[Parts of this article appeared in The NIEDERLANDER, a local publication, on January 31, 2003. Here it is in its entirety.]
I talked with Jeff Siegfried, sax player for Puafua's off-shoot band, Spry, and self-proclaimed "entrepreneurial guy" for the group. We sat in the Camden avenue jam spot during a Spry performance lull to discuss the direction of the group.
Ned: You've played three shows so far as Spry, two of which I went to, and I have to say the comments I heard from the audience at both were mostly positive. What comments have you heard and what do you think of them?
Jeff: Good, I'm glad to hear that. I haven't heard much feedback at all, actually. I've been wondering if that was a bad thing or not.
N: Let's see, I've heard people say the tunes are more sophistocated than Puafua tunes, I've heard your music described as sounding like cartoon music, and I've heard people say Spry is a bit more mellow than Puafua, to name a few. What is your responce to those?
J: Hmmm...I guess it is a little cartoony. Aaron and I have been fans of both Danny Elfman [Simpson's theme composer] and Frank Zappa for a while, and I guess the two of them are sort of cartoony as well. If that's what was meant by that, cool. Hopefully we don't sound like a cartoon version of a real band.
N: What do you think: do you feel your music is more mellow?
J: I don't know. I don't usually think in terms of what the overall effect of a song is, although I have heard that comment too. I'm in a very contemplative state of mind right now, so it's likely that any tune that passes under my pen will have some contemplative or mellow elements.
N: How many of these tunes pass under your pen?
J: Well, they pass under all of our pens before they get to the stage. I try to be aware of whether a tune has influences of all the band members. Otherwise we don't have a group effort. In other words, I may "write" a tune and my name may be next to it on the CD cover, but there are elements of all seven of us that truely make it the tune it is.
N: How do you think your first three gigs have gone overall?
J: They've gone all right. I can't say they were flawless because we're still getting to know the tunes intimately, but there is a cool momentum evolving. That's a good feeling. It's also a good feeling to see so many of our friends and/or fans there at those shows too. I'm glad people still want to see and hear us.
N: Talk about the life of a band without a guitar player.
J: Well, the horns play a hell of a lot more. Having a guitar does add a certain element, but it is nice to explore the writing and performing process without that element. It pushes us to be creative in our writing and our overall plan for a tune.
N: Talk about the guys in the band: how are things working out with this collection of musicians?
J: Things are working out great so far. We all have a lot of fun together. Everyone's starting to really contribute (and argue) which is a nice set-up. The Puafua boys were always like brothers: we played and hung out and fought and resolved conflicts together. That was what made the group click for the audience. We're getting there with Spry. We were nowhere near this point after Puafua's first three gigs.
N: Do you feel you have a better start than you did with Puafua?
J: It's a different circumstance. We're a little more savy now. We know what to expect these days, where those of us who were in Puafua started out as little babies when it came to our knowledge of what to do with a bunch of guys who love to play music. Now we know where to go and who to talk to. We're still babies, but slightly more educated babies.
N: You also have the thrust of Puafua behind you.
J: That's true. Any career starts with pushing the juggernaut up the hill. It took Puafua more than three years to hit the top of the first hill. After that, what a fuckin ride. That's the "rock star" part. But there's quite a bit of fun in going up the hill, too. By the way, if you print this part, thanks to everyone who helped Puafua push the juggernaut. And thanks to everyone who is helping Spry now.
N: What is your message to your fans about the up-coming show on the 28th of February?
J: Thanks to everyone who came out to hang out with us and hear us for our first few shows. We hope to see you again on Friday the 28th at the Uptown. Rumor has it, some lucky audience member will receive a scarf from Aaron that has his sweat on it.
---------------
Ned Neiderlander
