{"id":2674,"date":"2021-03-25T22:16:48","date_gmt":"2021-03-26T03:16:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/?p=2674"},"modified":"2021-06-21T20:29:50","modified_gmt":"2021-06-22T01:29:50","slug":"conversation-skerik","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/conversation-skerik\/","title":{"rendered":"Creative Necessity: A Conversation with Skerik"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Since first picking up the horn in fifth grade, Skerik has charted a less traditional route for a saxophonist. While inspired by music that came before, he’s never seemed confined to it. Instead, over the last few decades, he has been constantly searching for new and different sounds. This quest led him to become a pioneer in saxophonics, the use of amplifiers and pedals on the instrument to give it new effects and color. It has also led to his membership in some of the most sonically eclectic groups in modern memory. By surrounding himself with equally open-minded artists in groups like the Dead Kenny Gs, Crack Sabbath, Critters Buggin, Omaha Diner, and his Syncopated Taint, visiting ideas as wide-ranging as heavy metal, mariachi, and pop hits.

One of Skerik’s best-known bands, Garage a Trois, has taken many forms over its twenty-two years of existence. But it was originally born as a trio with guitarist Charlie Hunter and drummer Stanton Moore. With Calm Down Cologne<\/em> (Royal Potato Family, 2021), the group revisits its initial membership. But even with a return to origins, the music remains different from that which came before. We sat down with Skerik to discuss the new album and his thoughts on music more generally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

PostGenre: The last Garage a Trois album was released in 2015. What is behind releasing the new one, Calm Down Cologne<\/em>, six years later?  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skerik: Well, there have been three different versions of the band. They’re each very different. The original – Stanton Moore, Charlie Hunter, and myself- came about when we all met to record Stanton’s first solo record, All Kooked Out! <\/em>(Fog City, 1998).<\/em> As a trio, we released one album,  Mysteryfunk <\/em>(Fog City, 1999). After Mysteryfunk, <\/em>we became a quartet with Mike Dillion joining the band on percussion. That version of the group recorded Emphasizer<\/em> (Tone-Cool, 2003) and then Outre Mer<\/em> (Telarc 2005) as a quartet. After Outre Mer<\/em>, Charlie began focusing on his solo stuff and Marco Benevento joined the group on keyboards. The quartet with Marco recorded Power Patriot<\/em> (Royal Potato Family, 2009) and Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil<\/em> (Royal Potato Family, 2011).  <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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