Accidental Charm is steeped in vocal harmony, drenched with classic rock
The band ACCIDENTAL CHARM, consisting of Tom Godsman: Guitar and Vocals, Jack Albert: Bass and Vocals, Brad Davis: Drums and Vocals, steeped in vocal-harmony-drenched with classic rock; pay homage to the music from the 60’s and 70’s that meant so much to a generation of music lovers.
Vizions of Rock caught up with the trio for an exclusive one-one-one:
Vizions of Rock: Where did the name come from and why?
ACCIDENTAL CHARM: It came from a newspaper article in the late 1990s about the Washington mall, saying that all the buildings there were designed and built at different times but that together they had an “accidental charm”. A former band member thought that phrase was a cool expression.
Vizions of Rock: How did the band come together and how long have you been together?
ACCIDENTAL CHARM: Tom and Jack formed the band in 1999 with some other musicians, and Brad joined in 2000. Tom and Brad knew each other from the 80s.
Vizions of Rock: Who are your influences?
ACCIDENTAL CHARM: Beatles, Who, Yes, Guess Who, Kinks, Crack the Sky, Monkees, Partridge Family, lots of 60s and 70s.
Vizions of Rock: Your song list covers songs from the 60’s and 70’s. What is it that makes that era of music so special and why do you think the music from that era has lasted the test of time?
ACCIDENTAL CHARM: What makes that music so special to us is how much it emphasizes melody and harmony, especially with regard to vocals. A big reason it’s lasted the test of time is that modern rock music was being invented in the 60s, with the Beatles at the forefront; then for the first half of the 70s, artists desperately tried to fill the void left by the Beatles, forging new genres and creative forms of the rock format.
Vizions of Rock: As a follow up to the previous question, how do you think music, (not the industry) but music as an art form has changed since the 60’s and 70’s?
ACCIDENTAL CHARM: It has become less risk taking and less creative in general, as the capitalism model dictates conformity rather than creativity. Also, rhythm has increasingly pushed out melody and harmony as the dominant component of music, as in, for example, hip-hop.
Vizions of Rock: How did the evolution of your music come together?
ACCIDENTAL CHARM: AC began as a Beatles/British Invasion cover band, along with original music in the same vein. It slightly morphed into a band that tries to find favorite songs that are not often heard, still mixing in the original music.
Vizions of Rock: How do your songs come together, where do you get your inspiration?
ACCIDENTAL CHARM: The music is a synthesis and recombination of our musical influences. The lyrics are often inspired by heartbreak and observations of how people view and deal with how the world works.
Vizions of Rock: What is the creative process like when writing your songs?
ACCIDENTAL CHARM: Generally, each songwriter works on his own, for the most part; although some collaboration has occurred. There is no formula as to whether lyrics or music comes first. If an idea presents itself, we hope a good song comes from it.
Vizions of Rock: How has the music industry changed over the last 15 years and if there were something that you could change about it, what would that be?
ACCIDENTAL CHARM: With music available for free in so many ways, the business model of record sales has largely broken down, reducing the motivation behind the creative process. The emphasis has shifted to live performances.
Vizions of Rock: Do have any advice for up and coming musicians who want to follow in your footstep, aside from “Stay in school” and “Don’t quit your day job”?
ACCIDENTAL CHARM: Be disciplined about learning how to play your songs and be tight as a band. The more work you put into practicing and rehearsing the more professional you’ll come off to your audiences.
Vizions of Rock: Is there a message that you’re trying to communicate with your original music?
ACCIDENTAL CHARM: The world is complicated. I am complicated. Love is not as trite as most songs make it out to be.
Vizions of Rock: What do you like best about being a musician and what is the worst part about being a musician?
ACCIDENTAL CHARM: Being a performing musician gives purpose to a life that may very well be somewhat boring; however, by placing music above other things, career goals can sometimes be less lofty, so musicians can be “not wealthy” as a result.
Vizions of Rock: Do you have a booking agent, who handles your touring?
ACCIDENTAL CHARM: No. We play local bars and such that we book ourselves.
Vizions of Rock: What is on the horizon for the future?
ACCIDENTAL CHARM: Stay in the game. Make people our age happy with the music that was so important to us all when we were young.
Vizions of Rock: Is there anything that I did not ask you about ACCIDENTAL CHARM, that you would want the world to know?
ACCIDENTAL CHARM: Our original music is outstanding.
Vizions of Rock: Is there a tag line that describes ACCIDENTAL CHARM?
ACCIDENTAL CHARM: Vocal-harmony-drenched classic rock.
Vizions of Rock: How can we find you music?
ACCIDENTAL CHARM: Our CDs and downloads are available at cdbaby.com, iTunes, Reverbnation
