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CBDB Ventures "Back in Limbo" With Latest Single May 16, 2020 14:03

Photo by Matthew Johnson

Interview by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen

While the world of live music remains at a virtual standstill due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, musicians and bands across the globe continue to adapt and explore new creative avenues. While it may be quite some time before we return to what was once the "normal" concert experience, it has been nothing short of inspiring to observe the innovation that so many artists have shown over the past few months.

Tuscaloosa natives CBDB have been at the forefront of this creative movement; hosting weekly live streams with various band members and always staying engaged with their loyal fan base. On Friday, May 15th, the band released their latest single, "Back in Limbo," which is now available on all major streaming outlets. Along with the single, CBDB called on their fans to help produce a heartfelt, inspiring music video for these troubling times. You can stream "Back in Limbo" via Spotify and watch the full video here in this article.

We recently had the opportunity to sit down with frontman Cy Simonton to learn more about how the band is coping and adjusting, as well as all of the details on the new tune. Check out the full interview below, and make sure to add "Back in Limbo" to your summer playlist.

So, you guys have just released your latest single, "Back in Limbo." I figured we could start off by discussing the backstory, the writing process, and any other noteworthy facts.

Cy: Well, it's a tune that has been on the back burner for a while. We've had the music written for a long time. With Blake (Gallant) and Chris (Potocik) joining the band, writing temporarily took a backseat to everyone getting comfortable with the whole catalogue. The original riff that started the song actually came from Mike (Sinopole), our former bassist. (Kris) Gottlieb wrote the chorus chords. We shifted some time signatures around, found the groove with the new rhythm section, and then I wrote the melody and lyrics.

Tell me a little bit about the song itself. Is there a good story or concept behind the lyrics?

Cy: Yeah, totally. It's about feeling like you're in limbo. Feeling like you're stuck in between and not quite where you want to be. Specifically, it was about the member changeover within the band, and the uncertainty that came with that. It's an experience that we've been through a few times, but it always seems to produce positive results and good vibes. Now with the quarantine, we felt the lyrics were particularly poignant. "Back in Limbo" feels like what everyone is doing currently.

So we recorded it all in separate locations from home. It started with Potocik recording drums to a live recording. He had the bones of it, and Blake followed with the bass groove. We recorded everything that way.

That's really neat. I'm guessing you guys have never done anything quite like that...

Cy: No...that was a very unique recording experience. We've definitely never done it that way.

Wow. That's amazing. I already loved the track, but knowing that makes it that much more appealing. I would've never guessed you guys were all recording remotely. It has that classic CBDB sound that you guys have always produced.

Cy: Well I appreciate that dude. I think so too. I was really proud of everybody, and how it came together. It definitely feels cohesive. There were a few things that we changed here and there, but mostly, it was just everyone laying down hot shit on the first try (laughs).

That's great. I'm sure it feels nice to release a studio track with Chris on drums, too.

Cy: Absolutely. He’s a beast. We're definitely working on a bunch more as well. That's about all I can say, but hopefully, we'll be able to share more info on that before too long.

Photo by Craig Baird: Home Team Photography

Love hearing that. So aside from the new release, I've gotta ask you how the band and you personally are handling the challenge of the pandemic. What has your experience been like thus far? How are you and the band adjusting?

Cy: Obviously, there are so many negative aspects. We were in the middle of our biggest tour to date, so that was a huge bummer. On the other hand, it has been nice in ways. I've loved being able to spend more time at home with my fiancee, Brittan, and our dog, Yoko. As far as the music, it's been cool to get back into the acoustic stuff. I've been doing the weekly live streams, which has been fun.

With the band, we've been writing more rapidly than ever in the history of the band. We've been having weekly Zoom calls. Shooting ideas back and forth like crazy. Discussing what everyone has been recording and, and where we see the songs going. That's been really cool. I definitely wish we could play live shows, because not feeling the direct response of the audience is weird. I really, really miss that. But yeah, I feel like in some ways, it has been a bit of a reset button, musically and otherwise.

Well, we've got the new single, and apparently several more new originals in the pipeline. What else is happening the CBDB world?

Cy: We're doing a music video for "Back in Limbo" as well. That will be debuted on Friday, May 15th.

What can we expect from the video?

Cy: Well, like I was saying, everyone recorded their own parts from home. Some of us had Go Pro's and some had cell phones. Everyone recorded their parts at home, and then (Chris) Potocik made a video using that. We also had fans send in footage of what they've been up to during quarantine. So the video consists of us playing our own parts, as well as footage of us laying low and goofing off at home. Then there is a hodgepodge of footage from fans doing crazy stuff, babies dancing, and everything in between.

That's amazing man. Giving your fans the opportunity to be in your new music video. That's a great example of why you guys have such a loyal following.

Cy: Yeah man. We had already talked about the idea of doing a quarantine video. The more I started thinking about it, I realized it was a great opportunity to get everyone involved. I feel like it made the video that much more interesting. It has more of a community feel.

I love that. Have you guys been able to confirm any full band performances? I remember you guys had to cancel the live stream a while back.

Cy: Yes, we have. We're super excited to get the entire band together for a live stream on Big Friendly Productions' "Hunker in the Bunker" on Saturday, May 23rd at 8:00 PM CST.

I know a lot of people are going to be stoked about that. I'll certainly have it on my calendar. Always a pleasure chatting man. Best of luck navigating through the rest of this crazy time.

Cy: Absolutely. Thanks so much, Jordan.

Watch CBDB's official music video for "Back in Limbo" here:

Stream CBDB's "Back in Limbo" via Spotify here:

Live & Listen's 'Bands You Should Know': CBDB September 14, 2016 23:38

Live & Listen is pleased to continue a new weekly feature known as Bands You Should Know. This new concept will highlight a different band each Friday with an interview, general background information, current happenings, as well as videos and audio from each band. After nearly two years of various interviews and artist spotlights, we feel that installing a consistent weekly feature is the best next step for Live & Listen.

For our ninth edition of Bands You Should Know, we sat down with Cy Simonton (guitar/vocals) of CBDB, one of the most promising bands Alabama has seen in years. This band has been turning heads across the southeast for the past five years, and its momentum continues to build with each year. Sometimes you get lucky and find that band who you just can't stop listening to, and that's been the story of 2016 with CBDB. Ranging from high-energy, progressive rock to laid-back, jazzy "joyfunk", CBDB offers a one-of-a-kind sound that anyone and everyone can get down to. We can't wait to watch the future unfold for these Tuscaloosa natives.

Interview by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen

Let's talk about the early days for you specifically. When did you start playing the guitar? Who were you earliest influences? When did you realize this was something you wanted to pursue as a career?

Cy: Well, I played in a band in high school, but we didn't really play shows or anything. It was more so just having fun jamming in my friend's basement. Back in those days, it was all bad heavy metal stuff. At that point, I wasn't singing or anything. Later on, we started getting into better music, I guess, and that's when I started singing. Playing out in front of people really started in college. Around 2006, I would play at The Red Shed in Tuscaloosa. I was writing a good bit of music at the point as well. One day, someone who was supposed to play cancelled. We were already up there hanging out, so I grabbed my guitar and played a little bit. I guess I got hooked from there.

So early on, it was more on the heavy metal side. Who else do you look to as an influence on your style of play? How do you feel that you've developed your own sound?

Cy: It's so all over the place. I'm actually a pretty big hip-hop fan. I don't know if that influences the guitar at all. I definitely listen to a lot of it though. Paul Simon is a big one that I tried to emulate a lot early on in my songwriting. As far as the jam band scene, we're definitely big fans of Phish, Umphrey's, Widespread Panic, and all of the big dogs, amongst other stuff.

Photo by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen

The band got started back in 2011 in Tuscaloosa. I know you and Kris originally met at The Bear Trap, and things started rolling from there, right?

- -

Cy: Yeah. It started out with Kris playing this jazz-fusion thing up on the roof at The Bear Trap. He was doing all the crazy sweeping stuff that he does. I knew that I definitely wanted to talk to him. I had recorded a solo album at that point, which I gave to him. I asked him to check it out and told him that I'd love to start a band. That was really the start of it.

I would imagine that you guys started stacking the calendar with gigs around Tuscaloosa. There's obviously plenty of bars and a strong fraternity scene to support a young, up-and-coming band around there. How did those early days take shape?

Cy: We usually did Thursday through Saturday, all in Tuscaloosa, for a long time. The first time that I can remember seeing people actually sing along with us was at The Red Shed one time. I think the song was "Caroline." They were singing loud enough that we could drop it out and let the crowd sing. We were like, "Holy shit! I can't believe this."

Watch CBDB perform "Somewhere to Fall" at FAME Studios here:

The band went in a slightly different direction between Phone Keys Wallet and Joyfunk is Dead. I know "joyfunk" was a term that has been used to describe the initial sound. Can you elaborate on that at all?

Cy: The term "joyfunk" originally came from us. People ask you what style of music you play. You try to come up with something that sets you apart, without just saying "Oh, we sound like this band." We just wanted to have a word that was ours. I'm not even sure how much of a funk band we are. We definitely love funk music, and we try to get funky, but it doesn't necessarily mean that we're a funk band. I think the sound just comes from the five of us bringing our different influences, coming together, and all of us being really open to whatever happens. I think all of us are very open, and we all agree that's where the magic kind of comes, when it's just like, "Oh man. I didn't see it going that way." Just letting things mold like that.

You definitely have to let the sound develop naturally. So, you guys also had the privilege of getting up to FAME Studios to record the most recent EP. So much legendary music has been created in that room. How did that all come together? What was that experience like?

Cy: That came through some connections that David had with folks in Florence. We were playing a show down there at On The Rocks one night, and John Gifford III (Sound Engineer) was talking to us about recording there. We were skeptical that it was something we could do but after talking to him we were sold. That's really how it happened. FAME was incredible, man. You definitely feel the vibes when you walk in there. So much great music has been recorded there.

Photo by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen-

I had a chance to take the tour of the studio a few summers ago, and I'll never forget it. You can definitely feel those vibes that you mentioned. The history is all over the walls. It made me even more proud to be from Alabama.

Cy: It was a really cool experience. We watched that documentary (Muscle Shoals) probably three or four times just getting hyped up about it. It wasn't a nerve racking thing though. They made it really chill and easy to work in there. It was an awesome experience, for sure.

That will definitely go down as a major piece of history for the band. And you never know, CBDB might be one of those bands that people talk about once recording there at some point. Back in the early days...

Cy: Yeah man...I hope so. We've been recording a couple of tracks at another cool spot in Nashville.

That was the next thing I wanted to talk about. I knew that you guys had been back in the studio, and I was able to catch the debut of the new tune "She's Mobile" at The Werk Out last month. I'm sure there are plenty of others in the works. What exactly do you guys have planned for the next studio release?

Cy: Well, I think that the plan for the next one is to get another batch of new music out quick. We're planning on releasing these two new tunes as kind of a single. We've been talking about a 45 on vinyl, or something like that, single style. We want to get these two new songs out though, especially with Mike joining the band. It's not necessarily a new sound, but it is to an extent with a new band member. We want to get these out there and build a little momentum with some new music. We've definitely been writing a lot though. Mike and I were recently working on a new one. I think we're going to call it "Patterns". It's all sounding really good though. We're excited about it.

Watch CBDB perform "A1A" at FAME Studios here:

So the two new songs that you mentioned...that will be "She's Mobile" and what else?

Cy: It will be "She's Mobile" and "Old Dog". "Old Dog" is an old tune for me. It was actually on that solo album that I mentioned earlier. We reworked it and decided to go ahead and put it out.

Very cool. Is that a song that you guys have been playing live over the years, or something that will be brand new?

Cy: Yeah, absolutely. We've been playing it a little bit throughout the years, and a lot more here recently.

You mentioned the recent news for the band with David Ray stepping aside and Mike Sinopole stepping in. I know there has been a lot of familiarity with Mike over the years. He played guitar with the long-time Birmingham band Festival Expressions for years. Let's talk a little bit about how Mike came into this role, and how things have been going in this first month or so.

Cy: It first started when David let us know that he wanted to have a meeting. I think all of us kind of knew what was up with that. We all got together, and that split was 100% amicable. We're all still really close friends, and he's an incredible bass player. After that, we started thinking about new bass players, and we couldn't really think of an option that would be ready to be out on the road and ready for this crazy lifestyle that we live.

For me, I was racking my brain, and I couldn't come up with any great options. We were in Philadelphia, up on the rooftop of our friend Charlie's place, and Paul brought up Mike's name. I immediately thought, "Man...that sounds like it could work. He's definitely good enough that he could learn to play the damn bass." So, we sent him a message and asked if he could play bass. He messaged back and said that he could and wanted to know more. We kind of filled him in on the situation from there.

A few nights later, we were in New York at my friend Hoyt's place, sitting out on the New York-style escape porch. Kris pulls up this message of Mike playing "Ground Score," and it sounded damn near perfect. I think that I knew at that point. It was kind of a feeling of relief. The first time we got together and played, he really worked his ass off. He knew most of the songs by the first time we played them at practice. For him to have to learn all of that new music and be playing a new instrument, that is crazy. He's done such an incredible job though. We're all clicking really well right now. I'm really excited about it.

It's pretty amazing to see. Obviously you know this, but I was able to watch that first gig with Mike at The Werk Out, and it was amazing to watch. The guy next to me keeps mentioning how sick the bass player is. He was blown away when I mentioned that this was his first gig with the band. He seems very comfortable and grounded already.

Cy: Yeah for sure. It's definitely a different style than David. David has been playing bass for years, and Mike is coming at it from a new perspective. It's a little bit of a new sound, but we're digging it. We really threw him to the wolves. The first gig was at The Werk Out. That was crazy. A lot of people would have been pretty intimidated by that. Then the next show after that was in Tuscaloosa. That was a hometown show at Druid City with 500+ people in the crowd. He did great for that one too. We threw him to the wolves.

I guess that allowed you guys to get a good indication of how well it's going to work right off of the bat.

Cy: Definitely. We knew he was ready for it though, just by the way he would talk about it. He had been sounding great during practice. We knew there would be some mistakes, but the growing pains were going to happen regardless. A lot of mistakes end up turning into new ideas, honestly. It's like, "Oh man. We usually do it like this, but that actually kind of works." So a lot of the stuff has really molded. We've added some new intros and different things like that just from happy accidents.

I guess that helps you keep things fresh. So, you guys recently signed on with the Progressive Global Agency in Nashville. How big of an impact has this made on the band and its ability to play new cities, reach new people, and most importantly focus on the music?

Cy: We signed on with PGA at the end of 2015, and our first official shows under PGA were early 2016. Kris used to do the lion's share of the booking before that, and I know that was a big load on his shoulders, So for us to not have to worry as much about that...obviously we still think about it and throw our ideas in. It's a lot easier now. It has already opened some doors that wouldn't have opened before.

Watch CBDB perform "Ground Score" at FAME Studios here:

I'm sure it's nice to be able to focus on the music, while having someone with legitimate experience that you can trust filling out the calendar for you. That's critical. A lot of people from the outside looking in don't realize how much of a business factor there is with any band. You guys are making your money on the road.

Cy: Definitely. It's ticket sales and t-shirts these days.

Before we wrap this up, what are your personal goals and aspirations for the band over the next year? Any particular milestones that you have set on your radar?

Cy: Well, we're definitely excited about The Blueberry Jam down in Fairhope next month. We also have a Halloween show coming up at The Pour House in Charleston with a band called The Congress. We're excited about that one. Other than that, I think it's really just about writing music. It's definitely a new chapter now with Mike in the band. We're calling it 5.0 (laughs). We're just trying to write music at this point. I think the goal is to come up with a selection of songs that we're really proud of. I think we'll be ready for another full-length album shortly after we release the single. I want to make sure we have enough tunes that are well thought out and well rehearsed.

I almost forgot to ask, but what's the hopeful time frame for the release on the single?

Cy: Definitely before the end of the year. That's what we're hoping for. I think November has been the loose goal at this point. We're going back in on Sunday to do the final mixes.

You can catch CBDB this Saturday night (9/17) at Bourbon Street Bar in Auburn, AL. There will be a very limited amount of custom, screen printed posters (image below) for the show designed by Taylor Houston Morgan. Don't miss your opportunity to pick up a piece of CBDB history at the show!

News

CBDB Ventures "Back in Limbo" With Latest Single May 16, 2020 14:03

Live & Listen's 'Bands You Should Know': CBDB September 14, 2016 23:38

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