Zeb Gould

It’s nothing new or original to say that New York City is a bustling hotbed of emerging talent. On any given day, the coffee houses, poetry clubs, small-music venues, street corners and subways are alive with aspiring artists peddling their musical wares to anyone within earshot.
Their ultimate goals and intentions vary, though all share a common desire to stand out amongst the crowds and have their music heard. One such act currently circulating the in the Big Apple is Zeb Gould and his band Bowery Boy Blue, who recently stepped out with their debut full-length, Stalk That Myth.

The project initially started out as a solo outfit for Gould, who also makes music as Stereofan with his wife, Megan. “A couple years ago I did an EP under the moniker Bowery Boy Blue and I played some shows around the city with it,” he says of the act’s origins. “[The project] was a little dormant for a while, and then I had this batch of songs last year and I went ahead and booked time at [Steve Albini’s studio] Electrical Audio in Chicago.”

The nine songs that make up Myth resemble Neil Young-style Americana supplemented by layers of strings courtesy of Gould’s wife. Edith Frost’s drummer Jason Toth provided drums for the sessions, and Gould’s longtime cohort from his college days at Indiana University, Sam Crawford, engineered and mixed the set.

Gould says the bulk of material was inspired by the Jean-Paul Sartre play The Flies. “There are some references in the play to the Furies, who are sort of ringing around the protagonist,” he explains, noting that the songs “Come Closer, Sisters” and “Take Heart, Sisters” come from lines in the play. “It’s a real loose association… I don’t think anyone listening to the record needs to know anything about the play to get anything out of it.”

The lyrical association might be loose, but the presence of the Furies is felt with each sting passage that swoops in and out, creating a sense that these songs carry a life of their own beyond the record. So far, Bowery Boy Blue’s music has garnered attention from the likes of Frost and Magnolia Electric Co., and Gould hopes that more will follow suit with the album’s release.

Alongside Gould, multi-instrumentalist Crawford, bassist Michael Trepagnier and drummer Christian Rutledge round out the current incarnation of the band, and a fall tour and follow-up album are both currently in the works.

And the obviously-New-York-inspired name? “I actually worked in New York City on the Bowery,” Gould says, “so I guess it just kind of grew out of that.” Not only on the name, but, like many artists, the city has its influence on Gould’s music, as well. “There’s a certain creative energy that just sort of pulses out of that place,” he says. “It’s hard not to be affected by it.” - Paste Magazine

Sometimes you hear music that is so heartbreakingly beautiful that you can't help being drawn to it. That is definitely the case with NYC's Bowery Boy Blue. Their CD, Stalk That Myth, plays like a lo-fi Americana orchestra. Touching vocals delivered in a way that you can't get out of your head, layered instrumentation... it's all there. Take a listen to "Come Closer, Sisters" and hear for yourself. - IA: Instrumental Analysis

Comparable to Tony Dekker of Great Lake Swimmers and Rolf Klausener of The Acorn, Bowery Boy Blue’s Zeb Gould has one of those gorgeously soft and delicate voices. Likewise, much like The Acorn’s Glory Hope Mountain, Zeb Gould’s magnificent vocal is backed by the equally brilliant instrumentations by the rest of the band on Stalk That Myth (the violin on "Come Closer Sisters", "Eye For Love" and "Ghost Of The Blues" is especially beautiful!). Bowery Boy Blue’s debut full-length is a fantastic folk rock album; it is wonderfully breathtaking and genuinely passionate. - Icanthropy

New York’s, Bowery Boy Blue are set to release their debut cd, Stalk That Myth on July 29. I’ve been listening to on repeat it all weekend working on the house and haven’t grown tired of it. Over the course of three years Bowery Boy Blue has grown from the solo efforts of Zeb Gould releasing EP’s to a quartet featuring Sam Crawford on lap slide and lead guitar, Christian Rutledge on drums, and Michael Trepagnier on Bass. Stalk The Myth is a lo-fi americana experience that should be considered must listen for any fans of Neil Young or Magnolia Elec. Co. - 9 Bullets

If it's possible to have a father figure whom you've never actually met, Neil Young is mine. Ever since I can remember, he's taught me some valuable lessons just by picking (or swinging) at his guitar, blowing into his harmonica, and singing in that sweet, cracked falsetto. You get the sense that Bowery Boy Blue has learned a lot as well. Zeb Gould (who, with his wife Megan, also makes music as Stereofan) certainly borrows from Young's catalog for both his quieter moments and for his way with guitar fuzz. But he's equally enamored, as with Will Oldham and many of his kind, with the gothic roots of Americana. The result is songs that are somber, heartfelt, and sublime. - 3hive

It's wet and sad, soaring and intensely intimate, and has tunes that after hearing them only twice were running through my sleepy bed-head every morning for a week. Bowery Boy Blue is a master of lo-fi orchestration and uses limited means but exceptional ingenuity and craftsmanship to create these 5 haunted moments...The first track, 'Give em' what they want (Okay!),' will be added to every mix tape I make for the rest of my life - lyrics like pastoral paintings of stolen moments and subtly anthemic chorus. - The Deli Music Magazine (NYC)

[Bowery Boy Blue's] five-song EP is filled with traces of Trembling Blue Stars. His soft forlorn vocals and gentle guitar strumming definitely give off a good twee-pop feel for you Belle and Sebastian fans. - Crashinin.com

Bowery Boy Blue’s new album Stalk That Myth is the album I’ve always been waiting to hear, I just didn’t know it yet. So when you get the chance, like on August 16th, buy this album. Until then visit the bands website for updates. In celebration of Stalk That Myth we interviewed

IRR: When I was a kid I used to read lots of books about America's history, your music gives me some of those feelings that those books I read as a kid would give me, what feeling does your music give you?
Z: - A tough question. When I finish a song I feel like I'm onto something if the song makes me feel something but I can't quite put my finger on what that feeling is, so I guess that's the best I can do for an answer.

IRR: How did you end up making music in the first place?
Z: - Music was always around me growing up, and after a friend of mine lent me his guitar when I was about 12, I just started playing and never stopped - eventually I began writing and singing my own songs.

IRR: There are magnificent strings orchestrated throughout your new album, do you have strings in your live performances as well?
Z: - We haven't yet, but Megan Gould (who arranged all of, and played most of the string parts on Stalk That Myth) just might show up on stage with us one night, so you just never know what you're gonna get.

IRR: What song would you have played at your funeral?
Z: - Neil Young's 'Don't Let It Bring You Down'

IRR: What's the best advice you've ever been given?
Z: - Keep your head up (And I mean this in the literal sense, as in: 'keep your head up or you might get run over by something.')

IRR: Can you tell us about who influences you and why?
Z: - We've been getting lots of Neil Young and Crazy Horse references in some of the reviews leading up the record, and as someone who was immersed in their music growing up, I take that as a huge compliment. I think their music seeped into my brain, it's an influence that I wear on my sleeve, and I don't really concern myself with trying to hide where I come from.

IRR: What era do you think your music best belongs to?
Z: - I think we're relevant today even if the songs and arrangements might harken back at times to another decade.

IRR: Do you have a standout track on the album that just hits you as your favorite?
Z: - I'm fond of the whole record. But if I had to pull something out of the mix, I really think the string arrangement by Megan on Ghost of the Blues makes that track stand out.

IRR: I would love to know all about the recording of the album. Can you tell us where you recorded the album and who it was with, how long it took, basically the 5 w's – who, what, where, when, why?
Z: - It was recorded August of 2007 in Chicago at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio by Sam Crawford (who is also the guitar player in the band).
It took four straight 12 hour days of tracking, and I was lucky enough to get Jason Toth (Edith Frost, the Zincs, Manishevitz) to come in and play drums, and as I mentioned before, Megan Gould to do the Strings. After the basic tracking, some additional overdubs and the mixing were done at the Looking Glass Studios in New York with the Mastering done by Dave McNair.

IRR: What activity is best to do while listening to your album?
Z: - Conquering small nations.

IRR: So I know you will be asked this a million times but how did your band name come about?
Z: - I work on the Bowery in NYC, and I guess it just grew from that. (and you're the first person to ask.)

IRR: Can you tell us how was having the finished version of the album in your hands for the first time?
Z: - I felt relieved to have finally finished it. The process from start to finish was a long one.

IRR: Can you tell us about your worst job experience you've ever had?
Z: - I worked as a security person for a big music venue when I was in high school. I only lasted two concerts - it really sucked.

IRR: If your album was to come out 35 years ago how do you think it would have been received compared to today?
Z: - Hopefully in much the same way.

IRR: What's better tape or digital?
Z: - I don't really see them competing with one another. They each give you different sounds and they each have their good and bad points. Stalk That Myth was recorded onto 2" tape, but I've recorded with digital systems in the past and I probably will again in the future.

18) Who's the best singer of all time in your opinion?
Z: - Frank Black aka Black Francis

19) Last book you read?
Z: - 'Growth of the Soil' by Knut Hamsun

20) Where in the world would you be right now if you could?
Z: - A beautiful little island in Northern Ontario. - Indie Rock Reviews