Joules

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Joules is a power trio out of cocoa beach, Florida. We make genre defying sounds from the soul. The suicide of our mate, Sam, inspired the tribal, primal force of this song. We tried to capture the pain of those left behind by the senselessness of it all. Very potent lyrics tell the story of all the crazy shit that people do to forget.We shot a video for this song with all our friends as actors. We have all been affected by this thing.We decided to release the song on valentine’s day (a corporate holiday designed to make sad people sadder) because we’re into irony..This song has a real message, please make sure to listen past the long intro, it is there to set up the right mood. Sorry, corporate soul thieves,we do things differently in this band, we are tired of the same old!

Bass and Vocals: Joules
Drums: P.J. Trofibio
Guitar and Vocals: Marvin Parish

Dan Locke: What was your up bring?

Joules: My parents were divorced when i was very young….i started to play the piano at 6, right when there was a lot of tension in my family life. I loved to perform and played piano for people all the time as a little kid. I started writing music on keyboard when i was 13. i still remember some of those tunes…

How did you discover music?

I have a brother who’s 8 years older than me. He was always playing classic rock, The Who, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones. My dad always played great music, too. Blood, Sweat and Tears, Chicago, Ella Fitzgerald…when i began to buy records it was mainly chick singer/songwriters….i was around 10 when i began my collection…Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, Janis Joplin…but when Heart came out I really took notice.

What made you pick up the bass?

I’d been playing in bands as a keyboard/singer. We could never find bass players that played the BASS. They all seemed like frustrated guitar players, playing too much and never just laying it down. I decided I could do a better job, and quit hauling around some heavy ass keyboards as well!!

How are some of you bass heroes?

I don’t really have any. I just play bass in a utilitarian fashion…in support of the song and the groove. I also write all my tunes on bass. It changed my writing style a lot when i switched instruments…maybe Flea, and any good, solid funk players.

Why did you go to the Berklee College of Music?

So i could meet a bunch of like minded humans and play a shit ton of music. It worked!!

Since you went to Berklee I am going to name some people who also went to Berklee. I would like you to say something about each if you can.
Bruce Cockburn
Paula Cole
Al Di Meola
Melissa Etheridge
Donald Fagen
Rachelle Ferrell
Melissa Ferrick
Jan Hammer
Juliana Hatfield
Quincy Jones
St. Vincent
Susan Tedeschi

I spent my time there playing in as many ensembles as i could and just writing a ton of music to be performed. Didn’t notice any of the people you mentioned while i was there…..can’t really comment about people i don’t know. As musicians, i guess they are a fine bunch….only Quincy Jones really sticks out as someone who had any influence on me…

Tell me about your first band?

Julie and The Flashers. We were a 5 piece band and played nothing but my material. This was while I was in Boston at Berklee. My boyfriend was the sax player…..wish i could say that was the last time i played in a band with my boyfriend…

What happen to Outside In?

Another band that played all my material….very short lived, but one of the guys had enough juice to actually make us a facebook page….Much more important and influential bands that i played in were mostly in south florida…Zen Dog, Darkside…

How many bands do you currently play in?

Right now I play with my own trio, :Joules” and an awesome 6 piece group called “Honey Miller”. Joules does all my material and I share songwriting duties in Honey Miller with two other awesome songwriters…I also play with a local blues musician named Georgia Randall and a 6 piece 80’s cover band called “Time Machine”.

How is Coconut Grove for live music?

great for live music, not as great for all original bands….just like just about everywhere…

Tell me about your band Joules. How did you get it together?

We moved to Cocoa Beach a while ago, and i Just met some really great musicians here…started off with my friend P.J. on drums, and then I met Marvin through the guys in Honey Miller and started jamming with him in the studio. P.J. has recently become too busy with his other noise band, Beneath the Bell, so i asked my buddy Mike Elliott to join. I met him in an 80’s cover band we play in together. Marvin is commuting between Indiana and here for family, so we added Wayne Lizardi on guitar last month. He is amazing and it has been working out brilliantly!

How has your husband help your band to become known?

He is a producer and recording engineer. He does not do any PR work for us, not directly involved with getting us “known”…just lends his amazing ears to our session and makes sure that we sound our best in the studio. He is always there with advice and ideas to move things forward….he also just finished building us a tracking room on our property, so we can now record drums here as well…

How was it to be added to the WKQK radio 1300 play list?

It is always great fun to hear your own songs on the radio!!

What is your annual Christmas Tree and Fireworks ritual?

It’s a New England thing…you really only do it in places where it gets cold….On New year’s eve, as soon as it gets dark, everyone gathers and makes a bonfire of their christmas trees and shoots off fireworks. Then we set up and play music….LOUD!!

In your song “Heroes”, who would you like to seat down and talk to or to perform with?

still living….Joni Mitchell, Todd Rundgren, Patti Smith, David Byrne
Gone but still admired….John lennon, Jimi Hendrix, and Prince (but I’m not sure how much talking we would do….)

What is the largest crowd you had play in front of?

I do what I do no matter who is there. If I can make just one new fan, i am happy. I give it all everytime i play music. We did Sunfest a few times, Played at the old Bayfront Auditorium….there were a lot of people there. The old Club Nu on Miami beach had some very large crowds…opened for some bigger bands in New England in front of a couple hundred people.

Who is your favorite painter?

so many….renoir, matisse, O’Keefe, Dali, Gauguin, pretty heavy on the impressionists, but…

Did you get a chance to see any music in Russia?

Just street performers and some symphonic stuff. It was hard to find any “nightclubs” there….everything is still seems very secretive and difficult….

What is you’re feeling about Global Warming?

don’t ask….i’d be happy to sacrifice half the human race (including myself) to save Mother Earth and her other inhabitants…we are a selfish pestilence on her body….glad you asked??

Tell me about Surting Santas?

I’ve played for that event for the last 3 or 4 years….with various configurations of other musicians. At first, it was with my friend, the lovely Anna Lusk who wrote and performed a few songs for the event. Early On Christmas Eve morning, we gather on Cocoa Beach and a couple hundred guys and gals in Santa suits paddle out to get some waves. There is a big stage set up and we play music, do hula dances and have costume contests. it is mad fun!!

How do you see the band in five years?

Touring and playing all over the place to support this record that we are almost done with (13 tunes…..that’s a lot!)….crowds singing my songs along with me….but no midnight shows, please….i need my sleep!!

Anything you like to close with?