IE: What’s up Dave... I suppose like many others out there my first exposure to The Crumbsuckers was via the “Life Of Dreams” debut LP which came out in 1986 which was after you had left so can you tell us what time period you were in the band?

Dave: Hey Chris. I was with the band from I’d say early ‘83 thru late summer of ‘85. Before I took the reigns on vocals there were a few others in the super early days (Chris Anderson, Dan Vitale, Craig Smith)...

IE: Can you bring us back to the early days of the Crumbsuckers and tell us how the band was basically put together?  Where did you practice?  Was the band very serious at first and how long together would say was it before things started coming together as far as writing the songs that we now know?

Dave: Gary put the band together. Frank Cupelli was playing guitar, Kevin Carroll on drums. And before I knew of the band I think there was someone else on drums for a bit. Chris Anderson had a garage that had what was basically an apartment above. This was a primary early rehearsal space that was dubbed “Crumbsucker Cave”. Now my memory isn’t as sharp as it once was, but those really early days were spent just jamming and having fun, and the crew just enjoyed drinking, moshing and having fun...

My earliest memories were playing a party where we were doing cover songs. Like I said, there were a few others taking turns on vocals, I think the songs I did were two from Kraut. Some of the original songs on the FOAD release are from these really early days Shortly after that party, I introduced my friend Dave Wynn to the crew and convinced him to step up and take over on guitar. From that point forward I think we phased out the covers and seriously started writing our own stuff.

IE: How much of your fingerprint is on that “Life Of Dreams” debut?  When I heard some of the old stuff with you singing I noticed that the lyrics are the same as “Life Of Dreams” which I mentioned came out after you were out.

Dave: The bulk of “Life Of Dreams” was written and performed during my time with the band. With the exception of “Longest War” and “Mr. Hyde”. I think everything else is there in various early forms on the FOAD release. I wrote a number of the lyrics, and usually did so after the music was done. Sometimes Gary would come up with an idea or a title and I’d flesh it out (“Shit’s Creek” and “Super Tuesday”). Others like “Trapped” was an ode to an old girlfriend, “Live To Work” was a simple welcome to the working world song. I think I was hitting my lyric writing stride with “Return To The Womb”, “Life Of Dreams” and “Face Of Death”. It was a good time...

IE: After you left did you give the band the ok to still use your lyrics or did they just keep them and did you hold a grudge against the remaining members?

Dave: Well, back then we were doing it as a band, so I didn’t think of protecting what I did for my own gain. When I did leave, I left cold and had nothing to do with them. For a long time I had my fair share of emotions that in hind sight did more harm than good. I can’t speak for what the rest of the band was thinking at the time.

IE: Some or all of you are/were from Baldwin on Long Island. Did you all grow up together? How did you all know each other?

Dave: Pretty much from high school. I think Chuck had lived up around Huntington for a while, and that’s how he knew Chris and Krakdown. The rest of us, although we spanned a few graduating years were all Baldwin locals. I’ve known Dave Wynn since 4th grade. Kevin Carroll was a grade behind me, but we went to the same elementary school. Gary and Dan were neighbors down in Baldwin Harbor… 

IE: What was it like growing up in Baldwin and how did you discover punk and hardcore music back then?

Dave: Well…. Baldwin was pretty much a blue collar hamlet like you’d have anywhere along Long Island. You’d work, get your license, forge that license so you can get beer, find some place to drink that beer. The usual teen age stuff. Music discovery back then was a lot more selective and organic. You didn’t have anything but friends and radio to really turn you onto stuff. Fortunately there was some good radio (WNYU, WLIR, WRHU), and a lot more record shops like Slipped Disc. Also, the friends I had were all into music, and not just punk or hardcore. Metal, new wave, classic rock, hip hop… but personally speaking finding punk and hardcore was just a part of growing up…

IE: How close to real life were the lyrics to “Interlude” and would you say that what was sung in that song was more of the norm for you and the rest of the band during that time or more of an accumulation of events that you put together?

Dave: “Interlude”….. heh. It was pretty close to real, but not all at one time, and not necessarily to anyone in the band. There were a few lines that were loosely based on real life events, but I took creative license in how they were told. I think it made for a better story.

IE: So fast forward to 2014 and there is this new collaboration you have put out with Italy’s FOAD Records. Can you tell us how this came about and what exactly is the musical content on this release?

Dave: Well, a few years back Jason Us (who put together the Crumbsucker Facebook page) agreed to let me in to contribute there. Prior to that, I think I had shared some low quality copies of some of the stuff that had gotten around. It wasn’t until I posted a photo of a few cassettes that I dug up. That was when FOAD approached me.

We exchanged a few notes and when they sent me a few examples of what they did and explained what they wanted to do with the stuff I had, that’s when I said what the hell. I sent them the best of what I had (the two pro demos, some of the better CBGBs board recordings, and some old “boom-box in the room” rehearsal tapes). They curated the track listings and I think it illustrates a natural evolution of the band.

IE: The packaging job on this is amazing with old photos, flyers, and notes… Did you luck out one day and just find all of this stuff in an attic or basement or did you have this stuff in safe keeping all along?

Dave: Most of the stuff (my old notebook, the majority of the photos) was stuff I kept tucked away all this time. And this is after moving a few times, settling into a serious career, getting married (and divorced). For whatever reason I couldn’t find it in myself to throw those memories away. I also found two negatives of film that I don’t think I ever printed, and seeing those pictures was pretty cool. I forgot how slim we all were!

IE: What about the artwork by Lucas Kalina? Is this something that he drew specifically for this release and if so how close or not close did you work with him in telling him what you were looking for?

Dave: Lucas did an outstanding job, and I am glad I got him onboard! There was some poster floating around the internet that was based on the Taggart work from “Life Of Dreams”. The lineup was Cro Mags, Crumbsuckers and Brainbuster (http://lucaskalina.com/Crumbsuckers). I did some research and tracked Lucas down and asked him if he’d be interested.

He told me that that poster was for an art project, and that the show never happened. He allowed us to use that for the CD and we discussed some ideas for the album cover. The title “Turn Back Time” is taken from the song “Return To The Womb”, and captures the idea behind the collection. Lucas and I discussed that and an image of an Indian/Krishna sculpture that shows the cycle of life… Other than those guidelines, he had full reign. I think it came out pretty awesome.

IE: You were telling me that this latest FOAD release came as a surprise to some of the other members of the band. Why is that and what were some of the reactions from them and as far as you can tell are they ok with it coming out?

Dave: My original intent was getting it out for Christmas but that didn’t happen. I did surprise everyone with it, not even saying I’m doing this. I got some copies and just blindly sent them out. It’s not that I was worried that they would object, I just thought the surprise would be best. The reactions I’ve gotten from the band and friends I’ve sent them to has been positive. I think the liner note I included sums it up.

IE: Do you still keep in touch with your other ex-Crumbsucker bandmates?

Dave: Like I said earlier for a long time I had no contact with any of them for a bunch of years after leaving. Sometime later I started reconnecting slowly, but it wasn’t until that 2006 reunion and grabbing the mic again that I developed a new appreciation for my time with them, and what that meant to me. Since then, I keep in touch whenever and how ever I can. Social media has helped, but face to face over a beer and reminiscing in real life is the best…

IE: And what about yourself? What keeps you busy these days?

Dave: I keep myself busy with work and travel. Occasionally I’ve been known to belt out a few numbers on the karaoke circuit. In all seriousness, I just enjoy life and all it has to offer...

IE: That’s about it Dave, thanks for taking the time to do this. Anything else we may have missed before we wrap this up?

Dave: Just a quick thanks to everyone who picked up a copy and a special thanks to the Crumbsuckers for my time with them. It was fun. Live in your life of dreams!

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