongto and learn anyway for your own pleasure. To have the opportunity to performthem live with a rock band--that’s kind of your teenage dream come true. Welike to have fun with it and I think that shows most in our selection ofcovers.
How would you describethe current climate of The World of PGroove?
Fresh.We’ve got the new album and all the songs, but, as previously stated, we havenot road tested these tunes yet. So, we’re going to have all fall to really letthe songs start to grow live legs of their own, which is very different fromthe studio. We also have lots of songs that are still works in progress. They will probably start to bust out this fall as well. But, yes, in a word,FRESH.
What’s next?
Fall tour! It’ll be fun to hit the road again in October andNovember. There are all sorts of great rooms and great cities on thisupcoming tour. We are currently getting ready to plan something pretty specialfor the 20th anniversary of our first album, Sweet Oblivious Antidote, inearly 2022. This summer, Brock, Adam, and I will be doing more of the P3 shows.This has become a summer tradition for us as it gives us an opportunity to goout and still play some PGroove songs but lets us execute them in a completelydifferent way. It also affords us the opportunity to dive intothe catalog with some older songs that haven't seen as much road action lately.It’s very different from a Perpetual Groove show--I play acoustic guitar alongwith Brock and Adam plays bass. It also gives us an opportunity to play allsorts of beach coastal rooms that PGroove doesn’t have an opportunity to play.One of my favorites, Guanabanas in Jupiter, Florida, is a beautiful place righton the water with a great stage and an intimate vibe that we love. It alsohelps serve as a bit of a Florida vacation for us for two weeks every August!
BROCK BUTLER:
Why did it take 10years to release a new studio album?
Technically, we’ve gone into thestudio and released new content in the last 10 years. For my part , the twoyears leading up to the hiatus weren’t exactly the most productive creativelyspeaking. Some of the time/pace things will get touched on in other questions Isee here.
How would you describethe songwriting process? How is it different than years past/past albums?
As far as any specific process isconcerned it’s always been many varieties. Even on my end, sometimes it startswith a lyrical idea and sometimes a melody gets stuck in my head andnecessitates putting words to it so I can get it out of there! At the end ofthe day the songs are realized thanks to each member’s skillsets. Beats that Iput on a demo aren’t anywhere near what Albert will eventually do with it. Forme that’s a big part of the fun.
How did that idea andconcept for the “Spirit Bear” video come together?
Dominar films out of Athens came upwith the concept and I knew immediately that I liked the path they were on. Myinitial reaction to doing any video at all was “maybe we can just make a shortfilm to the music and not have to be in front of the camera”. So naturally, Iwas put in a very red suit and a steady Cam was attached to me. The best way tohear god laugh is to announce your plans aloud.
PGroove is also knownfor having a sense of humor and almost tongue-in-cheek geekiness that oftenspills over into the music. How, if anyway, did that spill over into the newalbum and it’s process?
Oh the geekiness isn’t tongue andcheek. It’s legit I assure you. Having said that, I don’t think it’s really inthe recipe on the new album. Seems like times are tough out there and I wantedto focus on how the music might be of service in general. There have been popculture and literary references in plenty of our material in the past ofcourse. Maybe it’s just with more life experiences and personal things thathave happened? I really tried to push myself to be actively aware of what wemight say and what emotions we’d hope to convey to any listener. While makingthe album I lost my sister / closest friend and processing that couldn’thelp but be woven in. Not in a dark way but rather catharsis and in honorof. Also notable that my loss wasn’t the only one.
How is this albumtechnically any different from PGroove albums of the past?
We’ve learned a lot as we’ve gonealong. I think we went into this one all looking forward to being pushed out ofour comfort zones. Working with Jason and Tim was a pretty amazing experience.Taking the time with the album allowed for things to marinate and organicallyarrive at what in my opinion is their best realization.
Your sobriety. How hasthat been handled to avoid the same pitfalls of the road?
I’d first say that the risks andpitfalls aren’t limited to the road. I was actually at my “worst” immediatelyfollowing our “last” show. This visits back to why has it been 10 years. If youare into a program or however you go about wanting to change the way you’reliving ? It’s different for everyone, but I needed the routine that I got fromdrug court. Once that phase was done in my life and we band members begancorresponding the questions were - is there a future for the band? If so whatsort ? Two night stands occasionally ? Dipping your toe in the waters, thenwaist deep, so on so forth. It ultimately comes down to personalaccountability. I’d like to think that it’s evident I’m a more dependablecollaborator , business partner and ultimately better person/friend.Losing siblings and friends that are your peers definitely makes an impact.Thinking of your own decisions past to present. I want to feel good. Quitdrinking sodas and I get up early and exercise ?? These might sound like smallobvious silly things to some, but for me ? Who’s had a life of High mileageliving and not the best decisions it’s significant as to where my head is. Ilike to think of Robert Downey Jr. He was in the orange jumpsuit and with whatseemed to be endless legal troubles. He was a liability for productions toconsider casting him etc. Now he’s Tony Stark! I love a good redemption storyand would like for that to be a prevailing aspect of my own.
How does the banddecide on setlists? Bust outs? New covers? The band has always had their fingeron the pulse of being at the forefront of pop music and debuting songs that arerelevant in today’s music. Can you elaborate on that?
This will sound obvious, but we alllove music. When we convene on the road I always get turned on to new stuff fromthe fellas. I even have different relationships with each member. Matt and Ishare a love for Nine Inch Nails. Adam and I have been on a Big Red Machinekick. I count on our tour manager Michael Blair for all my indie Americanacontent. Then I’ll hear Waltzing Matilda at the end of the Deadwood movie andtext it to Albert immediately. Matt is the go to guy for the framework ofstarting the setlist day to day in the bands shared notes.
An example of how a cover might getsuggested from me , I was still on probation in Virginia and heard ELO’s LongBlack Road. I didn’t even know if the guys would even speak to me again muchless be back at it. Nonetheless, I heard it and thought “this is sooooo totesin our wheelhouse” ... we covered it last NYE and have several times since.Took only four years to get it in the line up. Conversations are already wellunderway on how often to play the new material. Do we care about stats on paper? As a person who loves going to concerts I know what it’s is to chase a song.I also know the delights of something being a near certainty. Depending on theband. I like to walk around and meet fans. If there’s a good request (eitherthe song itself or the reason why it’s being requested) I know I’m stoked toplay the new stuff.
How would you describe the currentclimate of The World of PGroove?
A positive one. Something I’mpresent to actively appreciate. Not a lot of folks get to the point where theirdemons are in the rear view mirror at all , much less to the point where theystay way behind. I’m grateful.
