Music Interview with Malnack

Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series


By Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA

Our next interview brings us to the indie band Malnack who is making some wonderful music that this Webzine thinks music fans will enjoy. When I spoke to Brent Malnack of Malnack, the musician opened up about his band and what music fans can expect from them. Here is what developed. c Isaac: I just listened to one of your songs titled, "Last Night." What was the inspiration for making this song and your new album?

Brent: The song is one that I wrote in 1985. It deals with the battles common in most relationships. We released it with our band the Modern Day Scenics back in 1985. A promoter we were working with suggested we re-record it and we did in 1986 and released it as a 12-inch vinyl single. It reached number 16 on the college charts. When we started up again in 2007, we decided to add it to the set list and the song evolved a bit. We decided to record it again and that is the version that you have heard. All 3 versions are interesting and sound very different from each other. The song has matured along with us.

Isaac: Who were your influences?

Brent: The Police, XTC, and Steely Dan. I know… strange mix. The Police was the first band that I’d travel around to see. Their mix of pop, punk, and reggae was perfect. XTC remains my favorite band. I like the Beatles bits, the beautiful melodies, and a touch of angst. I love the jazz/rock mix of Steely Dan. I aspire to hit a similar formula.

Isaac: What do you consider to have been the highlight(s) and low point(s) of your career to date?

Brent: In late1987, early ’88 we were in the studio working on a pretty good album when we broke up. We had a real good sound and a talented band. It was probably the high and low point at the same time. We were working with a former A/R guy for Arista Records and he wanted to put his stamp on the music, which ultimately caused everything to come apart. We had seven songs recorded. It was never finished.

Since forming our new band in 2008, we've had a tremendous time. There are moments on stage when I wish I could make a living performing rather that writing code all day.

Isaac: Give a brief history about your background, plus the style of music you play.

Brent: I formed my first band at age 12 and started performing in clubs at age 15. Mostly punk and new wave style back then. Mars joined the band in 1984 and was with us for the last 4 years. I'd say our original music now is rock with a hint of 80's new wave thrown in. Our newest material has a bit of jazz mixed in as well.

Isaac: How easy is it to gets gigs for you as an artist? What is the live music scene like in your area?

Brent: It is our desire to perform about one a month. We're able to get gigs without too much trouble, but there are a few spots we'd like to get into. Omaha has a pretty lively music scene. I think there are a couple hundred bands in our medium-sized city.

Isaac: What do you think of the state of Alternative music at the moment? Do you listen to radio much at all? Has the internet helped music grow or hindered it in your opinion?

Brent: I like a lot of the new music that I hear. There are clearly many talented bands out there. Getting exposed to new music is complicated. I find a lot of stuff from watching commercials. I think that the Internet has definitely helped the consumer. There are so many bands in any given genre that it is hard for bands to get noticed. It is particularly hard if you are not a touring act.

Isaac: If you could create a fantasy band - what would be the line-up and why?

Brent: This is a tough one, but I'd probably want Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze) on guitar and vocals, Jeff Skunk Baxter (Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers) on lead guitar, Prairie Prince (the Tubes) on drums and Larry Junstrom (38 Special) on bass. I’m not sure the sound would be too far off of what Glenn Tilbrook currently does but with top drawer support.

Isaac: What CDs do you currently have available and where can they be purchased from?

Brent: We just released an EP called Metempsychosis which contains 6 songs. It is available online at iTunes, Amazon, etc. or on CD at our gigs.

Isaac: Where can fans access your music, videos, blogs, and anything else about you online?

Brent: www.malnack.com is the place to start although we are on Facebook and LastFM.

Isaac: Message to your fans?

Brent: We will be releasing some new material song by song over the coming year. Rather than working on an album, we’ll give our best songs our best effort and release each one when it feels complete.