Rob Rowe Interview

INTERVIEW WITH ROB ROWE FROM TheCelebrityCafe.com ARCHIVES

DM) Was music your first love or did you have another career?

RR) My first love was painting. I was studying fine arts when we got our first deal with Exile Records. I went with music because the opportunity presented itself, and I figured I could always paint. The thing I found once I got into writing music heavily, though, was that I didn't have the need to paint.

DM) Have you ever had your work displayed?

RR) Not for a long time; but I had a couple of pieces in galleries at one time.

DM) Do you still paint?

RR) No, I no longer paint. I get much more out of music so I like to expend my creative energy on that. I'm not the kind of person that's constantly creative. I need to fill my reserves and then use them on something. Music is more important to me at this time in my life.

DM) Where was your first gig?

RR) Cause & Effect's very first gig was at Club Can't Tell in Sacramento. This was the first incarnation of C&E back in 1986, when people drank wine coolers. A guy named John sang, and I just played guitar. We also had another keyboardist named Kevin, who had long finger nails and was always hungry. The show was fun but we didn't know what the hell we were doing; and we weren't supposed to even be in the club, because we were underage. There was another band that played that night, and we thought they were Duran Duran. Evan Parandes, our first drummer, played with them that night, and I remember Sean and me saying to each other that he was the only thing about the opener that we liked.

DM) And since then, what was your most memorable gig?

RR) Every show at the Lizard Lounge in Dallas has been memorable for one reason or another. When I write, I often imagine performing the song there and wonder what kind of reaction it would get. Another show I really enjoyed was an acoustic Christmas show in San Diego, when we were on the same bill with Sarah McLachlan. Dania (from Anything Box) and I sat side-stage and watched her perform. We were both in awe. The shows where you get to share the stage with people you respect are the best.

DM) What was your favorite gig?

RR) Our first club gig was at Club Can't Tell in Sacramento. I think I was 16. It was the first incarnation of C&E, when I was just trying to be a guitarist. I was awful! I think at that time, it had only been about three months since I had learned to tune the instrument, so you can imagine what my playing was like then. We were a big hit with the 14-year-old girls.

DM) Who would you say are your major musical influences?

RR) Early on, Sean was really into DM. I think this was obvious, but there were a lot of other influences that people missed. Tears for Fears was a big influence on us. At the time we were writing the first album, Duran Duran's "Big Thing" came out. I remember wanting to do something like the slower songs on that album. I think "New World" took on some of the feel of those songs.

As the band matured and Keith and Rich came into the picture, our influences became much broader. I think on "Innermost Station" we just let things happen and didn't think about where they came from or if they fit into the rather narrow synth-pop mold. As a result, I think we made a very different album for us. It was probably the most organic one yet.Our influences change constantly, depending on what's out there and what speaks to us. There's so much good music out right now. Baxter is a new band from Sweden that I'm totally into. The new "Meat Beat Manifesto" album is amazing. The latest Curve album, "Come Clean", is their best yet. We're working on new material right now, and I'm hearing elements from bands like these coming through. I'm really into what we're doing, and I haven't seen Keith so excited about an album in a while either.

DM) What can we expect from the upcoming album?

RR) I'm not sure yet, but it's definitely becoming a much more electronic-based album than "Innermost" was. There are influences of what's going on in clubs in the rhythms and synth textures. A little bit jungle, a little bit trip-hop, but still Cause & Effect when it comes to the base of the songs. I don't think we'll ever change that part of what we do. We still strive to write songs that hold up when played simply on guitar or piano.

DM) Where do you discover new music like this?

RR) Mostly through friends. I have one friend who drops hundreds of dollars at a time on new CDs. He's my personal reviewer, and his apartment is the listening station. If I like something he's bought, I'll run over to Orpheum records on Broadway and pick up a copy. I also read music magazines from the UK so I can find out about new bands that won't be released here for a while. I never get anything out of listening to the radio. The last time I bought something because of radio was when I bought the "Hurricane #1" album. I heard the single on The End here in Seattle and it struck me as incredibly forward thinking and exciting. After buying the album, I realized it was a remix and the album sounded nothing like it.