It’s a great feeling when you discover an artist your friends have never heard of before. Turning them on to new music and seeing if they’re vibing to it the same way you are is quite the reward. I hope to tap into those good feelings and introduce our audience to Dr. Superfall and his unique blend of punk, pop, jazz, and orchestral sensibility.
Ryan: Please give us a summary of your musical background primary instrument. When did you start playing and what projects have you been involved in?
Dr.Superfall: I started guitar, drums, and piano at age 3 and was writing and recording my own music at age 5. My primary instrument from age 11 to 32 was trumpet before a neurological condition prevented me from continuing my trumpet career. I have a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in trumpet performance and have played in orchestras, jazz bands, and rock bands from coast to coast in the United States. After my diagnosis, I decided to start writing and recording again. That’s when I started my band Dr. Superfall. I am the only member and am an independent artist, so I have complete creative control from start to finish. Now I am a multi-instrumentalist but currently feel most at home on vocals and guitar.
Tell us the story behind the name Dr. Superfall?
The name Dr. Superfall is representative of a trend in my life. I have a doctoral degree (“Dr.”), yet my successes (“Super”) tend to come along with losses (“fall”). Being able to release my first Dr. Superfall album was a blessing, but only came about because I was unable to continue my trumpet career. I chose this particular name because I think that it reflects the realities of my life and the stories in my music.
Who do you count as some of your musical influences? Is there anyone you emulate in Dr. Superfall’s performances?
Among the hundreds of musicians who have influenced my band, I would say that Green Day has had the greatest impact on my songwriting. In terms of vocals, I have always tried to emulate Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day. Sometimes, when a song calls for more of a screaming aesthetic, I think of Chester Bennington of Linkin Park. However, the uniqueness that I bring to chord progressions, guitar solos, and harmonies comes from my trumpet-playing background in orchestra and jazz.
I get the feeling your songs come from a deeply personal place. What sorts of experiences or life events inform your writing?
When I write music, it comes from my core. I think that music is the most authentic way that I can connect with large numbers of people. If someone identifies with just one line of a song, I feel that I have succeeded at what I was trying to do. The personal experiences that have inspired my music are not unique or unusual: loss, rejection, mental illness, and feelings of insecurity all drive my songwriting. These could all be thought of to be “negative” things, but I know from experience and observation that the human condition is definitely not Pollyanna optimism. Still, optimism exists in my songs as the hope that everything will turn out right in the end. I try to be as authentic as possible in my songwriting and hope that people who listen to my music will find some comfort or release in identifying with the stories.
Tell us a little about how you blend horns into your music? It sounds like you’ve got multiple players. Do you play each part and mix them or is there a specific process you follow to get that sound?
As far as the horns go, I use a combination of multiple takes of my own playing and virtual instruments. Then, I spend hours mixing and fine-tuning. At least for me, no formula exists. When I mix the horn section, I just use my ears the same way that I would if I was playing in the section during a performance.
What’s your recording, producing, and mixing process? Do you have a favorite piece of gear?
I’m my own producer, so the recording process usually consists of me making a take, listening back, and then making adjustments on the next take. After I have a few “money” takes under my belt, I find the best sections and splice them together. As far as mixing goes, I listen to the composite recording and make intuitive adjustments until the final result is what I had envisioned. I try to let the mixing process be organic rather than technical. Doing things this way tends to be time-consuming, but this is personally how I seem to get the best results. My favorite pieces of gear have to be my audio interface and ProTools. Without those two things, recording my songs would have been much more difficult.
What performances/songs are you most proud of?
On trumpet, I opened for Rusted Root with the band Doko Benjo at House of Blues Chicago. Being part of the great history of that venue was truly a blessing. As far as my work with Dr. Superfall, the best is yet to come. Even though I have been writing music for most of my life, Dr. Superfall is very young—less than a year old. If I had to highlight songs from my previous releases, I would say that “Shalala”, “On My Own”, and “Story of My Life” are good songs to check out if you haven’t already heard them.
Are there artists you’d like to or plan to collaborate with?
I would love to collaborate with other artists but have not had the chance to do so because of the pandemic. My dream would be to collaborate with Green Day since they were my first songwriting influence. If not them, I would consider collaborating with anyone who has a complimentary style and a solid idea. I don’t care much about popularity or hype, just musical ideas that would gel with my own and take each of our ideas to the next level.
Give our readers a sense of what’s next for Dr. Superfall?
The best is yet to come for Dr. Superfall. I am just getting started. Every day, I am writing, practicing, and planning for my next album. Even if I never have a nationwide or worldwide tour, you can always be sure that more music will be coming in the form of studio albums and videos on social media. I am currently a one-man band, but I hope to add other members in the future and collaborate with other artists. I don’t know ultimately where Dr. Superfall will lead, but I hope that you will take the journey with me!
You can follow Dr. Superfall’s journey on social media and on the following music distributors.
Spotify YouTube Apple Music/iTunes Amazon Distrokid TikTok Instagram