Roll of the Dice: 11 questions with Fred Mascherino

Roll of the Dice is a short interview format with a variable amount of questions. A pair of dice is rolled and the total, between 2 and 12, is the amount of questions we can ask. All questions are given to the interviewee(s) at once, and no follow-ups are allowed. The interview may be lightly edited for content and clarity.

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Scene legend Fred Mascherino, of The Color Fred, Taking Back Sunday, Terrible Things and Breaking Pangaea fame, has announced a new record, reimagining some of his own classic tracks. To celebrate the upcoming release, Fred has joined TGEFM to roll the dice and discuss what was going to lead to this Reinventions EP, working with young acts on his Heading East Records label and keeping the bar high for his music.

Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview! You are gearing up for a new record in the coming months, recreating some of your past work. What was going on that made you decide on redeveloping these songs?

Thanks for having me!  I was going on an acoustic tour last Fall and I wanted to play songs people know me for.  There were certain ones that were translating really well to acoustic so I thought it’d be cool to record them. 

What was different going into the studio this time?

I produce bands these days but it’s always more challenging producing your own music.  I like having that outside perspective and collaborating, so Steve Angello, who plays guitar with Color Fred, mixed the songs and helped me with the process.

Did you set out with a mission statement for this record?

Yes.  I thought, “this will be really quick, I’ll just put up some mics and play acoustic”.  But of course, if you hear the songs I’ve put out.  I couldn’t help adding all kinds of piano, synth, programmed beats and harmonies.  So, it quickly became more involved than the original plan.

You have been part of such influential acts that mean so much to so many of us.  Does the high bar you’ve set for yourself in the past help, hinder or affect your creativity today and to what extent?

I appreciate that, and it never really leaves my mind… my goal is always to put out music that keeps hitting that bar.  I drive my mixers crazy, and they think I’m picky and probably crazy.  But I don’t see it as hindering because if people expect a certain thing from me, it’s important to me to get it there.

You’ve been a staple of this scene for a while, what is your biggest regret? A gig you turned down, advice you didn’t take, what one thing do you wish you handled differently as a musician?

Honestly, not many regrets.  In 2011, Terrible Things was offered a tour with Biffy Clyro and we didn’t take it because of a conflict.  Being big fans of theirs, we should’ve done that tour!  There’s a few little things like that where I might have missed out.  But so many good things have happened over the years that I feel really good about where I’m at today.  I’m still on the road and still making music.

What pieces of advice do you have for the up and coming acts on your label, Heading East?

You don’t really know what your success will look like or how it will come.  The important thing is to keep consistently doing the thing you do.  I believe that work will eventually carve out your success.  For example, I had no idea I would join Taking Back Sunday someday when I was playing in my own band, but our band, Breaking Pangaea, was always out playing, meeting other bands.  And that can lead to the next thing.  The music scene is smaller than you think.  Everyone eventually meets everyone.  It’s one of my favorite things about it.

What’s the state of the live scene from your point of view?  We are living in a “just deal with COVID” world and everything about this timeline is some level of completely fucked.  What impact, if any, do the current cultural and political landscapes have on you, both personally and in your music?

That’s the main reason I started the record label.  I wanted to offer what tools I have to the younger generation.  I saw a lot of small clubs close down over the last few years and it’s sad, but also, a lot of people are going to big shows these days (Taylor Swift, When We Were Young etc…)  How do we get people coming out to the smaller shows?  We’re trying to do it by having our bands promote each other.  I only sign bands I think are really special so I hope people will start to trust that.  There are always reasons to be discouraged but we have to keep going.  There are always success stories.

Between the In the Shed with Fred series, hanging around after a set or even just agreeing to an interview like this with our little site, you’ve always been respected for your willingness to connect with the fans.  That’s not something all artists have the time or inclination to do.  What is it that makes you want to be so accessible for the fans of your music?  Can we expect more fan collabs, like you did on “Future Past” in the future?

Anyone that appreciates the music I make, those people are directly the reason I’m able to keep doing it.  So, I’ll always be available when I can be.  I also really enjoy connecting with people and I feel that can be the best part of life.  So, of course, collaborating on music like we did on my song “Future Past”, that was all of those things combined.  It’s still one of my favorite songs I’ve ever done.

I know you had your daughter Evie join you on the “Everwrite” single. Is there any interest for her or your other children to join the family business?  How do you balance the family man side of things with the touring musician aspect?

Yes, Evie Jane did such a great job singing on that song!  My other daughter, Lily, releases music as Lilito.  She has an album and some other singles out on our record label.  My son played drums on some of her songs.  I think they’ll do their art differently than I did but I’m so proud of all 3 of them.  I’ve been touring since before I had kids so it’s always been that I’m away for weeks.  But then when I get back, we catch up.  We have to make a point to hang out extra when we can.

What have been some of the most memorable moments or experiences with the band so far? What’s been the most unexpected? The weirdest?

I really enjoyed last Fall when I just threw my guitar in my car and started driving.  I’m currently on a bus tour with Say Anything.  The shows are amazing, but from an experience perspective, bus tours tend to insulate you from seeing too much outside of the venues.  When you’re on a van or car tour, you drive past every sight, and if you want to see it, you just pull over and check it out.  I really love driving cross-country.  There’s so much weirdness to see.  Every corner has it’s different climate, culture and just all-around vibe.  

One of our obligatory questions in these interviews also tends to be the one I have found most important on a personal level. Who are some bands on your radar that TGEFM readers may not know about, but you think they should?

I just produced a band from the west coast called Like Roses that are currently killing it.  I’d love it if you checked out all the Heading East Records bands, Mighty Tortuga, Amora, My Cousin’s Girlfriend’s House, Lilito, Sleep Cycles and Oceans in the Sky.

Beyond the Reinventions EP, what’s next for you, in this or any other projects?

I have an Emo Night tour that I’m doing this Summer where I’ll also play acoustic.  I have more plans for more ‘In the Shed with Fred’ videos and I’ll eventually record these louder rock songs I’ve been writing lately.

Was there anything I missed that you’d like to share or dive deeper into with our readers?

I’m currently on tour playing guitar for Say Anything so if anyone is coming out to their tours, please come say hello!  Anything else I’m playing is always on my site.