Labor Party

     Labor Party is a trio of veteran hard rock n’ rollers influenced by bands like The Stooges, MC5 and the Dead Boys that reside in the Phoenix metro area. Their music is fast, loud, guitar fueled rock n’ roll with enough power in the backbeat to run the city they’re playing that night. Their experience really comes into play when you see this band live.  They seem very much at ease on stage allowing them to put on a highly energized, highly entertaining show as they hurl their music at their audience like boulders on catapults.  They have a look in their eyes like all they do is start the engine and where the music is going to take them is anybody’s guess. And that’s what makes Labor Party so undeniably great at what they do.     

Interview by J Castro

Who’s all in the band and what do they do to keep the Labor Party rolling?

Buck Ellis - Drums, backing vocals.

Sharon Labor – Bass guitar, backing vocals, poetry.

Frank Labor – Guitar, vocals.

Tell me a bit about your musical careers and how you ended up here in Phoenix, AZ. I know you guys have some other musical projects going on now too.

FRANK: Buck is a Phoenix native believe it or not. He’s got a long history in the phoenix punk scene going back to the early ‘90’s. He has been in bands like: Hunky Dory, Sam the Butcher, Punk Rock Karaoke, The Shifters, and Balls. I started playing in bands back in Pennsylvania in the late ‘70’s. After playing in a few cover bands, I was in a punk band called The Speds. I think every show we did we played to people who were seeing punk for the first time. In the early ‘80’s I was in a Mod band called The Tickets. I met Sharon at that time. She had a band with her cousin Karen Lynn and the late great Lisa Wack, playing some ‘60’s inspired rock n’ roll. By the mid ‘80’s we were working together in a neo-psychedelic band we called 8Five Kalidocolor. We got an offer to go to San Francisco so we left PA and headed west. We stopped in Phoenix to visit my family who had moved out some years before. We noticed there was a really good scene here for original bands so when things fell apart with our San Francisco people we decided to try it here. Our first band here was The Now. I think we stared that around ‘92. Sharon played keys, we had a good friend of mine who was in The Tickets and 8Five Kalidocolor to play bass and my brother played 2^nd guitar. After that we formed Hubcap, in the mid 90’s, and once that ran its course we started Labor Party in 2001. We picked up Buck in 2005 and he’s been there ever since. I played lead guitar for Jeff Dahl for a few years from 2005 – 2008. Last year Sharon started a band called Battered Suitcases and we are both in that now.

Frank and Sharon; with all the tragic stuff that happens to couples that are in a band together, how have you two managed to keep it going for so long? Any secrets/strategies you wish to share?

FRANK: We’ve been doing this since we were in our early 20’s so it’s hard to imagine it any other way but it seems to me that it’s better for a couple to go out every weekend together rather than one going to play a show while the other is stuck at home or going somewhere else. You can’t really be mad at your spouse for spending so much time working on a band if you’re in it to. Ha-ha.

SHARON: I think it’s because we truly support one another and appreciate that we share the same interests and dreams, that’s priceless. I always thought it’d be tougher to be with someone who isn’t a musician, we’re a strange breed! Aside from all the romance it helps a lot too that we’re best friends! 

Tell me who you consider to be the biggest influence on your music and tell me about the first time you heard this individual’s music and how it changed your life? 

FRANK: I have so many big influences each one as important as the other. Far too many to cover here so I’ll just mention one that just popped into my head: Robert Quine.

I think I was around 17 or 18. A radio DJ who was a fan of The Speds took us to his place in a shitty ass neighborhood in the north end. Everything was dark around there. Not just the streets but even inside there were just a few little lights, some of them covered with cloth to purposely keep them from being too bright. It was a strange place with a bunch of people living there, most of them DJ’s or musicians or both. We were all drinking and high which may have played a role in the experience. We all jammed into a tiny bedroom with a high quality, really loud stereo. He played us a bunch of records most of which we were all familiar with but then he put on Richard Hell and the Voidoids’ Blank Generation. The whole song is great but when that Robert Quine guitar solo hit… HOLY FUCK! That shit just blew me away, so fucking nasty and harsh. Absolutely gut wrenching. It sounded like the amp was inside one of those metal trashcans in the alley. I thought this is it! This is what lead guitar is supposed to sound like! I never thought of guitar solos the same after that.

You guys have been in bands and playing music for a while now. What do you think of promoting music through social media? Is it a better, more efficient way to get the word out or just a huge pain in the ass? 

FRANK: Well it is a pain in the ass but it so much better than the old days of handing out flyers and going on a long flyer hanging trip. The only flyers I do now are just for the bar where the show will be and sometimes for the area just around the bar, if the neighborhood is right for that. I do look forward to the death of Facebook and I hope that whatever takes its place will be more band friendly. I know there are some better sites for bands out there the only problem is only bands are on them.

I feel that the trick to releasing a live recording is to try and capture a quality recording that still accurately portrays the unique energy signature of a band’s live show. I feel that the Live 6 EP Labor Party put out a few years ago does just that.  Can you tell me a bit about that record (where it was recorded etc.)?

FRANK: Thank you! That’s exactly what we were going for. We even left in a few flubs here or there. There’s one song where my mic was knocked over by some guys acting up in the front. The vocal drops out for a couple seconds but we thought it added to the feel so we left it in. There’s a spot where you can hear someone busting on Buck for wearing an American flag shirt. There was no way that wasn’t going on the final cut. We recorded 2 shows for that. One was at Jugheads and the other was about a week or 2 later on the 4^th of July at the Chop and Wok. We set up a bunch of mics on the front of the stage facing the audience and one above the crowd about half way back. We were just as concerned about capturing them as we were about us. Andrew Roesch produced it for us and did a great job. Him and our road manager at the time Kody Thames did all the engineering and set up. They did all the hard work we just had fun. It was set to be released as a 10 inch vinyl record. Our record label fucked us over and dropped us right before it was going into production. We had a show in Baltimore with our former label mates The Jukebox Zeros from Philadelphia. They had just left the label because of discrepancies over digital sales. We were on an east coast tour and the label told us we were not allowed to play with them. Of course we did the show. And that was the end of that.

We liked it so much we put it out ourselves. We couldn’t afford to do vinyl so we just did it as a CD.

Tell me about a record that you own and enjoy that you feel Labor Party fans may be surprised you are in possession of?

FRANK:  I got a lot of ‘em but the one that seem to surprise people the most is The Allman Brothers – Live at the Fillmore East. They started a genre of music that I am not a fan of but I love Duane Allman.

SHARON: Madeleine Peyroux – Careless Love.

Describe the music scene here in the metro Phoenix/Tempe area now as compared to when you guys first got here? 

FRANK: The scene here always flows in waves. It’s up then it’s down. We’ve been lucky enough to ride a couple of those up waves. Things have been slow for the last couple of years but I do think they are picking up.

What types of things usually inspire Labor Party song lyrics? Are there any subjects you guys purposefully avoid and have you ever written a song that in hindsight you regret writing? 

FRANK: I write a shit load of songs I regret. The good thing is they don’t make it on to any CD’s. If they never got recorded they never happened. I never know what’s going to inspire me but it seems a good portion of my writing comes from working class struggles. Right now, we’re working on some song inspired by things like street art, the under belly of society, mental break downs and age. The only subject we avoid is politics. Not everyone in the band has the same opinions so it best to just lay off that subject.

What’s coming up in the near future for Labor Party?  It’s been a while since the last LP, any new recordings coming out soon?

FRANK: We are pretty close to finishing a new album. Hopefully we will find a label interested and get it released soon. If not we’ll just release it ourselves. We’re hoping to get back on the road in 2015. It’s been a while since we toured and we really miss it.

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Battered Suitcases

    Cool is a word that in my opinion is thrown around far too much and has lost a lot of its meaning.  Miles Davis, David Bowie, Paul Newman, Steve McQueen that’s what I think of when I hear the word “cool.” Battered Suitcases exhibit a similar saunter and confidence that is necessary to pull off a complete rock n’ roll package well.  The music if power packed with brazen lyrics peppered with references to old Beatnik verse, brazen guitars, and drums that crash and explode like an avalanche falling on your face.  While all of this is going on simultaneously, the band still manage to keep that particular “cool.”

Interview by Jay Castro

Please introduce yourselves and how you contribute to the Battered Suitcases rock n roll machine?

Sharon Case – Songwriter, poet, singer, bass, keyboards

Jessica Case – Drums, backing vocals

Sue T. Case – Rhythm guitar, bass, backing vocals

Frank Case – Lead guitar

The band is based out of Phoenix AZ, but where are you all from originally?

Sharon: Wilkes-Barre, PA

JEssica: Phoenix, AZ

Frank: Philadelphia, PA

Sue: Red Oak, Iowa

I know you guys are from a few other bands (Labor Party, Venomous Pinks) but what is Battered Suitcases origin story?  How did you all meet and start playing music together?

SHARON: I had everything written in my head, all the words and music for a few years now, just never seemed to be the right time to get things started. Then after a tragic personal loss I decided I was done waiting to have enough time. I began to think of who was out there that might be into playing this kind of stuff.  My first thought, Jessica, I had long admired her style of drumming from her days with Sonic Thrills, Hell on Heels and her current band, Atomic Zombies. One night last fall our bands were playing together at the Icehouse Tavern and I told her about the project I had in mind; I was beyond delighted when she told me she’d be down to play. We decided to get together after the holidays. Then I went on a hunt for a rhythm guitarist, who could also handle some bass lines too. I remembered that Sue was available, I knew her mostly as a bassist then recalled that she played guitar with Breakfast of Champions, so I contacted her, she’s a perfect fit.  As for my lead guitarist, I mulled over the decision, who could play what I hear in my head, who would really get it? Silly to think I had to even consider it, no one gets me more than Frank does and I seriously don’t know a better guitarist local or otherwise. I couldn’t have been more fortunate to land this brilliant line up. I’m very grateful and wholeheartedly satisfied. 

I notice a lot of rock n roll poet types listed as some of your influences (Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, Jim Carroll) and you quote old Beat writers like Jack Kerouac and Hunter S. Thompson on your Facebook page.  What sound or concept did you have in mind when starting Battered Suitcases?

Sharon: All these people I mention as influences were/are Godlike to me. Even our name comes from the famous Jack Kerouac quote from “On The Road” When I came up with the idea for Battered Suitcases, I was mostly thinking of a rock n roll format to showcase my poetry and music, a way to bend the words, ringing them through the melodies, allowing myself bleed out somehow with it all; that desire became Battered Suitcases.

  

In the band’s bio you also listed “experience” as an influence.  Care to elaborate?

What else is there, everything we do, think, say or feel comes from or leads to it?

The video for the song Normal features clips from the 1902 French film Voyage dans la Lune by Georges Melies.  It looks great, was it fun to make? 

Sharon: It was a scream! Frank came up with the idea, shot it and edited it, on an iPhone! He did a remarkable job and all for practically nothing. I think we may have started a fun new trend!

Jessica: Yes! "Normal" was such a fun experience.  All shot with an iPhone! Amazing. And Frank did a great job putting it all together

Sue: The video was a blast. This is the first time I've ever been involved in making a video and we had such a fun time.

Frank: Yes we shot our parts on my iPhone. I printed out some stills of background shots from the movie. We taped them up on a wall on the back of our house and stood in front of it. Kinda silly but it worked out pretty good.

You recently played your first show at Tempe Tavern I believe, how did that go for you?

Sharon: It was smashing, a great line up, good sound and the staff there is always so cool to work with. I had so much fun!

Jessica: I thought the tavern was a great place for our debut gig, always a good crowd, and great sound. I feel very comfortable on that stage, and we were so excited about that show! It was a great lineup too, a lot of fun.

Sue: I thought the first show went great. I was super nervous since it's a new genre for me, but all of the friendly faces in the crowd put me at ease.

Frank: It went great! We did exactly what we want to do.

With so many great local bands popping up everyday around the Phoenix/Tempe area these days, do you find things getting a bit more competitive out there among the bands now?

There are always a ton of bands popping up, we’re one of them.  If we wanted to compete we’d join the office softball team or something.

I don’t like using the term “guilty pleasure” because I don’t think anyone should be made to feel ashamed of anything they like.  However with that being said, what do you listen to that you think a lot of fans may be surprised by?

Sharon: Parliament Funkadelic, Hank Williams, Sr., BeBop, it really it runs the gamut.

Jessica: If someone had only heard me playing with the Battered Suitcases, they may be surprised to hear that I’m a huge Guns N’ Roses fan. I don’t listen to them as much anymore, but I will always love that band. They were one of my high school faves. I’m sure I've got quite a collection of music that people may be surprised by.

Sue: My favorite music is punk (specifically the Ramones), but I secretly really love some musicals.  My favorites are Grease 2 and The Birdcage.

Frank: 60’s psychedelic garage rock, British invasion, STAX.

What music have you unleashed on the world and where can people go to hear it or buy it?

Currently we have a 4 song EP out entitled “Vainglorious” you can buy it on Bandcamp or at any of our shows. You can also check out a couple videos on You Tube.

What does the band have in store for us in the near, or not so near, future?

Our up coming dates are Jan 7th erratic radio, Jan. 18th at The Lost Leaf w/ Andalusia Rose (Wendy Gadzuk formerly of Tuscons 440's and Whiskey Bitch, now hailing from Oakland, CA, Jan 25th with The Father Fugures at Rips.

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