News

Interview with The April Fools – Wonderland 

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman February 12, 2022 

Indie Music Discovery 
8674 Bluefield Way 
Sacramento,California

In this interview spotlight, I chat with members of The April Fools about their latest project Wonderland, adapting during a pandemic, technology and more. 

Where are you from and how do You describe your style of music? 

The April Fools are Minneapolis, MN based, but Ben Kaplan (drums/vocals) is from Baltimore, MD and Brad McLemore (guitar/vocals) is from Dallas, TX. Brian Drake (guitars/vocals), Terri Owens (guitars/mandolin/vocals) and Nick Salisbury (bass) are from Minneapolis. We would describe the music as American Rock and Roll incorporating definite Americana and 60’s-influenced Pop roots – guitar-driven with an emphasis on strong vocal harmonies and performance. Because we tackle several genres in our writing and collaboration, it is tough to pigeonhole our overall sound or style in simple terms. There is a lot to unpack here. 

How did you get here? As in, what inspired or motivated you to take on this journey through music and the music biz? 

Well, this is our fourth release – and the third on Blackberry Way Records so the band has been at work for over 8 years now. We’re all lifers in the music biz with long resumes. Collectively, we’ve been involved in a broad and wide range of live shows, TV appearances (The Tonight Show/Austin City Limits) and recording projects, from past to present, including Chuck Berry and Lowell George to Brian Fallon (Gaslight Anthem) and Ryan Bingham, both of whom our bassist, Nick Salisbury, currently tours with. 

Name the biggest challenge you faced as a creative during these unprecedented? How did you adapt? How have you kept the creative fires burning during all this? 

Because we began recording this release, Wonderland, right at the beginning of the pandemic, there were several things we had no choice but to do differently – not the least being recording all the drum tracks first with only the writer in the studio with Ben and (producer/engineer) Mike Owens. So, scratch vocals and a guitar and the drums. That was it. Then, we went in individually and recorded the rest – guitars, bass, and additional guest musicians. Vocals were last. We were very careful but determined to make it all work. Collaboration is what this band is about – there are three writers and four singers – and listening to the songs now you would swear that all hands were always on deck and all playing together. Nothing sounds “mailed in” – even the on track that Murry Hammond (Old 97’s) recorded remotely from Los Angeles. There really is a deeper and more thoughtful vibe on Wonderland compared with our previous albums – and we’re very pleased and happy with the results. 

What was the last song you listened to? 

Somebody In My Home – Howlin’ Wolf. It’s playing as I type this. 

Which do you prefer? Vinyl? 8-tracks? Cassettes? CDs? MP3s? Streaming platforms? 

I prefer whatever sounds best – I still listen mostly to CDs and we can’t escape the convenience of streaming platforms. Quality-wise, it’s still CDs and vinyl. 

Where is the best place to connect with you and follow your journey? 

Theaprilfools.net and Blackberrywayrecords.com

I really appreciate Your time. Anything else before we sign off? 

I appreciate your time, as well. Thanks for the opportunity – we’ll look forward to seeing the interview soon. Cheers, Brian Drake.

Working on a record through the pandemic has been a challenge. As we were getting ready to begin recording our fourth studio album the world was becoming aware of a new term, COVID-19. We were not aware that this would soon take over our lives and lock us all down. As this reality set in our original bassist Scott Hreha made the decision to leave the band. The remaining members, with the sad reality that we wouldn't be playing any shows for who knows how long, decided to forge ahead with making a new record. The plan was to bring in a variety of bassists that we knew and loved so we could hear their interpretation of these new songs we'd been working on up to that point. As we recorded with great caution, often one band member alone with audio engineer Mike Owens, we realized this was going to be a slow process. Trying to get used to the new idea of wearing a mask at all times, we chipped away at the foundation. Brad reached out to his friends in the Old 97s and brought bassist Murry Hammond on board for a remote session to add his distinct style to the song "Lose Your Mind". We also brought in bassists Paul McFarland (Lolo's Ghost) and Nick Salisbury (Ryan Bingham, Brian Fallon, and many Twin Cities bands) to add their unique styles to the songs. With touring all but shut down The April Fools invited Salisbury to come on board as a full time member. He proceeded to finish out the remaining bass parts on the record with some stellar playing. Many months later, and many small recording sessions later we are excited to release this album into the new world. Some songs we've never played together live as a group and some that were written pre-pandemic that have taken on an entirely new meaning.

More details coming soon as we finish up, but we are super exited to share this music with everyone and get back to playing live music!

Stay tuned!

The April Fools

Check out our new video, "The Making Of Third"—produced by wurm in conjunction with Twin Cities eMedia & Blackberry Way Records. This is the first in a series of Blackberry Way "In Studio" videos planned for release in the coming months.

Even though the calendar shows the first of April, it's no joke that our newest release Third is out now on Blackberry Way Records. Head on over to the music page to listen and/or buy yourself a copy.

And don't forget that our release party is coming up on April 13 at The Hook and Ladder Theater & Lounge in Minneapolis, with our friends Rich Mattson & The Northstars and Adam Levy rounding out the bill. All paid admissions receive a complimentary copy of Third!