INTERVIEW:
Mark Regula – “New Classic Rockers from
New York"
Published on: George Spelvin’s People [Canada] -
www.freewebs.com/spelvinspeople/ITPinterview.html
Interview By: George Spelvin
The Ivory Tower Project [ITP] is a new breed of "old school" classic rockers based in New York City. ITP produces the retro sounds of melodic classic rock and power pop for a new generation. Tracks from it's EP, RED HOT have received play on radio stations around the world, establishing ITP as an emerging presence on the independent music scene. ITP co-founder, Mark Regula recently took a few minutes away from his busy musical life to speak with George Spelvin's People [GSP] about the Ivory Tower Project.
George Spelvin: Where were you born and raised?
Mark Regula: Hi George! I was born in Jamaica, Queens and was raised in
the suburbs on Long Island in Farmingdale, New York which is 40 miles
southeast of Manhattan.
Who have been some of your greatest influences
musically?
I would have to say first and foremost my family, as my parents were
musically inclined. The second big musical influence was my next door
neighbor and friend, Cliff Capote. His father was a DJ back in the early
1960’s and they had this really eclectic record collection. I had
spent many hours at his house and he introduced me to a number of great
contemporary artists of the time but most importantly introduced me to
the music of The Beatles. Along with my love for The Beatles, I became
a big fan of multi-genre Pop radio such as the music of Deep Purple, Elton
John, and The Doobie Brothers. During the mid to late 1970’s, Cliff
and I got into the British / American progressive rock artists like Yes,
Genesis, Kansas, Toto, and Jethro Tull. During that time, I also got into
classic melodic rock bands like Queen, Foreigner, Fleetwood Mac, Boston,
and great solo artists like Billy Joel and Meatloaf. In the '80’s,
I got into Journey, Hall & Oates, Scorpions, Def Leppard, Asia, and
during that time I was just beginning to really get into the '60’s
music of Atlantic R & B and Motown. MTV was in its infancy, and I
watched as much as I could. There are a lot more to mention George, and
I cut this down a couple of times, but the above list was the some of
the greatest influences on me musically.
What musical instruments do you play?
I play keyboards, rhythm guitar (acoustic and electric), bass, a few percussion
instruments, and I program drums. I also sing lead and harmony vocals.
How long have you been involved in the New York
musical scene?
Longer than I would like to admit, (chuckle) but I would guess more than
20 years. Yeah, I have been playing gigs and doing recording sessions
since the mid-'80s.
How did the Ivory Tower Project come to be?
Short story - read our bio on the web page. Long story: Read the book!
(Just kidding there is no book -- yet!) I was a musician and a songwriter
looking for an outlet to produce and showcase our songs. I started recruiting
musicians in the local area with the intention of forming a band, combining
resources and recording some demos. I was looking for musicians that not
only could play well, but could also write to add musical diversity and
additionally, would have a vested interest in putting up money to go to
a studio and have a high quality recording produced. In the original Ivory
Tower band line up - Tony Novarro, Henry Kessler, Kevin Joyce, Sal D’Angelo
and myself - all five out of the five members were at some level of skill
as songwriters. Just a few months after our first recording session as
a band, our original drummer, Sal died from complications after receiving
a bone marrow transplant. All of us were floored by this event, especially
our bass player, Kevin, who was so distraught over the loss, he wanted
to leave the band. The rest of us knew that some of the songs were there,
and that we had to go forward - Sal would have wanted it that way. We
decided to bring in some professional studio musicians to fill in for
the missing band members. That's how Ivory Tower the band became the Ivory
Tower Project.
What is the significance of the Project’s
name?
Our original bass player Kevin came up with the band name, Ivory Tower.
Webster’s New World Dictionary defines "ivory tower" as,
"Figuratively, a place of mental withdrawal from reality and action:
used as a symbol of escapism." I thought it was a perfect name for
a group of musicians who all had to work day jobs.
Tell me about your childhood friend and Project
co-founder, the late Johnny Jace.
Johnny and I were friends for as long as I can remember. We attended grammar
school together. He lived on the next block from me and Cliff Capote,
although Johnny was closer in age to me than Cliff. Johnny and his family
moved away from our block in Farmingdale in 1971, and it wouldn't be until
the mid-'70’s before we would start writing songs together. For the
most part, I would write the music and Johnny the lyrics. Johnny and I
parted ways for almost two years after we started writing together. He
started hanging with a bad crowd in his early teenage years, and had a
few brushes with the law. He was a pre-teen smoker, a teenage alcoholic
and eventually started using drugs. Though I loved him as a friend, I
wanted no part in the lifestyle he was involved with which led to the
separation. In the interim I worked with some other songwriters and started
to write lyrics on my own. Johnny cleaned up his act and contacted me,
and we resumed our songwriting sessions. This time, things felt different
between us, and the songs had more power behind them. We were really in
tune with each other as co-writers and we encouraged each other to hone
the craft. We had this synergy sometimes; whenever I brought part of a
song to the table, we would have this ‘friendly competition’
to create the next lyrical line. To me, those were the best songs we had
written together, the ones that were written face to face. While there
is a number of really good tunes where Johnny already had a lyric, and
I contributed writing the music, it was those face to face writing sessions
in which Johnny helped me to become a more rounded lyric writer. Johnny
Jace was a very intense person. He had a generous heart, and there are
many independent artists whom he supported and helped through the years.
Unfortunately, Johnny developed early in his life an addictive type of
personality and was not one who could handle the problems of life well.
He turned to substances to help him cope. His chain smoking and days of
alcoholism and drug binges took a toll on his body. This self-destructive
behavior not only impacted his health, but his marriage and his relationships
with friends and family. The decades of Johnny abusing his body came to
an end on a Saturday morning - 13th December 2003. He was 44 years young.
We were close, almost like brothers. It is a sad and frustrating thing
to see someone you love chose the wrong path, but you cannot live someone
else's life for him. I, as well as many, miss him a lot.
When did Tony Novarro become one of the core
members of ITP?
Tony and I have a long history of friendship as well. Tony was raised
in Farmingdale and we were in the same grammar school classes as early
as the fifth grade. We played baseball on the same team in Little League.
Tony has been playing an instrument since a very young age - he played
cello in the school orchestra. We didn’t see much of each other in
middle school and high school. However, a year or so after high school,
we bumped into each other at the local record shop and exchanged phone
numbers. We got together to jam, and I played him some of my songs. He
played me part of a song he was writing on acoustic guitar that I really
liked, and I asked him if it was OK for me to try to finish it. Not long
after that, Tony and I collaborated on our first song together. We also
began working on a few musical projects, threw together a band for a cancer
benefit gig, and we participated in a local songwriter contest in which
we went as far as the finals. When I started the process of trying to
put together a band, Tony was my first choice as the lead guitarist. However,
he was already involved with two other bands and had little time for anything
else. I was already working with Henry Kessler, a great sax player and
a different guitarist and rhythm section and we cut a demo together. Though
the group had potential, the guitarist and I were butting heads on a lot
of issues and I looked elsewhere. Tony and I had kept in touch. I played
him the demo recording we just completed, and I guess the demo convinced
him enough to work with me and Henry. Tony joined me at that time, and
we have been close friends and musical partners since.
Tell me about ITP’s drummer, Fernando Menendez.
I met Fernando about four years ago. He and I were both recruited to play
live in New York City for Sharon Wolfe, a singer / songwriter who had
just released her debut CD. When we played together for the first time
with Sharon, I saw that Fernando had a great sense of timing and dynamics
as a percussionist. Fernando also worked as a drummer in a number of live
bands and recording projects with Tony (some of which I was included with
as well). It was about 18 months ago that I asked Fernando to join ITP,
and he is now our newest member.
Where does ITP record its music?
We recorded our first release, RED HOT at Tiki Recording Studios in Glen
Cove (Long Island, New York). Since then, Tony built a 24-track digital
recording studio in his home, which is located in Howard Beach, Queens.
I purchased an 8-track work station and made part of my home a satellite
recording and production studio. I record my keyboard and vocal tracks
at home, and we record the rest of the instruments at Tony’s studio.
Describe the set-up of your studio.
We have a Roland VS-840 digital 8-track work station, and two Roland
VSR-880 8-track recorders. When linked together, these give us a total
of 24 tracks to work with. Tony has a 24-track Mackie mixing board and
some outboard effects - a compressor, BBE sonic maximizer, Lexicon, and
an Alesis Quadraverb. In my production studio, I have a Korg SG-1D sampling
grand electronic piano, and a Casio CZ-101 synthesizer, an Alesis HR-16
and HR-16:B drum machine, and a MMT-8 sequencer. My keyboard rack includes
a Korg M3R, an Oberheim Matrix 1000, and a Roland JV-880. I have a couple
of outboard effects for the keyboards and drum machines. Additionally,
I have a Martin acoustic guitar, a Montana acoustic / electric bass, a
customized Fender Squire Telecaster among a few other acoustic guitars.
Tony has an assortment of vintage acoustic and electric guitars, including
a Gibson Les Paul and a couple Fender Stratocasters.
Tell me about some of the musicians that have
been guest members of ITP.
We had a local Long Island drummer named Joey Bruno (who now lives
in Texas) playing electronic drums on our song, "Gotcha." We
had another Long Island local, Mike Carbone who played drums on a few
tracks as well. Of special interest George, we had Ivan Elias play bass
on a few tracks on "RED HOT". Ivan was the original bass player
for Patty Smyth and Scandal and was part of her band for her first two
albums. Probably the most famous musician we had in the studio was Richie
Cannata. Richie was the original sax player for Billy Joel. We were really
fortunate to get these guys!
What have been some of ITP’s biggest successes
to date?
I would have to say first the chart action we have received on Internet
radio. Our song, "Burning" charted #1 on MP3Songs.com's Adult
Contemporary Rock chart, first in the U.S.A. and then a few months later
in England. We have had more recent positive chart action that you can
read about on the news page of
our website. The second is the great response to our music in countries
abroad. We have four German record labels that want to license our next
release. (The reason they did not want to license our current release,
"Red Hot" is that EP’s do not sell in Europe, even for
established, mainstream, major label artists.) ITP also received heavy
rotation on public radio in Australia, Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands,
and we have an open invitation to tour in Central America where we are
being played on public radio stations in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
How many radio stations around the world have
played ITP’s music?
Over 240 radio stations (and counting) in 21 countries worldwide,
and even that number is somewhat obscured. For example, one Internet station
- Radio Gets Wild, in England - alone transmits to 52 counties worldwide.
Tell me about ITP’s EP, "RED HOT".
"RED HOT" is a 4-song EP release (3 tracks of which have
been radio edited for time) that Guerrilla Records used to test market
our material. It has 4 diverse tracks that give the listener a sample
of what ITP is about.
What was your and Johnny’s inspiration
for the song, "MY NAME"?
Musically - after I read through and thought about Johnny’s lyrics,
I visualized a crowded New York City street with hundreds of people packed
together like sardines in a confined space, with an "invisible wall"
around each person. I thought about the human condition and how it is
possible to be so close physically to so many people and still feel like
you are alone. I wanted to evoke those types of feelings in the music.
So it had to have tension, precision, anger and power. The music of this
song was inspired by the British / American progressive rock bands I mentioned
earlier, and the bridge of the song was inspired by the Latin / rock feel
of Santana. Lyrically - Johnny was frustrated and angry with the politics
and walls that permeate the music industry as a whole. This inspired him
to write the lyrics, but the song isn’t just about being angry, frustrated
and the music industry. "My Name" is a song that lyrically illustrates
the struggle in life. The pain of isolation, the need to be recognized,
validated and loved. This song is an anthem to rise above the challenges.
It is a positive message of standing up for yourself and for your beliefs.
To always follow your dreams and to never give up!
Tell me a little about each of the five compilation
CDs on which ITP is featured to date.
GUERILLA GROOVES was our first compilation CD which featured the track,
"My Name". Guerrilla Records (our small indie label) released
it to introduce ITP on a sampler CD to college and public radio. WSVN
RADIO HALL OF FAME Volume 6 WSVN is an Internet radio station from Illinois.
This compilation featured our song, "Burning". MUSIC 2 REEL
-- THE REEL SOUND OF MUSIC featured "Burning" as well. From
what I understand, this CD had much to do with the chart action ITP received
in the U. S. A. from MP3Songs.com/ Proceeds of sales of this CD went to
cancer research. MUNICH's HARDEST HITS -- MELODIC ROCK IS BACK Volume
5 - Munich’s Hardest Hits has been rated as Germany’s #1 Internet
Radio Station, and selected "Burning" to be included on this
compilation. Germany has been a big press and radio supporter of ITP.
We just recently received a copy of German Underground Connection (G.U.C.)
where "RED HOT" was reviewed in its annual print magazine. FLOCCINAUCINIHILIPILIFICATION--
A CUMBERSOME RECORDS SAMPLER #2 Cumbersome Records in Australia, which
also runs an Internet radio station, featured "Burning" as well.
This made it the fifth compilation CD from three different countries to
include tracks from ITP. Australia is another country that has been very
supportive, giving ITP a lot of air play on public and Internet radio
stations. For those who are interested, we have a feature page, Discography
on the official Ivory Tower Project website which lists all of the compilations
and CDs to date that have feature ITP tracks with cover art on most of
them.
Where can your fans purchase the music of ITP?
"RED HOT" is our only current release available. It can
be purchased from CDBaby.com
either by clicking on that link, or with your credit card by calling CDBaby
at 1-800-BUY-MY-CD (Toll Free in the United States). "RED HOT"
is also available at TowerRecords.com.
There is a complete list of stores that sell our music on the ITP website.
Mark, tell me about your 2005 RADIO GETS WILD
Golden Artist Award.
As previously mentioned, Radio Gets Wild [RGW] is an Internet radio station
from England that transmits to 52 countries. RGW conducts an annual International
Independent Artist Award. The award is based on the station’s evaluation
of an artist’s work - music and lyrical quality and content, the
CD cover art and text, and the artist’s website in the areas of design,
content and inter-activeness. The award has 3 levels: Bronze, Silver,
and Gold. Ivory Tower Project received the 2005 Gold Artist Award. This
is a very prestigious event for ITP, and we are very happy and proud to
receive this award. As a result of the award, we had a live cross-Atlantic
voice interview (via computer) on September 7, 2005, during which DJ Dee
Chapman and guest artist, Gaz Reynolds interviewed me. The interview can
currently be heard on the RGW website on its Music On Demand feature.
Besides ITP, what other musical projects are
you currently involved with?
I am currently producing a number of vocal tracks for New York City singer
/ songwriter, Trina Taylor. I am playing the part of back / harmony vocals,
vocal coach / producer, recording engineer, keyboards, bass, percussion
and drum programmer. Trina's first CD will be out sometime next year.
Additionally, I will also soon be recording a lead vocal track for a friend
and colleague whom I met on line at INDIE GUILD, William of B&P Music.
This duo recorded a really great classic rock track that I was so impressed
with, I practically begged him to do the vocal. I am really looking forward
to that project.
How has the New York City music scene changed
over the years?
The NYC music scene is very much like the stock market, it has its highs
and lows. Right now I think NYC is one of the best places to be if you
want to get noticed as an independent artist, as there are more showcasing
and gigging opportunities there.
In what respects has the New York music scene
remained the same during that time?
I would say the major label mentality. For well over 25 years, the
major labels have not been looking to develop artists, they are just looking
for the next "flash-in-the-pan", a "pretty face" to
slap on a lunch box. And to me, music is much more than that.
Do you feel the Internet has impacted the New
York music scene in a positive way, or has the 'Net had little if any
beneficial effect for local artists?
I feel that the Internet has made a positive impact globally for all
independent artists in that it has made the playing field a little more
level for artists that make their music available on the Internet. An
artist no longer has to sell his soul to a major label, and has better
control over the administration of his music. The individual artist has
more control over how he will be presented. A band can reach the potential
market of hundreds of thousands of people just by setting itself up on
these online music distributors. This is something that was not possible
ten years ago without a six figure budget. However, I also believe the
technology of the web is a two edged sword. By means of file sharing,
downloading and copying, most of the time the artist is not paid for his
music. And that may be okay for some artists, but for those who want to
develop their music into a legitimate business, the concept of free music
is NOT such a "hot idea". All of this, "Buy a burger and
get five MP3 downloads for free" advertising that I see sends a negative
perception to the average music buying consumer. It tells them, "You
shouldn’t have to PAY for music. Music should be FREE." This
kind of mentality depreciates the value and the art of musicians and songwriters.
It propagates piracy, and works against the progress of many of the copyright
laws that have been established in the last few decades that were meant
to benefit the already underpaid emerging songwriter. I think that there
will have to be new legislation and perhaps even regulation on the internet
as technologies continue to evolve.
Be honest: can you actually say “Floccinaucinihilipilification”?
Not even if I practiced saying it! If it was a requirement to say
the word to get on the compilation CD, we wouldn’t be there!
What can fans of the Ivory Tower Project look
forward to in the days ahead?
Well in the days ahead, I would say more Internet radio stations that
ITP will be played on and perhaps a few more interviews. We are working
on building two new interactive page features that will be on the official
ITP website. One page will list all the current internet radio
stations playing ITP tracks, with a hyperlink to the respective stations.
When that page is complete, we would kindly ask our fans to support ITP
and listen to those stations, and request your favorite ITP track. The
other page will feature ITP radio
and press interviews - (both voice interviews, and text interviews
like this one) that you can click and listen to, or read. Our fans can
keep up with breaking news and the announcement of those new interactive
pages by visiting the News page
on the ITP website, or by joining the email
list. I would also kindly ask our fans to please be patient in waiting
for our next release, as we all have day jobs, continue to gig and work
on other studio projects. It will be a good number of months or closer
to a year before ITP’s next CD release.
Mark, thank you for taking part in this interview.
All the best in the days ahead!
George, you are quite welcome, and I thank you so very much for playing
ITP on George’s Jungle and for interviewing me! This has been a pleasure.
