Longtime friend of the blog, Pete Mancini, was kind enough to give us insights on his fantastic new album, Foothill Freeway. Thanks, Pete!
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Foothill Freeway is a really impressive body of work. So where, exactly, are you from and how did that influence the stories you told here?
Thank you! I am from Bellerose, New
York, which is on the border of Queens and Nassau. It’s a relatively
quiet suburb with an interesting mix of people and cultures. The first
Butchers Blind album names a few streets and places around town. I
think it affected us in the sense that we are simultaneously a NYC band
and a Long Island band. We never really fit in with either scene. My
hometown and the neighboring town of Floral Park have had a huge effect
on my songwriting. A lot of the characters/narrators that populate my
songs are inspired by the people here.
Interesting. What’s the Long Island scene like? Is there a lot of country out there?
The LI scene has a few hot spots, most notably Patchogue. There are a
lot of great songwriters trying to change the reputation of LI being a
haven for cover/tribute acts. There is a fair amount of country
separating everything, especially when you get farther East. I have
done a ton of gigs out here and met a lot of great people in the
process.
It’s like a whole separate world out there. What are you most proud of with this album? Did you change your approach to the recording process?
In terms of songwriting, I am most proud of the title track; it took me
years to write and I love how it came out. As a producer, I am very
happy with the arrangements and overall flow of the record. A lot of
people seem to dig the mix as well, which is nice.
recording process has more or less remained the same, but the one thing
that changes from record to record is how comfortable you get in the
studio. When we were doing the last Butchers Blind EP, I realized you
have to play and sing the hell out of everything like it’s a live show.
I think you can hear the difference from our earlier recordings.
What about these songs felt like they had to be separate from Butchers Blind?
I have been answering this question a lot lately, haha. The best way I
can explain it is that every record I’ve worked on is like a puzzle.
All the various songs/arrangements have to come together in a certain
way before I will release it. As this record was taking shape, I realized it was more acoustic based and felt different from Butchers Blind’s overall vibe. The record had some old songs, some new
ones and a few renditions, so I figured it was the right time to release
something under my name. The project actually started as a 6 song EP,
but that didn’t last long.
That makes sense. Micah Schnabel of Two Cow Garage says if he sits down
while he plays it, it’s a solo song. If he has to stand, it’s for the
full band. “Knowlton County Township” was, as you probably read,
one of my favorites on the album. But I Googled it (New Yorker that I
am, I really don’t know anything about Long Island) and it’s in South
Jersey. Where are they driving to for 6 hours? Wouldn’t it be easier to
go to Philly?
That song came together after two separate (extremely shitty)
experiences on the Jersey Turnpike. I was pulled over for speeding in
Knowlton County, and the only way to pay the ticket was to call the
Mayor’s office. Every time I called, I got the answering machine. I
eventually gave up until they started calling me. It was bizarre. Years later, I was on my way to a concert in Philly when my car
overheated… in Knowlton County. I combined the experiences together
and got a song out of it. 6 hours just sounded better than 3. Haha.
Ha! That’s the way it goes I guess — both in terms of Jersey government
and songwriting. Lastly, what do you want listeners to take away from
the record?
I think each listener will have their own unique takeaway, which is what
makes listening to records the awesome experience it is. As a
songwriter, I just have to hope people will enjoy the tunes. A great
record can instantly bring you back to a specific time in your life. If
I’ve done my job well, one or two songs will hopefully sneak their way
onto someone’s “life soundtrack”.
Pete Mancini — Official, Purchase from Paradiddle Records, Bandcamp