A Dirty Dozen with MARK PRUDEAUX and ADAM PONCE from CARRY-ON BAND – AUGUST 2024
According to a recent press release: “Rock rolls with the changes, and at a time of losing so many of our music heroes, it’s important that the sound and movement they started carries on. This statement is true in general but of significant importance to Carry-On Band. The group was originally formed after the deaths of a few musicians in their immediate community but carries on with the three remaining permanent members: Pete Sarenana, Adam Ponce, and Mark Prudeaux. These three members were awarded national recognition for outstanding and invaluable service to the community by the United States Congress on April 2nd 2011 in acknowledgment of their performances and contributions to various charitable events. They have since been joined by additional members Ruben Reza, Ray Kobeski, and Ernest Tibbs (From Simon Phillips’ Protocol).” We get Adam and Mark to discuss new music, influences, and more.
1. Tell us a little about your latest release and the first single Three and A Half Minutes. What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through? Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?
Mark: I don’t know maybe that we went 4 seconds over our time limit. One recording of the song actually was exactly 3:30 but after several revisions of the song somehow 4 seconds got added. Here’s a little nugget, the hand clap track is actually Simon Phillips, with Adam Ponce and myself. That was actually Simon’s idea.
2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?
Mark: I can’t remember a time that I wasn’t thinking about being a musician.
Adam: I got into music because of my dad, He played guitar and always had music on at home. There was always a rehearsal, session, or gig to go to. My dad was a very important part of my music progress. Constant practice and he had me listening to as many other drummers and styles as possible. At first I thought this was too much, but as the months and years went by, I came to appreciate what would become my full-time career! I understood that it doesn’t just come, hard work and endless dedication is what it would take!. Since then Ive worked as hard as possible to keep myself in playing shape!
3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste? How did you meet Roy Z and Simon Phillips?
Mark: The first singer that I tried to emulate was Lenny Williams. He was the lead singer for Tower of Power. The first song that I ever sang professionally was This Time it’s Real from Tower of Power when I was 14. I know, not exactly a rock origins story. It’s been a winding road. Ironically, The first time I met Roy Z was at a gig in Sylmar with some mutual friends. I sat in with the band and sang a Tower of Power song, What is Hip. I met Roy afterwards and he complimented me on the song. I met Simon years later through Adam.
Adam: As far as I can remember, for me seeing Toto live was always a standard on how its done! I was always amazed at how good they sounded! I first met Roy Z while in high school. He went to a gig I was playing with a metal band. Wasn’t my strong suit, but I was filling in on a last minute cancellation from the original drummer. I had heard of Roy before, but this was our first meeting. It wasn’t until some 12-13 years later I would join his ‘Tribe of Gypsies’ band and head over to Germany for the ‘Rock of Ages’ festival. The band lasted a few years but has since been put on hold due to everyone’s schedules. We still keep in touch, every now and then there’s a project we get to work on together so that’s always very cool! I first met Simon officially at his Drum Masterclass in 2013. I had met him before at Toto concerts, but never this close and never had the ability to sit and talk with him like this! After the masterclass I stayed behind and asked him a few questions, we had a mutual friend that he had already been texting before this class even started so I already had a bit of an “in” with him! Ha Ha! Before leaving I asked Simon about his engineering/ producing services and he said ‘ send me an email, I’ll get back to you!’, and just like that a couple years later Simon got back to me!! Mark and I drove out to his studio to deliver a hard drive and much to our amazement Simon answered the door!! I’m not sure I said much, you’d have to ask Mark what happened after that!
Mark: I’ve actually got a video from my phone of that first meeting somewhere. So if you want Adam, we can jump in the wayback machine and find out what happened after that.
Adam: Next we started the drum tracking sessions for this record and quite possibly the most frightening, nervous, small person feeling Ive ever had! I spent 4 days playing my heart out for my drum idol and kept thinking this isn’t happening! From then on I started working with Simon regularly as his drum tech, a job that has brought so much joy and gratitude!
4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?
Adam: One collaborator or collaborators outside of working with Simon would have to be either David Paich, Steve Lukather or Steve Porcaro. These guys are the ‘it’ musicians’ for me! Writing the material they have and playing on as many albums, either together or separately, is something I’m sure most musicians can only dream of. They obviously did something right and to have just a shred of that is gotta be awesome!
Mark: For me I guess it would be Dave Grohl. I saw Nirvana as was a welcome change in the music scene when they came about. And watching Dave acclimate to the changes in his life from there to here and express it through his music with hit after hit all the while celebrating others along the way gives me great admiration for him. I feel that I would enjoy being a part of that expression and collaboration.
5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour? What do you like to do to unwind?
Mark: Fortunately for me I have a second career as an illustrator. So if I’m not in the recording studio or playing live I’m in my art studio drawing painting of some other form of creativity. I’ve worked for years with the big animation studios as well as comic books, apparel and other consumer products. I do like to get outside in nature every now and then to clear my head and find new inspiration.
6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?
Mark: Guitar and drum driven rock riffs with aggressive melodic vocals. Some pop influence and some odd meter/progressive sections. Kind of a music stew. I can’t stand it when it’s referred to as classic rock. I understand that sometimes it has a bit of a retro vibe, that is intentional, But I think of it more as resurgent rock than classic rock.
7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?
Mark: When we’re hanging it’s usually in the recording studio working on songs or listening to old recordings or watching videos. None of us really drink anymore except water and we rarely eat together either. But there have been times in the summer when Pete’s wife Kathy will bring a bowl of cut up watermelon for us to snack on.
8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?
Mark: I don’t think I’ve ever been starstruck. That being said I am highly appreciative of the talents and bodies of work from many artist. Mick Jagger’s ability to continue performing at a level higher than most half his age continues impressive to me. I know what starstruck looks like though. I saw it on Adam’s face the first time we went to Simon’s studio.
9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?
Mark: I suppose I would just designate more time to the visual arts. Drawing and painting. And if I couldn’t do that I think I would like to be the grounds keeper for a botanical garden in a rainforest somewhere. That sounds nice.
10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?
Mark: I’ll answer these in reverse order. I’m tired of being asked who we sound like. I don’t know. I mostly make it up every time. Just kinda pulling name out of the air and hoping they fit. On the question I’ve wanted to be asked, i suppose it would be something along the line of which drives you more? Competition or collaboration? The answer would be collaboration. I really don’t like competition. But collaboration is actually harder because you have to make room for ideas that you may not understand or even like at first. When you do you grow into new areas of imagination and creation that you previously had no access to. With competition you can never really win. There will always be someone better and with the creative arts it’s all subjective anyway.
11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?
Mark: Probably. I don’t think about it much though. I’ve had so many opportunities in my career and need to devote my time to the appreciation of that. I believe that your life goes in the direction that you look. If you look backward you’ll go backward. I want these opportunities to keep coming so I’m going to focus on them with gratitude.
12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?
Mark: Wow! That’s a fun question. Off the top of my head I think it would be the final Police album, Synchronicity. That way maybe I could convince those idiots to get along and keep making records together. The music of the Police was a big influence on my taste in music. Then again it might have been the friction between them that created the subtle alchemy in which their music was spawn.
Adam: Toto IV and Steely Dan’s Aja sessions!
CARRY-ON BAND LINKS:
Some other stuff you might dig
Category: Interviews
Thanks for the article Todd. I can relate to your profile description. Rockstar is my favorite game to play. It’s great when we get to meet people whose work we admire. Either in music or art. Would love to see some of you photography. Maybe one day Carry-On Band will have the pleasure of being in the lens of your camera. By the way my girlfriend is a rocking accountant as well so I have a deep appreciation for the skill. You tend to be very accountable.