Over the past five years Boston-based indie band Violet Nine has been slowly developing a strong following, and the quintet of Ben Consoli (vocals), John Ducharme (guitars/keys), Tom Gallo (bass), Greg Faucher (drums), and Nick Lewis (guitar) have been especially praised for the energy and consistency of their live performances. Recently the Cud sat down with bassist Tom Gallo to talk about the up-and-coming band, their origins, what has shaped their sound and to discuss the band’s most recent release, the album Any Wonder.

The Cud-First up, tell us about how the band was formed.

Tom Gallo- Well, this story could probably be told several different ways, but at least from my perspective the true origins of Violet Nine spawned from two distinct and separate projects that were taking place in Boston in the winter of 2001/2002. Ben and I had met high school and been writing and recording pop music together since then, but it wasn’t until around 2001 or so that we really started to focus in on the details and develop what we were doing together. I was writing little moody musical themes and ideas on piano and Ben would then take those ideas, which didn't make much sense on their own, and turn them into pop songs. Ben is like an ultra pop machine, so tying up all the loose ends of the material I’d started and adding melodies on top came naturally to him. While that was taking place, my roommate Nick and I were doing something completely different. We spent most of our time together walking around the city of Boston, recording the sounds of the street and making ambient instrumental recordings on our four track tape recorders, reminiscent of something you'd hear in a movie score- and not on the radio. We had started to speculate with each other that the three of us should combine these two isolated musical worlds and see what we could come up with together.  After a lot of discussion, and convincing, we decided to try it out. So, the three of us embarked on this little pop experiment to see where it might lead.

The Cud- And the remainder of the band?

Tom Gallo- Conceptually everything seemed to be taking shape nicely, but the band wasn't nearly complete until we had the two final (more spontaneous) musicians in place in Greg and John (Duey). Greg auditioned on drums and we fell in love with his drumming immediately. The most important quality from a drummer that we were looking for was one with a unique voice. It's easy to find a drummer who can simply play in time, but we were looking for someone with a genuine passion for playing music and an open musical mind- qualities that you can't really teach, but rather are inherent to someone's character. After his second audition, we decided to let him know he was in the band. The four of us thought it was important to find a fifth member to complete the band; someone that could play guitar, keyboards, and sing some background vocals. The answer was obvious to us all. Greg pulled in his close friend John. We had all either played with John in the past or had known his reputation. There was no need for an audition. On June 11 2002, the five of us got into a room and made music together for the first time. That's how it's been since.     

The Cud-As bass player in the band, what have been the influences on your musical tastes?

Tom Gallo- The whole reason I gravitated towards music in the first place is because I found it easier to communicate my thoughts and feelings through sound rather than words. I was quiet as a child, so if I wanted to communicate something sincerely, I was better off using an instrument. Plus, the vocabulary of sound and music is much larger and subtler than the vocabulary of the English language. You can build more complex sentences with sound… or at least, that's my perception. So, in terms of influence, I'm influenced by more than just music. It wasn't music that drove me to music. It was other stuff.

The Cud- Any particular bassists play a role in shaping your interest in music?

I tend to gravitate towards simple minimalist players. The space around the notes is equally as important as the notes, and sometimes I think that can be easily missed. I saw Duck Dunn playing with Booker T and the MG's at a music festival when I was young, and I'm pretty certain that watching him that day had a huge impact on my playing. Everything he played seemed perfect. He was making everyone dance and he was only playing four notes.  

The Cud-And what about Violet Nine's overall sound? How has it evolved in recent years?

Tom Gallo- We're not a band that has much interest in staying the same it seems. I guess, whether we like or not, we're going to change. Truthfully, I think we've been a band with almost no clear musical intention over the past four years but I think that was helpful for us. If you put yourself in a box then you won't evolve naturally, and as artists I think we're more focused on communicating honestly, rather than on what we are actually communicating. We did some recording in Nashville for a couple months, and we took on that sound for a time. We had a more organic and dry sound that just naturally happened. After getting back, we've noticed that we're onto a new feeling. We've been writing music that's a bit more dance and ambient oriented.

The Cud-You all have a specific perspective about the role of the guitars in the band's music, don't you?

Tom Gallo-We're clearly still a rock band, but with new and different rhythms. The guitars are becoming more like keyboards and less like guitars. Our songs are being driven by guitars less and less, and instead by the drums, bass, and vocals. The guitars and keyboards are now being used for highlights, accents, colors, and texture. It has created more open space in our music. 

The Cud-What would you say has been the toughest aspect facing the band in gaining a following in the Boston music scene? Do you think the Boston crowds a good gauge on the national music listener's ear?

Tom Gallo- Good question. Tough question. I'm not sure where I stand with this. We've never devoted too much effort into really understanding or being a part of the Boston music scene. We've always lived there, and certainly kept our eye on it, but I think we've been focused on a different picture. I think that's important no matter where you are. If we lived in LA -which we’d contemplated for a time- it would have been a mistake to be consumed by that music scene as well… or any other for that matter. Of course it depends on a band’s intention too. If you're looking for long-term success, then I think it’s important to understand where you are and appreciate that place, but not to obsess over one area. By the time you're doing what you think someone else wants to hear, they don't want to hear it anymore.  

The Cud-Tell us about the recording of your most recent album, Any Wonder. Was it a smooth process? What was the biggest hurdle you overcame in pulling together an album you were all happy with?

Tom Gallo- We were at Quad Studios in Nashville TN, with Greg Archilla. Greg's produced and mixed Grammy nominated albums so it was a pretty big deal for us and slightly intimidating at first. Initially we went there to do some demos, which then turned into a full record. The process in Nashville was very organic, but I wouldn't say it turned out to be a smooth process. Ben's brother passed away in LA during the beginning of recording so he headed out west and missed a large portion of the session. He looked after his brother and his entire family during that time and I think he learned a lot about himself and what he can face. He came back after dealing with an intense personal tragedy and then gave us an amazing performance as he sang through the whole record. He grew tremendously throughout that and I think it will help him grow even more as a musician and songwriter. Greg Archilla had dealt with a similar personal tragedy shortly before that, so he dealt with Ben's loss with us. Even through the difficulties we were a strong unit and we made a solid and cohesive record that reflects where we were at that time.

The Cud-How did the band spend their U.S summer?

Tom Gallo- We went on a tour through the northeast called Camplified. It was our first extended tour and we were fortunate to play to hundreds of kids each night. They were full of energy that inspired us to give back the same energy. It was rewarding to play to people that were so enthusiastic and grateful to hear our music. It was also nice to be on the road together as a band and realize how positive we feel about what we do, and how possible it may be for us to make this our life.

The Cud-Any mishaps or misadventures of Spinal Tap proportions in the band's history that you should tell us about?

Tom Gallo- Hmm. Well we played at a puppet house once.

The Cud- A puppet house?

Tom Gallo- A puppet house.

The Cud-I see.

Tom Gallo- Another time we also played at an International Polish Festival, where we were the only English speaking act on the bill and were preceded by a children's karate tournament. Beyond that, then for us there has just been the occasional road trip with a moldy hotel room and dirty razor blade in the bathroom. It's okay though. Things are much better now.

The Cud-Finally, what's up next for Violet Nine?

Tom Gallo- We're always moving forward. We're currently working on new material and excited at the prospect of getting it all down on a new record soon. Then we go out on the road again and support the album. There are no guarantee's in life, especially with the music industry, but the spirit of the band is very positive right now and just maybe we have some more good karma coming our way.

Visit Violet Nine on the web at www.violetnine.com