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| By Jason Keene |
Kyle Gass, a man of international intrigue. Most know him as a member of the (comedy) rock duo Tenacious D where, along with Jack Black, he has simultaneously induced headbanging and laughter for well over a decade. What many may not know is that Gass actually has another band called Trainwreck that features Jason Reed, John Konesky, and John Spiker, all of whom also play with Tenacious D. The band has been around for a number of years, but just released their debut album, The Wreckoning, last year. Where Tenacious D is centered around Black and Gass, Trainwreck is truly a band with a backstory.
I spoke with Gass recently via telephone as he and Trainwreck prepared to hit the road for a nationwide tour. We talked about Trainwreck, music vs. acting, Spinal Tap, Tenacious D, and more.
Interview by Quinn S.
Mixtape Muse: You seem to have a knack for both acting and music, but you’ve mainly pursued a music career, it seems. What made you decide to be a musician in the first place?
Kyle Gass: I have two older brothers and they play instruments, so it was kind of the thing to do in my family. My mom was a frustrated musician [laughs] living through her children. I started playing flute and then I played in the school band – stuff like that.
I wanted to play an instrument where I could play some chords and get girls at the same time. So, I fell in love with the guitar. Then it just seemed that I had an aversion to real work pretty early, so I thought some sort of show business route might alleviate that. I just kept both [acting and music] going and enjoyed both of them. I always thought acting would be the one, but music has been good.
MM: Trainwreck, as well as Tenacious D, features an element of comedy in the music – whether it be lyrically or in the persona of the band members. As a musician, was approaching music with a comedic angle intentional or is that just a natural part of how you write music?
KG: I think it was both. It was a natural thing just because that’s kind of where my head is at most of the time, and it was kind of a reaction against the over-seriousness of music in general – it seems like people have that covered pretty good. It was pretty organic, too, because I always just want to combine the two. Like in acting, I’m usually more of a comedic actor, so it seems like sort of a natural fit. And it didn’t really seem like a lot of bands were really trying it. I think there was a bit of a vacuum. I’m definitely influenced by “Spinal Tap.” I just thought, “Wow, that’s just the most amazing kind of statement on the ridiculousness and pomposity of rock.” I decided that’s what I wanted to do, to play at an angle that way and go there. So, I hooked up with Jack [Black] and he’s just such a funny, great singer – it was just natural.
MM: Have you found that endless sustain yet like Nigel Tufnel?
KG: [Laughs] Yes, I have with the use of Pro Tools.
MM: Acoustic guitar seems to be your preferred choice of axe, if you will. Are you out to prove to the world that acoustic guitars can slay just as much as electric guitars?
KG: [Pause] I really am, actually. I’m glad you said that because it seems like every other day – well maybe not ever other day – but it’s, “Why don’t you play electric?!” Well, I don’t know. I think the acoustic rocks really hard and it feels better. I think it also really exposes more of the song and the lyrics, that sort of thing.
I love the electric guitar and in Trainwreck we have John Konesky who’s just an awesome guitarist. But he’s a specialist and he plays circles around me. I love to listen to it, but I’m not the best at it. I think right now there’s a bit of a glut out there of the shredders. It’s such a fun, satisfying thing to do that so many people have done it. But really it comes down to the song. For me, the acoustic just feels good. I think I actually did play an electric at a Tenacious D gig once, but I don’t think it added much. Once you put on an electric, I think you throw yourself in with a lot of other bands.
MM: I read that you started Trainwreck after Phish’s Page McConnell asked you to open for his band Vida Blue. Was that the only motivation behind forming Trainwreck?
KG: Well…I think I like to start bands in general. I wanted another outlet for the music. It was a little frustrating because I just didn’t get to play that much with Tenacious D due to Jack’s movie career. And you can’t really fault him; he’s doing really well. I mean, I think you’re always looking for fun creative outlets. It’s just fun being in the band. Got a great bunch of guys that are real talented and it’s just fun to hang, screw around, and play. I’d like it to get bigger, you know? But yeah, I think it’s another outlet.
MM: There seems to be more of a backstory with Trainwreck, with each member having their own character. I read somewhere that Klip Calhoun is the alter ego of you in Tenacious D. Is that correct?
KG: I’m going to say…I haven’t put that much thought into it [laughs]. But being a recognizable person, I liked the idea of a character-driven band. It kind of frees you up to be a little more wacky. It just kind of seemed right to adopt alter egos. I don’t know if [Klip] is definitely related too much to me, but I suppose you could read that in. I tend to be a little passive in Tenacious D, and I started Trainwreck so that I could talk on stage. But I notice that I don’t even do that as much. I might just be a passive guy, I don’t know. I have to talk to my shrink about it.
MM: [Laughs] Well, where did the inspiration for Klip Calhoun come from? Or have you not thought about that at all?
KG: Well, it started around lead vocalist Jason Reed's character Darryl Lee Donald. So it was based around featuring him. I fell in with that as kind of a shit kickin’ country guy. I definitely wanted to do a country rock kind of thing. It’s gotten to be more rock and less country as the years have rolled by. But like I said, I try to be organic with these things [laughs], and let them happen for better or worse.
MM: Well, going off of that, Trainwreck is an actual band with multiple members while Tenacious D is you and Jack, but both make rock ‘n’ roll. You were saying Trainwreck started out as more country and it’s moved, I feel, into a more southern rock direction. Would you say there’s a particular style of rock music you prefer to play?
KG: [Whistling] I like to entertain, and I like to get an audience going and into it. But there’s also the pleasure of playing, so it kind of comes down to the songs themselves. You try to come up with stuff that you’re not going to mind playing over and over on the road. Our job is to do that, and hopefully people connect with it. It’s definitely a high-energy, entertaining kind of thing. So, we’ll see where it goes.
MM: I read that you’re currently developing a TV pilot based on Trainwreck. Is that true and can you tell me anything about it?
KG: Well, we had, we did, and we pitched it, and there weren’t really any takers. So, I don’t know, it’s a little bit in the wait file [laughs]. But the idea was that we’re a band on the road and we solve crime. I think it’s a great idea. If anyone out there, any readers, want to produce that show, let me know. But it still might happen. You never know, you just never know. It’s just a matter of timing, getting the right script, and getting it going.
MM: I know that Tenacious D had a TV show and we’re talking about Trainwreck trying to get a show on air. What differences are there between how you approach both bands?
KG: Tenacious D is like a slumbering dinosaur: it’s huge and powerful, but it’s slow-moving. Trainwreck is more scrappy and willing to really, really get fans one-by-one. We will go hand-to-hand combat out there. With Tenacious D, we’re more of a four-star hotel, and then with Trainwreck we stay at the Super 8. One we play big venues, the other we play clubs. Trainwreck’s just scrappy; we gotta fight for every morsel out there.
MM: Would you say, then, that Trainwreck is more about hitting the road and starting from scratch – that kind of thing?
KG: It is, it is. That was kind of the challenge. Tenacious D really got popular pretty fast, and I thought, “Well, wait a minute. Let me just do this again.” Of course, it hasn’t been quite [laughs] quite as large. But you know, we’ve done all right. I knew what I was getting into in the beginning. Ultimately, is it fun to do? Are people enjoying it? Alright, let’s do this.
MM: Absolutely. You guys are in town on September 20th. What would you say a live show of Trainwreck is like?
KG: A Trainwreck live show is like a rock cartoon coming to life. It’s a treat for both eyes and ears. No, it’s a great live show, I think. It’s a real thrill ride. It’s some really great playing and it’s a lot of fun.
MM: I know you guys are about to kick off a nationwide tour on September 15th. What’s the plan after that or are you not looking that far into the future?
KG: Well, we’ll see how it goes. We haven’t played back east in a while. We’ll just keep on keepin’ on. We’ll try to get some more people into it and keep delivering some music until we’re as big as U2.
MM/KG: [Laugh]
KG: If that doesn’t happen, we’ll be playing covers at the local bar.
MM: Hey man, as long as you’re playing music, there’s nothing wrong with that.
KG: That’s right! As long as you’re playing.
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My thanks to Kyle Gass and Tracy Blackburn.
Trainwreck kicks off their nationwide U.S. tour this Wednesday on September 15th in Foxboro, MA. See all the tour dates below.
09/15 Showcase Live - Foxborough, MA
09/16 Mercury Lounge - New York, NY
09/17 Mohawk Place - Buffalo, NY
09/18 Jillian's Of Albany - Albany, NY
09/20 Bourbon Street - Baltimore, MD
09/21 Brooklyn Bowl - Brooklyn, NY
09/23 Frankie's Inner City - Toledo, OH
09/24 Howard's Club H - Bowling Green, OH
09/25 Beat Kitchen - Chicago, IL
09/27 400 Bar - Minneapolis, MN
09/28 Nutty's North - Sioux Falls, SD
09/30 Cervante's Ballroom - Denver, CO
10/01 Hodis Half Note - Fort Collins, CO
10/02 Triple Nickel Tavern - Colorado Springs, CO
10/04 Belly Up Tavern - Aspen, CO
10/05 Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT
10/06 Tonic Bar - Reno, NV
10/08 Red Fox Tavern - Eureka, CA
10/09 The New Parish - Oakland, CA
10/10 Fishlip's - Bakersfield, CA
BUY: Pick up The Wreckoning and more Trainwreck music and merch here.
Trainwreck Official Site
Trainwreck @ MySpace
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