Rick Dal Cortivo – Guitar, Vocals, Tim Gray – Bass, Scott Borchert – Drums
Angel Alamo: How did the band come up with its name?
- Ricky DalCortivo: After bouncing a bunch of ideas around, Sleeping Village settles in the name Electric Omen. After playing our first show, we just felt like it didn’t fit the band. Plus everybody’s Electric something these days am I right? We wanted a name that represents our style, and since we are just three guys ripping off Black Sabbath riffs, I figured we should take it a step further and take our name from the song Sleeping Village on their first album.
AA: How did the band form?
RD: We’ve all been playing together in different formations for like 15 years. Scott (our drummer) and I have been playing together since high school. We had an NYC style punk band called Robbin Pain in our early 20s. He and Tim (our bass player) knew each other from college and had another group called Down Palace Walls. Tim played guitar in this band, and they were looking for a bass player. Scot asked me to fill in and I kind of just stayed. Both of our groups broke up for whatever reasons and eventually we decided to try jamming on some riffs and Black Sabbath songs. I was voted to be the singer before I got to vote someone else so I drew the short straw and now we have Sleeping Village.
AA: Any plans to work on a follow-up album?
RD: We’re working on a follow up now! Can’t wait to record it finally. We took a break for a few months, but we’re gearing up to start practicing again. We need to do some tweaks here or there on the songs, and then we’ll be ready to record. Before the end of summer is a pretty safe bet for when we’ll have it out.
AA: How does the band write songs?
RD: I’ll start a riff, and then Tim picks it up pretty easy, and Scott will come in. If it sounds good, we’ll explore it further. When I write a song, I do the arranging first, how I want the song to flow dynamically and then we kind of fill in the blanks with the music. Lyrics are another story because I think I’m terrible at them. I think I have one good verse in me a song, so that comes quick, but the rest takes me a long time to fill in.
AA: What is the toughest thing about being in a band?
RD: Being in this band is pretty straightforward. We’ve all been friends for 10-15 years, so I look at the group as more of an excuse for us to get together and have fun over anything else. If someone can’t practice one week any big deal, we reschedule. We don’t care. We do it for the fun of it.
AA: How does the band come up with a setlist?
RD: Coming up with the setlists I pretty easy, I think. We have a song called The End, so we all know where that one is going. I guess it’s all about the flow of songs how we want it to be dynamically. I kind of cater to the crowd, if we’re playing a show with some hardcore bands we won’t but the slow doomy songs in the set, but if we’re playing with some stoner bands than we’ll make sure to put as many of those as we can.
AA: You also produced the record, who are some of your favorite producers?
RD: I love the way Stevie Van Zandt arranges songs. I think he’s like the secret underappreciated weapon of the E street band and I love the Asbury Jukes. Bob Rock and Ric Ocasek both get awesome sounds though too. It’s all so big and full. Van Halen is my favorite album ever though so I guess I have to include Ted Templeman right?
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