Local Artist Spotlight - Whale Belly

---

Todd Bogin, known to many as an accomplished Midwestern songwriter and avid talker, seamlessly blends his soul into Whale Belly's debut album '...the Smile at the End of the Slope.' Since the album's well-received release, the band -- which includes Nick Smeraski on drums and Josh Henderson on violin -- has been packing bars and cafés all around Brooklyn, NY.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

---

Interview

1. Where are you from?

Chicago, Illinois but have lived in Brooklyn for the last 5 years. The band members mostly live in South Slope, Brooklyn right by Greenwood Cemetery.

2. What's the name of your latest album?

'...the Smile at the End of the Slope'

3. Who/What are your influences?

Van Morrison, Sam Cooke, Dr. Seuss, Alice Cooper, Otis Redding, Cole Porter, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Michael Jordan, The Rolling Stones, Marty McFly, Gram Prasons, Nick Drake, P.D. Eastman, Neil Young, Animal Collective, Joanna Newsom, Sammy Sosa (before we knew about steroids and corked bats), Sufjan Stevens, LCD Soundsytem, John Prine, Gordon Bombay, Klezmer music and lots more.

4. How would you describe your music?

An energetic mix of neurotic raw folky-blues-rock with some classical undertones. Lyrical and raw energetic emotion-driven. And very fun and humorous at times. Our live shows are really fun, free flowing, and we work really hard at involving the crowd and making them feel a part of the whole thing -- like having them jump up on stage to sing along.

5. Where do you see yourselves in 5 years?

Hopefully traveling throughout the U.S. and foreign countries playing music, working on getting better...or living in my mother’s basement back in Chicago.

6. How would you describe your fantasy tour (bands, location, etc)?

Giant pyrotechnics, elephant ice sculptures, tap dancers, tap dancers in roller skates and ‘50s style dress clothes, flame throwers, sword swallowers, on-stage cartoonist, live tigers with bow-ties, projection screen playing Back to the Future, a jacuzzi in the back of a parked limo that shoots out multi-colored Go-Gurt into the crowd with Morgan Freeman as the chauffeur and we’d travel around in a specially designed bus that’s in the shape of a whale eating his own belly.

I would love to tour with so many bands that are out there right now. There are too many to mention, but the one band who doesn’t get mentioned enough is The House Floor. They’re an awesome band. If we went on tour together it would be a ‘big traveling hanging out with your bros’ caravan. Also they’re great tap dancers.

I want to go everywhere -- all over the world. I love traveling and being on the road for long lengths of time. I’m too neurotic to be in one place for too long. I have an ole’ country wanderer spirit in me. I’d like to tour as a 5-piece and do something different for each show or at least each tour. During our shows in Brooklyn, people like to jump on stage and sing-a-long. I’d like to see how that translates in other places.

7. What's your songwriting process like?

Usually I start by messing around with either guitar or piano. Then, I'll usually hate myself and get angry. I go and eat some food or waste time on the internet. Then, come back to the instrument and record a few lines into the computer, walk around with it in my iPod. Go back and record more. Again, walk with the iPod. Then, I'll start adding more lyrics and parts and layers, then once again walk around with my iPod until I feel it is at a decent enough place to show to people. Before I show it to people I question what I am doing and usually go through some self-loathing. Then, after I show it to people, I judge their reactions and either return to loathing or indulge in my ego. If they like it, I go back and fix it up some more. The band and I then play it live about 10 times until I feel it has become a song of some sort.

Sometimes I'll write a song in 20 minutes and call it a day. Other times, I read a book and get a lyrical idea and a melody and build the song off that. Sometimes I steal an idea and make it my own. A few times I’ve been out and sing it into my phone but people always find that weird in bars.

Most of the songs I write never get heard by anyone but me and I usually hate myself for writing a song that does not live up to my standards. Only about 1 in 5 songs I write I’ll bring to the band and like half of those we use. For instance, the album is 10-tracks and there were about 350 recorded into my computer (at least acoustic shells) in the 2 years leading up to the recording. I think about 20-25 of those we played live and we recorded only 11-tracks with one not making the final cut. I kind of look at life in terms of songwriting: there were so many bad songs i had to go through in order to find my perfect 10. I go jogging just about every morning and that’s how I edit and think of ideas on where to bring a song. Also, I don’t endorse iPods unless Apple wants to pay me or give me an iPhone, then I do.

8. What’s your favorite pastime when you’re not playing music?

Watching and following sports (all Chicago teams) and getting a drink with my friends. I also love painting and morning jogs and guessing what breed dogs are that I see on the sidewalk -- I’m right about 75% of the time.

9. Favorite rock website?

ROCK EDITION!

10. Bonus question: What would you do for a Klondike Bar?

Actually, I’m very lactose intolerant so I don’t think I should be eating ice cream bars, it’s quite sad. I’d do just about anything for a snickers bar though.

[img credit: Ellis Bahl]

Pick up Whale Belly's new album ...the Smile at the End of the Slope for FREE!