DEBUNKING SOME ELM TREASON MYTHS

by Andy Roman

There are worse problems to have. Seriously.

In fact, I wouldn’t even call it a “problem.”

Let’s say it’s a first-world issue – largely unimportant in the grand scheme, somewhat trivial, mildly amusing…  

Clearly, there are far more relevant things that should be nabbing our attentions (like hangnails, expired milk, removing all references to Kim Kardashian from the face of Earth, etc..) Still, one might say this botheration is a “good” position to be in if placed in its proper context. After all, the only way “myths” can evolve is if the subject matter possesses some degree of notoriety – even if that notoriety is miniscule (think Elm Treason).

So, without further doo-doo, let me try and dispel some lingering myths about our little Staten Island band..


1. ANDY WRITES THE WORDS, BOBBY WRITES THE MUSIC

This one, quite innocently, has emerged as perhaps the greatest misconception about the band (save for the rumor that I built Bobby in my basement laboratory). Simply put, sometimes I write the words, sometimes Bobby does. Sometimes, I write the music, other times, he does. Oftentimes, we do both, working together until it hits. The only real formula we have in the studio is that ever-present bottle of Similac that STILL sits in the corner on the back cabinet. (Don’t ask). Indeed, Bobby can be very lyrical (All Over Me, Living for Living (Scenes From the Playground), Home Alone Blues, Firefly, etc)…. and I think I can be quite melodic (After All This Time, Getting By, Fork of My Life, etc)…. Of course, these are very general guidelines. Nothing is ever that one dimensional. Our wont is to keep adding to each other’s ideas, throwing in lines, shoving in a chord here and there, rearranging things, so on, until we’re content with it… In fact, on our forthcoming album “Without a Tribe,” two of my favorite tunes on the record are pure Bobby Steel lyrics: “Bring it Out” and “These Words.”


2. BOBBY IS THE GUITAR SOLO GUY WHO BASICALLY BACKS UP ANDY

This is, in a way, the opposite of the first myth and is even more laughable. Because I tend to do most of the singing during live performances it is tragically assumed by some that I am the creative force behind everything we do and Bobby simply serves as musical window dressing with his flashy solos and harmony vocals. If this is your thinking, would you kindly remove the bump on your shoulders from your lower intestines and get a whiff of what’s real? (I ask this with love, naturally). The fact is Elm Treason, in all things creative, is powered by two equal forces of musical nature. No one backs anyone. No one is less important. No one serves the other (although, I’m happy to make eggs when Bobby comes over). Yes, Bobby plays most of the solos. Yes, in live situations, I sing most of the tunes. So what? It just so happens I have a few solos scattered about here and there and Bobby sings quite a bit, especially on the records. Without Bobby Steel, there is no Elm Treason. He co-founded the band, composes the songs with me, records the music with me, plays more than half of the instruments on our records and can quote from The Honeymooners and Seinfeld just as well as I can… and once you have that, what the hell else matters?


3. BOBBY IS THE MUSICAL GENIUS BEHIND ELM TREASON, ANDY IS JUST THE FRONTMAN

Here’s an interesting perception that takes the previous myth and twists it into a monstrosity of unqualified poppycock. 

“Andy is good, but Bobby is the band,” 

“Bobby can play anything.” 

“He can do it all.” 

“He’s a master arranger.” 

“Doesn’t Bobby play mostly everything on the recordings?” 

These are just some of the comments we’ve received – and contrary to popular belief, Bobby did not discover a cure for cancer nor did he discover two new whole numbers between 7 and 8. 

Yes, Bobby is quite good at a lot of things – although splitting atoms is still a bit of a struggle for him (the lout).  He would be the first to tell you that the device has yet to be invented that could measure the absurdity of such thinking. Bobby can play several instruments, surely. Many of them incredibly well. His job as a music teacher gives him access to many sounds that are probably not available to most who make music. We certainly take advantage of that. He is also very well learned in music theory and music history (particularly classical). His wealth of knowledge allows him to explore areas in our music that might not have otherwise been tapped. 

He is, to me, a wonderful composer, someone who thinks of the song first, is always open to ideas and one who enjoys feeding off what I throw at him (and vice versa). Most importantly, Bobby may be the least “book inclined” composer I’ve ever known. I couldn’t work with anyone who was a “by the book” writer. His “genius” (a funny word to use, but we’ll go with it) is in his feel and his ability to compose just what the song calls for. No, he is not the musical genius behind Elm Treason.  Nor am I. Rather, he is one half of an entity that, frankly, both he and I think of as something outside of ourselves. Elm Treason is that other band, those other guys. Bobby and I often just observe when they get together… and we admire them.


4. ELM TREASON WAS A CHRISTIAN ROCK DUO INITIALLY

No. We happened to meet at a church, but we did not start out as a gospel-belting two-man band. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…


5. THE BOYS IN THE BAND REALLY DISLIKE EACH OTHER

Well, duh..


OTHER MYTHS DEBUNKED

– Bobby had a hand in the assassination of President Kennedy (mostly untrue)

– Andy is actually Benicio del Toro (also mostly untrue)

– Bobby claimed to be Batman on a passport application

– Andy’s was arrested for switching the toothpaste and Preparation H labels in Target

– Bobby was the leader of a musically inclined street gang called “Bad Ass Bachs.”

– Andy wrote the word “absolutely” in the space marked “sex” on a business loan questionnaire

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