Speaking Sounds

Speaking Sounds Interview: Anthony Raneri

Anthony Raneri found himself in familiar territory last Saturday at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. The New York-born singer/songwriter is constantly on the road with Bayside, but his January has consisted of the 4th annual “Where’s the Band?” acoustic tour, alongside like minded-frontmen Ace Enders, Evan Weiss, Matt Pryor, and Chris Conley. Armed with his musical comrades and his debut solo release New Cathedrals, the beloved crooner is getting ready for an intimate evening of inspiring sing-alongs for his music old and new.

Popping in and out of their small backstage dressing rooms, Raneri and his tour brethren, all close to or in their thirties, enjoyed each others company with the exuberance of new college roomates. With a cigarette in hand and a big smile, Raneri sat down with me to talk about New Cathedrals, as well as what it’s like to be on a musical road trip with some of your best friends.

How’s it feel to be back in New York?

I don’t even feel like I’m in New York, ‘cause I’ve just been working. I haven’t seen my house or my girlfriend or anything like that (laughs). So i could be anywhere.

Let’s talk about New Cathedrals a bit. What inspired the title?

To me, it was kind of building a new home. Bayside has been a thing for my entire life, and with this being my first solo release ever, it has that feeling of something new.

I really like the old-school cover art. What gave you that idea?

I was up real late one night flipping through album art and saw a bunch of 50s and jazz covers, and just thought it would be awesome to have something similar for the EP.

What kind of timeline were the songs written across?

It’s actually across the span of seven years…Ayo Ace!

(Raneri shouts to Ace Enders and pops in his dressing room for a minute before returning)

Sorry, we’re working on on our encore. We’ve been working on it so long today and we don’t know it at all. We just heard the song for the first time today, it should be good though (laughs).

Obviously New Cathedrals is a way to release music that wouldn’t make sense for Bayside. Any songs that are particularly far off the map?

All of them, really. Actually, “Lead, Follow, Fall” was written to be a Bayside song. While we were writing Killing Time, I wrote that. And when it came time to cut songs, that one ended up not making it. But other than that, they’re all songs that never were meant to be Bayside.

How’d you go about getting the guest performers on the record? (Steve Choi from RX Bandits, Davey Warsop from Beat Union, and Jarrod Alexander from My Chemical Romance)

They’re just a couple friends of mine. I produced the record, released it myself, and just wanted to have them perform on it. They’re friends first, but also musicians that i think are just out of this world. I wanted to just get in a room to see what would come out. I’ve been playing music with the same people for 12 years, so it was nice to do something different.

What’s your favorite song on New Cathedrals to sing?

“Sandra Partial.” I really love it, just the way it flows.

You put the EP out under the name Gumshoe Records. Any plans to put out other releases under the label?

I never thought about it at all. The whole gumshoe thing came about because I had to set up a corporate bank account to take in the money from iTunes, and I needed a name. Gumshoe Radio is the show I do, so I decided to make it Gumshoe Enterprises, and everything from now one will be “Gumshoe something or other.” That’s the only reason there’s a name at all on it. That label side is not something that intrigues me at all. I don’t think I can get excited about being a record label for someone else.

Moving on to this tour, what songs do you hear requests for the most?

For the most part, I play the ones people wanna hear. Anything that’s been done acoustic. “Don’t Call Me Peanut,” “On Love, On Life.” People call out “Devotion and Desire” and I just wont play it because it doesn’t sound good acoustic (laughs). People call out for “Montauk” all the time, but it wouldn’t sound cool acoustic or with one guitar.

How long as the Where’s the Band? tour been going on?

Four years. I’ve been on all of ‘em.

What keeps you coming back?

It’s so much fun. We do it the end of every year, and it’s something we look forward to all year long. Its a just a big road trip, we’re buddies.

Yea, I definitely got a college-dorm type vibe from being back here.

Yea it’s awesome, like someones paying us to do this (laughs). We’re playing music all the time, just backstage jamming even when we’re not on stage.

Moving on to Bayside. It’s been a year since Killing Time hit stores, how do you feel people have responded to it?

I’m really happy about it. It’s hard when you’ve been a band as long as us to get people to do stuff. A lot of people turn off to their favorite bands when they put out newer albums, but people seem to be really enjoying Killing Time.

What’s the rest of 2012 look like for you and Bayside?

Bayside and me solo are gonna be on Warped Tour all summer. Two sets a day. And then were doing Bamboozle. Then in the fall, we’re gonna start writing another Bayside album.

Another busy year.

Always man. Every year is a busy year.

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A huge thank you to Anthony and his crew for allowing this interview to happen. Pick up New Cathedrals on iTunes, you won’t regret it.