Band of the Week: Beautiful Losers

(Credit: Courtesy of the Beautiful Losers)

The Beautiful Losers are back in town on Saturday night to show off their new polished sound. Since moving to Chicago last spring, the band has been looking to elevate their career to the next level. But their big break didn't happen in Chicago. It happened when the band's manager got a city streets and sanitation worker in New York City to deliver their CD to Rod Stewart’s drummer while making his usual trash collection route. I’m not making that up—I read it in their bio. Anyway, Rod Stewart’s drummer asked the Beautiful Losers to record with him at his new studio in Times Square. Now the band has a new CD coming out this spring and a couple more surprises. I’d rather let the band break the news, so read the interview below.

About the show:

The Beautiful Losers with Dirty Old Towne

The Outland Ballroom

Saturday, February 21
9 p.m.

Ages: 18 and over

Cost: $5

Interview:

I talked to singer/songwriter/guitarist Eric Smith about living in Chicago, the new BL sound, and cease and desist orders.

You guys are probably really stoked about coming back to Springfield.  What do you miss most about playing in Springfield?

Eric Smith: What I miss most are our friends in town. We don't get them often now that we live eight hours away in Chicago. Coming back gives us the chance to see people we haven't since we used to live and play in Springfield, so it's always nice to catch up and see some familiar faces. 

What's the hardest thing about being a Chicago band? And what's the best thing?

ES: Being a band in Chicago has been a constant challenge that has taught us a lot. There are talented musicians and bands everywhere both known and unknown, from venues to subway stations. There's a show to check out at any given time, so there's a lot of competition and inspiration all at once. I guess the hardest part has been the personal transitions that come with moving from a smaller city to a big one. Money, friends, jobs, etc.

Chicago is a great city. The best thing about being a band here is having so many people, so much music, art--so much culture and inspiration around all the time. 

How did you get connected with Rod Stewart's drummer?

ES: We played a string of shows out on the East Coast a couple years ago and spoke with a friend of our manager in New York City about making the trip back soon. We gave him some of our music and he liked what he heard, gave it to a friend, who passed it along to the drummer in question, who now owned a recording studio in called Deep Diner Music in Times Square.  He offered us a chance to come back to NYC and record, so after some back and forth between lawyers and our manager, we made a schedule and plans to record some music.

What was it like recording with him?

ES: It was great, but it's crazy that it ended up happening that way. It just so happened at the time we agreed to come back to New York, that we didn't have a drummer since ours was in LA performing for America's Got Talent (former BL drummer Rob Lowery appeared on the hit NBC show with The Cadence, the Springfield drum line that performs regularly at Club Icon). Originally he was only going to help produce, but since we were in need and didn't want to postpone the session, he helped us. 

The whole experience was one I won't forget. Being in the studio with people who have worked with giants in music like Jimi Hendrix, Diana Ross and John Lennon was of course very humbling. It really gave us the chance to learn a lot about the music business and being efficient in a studio.

Your bio says a new sound emerged while you were recording in NYC. How would describe the new sound?

ES: Polished! Like I said earlier, we learned a lot about being efficient in the studio this past fall, and since then I've noticed that efficiency has carried over into practices, shows, and our songwriting. We are very excited about the future. 

What's the next step for the band? Finding a label, putting the record out, touring?

ES: All of the above. Deep Diner Studios in NYC is under contract with us for the next year and a half to shop the music we recorded with them and find a deal for the band. We will be playing a showcase in New York City in April or May.  

I've put together my own indie label with a few friends and investors called Mastermind Music so I can release my own project and help other musicians and bands starting out. We all have side projects and other musical endeavors we are working on all the time.

At what point will you guys need to issue a cease and desist order to the five or six other bands that call themselves the Beautiful Losers? It seems like you guys are by far the most popular one and I know you've had the band name for a few years.

ES: As a band, we've though about that, and after having the name so long we've pretty much decided the best thing to do is re-invent ourselves instead of telling other bands they can't have the name we borrowed in the first place. Originally, Trevor brought the name to our attention after he saw it as the name of a street art exhibition in L.A., which represented creating something beautiful from nothing. But since then we have gone through so many changes from members, to music, to location…why not just change the name too?  

When will you be changing the name? And do you have a new one picked out?

ES: The name change will come before the spring. The idea is to release the name and new music around the same time so the most I can say right now is both are coming soon!