With their third record “Zoo Noises", an appearance at SXSW, and recent dates with STP and a fresh take on exactly what made rock great in the first place, ” TAB the Band is on the verge of take off...let’s enjoy them while they’re still amongst us in the Indie world, whatever that is. 

I spoke with Adrian Perry, Bassist, Singer and highly educated smart ass of the highest degree, and here’s a peek at a little of that conversation. 

Where's the bar set for success for TAB? comparatively, you've already seen great success by performing and touring with some very well known bands, you've actually made a few bucks licensing music, and to some, that would be a life changer. But I get the sense that you expect more, and that it's not the $ so much. So...what would be the moment you felt like you'd got "there" or is there even a "there"? 

There is always a next goal, which is why I don't think there is ever a "there". That said, right now, we are just trying to survive. We all still work by day. We're trying to get more people to listen to the band and solidify our following here in the northeast and beyond. It's a never ending hustle. We've been lucky and had some nice feathers for the cap, so to speak, but you have to keep hacking away at it to get it to stick. We believe that we can be a big band and our goals match that belief, but there is no defined end goal. We're always looking for the next rung up. Right now, I think we're trying to consistently sell out the good clubs in Boston and NYC. Once we get that, we'll try and move up to the next level of venue, and so on. I think that being able to sustain ourselves reasonably by just playing music will be a huge indicator, but that certainly isn't where it ends. Musically, I think that we're striving for respect, which is a tricky business. Getting the acknowledgment of other artists we respect is important and we've started to get that. Personally, I want to keep honing the song writing. Reaching clarity in writing is my personal goal creating songs that achieve what they set out to do.     

You start Zoo Noises with a wordless hum called "It's Over" odd song to start an album with no? What's the story with that...? 

I tend to be a big believer in not prescribing what someone else gets from our records, so in one sense, it doesn't matter why we started it off this way. But in the interest of not sounding like a douche bag, I'll let you know why I think we did it. Initially, we thought it should be at the end, obviously. A mellow, melancholy coda to a sprawling record. But my thinking changed a bit I thought it would be cool to start things off with it. It's a jarring beginning. Most people that have heard of us just expect a Stonesy bluster at all times, which really doesn't fully represent the group. So I thought by starting off the record with this track, it sort of signaled to listeners "you're not in Kansas anymore" or "this isn't your older sister's TAB the band." Truthfully, I don't think anyone gives a shit, but I think about this crap because I romanticize rock albums. So what the hell. I wrote the tune when I was abjectly depressed, drunk, you guessed it, on Jack Daniel's, and sitting in my bedroom wondering what the fuck I was doing with my life. I did it on garage band and we just used it for the record. You can hear my TV in the background and the click of the mouse of my computer. It's actually a pretty bare tune. Some reviewers think it's a joke, which is fine. It probably is. I liked the cynical idea of starting the record off with a depressing song called "It's Over." Then, of course, the next song is a Glammy/Zep tune about some cad going back to school during the fall and cheating on his long-time girlfriend. So we are a pretty deep band I suppose.  

How's the writing done? One of you? All of you? Are you still writing or taking some time to let Zoo Noises permeate first? 

I write the words and melodies to the tunes generally, but the music and arrangements are a collaboration. Sometimes one of us has it all done, or it's something we work out together. We've come up with tunes on the fly many times, just sort of jamming out an idea. Or there is a fair amount of pre-written stuff we bring in. There's really no limit to how it's done. However it goes, we just let it happen. 

We're always writing. We've already got a few new songs that are really strong. We may start to incorporate them in the set, but for now we're trying to really hone the ZN tracks live since some of those tunes are relatively new.  

So I can't decide which TAB I like most, the punk/heavy with nasty bass lines like "On Course," the hooky pop-rock-n-roll like "Bought and Sold" and "She Said No," or the folky-rock drunken sing alongs like "Drinka Cuppa Poppy" or "Southern Town." What is it about multiple personality disorder that works so well for TAB 

The song comes first. You let the song dictate the style that most befits it. You don't try and take a song like "She Said No" and make it a hard rock tune, just like you don't take a song like "On Course" and make it poppy. On this record (and going forward) the song is always going to lead the way, and we're not going to worry about whether it fits into some preconceived notion of what we're supposed to sound like. Some folks bristle at the variety of this record. We don't care. It's a fun record that has some good repeat listenability I think. The essence of the band will be in the songs themselves rather than the surrounding production. As long as we serve the song, the multiple personality disorder will work because the character of the band will be defined by good writing and its own unique execution of ideas, rather than serving a sonic gimmick. 

Tell me about the story behind "Because I Want To.” The whole album is catchy, but with that one I catch myself feeling the need to do a Mick Jagger like strut... 

I'm a fairly sarcastic person. That song is complete sarcasm though I think some could easily interpret it as a nice love song. And that would be fine. Those folks can look at it and say "He's straightening up for the love of his life...how nice." Though that wasn't my thinking. The tune is really just a scamp trying to convince his girl for the umpteenth time that he's going to get his shit together. Ya know, I'll do whatever you want. I'll sit through nine Gilmore Girls episodes. I'll go to stupid fucking wine bars instead of the dives I like. Whatever. Just don't leave me. I guess now that I think about it, it's a bit desperate and maybe a bit more genuine than I thought. Like the guy wants to change but can't.  

Musically, I like the contrast of the punchy, syncopated verses and the rolling chorus. The song has a nice groove and works acoustic or electric. It's a favorite for sure, though it's a bitch to sing.