For some indie rock listeners, connecting with the music of an instrumental band can be challenging. Even at their zenith (e.g. Don Caballero, Godspeed! You Black Emperor), bands determined to move audiences by the sheer audacity of their, well, music alone can wear out their welcome. It just happens. Maybe it’s because the quiet/loud/quiet formula gets old? Maybe the human ear just yearns to connect with a human voice from time to time?

Whatever the reason, Maserati probably doesn’t care. Though they started out following the instrumental codes of post-rock, the band soon transformed into a futuristic groove-based instrumental act, and they remain that to this day — despite whatever changes in taste indie rock fans have gone through since their inception, and despite the infinitely more significant human tragedy that befell their former drummer.

On Nov. 8, 2009, Jerry Fuchs was pronounced dead. Early New York headlines detailed a story of a Brooklyn partygoer who fell down an elevator shaft after it gave way. Some reports said the person helped others out before he even attempted to jump. Within hours, Fuchs (also known for his wild percussion skills in !!! and Turing Machine) was identified.

Fuchs’ sudden death not only shocked friends, family members and fans all around the world, it also left the rest of Maserati’s members grief-stricken and conflicted. Earlier in 2009, the band had begun work on their fourth album, Pyramid of the Sun.

With the help of Zombi’s Steve Moore, the band finished the recordings that gave way to Pyramid of the Sun and the 10-inch single Pyramid of the Moon – a kind of light vs. dark undertaking. Using song sketches from Fuchs’ computer, all tracks were finished by asking “What would Jerry do?”

Maserati announced a tour in support of the newest release with Zombi’s kit man Tony Paterra filling the empty spot. On the final show of the first leg of the U.S. tour (a West Coast tour begins in April), I sat down with guitarist Coley Dennis, escaping the noise of the Atlanta bar — but not the cold. He somberly admitted that each show has come with hesitation and excitement, yet the unprecedented stoic performance given later that night oozed the same bittersweet feelings that marked the conversation.

Jerry was always the centerpiece of the stage with the lighted drum kit, and his commanding presence made him the frontman in a way. Did you have to plan a new stage set up?

We talked about that, quite at length about how we were going to approach the live set up once we knew Tony was coming aboard. We decided to change it slightly, setting it in a straight line almost. A friend of mine loaned us his all clear vista-like kit, and we’re doing different lights. So we’re keeping that aspect of the band we liked, but changing the set up a little bit because we have a [synthesizer] and a sampler on this tour.

Pyramid of the Sun definitely veers into using more samples and sequencing. Was that a sound Maserati has been trying to pursue?

I think so. Jerry in particular was trying to push us into that world. I think in the last couple of years, we’ve been mining a lot of that ’70s synth/pysch. We’ve been getting more inspired by that stuff, so it definitely had a very heavy hand on this record.

These elements made their first appearance on the split with Zombi.

We were definitely evolving and trying to figure out things because some of Inventions was a mish mash of influences and ideas that we were getting into and working out. That was the first record we did with Jerry. I like that record, but it definitely shows all those influences splatted. When we did the Zombi split and felt that was a bit more focused on the direction we were going, and this record was a nucleus of all those things coming together.

It feels like you guys have captured more of the live show now, leaving behind the long intros to each song like on Inventions.

We had talked about streamlining a few things. We kind of start coming full circle so fast. We were planning songs for this tour, and we were going to do two old songs [that fit]. [Guitarist Matt Cherry] said, “Lets do Inventions, because that really fits.”

When we did do that on the last couple of tours we would lob off the intro and go straight into it, but he was, “No, No. Let’s do the whole thing.” So we came right back; everything is so focused and then at the end we bring it back to that. It’s kind of worked out.

They’ll No More Suffer From Thirst caught me off guard. it’s more dance floor-driven than any remix that band had done prior. Honestly, at first I couldn’t grasp onto the song, but as I played it on more speakers, the song’s multiple layers made it make sense.

That one turned out good. Thirst, [They’ll No More Suffer From Hunger] and [Who Can Feed the Beast] were kind of a trilogy. We knew we wanted that sequence to be a reoccurring theme on the record, just slight variations of the sequence; one was in a different key.

It felt like a big jump. Was that a bizarre stretch?

Oh no, not at all. I feel like that has been happening for a while. That was definitely a direction Jerry was trying to push us. It was a direction we were psyched about. I think it happened naturally. These things were kind of making sense and feel right.

Was there ever a fear that this tour wasn’t going to happen or a feeling of not wanting do this tour at all?

Yeah, totally. The whole thing has been obviously emotional for all of us, and the emotions kind of ebb and flow on both sides. I know speaking for myself that’s how I feel.

Should we do this? Here’s the pros and the cons. Are we able to do this? If Tony didn’t want to do this, what are the thoughts here? It always came back… I would picture myself having Mexican food with Jerry. “What do we do here? You tell me.”

Every single time I knew exactly what he would say. “Absolutely. This record means too much. You have to do it. No questions.”

We all knew that. Once that was very clear, it became easier.

Maserati tour dates
3/31 | The Earl, Atlanta, GA
4/7 | The Bottletree, Birmingham, AL
4/8 | Chelsea’s, Baton Rouge, LA
4/9 | The Mink, Houston, TX
4/10 | The Mohawk, Austin, TX
4/12 | Plush, Tucson, AZ
4/13 | Trunkspace, Phoenix, AZ
4/14 | Soda Bar, San Diego, CA
4/15 | Satellite, Los Angeles, CA
4/16 | Hemlock Tavern, San Francisco, CA
4/18 | Mississippi Studios, Portland, OR
4/19 | Sunset Tavern, Seattle, WA
4/20 | The Palace, Missoula, MT
4/21 | Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT
4/22 | The Summit, Denver, CO
4/23 | Jackpot Saloon, Lawrence, KS
4/24 | The FIrebird, St. Louis, MO
4/25 | The Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL
4/26 | The High Dive, Champaign, IL
4/27 | Zanzabar, Louisville, KY
4/28 | The End, Nashville, TN
4/29 | The 40watt, Athens, GA

2 Responses to “What Must Be Done to Say Goodbye: Maserati’s Coley Dennis”

1. 

   On 03/24/11 9:18 AM, kyle u said:

   One of the best pieces of writing and certainly one of the best interviews I’ve read on BG in all my time here. and I’m not even that familiar with Maserati’s body of work.

   I’ll have to see if I can’t mosey over to the Empty Bottle.

3. 

   On 04/5/11 11:00 PM, Words For Guns said:

   [...] One is with the experimental (though they deny it) and psychedelic leaning metal monster Wizard Smoke and the the other was a very somber yet honest sit down with Maserati. [...]

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