Attaboys
Interview conducted on January 05, 2021
By Dan Locke
Ryan, Jeff, Melanie, and Christian—under their musical collective, Attaboy—have noticed this ubiquitous longing for authentic social and spiritual connection, especially in the years they’ve spent touring coast-to-coast, singing, dancing, and talking with young people. Today’s youth (the “Millennials”) have been labeled by some, “the most cynical and distrusting generation ever recorded,” but Attaboy sees the situation differently
Your band is from Indiana. What is your upbringing?
We all live in Indiana now, but are actually from different states. Jeff is from Michigan, Melanie is from Indiana, Christian is from North Carolina, and Ryan is from Pennsylvania. Jeff is the lone original member of the band and the rest of us got connected through previous members.
How did you discover music?
We all started singing or playing music when we were kids. Our influences range from 90’s rock to church music to hardcore and metal to blues and classic rock. We all really enjoyed music but Christian is the only one who knew full-time music was what he wanted to do since he was a kid.
How did you start to write music?
After being mostly a cover band just for fun, we realized that music was a great way to bring people together and communicate a message, and share our faith with others. That led to writing original music and releasing six full-length albums. We’ve done some outside co-writing over the years but mostly collaborate together to create music.
Describe your music.
Our music generally lands in the Pop/Rock/Alternative category, but we like to describe our music as fun Indie Pop.
How did you form?
Attaboy started as a group of college friends just playing for fun. After a few open mic nights and coffee house performances, we got an invitation to play at a youth conference for about 1,000 people. Things snowballed from there, leading to a couple years of performing over 85 dates while still working full-time jobs. After that success, we signed on with a booking agency and decided to go all in for one year to see what would happen. That year we played over 165 dates and have been touring ever since.
How did your band get its name?
We started out with the name Hot Sundae, which was a joke inspired by the show Saved By the Bell. When we started taking things more seriously, it seemed like a name change was in order. After considering hundreds of name candidates, we settled on Attaboy–a term of encouragement that’s also fun and light-hearted. It describes what we want to be as a band.
What was CANOEPALOOZA like?
Canoepalooza was a band canoe trip we’d been talking about taking for six years. It finally happened because we had a little extra time due to the pandemic. 🙂
What makes a good songwriter?
Talent, inspiration, and hardwork.
What is the process of writing your music?
Each member of the band gets some musical ideas going on their own. Sometimes we use other songs that we like as references for the vibe we want. Once we’ve created some demos of our ideas, we pitch them to the rest of the band. After that, we choose the top 10 or 12 to develop and then work together to create the melodies and lyrics. It’s a long process, but it helps us create the best songs we can write.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?
We’re with ASCAP and SESAC.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
Our first song was Tell Me. It’s not available to the public anymore. 🙂
Tell me about your latest work “WILD”? Which came out last Sept. 2019.
We loved creating WILD! We had a blast making it and finished writing just before we got into the studio. Our producer, Doug Weier, was awesome to work with and had great ideas for taking our songs to the next level. We love how fun this album is and have been just as excited about how well it translated to a live show! We have a blast performing it.
What was the biggest different in recording of your first cd “Being Remade” and “WILD”?
The difference between those albums is pretty big. Not only had most of the band members switched out but our music evolved a lot. It’s still true to who we are as a band but we got to lean in some new directions musically. Also, WILD was written completely by Attaboy and produced solely by Doug Weier, whereas Being Remade was created with several writers and producers.
Let’s talk about your video Never Going Back” What is the backstory of the video?
We wrote Never Going Back as an anthem of being hopeful for the future in spite of our past. The video is all about forward motion. We may make mistakes but they don’t have to define us. We have the possibility of new beginnings, redemption, and hope for a better tomorrow.
Do you have any plans for some new music to be release?
We’ve got a remix in the works, and we’ve been writing new music as well. We don’t have a concrete plan for when a new album will be released yet though.
How do you stay healthy while performing?
It’s tough! Long days and short nights are not helpful in staying healthy. We all know our limits and try to work within them. Lots of water and staying healthy off the road are important. Ryan has to stay away from ice-cream and too much sugar when on the road and has found Hall’s Vitamin C drops to be a crucial tool in the singer’s arsenal.
What are your feelings about streaming music?
We’re all grateful to be able to stream music for personal listening. As a band, it’s been a great way to get our music out there, but it can also be harder to be heard above the fray of sheer quantity of music being put out there right now.
How can people forget about the origin hashtag # Sharp in a musical score?
I guess the hashtag has overtaken the sharp in popular culture–it’s hard to compete when a symbol is co-opted for a function that is literally intended to create viral content 🙂
Digital vs. vinyl?
We may have just happened on a band disagreement here. Ryan would go with digital for sheer convenience and because he (gasp!) can’t really tell that much of difference. Christian and Melanie would lean toward vinyl and get good use out of their record player but enjoy digital for convenience. Jeff is somewhat indifferent 🙂
How was it to play your first show after 4 months in Fort Wayne Indiana? Tell me about it?
We actually got to do a real live show in front of a real live audience on December 30! It had been over two months and it was great to shake the rust off and enjoy performing again!
Both Pfizer and BioNTech have conclude Phase 3 Study of the Coronavirus vaccine. With the vaccine, it takes two shots. How many people do you think will take it and how many will forget to take the second shot?
Man, that’s anybody’s guess but we sure hope that however it happens, we can get back to doing shows again soon!
How long before the whole world will be vaccine against the virus. You have to remember there only has to be a 70% for Herd immunity (Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community (the herd) becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who are immune.)
Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
Best case scenario is that it has cleared some time for artists to create more and better art than ever before. Hopefully, we can get back to live performances soon. If the virus keeps going like this and large groups can’t meet, it could be devastating for the livelihood of musicians.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
We had to innovate! Part of what we do is performing in schools, but since large gatherings have been limited, we filmed our concert and have been offering it to schools as a virtual performance. It’s been an adventure and a foray into the realm of livestreaming for us.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
Home projects, baking/cooking, and collecting houseplants 🙂
95% of people said that they have changed the way they watch television. This includes people who don’t have television and using their computers to do streaming of programs and movies. Which is your favorite streaming channel?
Hmm…that’s a tough one. The major one’s have their own strengths. If only there was a way to combine them all for one low price…
How was it to hear your music in a feature film for the first time?
Still waiting on that one, but it was super exciting to hear it on the radio the first time.
With the streaming services (Disney (50+ new shows/movies Lizzie McGuire, The Sandlot, Beauty and the Beast prequel, Moana, Cars, Soul, Raya and the Last Dragon, Sister Act 3, Pinocchio, Peter Pan and Wendy, all future Star Wars and Marvel movies and shows) and HOB Max ( including Wonder Woman 2, Godzilla vs Kong, Top Gun: Maverick, Mortal Kombat, Tom and Jerry, The Many Saints of Newark, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, In the Heights, Space Jam: A New Legacy, The Suicide Squad, Dune, The Matrix 4) planning to pull all the upcoming movies from next year and put them on their streaming service. How will that affect the entertainment industry?
Feels like a major shift is happening at least temporarily but they’re probably experiencing the same kinds of dilemmas as those in the music industry.
One thing you have to remember also most these movies are already in the can ready to be release. And the original agreement was for the movies to come out at the theater first. The actors and crew make most of their money from the residuals (financial compensations that are paid to the actors, film directors and other involved (including music) in the making of the movie in cases of reruns, syndication, DVD release, and online streaming release).
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will include [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
Artists have enjoyed using Facebook for a while now. Major changes will either force musicians to comply or push them to other platforms…
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merch to them at the show?
It’s tough! It’s forcing more interaction online and digital content, but live shows are really the financial lifeblood for a lot of musicians.
Is pay to play still a thing? Now pay to play also means thinks like playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
Yep, it’s still a thing! It is definitely an investment that needs to be a good fit for the artist. The right fit can be an incredible opportunity to gain exposure and new listeners. On the other hand, it can be money poorly spent if the opportunity doesn’t check the right boxes for the artist.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
Wow, that would be crazy!
If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?
That answer would vary based on band member–anything from counseling to business to video production to theatre.
What is your happy place?
Places with adventure
Anything you would like to say in closing.
Trust God, choose kindness, and hang in there!
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