Maxing on civic media, we are local music. That's the solution there and still alive. That's brand new music from the solution rocker. And don't forget you can grab the civic media app if you haven't already done so you can get a civic media. US maxing cardio.com or your favorite app store is the best way to take Maxing radio and civic media wherever you go rocker Jimmy British singer Adrian Grimes toured extensively through the 80s and 90s with his
band sumo giants sharing the stage with everyone from John jet to in the mountain, but nobody beyond Keith Richards lasts forever. And after going back to school, turn a PhD Adrian Grimes has landed here in Madison, Wisconsin, where he has answered a Craigslist ad in 2018. And the solution was formed, formed with seasoned musicians from bands like Rox Ali, Paul Falcon. The solution is an award winning band and have just released their software albums still alive. And here in the studio with us.
Is Adrian Grimes, drummer Jim band and guitarist Mike Alice, Adrian Jim Mike, welcome to Maxing radio. Oh, thanks very much for having us. So honored to have you guys here. You know, earlier we were talking about food trucks. Are you? Did you have any favorite food trucks in the area that you've been grabbing tacos or whatever from? I don't even know if I know what that is. What's a food truck? It's a. They don't have food trucks over and. No, they do. The classic in Britain is we all pile out of the
pub getting completely drunk and then we'd go get a donut cabab, which is like pretend meat on a on a pizza bread. Next time you do that, I want to come with you. Yeah, it's awesome. You know, it drips down your chin onto your shirt and you can't wear it beyond that. So it's it's all cool. Well, that sounds like a lot of fun. We heard a little bit, but tell us a little bit more about the solution from your perspective. So yeah, I as you mentioned, I went back to school. I gave up music for a long, long time. And I
like took all the piercings out and decided to be a serious human being for a change. And it didn't work at all. Ended up on and kinds of stuff. And yeah, I finally decided I want to get back into it. And so landed in Madison in about 2011 and started to look at what the music scene was like. And there was this Craigslist ad. And it was like, oh, you know, we're all cool. And it's a keystone thing. You can just come in and join. And I thought, well, I'm a lead singer.
That's what I do anyway. You know, I just turn up and sing. Doesn't quite work out that way now. But anyway, I turned up and really like these guys. I was worried that because you know, I'm no spring chicken that this would be like a bunch of youngsters. And they'd be going, you're too old man. But no, it's worked out fantastically. And, you know, we've been together now since what 2018 was that our first gig. That's right. That was frightening. So in this case, sure, so we've got
a lot of stuff that our audition, if you will, it took us about a half a song. And we're all just kind of looking at each other going, OK, nobody say anything. Let's go. What was the inspiration for you to answer the Craigslist ad? I mean, what was it that you were looking to do again? Just get back into music, because I'd given up for such a long time. And, you know, this that old classic adage about you can take the boy out the band, but you can't take the band out of the boys. And that was the case. I needed to get
back into something that was beyond work, beyond normal life. I wanted to, you know, jump back on the stage and, and be a rock star. Help, I think I'm a rock star. Yeah. So that was what it was all about. And ever since then, so for the past five, six years, we've just been jamming out with a pretty unique show. Everyone that comes to see us recognizes that we have a fantastic time. We, we get on with each other on stage. There's lots of smiles, lots of laughing.
But you wear a kill. I do wear a kill. Yes. And, but not commando. That was going to be my next question. All right. We know you were killed. Not commando. That's good. But you guys started out to be a cover band. And now you're releasing your second album of original music. Tell us about the transformation from cover band to writing your own music.
Well, it's not necessarily transformation. It's more of a sort of getting back into where we feel comfortable. I mean, I actually toured the States back in 1980 with a cover band, all up and down these coast, you know, based in Baltimore.
And I used to do the kind of stuff that we're doing now, you know, rock and roll by Led Zeppelin head out to the highway by Judas Priest, things like that. So it was just natural for us to get back into the cover thing.
But we also all all come from a background of having done original music. And, you know, I had my first recording contract at the age of like 23.
And so it was, it wasn't a transition. It was just like, okay, let's start doing that again as well, because we already had a receptive audience.
And so it was, it was pretty easy for us to say, hey, what do you think of some of the stuff that we do as well?
And so that's where that comes from. Like I say, it's not a transition. It's just inviting the audience to get off on the stuff that we're doing as well.
But I wanted to say that I listened to your show a couple of weeks ago when you played still alive. And you both were talking about it saying, you know, this is, it sounds kind of 1980s.
You guys are perfect. You know exactly where we're coming from. You know, it's deliberately aimed at the sort of stuff that we grew up on.
And so you guys had it perfect. You're right. What you guys do is awesome. It's, it's all thank you.
You do your homework. You think about it. It's not just a, here's a song.
We're an analyzer. We fake doing the homework.
But no, you completely got it. You really, you nailed it. And that's what we're doing. I mean, the still alive song is slightly different.
The chorus is definitely 1980s. The big backing vocals and things like that.
But I also tried to do that sort of, is it imagine dragons, the sort of wrapping thing as well?
Just to bring it a little bit into the 2000s. Not too much into the 2000s. But anyway, we wanted to do something a little bit unique and original.
So that's where that one came from.
Interesting. When I first listened to still alive, I mean, the first thing I thought of, especially with the chorus and a couple of the bridge in there, was kind of skid row.
And, you know, from like the late 80s, early 90s, skin row. Jim or Mike, why don't you two chime in on this?
And going back to the cover band, we're doing covers to get the solution going.
I would imagine it kind of gave you guys an opportunity to gel together and give you time to write your original stuff, right?
Yeah. And I'll add that some people might think we're a little bit crazy because we're, we kind of still are a cover band.
And we're also doing original music. And a lot of people say, well, are you a cover band or are you original band?
And some people will say, you can't do both, but that's kind of what we're doing. We're, we're, we play covers to get gigs and, you know, paying gigs and such.
And that's what really kind of pays the bills and the original stuff is just gravy on top.
Yeah. Perhaps someday you can make enough to pay your bills doing just the original stuff.
That's always the dream right rocker. It is, Jimmy. Now your debut, your debut album, how does it feel?
One, the mama's rock album of the year in 2022 and your new album still live just hit the streets.
Tell us about the new album.
So we, we kind of deliberately went for that still alive theme because, you know, the last few years has been really strange.
You know, the, the world's in political unrest and I'm not going to go any further with that.
You know, we have the COVID thing because you've already heard that we guys got together at like 2018 and then 2019 was like a seminal year for us.
We were like going out there and playing all around Wisconsin.
And then COVID-19 hit and like would all start doing nothing.
A huge challenge and then we started to get back into it again and we did the original record, the, the, the, how do you, how does it feel?
And then, you know, a couple of other things happened for us. We had a terrible tragedy.
We were playing the Harley Davidson, sort of anniversary gig over on the East Side of Madison.
And unfortunately our light man collapsed, Dale Schultz collapsed and didn't make it.
So we lost him just over a year ago. It was like last week was the anniversary of that.
And so there's all these things that have been going on that have been really tough. But, you know, we've been pushing through that adversary.
We've been pushing through. We've been trying to practice like outside at our guitarist house, you know, just setting up in a field basically and, and making sure we don't pass germs to each other.
And we've still made it. And so we're still alive. And so the, the, the theme, the reason we chose still alive was because it, everyone goes through heartache and, and soul crushing experiences.
And that's what the first two stanzas of that is all about, you know, the soul goes out for a walk and gets hit by a car.
The next time he gets stabbed in the back, but still thinks very positively.
But then the last part is about how it's actually okay to struggle. It's actually okay to be broken hearted or to be soul crushed.
But then still go on anyway. So everyone, that's kind of the idea was that, you know, we've been through all this, but we are still alive.
We're doing it.
Wow, yeah, beautiful.
You know, you've done a lot and obviously you work with some of the best people, including Paul Schluter at Megaton Studios for recording.
What was that recording studio and experience like for you guys?
I hate to take everything, but I would say that Paul is just such a cool cat. I mean, he's been, he's done the same stuff that we've done.
He's been in recording acts, you know, he had contracts way back in the 1980s and he's toured extensively.
And we've, we did the first track, the first album with him and developed a relationship.
And as a producer, he gets the best out of us. So, you know, if I'm doing the vocals, he'll give me ideas that I didn't think I'd ever have.
And when the guitarist is doing their thing, he challenges them as well.
And so we had an interesting situation with this album where, because the first one, we all got together and did the mix for the, you know, the final production.
And this time, it's like, you know, Paul, you know what you're doing? Just go for it.
You know, he's a very talented human being. I went out to see him and his band Fufu dolls play last night at the Capitol Brewery. Great band.
Yeah, they're fun. Paul, the vocalist introduced him as said like he's got the best rock star smile of anyone around.
Yeah. He's a nice guy. So, yeah, Paul and Megatown, just brilliant.
And, you know, we, we did the first one in their place in Madison, just off the belt line there.
And now he's moved to Mount Harub and he's got an even bigger.
Oh, I can't wait to get back in there. I'll probably just go in there myself and do some stuff just to go hang out with the guy. He's just awesome.
That was one of the interesting things about changing, uh, look, changing locations with him was kind of a transition for us.
We were halfway through the recording. We ended up, you know, having to make the move out to Mount Harub.
What a nice place that is. It's just a fantastic spot.
I'm looking forward to going out there and checking out. Now you guys, uh, we're almost out of time here. So, uh, we got a bunch of shows coming up here.
Uh, July 27th at Pum Fest in Stoden, August 8th, you'll be at Boulevard Bike Night. That's kind of a staple for you all.
Oh, yeah. September 1st, you'll be at, uh, is it buskies big horn and big flats, Wisconsin? That's right.
That's for our WFHR listeners up in Wisconsin rapids. Yeah, very close to rapids October 25th at Polly's pub in eatery in West, Alice.
Uh, that's just you were just there not too long ago rocker there in Greenfield. That's right. Right across from St. Fair Park. What a great place. Polly's is a great club.
Tell us real quick 30 seconds. What's up with Pum Fest in Stoden and tell us about the fun times at Bike Night at Boulevard.
Oh, Boulevard Bike Nights is just like you said, it's a staple. It's great fun. It's outside. There's a lot of fun people there. We always have a blast there.
Do you want to add anything Jim? It's a great event for a larger crowd for the Madison area. So it's a good opportunity to play there.
And what's Pum Fest? Well, I haven't heard of it yet. That's in the Stoden gig that booked us and, um, I gather there's lots of be attendance. Everyone in the area has an opportunity to show us what they're doing as terms of that craft brewery ship.
I bet there's probably some food trucks there somewhere and there probably. The solution live in the studio guys. Thank you so much for taking the time to come in and talk with us.
Congratulations on the new music and all your success and hopefully it just keeps flooding in for you guys. Thanks for having us.
Thanks again, guys. It's been fantastic. We're going to play. We're going to play. It doesn't matter anyway. Quick. Tell me about the song.
It's kind of the antithesis of a blue song. I kind of imagine this is like heartbreak hotel if actually Elvis didn't care if his baby just left him.
That's perfect. It doesn't matter anyways. The solution on Maxine Credio.
Yeah.