James: Did the idea for Suit of Lights come about while you were still with the Rosenbergs?

Joe: As far back as my first band in the sixth grade and back with the Fiendz I had always written songs. The Fiendz always had a definite focus in their style. I just always wanted to do something that would play to different genres because I’ve always liked different styles of music. I got serious about putting together a record when the Rosenbergs were sort of coming to an end.

So the first Suit of Lights album represents many years of songs. I finally had the chance to focus and put them together. The way I write is to put together small pieces. Putting a lyric here and a little melody there.

James: When you first started to put Suit of Lights together did you see this as a project or a band?

Once you decided how did you start bringing in the right musicians?

James: You’re referring to Big Blue Meanie studios right?

Joe: Yes. That place is a story in itself. The amount of time it’s existed and the list of great albums that have been made there.

James: Despite the talent and success of Suit of Lights you haven’t played out much. I would think one of the greatest feelings as a musician would be to perform your work in front of an audience.

What led to the choice to not tour or perform regularly?

Joe: After we made the album we were really excited about it and thought “Why don’t we try to put a band together and play it live.” We did about four shows. It turned out to be a lot of effort in the sense of trying to organize a group while everyone was involved in other projects. I found out that it just wasn’t for me. I do enjoy playing out live and always felt that if I found the right people it wouldn’t take so much work. When you get to our age, people are for the most part well invested in what their working on. If you’re a  full time musician you’ve got to make some money. Suit of Lights wasn’t going to be a financial success. I was satisfied with the idea of it being a studio project.

It worked out. It was fun and it didn’t turn into a drag. If anyone is interested, sure.

James: I would imagine that chemistry or lack there of would be key.

Joe: I did my share of touring with the Rosenbergs. We were doing two hundred shows a year and living out of a van. That’s what I wanted at the time. Though at this stage, I couldn’t see it.

James: As a member of the Fiendz and the Rosenbergs you were playing the drums.

What gave you the courage and made you want to write songs and sing?

Joe: My whole life I’ve been fiddling with song writing. The reason why I got along so well with

Jerry (The Fiendz) so well was we were both big fans of melody and songwriting bands like the Beatles and the Clash. I guess i never really reached a point where I was confident with the material

until I came up with the Suit of Lights stuff. This was finally something that I needed to get out there.

James: One thing you can’t get around is the epic nature of the songs. Where is this coming from and what do you bring to the table?

Joe: As cliche as it might sound I think it’s just that I’m writing music I want to hear.

You create something because you’re not finding it somewhere else and you want it to exist.

If someone was making the music I was or writing something I had already wrote in the same way.

It wouldn’t be necessary for me to make it. Some of it is like that but I also think that some of it is small and personal. The thing that I wanted to do from the very beginning was write any kind of song I wanted to. Then to have it on the same album as any other song. Some of my favorite artists like Todd Rundgren or Elvis Costello don’t mind putting ten different styles of music on one album.

In the past that was looked at as a strength. Now people are so focused on marketing and how they’re going to market it. I want that to not be a concern. I can definitely see the epic quality to it on the second record. I guess I just like dramatic music.

James: Does the bands name “Suit of Lights” originate in Elvis Costello’s song?

Joe: Yes, I’m a huge Elvis Costello fan. I was also looking for a way to express the duality of the world which is ‘Beauty’ and ‘Brutality’. Suit of Lights is a matadors costume. If you looked at it and didn’t know what it was used for you’d think it was beautiful fashion item. But then you find out that the man wearing it is slaughtering the bull. You see it differently and learn something from it.

James: What do you think are the key elements to writing a good Pop song? Because when I think of todays Pop music I think disposable.

Joe: Pop music has become something trite. Which was not always the case. Some of my favorite Pop music is from the 50’s, 60’s and even the 70’s. There was still a marriage of substance. It was an era where there was a successful marriage between art and commerce. These were real song writers that were able to find a mass market. The Beatles are probably the best example of that.

They had real emotional content and substance. They had intellectual content which was able to reach a mass audience. That’s what I consider real subversive Pop music. They’re selling you a

Big Mac without you realizing that theirs vitamins in there. Some of my favorite artists have done this. Like Prince for instance. People might see the look without realizing that there’s real content in his songs. I’m really into the new Amy Whinehouse album. The songwriting is very tight.

It’s very succinct and her lyrics are clever. Her singing voice is amazing. What she’s writing about is very subversive and true. She’s the real thing.

James: Do you think honesty plays a big part?

Joe: Absolutely.

James: I’ve known you and Garry Gannon for around the same time from the same area. How did you two get to collaborating on the video?

Joe: I ran into him and he said “Hey, are you in the Fiendz”? “I used to be.” From there we just started talking and he told me he was making videos. I told him I was working on a new project.

The next thing you know we were working on the video. I had a lot of ideas but he had a whole concept. He had ideas on how he wanted it to look. I was a little unsure of doing a video.

I didn’t even want to be in my own video. He convinced me to do it. He said “Why don’t you do like a Peter Gabriel kind of thing. All dressed in black. I thought that was pretty cool.

(Interview James Damion Image courtesy of Joe Darone)