Talking to From Good Homes band members

Stefani M.C. Janelli, The MIC, interviews Jamie Coan, Brady Rymer and Patrick Fitzsimmons of Sparta’s From Good Homes band along with filmmaker Vic Guadagno before the screening of the documentary, “Charlie Loves Our Band, the story of From Good Homes.”

The screening also will feature a question-and-answer session and live performance by the band on Friday, Dec. 15 at the Williams Center in Rutherford.

Q: You’ve been playing together in From Good Homes since the late ‘80s in your hometown of Sparta. How do you feel growing up in Sparta affected your songwriting?

Rymer: Our tunes feel welcoming; they invite you to kick back and stay awhile. There’s a friendliness and a hopefulness to the music that reminds me of Sparta back in the day.

Fitzsimmons: We had a lot of fun growing up in Sparta. (Too much at times for sure!) I think our music reflects this and our belief that this should be fun, and I think our fans pick up on this. They see us having so much fun playing and I think it’s contagious.

Q: Your music has been described as “hick-pop,” a term you then used to title your 1994 record, “Hick-Pop Comin’ at Ya!” How would you describe the sound of hick-pop? Who or what influenced this style of music?

Coan: It’s a sound, a blend of melody and rhythm that developed organically. Our surroundings were fairly rural, but we were not all that far from NYC, so we grew up hearing an eclectic blend of music from many genres via AM and FM radio as well as our folks’ and contemporaries’ record collections.

Rymer: Yeah, “hick pop” seemed to reflect the first album real well. It was direct, humble, rootsy rock comin’ at ya. There were lots of musical hooks and color, with an attitude, urgency and an unapologetically positive spin.

Fitzsimmons: Bob Makin, New Jersey music critic and writer for Aquarium Weekly and other music magazines, coined that name after hearing our first self-produced live recording, released on cassette, called “Grrr.” We reminded him of the Band, particularly their early releases, in that you could hear where we came from in our music. It was raw, rootsy, acoustic, unpretentious rock ‘n’ roll. And the songs were also easy to sing along to, with a real pop sensibility. Even though we all had different musical influences, all these elements were certainly part of the music we were listening to and what drew us together.

Q: You initially made a name for yourself in Sparta playing local venues throughout town. What were your favorite venues to play and are they still around? Do you ever go back there to play shows?

Coan: Krogh’s and Sheridan’s Lodge. No immediate plans, but we’ve been back to both. We do have a show coming up on Dec. 16 at the Newton Theatre.

Rymer: The Stanhope House, the legendary blues roadhouse. Those shows were always packed, sweaty and fun. During our early years, we played a weekly gig at Jiggs’s Musical Steakhouse in Butler. Those shows were wild and it was a great place to cut our teeth - build our fan base, try out new material, fall flat on our faces or raise the roof. We haven’t played the local smaller places in a while. Maybe it’s time ... .

Fitzsimmons: One of my favorites back then was the George Inn in McAfee. We’d pack 400 people into their big basement. It was one of those rooms where we just always had great shows. It was high energy, sometimes out of control and always fun. Lots of sweat and beer spilled on that floor and it was a beautiful thing!

It was also at a time when the band was really starting to hit its stride with our performances. It was a perfect room for us at the time. We recorded much of “Hick Pop” there.

Q: What was the feeling like coming from a small New Jersey town and making it as a band on RCA Records?

Coan: It was an honor to be signed to a major label.

Rymer: It did feel good, but you know, we did so much great work on our own before signing to the label (touring, releasing music, writing, developing a fan base) that it also felt like a natural next step. It was great to have their support at times, and we were able to do more touring and grow as a band.

Fitzsimmons: Yes, as Brady mentioned, so much of the work of building a national audience was already in the works before we signed. But it certainly did help notoriety by being able to say we were signed to a major label and to be billed as “RCA recording artists From Good Homes.”

Q: What was the biggest lesson you all learned from working with a label?

Coan: Have your management, a business plan and all your ducks in a row before you get there, so you can fully utilize the label for what it’s good at.

Rymer: Stick to your guns and do things how you want to do them. No one knows your music or your fan base like you do. The record company can help you get bigger but it’s not a magic bullet to success. You gotta put in the hours and the miles ... .

And when you’re out to dinner and someone says, “Hey, it’s on the record company,” remember, you’re the ones who are actually paying for it!

Fitzsimmons: Yes, exactly what Brady and Jamie said. If you don’t go in with a clear plan for your career, with someone who is capable of presenting that to the label and making it happen, you will be at the mercy of the powers that be that may or may not have any idea what to do with you.

Q: You guys have developed a very devoted fan base throughout the years, where even Grateful Dead fans would choose to follow From Good Homes instead of the Dead on tour. A fan base that is still growing with every reunion show. What do you think has made fans so connected to From Good Homes and its music?

Coan: It’s good groovin’ songs about relatable things played with real, live synergistic energy. Our shows are a big party for our fans. They leave feeling good!

Rymer: Yes, I agree - and each show is different. We change up the set lists for every show, adding old and new tunes to keep things fresh and surprising. Many of the shows feel like the band and audience are all going on a ride together - someplace new and completely in the moment. I know that I love that and I think the fans do too.

Fitzsimmons: I think our fans feel like they are on this ride with us, that we are in this together!

Q: Vic, since you toured with From Good Homes, what do you think makes the band so special?

Guadagno: The songs! They are 100 percent committed to creating great songs, and their style of crafting songs is very cool. They play for hours together and songs emerge, giving each person a particular voice. And their songs draw people together for incredible live performances with amazing energy. Their shows are packed with energy and emotion.

Q: The film was very well-crafted, especially focusing on their dedicated fan base. What about From Good Homes do you think has been drawing in a new and younger audience?

Guadagno: Thanks! Music brings people together, and good songs appeal to wide audiences. Their shows are so fun, that as younger people discover the body of work and the amazing live shows, they hop on board. It is a big musical family ... and it’s growing!

Q: What is your favorite part about your reunion shows? Has anything changed in the live shows from when you were first starting to now?

Coan: It’s great just to get together and practice, create and banter among close friends. The shows are the culmination of that synergy.

Rymer: Funny enough, I think we’ve gotten better as a band. There’s still such a strong natural connection between us - it’s honest, pure and in the moment. Always puts a smile on my face.

Fitzsimmons: Because it doesn’t happen that much it’s always a true reunion both with the band members and the fans. We make the most of our couple days of rehearsals and the shows. I think there is certainly more of a sense of savoring these rare opportunities to play together.

Q: Going back and watching “Charlie Loves Our Band,” does anything surprise you? Anything you forgot happened or any new memories resurface?

Coan: No real surprises. It’s good to revisit much of what was captured in the doc.

Rymer: We were playing and traveling so much; it went by in a blur ... . I don’t remember so much from those days, so it was amazing to see some of the footage. I didn’t realize how much Vic Guadagno was documenting along the way; what a beautiful gift to see all that now. And it is very moving to hear how meaningful the band and the music is to our fans to this day.

Fitzsimmons: Yes, this film by our old friend “Victa G” is certainly a treat and a great gift to the band and our fans. He was the perfect person to take it on, having known some of us from back in grade school. Seeing the film really did remind me of just how much we traveled and played and all the work we put into trying to make it work.

Q: Vic, what was the experience like first being From Good Homes’ tour manager, then changing roles to be the filmmaker?

Guadagno: When I worked with them as tour manager, I was shooting a lot of videos, so the roles overlapped.

I loved touring around with FGH back in the day. I loved their music and enjoyed spending time on the road - and how fun to be part of the party that’s rolling into town. Back then, I shot lots of video - on VHS. I was in the early days of my film-making career and didn’t really have any plan ... just to capture the moments. As a filmmaker, I often use FGH and Railroad Earth music. A few years ago, I got acquainted with Darren Jachts, who I know a little bit from back in the day. Turned out Darren had a home up here in Vermont where I live, and after many raucous late-night conversations, the film was born. Darren is the executive producer and made this film possible.

Q: What was it like being their tour manager? Do you have a favorite memory?

Guadagno: Certainly driving into New York City for gigs at CBGB’s or on Bleeker Street was a lot of fun. Bogies in Albany comes to mind, as Albany became “the gateway to the west,” as their Colorado tours somehow seemed to kick off with a show in Albany. And traveling to Colorado and connecting with old friends in the Rockies made for many great memories.

Q: What’s your favorite part about watching yourselves in the film?

Coan: The fact that it exists and all the memories. Thanks Vic and Darren.

Rymer: The old footage is amazing to see. I loved how much energy, fun and intensity there was during those times and during the live shows - with us and the fans. It was really something to see now - glad I was there ... .

Fitzsimmons: The fan interviews. I love how our story is really told by them. Very appropriate. Very FGH!

Q: Vic, what was your inspiration behind creating this film? Your favorite part of the film?

Guadagno: Having boxes of VHS tapes, which I carried around from state to state year to year like old journals, I figured would never see the light of day certainly helped with the motivation to make this film. I love this music, and I wanted the music to drive the story. I want the viewer to experience the songs and all the stories they tell.

My favorite part of the film is the section about their trips to Colorado. I asked my friend Brian Herndon to create a painting. I sent him a tape for inspiration and asked him to think about the band’s history, their trips west, etc. I loved bringing that painting together with old footage of their journeys west. Having Lo Faber of God Street Wine and Ryan Miller of Guster describe how bands of that time often did the same journey made that section really fun.

Q: Your last release was in 2019, but it seems that all members are still active musically. Do you see another record in the From Good Homes future?

Coan: Generally, yes. We have talked about it, and hopefully, that will come to fruition.

Rymer: I hope so! To carve out some time and do some jamming and writing would be great fun. I think there are still a bunch of songs and beautiful music in us, and I still think we have more to say as a band.

Fitzsimmons: Yes, I think it’s gonna happen.

Having the five of us living in four different states up and down the East Coast, all with our own busy schedules, makes it hard to carve out the time but I know we all want to make it happen.