Interview with Staren Black Guitarist and Founder Frank Black

By Mick Michaels

COSMICK VIEW: Hello, Frank! Welcome to TheCosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it is greatly appreciated.
Frank Black: Hello and thank you for inviting me here to speak with you all. It’s an honor.

CV: Staren Black credits their original take on songwriting to your particular sense of worldly observation and interpretation. Many artists such as Billy Joel, Frank Zappa and John Lennon had a similar, unique storytelling style. But with the intense delivery of the band’s music, do you find that any of the songwriting actually stems from more of a personal experience viewpoint as opposed to that of just an observer's?
FB: That’s a very good question. The answer is yes. Each of the tracks on “City of the Dead” are directly related to personal experience. In each of the songs, the music and the lyrics are hand in hand, expressing the feeling of the words through the music being played.

We wanted to capture that musical moment in time spoken as part of the emotional content of the words being sung. We hope that the listeners can relate to what’s being said and also be carried away with what we’ve put out there.

CV: After recording the 2010 EP, "The Cause of the Effect," how did you go about finding the members who then would complete Staren Black's lineup?
FB: For the songs on “The Cause of the Effect,” I wanted to get my ideas for what I had in mind out there to attract musicians who would want to walk down the path I was writing. There were a few different styles and talents I was looking for to come along with me to do this and this process was slow and calculated.

I was looking for serious minded musicians to write and perform with and I couldn’t just gauge this from a conversation over the phone or in email or by hearing tracks that they had previously recorded with someone else. Certainly, and without a doubt, Facebook was no way to measure any real musician/band type abilities. Those can be, and in some cases, WERE edited to make them look and sound better than they really were.

I needed to know how they were in person…musically, professionally, personally. How they performed on stage while playing the music. The drive, discipline, and personal practice they put in themselves in the working of their talent. There are many other things as well, but it had to start with what I considered the basics.

I would give the people trying out for the band a copy of the EP, ask them to learn their parts, sit with them when needed, and then have them come to practice. I gave each one of them 30 days to learn four songs. If they could do the four songs in that amount of time and it was good, I would schedule three random shows within the next 30 days to evaluate the LIVE show. The first show was the break in test. The second show was for them to realize that I really wanted to make music and perform it. By the third show they needed to have a serious level of commitment and it was at this point that they stayed or left. You can’t fake a LIVE show and if the intent was to do just hang out, by the third LIVE show I knew who could and couldn’t do it.

CV: How did you know when you found just the right members?
FB: Once making it through two months of tryouts, the more interpersonal part is what was next. I’ve jammed, recorded, and performed with a lot of musicians and players over the years. Playing with this many people there have been only a few that I’ve been able to write with…I’ve been able to write for and perform with many but writing with others is something else. I’m not saying that the others that I’ve worked with in one way or another couldn’t write; just that writing together presented difficulties in many ways.

Some of it’s about having the right chemistry and personalities and understanding each other for sure and this is what we have right now. A large part of that is being able to play and perform the music. Getting into the zone when writing and it happens.

CV: Band's often suffer from an inability to work and grow together. But that hasn't been the case for Staren Black. What do you think has made the chemistry of the band work so well together?
FB: We all love to write and perform music and individually we are practiced at and work on our talents as much as we can outside of the band room. We also aren’t working with a generational gap. We talk and write all the time and we know there’s something there that each of us responds to when we are writing. This is so important for what we’re working on.

Additionally, and equally as important, we’re all friends and have been for years.

Lastly, we’ve all experienced the inability to work with and grow with other musicians who have drug and alcohol problems, coupled with ego problems. There’s a certain amount of self confidence that has to be had to be out there as a musician in a band; however, those three specifics can’t be worked with as far as we’re concerned.

CV: If you were to say one thing about each of your band members that sets them apart from other musicians, what would that one thing be?
FB: Of each of them I would have to say, Dedicated. There are so many levels that are inferred by just that one word and many more directions it travels. You’ll hear this when you listen to our music and you’ll see and experience this when you come and see us LIVE.

CV: Does the band collectively write material or is it more of an individual thing, coming from a single source?
FB: We do write collectively on some songs and the majority of the others are written by me. Some of the songs have the skeleton that I’ve written and then we all add to it. Other times there’s a riff that sounds really good and we court that for a while and then write a song around it.

CV: The band's first full length album, “City of the Dead," is now out and available.  Tell us a little about the album and what fans can expect to hear?
FB: With “City of the Dead” we wanted to kick multiple doors in and come right through…blazing. You’ll hear this from beginning to end in music and lyrics.

Overall, I’d have to say, listen to the “Vision.” This is available here https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/starenblack12 and here https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/city-of-the-dead/1051587764

CV: What was it like working with producer Ralph Patlan on this record? How did you come to connect with him for the album?
FB: Working with Ralph Patlan was the best recording experience and process, ever. His abilities to really hear what’s being played, by actually listening to it, and then capturing all of it and mixing it together is to me, a niche talent.

When I was almost ready to record the demo, “The Cause of the Effect,” I began looking up and calling studios in the area. During this search I spoke with some people and was referred to Ralph Patlan. When I called him the conversation started as they usually do with the normal pleasantries and then Ralph got right down to business. He asked me if we were just a band on the Internet that needed to have electronic everything or if we were a real band that played real instruments. I was laughing my ass off at that question. He was direct and to the point and that was appreciated.

I let him know what the plan was for the EP and the studio musicians lined up for it. We spoke about the plans after the EP was done, which was to record a full-length album.

CV: Did Ralph offer any input with song arrangements or for track selection for the album?
FB: Yes, for “City of the Dead” we did go over certain songs that needed to be edited for time. Some of the songs written were long and winding and needed to be edited. All of his suggestions were used and the songs came out more well-rounded. We came into the studio with 10 songs and used all of them.

CV: With bands like Judas Priest, Megadeth, Genesis and AC/DC listed as influences for the band, How do you feel these particular groups’ music have helped shape the sound and style of Staren Black?
FB: These aren’t the only ones; however, their influence looms large. These are a short collection of musical acts that are high end performers and excellent song writers. Hearing the music and then seeing the bands LIVE makes all the difference. It’s an experience to be there. It’s inspiring to see and hear it all happen.

CV: What do you see separates Staren Black from other Phoenix area bands?
FB: We aren’t a cover band. All of the songs we play are originals. And we love hanging out with everyone after the show. We also have a good variety of music that keeps the concert from sounding like one continuous song.

Because of the diverse style of the music we can snap fit into many different avenues of musical shows. This has enabled us to keep busy with many open doors to walk through.

We also have a very good management company standing with us and behind us, putting our music out there where the people are. They are MBM Music. They live their mission statement of, “You create. We promote. Plug into the network.” Their professionalism and knowledge makes them a pleasure to work with. They work seemingly as non-stop with their craft as we do. We recognize and respect that.

CV: What can fans expect to see and experience at a Staren Black show?
FB: High energy music and drive. It’s a spectacle to see and hear. Fans can expect to be entertained musically and visually. We’re looking forward to seeing you all at our shows!

CV: What's next for Staren Black; what's 2019 hold for the band?
FB: We are currently writing our next studio album. We have plans to release this before the end of 2019 and then begin supporting this on the road in 2020.

We’ll have updates on our websites and make sure to keep everyone up to date on what we’re doing and how things are progressing.

CV: Thank you again Frank for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. It has been an honor. I wish you all the best and continued success.

Check out Frank and Staren Black at:
MBM Music LLC.: https://www.mbmmusicllc.com/the-mbm-musician-network/staren-black

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word.  Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.

     

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