The first song I heard from Maple Mars is “Gliding,” released as a single. I thought is was great. I heard a bit of Nirvana and was intrigued, so I played Nevermind and Someone’s Got To Listen, Maple Mars’ new album, back to back. The sonics are there, and musically, the album resembles Nirvana’s “On A Plain” my favorite from them, so if you’re curious about the comparison, play them both. Then you’ll hear how great Maple Mars are, too.

The band's Rick Hromadka, lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter, and Steve Berns, guitarist and producer,  were kind enough to answer some questions for me.

Andrea Weiss: How did the band form?

Rick Hromadka: It started when I was asked by Steve Berns to record a new song at his Hollywood apartment. He was testing some new equipment he had just bought. The song came out well and we decided to do an entire record. That album was put out by Ray Paul from Permanent Press Recordings. That was the start of the band.

AW: What are your influences?

RH: Beatles, The Who, Pink Floyd, Beach Boys, Elton John, AM radio 70s Pop, Todd Rundgren, XTC.

AW: I’m getting a little of Nirvana’s Nevermind in the sonics, and how heavy the guitars can be. Would you say this is fair comparison?

Steve Berns: I can see that comparison, sure. We used guitar sounds we thought would be right for each song. Some songs were a bit more distorted than others, while some used some cleaner tones and even some acoustic guitar.

RH: I don’t hear that, but everyone has their unique musical senses.

AW: Your sound is both heavy and mellow. Did that balance naturally come through in the music, or not?

RH: I think that balance comes through in the writing as well as the recording. We always shoot for dynamics.

SB: In production we let the song guide the arrangements. I personally like when songs have strong dynamics, so I think that came through in how we produced the album. At least I hope it did.

AW: Your lyrics deal a lot with breakups and other dark times, except for "Crooked Smile." Did the songs just go that way, or was there an effort to make them like that?

RH: I was writing from an honest point of view and at the time I was going through some dark times. “Crooked Smile” was a little light at the end of the tunnel.

AW: How did the pandemic impact the album?

RH: The pandemic made the recording, mastering, and ultimately the release of the album delayed. In a sense, it helped us fine-tune some aspects of the record to make it even stronger.

SB: We lucked out and had recorded a lot of the basic tracks just before the pandemic. The keyboards were recorded by Rick at home and some of his guitar tracks, our bassist Joe (Gidding) had moved to Massachusetts, so he did some vocals and a couple bass tracks at home as well. Then they sent everything to me, and I put it all together.

AW: I like how the guests make the album so well rounded. Could you say a few words about them?

SB: Everyone that you have in the studio contributes in their way to the production, so having people from outside the band come in to play parts helps to create a more interesting final product.

RH: Jeff LeGore played bass on two tracks. He was our steady bass player until he moved to Nashville. Kaitlin Wolfberg we know through the music scene in LA and is a fantastic violinist.

AW:Do you plan to tour?

SB: Yes, Rick can elaborate.

RH: Depending on how the album is received we will probably head out on a small tour of the East Coast. Spain may be in our future if we decide to return to the UK, which we’ve toured twice in the past.

AW: What would you tell someone first starting out in music?

RH: Go to dental school instead!

SB: Don’t quit your day job! Just kidding. If you can make a living at music, more power to you. That is the ultimate goal. Music is so fulfilling, and I dedicate as much time as I can to it. However, I also enjoy having a house, car, and other amenities, so most of us have a separate career to support our lifestyles.