Pigeon Opinion Featuring an Interview with DownTown Mystic

"DownTown Mystic 'On E Street Remix EP'" is a retro-rooted rock album with a clear focus on the tradition of classic American music and production of the pre-digital era. The involvement of such key figures from the E Street Band as Max Weinberg and Garry Tallent gives the record a genuine feel of authentic rhythmic backing.

What sets this EP apart is its dedication to the "live-feel" rock craftmanship. In this record, the rhythm section is highlighted and sounds tight and punchy; the overall vibe is reminiscent of the best Bruce Springsteen classics but is simultaneously distinctive for DownTown Mystic. The title track "Way To Know" is particularly interesting, besides featuring an inspiring socially conscious theme, it has a raw rock structure. The production style is intentionally oriented towards the analog aesthetics and thus lacks modernity. The influences are obvious, Tom Petty among others.

To summarize, "On E Street Remix EP" is a rock album that focuses on musicianship and nostalgia but is still relevant today.

Interview with DownTown Mystic

^> What was the inspiration behind the On E Street Remix EP?

I’ve been on a roll with my retro rock releases the last couple of years, and it seemed natural to revisit the project that started my solo career. I wanted to remix the material and present it in a new setting. I also wanted to show my gratitude to Max & Garry by showcasing their playing on my songs. I’ve been working at Shorefire Studios with owner/engineer Joe DeMaio since 2022, which was the first time I’d returned to the studio since working with Max & Garry. I was curious to see how Joe would react hearing tracks that were recorded in his studio. When he listened for the first time, he immediately said “that’s my room!”. I knew then that this would be worth doing.

^> How did the idea of “Bruceifying” your songs come about?

That is what the E Streeters did to the songs, in particular Way To Know. My original demo of the song was kind of mellow with a few starts and stops. Garry Tallent heard the demo and said “once you start don’t stop!” lol He made it more up-tempo. He told Max to play like Charlie Watts and we were off and running. It’s the one song I can hear Bruce (Springsteen) singing. It’s got his style, as you say, “Brucified”. lol

^> The EP blends vintage rock sounds with modern production—how do you approach that balance?

I’m using vintage gear in the studio and Joe has one of the last Helios boards that were made. This is the same board that was in Trident Studios in London that The Beatles, Stones, Led Zep, etc. were making all their records on. So that probably has a lot to do with the vintage sound. It’s all recorded digitally on Pro Tools, like anybody in their bedroom, but they don’t have a Helios board in their bedroom. 😊

^> Were there any songs that changed completely once Max and Garry got involved?

They put their mark on all the songs but the first 2 songs on the EP, “Way To Know” and “And You Know Why”, were the songs that I think they changed the most. It’s interesting. Those are the only 2 songs in my catalog that I don’t have the original demos for. I have everything I ever recorded except those 2 songs. I had done 8-tk demos of them and played them for Garry and he called up Max and we went back into the studio to record them. “Way To Know” completely changed as did “And You Know Why”, although not as much. But I can’t remember the original version, so it might have changed more than I remember.

^> Which track on the EP do you feel best represents your vision as an artist?

The real backstory to this EP is the fact that I was ready to quit doing music altogether. We recorded “Hard Enough” and “Sometimes Wrong” in 1983. “Sometimes Wrong” went through various stages to get where it finally did. So, we recorded the 2 songs and I was overdubbing my vocals and guitar parts until I was finished. It’s most likely that Max & Garry got busy with Bruce because I wasn’t working for a time at Shorefire.

I had been working in a band of some sort for 10 years and now I was going solo. But I was also burned out. It seemed like I was writing the same kind of songs over and over, and I had to stop. I remember distinctly feeling like it might be time to hang it up. I was tired and didn’t see a way forward. It was at that exact moment that the opening chords of what would become “And You Know Why” came to me. They were so different from anything I had ever written that I was back on the case. I HAD to write this song!

One of the gifts from doing these remixes is that I was FINALLY able to complete “And You Know Why” as the record I always wanted to make. I had to do it justice and I’m grateful to say I did. It’s fair to say that “And You Know Why” saved me as an artist.

^> Max Weinberg and Garry Tallent have such an iconic rhythm section—how did it feel playing alongside them?

It was a thing of beauty! Now I know why Bruce can do what he does…he has these guys behind him! The E Street Band is a well-oiled machine, and Max & Garry, are the engine that drives it. I had been in a band and my job was always having to keep the sound & groove together. When we did the 1st take on “Hard Enough”, I’m just playing my guitar paying attention to them. It was so easy to play with them. All I had to do was play my guitar. lol

^> Did they bring any unique suggestions or improvisations to the sessions?

They did what they wanted on all 4 songs. From what I remember, Garry had his bass parts sort of planned in advance, and gave Max some ideas on how to approach the songs. Once we had the arrangements down, we just rolled tape. This was rock’n’roll at its most basic form. It’s the players that elevate the tracks into something more. That’s magic time!

^> How did you prepare your songs to make space for such legendary musicians?

Garry picked “Hard Enough” to record and I picked “Sometimes Wrong”. I knew why he picked that one when he started to play his bassline. He had a definite idea of what he wanted to do on it and everything proceeded from there. I had been in LA for the first time a couple of years before and wrote “Sometimes Wrong” when I got back home. I wrote it for a female singer who had sung on some of my songs that I recorded in LA. I liked her voice. It was kind of an Everly Bros. type of song, but when I knew I was recording with Garry & Max, I decided to make it more of a rocker.

^> Was there a moment in the studio that made you realize this collaboration was something historic?

They were still recording with Bruce on what would become “Born In The USA”, but they never said a word about it. There was a wall of secrecy around Bruce and his projects, so the E Street guys kept things to themselves. To be honest, I never thought about it like that. I met them when they were finishing recording The River. I hired Garry to play on sessions for a Production Deal that my band had gotten. He even did some live shows with us, so by this time he was just Garry to me, you know? I had gone to the same high school as Max. He graduated a year ahead of me, but we had mutual acquaintances as it were. I started throwing names from high school at him when he was setting up his drums and he stopped and said to throw out some more. Then he said Columbia HS, right? This is New Joisee. We’re just guys playing rock’n’roll. But I’m also aware at the time that these guys are in the biggest band in NJ! LOL

I always brought my camera with me but would never take any photos because I felt like I would be invading their privacy. Today, I would just take my phone out and tell them to smile for a selfie! LOL

^> Would you ever consider touring with them, or was this strictly a studio project?

Seriously? I think they have a steady well-paying gig. Lol This was always just a studio project. Also, after Born In The USA was released, everything changed for them. That record was so huge that nothing would be the same. They were the Glory Days.

^> Way To Know reflects on the current world situation—how did you translate that into the music?

Sometimes it takes years for a song to reveal itself. It’s all about space and time, the right space at the right time. At the time I wrote it, it worked as a simple relationship song. But if viewed from a different angle, I knew it had a bigger meaning to it, which shows itself in the refrains. It might be the only song I ever wrote without a chorus.

Now, it gets released at this point in time, and it sounds like I wrote about events happening in the world today. Space and time.

^> Your lyrics often lean into storytelling—whose stories are you most drawn to telling?

I’m writing rock’n’roll, which inhabits it’s own world. If I’m writing about a relationship, the people involved are rockers. Everything is tinged from that standpoint. Nothing is “normal” except it’s normal in that world, if you follow. The guy in Way To Know is talking from a philosophical POV. It’s a simple matter to him…why do we fuss and fight?

The guy in And You Know Why is shattered by a lost love. He’s a rocker who feels things on a deeper level. He’s caught in a rhetorical dilemma…when will I know better than to love somebody? It’s a rhetorical question that’s impossible to answer. That’s LIFE!

The guy narrating Hard Enough has been there and done that. He’s a rocker who’s trying to give advice to the poor sap who is in love with a babe, who probably has a Fans Only page. Lol

Then there’s the guy in Sometimes Wrong. He can’t believe his woman is leaving him. He’s a rocker trying to come to terms with the feelings that are inside of him. It’s not going to be good, whatever the outcome.

^> Are there recurring themes across the EP that listeners might notice?

2 of the songs are about heartbreak. 1 is about possible heartbreak and 1 is about fighting with each other, which could lead to heartbreak. Are you seeing what I’m seeing? 😊

^> How does analog recording influence the emotion or texture of your songs?

Analog is warmer sounding, which favors an emotional texture. But truthfully, it’s really about how the song is performed. I’m picking shadings based on the tone of the track, how the music presents itself. I’m playing the song. Analog or digital has nothing to do with it, in my opinion.

^> When did you first realize you wanted to pursue this “vintage yet modern” rock approach?

I coined that term as my motto, “vintage yet modern”. It described the sound of my music perfectly. I record using vintage gear. It sounds like classic rock sounds. But if you play a track of mine with a track from the 50s, 60s, 70s, it doesn’t fit. It might sound like something recorded from back then, but the only time where my music fits is right now. It’s what makes me unique as an artist.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that DownTown Mystic, U2 and The Stones all have new releases out at the same time. Add to that, Springsteen on tour with The E Street Band and rock’n’roll is in the air. I include myself with these RnR HOFamers because E Street is probably the most famous street in rock’n’roll history and I’m on it. You won’t read about DownTown Mystic in Rolling Stone but there’s a host of e-zines and bloggers like Pigeon Opinion who are discovering and championing “vintage yet modern”, and that’s REAL rock’n’roll! 😊

^> Who were your earliest influences growing up, and how do they show up in your current work?

The Beatles were the biggest influence. I listened to all their records for hours and hours on end. When I was going into the studio to record my 1st album Standing Still in 2009, The Beatles newly remastered cds came out. I bought them and didn’t listen to anything else. It was like discovering the band all over again. The main thing for me was the sound of George Martin’s production, which I wouldn’t have paid attention to as a kid, but now I could implement what I was hearing. It was an inspiration. That’s one of the reasons I get singled out as a producer. Reviewers are always commenting on how timeless my songs sound. That’s The Beatles and George Martin’s influences.

^> What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned while working with seasoned professionals like Max, Garry, and Steve Holley?

They make everything easier and it always sounds better. When you’re working with pros like them, you’re taking it to another level. They add a dimension that I couldn’t get to otherwise because of the drums and bass laying down such a solid layer to build on. Productions build on layers and they allow me as a producer to be able to take things to that bigger level of sound. They also understand it’s all about the song. They do whatever it takes to make it better, but they also know it’s about the vocals and the song and not to step on them. They have “taste” and that shows in the choices they make when playing their parts.

^> How has recording this EP changed your approach to songwriting or recording in the future?

I don’t think it changes my approach at all. I wanted the EP to sound like now and it does. I’ve developed my producing chops to a point where I know I could make this material sound better. The key was to make each song sound a bit different from what was already released. I added vocals or guitar parts to improve on what was already there. The production in the future will depend on the song, and the type of song will dictate my production choices.

^> If a listener takes one thing away from this EP, what would you hope it is?

I hope they can feel a vibe when they listen. That’s really what I try to put in the recordings. If a listener can feel a vibe from my music, then I think they’ll feel good about it on an emotional level. I’m trying to put a vibe out there with my music.

^> What’s next for DownTown Mystic after this release?

I have some new songs I’ll be releasing that are a bit different from the last few releases. It will still be rock’n’roll, but I’ll be delving into some different areas that are probably a bit more poppier. I’m excited to release them. I’ll also be putting together an On E Street Remix album for the holiday season later this year. It will include everything on the EP plus extra mixes and the Sometimes Wrong demo that has the original way I sang the melody, which I changed as the song evolved. Time to rock! 😊

(•)> That's all, Folks! Check out DownTown Mystic on the Pigeon Opinion Playlist