Erin Davidson has been making music for over twenty years, most notably as a member or Cerebus Shoal and Sage Francis’ backing band, and as a solo artist under the name dilly dilly.  She frequently tours throughout the U.S. and Europe and can often be seen playing guitar, ukelele, the saw, and a handful of others.  In addition, she’s collaborated with fellow Maine musicians Sontiago, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, A Severe Joy, and many more.

You can learn more by visiting Soundcloud, Facebook, YouTube, and her website dillydillymusic.com.

Where were you born?
I was born in Exeter, New Hampshire. I lived on a farm for the first 4 years of my life. (no I wasn’t born in a barn STOP ASKING! i keed i keed)

What brought you to Portland?
Well, i’ve lived around the Portland area practically my whole life. Went to high school in Westbrook, which is when I started playing music with my friends.

Do you have a day job, and if so, what is it?
I have a few *sniffle*. I tend bar at Port City Music Hall, State Theater and Black Tie catering company. Occasionally I work in the office and an an attendant in the cafe on the Amtrak Downeaster.

What was your most memorable gig?
My most memorable gig would probably be the first time we (Cerberus Shoal, the band I was in at the time) opened up for Sun City Girls in Seattle. We did a split EP with Alan Bishop in 2002 but this show was the first time we would officially meet them and I idolized their music growing up, so I was all kinds of excited. Alan, Charles, and Richard were all stand-up folks and the show was breathtaking. You don’t get a chance to play with and for your musical influences very often in your life and that show couldn’t have gone any better for me. To say I felt euphoric doesn’t even come close to the emotions my body and I felt, but it’ll have to do.

What was your worst gig?
Ohhh boy, I don’t like to shit talk so I’m gonna preface this by saying that I think Space Gallery is one of the greatest venues to play in Portland. That being said, I was asked to play Icing for New Years Eve one year and, without really thinking about what it was, said yes. long story short, there’s nothing like (and by “like” I mean “worse than”) playing ukulele in front of 300 people who are getting drunk and their main objective is to network. Even with my ukulele plugged into the PA and monitors, I couldn’t hear a note of what I was playing above the roar of the audience and felt more defeated than I ever have on stage. My five song set turned into a four song set and the most redeeming part of the evening was that my set ended early enough for me to go down to Port City and promptly stuff as much alcohol into my stomach as humanly possible before midnight to try and start the new year off on a better note than that one was ending.

What album or artist has most influenced you as a musician?
Hip Hop

What’s the one piece of musical equipment you can’t live without?
I’d say my hands. Yeah, My hands are the most important piece of musical equipment. Definitely, hands down, hands. My pops and mom gave me these hands. Such strong hands. They gave me the best gift any parent can give their children. I’m a lucky bird, when it all comes down to it. They allow me to try new instruments and ideas. I was born with great hands.

Any advice for a musician starting out?
I’ll give the best advice I ever got. Don’t listen to that little hater inside your head and, remember, you might be playing the same chords and singing the same notes that someone else has before you… but no one will ever play or sing in your voice. You’ve been given the gift of being unique. A snowflake in the world of sound, vision and creativity. It would be a shame to let that go to waste. The universe is relying on you.

What’s the origin behind your band name?
“dilly dilly” came from the first song I ever remember listening to in my life. My preschool teacher used to play Burl Ives’ version of Lavender Blue, and it stuck with me. I thought it an appropriate moniker for my musical endeavors.

httpa://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYrdEBLecZg

What’s your musical guilty pleasure?
HOT 104.7… I love singing Justin Timberlake (et al.) at the top of my voice when I’m driving around. “IT’S LIKE YOU’RE MY MIRROR. oh oh. MY MIRROR STARING BACK AT ME. oh oh…..”

Bonus questions:

What was the first album/recording you owned?
The first one I remember owning is the Kenny Loggins Footloose 7″. When we were kids, my brother and I used to play it on one of those little plastic suitcase players at 78rpms and pretend we were chipmunks.

What are you listening to at the moment?
Honestly, I’ve been listening to the 24/7 comedy station on iheart radio like it’s going out of business. So much so, that I even fall asleep to it. I LOVE stand up comedy. Musically i’ve been wearing a hole in the album Wild Go by Dark Dark Dark and Rufus Wainwright’s self titled LP.

What was the best concert/musical performance you’ve attended?
SO MANY TO CHOOSE FROM… I’d have to say Jimmy Buffet when I was nine. It’s the show that started the gears in my head rolling to play and perform music. BOOM!

October is LGBT month and Factory Portland will be highlighting Maine-connected LGBTQ artists for the week of October 28th.

José Ayerve has been performing and recording in Maine since the mid 90s.  His first band in the state, Spouse, has been on hiatus since 2011 (with one benefit performance in Northampton earlier this year) and for appearances in bands like Bullyclub, among others.  For the past couple of years, Ayerve has been performing as A Severe Joy, a solo project that was born out of multiple band-member relocations.  As A Severe Joy, he’s released an eponymous album, five plexi singles, and a compilation of those singles entitled ‘Cinematesque.’  A second set of five singles are planned over the course of the next year.

Where were you born?
Bogotá, Colombia

What brought you to Portland?
After graduating from Bowdoin College in 1996, I became involved in a local theater troupe based in Portland. I moved to town in 1997, then moved away in 1998, returned in 2000, left again in 2003, and have been residing here once more since 2009.

Do you have a day job, and if so, what is it?
I do. I work as a Spanish language translator for a public school system based in Massachusetts.

What was your most memorable gig?
I’ve had quite a few memorable gigs. With Spouse, it was definitely in February of 2011 at Port City Music Hall. It was a perfect set and at the end of it, I was overcome with emotion (because I knew that I was going to put the band on indefinite hiatus, but hadn’t told my bandmates) and I smashed my guitar on stage. It was the most incredible feeling ever. Kevin O’Rourke of Lo Fine (and occasionally, Spouse) rebuilt it for me. It sounds better now than it did before the smash. With ASJ, I think my most memorable gig was the Free Range Music Festival in Belfast in April of 2012. It was a beautiful night, totally packed, and I had the lovely dancers from Haus of Paradigm performing with me.

What was your worst gig?
I played a show at the Free Street Taverna in 1998 on a Sunday night. My bandmates had bailed on me for the show and I tried to perform drunk. It was a disaster.

What album or artist has most influenced you as a musician?
Album: “Long Live the New Flesh” by Flesh For Lulu. It changed my life.

What’s the one piece of musical equipment you can’t live without?
My phone, because it houses all of my backing tracks and the drum machine ap that I use for ASJ.

Any advice for a musician starting out?
Do it because you love it. Learn to take care of your gear, be good at math (and accounting), follow-through, and for chrissakes, be a good example for other musicians. I believe musicians struggle as much as we do because people in general have a negative impression of us unless we become nationally or internationally recognized for our work. Also, value your art and if you’re not enjoying it, switch it up.

What was the origin behind your band name?
Spouse is short for “Cheating on Spouses Can Be a Messy Management Affair” – the title of an article that I had to read for Psychology class in college.

A Severe Joy is an anagram of my real name, José Ayerve

What’s your musical guilty pleasure?
I don’t feel guilt about liking any particular artist. I’ve always been a fan of Huey Lewis & The News. I really like the new Cher album, and Justin Timberlake is fucking awesome. That said, my favorite album is “The Tender, the Moving, the Swinging Aretha Franklin”.

Bonus Questions

What was the first album/recording you owned?
“Free to Be You and Me” – Marlo Thomas and Friends

What are you listening to at the moment?
“Destruye Hogares” by Fobia

What was the best concert/musical performance you’ve attended?
The Pixies at the State Theatre in 2011 was my favorite, not sure it was the best, but I really enjoyed it.

You can learn more about A Severe Joy at Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, and SoundCloud and Spouse from Bandcamp and Facebook.

October is LGBT month and Factory Portland will be highlighting Maine-connected LGBTQ artists for the week of October 28th.

This two-time Grammy nominee’s 38 year career has taken Cidny from singing back-up with Elton John and singing lead vocals on the “Grease” movie soundtrack– to having eight critically acclaimed solo albums, including the award winning “Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth”, “Neverland”, “dream #29” and most recently “Howling Trains and Barking Dogs”. Guests on the albums include friends Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Bryan Adams, Emmylou Harris, Delbert McClinton, and Sir Elton. In the 1990’s, Cidny co-wrote songs in Nashville producing several charting singles. Cid also wrote the musical “Islands” honoring the island of North Haven, Maine, which was performed on Broadway in NYC and in Portland at the Merrill Auditorium in the fall of 2001. Cidny continues a solo career, is one-third of super-group The Refugees with Wendy Waldman and Deborah Holland, and is now writing a one person show.

Where were you born?
Boston, MA

What brought you to Portland?
Been coming to Maine my whole life. My grandmother grew up in Portland and they had a house in Kennebunkport where we spent our summers. We also had relatives on Chebeague Island and would go there a lot too. So I always wanted to live here one day. But it was summer of 1990 on North Haven when we decided to move from Connecticut to Portland. We bought a house right then and only went back to Connecticut to pack up! As a side note: My ex Dan Crewe then called our good friend Bob Ludwig, who wanted to partner with Dan in a new mastering studio. Bob was living in NYC at the time. Dan was afraid that our move to Maine would end their plans, but Bob’s mother lived Down East so Bob was thrilled about coming up here. And that’s how Gateway Mastering got started.

Do you have a day job, and if so, what is it?
I moved to Los Angeles in mid-1974 and luckily had some incredible breaks within the first year of arriving there. I met legendary songwriter/producer Bob Crewe (discovered the Four Seasons, Mitch Ryder, and more. Think “Jersey Boys”) and became his gofer/protege, spending every waking minute in the studio and watching him write songs (I was there when he wrote “Lady Marmalade”). I also used to hang out at Cherokee Studios in Hollywood, getting coffee for and hobnobbing with clients like Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart, and Dr. John. I ended up singing backup on Rod Stewart’s “Sailing” album, Gene Clark’s (The Byrds) “No Other” and others. My biggest break was crashing a Rocket Record’s press party, at Cherokee, for Neil Sedaka. Elton John started Rocket Records and was there. I met him that night and got hired on the spot to sing backup on his tour. Two days later, I was in his band and on the road. I sang with Elton on three tours and on the “Blue Moves” album. I also sang the back up vocals on “Don’t Go Breakin’ My Heart”. My next big break was getting asked to sing on the “Grease” movie soundtrack in 1977. I was just hired (thanks to Bob Crewe) to sing background vocals. But once I got into the studio, they asked me to sing lead on three songs, “Freddy My Love”, “Raining on Prom Night” and “Mooning”. I still get people bringing their “Grease” LPs to gigs for me to sign. I made my first solo album in 1978 “Desire Wire” and was nominated for a Grammy for my single “Survivor”. That’s the crux of the early part of my career. I got married in 1979, decided to step out of the business and have kids. It would be ten years till my next album “Cindy Bullens” (1989), then ten years after that (1999) before “Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth” which was written and recorded after the death of my 11 year old daughter Jessie. I did spend the early ’90s commuting to Nashville on a regular basis to co-write songs with some incredible writers. That experience was invaluable and led to several charting Country songs for me, and basically re-generated my career as an artist. Not to mention making me a much better songwriter and musician! I still consider Nashville my second home. With “Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth” I started touring again and making records. CDs “Neverland”, “dream #29”, “Howling Trains and Barking Dogs” followed. In 2007, I started a trio with Wendy Waldman and Deborah Holland, The Refugees. We recorded two albums and toured until the middle of this year. I’m now writing some new songs and will hopefully record some time in 2014. I am also working on (slowly) a one person show.

What was your most memorable gig?
There have been a few! But when someone asks, I think the first one that comes to mind is playing Dodger Stadium with Elton John in 1975. Magical! The second one: Elton John, Shaeffer Stadium (Foxboro) on July 4, 1976-the Bicentennial (flying over in a helicoptor looking down at 80,000 people before playing then being introduced to a hometown crowd by Elton). Of my own solo career–ah, so many! Early career? Paradise Boston 1979 or Palladium in Hollywood, CA opening for the Ramones in 1979. Later, maybe Charlotte, NC in 2002. Very special! The last time my father saw me perform. Then there’s always Australia, Germany, Holland, France, Italy, England, Ireland, Scotland, and many shows for bereaved parents around the country. So many incredible experiences!

What was your worst gig?
Well, two. Worst audience: Wheeling, WV 1979 opening for Styx. Worst mishape: 1989 opening for Joe Cocker in Hollywood, FL- my pants disintegrating as I do a jump-split!

What album or artist has most influenced you as a musician?
Too many to count.

What’s the one piece of musical equipment you can’t live without?
My guitars.

Any advice for a musician starting out?
Honestly? Hope for the best (meaning: work your butt off practicing, learning, preparing, and creating your own opportunities) and expect the worst (meaning: You better have fun because anything can happen but chances are slim!)

What are you listening to at the moment?
My friend Deborah Holland’s new album “Vancouver”. Also, Steve Earle’s new one, Avett Brothers, Civil Wars, Lumineers, Sirius Outlaw Country.

What was the best concert/musical performance you’ve attended?
You’re kidding, right? I’ve been ON stage with so many of my idols from Elton to Bonnie Raitt! It’s hard to get better than that vantage point. But I guess the FIRST concert I ever attended. The Rolling Stones VERY FIRST American apprearance in Lynn, MA in 1965. (And there’s a whole other story to that too!)

You can find out more about Cidny at cidnybullens.com, on Twitter, and Facebook.

Learn more about Lady Zen on her website or Facebook page.

Where were you born?
In a small village close to Porto Velho in Rhondonia, Brazil, South America. My genetics come from generations of the Amazonian Indians. My ancestors have roamed the land, for centuries, that is currently being deforested. My father was half African from Salvador, Bahia. Due to misfortune and poverty I was placed in an orphanage at 11 months old for a while before I was adopted by an American family in the 1970s. I grew up in Northwest Arkansas.

What brought you to Portland?
I had been dating an Osteopathic OBGYN for nearly a decade who was placed here in Portland for an internship with Maine Med. We came here with the intention of only being here for one year. I stayed. She did not.

Do you have a day job, and if so, what is it?
When I moved here initially I worked as a catering chef. Then I became a field organizer with Equality Maine for a few months on first Marriage Equality campaign that was overturned. One of my favorite and most long lasting jobs here in Portland was with OTTO pizza. I love those guys! And I am still addicted to that damn pizza! I am currently a full time grad student at USM Stonecoast MFA program and a marketing intern for the Portland’s Downtown District. Currently, I am composing and writing high end commissions and only making special private performances before I will be leaving for Amsterdam in August.

What was your most memorable gig?
This is a hard one… I guess it would have had to have been when I did my first ‘big’ gig here in Portland, a Clash, covering Aretha Franklin. But honestly; working and performing with the level of talent in this town, there has never been a gig I have regretted. Especially, because when it comes to being greeted by such loyal live music supporters–every show the best and keeps me coming back to the open arms of the stages here in Portland. I remember every gig fondly and every minute has been the most exciting and the most memorable. I do however really wish that ONE of the TWO times I have had opportunity to sing for President Obama would have worked out. Oh well, THREE is the charm, right?

What was your worst gig?
Oh gosh, dare I say. Sigh… ok, I suppose I could say this without mentioning names directly, as this could open a whole can of crap I don’t want open again. I have had only ONE unbelievably difficulty show in this town with a particular well-seasoned, ‘new’ venue owner, who embarrassed me beyond any resolve and continues to be a thorn in my paw. Unfortunately, I allowed it to happen twice, after swearing I would never work with this person again; I chose to give it another go after a warm invitation from the venue owner. But I found it worse than the time previous. Throughout the planning stages, the owner sent harassing emails and was verbally abusive while holding some personal information emotional hostage at the whim of their outbursts. The gig was micro-managed and details of the show were used to pit me against others involved with the show—that we managed to untangle easily because the musicians in this town know who to communicate with one another in professional manner. The owner actually grabbed my arm before heading I headed into the venue, just before getting on stage, and told me to get keep it together and not to tell anyone about what was happening behind the scenes or they would ruin me. I did the gig with a smile, with all pose and charm to the upmost professional behavior of Lady Zen. But inside I felt horrible deep to the core and unsafe. I was never compensated for my work, however I did received an email thanking me for my participation and that the owner said they were going to send some form of compensation to me for my co-operation. I have to date never received any such thing and I probably never will. But a Lady never tells, right? But this was absolutely worst gig I have ever had in this town. And it was the last.

What album or artist has most influenced you as a musician?
Billie Holiday, Pablo Neruda, William Carlos Williams, Chaka Khan, Donnie Hathaway, Lavern Baker, Dakota Stanton, Aristotle, Picasso, The Coen Brothers. Gil Scott –Heron…oh, my, there are so many brilliant talents in this world that bringing me such wonder and spark my imagination and creativity. Some have no formal titles or recognition but none the less have influenced my work.

What’s the one piece of musical equipment you can’t live without?
One piece….hmm. Well I guess that would have to be my instrument. My Voice.

Any advice for a musician starting out?
Oh honey, haters will hate. Stand your ground. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. If you are gonna go for it—go for it with all your might. All those who we creative are incredibly sensitive so remember we all act out at our most vulnerable. It will break your heart when things go wrong and things will go wrong, but be willing to have your heart broken. You are a resilient and beautiful being. You will find your audience. Everyone does if they work hard enough. NO one will ever be able to direct your art but you can surround yourself with other people who appreciate it and are genuine and gentle with constructive criticism. None of us ever really feel like we belong. Sometimes it is hard to stick with it. But you were born to do this…accept that you are a creative type.

What’s the origin behind your name?
Lady Zen? It is the middle part of my name: Al- ZEN-ira. I took this as an abbreviation of that name when I began DJ-in with years ago. I was DJ Miszen, cause I was what was ‘missing’ from the scene. Then someone said to me, “You are a Lady, you ain’t no Miss” and it stuck. Lady Zen has been around a lot longer than ‘Lady’ Gaga though! No mistaking that!

What’s your musical guilty pleasure?
Hahaha, ok well, I listen to just about every genera of music there is but occasionally I will binge on new wave 80s Electropop.

Spencer Albee is a former member of The Rustic Overtones and leader of the bands As Fast As, Rocktopus, Space Versus Speed, and Spencer and the School Spirit Mafia.  Though he previously helmed a solo project under the monicker The Popsicko, he’ll be releasing a solo project using his own name later this year.  Spencer is releasing previews of tracks via his Pledge Music page, where the project was successfully crowd-funded in the fall of last year.

Where were you born?
Wentworth Douglas Hospital, Dover, NH. I grew up in York, ME.

What keeps you in Portland?
I’ve always been a sucker for a hard luck case. I’ve been fortunate to have seen the majority of America and to have visited many of it’s finest cities. I even lived in the other Portland for a time before returning to Portland, ME. There’s something about the Maine sensibility that keeps me here. I think it’s Mainer’s unwillingness to suffer fools gladly and our lackluster reaction to grandstanding that makes us special. I also think Mainers have a lot of heart. I think it’s the constant state of potential that, as frustrating as it can be, keeps me interested in Portland. Plus there is nothing more beautiful than summer in Maine.

Do you have a day job, and if so, what is it?
I promote events like my own original shows, Annual Beatles Night and Clash of the Titans. I also tend bar part time at Sonny’s.

What was your most memorable gig?
A few years ago, my former band AS FAST AS played their last “real” gig together opening for John Fogerty (of Creedence Clearwater Revival) on the Maine State Pier. Not only was the crowd incredibly gracious and kind, but after the show the local crew wouldn’t allow us to touch our gear. They carried all of our equipment off stage and packed it all up for us. It was the highest form of respect you could get from some of the hardest working people in the business. It really moved me.

What was your worst gig?
Same band. We were on a much deserved break after endless cross country touring. I was in my boxer shorts making a fish chowder (and trying to maintain a relationship back home) when I got the call that I would be flying out of Portland, OR the next morning to meet the fellas (having been torn from the pool side and driving from LA) in Albequerque, NM. We continued on towards Amarillo, TX where we were to “showcase” for Anderson Distributors who supplied music to the nation’s Wal Marts. As fate would have it, we hit black ice at 85 mph at 3:00 in the morning and went off the road. After being hassled by Texas’ finest, we waited in terror for AAA for 3 hours on the side of the road while tractor-trailers and cars whipped by on the now ice covered roads. Finally they arrived and towed us to our hotel where we quickly showered and headed to a business park somewhere in Amarillo. It’s now 8:00 in the morning, we have been traveling since 5:00 the previous day without sleep. We loaded in to a conference room and played our brand of indie pop acoustically for a 5 person panel of disinterested looking executives all of whom could easily have worked for a refrigerator parts company. Defeated, we were taken to a pancake house, fed, and then dropped off at our hotel to begin the process of repairing our van that had flown off the road. It was one of those moments where I said to myself, “this is not what I signed up for.” The only redeeming part of the trip was when we got to hang out with the local mechanics that got us back on the road. If you’re ever broken down in Amarillo, got see Sugar Bear’s. They’ll set you straight.

What album or artist has most influenced you as a musician?
It’s almost redundant for me to say Paul McCartney and The Beatles. With that out of the way I can list Jeff Lynne, The Kinks, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Beck, Tom Petty, David Bowie and Philip Glass and huge influences. To cite specific (non Beatle related) records I would choose “The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society”, “Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars”, “Who’s Next”, “Modern Guilt”, “Full Moon Fever”, “OK Computer” and “Glassworks” as my favorites.

What’s the one piece of musical equipment you can’t live without?
My 1976 Gibson J45/50 acoustic guitar. Even though I’m a keyboard player, that guitar and I have a great relationship.

Any advice for a musician starting out?
Start back, unless you’re ready to struggle with poverty, frustration and multiple brushes with addiction and death. This line of work is not for the feint of heart. Also, please learn how to sing and play your instruments. The world is overrun by people who claim to be musicians and hide behind their lack of craftsmanship and discipline under the guise of being “AMAZING”. Barf. As Phil Hartman once said while impersonating Frank Sinatra “I’ve got chunks of guys like you in my stool.”

What’s the origin behind your name/band name?
My parents chose it for me when I was born.

What’s your musical guilty pleasure?
I don’t have any musical guilty pleasures. I am a nerd and like what I like without guilt, shame, irony or apology. Movies however are a different story. Shitty Action/Adventure/Sci Fi movies. I know I should be watching Kubrick or Hitchcock, but sometimes “Deep Impact” or “The Day After Tomorrow” is just what the doctor ordered. It’s absolutely shameful, but I figure that otherwise I have a steady diet of great music and film, I just need some junk food once in a while.

Spose is a 26-year-old, Wells-based rapper whose single, “I’m Awesome,” went Gold, peaking at 37 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and 36 on the US Mainstream Top 40. Later this year he’ll release two new projects for free – the album “Peter Sparker,” and “Dankonia,” a mixtape set to Outkast instrumentals.  Both projects will be funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised over $28,000. Continue reading →

Where were you born?
On an army base outside of Seoul, Korea.

What brought you to Portland/Maine?
My friends Nathan Halverson and Kate Adams were living in Lewiston because Kate was teaching at Bates. I was living in Oakland, missed the east coast but didn’t want to go back to Baltimore. They thought I’d like Portland, and couldn’t have been more right.

Do you have a day job, and if so, what is it?
Yes, art director at Kemp Goldberg Partners. I’ve always balanced visual and audio work.

What was your most memorable gig?
This is a hard question, Stephen. The Honey Clouds “Cover The Forest” CD release at Space was probably my favorite show with those guys. We covered .38 Special’s “Hold On Loosely” and I remember being pretty happy with the guitar solo afterwards.More recently An Anderson played The Waldo’s final (?) show at Poland St, which was also super fun mostly because they’re one of my favorite local bands and the few people who were there had braved a blizzard for it.

What was your worst gig?
They’re all kind of weird to me in their own way. I used to have terrible stage fright, so the days before would be sort of preoccupying, usually culminating with some kind of physical sickness right before the show. I like to think I’ve relaxed into the process a bit.

What album or artist has most influenced you as a musician?
Although I don’t make music that sounds anything like his stuff, Dean Wareham and Galaxie 500 were a huge influence for me. Despite being sort of quiet and pretty, their records to me always felt kind of urgent to me. I walked past security backstage after a Luna set at the old 9:30 Club to have him sign his first solo 45. Both he and the band were gracious and unfazed at my fanboy stalking.

Other bands/musicians whose records I never (truly never) get tired of and can listen to every day include: The Verlaines, Bert Jansch, Anne Briggs, Big Star, US Maple, The Kinks, Bill Evans, Elmo Hope, Atlas Sound/Deerhunter, The Nation of Ulysses, etc..

What’s the one piece of musical equipment you can’t live without?
Gear is gear I think. You can be as tweaky as you want or are allowed to be (and I’m certainly guilty) but when it comes down to it you can make great music using whatever. That said I love my Echoplex EP3, an old tape delay. I got it because of the crazy sounds on Miles Davis’ Jack Johnson Sessions. Also I like Seymour Duncan Antiquity pickups for most any guitar.

Any advice for a musician starting out?
Be nice. I’m sure there are those that would argue this point, but I believe in the adage that you see the same people on the way up as on the way down. Or from side to side as the case may be. Also, relax and enjoy the process. Don’t let it become too much like work. Be open, playing with other musicians is always a compromise but you’ll come out of it with something you’d never be able to create on your own.

What’s the origin behind your band name?
An Anderson were invited to play at the Bunker/Tandem Christmas party but we didn’t have a name. We had a pretty big list going, and almost chose “Pants Mountain” but then Evan Parker said it sounded like a boner so we just used the name of the street we were playing on.

I named Peapod after the boat.

What’s your musical guilty pleasure?
I truly listen to everything, completely guilt-free. If you mean categorically “Embarrassing” music I might enjoy, I’m on board with the yacht rock genre (especially Gerry Rafferty and the Michael McDonald related stuff). I also listen to 99.9 The Wolf a fair amount. And everyone knows about my love for Jazz 105.1. They call it our community jazz station, but I know it as my eternal quiet storm. Anita Baker, Sade, Gregory Abbott, Billy Ocean. The best car listening. Join the facebook fan page I setup.

Tyler Jackson, has many things in common with Oscar Romero, most notably they’re both members of Foam Castles and Endless Jags.  Tyler leads Foam Castles, who are currently working on a new album, “Through That Door,” which is hoped to be released at the end of the summer.  The band is working with Chris Cambra of Teenarena Records to record and mix the album  who will also be releasing a vinyl version of Foam Castle’s “Bonanza” (Teenarena also will also have releases from Metal Feathers and Brenda and recently released a Daniel Johnston 10″).  Endless Jags is busy writing a full length followup their recent EP, which is slated to be recoded in Boston this March.

Where were you born?
Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine

What keeps you in Portland?
Portland is a good place to live. It looks great and feels great 75% of the time. Sort of a microcosm of a big big music city. If it’s a thing in the world, someone’s probably doing it here. Lots of really good and cool stuff, some pretty frustrating shit too. It can be a real bummer one day and super inspirational and exciting the next. Most everyone’s pretty nice, too, even if you’re into completely different stuff. Lots of artists and restaurants and all that good shit.”

Do you have a day job, and if so, what is it?
I’m a cashier at a grocery store at the moment.

What was your most memorable gig?
The Endless Jags CD release show a few weeks ago was probably the most successful show I’ve been a part of, attendance and fun-wise. The boat shows were great. Some really fun house parties. Some really bad ones too!

What was your worst gig?
At a house in Brunswick. Sorry everyone.

What album or artist has most influenced you as a musician?
It changes with time, but John Cale has influenced me the most over the past four years or so. Everything he does makes sense to me. Robert Pollard, Dan Bejar, Eno, Bowie, Dylan, Scott Walker.

What’s the one piece of musical equipment you can’t live without?
Guitar! It’s how I write songs and play rock music. I want a new one. Considering trading my Telecaster for a Stratocaster.

Any advice for a musician starting out?
Recording matters more than anything. Write shit loads of songs and work on them all the time. I can’t really top Oscar’s advice.

What’s the origin behind your name/band name?
“Just words we thought sounded good together. Ritu and I came up with it when the project started back in 2007. I think we were on a bus. Later I heard that masses of foam floating down a river are sometimes referred to as foam castles. Google alerts also informed me that a piece of an electronic drum set, the little block that connects the trigger to the head (I think), sometimes they’re called foam castles, or Devo hats. Coincidental, but kind of funny.  Endless Jags, same deal, words that sounded good together to us. Choosing a name with 5 other people is a difficult thing to do, it’s a miracle we have one at all.

What’s your musical guilty pleasure?
I don’t get embarrassed about taste. Nobody should care! You like what you like. Even if it sucks, you still might like it. Mostly I’ll just surprise myself. Been into the Eagles a little bit lately after hating them passionately my entire life. Cells regenerating or something, doesn’t matter.

Will Claflin, a Maine resident, is guitarist for Boston’s Dear Leader.  The band is the brainchild of former The Sheila Divine frontman Aaron Perrino.  They’ll be performing at Empire Dine & Dance in Portland on Thursday December 6th, 2012 with The Chums.  [Buy Tix]

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Where were you born?
Boston MA, but I actually grew up summers in Biddeford Pool, Maine.

What brought you to Maine?
My Grandfather. My sisters and I own our family house in Biddeford Pool. The way of life, the food in Portland, and the Maine seas [have kept me here].

Do you have a day job, and if so, what is it?
Jon (the bassist) has a company called PROD4 EVER, a web company in Boston. We make sites for Paul McCartney, The Beastie Boys, Bob Dylan, Alicia Keys, Wilco etc.. I’m the project manager and run video production and audio editing.

What was your most memorable gig?
A few years back we were signed to a Belgian record label. We opened for Iggy pop at an amazing outdoor festival and played in front of 10,000 cheering Belgians. The night before, they had lost our luggage and we played with borrowed gear in a coffee shop – we were exhausted and drunk and we destroyed the place just playing on fumes. Those two gigs back-to-back count as one gig in my mind as they felt like they were hours and worlds apart.

What was your worst gig?
Probably a gig in Northampton… I had the flu and it was the only gig where I could remember there being a very few people there. We were also doing a few new tunes and it just kind of fell flat. I hope the gig this Thursday at Empire doesn’t parallel that one!

What album or artist has most influenced you as a musician?
R.E.M.’s Life’s Rich Pageant. So much of my picking style is ripped off directly from Peter Buck. It just hit me at a very influential time when I was 14 and playing guitar non-stop.

What’s the one piece of musical equipment you can’t live without?
I have a pink delay pedal that Paul Kolderie (Pixies, Hole, Radiohead, Bosstones) introduced me to. It’s an Ibanez AD9. LOVE this thing.

Any advice for a musician starting out?
Don’t do it. Play constantly, and if it isn’t working out by 25, get a day job.

What’s the origin behind your name/band name?
It’s what North Koreans call the recently departed Kim Jong Ill, you would have to ask Aaron the meaning behind the rest. I always assumed there were political undertones to it.

What’s your musical guilty pleasure?
It certainly isn’t Coldplay. I’ve been trying to get into the super pop stuff. I feel so out of touch with it that I started listening to Kiss 108FM in the car. i honestly still couldn’t pick Nicki Minaj out of a police line up but… give me a few weeks.