List your band members and the instruments that they play.
Peter Vullo – guitar, vocals
Casey Mullaney – bass
Jannell – drums
What is the name of your group?
I Was The Scarecrow
How did the name of the band come about? When did it form?
Peter Vullo: The stories vary, but the one works best took place on a Halloween night many years ago.
Where are you from originally? If not from Buffalo, why are you here?
PV: I’m from Buffalo. Casey’s from Gouverneur NY, and Jannell was born in Puerto Rico and raised Buffalo.
What’s it like to perform in front of a crowd? Give me three words.
PV: Wild. Cathartic. Loud.
When and why did you start playing?
PV: The band as it is currently, started early on in 2013. I was looking to change my style of music and ended up finding two phenomenal friends and musicians in Casey and Jannell.
What was the first tune that you remember “really” playing well, when you knew that you would be a musician?
PV: Once writing songs became a more collaborative effort, I got hooked on it. With the help of my bandmates, the songs became more fleshed-out and surprising. The three of us all agreed “First Church of the Coast United” was the song we needed to lead our album, Death To Self, with and the sort of direction we’d like to go in for the future.
Describe your voice/instrument.
PV: My voice has been called many things, but raspy and its synonyms are used most often. As for guitar, I like to play power chords. I believe in them.
How would you describe your music style? Influences?
PV: I would say that our music is generally grunge, with shades of punk and hints of something heavier. The three of us listen to differing styles of music. Personally, I’m influences by the great singer/songwriters: Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Tom Waits, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, Elliott Smith, and Elvis Costello.
Did music come naturally to you? Or were you driven to learn and play/sing? What sparked the passion? Do you come from a musical family?
PV: Music is something I’ve been experimenting with since high school. My dad bought me an electric guitar and an amp, and then later on an acoustic guitar. The acoustic guitar inspired me to start writing and singing my own songs. I love playing guitar. It’s something I enjoy doing with or without being active in a band.
I do not come from a musical family, although my mom does like to sing from time to time.
Are you schooled in music? From where?
PV: I am not a trained musician at all, nor is anyone else in the band. We like it that way.
Which famous musician(s) do you admire?
PV: The musicians I admire are the same that influence me. In terms of current bands, I enjoy The National, Spoon, Arcade Fire, The Hold Steady, Damien Jurado, Dr. Dog, Langhorne & The Law, Purity Ring, Joe Pug, Metric, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sharon Van Etten, and Ryan Adams among many others. I also love David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and The Cure.
Where is your favorite place to play/sing in Buffalo? Where would you most like to play/sing in Buffalo?
PV: I used to love playing at what was once Nobody’s, and then became Filigree’s. It’s a very nurturing, supporting venue for local artists. The Vault was great. I would’ve loved to have played Mohawk Place. I’d love to play the Town Ballroom someday. I’ve seen a lot of great shows there.
What’s your day job?
PV: I work at an art house movie theater, Casey is in insurance claims, and Jannell works at a local brewery and does catering.
What was the last live music performance that you caught? What was the best show you ever caught? What was the show that got away – the one that you never got to see?
PV: I last show I went to was The Hold Steady’s free concert at Canalside over the summer. Some of the best shows I’ve been to were Langhorne Slim & The Law at The Tralf last fall, a pair of times I saw The Felice Brothers at Mohawk Place, and Justin Townes Earle at Mohawk a couple years ago.
Do you play/sing covers or all originals? Ar a combination of both?
PV: We play nearly all originals, although we’ve dabbled with a cover here and there.
If you could play/sing for one famous person (alive or dead), who would that be?
PV: That would probably be Johnny Cash for me.
If you could play/sing with one famous band (any time in history), what would that band be?
PV: I would’ve loved to been on tour with Bob Dylan in ‘65/’66 when he went electric, especially on the night an audience member yelled “Judas!” at him.
What are your strengths?
PV: Our live show has been described as intense. It’s raw, never boring/no bullshit and somewhat frightening. I get into it. No neon lights. No smoke machine. Just three dudes with instruments who love what they’re doing and mean it.
What are your weaknesses?
PV: I have to take off my glasses before I play live because they fly off my face when I move around too much, which I’m known to do. A guitar in my hands does something powerful to me…but mostly it just makes me blind.
Do you have a label? A recording studio? Have you recorded a CD?
PV: We’ve just released a brand new album called Death To Self. It’s available here.
Our first single is called “First Church of the Coast United.” We’ve made a video with Alex Penvose for the song which is here…
Our music video was directed by Alex Penvose.
Where and when is your next gig(s) in the city?
PV: To celebrate the release of Death To Self, we’ll be playing Spiral Scratch Records (291 Bryant St) on Saturday, November 23 with All Of Them Witches and Noah Gokey & The Skulls. The show starts at 6pm and costs $5 at the door.
Anything else?
PV: Thank you for reading and we hope you pick up and enjoy a copy of Death To Self!
Here are all of our pertinent links:
Photos are by Joed Viera.
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