pete. 

An interview with guitarist Rich Andruska

-by Nikki Neil

The members of pete. – David Terrana (vocals), Rich Andruska (guitars), Lars Alverson (bass), and Scott Anderson (drums) – came together out of a love and passion for music.  What started out as a hobby soon turned into a 24/7 obsession.

The New Jersey based outfit’s moniker may be subtle and unassuming, but the quartet’s muscular yet melodic sound is anything but.  In fact, pete.’s music is more than just sound, it is an emotion.   The group’s strengths are exhibited in their self-titled major label debut, which captures the emotionally intense rock band’s dynamic energy and inherent power. 

Our original interview was scheduled on September 11^th.  Being that New Jersey is the band’s hometown, was anyone close to you involved in the events that happened on that day?

A lot of our friends had near misses.  A best friend of mine was supposed to start work at one of the towers that week, but he postponed it because he wanted to take an extra week off.   Thank God.  Another friend’s bus was late and didn’t arrive until 9:30 and by then everything was already going down.  There were a lot of stories like that—a lot of miraculous things happening.  Every one knows someone who was affected by the incident.

Yes, that is true.  I read on the band’s website that you had to cancel a few shows the weekend prior to the attacks, due to a family emergency.  Were you guys in Jersey when all this happened?

Yes we were.  Our singer had a big family emergency.  We are all best friends so when something happens to one of us it happens to all of us.  Then the WTC incident kind of added to everything.  It was all pretty intense.  It was a bad week.

I’m sorry to hear that.

I think we feel a lot better now especially after playing last night in Los Angeles.  It was a really cathartic night, and it was great to get back out and play, which is what we needed to do.  I don’t think we even realized how much we needed to [perform live] before we did it.  A lot of people in the audience used the word cathartic for themselves because it was also the first time they had been out since the attack.

It was a great show.  I enjoyed it and definitely needed something to get my mind off of everything that has been going on.  The show was very cathartic for me as well.

You were there! Cool.

There was a lot of emotion in that set.  I think that musically the band was expressing what we all felt inside. 

Thank you so much for coming.  We really appreciate it.

To be honest, I really like the album.  It’s been residing in my CD player. 

Thank you.  That is awesome.  We were hoping for an album that, on a whole, people could listen to over and over.

I’ve listened to it so much that I was singing along last night.

Great! When people start singing along it is the ultimate compliment.  It’s a weird feeling when people know your music inside out but, at the same time, it is also exciting.

It sounds like the album is getting a good response from people.

Absolutely, especially when we play live.  We’ve got some pretty decent radio action on “Sweet Daze,” but live it’s a whole different thing.  [Playing live] is what we do and that’s where we feel comfortable.  It’s what we love doing.

There was a good size crowd at the Roxy for last night’s show.

It wasn’t too bad.  We had a lot of label people there.  I was really surprised at how many people were just fans that came up to us because we really haven’t had any airplay in L.A.  It’s the last place that we haven’t had any airplay.

It really bothers me that L.A. doesn’t have any decent rock stations.   What radio show were you guys on before speaking with me?

We were doing some big syndicated thing for Westwood One.

I know this is out of left field but I have to ask, who is the Sausage King?

(Laughs) Oh, you saw that on our cases…The Sausage King.  We did a show up in Boston and he was a guy they hired to give free sausages back stage.  We thought it was a great logo, so he gave us a bunch of bumper stickers and t-shirts.  It was great sausage.

I know the band was together for a while before signing with Warner.  Are the songs on the album songs that you’ve developed over the years or were they written specifically for this album?

It is a lot of both.  Some are very old songs that we re-worked, like “United”.  You wouldn’t even recognize the original version, which was three times as fast.  We just used the verse and wrote a new chorus and a new bridge.  Now it’s a completely different song.  “Bury Me” is also an old song that has been on every album, in one form or another, that we have put out.  We’ve played that song a lot of different ways.  The last version we did was all acoustic.  This time we added some new parts, made it a little heavier, and changed some things on it.  Then there are songs like “Sweet Daze” and “Drugstore Alibi” that came together right before we went in to the studio.  Those are the last two songs we wrote.  “Burn” is the song that got us signed to Warner Brothers because it received a lot of radio response locally.  It became one of the most requested songs at one of the Jersey Shore stations (WRAT 95.9 FM).  So the songs on this album are from all eras of our life.

What was the music scene like out in Jersey when the band first started out?

The same as it is now - all cover bands.  It’s really tough.  The most ironic thing is that there are cover bands in Jersey that, if we become famous, will cover the songs that we weren’t allowed to play in the same clubs as an original band.  We weren’t allowed to play our songs, but those same songs a cover band can do years later.  It’s kind of bizarre but that’s the way Jersey is.  That is why we used to tour the Mid-West all the time.  We found that the crowds wanted to hear original music.  They loved original music.  That is why we went there.

So if you wanted to play in Jersey you had to play covers?

We would never play covers.  We would always play smaller places in New York City, like CBGBs.  In Jersey there were a couple of small places that accepted original bands, but they would open and close or move.  The other places only allowed cover bands.

Aside from the prejudices in the New Jersey club scene, what was one of the most difficult obstacles the band had to overcome before signing with Warner?

For a while we couldn’t get signed because music was a little different.  Everyone was saying, “Rock was dead.”  We’ve heard people say that a million times before.  It’s not dead.  Guitar rock, love it or hate it, is hear to stay—just like rap and country—those elements will never go away.  People are still going to love bands like Led Zeppelin and Nirvana for a long time.  It always comes back to that and when it did we got signed.  People were ready for it.  They were ready for what we do.  We always did this kind of stuff while other bands were changing and doing the aggro thing or the rap rock thing or the straight pop thing.  We just stayed true to what we loved.  This is the kind of music we really love and have a passion for.  We can’t help but do it.

Is it true that a record executive told you guys to switch to playing covers instead of original music?

(Laughs) There were a few people that told us that.  Everybody who eventually courted us when we started getting a lot of buzz on our single all turned us down about six months earlier.  Never let that get you down.  Just keep doing what you’re doing and try to make it the best you can.

What a ridiculous statement.  

Yeah, well, everyone has an opinion.  Music was in a different wave five years ago.  Everyone who was an expert thought it wouldn’t work, but that’s the way it is with every band.  The Beatles, U2…they got a lot of those turn down letters.  I know a lot if those bands save those things.  It’s always funny.

Is it a good feeling to finally have an album out on a major label?

It feels great.  Nothing feels better than that.  This is the greatest job I ever had and could ever have.

You mentioned how the relationship between the band members is really tight.  Has signing to a major label put any strains on your relationship or has it made the bond between all of you tighter?

It’s amazing.  We were so close to begin with and when we got Larz and Scott in the band it was an easy fit.  Not only do they fit so well in the band, but they also fit in with our friends.  It’s like they were always a part of this band.  I know it sounds cliché, but it is like they have always been in the band and that it is what we were looking for as friends and as band mates.  You would be surprised at how little turmoil there is even though we have seven guys, including our crew, cramped in an RV all day.  I hate to say it but, in a way, we are kind of like the characters on Seinfeld—they’re so tight and everyone else is on the outside.  It’s like that.  It’s a hard thing to break into because we are ridiculously tight.  It’s a real family mentality.

I noticed the Gibson Les Paul you were playing on stage.  Being that I am a fan of Les Paul’s, I have to comment on its beauty.

I have one Les Paul, a couple of Ernie Balls that I love, and a Stratocaster.  The Les Paul is a one of a kind that I found, and I’ve never seen one like it.  I love that guitar.  The Ernie Balls that I have are great and are so much fun to play.  It’s a great guitar.  The people at Ernie Ball have really worked with me on building some guitars the way I want them to be built.  I worked closely with those guys.  They’re great and their guitars sound great.

How old were you when you first picked up a guitar and what inspired you to do so?

I was a big Zeppelin fan when I was a kid – probably about twelve or thirteen.  I always loved music and actually started off on bass because all I wanted to do was learn the bass line to “Dazed and Confused” (Led Zeppelin).  That was the only reason why I wanted a bass.  One day my brother came home and he actually made it real dramatic by ringing the back door bell even though he had a key.   So I went to see who was at the back door and he held up the bass.  I was like, “Wow!”  It was a large bass that cost him about fifty bucks, and it was a really decent bass.  Back then I was a scrawny kid, and I couldn’t push my fingers down on the strings very well.  I had to put it on my lap and push down with my thumbs.  Eventually, I had a friend come over and teach me “Dazed and Confused”.  It was like, “Wow! That’s cool.  What else can you teach me?”  It just started from there.

Was there ever a time you doubted that you would be where you are today?

You always have doubts.  Everything is a struggle with this band.  It seems like we’re always the underdog and we’re always against wrong odds and that’s fine.  We’ve grown such thick skins and such a belief in each other and a certain work ethic that we know to just keep going on and we’ll be fine.  There are always doubts.  Right now we are at a really crucial juncture.  Out of all the steps we’ve taken and all the progress we’ve made the next step we have to take is going to be the hardest.  It’s the hardest step any band has to take, which is going from a band that is signed and getting a vibe and some airplay to having a hit and being recognized all over and becoming one of ‘those’ bands.

You’ll have to adjust to the loss of privacy.

Yes and no.  I wouldn’t know the guy from Creed if he walked down the street.  I don’t know how much other people know about other bands, but I don’t really pay that much attention to the people in bands.  I did when I was a kid.  In fact, a good friend of mine, from when I was in L.A., is in Tool.  I didn’t even know he was in the band until I saw a picture of them, and I have all their records.  When I saw their picture it was, “Holy cow that’s Danny Carey.  I know that dude.”  I don’t pay attention to that stuff.  We are starting to get recognized here and there.  When we go to a gas station, guys will come up to us and ask, “Are you in a band?”  We’ll say, “Yeah, we’re in pete.”  “What?  You’re in pete.?  I heard your song on the radio.”  So things like that are starting to happen.  It’s weird in a way, but it’s nice.

A friend of mine asked me to find out why there is a period at the end of pete.?

To make it emphatic—that’s all there is to the name.  It’s not a sentence, noun, verb, or adjective; it’s just pete.

How many times a night does someone ask, “Which one of you is Pete?”

(Laughs) We don’t really get asked that question much.  I think people kind of get the idea that it is just a band name.  They ask us a lot about where the name came from and why is it lowercase and stuff like that.  But, it’s rare that someone will ask us which one of us is Pete.  There’s a line in Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” that goes, “which one’s pink?”  I always thought it would be cool to cover that song and change that line to “which one’s pete.?”

I read the story on how the name came about so I won’t ask you to repeat it again.

Thank you very much.  When I see you I’ll buy you a drink because of that.

I was curious—and maybe you know the answer to this question—is there any significance to the tattoo that Dave has on his arm?  It’s very detailed and it seems that there is more to it than just body art.

If you’re going to get a tattoo…if you’re going to get something that is going to be on your body for life, don’t get a Grateful Dead banner or something that is meaningless.  It can be fun, but David wanted to do something that was symbolic of his life and that was incredibly meaningful to him so he picked the Alchemist Tree of Life.  There are emblems on the Alchemist Tree that are symbolic of different things in his life.  There are vines and thorns that all have specific meanings.  It’s very deep and very personal to him.  It’s funny that you picked up on that.  It is incredibly detailed and important in his life.  It’s so meaningful to him.  He really thought about it.  It’s a beautiful tattoo.

I understand his way of thinking.  I wanted a tattoo but I didn’t want just anything.  I wanted something that was meaningful to me - something that I wouldn’t mind having on my body when I was old.

What did you get?

I have a charm of an ancient Greek symbol for Pisces, which I am.  Whenever I wear the charm it seems to bring me good luck, so I had that symbol tattooed on me because it represents who I am and, at the same time, I have the good luck charm with me at all times. 

I think that is really important.  To get a tattoo or piercing because it is fashionable is a little trite to me.  If you’re going to do something like that make it a part of your body.  I think it should mean something.  That’s really cool that you did that.  I think it’s awesome because most people will say, “I got a tattoo.  It’s a fashion accessory.”  I think it should be more than that.

I agree.  I heard you guys used to throw some great Martini & Lingerie parties.  Tell me about one that was most memorable.

(laughs)  We had one that was completely frightening.  We usually play a little acoustic set at these parties.  The most memorable one was just one of those great parties.  It is hard to describe without getting us in trouble.

Have you found a replacement for the Martini & Lingerie parties on the road?

It’s hard to do that.  A party to us is really being with our friends and family and really going crazy and letting loose.  It’s hard to keep that up on the road because we are always driving and stuff.  We’ve been known to knock a few back and have a good time but, for the most part, the good time is being on stage.  We love doing that.  That is really the party for us.  We’re not one of those 80’s, “I want to get laid and stoned” kind of bands.  That is not our thing.  It’s fun to listen to, but we’re not like that.  We’re mostly about the music.  We’ve been known to let loose and knock back enough vodka, but that is not our focus. 

Now that you are signed to a major label what are you looking forward to doing the most?

I’d love to headline a really big place like the Meadowlands back home or Madison Square Garden.  I saw so many concerts there as a kid.  Every one, like Led Zeppelin, played at the Garden.  Meadowlands would be good too because we are big hockey fans and The Devils play there. That’s our team.  So headlining a big stadium like that would be really cool.  It would be weird but cool. 

What is on the agenda for the weeks ahead?

Just more touring.  We are going out with Days Of The New for a few weeks.  We did about five shows with them in August, and we all became good friends so they asked us to come back out with them.  They have a new album out, and their songs are great.  Our crowd and their crowd seem to work really well together, even though we’re different.  They do all acoustic stuff, but it’s still very song oriented and very dynamic and that is what we try to do as well.  Their fans respond to our music and our fans respond to theirs.  It is really reciprocal and Travis [Meeks] is a great guy.  It’s going to be a really cool tour.  We are really looking forward to it.

It sounds like a good pairing.

Yeah.

Is there anything else you want to add?

Just come out and see us.  As much as people love the album, I really believe that after every one sees us they really go, “Wow!  It’s even better than the album.”  We get that a lot and playing live is when we really shine. 

I’ve seen the band three times already, and I can definitely attest that your live show is worth checking out.

Thank you very much.  Make sure the next time we’re in town you grab us and say “hi”.  Thank you so much for your support it means a lot to us.

For more on pete. visit www.petenoise.com