By Freddie Zamora
Dan Andriano, bassist/vocalist of Alkaline Trio, an emo band icon, played an acoustic set consisting of Alkaline Trio songs, originals and covers at Northeastern’s Curry Student Center Ballroom on Friday, leaving attendees cheering for more after his set.
Andriano is playing shows in various cities to promote his split EP with former Alkaline Trio drummer Mike Felumlee on Double Zero Records.
Andriano was the bassist in the influential ska/punk band Slapstick. After their break-up in 1996, Andriano and three other members of Slapstick formed the emo/punk band Tuesday, in which Andriano was the lead singer/bassist. A full-length album and an EP later, Tuesday called it quits and Andriano then joined Alkaline Trio.
Alkaline Trio have three full-length albums on Asian Man Records and one on their current label, Vagrant. They’re currently in the studio recording their next Vagrant release due out in the first week of May, produced by Jerry Finn and Joe McGrath. The News had a chance to interview Dan Andriano before his performance on Friday night.
The Northeastern News: Why did you decide to release a solo EP with three songs rather than save them for the upcoming Alkaline Trio album?
Dan Andriano: One of the songs on the EP was on a Tuesday album and the other song I wrote when I was 18 or 19 years old, was written to be acoustic, and it worked out. I arranged it with my friend, Ralph. I felt it wasn’t right for a Trio record. The first song on the EP is the only song that’s new, and again, I didn’t feel it was right for a Trio record. I had other stuff cooking for that kind of thing. I just wanted to go to the studio and play guitar, and to have a say on how the guitars sounded and went. I wanted to get a low-fi feel than what the Trio sound like. I just wanted something to do for fun and fast with some friends.
The News: Has your song writing ability and talent progressed with Alkaline Trio since your days with Slapstick and Tuesday?
Andriano: I think so. I just like started listening to music I feel as if was better music to influence me in different ways. I like that Tuesday stuff a lot. Even that Tuesday stuff that was written and never recorded, and probably [will] never be heard again because I don’t really remember it, was better than the Tuesday album that came out. Things, as people get older and keep doing something, is like a sport. If you play basketball every day, you’ll get better. We played music every day. I was like 16 when I was in Slapstick; I’m 25 now, so that’s a lot of time to try to get better at something.
The News: Would you ever be willing to release a full-length of your solo material?
Andriano: If for some reason I ever had a bunch of songs, which doesn’t really seem like it will ever happen, I would. I seem to take a long time to write songs. That’s why I only have a few on the Trio records. It’s not that I don’t want to have more songs; it’s just that I don’t write fast.
The News: How much of where you’re from, Chicago, is reflected in your songs?
Andriano: Not for me so much. I guess it used to be more of an influence. I think at this point of my life, I’d be the same person no matter where I lived. I don’t go out so much. Maybe it is because I live in Chicago and it’s ass cold all the time.
The News: You have a lot of songs about heartbreak. Have you really ever experienced that much heartbreak?
Andriano: I think everyone goes through it; a lot of bulls**t. That’s just part of growing up. Most of that stuff was written about being in high school. That’s when a lot of that stuff came from, or is inspired from. Now, things are a lot different for me. I’m married; I’m very happy. I come from the suburbs. I didn’t have it that rough. That’s just about all I could pretty much write about. I tried to write political songs for a while, but I didn’t think they were that good. I have values in that department, but I can’t write about them, so I just write about girls and s**t. It makes a good recipe for a rock and roll song, and has been since the 50s, so why f**k with it?
The News: Is it a coincidence or was it planned out that all three members of Alkaline Trio released solo albums?
Andriano: Mike [Felumlee] started doing stuff after he wasn’t in the band anymore. It’s nothing we ever planned out, but Matt [Skiba, singer/guitarist for Alkaline Trio] had a bunch of extra songs ’cause he can write songs fast, so he had a bunch of stuff he ended up doing before we went on our Warped Tour, and was stoked because Mike [Park, creator of Asian Man Records] of Asian Man said he could do a split with Kevin Seconds [singer for punk band, 7 Seconds], one of our heroes, and we were excited for that. And, like I said, I had a couple of old songs I wanted to rearrange and put out, and I had that new one and put out that split with Mike. I really like his solo stuff a lot.
The News:: Are you planning a big national solo tour?
Andriano: No, not right now. Maybe sometime down the line. I like doing this type of thing. Honestly, I get extremely nervous doing this type of thing, but I think it’s fun. Once it’s over, I think I’d have had a good time. But, I like playing the rock. I’m just focused right now on the new Trio record and going out for almost the rest of the year in support of that. I think it’s going to be good, and people are going to like it.
