(EDITOR’S NOTE — It’s an understatement to say things have been busy over at Buffalo’s Music is Art, the non-profit founded by Goo Goo Dolls bassist Robby Takac in 2003. Not only is staff racing to put last-minute touches on the 22nd annual Music is Art Festival happening this Saturday at Terminal B and Buffalo’s Outer Harbor, but it also has been knee-deep in the work surrounding the release of ‘Good Neighbors, Vol 4’ — the new 10-track album featuring 20 Buffalo-area artists. We spoke recently with musician and MiA volunteer Philip Stephen (Skamagotchi, solo artist) to learn more about the new album and what went into making it. Phil served as one the record’s three producers, along with Chris Kamery (Red Oxide Studio) and musician Michael Farrow (Farrow, solo artist). The artists featured on Vol. 4 include: Ryan Kaminski, Mike Criscione, Bryan Dubay, Jake Marciniak, Michael Chmiel, Maria Brzykcy, T.K. Lipps, Mrs. Kiesha Lillian, Michael Delano, Vocero Omar, Trevor Stribing, Julian Burgio, Maggie Shafer, Snow Cricket, Samantha Taylor, Tom Maynor, Mikayla Manke, Jen Karlis, Stephen Babcock and Sara Elizabeth. We thank Phil for his time. You can listen to ‘Good Neighbors, Vol. 4’ HERE.)
1120 PRESS: Thank you for speaking with us and congratulations on Good Neighbors Vol. 4! So, the album is out now; how are you feeling about everything?
PHILIP STEPHEN: I feel great. Obviously, I had heard the songs that I had been involved in through the process. The ones I didn't produce, I only heard when I was tracking bass to them. We had 20 songwriters all coming together and they were put in pairs. They were given prompts that had a kind-of Buffalo-esque theme to them. And then myself, Chris and Michael took on our roles, with each of us given teams of people to produce. So, it was really cool to see what the other producers did and how everything came together. The album has a lot more of a cohesive feeling than I thought there would be.
1120: Tell us about the planning process. This is the fourth volume of Good Neighbors. When do you all start planning the next volume and what goes into that process?
PS: We will traditionally wait until after the festival and then have a Good Neighbors meeting. Last year we had a meeting with everybody and that's where we came up with the idea to have people write based off prompts that kind of fit a theme. We felt like in the past the volumes sounded more like a compilation of miscellaneous songs versus ones that were put together for a reason. And that's also where we came up with the production aspect to work with producers.
I’ve been involved with all four of the Good Neighbors albums. The WNY Music Industry Alliance had existed for maybe about a year before COVID. It was difficult to retain people. People would show up for things and you wouldn't see them again for a while. During COVID there was a core group of maybe 20 people who just needed something to do and every month we would have our songwriter group meeting that the Alliance does. And for one of those months, we were given a prompt to learn another member’s song and, kind of like Secret Santa, not say who we had.
In the end, everyone's reaction to hearing their songs played by someone else was so beautiful. People felt so good about it that we said, ‘why don't we record what we have?’ Everyone recorded at home for that first one. We had a mixing/mastering guy in the group who did it all, and then from there, Tracy Fletcher (MiA executive director) and Sara Elizabeth (MiA program director) talked to the board, and the volumes just became an annual thing.
1120: So, you've been involved in all four volumes; how are these albums approached? Is there a conscious decision to try to take them in a new direction from the previous year’s?
PS: We try to make things sort of different in terms of what the prompts would be, or whether there'll be prompts, or what we expect of the artists. But it does seem that every year we're fine-tuning the engine and building off what worked the prior year, and what didn't work from a production standpoint. Not so much like ‘music production,’ but the process as a whole. You learn some awesome stuff every year, and you also realize mistakes. This felt like the most-professional volume so far in terms of the way that we grappled with arranging and organizing it all, and that also goes for the attitudes and the vibe of the songwriters involved.
1120: What stood out to us in listening to this volume was how well it was produced. As one of three producers on this album, is there anything, in particular, that stands out to you as a favorite moment on this record?
MS: Oh, for sure. For me personally, we hired a lap steel-guitar player to play on a couple of my team's songs. His name is Mark Miller, and he was so good. I loved being in the recording studio writing music with him. He and I just found this groove. He was so good. His playing stands out. He was right in the pocket and he's an older, more experienced guy than everybody. The conducting-thing with him was all I really needed to do. There might've been a few points where I was like, ‘let's get rid of this lick here because it's over this guitar lick.’ But I didn't have to severely edit anything that he did.
There was also a pairing of musicians on the song, ‘Feel It Again,’ — Mikayla Manke (Spiria) and Jen Karlis (Just Jen, Not Normal). They're both piano players. Their names were randomly drawn out of the hat and somehow it landed on them. The second it was announced, everybody was stoked. Then through the whole thing, I was their producer too. Not only were their musical influences and everything similar, but their personalities were so great. And Mikayla even said it on stage at our release party that the best thing from this for her was making a friend for life. It was a beautiful moment. That's the kind of stuff that we hope happens with the Alliance and the project. They were not only so talented together, but it was so great also seeing the way that they advocated for each other as artists and friends and the way that they discussed ideas and compromised with each other. It didn't seem awkward. These people barely knew each other, and yet it seemed like they were just made to create art together.
1120: What was Sara's role on the record?
PS: Sara has a song on there with Stephen Babcock, so she’s one of the artists. But really, she organizes everything involved with the album — arranging meetings, making sure everything is scheduled out, getting all the studio time booked. Just overseeing the whole thing. She’s essentially the project leader.
1120: Is it intentional that you guys release the volumes right before the festival?
PS: No, it's not. The past few years we have been recording around the same time every year and we have, about, two weeks of varying sessions at GCR Audio. But then there's always catch-up time and there's always people who have notes on their mixes and stuff takes a while. So, we wait to pick the release date until we have a final product and then we find a date that works for everybody. But releasing before the festival works for me. I have something to tie (the festival) to, so to speak.
1120: It makes sense.
PS: I agree. It gets me ready to go. This might be the second one that came out during the festival time. I think, two years ago, that volume came out right before the festival too. It gets me geared up.
But I also think for the actual employees at Music is Art, it's a lot to take on. The festival season is their craziest time, and I think it is a little bit of a challenge to then have to organize a release and a release party and everything surrounding the album when they are up to their necks in the festival too.
1120: Not that we’re asking you to speak for the organization, but what's the feeling over at MiA as the organization prepares for this year’s festival, which is Saturday, at a new venue?
PS: Everybody's so excited. I mean, I don't know what the board is saying. I don't know Robby’s feelings, but Sarah and Tracy are very close friends of mine. I'm there a lot. They don't seem to hide things from me unless there's confidential announcements and stuff. They all seem stoked. They seem really stoked. I am excited too. I'm ready to try out a new place.
1120: Are there any other studio/guest musicians appearing on the album to whom you want to give a nod here?
PS: Yeah. Marc Thomas (Diyene, Shutterhead, Kevin Sampson and the Night Shift) played drums on most of the album. Marc and I became super close, and we have plans to continue working together. Cellist Alex Cousins (Letter to Elise, Sunday Reign) played on a bunch of the songs as well. It’s always great to have Alex come in. He's such a professional and you can just say ‘Go,’ and he can do it. We also had a lot of guest musicians on single tracks. That was cool. People were like: ‘Well, I know a mandolin player, he can come in and play.’ And it was awesome.
1120: Thank you again for your time. Before we wrap up, is there anything you
want to say that we haven't touched on?
PS: As I said, I feel like this is the first year where the album sounds like a cohesive project from the first song to the last song. I think we did it in a way that takes the listener through different genres and different sonic experiences. Even though there was three different people producing, it has this cohesive, singular artistic vision. I can't pick a favorite song. It's like, I listened to the first song, and I loved it. I listened to the second song, and I loved it. I'm very blown away by all of it. I'm excited that I had a hand in this. I'm left feeling like I make the best songs when I don't sing on them (laughs).
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