Inside Look: The Go
Posted: 3/28/2008

Don't tell The Go to change. Detroit band The Go prioritizes the quality and individuality of their music and won't compromise. Their stand has led to unpredictable relationships within the music industry, but creates a real sincerity in their work. The band creates music with a psychedelic vibe. They began gaining speed in the 90's with their first album Whatcha Doin'. The group consists of band members Bobby Harlow, James McConnell, John Krautner and Marc Fellis. Writer, producer, and vocalist, Bobby Harlow was able to take time before their upcoming performance at the MOCAD's Gold Party to answer a few questions for the Detroit Fashion Pages.

DFP: I heard that there is another album in the works for The Go, is there a title and release date set yet?

Harlow: No title yet, we're just working on it. We just started recording it actually, we have been writing it off and on for a few weeks now. We have a couple of songs, one song is called "Puzzle People" and we just recorded that one and another one is called "Tower of Diamonds". You know we're just recording a bunch of songs then we will edit it and cut out a bunch. Maybe we will record 20 songs and then shave it down to 12 and yeah, it is going to be out in a year from now.

DFP: The title of your most recent album "Howl On The Haunted Beat You Ride," is that title an Allen Ginsberg reference?

Harlow: That's a good question. Originally "Howl On The Haunted Beat You Ride" was a song and it was a song that I wrote about Allen Ginsberg. Then at some point I guess I didn't like it, I don't know what the deal was with that. It eventually changed into a song having to do with other stuff not having to do with Allen Ginsberg, but I guess the title sort of remained. It never made it on the record but I really liked the title and I thought that was kind of appropriate, especially to sort of signify that we were in a spot before this record when we were getting wound up over some things, mainly the music industry.

We were just too closely connected to the music industry itself and we ended up playing some shows out on the West Coast for these major label types and they are just so disinterested. They are just not the kind of people that we really want to be around. Not to say that we wouldn't like to be on a major label we just wouldn't want to deal with the kind of people who work at a major label. So we were really not happy at the time and the last thing we wanted to name this record, especially after we had just said we are never walking into a studio again, which we have since by the way, but at that time we said we are never going to walk into a recording studio again we never want anyone to have their hands anywhere near our music. We don't want anyone to tell us what to do or make any suggestions and if someone makes a suggestion we are going to hang up the phone. Because this is our music this is our lives and our world and we are making our world, and if you want to join our world we are in have a listen, it is fun you'll like it and that's it, we wanted it to represent the group. So we were so just completely sick of it. The music industry all together, which nobody should worry about the music industry anyway. The music industry can leave you sort of feeling disenchanted and that is how we felt and at that point in time having this song about Allen Ginsberg, mainly the title, the last thing that we were going to do was name this album some corny catchphrase like Get Born or Rock Out, you know what I mean, there is just no way! So we decided lets go with Howl On The Haunted Beat You Ride and then the song never made the record.


DFP: How has internet transmission of music affected the band?

Harlow: I don't know, there are two sides to it. On one hand it has helped tremendously because we are really in direct contact. Through Myspace for example, with lets say somebody from Brazil or Italy who absolutely loves the band and we talk back and forth with these people. They ask us questions and we answer questions, and sometimes we answer the questions in Italian and sometimes we answer them in English and in that sense it has been fantastic, and internet sales and all that sort of stuff, people buy records. On an Indie level distribution it is difficult. I don't know if our record is in Amoeba Records in L.A, I guess I could call and ask but if they run out I don't know when they run out, or if people are asking for them or whatever. Now with the internet it is sad because a lot of record stores go out of business. Places with vinyl have remained in business for the most part and are doing pretty well but places like Harmony House they're done, that sort of thing. In a sense the internet is good because people can order records and in a sense the internet is bad because you perhaps have a new generation who isn't listening to albums. Coming from a group that really focuses on albums, now especially more than ever we focus on the continuity of an album and we focus on the music and trying to make it seem like a nice little chunk of something worth buying and the packaging of something is important to us.


Catch The Go this weekend at the MOCAD Gold Party where they will be playing pop covers with a long list of other local groups to help raise money. The music starts at 9:30 pm and tickets are only $15.00.

Or, if you can't make it over the weekend the guys will be playing a show this Monday, March 31st at The Park Bar at 6 pm to help celebrate a new season of Tigers Baseball. Stay tuned, these guys have more to come!

- Ashley Star
Ashley@detroitfashionpages.com 

Photography by Melissa Herndon
Melissa@detroitfashionpages.com

 

---