The Houston-based outfit manages to walk the fine balancing line between the old and the new.
Proverbial Cool Aid is what you get when you have a lifetime love affair with music. Bringing a sound that seamlessly blends the influences of The Breeders, Smashing Pumpkins, and Pearl Jam, his unique sound results from his embracing the motto of “Be yourself; everything is taken.” With the burning desire to, above all else, be true to himself, he’s quickly amassed a buzz, putting the industry on notice with a rich and expansive sound.
Proverbial Cool Aid’s musical awakening happened at the tender age of 8. His passion for music was sparked when his parents took him to see the movie “Amadeus”, and the rest, as they say, is history. Enchanted by the world of classical melodies, he immediately sought to begin his musical adventure, taking up piano lessons. After discovering Led Zeppelin at sixteen, he inherited his father’s classical guitar and began writing his music. Now firmly set on the musician’s path, he would continue to hone his skills, waiting for his time to come.
Over hopeful, classic rock-inspired instrumentals that start subdued before bursting forth with energy, Proverbial Cool Aid takes us on an exhilarating musical journey, dropping lines like “You know I think of you / its almost all I do, yea” with the kind of pure joy that makes you feel like cracking a smile and singing along. They say that the best music is the music that connects with you on a deeper level, and with “It Goes Sometimes,” he’s done just that. “It Goes Sometimes” is a song that is tinged with the comforting sounds of nostalgia, but it also manages to ground the listener in the present, as each note serenades the listener.
Proverbial Cool Aid struck a delicate balance between the nostalgic and modern, resulting in a performance that shouldn’t be missed. Whenever you’re ready, tap in and listen to Proverbial Cool Aid’s new release, “It Goes Sometimes,” available on all major streaming platforms, and keep an eye out for new music and live performances at The Viper Room on June 24th and Warehouse Live in Houston on July 13th.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Proverbial Cool Aid! We loved “It Goes Sometimes,” and we had to ask, what inspired this song? Could you take us through the creative process for it?
Sure. My inspiration for "It Goes Sometimes" was the 80s. The 80's, and a new delay pedal I got. "It Goes Sometimes" is kind of my homage to the '80s. To 80's movies and 80's music. That's what I felt, what I felt when I wrote the song. That's what the song reminds me of. The 80's. Playing it is tough because I put a heavy delay on my guitar, and I slap the strings to the beat of the delay while playing the chord progression. I sing over the top of that. In my part of the song, I never strum the guitar strings. I slap the strings the whole song to the beat of that delay. It's a difficult song to perform. There is another guitar part in the song that does strum the strings and then drops some melodious notes over the main guitar part. The two guitar parts go together so well. But, the slapping of the strings to the delay gives the song that helicopter sound. That's how I wrote the song. It's a great song. It turned out nice.
What’s been your favorite piece of music so far, and why do you find it so enjoyable to perform?
My favorite song to perform is a new song called "My Days." I just released it a couple of weeks ago. Just the mood and the flow of the song are really enjoyable. I enjoy the melody of the song, the words, and the space I get in when I'm playing it. It's got a nice bounce to it.
For those who may want to follow in your footsteps, what do you think the most important thing for a musician to have is?
I think, probably, the most important thing that you need is good songs. Turn out to be good music. I think that if you have that, you'll get opportunities. You'll get airplay. Another thing you need is, resolve. Some strong resolve. Because things go wrong, right? Have more resolve and more drive than the next guy. Outwork the other guy because most people talk about it. But, when it comes down to it, they aren't willing to spend that time that it takes in the practice room. Just keep doing your thing no matter what obstacles you face. Keep pushing. Nobody is going to do it for you or hand it to you. And it's not because people are anti-you. It's because they are just pro-them. Remember that as well.
What would you want it to be if your listeners could take one thing away from your music?
You know, I write music, and I record music, for me. Because I enjoy doing it, I'd do it if nobody listened. You know, I'm not writing Flavors of the Week, either? Those songs will disappear in a month. The goal, I think, is for your music to withstand the test of time. To have your music stand up 20 years from now as strong as it does today. I think that I did that with my first record. Those songs still stand up today. But I love that people are digging the new stuff, as I've been dropping it. I love that people are enjoying it. That's always cool. To get those nice little notes from people saying how much they enjoyed this or that song. People know. People know who's writing what and who's writing good material.
What’s next for Proverbial Cool Aid, and is there anything you want to say to your fans?
Well, we have several gigs lined up at the moment. One next week in LA. We have several hometown shows in Houston and Bryan/College Station. I think later this year. We'll hit the road a bit. Do some out-of-town work. That's being planned right now. Man, I want to say thank you to all our fans. Thank you for all the support you've shown us, for all the emails, all the phone calls, and all the kind messages. I appreciate all the support and the love that people and Houston have shown us. I very much appreciate all the airplay. The stations that are playing me right now. I very much appreciate it. When the new record comes out, I look forward to seeing what it does and how far it goes.
