A Conversation with John Easdale

March 18, 2024 by Traci Turner

OC Music News has been a supporter of Dramarama since before there was an OC Music News. Back when we were babies working at that World Famous Los Angeles radio station, we took call after call on the request lines: “I need you to play that song – the give you dollar bills, give you anything song!” Some songs will forever remind me of my time there and the incredible music that provided the soundtrack. “Anything, Anything (I’ll Give You)” is one of those songs.

Since forming in 1982, Dramarama has not only given us that amazing track – and “Last Cigarette!” – but has continued to release outstanding material, including 2020’s “Color TV.” Sure, they could rest on the success of “Anything,” but that’s not Dramarama’s style. With John Easdale at the helm, they continue to wow audiences of all ages.

I’ve spoken to Easdale several times and when we last talked in 2022, he said they would not be playing live for “awhile.” It was time to take it to the next level via Zoom, and get the latest update on all things Dramarama.

Traci: John! So good to see you! But what is in the cage behind you?

John: That’s a bird!

Traci: Oh, ok! I had concerns! (laughing)

John: That’s Magnolia. We call him Mags.

Traci: Is he a talker or a singer?

John: Just a whistler, a little bit. He might while we talk. We shall see.

Traci: Well hello Mags! Ok, so, anytime anybody brings you up, I love to tell them how back in 2013, (OC Music News editor-in-chief) Jimmy (Alvarez) asked you for some help with an auction I was participating in for a friend with breast cancer, and you just jumped right in. You did not know me, or her, and with no questions, boom. Ever since then, you’ve continued to be one of the nicest people I’ve ever talked to or heard people talk about.

John: I always say my mother raised a boy with manners to be polite and kind, and when I was growing up, I thought everybody was going to be like that. So, I don’t know, just good manners and politeness. And also show business. There seems to be some sort of attitude that people who sing and play music are on a different level, on a higher level. I think that’s part of the smoke and mirrors, that they try to put stars on a pedestal or something. Then a lot of guys who do it, a lot of people who do it, they buy into that or they play into that. So there’s kind of that attitude to a certain extent. Also, there’s just guys, even when you’re in high school, who just think they’re too cool to talk to other people. Egos get in the way.

Traci: Well, I’ve never heard an unkind word about you, so you’re doing an excellent job.

John: Oh, I’m sure if you dug a little deeper, you could find a couple. (laughing) Thank you very much. I do appreciate that.

Traci: The last time we chatted for an article was in 2022, and it was right before your show at Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa. You said it was going to be your last show for “awhile.” What have you been doing?

John: Pretty much. We didn’t do as much in 2023 as we usually do or had been doing. 2022 was extremely busy. I think after the pandemic and everything, we got to go and do a lot of stuff, go a lot of places. We did a festival and a cruise and a lot of shows, and I wanted to take a little bit of a break at that point. I was definitely ready to take some time off. So we didn’t do pretty much anything at all for quite a while. I said no.

John continued: We’ve been going out on these ‘80’s tours every summer, and we skipped that one last year. It’s not like we work that hard anyway. We’re not like, out 300 nights a year or anything, but I just needed to call a halt to the proceedings, take a little sabbatical. So now this year, we’re back on the Lost ‘80’s tour, and we just did a couple of shows this past week. We started the band 42 years ago, and the fact that we’re still getting up and doing it and hopefully still getting up and doing it well is rewarding and gratifying. As soon as it stops being fun or as soon as we start to stink up the joint, then it’s time to call the day.

Traci: Well, I heard a rumor that you were in the studio.

John: We were in the studio last week. We did a song for a tribute album that I don’t want to talk too much about it because I don’t know when it’s coming out, and I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s a tribute album for an artist you might not expect us to be a part of, but there’s a lot of cool other people involved. And like I said, I don’t know if it’s coming out in a month or a year, so I don’t want to spill the beans. But, yeah, we were in the studio. We recorded that. We got some new stuff that we’re working on. Of course, the speed we work these days, it could be five, 10 years before it comes out, but we’re just happy to be doing it still.

Traci: “Color TV” in 2020 was 15 years after “Everybody Dies,” but you got to do what you wanted to do. You got to do it the way you wanted it.

E+ Au = Dramarama

John: Yeah. And 15 years goes a lot faster now than it did when we were little. It’s all relative. It’s Einstein’s theory of relativity. Fifteen years was my entire life when I was 15, but now it’s only 25 percent of my life. Now that I’m in my 60s, it goes faster, the years go faster.

Traci: If you have new music and you have that luxury of taking the time to make sure it’s what you want, yes, take your time.

John: Yeah, there’s nothing worse than an old band making new music that doesn’t live up to the old music. I’d rather go slow and do something that fits in with the rest of our body of work and that I can be proud of rather than just rush something out there.

Traci: Do you write the lyrics and the music, or is it all collaborative?

John: I do. We started the band as a vehicle for my songwriting, so to speak. I was writing songs, and we were just fooling around in the basement, and said “Might as well make it a band!” It’s all about Easdale songs.

Traci: What kind of songwriter are you? Something gets in your brain and you have got to write it, or do you have notebooks full of random lyrics that you eventually use?

John: It’s changed over the years, and what used to be. I didn’t think much about it, and I just kind of spit it out and just thought about it, and it happened. Now I take a lot more time working on it and honing it, but it doesn’t come as easy as it once did. I think it’s like anything, as you get older, you slow down a little bit. But, I take more time now. Mostly, I usually come up with music first nowadays, and then come up with words as they come along. I think also the reason for that is when you’re young, there’s a lot of things that make you unhappy or make you angry or you get hurt or whatever. You’re a lot more sensitive. And now I’m kind of happy and home and content, and I don’t have as much to write about.

Traci: You could write a song about Magnolia!

John: Oh, I could, yeah. It’s also a question in my mind. I used to just think every thought I had was important, and I used to think I knew everything. Now I’m not so convinced of that.

Traci: You mentioned the Lost ‘80’s shows. I know you have some of those in August, but something else interesting coming up – in June you are going back to New Jersey. Is that the part of New Jersey where you grew up?

John: It’s a little ways south, but it’s been our home away from home for a while now. Actually, my mom and dad moved down to the shore, and it’s on the shore in Jersey, a place called Asbury Park, which is pretty legendary music destination, at least in New Jersey. Or on the East Coast.

Traci: That’s where Stone Pony is?

John: Yeah, Stone Pony, Bruce Springsteen, all that stuff. There’s a lot of bands there, and a lot of people kind of go there to play music. It’s a good music town, and they’re having a festival in June, so they’ve invited us to be a part of that, and we’re happy to be there. We go back pretty much every year just because it’s where we came from and where we grew up, and it’s great to go back. And we get treated like hometown heroes.

Traci: You are playing one of your albums in its entirety, right? Is it the first?

John: We’re playing the album “Vinyl.” We’ve played the entire “Cinéma Vérité” album before, but this is the first time we’re doing the “Vinyl” album.

Traci: And you’ll throw in a few other songs?

John: Oh, absolutely. The beauty of playing a Drama show versus ‘80’s shows is that we get to play a couple of hours versus a couple of songs.

Traci: When you go to New Jersey, you will have Mark (Englert), Mike (Davis), Peter (Wood), and Tony (Snow)?

John: Yes, those four. That is always our goal. We want to keep the band together. Mark and Peter have been in the band since the very beginning. And Tony and Mike, who are the “new” guys, they’ve been with me since the ‘90s, so the “new” guys have been with us for going on 30 years. So it’s a happy little family!

Traci: That’s good. Not many bands can do that.

John: We are very lucky. We are definitely among the luckiest of all the bands that I can think of.

Traci: Is there anything else you’ve got going on that you’re allowed to talk about?

John: Not at the moment. Just got some shows coming up this summer and we’re going to do more Drama shows at the end of the year. But as anything comes, definitely will let you know! And thank you so much for taking the time to talk.

Traci: Anytime!

John: It’s nice to see you rather than just hear your voice.

Traci: You too! I even took a shower! (laughing)

John: I did the same otherwise, you could probably smell me from where you! (laughing)

As always, many thanks to the incredibly kind and talented John Easdale and Dramarama. We look forward the Lost ‘80’s shows and surprises ahead.

If you are on the East Coast, catch Dramarama at Wonder Bar in New Jersey on June 15th. They will perform 1991’s “Vinyl” in its entirety for the first time ever, plus all of your favorite Dramarama tunes.

If you are on the West Coast (SoCal), you have a few chances to check out Dramarama as part of the Lost ’80s Live tour. You can catch them August 23rd at Humphrey’s by The Bay, then they will head on over to The Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. This is going to be even more over the top as they will be joined by Oingo Boingo Former Members, and it will be hosted by everyone’s favorite DJ, Richard Blade.

Then, on August 25th they will head to Orange County where they will play at the Grove of Anaheim.

They will close out the California invasion by heading up to NoCal on August 30th at Vina Robles Amphitheatre in Paso Robles. No matter where you catch this tour, or Dramarama on their own, it is a guaranteed good time!

Thanks again to John for the time and for all the things he does outside the world of music. By far, he is one of the classiest people you could ever meet; his parents did good!

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