The Boston based band Hurtsmile is about to unleash their sophomore release Retrogrenade onto the world on October 7. It’s the follow-up to their acclaimed self-titled debut album released in 2011. This new album is like a box of musical chocolates, as each song seems to have its own flavor with no two sounding, or tasting, exactly alike,and that’s just part of what makes this album so compelling. The band’s comprised of Gary Cherone (Extreme/Van Halen), his brother Mark (Flesh/SuperZero), Joe Pessia (Tantric/DramaGods) and Dana Spellman. I got the privilege to sit down with lead singer Gary Cherone, still one of the best voices out there, and we talked about their new release and much more.
Hey Gary! How’s life treating you man?
I’m doing well; how about yourself?
Well, my day just got a lot better now that I’m talking to you; this is definitely a treat for me. I’ve been a fan for a long time and you’ve always been one of my favorite voices in music. I’m sorry, was that too much fan boy to lead off with?
(Laughs) Thanks man, I appreciate that. No, you’re good man and I’m glad that you’re a fan.
Well, the music nerd in me wants to start off by asking about the band name. Is there a story behind that name?
The origin of the name is actually a Cherone brother neighborhood kid kind of phrase that originated in the Cherone house. You know, I grew up with four brothers and you roughhouse. You play football and when you get tackled and it hurts, you don’t want to show it in front of the other guys. So, you end up having this half a grimace, half a smile and I would look at my brother and tell him that he had a hurt smile. Fast forward 35 or 40 years and I brought up the name to the guys. I told Mark not to laugh when I told him the name. So, I go what about Hurtsmile? Mark remembered the reference from us as kids and he started laughing, but I told him that I was serious. You know, their opposites, kind of like Iron Butterfly and Black Sabbath and all. Then, we explained the origin to the other guys and that’s what we went with.
What kind of dynamics does having your brother Mark in the band bring ?
It’s funny because throughout the years I spent more time with the Extreme guys than I did my own brothers, and I consider those guys as close as my real brothers. I grew up with four brothers and Mark would be one of the brothers I could be in a band with, but some of the other brothers I wouldn’t be (laughs). Mark is five or six years younger than I am, and he was that kid in the corner when I was playing down in the basement or in the garage. He was always around, picking up a guitar or having the same record collection; he and I seem to speak the same language. We grew up on some of the same music, so it’s second nature; not to say that it’s not second nature with the guys in Extreme.
Did you guys produce this one again yourselves?
Yeah, we did the first one and this one as well. Joe Pessia, the bass player, engineered this, and Joe and I produced this one. It’s a collaborative thing. We recorded it in Joe’s studio and my house. We did both of our records ourselves and Bob St. John mixed it; he’s the engineer of Extreme fame. He’s done all of the Extreme stuff in the past and we’ve got a really good crew who worked on this one.
Regarding recording, things seem to be so much different in making albums today. You don’t have to go into a huge studio anymore; you can do it right there in your own home. Which do you prefer?
Yeah, we’ve definitely seen both sides of the coin there. We got signed to a major label and there was a big studio budget, a big video budget and
in the end, although you didn’t know it at the time, you’re the one who was paying for it. They might advance you all that stuff, but it’s coming out of your ass with the record sales. We’re fortunate that Extreme was able to pay back that stuff. The internet has changed the game; just being able to record at home with Pro-tools and stuff has put a lot of those studios out of business. I’m way more comfortable doing it ourselves, whether it’s Extreme or Hurtsmile. You’re always in control and you have way less people. It’s great to have some objective opinion when you’re with a major label, you still have too many fingers in the pie and it’s a pain in the ass.
I remember reading about this new album and that you guys were choosing to go the route of Pledgemusic for funding the record. As with just about anything in life, you’ve got people out there who are for this method and against it; what were you thoughts when considering it?
I was a bit reluctant, but I was lucky enough to witness Pat Badger, Extreme’s bass player, as he was doing his solo project and using it. He was having a great time. He was raising some money; he was digging up some Extreme paraphernalia. That was the kind of stuff that I was a little bit hesitant to do, but he had some success with it so I decided to go with it. My first thought was not to dig up any Van Halen or Extreme stuff, but I ended up having more fun with it than I thought I would. I also offered to write some lyrics and stuff and the fans really appreciated it. I kind of ended up putting my foot in my mouth and I ended up doing that for quite a few weeks. It ended up being really fun and for every lyric that I did I ended up doing about five or six. I would screw up a word or a letter and have to do the whole thing over again. We did about a month and a half campaign and we raised some money to pay for the record, for a video, a publicist and all that stuff.
Is it too soon to look ahead to taking this new music out on the road?
The record comes out worldwide on October 7th and we’re going to be doing a regional record release party on October 11th up here in Boston. We might do a couple of regional shows before I have to take off to L.A. to write a new record with Extreme. After that, I’ll come back and sit down with Pat Badger and coordinate some shows together; we want to play some major markets like L.A, New York and Chicago. Hurtsmile went to Japan in 2011 and we’d like to return back over there as well.
I have a question off of Twitter from a fan who wanted to know what the future holds in store for Extreme? I think you just partially answered that one.
This summer we did the Pornograffiti Live Tour in Europe and Asia, then we took a break and went back home and did a few shows in Canada and New Hampshire. We really haven’t down a U.S. tour since 2009 and there is some demand for it. We’re thinking that we’ll probably head out in early spring of 2015, do Pornograffiti in its entirety and encore with some back catalog and new material, since the new album will be done.
Hurtsmile – Rock ‘N Roll Cliche
https://soundcloud.com/onemanagement/sets/hurtsmile
I had another question from Facebook and Sean B. in Michigan wanted to know what you took away from your tenure with Van Halen?
I think that Van Halen III is getting a little more respect now that the dust has settled. I know Eddie’s proud of it and there are some really good songs on that record, although I wasn’t too happy with the production on it. I wish we could have done some things differently, but I could say that about any record. The tour was great, those guys were awesome and we had a ball. Hurtsmile is actually going to pull out “Without You” from that record and do it on these shows
You know, I look at your tenure with Van Halen like I look at John Corabi’s tenure with Motley Crue. You both were met by opposition from the fans before they even heard the very first song and I don’t think they gave either of you guys a fair chance. Now, a lot of people, including Mick Mars, look back on the album Corabi did with Motley Crue as the best work that they ever did. As for me personally, I really liked the VH3 that you did with the guys, just as I did the album Corabi did with the Crue. It’s just weird how some people are so reluctant to change.
I talked to John not too long ago and we discussed this and I do think you’re right. I also think that some people are looking at it now with clearer eyes. I remember when I joined the band, there were rumors that Dave was coming back and all that stuff that was going around at that time. I never took it personally because I understand the loyalty that some people feel; my only gripe is that I don’t consider my record with them an error. It shouldn’t be compared to the tenure that Sammy had with the band or the origins of that original era with Dave because I don’t think that’s fair. As a record, and on its own merit, there’s definitely some quality stuff on it.
Can we take a minute to tap into who Gary Cherone really is? You don’t have to lie down on the sofa unless you feel this is therapeutic. Do you remember the instance that you knew you wanted to go into music?
The Cherone house was always surrounded by music with everything from The Beatles to Neil Diamond to Tom Jones. I remember being ten or eleven and a kid in sixth or seventh grade introduced me to Alice Cooper. Everyone says they have ADD or OCD, but I was one of those kids who latched onto something and was single focused. For me, first it was Cooper, then Queen then Aerosmith then the Stones and then The Who and it just triggered an obsession with classic rock. I gravitated towards singers even before I knew I wanted to sing. As a kid, as I listened to the greats who influenced me including (Roger) Daltry, (Freddie) Mercury or (Stephen) Tyler. I didn’t think it was that big of a leap for me to be able to do this. I met Paul Geary in 1979, straight out of high school and that evolved into Extreme.
Do you remember the first album that you bought?
I remember my brother coming home with Get Your Wings by Aerosmith and I used to just stare at the record; that record was just crazy. For me, the first ones that I can remember were Alice Cooper’s Killer and School’s Out. I probably bought it used in a head shop or something. That was 1972 and I was a twelve year old kid so School’s Out did it for me. I remember being in high school and the music teacher was going over musical theatre and West Side Story and they were playing “Jets” or something off of it. I recognized it and my teacher couldn’t believe it and they asked me how I knew it. I told them that it was on the Alice Cooper record because Cooper borrowed from the theater, you know.
Well, Gary, as much as I would love to sit here and talk shop with you, I am sure you have other things to do. Again, it’s been a pleasure and I’ll keep my eyes peeled for some live dates in the near future. Is there anything that you’d like to close with?
Thanks Johnny, I appreciate everything man. I just want to remind fans that the name of the new record is Retrogrenade and it’s a nod to some of the influences of that classic rock that we were talking about. It’s a pretty diverse record with some classic rock sounds on it, but it’s not a retro record; it’s a very contemporary. I think the diversity on the record is great with some of the pop stuff and Cheap Trick elements and even a nod to the Eagles on a song called “Goodbye.” I’m really proud of this record and I don’t think that diversity is a dirty word; it’s what gives this band strength. I guess you could even relate that to Extreme because we’ve done some pretty diverse stuff as well.
