Review Fix chats with My Goodness guitarist and vocalist Joel Schneider, who discusses the band’s new album, “Shiver + Shake,” as well as their creative influences and goals for the future. A Seattle-based rock band, My Goodness easily brings back the ’90s good old days of the area, but thanks to Schneider’s unique vocals and wild drumming from Andy Lum, the band is far from nostalgia heavy.
Review Fix: What was the creative process for the album?
Joel Schneider: The majority of the record we had finished the music to prior to jumping into the studio. I do a lot of my writing on acoustic guitar at home and then bring it into practice with Andy where we work out the transitions and put things together. We did a small amount of pre-production with Rick Parashar to work out finalized song structures prior to tracking.
Review Fix: What song do you think stands out the most?
Schneider: “Hot Sweat”, the album closer, is one of our favorites. I think its the most fun for us to play live and is one of our most energetic and aggressive songs. That being said its also one of our most dynamic. The song also went unchanged from the moment we wrote it until it was recorded. It is prob only one a few songs on the record that we can say that about.
Review Fix: What song do you think has the most interesting story behind it?
Schneider: I’d say probably “Cold Feet Killer.” The songs has seen a couple different forms and has grown and changed just as the band has. It was one of the very first songs I wrote for My Goodness and dealt with some insecurities and self introspection I was having about a relationship. The song kind of took on a life of its own though and now sounds like something I had never envisioned. I’m pretty proud of this because I’m usually the kind of musician that gets somewhat set in my ways and isn’t always open to change. I’m definitely this way when it comes to song writing. With CFK I definitely was open to change and let the song take on a life of its own.
Review Fix: What was it like to work with Rick Parashar?
Schneider: It was a great learning experience for us. Rick was an idea machine. Every time he’d come into the studio he’d have an assortment of ideas for song structures, transitions, and added instrumentation. We had to learn to be open to these ideas but at the same time be selective on what we thought worked for us and what didn’t. We also really enjoyed recording in a very live and organic style. Rick liked to get all final sounds on all instruments and vocals, and then have us perform the song live until we nailed it. I think it lended to the record having a very raw, live feel.
Review Fix: How important do you think Seattle is to the rock scene?
Schneider: Its definitely not what it once was. That being said, it will always be a hotbed of musical creativity. There is something to be said about the musical community here and the support given from listener powered radio station KEXP. The “Rock” scene has been somewhat scattered in recent years although things are definitely looking on the up. There are some great new bands starting out that are getting noticed. Local label Good to Die Records has also rekindled a lot more interest into the genre. I don’t know if it will ever be as relevant as it was in the early 90s, but I can see heavier music in Seattle making a pretty serious splash again in the near future.
Review Fix: How is it different for the other work you guys have produced?
Schneider: This is the first recording I have ever been part of where we were really able to take the time to get things sounding right. Most other recording experiences in my life have felt super rushed.
Review Fix: How do you want it to be remembered?
Schneider: We really don’t have many expectations for it. We just want people to hear it and enjoy it. That’s enough to make us happy.
Review Fix: What are your goals for the rest of the year?
Schneider: Would love to hit the road in the fall to support Shiver + Shake. We love playing these songs live so the more we get a chance to the better.
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