Derek Fudesco used to be the bassist of the now-defunct art-punk band Pretty Girls Make Graves. Now he’s the guitar player for The Cave Singers. It might seem like a stretch, but the leap from gut-wrenching punk rock to gut-wrenching folk music isn’t that big, he said. Over the phone from not-quite-sunny Seattle, Fudesco talks about PGMG’s break up, writing folk songs and why he makes it a point to stop at Milwaukee every time he goes on tour.
Which came first, PGMG’s break up or The Cave Singers?
The Cave Singers has existed for over two years, Fudesco said. “(Singer) Pete (Quirk, of Hint Hint) and I started wirting songs and recording them, and I guess that counts as the Cave Singers, but our first show was actually a year and a half ago.” Originally, the duo didn’t have plans to perform live. After they began writing different parts, they decided to get another member to help them play everything. “Marty (Lund of Cobra High) was our neighbor, so it worked out pretty well,” Fudesco said, laughing.
What happened with PGMG exactly?
Fudesco says the Cave Singers existed before Pretty Girls broke up in January 2007. “Nick (Dewitt, the drummer) quit unexpectedly. He said ‘I don’t want to do this any more, and (the rest of the band saw) no point in getting someone new. It sucks that it broke up, but (having the Cave Singers definitely) softened the blow, although I would’ve been totally happy doing both. The music’s so different and there was no problem writing songs for both bands.”
So how do you write songs for The Cave Singers?
“It’s different now (with Marty), but with the songs on (the Cave Singers’ debut) “Invitation Songs,” I would write (the songs) and Pete would write the vocal melody. Now we’re starting to write more with Marty”.
Was it difficult to shift from playing bass to guitar?
“I just started playing guitar. I played bass my whole life. When we first started I just picked up a parlour guitar, which is smaller than an acoustic.I wrote something on it and Pete sang on it. It started the whole band. When he sang on it, it was sounded so different, so new. It was the first time I moved over to that instrument.” For Fudesco, who’s played the bass guitar since he was 13, writing on a guitar makes everything new. “Our guitar lines are all bass lines,” he said apologetically. “I’m not a good guitarist…I don’t play with lots of guitar strums. It’s like bass lines with a few more strings to learn with. I’m taking Internet lessons in finger -picking, and I’m learning how to position my hands.”
Internet lessons?
“I started going on Youtube and just looking up finger picking lessons. It’s all pretty amazing (laughs).â€
Your music is usually labeled folk-country, Appalachian folk. What do you think of that? What were you listening to when you wrote those songs?
“People always have to throw something on it…what I was listening to had no bearing on what I was writing. I was listening to Television and Les Savy Fav — stuff I still like and listen to. But I was recording music in my bedroom for a movie my friend was doing, and Pete was doing a lot of vocal music.
So I recorded “Bellmar” (it’s not on the record) into a recorder, and I went on tour with PGMG. When I came back, he had done vocals over it. The two of us turned it into something weird. It was never a conscious decision, like ‘let’s be in a folk band.’ It was just super -stripped, and as far as where the sound came from, it just sort of changed.
I like to think we’re doing our own thing.”
At this point, Fudesco stops and asks me if I know Faythe Levine, who is one of the most awesome Milwaukee subjects I’ve ever interviewed. I tell him that, then ask if she’s the reason the Cave Singers is stopping at Milwaukee (PGMG lead singer Andrea Zollo and Levine are best friends from childhood).
“Oh yeah, we’re stopping at Milwaukee because of Faythe. She is pretty inspiring. We just went on vacation to Mexico with her and Nathan (Lilley of Call Me Lightning) — we’re actually playing with her band, Wooden Robot!â€
If you go
What Wooden Robot, The Cave Singers and The Trusty Knife
Where The Cactus Club, 2496 S. Wentworth Ave.
When 10 p.m., Saturday, April 26
Posted on April 25, 2008 by lillitot
0