28 Dec 5th-Dec 11th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | strong a record as No Volcano has done and quite possibly their finest moment. The wait for “The Last Drop” was about five times as long as the band’s usual year between records due to COVID, Susan Kennedy’s illness and Andreas’ divorce several years ago, to name just a few things. “The record was started before COVID, so it has been a long stretch for this one. We took some time off — everyone did — but Chris has spent a lot of this time working on the record. It has been a long process. Four years,” Andreas says. “I was working on it here and there — an hour here or there — and I don’t like to work that way. It wasn’t a lot of fun. It’s way more fun if you can just dive into it and not come up for air until you’re done,” Kennedy says. With his wife dealing with a very serious medical condition, one might think that the record was a welcome distraction, but according to Kennedy, this was not the case. “It was really kind of the opposite. It stressed other parts of my life to take the time away to work on the record. The whole COVID thing kind of fucked every- one’s head up,” Kennedy says. Andreas adds, “Our dynamic has always been me pushing Chris and I really didn’t want to push him this time, but I still did. I feel really guilty about that. I’ve always done that: pushing and poking.” Still, though, there doesn’t seem to be any tension among the longtime writing partners. If anything, at the end of No Volcano, the two seem more at ease with each other than ever. Each member of the band was able to be extremely thoughtful about their favorite tracks on “The Last Drop.” Karnes was quick to point out that the first track, “Like The Dead,” is his favorite. There is a charming video for the song that also features Andreas’ partner, Jenny Tamura, who performed with the band during the final show. “It’s the one I would play over and over again. It’s got a nice tone to it and the recording turned out good. I liked the song when we just started it and the recording turned out great,” Karnes says. “What Have We Done” is the third track on “The Last Drop,” which is currently available on Spotify. It’s a bit wistful but still completely No Volcano, even if the piano part sounds a little bit like something you might find on a Mountain Goats record. It’s also Andreas’ favorite track on the record. “I love that song. It’s about my divorce, so it’s very personal to me. I love the harmonies that James adds to the song, too. Right now, I am kind of in a sad song mode, so this one is a little melancholy,” says Andreas, who sings in the chorus, “What have we done? / Turned love into hate.” For Goethe, the best song is a fun little romp called “When The Lights Go Out.” “We started playing it right after Doug Clark (of Mighty Sphincter) died, so I was very intentional about sounding like those old Phoenix punk bands. It’s got a little bit of Nova Boys, a little bit of Hellfire, a little bit of Tony Karaba (Rabid Rabbit/Peace Thru Power) and Steve Marinick (Junior Achievement). Jim said it sounded a little bit like the “Munsters” theme. It’s a homage to all the old guys. All the stuff that we love,” says Goethe, who also spent time in Response and Chatterbox. Kennedy was the most reluctant to pick a favorite, but he did offer that “The Garden” was his favorite before adding, “but I failed in ‘The Garden.’ In my whole recording life, I’ve always wanted to achieve something similar to that great, swelling hi-hat sound in Electric Light Orchestra’s ‘Don’t Bring Me Down,’ but I’ve never been able to get that sound.” Actually, “The Garden” is as catchy as they come. His production work is also top-notch; though the song has a lot going on, everything is in its perfect place with enough space to sound great on some earbuds or through the car speakers. “We’ve had 10 years of this band. Five records. I’m proud of every one of them. This is the longest I have ever been in a band. I know I will play with these guys again. Bill and James have recorded songs with me already and I know Chris and I will play together again. We’ve been playing together since he was 18, so over 30 years,” Andreas says. “The Last Drop” is available to stream now. (Courtesy of No Volcano) Ending on a High Note from p 26
