THE
WAiT iS OVER!
MEGAN BOBO AND THE RAMOS BROTHERS
OF
NEVERWONDER
TALK TO
ROCKWiRED
ABOUT
THEiR NEW CD LET iT OUT
EMBRACiNG
CHANGE,
AND
MAKiNG MUSiC THAT MATTERS
FEBRUARY
10, 2010
iNTERViEWED
BY BRiAN LUSH
It
was only a matter
of time before I came around to missing
the Southern half of California.
Sure, a staggering unemployment rate and an economy in the toilet has
tarnished
the Golden State’s once shining reputation, but that was where
ROCKWIRED got its
start and hanging out with friends on Sunset Boulevard and attending
parties at
the KEY CLUB were a blast. Coinciding with this publication’s fifth
year
anniversary is the return of one of the first bands to ever come our
way –
NEVERWONDER. In late 2005, NEVERWONDER reminded me of why I chose this
business
with the release of their raucous self-titled debut. They were just the
sort of
rock darlings that you knew had something special with their rock n
groove
approach. Then-lead singer JOY PEARSON’s gravelly purr could match PAT
BENATAR
snarl for snarl any day of the week. Working around JOY was the raw
power chord
assault of ax-man FLINT MAVIS and that ever-so-reliable and undeniably
funky-ass rhythm section provided by the brothers RAMOS – VINCENT on
bass and
DRE on drums. Response
to the band in Southern California
and beyond was immediate and intense
as the band tore through melodic pop rock odes to love and life gone
wrong.
Industry awards from publications such as ALL ACCESS, MUSIC CONNECTION
and us
of course were hard won and well deserved. Things were on the up and up
until
lead singer JOY PEARSON stepped away to pursue a solo career. Nine times out ten, that
would’ve been it, but
the RAMOS brothers – being the committed rhythm section that they have
been
since birth – weren’t about to abandon ship.
In
fairly short order, NEVERWONDER recruited a new singer –
a girl from Iowa
and a former AMERICAN IDOL contestant by the name of MEGAN BOBO. The young sprite of a
chanteuse with huge doe eyes
and wild, blonde, curly locks has a voice bigger than the Los Angeles
Metropolitan
area and that voice proves to be the perfect vessel for the RAMOS
brothers and
new guitarist SCOTT RAMSEY to build a brand new sound around. After
three years
of toiling in the studio amid line up changes and financial hardship,
NEVERWONDER has done what they have always managed to do – come out
winners. This
time they have done so with a brand new album ‘LET IT OUT’ and a whole
new
lease on life. The first time around, NEVERWONDER was an exercise in
power
chords and feminine fury. With LET IT OUT, proudly displays a pop
sensibility
that was noticeably absent the first time around. Now, the RAMOS
brothers have abandoned
four-to-the-floor rock n roll in favor of getting a groove on. SCOTT
RAMSEY’s
guitar is indeed present but works as a means of giving BOBO’s
butterscotch vocals
room to swirl.
ROCKWIRED
couldn’t get on the phone fast when receiving word
of the release of ‘LET IT OUT’. I first spoke with MEGAN BOBO over the
phone.
Here is how it went.
This CD is a long
time in the making. How do you feel about the finished work?
MEGAN BOBO: I’m
definitely excited about it. It has been about two and a half years
now. It has
been a lot of hard work and when you know that it’s time, it’s time.
There is
no surprise and there is no big anticipation just because you’ve
prepared for
it so much. Now, it’s time for everybody else to like it and hear it.
That’s
how I feel about it. There are mixed emotions. There is excitement and
then
it’s like ‘Duh! It was going to happen!’ It’s definitely an overall
good
feeling.
You and the rest of
the band come from completely different places when it comes to music.
The
RAMOS brothers are really rock n roll and you’ve got more of an
R&B, pop
sensibility that the former singer didn’t quite have. How easy or
difficult was
that to balance in working together?
MEGAN BOBO:
Nothing is ever easy when you get more than one opinion or a bunch of
musicians
in one room. I would never use the word easy because when you are
writing an
album – especially a seventeen track album – you are writing that much
music
together collaboratively. We’ve got different opinions along with
different
genres and different styles but overall at the end of the day, we came
to the
mutual understanding that the vocals have to be the best sounding that
they can
be. When people listen to music, they listen to the vocals and the
melody line.
If we are going to be a pop or popular band, that is essential to our
songwriting. It all came down to what sound my voice sounded the best
in
singing so we worked around our differences that way. I think it’s
great that
we’re not in that regimented indie rock sound. I think it’s great that
we’re
trying to be mainstream and get our music out there as much as
possible.
And that has been
the
biggest surprise for me as a listener. In the beginning, NEVERWONDER
was this
gritty rock band and now you guys are this excellent pop band.
Everything is
constructed around the singer. Do you agree with that or no?
MEGAN BOBO: Yes.
Coming from when you first met me three years ago after having done
AMERICAN
IDOL, there was obviously a platform and a foundation there – this
alternative
rock sound. We came to a mutual understanding as a band, after we
brought in
the new guitar player and after we sat down and tried to write songs
that the
music needs to have room for the vocals. Before that, the vocals
weren’t being
showcased the way that they could’ve been. That was a goal of ours – to
definitely showcase the vocals and we’ve definitely done that on this
album.
Talk about how
music
began for you as an individual.
MEGAN BOBO: That’s
kind of a difficult question because it’s not like a moment that
happened in
one day. It was a combination of different things. When I was a kid I
loved to
sing and I was always in choirs. It was the AMERICAN IDOL experience
that
really reassured me. It validated everything that I felt I was capable
of doing
and that I could make it on a mainstream level as a singer and an
entertainer.
That was when I took it more seriously and really wanted to work on my
gift and
get up there with some of those other big names. So that was pretty
much where
it started.
Did you ever
imagine
yourself within the construct of a band or did you always see yourself
as the
“diva” for the lack of a better word.
MEGAN BOBO: I
don’t think that the two things are mutually exclusive. I definitely
think that
they can go hand in hand with the right people and the right
personalities.
Overall, looking at the big scheme of things, a vocalist focuses on the
vocals
and on their singing part and each musician focuses on their instrument
but at
the end of the day, it highlights the singing and I think that all of
the personalities
within the band can acknowledge that because there isn’t that “diva”
personality there. There doesn’t need to be because there is no need to
overshadow or to involve egos. We agreed as a band to have the vocals
showcased, so I don’t look at it like two separate entities – a diva
versus a
band – because BEYONCE has a band and TINA TURNER has a band. Look at
the BLACK
EYED PEAS and FERGIE! They’re a band. Same with NO DOUBT and GWEN
STEFANI. I
don’t see them as divas. I consider them a part of a band. I think you
can have
the best of both worlds, definitely.
Talk about each of
the members of the band. What do you think each of them brings to the
table
that makes it all work?
MEGAN BOBO: SCOTT
RAMSEY is our new guitar player. He is very similar in personality to
VINCE in
that they are both leaders and are both very focused and are both used
to being
in charge in some sense of management or knowing how to guide people.
SCOTT has
been able to find his role in the band and be able to work well with
someone
else like him. Now, the band doesn’t have just one person that is the
main
leader. We have two people that can lead. That’s not to say that DRE
and I
don’t lead. SCOTT knows how to sit back and he knows how to take
charge. VINCE
brings a lot to the table. He can build connections and can talk to
anybody. He
has a business sense but at the same time, has a fun sense, which is
essential
for getting anything done in a band. DRE’s personality is really
important too
because he’s got a lot of humor and he’s really laid back. He can
always see
the positive in things which is really good. My personality is wanting
to take
things seriously but at the same time I want to enjoy every moment of
it.
Overall, the four of us do well together.
Explain the
songwriting process within the band.
MEGAN BOBO: Predominantly,
we do things together. The musical arrangement and the structure starts
from
either a riff or a vocal melody or a drum beat. That is how it goes. We
record
what’s in the room and then we work on it. Once we get the verse and
the chorus
and the bridge structure, then you’ve got yourself a song and we
perfect it
from there. I do all of the lyrical writing and the melody lines and
the guys
do all of the musical arrangements and all of the other key essential
parts for
the song. Together, we get some songs.
In terms of being
the
lyricist for the band, was that something you always did, or was that
something
that came as a result of being in NEVERWONDER?
MEGAN BOBO: It’s
definitely from NEVERWONDER. I walked into it not having any kind of
band
experience. I noticed that all of the lyrics on the first album were
written by
JOY PEARSON as well as the melody. It was a responsibility of the
vocalist so I
learned and I liked to do it. It became something that was my thing. Just like I wouldn’t tell
a bass player how
to play his part, he wouldn’t tell me how to sing a line. In this band,
you
have your own little roles and responsibilities.
It had to be
fascinating to be able to tap into that gift for the very first time.
Was it or
was it not?
MEGAN BOBO: I
don’t know if fascinating is the word. It’s more a thing about learning
the
structure and learning the formula and having different things to talk
about.
It’s like I can talk and you can hear me talk and I have a story to
tell. I’ve
listened to music my whole life. It just comes natural and it just
becomes
easier. It’s just a matter of getting the formula down.
With that being
said,
what do you think inspires your songwriting?
MEGAN BOBO: It’s interesting
because I think I write differently from a lot of other songwriters. A
lot of
songwriters have a book of lyrics and they can hear a song and go and
apply
some lyrics to that song. I’m different in that I’ve got to hear the
music
first. I need to feel the emotion. A certain guitar lick or a bass line
or a
drum beat creates a certain emotion and that ends up inspiring me on
what the
song is going to be about and what it makes me feel like. It can also
stem from
things that are going on in my own personal life that create that
emotion. That
is where I get my ideas. When I wrote some of these songs, I was
unemployed at
the time and when I sing it now, I can remember the feelings of how I
felt when
I wrote it. I’m not there now, but I can relate to how I felt at that
time.
When I sing the song ENOUGH, it’s so sad and heartfelt that when I sing
it, all
of those feelings come back.
What songs off of
this album resonate for you the most and why?
MEGAN BOBO:
ENOUGH is definitely one of the stronger ones. That ones is really
about being
unemployed and just worrying on a day to day basis that you have no
control
over what is going to happen tomorrow. People have no idea how much
money runs
their world until they have none and then you’re devastated. Simple
things like
not having enough money for gas to meet with the band and rehearse
become real
problems. I wasn’t going to rehearsal for two months because it was a
gallon of
gas that I couldn’t afford. Another song would be THE EDGE which is
essentially
about a family member. Everybody has that family member that just
struggles
consistently. No matter how much you help them they are just constantly
living
on the edge. They can’t make things better for themselves. There is
always some
kind of struggle or difficulty. That resonates with me because I have a
family
member that’s like that and you are just baffled by it. Why is this
person
always struggling? Why? The rest of the songs I think are happy. I hope
so.
How are live
shows
going at the moment?
MEGAN BOBO: We
haven’t really done any live shows for the past six months because for
the past
four months, we have been in the studio on a daily basis. We are
micromanaging
this thing to the tee. People have been waiting for this album for
years so we
want this to be perfect. We want this to be amazing and that’s what we
are
putting all of our effort and energy into at the moment. The live shows
are on
the backburner at the moment, but our CD release is this upcoming
Saturday.
Since joining
NEVERWONDER, what has been the biggest surprise for you?
MEGAN BOBO: The
willingness for each of the members to kind of step out of the genre of
rock and the
willingness to be open to
being mainstream and the willingness to be thought of a s a pop band.
VINCE and
DRE come from fifteen years of doing rock music so the willingness to
be open
minded and try new things and to really push this as far as we can is
surprising and good at the same time.
What would you
like
someone to come away with after they’ve heard this CD?
MEGAN BOBO: I
would really like for someone to come away thinking about how the music
made
them feel and what the words meant and how it applied to them. All too
often,
you hear songs, you repeat these stupid words and they mean nothing to
you. Or
you’ll remember the melody and it means nothing to you. It was either
really
cheesy, or it wasn’t really an instrument that was being played but a
processed
sound and it doesn’t create anymore thought other than on the surface.
It’s all
very superficial. I would like people to walk away from this CD
thinking we are
a band that puts a lot of thought into who they are, what they are and
what
they want and how they want their listener to feel. If they can just
walk away
thinking and feeling good, then that’s great.
(Moments later, I got a call from VINCENT
and DRE RAMOS, the rhythm
section and founders of NEVERWONDER. If any member or members could put
the
wild and winding history of NEVERWONDER into perspective, there is one
better than
these two who are quite
possibly the least complicated brother partnership in the annals of
rock music.
Here is how the interview went.)

NEVERWONDER is your
creation. What is your take on all of the twist and turns and line up
changes
that have happened in the past five years?
VINCE RAMOS: You
know, that’s a great question! Sometimes you have to go through a lot
of
changes to come up with a great ingredient and a great product. I’m
really proud
of the mix of people that we have right now such as MEGAN and SCOTT.
It’s been
a pleasure. It took a long time from the old NEVERWONDER to now. It is
what it
is. We’re excited about the new album and being able to push forward.
We took
the time that you have to spend in order to make a great album and
that’s what
we did. We weren’t going to settle by just putting anything out for the
sake of
it. This is what it is right now and we’re excited about it.
DRE RAMOS:
It’s
been a ride. After having such an awesome vocalist like JOY and the
type of
music that we were playing and then meeting another phenomenal singer
like
MEGAN and also having to mold ourselves into a different style of
playing was
kind of cool. We took this thing in a direction that we had always
wanted to
take NEVERWONDER in. Not just rock but a little more funkier and more
groove
and soul oriented – more than what NEVERWONDER ONE was. I think right
now,
we’ve got some stuff now that is gonna make your booty move. I think
it’s some
good stuff.
Me having the
hindsight that I have, hearing both NEVERWONDER MACH I and MACH II if
you will,
the approaches are obviously very different yet, it feels like the same
band
despite the line up changes.
VINCE RAMOS: It’s
great that you can hear that. You’ve listened intently to the band for
many,
many years and the rhythm section has a lot to do with it and the
thought
pattern of the guys behind it – that stuff was still there with MACH I
and was
probably hidden a little bit because the guitar was more upfront. It
was a
stronger guitar sound whereas now SCOTT is wrapping his guitar around
the bass
and the drums and vocals as opposed to being all upfront. Our intent on
this
album was to make MEGAN and the songs as best as they could be and not
over
shine and overplay. We wanted to make great, friendly, poppy songs with
hooks
all over. If it gets a little groove in, great! If it gets a little
acoustic,
great! We’ve got a song on this album where it’s just MEGAN on a piano.
It goes
from real groove, to real soft with a piano. MEGAN’s got a huge voice!
Her
voice is amazing! We’ve been lucky in our careers to have worked with
great
vocalists and to able to find one time and time again. It makes doing
this a
lot easier. It would be difficult if we had a bad vocalist.
The CD is just a
week
away. What’s all going through your head in anticipation of its release?
DRE RAMOS: I’m
anxious! I want everybody in the world to hear this thing. We put a lot
of work
into it. There are a lot of good songs on it and there are a lot of
great
ideas. To be honest with you, I think it’s some of the best stuff that
we’ve
ever put out. It’s where I want to be right now. A lot of times you
hear bands
say things like ‘What I was thinking didn’t come out on the CD! It was
kind of
like that in my head but it never really came out right.’ This album
sounds
even better than what was in my head. When we were writing these songs
I was
like ‘Okay, these are great ideas! Here it comes!’ and now it’s even
more than
I had actually anticipated. I’m really excited for everyone to really
check it
out.
VINCE RAMOS:
I
feel what DRE is saying. It’s the best that we’ve ever done
collectively as a
group and individually for sure. I’m really excited for the fans to
hear it and
I’m really excited for the old NEVERWONDER fans to hear it and the new
people.
I hope they understand that when you have a new vocalist, you gravitate
around
that vocalist and enhance their vocals instead of trying to push the
music
through them which may not be them. In that regard I know we’ve done a
good
job. We’re really excited about that. There’s no fear, no trepidation,
no ‘did
we do the right thing?’. We’re really pleased with the outcome and we
want
everyone to listen to it. We’re very proud of the product that is
coming out
and we believe that people are going to really like this.
In going back to
the
band’s shift from this gritty rock sound to this top-notch pop sound
you guys
have now, how easy was it to get everyone on the same page creatively?
VINCE RAMOS: It
was very easy for the most part. There was one hiccup in the road. In
the band
previous to NEVERWONDER, we were in a band that was groove-oriented and
that
band didn’t last. Groove is in our blood and in our soul so this is not
difficult at all. When we started auditioning a new lead singer to
replace JOY,
our guitarist at the time FLINT MAVIS was super onboard with bringing
MEGAN
into the band. He really took a leadership role with that and made sure
that
MEGAN was welcomed and wanted in the band. DRE and myself had a sit
down with FLINT
and said ‘Look
FLINT, our music is going to change. It’s not going to be as guitar
oriented
and super heavy.’ MEGAN’s voice is different from JOY’s and it’s
awesome and
it’s world-class. We’ve got to make sure that we surround it and we do
it
right. As we started writing songs and it became apparent that it was
working, FLINT
would sometimes
want to go in a more guitar rock direction which isn’t a bad thing.
We’re still
very good friends with FLINT.
He even appears on the album on some of the tracks. We had to make a
decision
that MEGAN was encapsulated with a great guitar player that fit her
voice and
SCOTT RAMSEY was that guy. FLINT
stepped back and stepped away which was the honorable thing to do and
it made
the band better. It’s not because he wasn’t a good guitar player. It
just works
better with SCOTT.
I remember
speaking
with SCOTT a while back and I remember that he was thinking along the
lines of
NIKKA COSTA in terms of how he wanted to bring MEGAN out vocally.
VINCE RAMOS: That
was the idea along with people like JOSS STONE and TAYLOR DAYNE –
something
high energy and groove oriented. I don’t know if we nailed that totally
but we
definitely nailed it to where people are moving and grooving and
feeling good
about the music. It’s a good time record: fun and exciting. There are
some slow
songs and life-altering songs but mostly it’s an upbeat record.
Talk about MEGAN
and
what she brings to the table that makes it work.
DRE RAMOS: As a
person, MEGAN is a fun person to be around. She’s cool to have drinks
with and
have dinner with. She’s the life of the party. She doesn’t like
negative
things. She’s a very positive person and she can handle criticism. Her
aura is
very positive. Vocally, what I think she’s brought to the table is
unbelievable. I’ve seen her in the studio after one take and you are
going
“wow”! She’s just an all out performer and knows how to prepare for
what she is
about to do.
VINCE RAMOS:
For
me, simply put, she is a professional. She understands what she wants.
Like DRE
says, she has a great personality and people are drawn to her and we as
friends
are close and that is the special part. We’re actually friends outside
of being
band mates. If she needs something, we’ll help her out or if we need
something,
she’ll help us out. We’re close in that way. It’s a family-oriented
type of
thing. She does not like negativity which is strange because a lot of
vocalists
thrive on negative energy so that they can write about those things -
not that
MEGAN can’t. I think she’d rather dwell on the good things in life
instead of
the bad things. That’s why the album turned out being up beat and fun.
She
wanted that and that is her personality shining through the album. This
is
MEGAN’s first full length album and instead of telling MEGAN what to
do, we
allowed MEGAN to be who she is. When we did that, it made us grow.
How about SCOTT
RAMSEY – your new guitar player?
VINCE RAMOS: The
thing about SCOTT is that he is a very professional musician. He
understands
the idiosyncrasies of being in a band. He’s really a great guitar
player and
knows how to fill the spot instead of overplaying. He’s a good person
and he
has a great heart and he really wants to be the best that he can be as
a person
and translate that into a band setting and not be an anchor. He’s just
a good
person overall. He writes good stuff and he understands the goal of the
band.
He fits in very well like a nice piece of machinery. We couldn’t have
gotten
anyone better.
DRE RAMOS:
He’s
complimented our sound. He’s a good guy and very mindful of things and
willing
to try different things. He never shuts any ideas down and is very
open-minded.
I’ve played with quite a few guitar players and he’s one of them that
is right
at the top. I can’t say anything bad about SCOTT.
VINCE RAMOS:
He’s
actually a phenomenal guitar player. When we mouth something, he’ll
play those
things when we’re like “play this” or “play that”. Some guitarists get
on their
high-horse and say ‘no’. They cop that attitude but SCOTT doesn’t. He
allows
each member to express their ideas through his guitar, which says a lot
about a
person.
What songs off of
this CD resonate for each of you the most and why?
VINCE RAMOS: In
the process of recording it, you didn’t know that some songs were going
to come
out as good as they did. As you’re writing and recording them, they
become your
favorite. HELP ME is the first single off of the album. We think that
it’s got
hooks all over it. It came out of a situation where DRE decided that he
wanted
to do a certain thing on the drums and that was how the idea was
spawned. We
all wrote it together. There is some real camaraderie on that song. It
was a
band building moment and it came out phenomenally. ENOUGH is a song
that was
built up from my bass line. It took a little bit of time to work and we
think
that it turned out really good. When we tested it live, people really
gravitated toward it. Because of the message and because of the time
ENOUGH is
a song at the right place and right time because of the economy. The
song is
about people losing their jobs and pushing through life. That song is
resonating with people right now. Let’s see how thing go in the next
month or
two.
DRE RAMOS:
The
song that gets to me is LET IT OUT. It’s got a great groove and it’s
got a
great bass line and the drums are pretty slapping. It’s got a really
cool vibe
and the vocals are great on it. It’s a really fun upbeat song. SPINNING
is
another one that has turned out better than I had actually thought.
Since starting
NEVERWONDER, what has surprised you guys the most? What didn’t you
expect?
VINCE RAMOS: You
always think that the music is good and you hope that everyone is going
to like
it and with the first NEVERWONDER, we got a good word out about the
band. All
of the press that we’ve garnered has just exceeded our expectations.
The press
from here to Europe is amazing and sometimes it feels weird to think
that all
of these people like what you’re doing and we’re just a band in L.A.
I know we’re doing
the right thing with this album. You want people to really like your
stuff but
when they really do like it, it blows you away.
DRE RAMOS: I
agree with what VINCE said. I’m not surprised by the response but I’m
surprised
by the amount of it and the amount of sales on the internet. I guess
ten years
ago I would have thought that the response wouldn’t be that big and
didn’t
think that the internet would be as powerful as it is now. Looking back
on it,
I was probably thinking like the record companies were.
What
would you like a
person to come away with after hearing LET IT OUT? Your first album in
four
years, I might add.
VINCE RAMOS: I
want them to walk away thinking ‘Damn! This independent band put a lot
of hart
and soul in their music and this is a kick ass record and they didn’t
cut any
corners. They played from their hearts and it’s a great, good time
album!’
DRE RAMOS:
I want
people to feel excited for the band. I want them to have good time with
the album
and I want them to share that album or a song with people and go ‘Check
this
band out! They’re great!’ Word of mouth is still the best kind of
promotion you
can get.