Phil Caivano is one among rock ‘n’ roll’s iron males, a gentle and celebrated multi-instrumentalist and behind the scenes wizard who’s ridden the Monster Magnet roller-coaster for 25 years.
Now he is moving into the highlight in an enormous means, launching his debut self-titled solo effort which he is had greater than a heavy hand in.
“Nicely you realize, I used to be enjoying with it for a short time and it was effervescent for a short time,” Caivano shared in a sit-down with Steel Injection. ” I used to be working with a few folks and a few songs got here up and the blokes in Monster Magnet have been doing their factor. Bob [Pantella] and Garrett [Sweeny] do the [The Atomic Bitchwax] factor, Dave [Wyndorf] and I are at all times in communication about what we do. And I’ve at all times been clear that I’ve at all times been actually happy with working in Magnet. Being the Magnet the guitar participant, behind the scenes man making numerous issues. You recognize, working with Dave has at all times been sufficient. It is simply one thing I’ve at all times accomplished.”
The genesis for a lot of the mission started years in the past with Capricorn, a collaboration between Caivano and the late Todd Youth, with Caivano explaining, “unfortunately Todd had handed, so the Capricorn factor did not occur once more and I did not have guys to do it with. I resurrected these songs. I listed down some issues. It was in the course of the pandemic, in fact, all of the free time on that. And I used to be like, Wow, there is perhaps a bit nucleus of one thing right here.
“Magnet wasn’t doing something. We did the quilt report, Higher Dystopia. In order that type of received me going once more, and I opened up my laptop and listened to some issues. I began writing a bit bit extra. A while glided by and I wasn’t actually planning on doing it. After which one night time I used to be hanging out with Bob. I used to be like, ‘I received just like the nucleus of this report, I am gonna see what you assume.’ You recognize, possibly we’ll get collectively and end it. Possibly we’ll simply do a few songs and put it on-line or no matter. And it simply began snowballing actually quick. And Bob and I’ve labored a lot collectively. He is received a studio. I’ve a studio, it is proper up the street. He was like, ‘Yeah man, let’s bang this out!’ All proper, we’re in. In order that was that.”
Except for Pantella‘s drum-work, Caivano holds all main duties on the 10-track assortment of pure, unfiltered fuzzed-out rock, together with a uncommon flip as lead vocalist.
“As soon as I began working with Bob, I used to be like, Nicely, the one factor I actually cannot do is play drums. I am horrible. I used to be like, I can do that. You recognize, it began out with some riffs and began out with guitar stuff … I imply, I grew up a bass participant. Lots of people do not know that, however that is my first instrument. I like, love, love enjoying bass. I grew to become a guitar participant by default and it simply began going, like okay, here is a guitar half. And I attempted to maintain it so simple as I may,” he shared, joking that he wasn’t overly comfy stepping in-front of the mic initially.
“I used to be actually not that comfy doing that. I have never been in entrance of a microphone. I’ve accomplished some backgrounds on some Magnet stuff. I do background on all of the stay stuff, however I have never been a lead vocalist or lyricist in a very very long time. And I’ve at all times written and I like that stuff. Initially I used to be like, Oh my God, the sound of my voice, what am I doing? And I hear that from numerous singers and I would not contemplate myself a singer or extra of a vocalist, however I used to be similar to, ‘Man, flip the mind off and let it rip, you realize?’ Like, what the fuck? I am not going to assume an excessive amount of about these things. I needed to get my head out of that.”
Reflecting on the 25th anniversary of becoming a member of his longtime good friend and collaborator Wyndorf in Monster Magnet as rhythm guitarist (a 12 months that additionally marked the discharge of the band’s opus Powertrip), Caivano explains that the invitation got here out of left discipline.
“On the time Dave requested me to hitch Magnet, I used to be actually content material and completely happy being a behind the scenes man as a result of I used to be round a few the opposite information and us being associates and speaking about issues. The issues I used to be doing he was supportive of and issues he was doing I used to be supportive of. However like when he requested me to hitch the band, I used to be type of blown away. I didn’t count on that in any respect,” Caivano admits, strolling again to the second his profession in music modified perpetually.
“I occurred to be again east for the vacations or one thing, and we have been going to go to the diner and shoot the shit and we simply sat down with him and Tim Cronin, and Tim was like, ‘Okay Dave, spit it out.’ He says ‘Okay. Phil, will you be a part of Monster Magnet?’ I used to be like what?! And it was proper into it. I at all times attempt to play cool and be like, ‘Nicely, you realize, I would like a minute. I am residing in L.A, I received all this occurring and I gotta determine it out, however I will let you realize.’ Within the meantime, I drove dwelling and I used to be like, sure! And I used to be in a ten minute interval going, how do I get again to L.A.? How do I transfer again to Jersey? How do I inform everyone I am not obtainable for his or her shit in L.A. anymore and get again to Jersey?”
The remainder, as they are saying, was historical past. Caivano joined the band simply as they have been to interrupt into exhausting rock mainstream with the discharge of their best-selling report Powertrip. Anchored by the chart-topper “House Lord”, the album and subsequent tour would see Monster Magnet trek throughout the globe, rubbing shoulders with a few of the rock world’s largest names.
“After which, in fact, going out with Powertrip, and that is a particular report and that is a particular time in music. You recognize, we have been actually lucky to play with some nice folks on the time, going out and doing reveals and doing all of the festivals and Europe and touring with some bands over right here, actually getting on the market. Truthfully, I used to be by no means on a tour bus in my life earlier than that. I’ve at all times been in vans and automobiles and sleeping on flooring.”
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