T
hen I received an email from Demse Zullo. He
had a band, The Alchemystics, and they were
working on a new full-length album called
Spread Hope; would I be interested in interviewing him about it? His approach took me aback; I’d
always had bands send me third-person press kits
and wait for me to contact them. Demse said, “You
should interview me.”
I would quickly learn this was Demse; forthright,
asking for what he wanted and fighting to get it.
But at the time, I was slightly bothered by his tact
but elated to have someone other than a friend or
acquaintance reach out for publicity- so I took him
up on the offer and performed a phone interview.
Demse’s cadence was rapid fire, and keeping up
with notes challenged my transcribing skills, but
his passion for music was apparent; I was floored
and enthusiastic to promote him.
A good practice is, if there’s time before the deadline, to send a draft of your article to the musician
so they can check names and facts. Especially an
artist like Demse, who talks and talks with vigor;
they’re bound to misuse a word or get a name wrong.
Demse’s notes were copious, though. He fixed up
nearly half of the article. I told him I was happy
to represent the band accurately, but he wasn’t the
writer; I was. We had a good laugh over this and I
learned Demse appreciated anyone that would call
him out on his verve. We eventually constructed a
great article together.
From there began good friendship. He sent me the
tracks for Spread Hope and then invited me to the
album release party at the Iron Horse in Northampton, Massachusetts, the central spot where The
Achemystics’ members lived. I didn’t have a place to
stay, but Demse warmly invited me to sleep at his
house. So, I took a mini road trip south from Burlington and enjoyed an evening in Northampton, one
of my favorite little cities.
For the release party, the line was around the
corner. While I had thought the band generated
fans, I didn’t realize until I saw the numbers waiting
to enter the venue that their hometown following
was something special. I met up with the rest of the
band and chatted with Demse. He was thoroughly
energized for their set. He told me how the band
had come together through some growing pains, and
that he had to act as major bandleader just to get
everyone to practice, but their hearts were in the
right place, and completing the album helped solidify them as a band.
Spread Hope’s release party was fantastic. The
room was packed front to back. I kept an eye on
Demse behind the kit; drummers are often hidden
behind the other singers and players, so i ӊéݽ