Andy Tuck and the Greens
For this article, we did things a little differently this time. Going with more of an interview route, I spoke with Andy Tuck of the Greens to find out what makes the Greens tick.
So let’s get the basics out of the way. How did Andy Tuck get to be the harmonica touting dynamite frontman of the Greens?
For me, getting into music was a necessity– I got into trouble at age 14, got put on really strict probation and couldn’t go running around with my friends. So I had to find SOMETHING to do. I just began messing around on my dad’s guitar. He showed me the basic chords, and I was pretty much self-taught from there. I played all day every day throughout high school. I was really into Nirvana and that grungy type stuff, and then went back thru the classic rock and so on…
I was lucky in that I had friends who were into playing rock too, so we started bands about age 16 or so. I was always driven to write original material. I moved to California in 2000, and moved back in 2002. I met Nathan Yoke, the drummer for The Greens. He and I (and about 7 bassists and 2 saxophone players) have had this thing going for alomst 10 years now.
Who are the biggest influences on your pursuit of music?
My biggest influences remain the classic rock bands: Hendrix, Zeppelin, and Zappa, Captain Beefheart, Miles Davis, Allman Brothers, Cream, CCR, Doors, The Band… plus singer-songwriters like Neil Young, (Bob) Dylan, John Prine, Tom Waits, and also black soul music– James Brown, Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Funkadelic…
I think that there are basically 2 kinds of music: that which you like, and that which you don’t like…
The Greens have various albums out, all of which I’m sure people can buy, but what is your favorite part of the whole process?
Recording is a good thing because as a band, you feel like your truly working. You are making a product. It is very exciting– hopefully it will make lotsa money and fans! But that is secondary to the making of music that will last a long time. You will always have that. You are proud of it. You go into the studio (We always use Zone 8!), and you really get down into the details of making a record together with your group. For me the best part is when it’s all done, all the recording, mixing, and then you play the album in your car and it comes blasting out of the stereo. Damn good feeling there.
How about live shows? I’ve seen you guys play and you seem like the happiest person alive.
Playing live is pretty much my favorite thing ever. It’s here right now. It is reality. It feels like you are in the flow of life. You are truly free, if only for 2 or 3 hours. If the audience is up and enthusiastic, you feel like a superhero sometimes! If not, you still hafta get through the night. We have played many bummer shows. But I look at it as “what if this could be the last time we ever get to play music”, and so we don’t ever wanna get off the stage without feeling like we did our best. You give them all you got.
Alright, final question: What is your dream gig?
Dream gig?! Well…. this is one of those questions that if you asked me 100 times, you’d get 100 different answers, but as for now: The Greens with The Beastie Boys with Beck and Tom Waits and The Mars Volta and the ghosts of Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa and Miles Davis, with an African percussion section and those Tibetan throat-singers in the back ground! Zowee!!!!
You can check out Andy Tuck and the Greens at their site http://www.thegreensmusic.com or their myspace http://www.myspace.com/thegreens