Music N' Other Drugs

Despite originally appearing on Deep Blue Something’s 1993 debut, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” was re-recorded and released as a single almost 28 years to the day that I’m writing this. It would eventually peak at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and cement the band as one-hit wonders in the minds of listeners unwilling to crave anything beyond whatever the mainstream is feeding them in the moment.

1994’s “Home” is an overlooked gem from the era whose deep tracks have only gotten better with age, especially when you consider that many artists couldn’t care less about making a complete album in 2023. I highly recommend revisiting it if you’re planning to attend this year’s Village Music Fest, because doing so would heighten your anticipation for the show and serve as a reminder that major publications often ignore or disparage things just to make themselves feel important.

I spoke with vocalist/bassist Todd Pipes recently about the legacy of “Tiffany’s” and what he was up to while the band was on a break from 2001-2014. If you were previously on the fence about going to the show, hopefully our discussion persuades you to make it happen.

MNOD: I did some research and the last WNY appearance I was able to find for you guys was back in 1995.

Pipes: Has it really been that long? I thought we would have at least made it up there randomly. We have the same representation as Marcy Playground, so it made logistical sense for us to get on the same show in Youngstown. We’ve never played on a bill with them before, but it should be fun.

MNOD: The band was on hiatus from 2001-2014. Why did then feel like the right time to put it back together?

Pipes: I had just finished a solo record and Toby was working on some different projects during the off time, as well. I had some tracks that I thought would work for Deep Blue Something, so we decided to bring Kirk back and start playing shows again. I had gotten involved in production for other bands as well as mastering, which has been a passion of mine since I had a four-track cassette player as a teenager. The more money I made, the more equipment I would get. I kind of fell into producing while waiting for the record company and the band got put on the back burner.

MNOD: Your 1994 album, “Home,” is an underrated gem from the era that deserves a deeper look beyond “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” but that continues to be the track most people remember you for. What was your feeling on that song at the time?

Pipes: We could kind of tell that it would be a hit when playing it live. People responded to it early on, so we would tailor our sets to include it. We’re often referred to as a one-hit wonder, but, technically, “Halo” was also on the charts and received frequent airplay back then. “Wouldn’t Change a Thing” is another song that we wrote super early and it’s such an old song, but we’ll throw it in as an encore now and then. That album really picked up in other countries, as well, which led to us touring for two-and-a-half years to support it. There were a lot of changes at the label during that period and the industry was just starting to feel the effects of Napster, which would really take hold a year or two later. Our follow-up album, “Byzantium,” in 1998 didn’t do what we hoped it would, because labels put freezes on releases and ended up sitting on it for a while. It was only released in Japan initially, but we ended up getting it back from them later on.

MNOD: The video for “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” continues to be popular on YouTube and appears to have gained a whole new audience. What do you remember about filming that?

Pipes: I remember it being a totally surreal experience, because we would just throw ideas out there without thinking that they would actually become a reality. We would say ‘What if Toby is on a horse?’ or ‘What if we set up a table right outside Tiffany’s?’ It wasn’t until we were in New York City making the video that I realized that it was really happening. We ended up right in front of Tiffany’s and Toby was on a horse, so the wild ideas we had made it into the final cut. I don’t know how much the label spent, but it was definitely expensive.

MNOD: Was the hiatus planned or did it just happen naturally?

Pipes: The changes in the industry definitely played a role, because we knew we couldn’t make a rap metal album and the pop scene had become something that didn’t represent the kind of band we were. It was all boy bands and Christina Aguilera, so I knew that the era of jangly guitar bands was over. Where did the Gin Blossoms go? Where was Better Than Ezra? How did Hootie and the Blowfish sell millions of albums and then just disappear? The hiatus kind of just happened, because we no longer fit into the market as we had a few years earlier.

MNOD: When you guys reunited to record the EP back in 2015, was the process seamless or was there an adjustment period?

Pipes: It was easy. We had always recorded live in the past, but this time we didn’t. We did the one at a time thing and I was watching everyone do their stuff, which made me realize that it was going to work.

MNOD: “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” is approaching 300 Million streams on Spotify. What are your thoughts on streaming services as someone for whom the industry has meant so much?

Pipes: It’s an odd time, because anything is available to anyone at any time. If I recorded a song on a banjo, I could have it out to the world by Tuesday, because the model for distribution has changed. That part of it is awesome. The issue I have is that the backdoor deals that these services have struck with the labels aren’t structured to benefit the artists. Artists should get paid more, because what’s happening is not good for independent bands. It used to be that a band could sell CDs at a show and use that income for gas money to get to the next show, but it’s a different time now.

MNOD: Where do you think Deep Blue Something would fit into the market today?

Pipes: That’s a really good question. I think we might be OK if we approached things in the same way and had the same mentality, but what is the measure of success in 2023? Is it how many followers you have? Logistically, gas is expensive along with everything else, so I think it’s harder for new bands to break into the scene than it used to be.

MNOD: What advice do you give to bands that you work with in the studio?

Pipes: I tell them to focus on the songs and not just the marketing. I believe that the rest will take care of itself if you have quality songs to start with. Make the melody strong. If you can’t sit down at the piano and play it for me without a full production, it’s probably not that good to begin with. I also tell them to not pay attention to what other people are doing. When I look at the scene around Dallas, there aren’t a lot of young bands playing like there used to be. It’s pretty anemic. I’ve switched to mastering, as well, so now I’m sent files after they’ve already been recorded. I was able to keep working in the studio during the pandemic, which allowed me to kind of hunker down and wait for it to be over.

Deep Blue Something plays the Village Music Fest in Youngstown, NY on Aug. 5.

Visit https://village-music-fest-2023.ticketleap.com for ticket information.