On a rare day off from touring, Neal Casal, the lead guitarist of Chris Robinson Brotherhood, spoke with Jambands.com. Since March, Casal has played over 100 shows with the band, whose fall/winter tour ends with a four-night run at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall in mid-December.
In January, the band will enter the studio for the first time and record an album.
“It’s been trial by fire,” Casal said. “We jumped right into doing shows and been going non-stop since that time.”
Casal is used to having his days filled with music. As a kid, he was fascinated by Woodstock, the movie, and gravitated toward the folk sounds of Richie Havens, Arlo Guthrie and Bob Dylan.
“Richie’s moment impressed me,” said Casal, referring to Havens’ opening number of “Freedom,” “and moved me as a little kid.”
Then as a teen, Casal was moved by the bad boys of Britain.
“The Rolling Stones changed my life,” said Casal, “and made me want to play louder and inspired to me play music.”
After graduating from high school, Casal became a full-time musician at 19. The New Jersey native has also been a member of alternative country band Beachwood Sparks, rock n’ rollers Hazy Malaze and the popular Ryan Adams & The Cardinals (2005-2009). And Casal just wrapped up his tenth solo album Sweeten The Distance.
Casal’s grandfather on his mother’s side was a working musician. His grandfather played the drums in several jazz bands during the 1920s, 30s and 40s and kept a scrapbook documenting all of his travels.
“I didn’t know him that well and I never got to talk about music with him but it had to make its way to me somehow,” he said. “Somewhere in the bloodline.”
JOINING THE BROTHERHOOD
How’s the fall tour going?
CRB is on an all-time high right now in our 7-month career. We’ve been touring since the end of March and it’s starting to pay off. The band is starting to sound seasoned and we’re developing our own identity. Everyone is getting along and everything is settling in. We’re so in tune and so limber because we’re playing three hour shows every night.
What’s the maturation process been like?
It’s happened so quickly. We did all of our growing up in front of people. We’re getting our live sound together now and it’s going to evolve very quickly when all of your growing up is done in public.
How did this new musical venture come about for you?
I’ve known Chris for about 10 years. When I was in Beachwood Sparks, we opened for the Black Crowes and we’ve been friends ever since. We did some informal jamming and always talked about doing something and it finally came together here.
What’s Chris like as a band leader?
He’s totally great. He has a clear idea of what he wants and he pushes everyone pretty hard. He pushed me past my limits and my normal comfort zone as a guitar player in terms of extended solo sections, instrumentals, and playing melodically. It’s been so great for me.
He also has a great sense of humor and knows when to lighten things up. He’s very aware, sharp, witty, funny and very smart.
You guys perform a variety of covers by the Grateful Dead, Carl Perkins and Jerry Jeff Walker, how are those songs selected?
Chris pretty much selects the covers. He has such a massive record collection and he wants to play songs that he loves. He gets excited to play all those songs. There’s not any strategy. He just follows his instincts and believes that it will lead to a good place.
FLYING WITH THE CARDINALS
How did you get hooked up with Ryan?
Ryan‘s another guy that I knew from back in the day. We had a lot of mutual friends and connections. Producer Jim Scott had done my first solo record ( Fade Away Diamond Time ) and Whiskeytown’s Strangers Almanac and I got to know Ryan through Jim. We always talked about doing something and then it took some years before it came around and happened.
What was it like to work with Ryan?
It’s intense, but so inspiring to be around someone who’s talented as him. He’s very thrilling and also pretty hard at times, because there are so many songs, so much coming at you at one time. But overall, it was an incredible, amazing period of creativity.
How many tracks did you play on Ryan’s new album Ashes and Fire and was the magic still there?
I played on three tracks and it was great. He’s in fine form. I will always have a connection with him. It doesn’t go away just because you don’t play in the same band anymore.
During your time with the Cardinals you published your first photography collection, Ryan Adams and the Cardinals: A View of Other Windows. What type of formal training did you have?
Photography is a strange thing for me. I didn’t get into it until my 30s. No training, just figured it out on my own. I always had an interest in photography. I always was fascinated and intrigued by photography but never had enough confidence that I could do it.
Then in my 30s, I started taking pictures to make life on tour more bearable. It’s a great life but very lonely and photography turned into a way to pass the hours on tour and make art a larger part of my day. People started telling me that I had a good eye for it and I started taking it more seriously and started documenting the bands I was around.
From Day One when I joined the Cardinals, I started documenting everything and it turned into a book and it blew my mind. That book is the most rewarding part of my career because it was so unexpected, because it wasn’t something I was trying to do.
SOLO FLIGHT
This is your tenth solo-album, how have you grown as a songwriter?
I think I’ve gotten better and that my best songs aren’t behind me. I’ve learned more about the craft of songwriting as the years have gone by, and luckily, I’m not short on inspiration. From being around great songwriters, I’ve learned more about the turns, phrases and chord progressions and the more I study, the better I get. I have a strong desire to grow.
I recorded my first solo record in 1995 and my new record is stronger. Some people might disagree with me but I think I can prove it.
What’s the significance behind the name of the album Sweeten The Distance ] ?
The thought there is distance is a big part of my life. Like it or not, I’ve created a life of travelling and moving around a lot. There’s a great distance between my friends and the people important to me. Also, I’m living a lot of life and have distance behind me: years and time and history behind where I am now and where I’ve been.
The goal for me as I move on is to be more open and flexible. It’s an offering to sweeten the distance between anything that means something to me.
Will you perform solo or will you put together a band to promote the album?
I’ll perform solo and I’ll put a band together – whatever I can do to get it out there. It’s hard because I’m really busy with CRB, but it’s a good problem to have, but I’ll get out there and play.
Is there a track you’re most proud of?
“White Fence Round House.”
Why?
It’s the most important song that I’ve ever written where I got something across. I’m arriving in a certain place in my life and I was able to tap into something deep. And musically, it’s a cool song, very atmospheric, very cool and unique.
The song means so much to me; I don’t even know how to talk about it. I get tongue-tied.
I wrote it in 10-minutes. It flowed right out of me.
How has working with Chris and Ryan helped you as a musician/songwriter?
It’s great to be around as much high quality musicians as you can be around. Chris is such an inspiring person to be around – he’s a non-stop stream of ideas. His passion for music raises the bar for me. Ryan too – is highly talented and I’m very lucky to be around them.
