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Ladies & Gentlemen, Meet The HASKELS

By Robert E. Martin

One of the biggest challenges facing new rock bands today is

formulating a 'plan of attack' on how to get themselves heard while

distinguishing themselves from the rest of the crowd.

And one of the prime exponents for creating tunefully crafted,

full-throttle, and refreshingly original rock 'n roll exists in the form of

Bay City's The Haskels, a 4-piece outfit with a full tank of energy and an

ear for fun that since their formation a little over one year ago have

managed to produce an outstanding debut CD of original material on Bullfrog

Records, nail the honors of Best Newcomers at this year's Review Music

Award Ceremony, and win over legions of new fans with their highly pumped

performances.

Starting out as a 3-piece outfit consisting of brothers Andy Reed

(vocals/guitar), Jason Reed (bass/vocals), and Todd McMahan (drums/vocals),

recently the band enlisted the services of cousin Dan Kozuch (guitar) to

round out the energized textures of their ebullient sound.

The Haskels perform rock 'n roll the way it was intended, full of passion,

energy, harmony, and a sense of surprise - as if each performance affords

an opportunity for new discovery.

And the beauty exists in the fact you wouldn't expect such a powerfully

tight and hook-laden sound to come from a group of guys that upon first

appearance look like the classic definition of computer nerds instead of

the image of 'rock star' planted into our cortex by the popular media.

Indeed, brothers Andy & Jason look like they could be the grandchildren of

the late Buddy Holly, with their black horn-rimmed glasses; yet, when Andy

suddenly starts leaping around the stage, doing jumps in the manner of the

Who's Peter Townsend, it is obvious that they have learned their lessons

and assimilated their influences well.

The origins of the band date back to the brothers Reed writing songs

together at home, and two months later Andy enlisted the assistance of

fellow SVSU Jazz Ensemble alumni, Todd.  "Our first gig was July 5th of

last year," explains Andy.

"Both Andy and I took extensive piano lessons, and I didn't play any

instrument for the longest time," notes Jason, "but Andy convinced me to

pick up bass and we started writing and playing constantly."

What is so striking about The Haskels is how novel the niche' is that the

band crafts for itself by taking 'old school' rock 'n roll values and

redefining them. "Each of us brings our own influences into the group,"

explains Jason, "and it isn't that we're trying to define our sound in

terms of classic rock influences so much as that it just comes out that

way.  We want to have fun and play rock 'n roll, pure and simple."

"The whole term 'rock & roll' has been defined in the wrong way in many

aspects," adds Todd. "Today I think too much of it sounds all the same, and

I think some bands approach it for the wrong reasons.  We all love the

music, we laugh, and whatever happens is centered around joy and

spontaneity."

"I think the biggest problem with most rock today is the negative vibe

surrounding it," notes Jason. "You have too many groups trying to be the

next Limp Bizkit, but realistically, is that what they want to do

musicially?  I don't think so. I think they do it to get to the top."

"We get up on the stage and don't know what's going to happen," continues

Andy. "But if the crowd sees us having fun it gets infectious. Everyone is

totally natural on-stage. And as for my own antics, when you watch Pete

Townsend throw a guitar through an amp, it only makes you wanna do it

yourself!"

"When we see bands, we want to see a show," interjects Jason. "We want to

convey the energy that we get from the stuff we write, and we want people

to feed off that and see it."

Currently the group has about 20 original songs under their belt and find

themselves constantly writing.  For their debut CD, they hooked-up with

producer Brendan Benson.  "Andy and I always looked up to him," notes

Jason. "He was on Virgin Records years ago and we mailed him a copy of the

Demo we put together. He phoned us back and said he dug the originality of

our material and wanted to see how we worked together. Fortunately, we all

clicked, so we recorded the entire album last November at his studio in

Detroit."

"And what was cool is that we did it by song, not 10 tracks right away,"

adds Andy. "We would get one song completely nailed and record all the

rhythm tracks live and then work on overdubs and mixing and it would be

complete. I like doing it that way."

"What I enjoyed about the studio was watching the song grow," explains

Todd. "I would play the song one way and then it would evolve, and frankly,

I can't listen to our songs except as a performer."

"The Demo is so different from the final product," agrees Jason. "Brendan

developed all of us and pushed us to our limit. On one track I'm playing

keyboards and on another Brendan is playing guitar, but whatever made the

song better is what we went with. "

"Our live performances are different than the recordings," notes Andy.

"People buy the CD from a record store and then see us live and are blown

away. But the CD was made for listening - it's digital entertainment.  Our

live performances are a different animal.  I see too many bands that suck

live because they play the songs the same as they are on the CD. Everybody

does a little more live, they put a little extra into the performance."

"We leave all our energy on the stage," agrees Jason. "We're exhausted

after the show, but that's the way it should be, I think."

The dilemma for many newly formed bands is whether to take the 'original'

or 'cover band' route.  What prompted The Haskels to take the original

route, cut a debut CD, and tackle the considerable challenge of nailing

gigs in local bars on the strength of their originals?

"Ever since we started we knew we couldn't do the cover band gig," explains

Andy.

"If that's where your heart is, playing covers and making lots of money,

then that's the way to go," interjects Jason. "We're doing it for the

music. Either way it's a crap shoot. We've traveled all across the state

for 20 bucks and to gain exposure, but now it's starting to pay off.  If

you're an opening band and get an encore, that's an awesome moment."

Playing five or six shows a month, while The Haskels can often be seen at

the River Rock in Bay City, they've been commanding quite a crowd at The

Hamilton St. Pub in Saginaw. "It took 8 months to turn the Pub into one of

our hotspots," notes Andy. "We opened for Poke a couple of times and at our

first headliner show the turnout was great.  Now that we've played in Ann

Arbor and Detroit, we're getting a certain vibe and a definite following.

There is a talk and buzz about us."

According to the group, the debut CD is selling good.  "It's been available

at live shows and can be found at Harmony House, Media Play, Sam Goody's,

Tower, Best Buy and on the Internet.  I think it could be pushed a little

harder, but everybody in this band is a worker and we'll do whatever it

takes.  We'll be touring Grand Rapids and Lansing and when college gets

back in session I think we'll be selling more."

What about the role of 'image' for a band?  Does the group believe in

cultivating it?

"Image is important, but we don't consciously go after it," explains Andy.

"Jason isn't going to be on stage in a tank top, but occasionally we'll all

wear gray suits, like the old school bands.  We've learned to love the

Salvation Army and Goodwill."

"The band is being watched," notes Todd, "so you've got to be properly

attired, but more important, you've got to put on a good show."

Although new member Dan Kozuch couldn't make the interview, all members are

solidified on his importance to the group.

"Dan came and asked us if he could join," relates Andy, "and when the CD

was complete we started practicing and went, 'Man, there's a lot of stuff

we can't handle with just the three of us. There were some seriously

creative hooks that we needed to cover, and Dan is a great guitar player

and entertainer on stage."

"Now, I can concentrate more on my vocals. Dan jumped in and clicked and

fit the mold. We didn't have to say play this way or do this, we all think

for each other now.  It's like I can anticipate what Todd or Dan or Jason

are going to do, and I wouldn't give this up for the world."

"Dan is a great guy and we wouldn't be the same without him. In fact, if he

can't make a show, we won't go on. We did the 3-piece thing for a year and

we're not going back."

"It's like hanging with three best friends and playing music and gaining

more friends," adds Jason. "If we never moved out of the tri-cities and had

a few albums out years from now, I'd still be having fun.

With Andy and Jason both working at Mid Michigan Music in Midland, the

brothers say it's a daily battle for who's going to play what on the CD.

"My wife says I have way too many records, and frankly, I never listen to

the radio," comments Jason.  I'm a firm believer that you can get to know

someone better by looking at their CD or record collection than by talking

to them about books or their past history."

As for equipment, Jason uses a 1973 all Tube Ampeg head that is "about 120

pounds and loud as hell."  Similarly, Todd has always liked big drums and

loud cymbals; whereas Andy is a "Vox tube amp guy.   I did some

modifications to one of my guitars and reworked it with Humbucker pickups,

so it has a fuzzier tone to it. But basically, I use a Gino which is a

Telecaster American-style thing and a homemade guitar that takes a real

beating. That is my Brian May tribute - playing a homemade guitar and hot

rodding it. I love that thing."

Perhaps Todd sums it up best. "The biggest reward is playing and looking

into the crowd and seeing people moving around and having fun. That is so

rewarding. It's all fun, and that is  the bottom line.

Check out the Haskels at their website at www.haskels.com.  Their debut CD

'rewind' is available throughout the tri-cities.  And by all means, do not

miss any of their upcoming live performances.

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