Marcy
Playground: An Interview with John Wozniak
By Kelly Neill
By Kelly Neill
A
major label recording contract. A sponsored tour with an
established
national act. A single slated for release to radio stations
across the
country...
It was the spring of 1997, and the future looked bright for NYC’s Marcy Playground. The once struggling, up-and-coming band was enjoying a successful round of west coast tour dates with EMI label-mates Toad The Wet Sprocket... And then they got the bad news: EMI, the seemingly impervious entertainment industry behemoth behind their climb toward stardom, was no more. After canceling their remaining tour dates and making an anxious 3000 mile trek back to their home base in New York in just two days, Marcy Playground found EMI’s doors permanently closed; many of the label’s other artists with proven salability had also been lost in the shuffle. Being a fledgling band at the time, the aspiring alt-rockers stood little chance of being picked up by another major label - or so it seemed. Their first single had yet to be added to any commercial radio playlists.
In spite of the dire circumstances, the trio of John Wozniak (vocals, guitar), Dylan Keefe (bass), and Dan Reiser (drums) continued to promote their music with the help of their manager and their former record company’s ex employees - a rare show of faith which undoubtedly impressed more than a few A&R representatives. Within a couple of months of shopping their eponymously titled debut to other labels, Marcy Playground accomplished the improbable by signing a new contract, this time with Capitol Records. Shortly after inking that deal, the group became an MTV and radio mainstay with the ubiquitous singles “Sex and Candy,” “St. Joe,” and “Sherry Fraser.” While two years of relentless headline touring and several contributions to major motion picture soundtracks and compilation CDs showed the world that Marcy Playground had indeed arrived, their recent follow-up CD, Shapeshifter, has afforded proof positive that they’re here to stay - and enjoy what once seemed an impossible dream.
Listening to the music of Marcy Playground, it’s easy to believe that such obvious talent would have found a way to be heard regardless of corporate financial failings and record industry politics. In short, the songwriting is superlative. Layered atop Keefe’s and Reiser’s tight tempos are Wozniak’s swirling guitar passes and heartfelt vocal deliveries - his lyrics running the gamut from wry introspection, to humbling sadness, to tongue-in-cheek prose that belies a profound sense of humor. To hear his songs is to realize that, notorious reserve aside, John Wozniak is a man with a lot to say - musically and otherwise. In the conversation that follows, Marcy Playground’s percipient frontman shares a few of his hard-earned insights about his life, and the foibles and triumphs of his career in music.
KN: There’s been a number of references in the press to the fact that you were an introspective child, and ostricized by your peers. How did that social dynamic affect you as an aspiring artist?
JW: I was a scared little kid growing up. It contributed to my personality, which, of course, directly affects my songwriting. To be honest, I still think about those times. Kids can be cruel to each other and it’s bound to have an effect on the kid at the receiving end of the cruelty. In the world of children, the fact is that truces imposed by adults can only last a little while, and then kids get influenced by their friends, like, “Oh, you can’t be friends with that kid - that kid’s a geek!”
KN: If not friends, who or what were your influences?
JW: Books. Books that are kooky, weird. Mostly children’s books: Chronicles of Narnia, The Never-Ending Story by Michael Ende, The Princess Bride, books by Tom Robbins. I’m a writer first. I started writing long before I ever started playing music - stories that expressed how I felt about certain things. What most people think I’m doing with my music today, I’ve been doing with my writing for a long time... That “purging” thing.
KN: Any musical influences?
JW: Well, I grew up on Hendrix. I grew up on Van Morrison, too. My mom was a huge Van Morrison fan. My dad listened to classical music, so a lot of different elements influenced me when I was growing up. My first record was by Small Faces, then I got Revolver, then I got this record by Bobby Vinton - it was called "Bobby Vinton Sings"... Well, he sings these songs that aren’t his, basically. I loved that. I thought that it was so incredible that I rushed out and bought all the Elvis, Del Shannon and Buddy Holly records that I could find - all that cool ‘50s stuff. My first favorite kind of music was ‘50s rock and roll.
KN: When did you take up the guitar?
JW: When I was 13. I wrote my first song when I learned my first three chords. I think I thought it was just beautiful. When I first picked up the guitar, I wasn’t thinking about my childhood. I didn’t have to think about anything else when I was playing because I was so busy concentrating. I loved it!
KN: Were you in bands before Marcy Playground?
JW: Oh yeah [laughing]...
KN: Do you want to talk about it? Maybe share some particularly poignant recollection?
JW: Or one that’s particularly funny? Yeah. When I was 14, I was the second guitarist in a heavy metal band. We played mostly Sabbath and Zeppelin.
KN: So what prompted you to get serious about your pursuit of a career in music? How did Marcy Playground come together?
JW: I actually met Dylan first, in New York. A friend who knew I was looking for a bass player introduced us. We started playing music together and became friends right away. I’m from Minneapolis, and so is he, and we both attended experimental “open schools.” He’s just a really nice person... It was tempered by some sadness, though. The day Dylan joined the band, his father died. That had a lot of impact on the music.
KN: And you played with several different drummers before meeting Dan...
JW: Yeah. It’s great playing with him. Dan played with Dylan for eight years. They had been playing jazz together and working with singer/songwriters. They’re a really tight rhythm section.
KN: In light of the huge success you’ve achieved with your pop singles, do you ever worry that some of the more profound aspects of your songwriting will be overlooked - that a fickle public might be disinterested in your more serious work?
JW: Well, people who get it, get it. People who don’t... They’re not going to get it anyway. They don’t even get “Sex and Candy.”
KN: In what regard?
JW: It was really just a pop song I wanted to write, though I don’t know if “pop” is the right word. It’s like, “Okay, this is a ‘pop’ song, because it’s on the radio and people like it.” Some bands front as though they don’t care about that, like, “We don’t want this success. We want to die penniless heroin addicts.” It’s a really popular point of view expressed to the media for some reason.
KN: And what’s your point of view?
JW: I think a lot of people are looking for music that speaks to them - not only music that speaks to their romantic side, but music that speaks to their experiences and their feelings about life. As long as you’re writing interesting lyrics, a song really can’t be overlooked.
KN: What do you listen to?
JW: You know what’s funny? I like “critically acclaimed” records. I won’t say which artists or which records because it’s not important and I don't want to offend the people I wouldn't mention, but “critically acclaimed” records are what I listen to...
KN: Speaking of “critically acclaimed” records, Marcy Playground had its share of struggles before achieving critical acclaim. What do you think turned things around for you?
JW: I don’t want to sound too “record industry,” but our manager is one of the best in the business. I knew he would do whatever it took to make sure everything turned out.
KN: I know, too, that some radio stations got behind you in a big way...
JW: Yeah, there were some radio stations who helped a lot. 91x was one: They called the President of Capitol Records and said, “You’ve got to do something with this band - they’re researching off the charts!” I can’t even explain the extent to which they helped our career.
KN: Do you ever look back and feel surprised by the way things have turned out?
JW: I’m very pleased with what has happened because it means that we’ve connected with people. And, I guess, in a way, I’m surprised by it too... There were times when I definitely didn’t think things would happen this fast.
It was the spring of 1997, and the future looked bright for NYC’s Marcy Playground. The once struggling, up-and-coming band was enjoying a successful round of west coast tour dates with EMI label-mates Toad The Wet Sprocket... And then they got the bad news: EMI, the seemingly impervious entertainment industry behemoth behind their climb toward stardom, was no more. After canceling their remaining tour dates and making an anxious 3000 mile trek back to their home base in New York in just two days, Marcy Playground found EMI’s doors permanently closed; many of the label’s other artists with proven salability had also been lost in the shuffle. Being a fledgling band at the time, the aspiring alt-rockers stood little chance of being picked up by another major label - or so it seemed. Their first single had yet to be added to any commercial radio playlists.
In spite of the dire circumstances, the trio of John Wozniak (vocals, guitar), Dylan Keefe (bass), and Dan Reiser (drums) continued to promote their music with the help of their manager and their former record company’s ex employees - a rare show of faith which undoubtedly impressed more than a few A&R representatives. Within a couple of months of shopping their eponymously titled debut to other labels, Marcy Playground accomplished the improbable by signing a new contract, this time with Capitol Records. Shortly after inking that deal, the group became an MTV and radio mainstay with the ubiquitous singles “Sex and Candy,” “St. Joe,” and “Sherry Fraser.” While two years of relentless headline touring and several contributions to major motion picture soundtracks and compilation CDs showed the world that Marcy Playground had indeed arrived, their recent follow-up CD, Shapeshifter, has afforded proof positive that they’re here to stay - and enjoy what once seemed an impossible dream.
Listening to the music of Marcy Playground, it’s easy to believe that such obvious talent would have found a way to be heard regardless of corporate financial failings and record industry politics. In short, the songwriting is superlative. Layered atop Keefe’s and Reiser’s tight tempos are Wozniak’s swirling guitar passes and heartfelt vocal deliveries - his lyrics running the gamut from wry introspection, to humbling sadness, to tongue-in-cheek prose that belies a profound sense of humor. To hear his songs is to realize that, notorious reserve aside, John Wozniak is a man with a lot to say - musically and otherwise. In the conversation that follows, Marcy Playground’s percipient frontman shares a few of his hard-earned insights about his life, and the foibles and triumphs of his career in music.
KN: There’s been a number of references in the press to the fact that you were an introspective child, and ostricized by your peers. How did that social dynamic affect you as an aspiring artist?
JW: I was a scared little kid growing up. It contributed to my personality, which, of course, directly affects my songwriting. To be honest, I still think about those times. Kids can be cruel to each other and it’s bound to have an effect on the kid at the receiving end of the cruelty. In the world of children, the fact is that truces imposed by adults can only last a little while, and then kids get influenced by their friends, like, “Oh, you can’t be friends with that kid - that kid’s a geek!”
KN: If not friends, who or what were your influences?
JW: Books. Books that are kooky, weird. Mostly children’s books: Chronicles of Narnia, The Never-Ending Story by Michael Ende, The Princess Bride, books by Tom Robbins. I’m a writer first. I started writing long before I ever started playing music - stories that expressed how I felt about certain things. What most people think I’m doing with my music today, I’ve been doing with my writing for a long time... That “purging” thing.
KN: Any musical influences?
JW: Well, I grew up on Hendrix. I grew up on Van Morrison, too. My mom was a huge Van Morrison fan. My dad listened to classical music, so a lot of different elements influenced me when I was growing up. My first record was by Small Faces, then I got Revolver, then I got this record by Bobby Vinton - it was called "Bobby Vinton Sings"... Well, he sings these songs that aren’t his, basically. I loved that. I thought that it was so incredible that I rushed out and bought all the Elvis, Del Shannon and Buddy Holly records that I could find - all that cool ‘50s stuff. My first favorite kind of music was ‘50s rock and roll.
KN: When did you take up the guitar?
JW: When I was 13. I wrote my first song when I learned my first three chords. I think I thought it was just beautiful. When I first picked up the guitar, I wasn’t thinking about my childhood. I didn’t have to think about anything else when I was playing because I was so busy concentrating. I loved it!
KN: Were you in bands before Marcy Playground?
JW: Oh yeah [laughing]...
KN: Do you want to talk about it? Maybe share some particularly poignant recollection?
JW: Or one that’s particularly funny? Yeah. When I was 14, I was the second guitarist in a heavy metal band. We played mostly Sabbath and Zeppelin.
KN: So what prompted you to get serious about your pursuit of a career in music? How did Marcy Playground come together?
JW: I actually met Dylan first, in New York. A friend who knew I was looking for a bass player introduced us. We started playing music together and became friends right away. I’m from Minneapolis, and so is he, and we both attended experimental “open schools.” He’s just a really nice person... It was tempered by some sadness, though. The day Dylan joined the band, his father died. That had a lot of impact on the music.
KN: And you played with several different drummers before meeting Dan...
JW: Yeah. It’s great playing with him. Dan played with Dylan for eight years. They had been playing jazz together and working with singer/songwriters. They’re a really tight rhythm section.
KN: In light of the huge success you’ve achieved with your pop singles, do you ever worry that some of the more profound aspects of your songwriting will be overlooked - that a fickle public might be disinterested in your more serious work?
JW: Well, people who get it, get it. People who don’t... They’re not going to get it anyway. They don’t even get “Sex and Candy.”
KN: In what regard?
JW: It was really just a pop song I wanted to write, though I don’t know if “pop” is the right word. It’s like, “Okay, this is a ‘pop’ song, because it’s on the radio and people like it.” Some bands front as though they don’t care about that, like, “We don’t want this success. We want to die penniless heroin addicts.” It’s a really popular point of view expressed to the media for some reason.
KN: And what’s your point of view?
JW: I think a lot of people are looking for music that speaks to them - not only music that speaks to their romantic side, but music that speaks to their experiences and their feelings about life. As long as you’re writing interesting lyrics, a song really can’t be overlooked.
KN: What do you listen to?
JW: You know what’s funny? I like “critically acclaimed” records. I won’t say which artists or which records because it’s not important and I don't want to offend the people I wouldn't mention, but “critically acclaimed” records are what I listen to...
KN: Speaking of “critically acclaimed” records, Marcy Playground had its share of struggles before achieving critical acclaim. What do you think turned things around for you?
JW: I don’t want to sound too “record industry,” but our manager is one of the best in the business. I knew he would do whatever it took to make sure everything turned out.
KN: I know, too, that some radio stations got behind you in a big way...
JW: Yeah, there were some radio stations who helped a lot. 91x was one: They called the President of Capitol Records and said, “You’ve got to do something with this band - they’re researching off the charts!” I can’t even explain the extent to which they helped our career.
KN: Do you ever look back and feel surprised by the way things have turned out?
JW: I’m very pleased with what has happened because it means that we’ve connected with people. And, I guess, in a way, I’m surprised by it too... There were times when I definitely didn’t think things would happen this fast.