Cary Nokey (aka Rob Fusari) Gives An Update & A New Gaga Song

[ChicaSkas 21,087]

Cary Nokey (aka Rob Fusari) Gives an Update On His Band And A New Gaga Song

by Katharine Styles-Burroughs aka ChicaSkas of GagaDaily

Hi All!

A number of Gaga fans have been asking me to follow up on Rob Fusari's story (that I originally wrote about back in July 2014) to see how he's been doing, what's the deal about some of those old Gaga demos, and what's going on with him and his band. As with the previous interview, and in the full spirit of 'Stop The Drama, Start The Music', I sat down for a follow up earlier this month to ask Rob your questions from GagaDaily and Twitter.

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You and I last sat down about 6 months ago. What's going on since we last talked in your world, in the world of Cary Nokey ?

 

There's so much going on. It grows in leaps and bounds, it seems, every day.  I wasn't going to release a full length record so quickly, [but] I am doing so. And I'm actually going to release a record that I didn't expect to release, which is the songs that I don't really perform live. It's this collection of songs that I call "Journal 8", and they are somewhat entries into my journal, into my life, into what has been going on in the last 2 years, if you will. I've translated that into lyrics and songs, and they don't necessarily fit the EDM, you know, party, dance party style. They are more ... (pauses) They are more ...I would say, my version of Jim Morrison. More vibey, it's more just,  it's storytelling , it's not trying to have big hooks and be so obvious with it, it's very -- it's subtle. But in a very artistic musical way.

 

So a lot has transformed, where by [Cary Nokey as a band] was going more towards just a straight EDM artist, it's [now] taken the necessary turn into somewhat EDM, but still storytelling.

When the dance beat comes down, it comes down in such a way that it's still dark and it's vibey.

 

There's an emotion there?

 

Yeah, there's more emotion there, when you do slow it down, not to say a ballad, but even if you just give it kind of a groove, you could talk over it and sing over it differently than you can with a straight, you know... there's only so much you can say as the "Four on the Floor" [beat structure]. You gotta kinda keep it a little simpler. You start saying too much, it sounds crazy, there's too much going on. But when you slow it all down, and you space out the elements in the music, all of a sudden, you are able to speak, and use words, and convey feelings that you wouldn't be able to convey inside of the 4/4, 128 beat per minute kinda feeling.

It's something that has always been in me, and I wanted to explore it more. I haven't really been able to with Cary Nokey, and after we had come off the Macy Gray tour,  I just decided that this is where I am. This is what I'm feeling. So the songs just kind of came out, very easily, very fluid. There's a song called 'Unfortunate'. It's basically talking about all of these unfortunate things in the world, if you will, unfortunate elements. The hook line is, 'But the most unfortunate is that you don't belong to me."

 

Awww. So poignant!

 

Yeah! So it's like, but it's very -- it could go by you if you're not paying attention. It's one of those types of lyrics. For example, I say, "Gunsmoke". It's an unfortunate thing. Because when there's gunsmoke, there's something unfortunate that happens.  You know what I mean?

 

Yes. Somebody must've got shot.

 

Right. [Or] "Frozen Fever". That's another unfortunate thing. That means, that's a sickness. I name all these things.

 

Chills?

 

Yeah! More of a poetic sensibility, than obvious. Like of course, war, and famine, and all of these other unfortunate elements. It speaks of those types of unfortunate events, but in a different, more poetic way. Again, I reiterate, that's not something that you can really -- at least I haven't been able to do it -- convey in a dance song. When there's a dance track on, people wanna have a good time, they don't wanna think too much. It's gotta be a little more mindless.

 

Kind of a broader message?

 

Yeah! I feel that , I actually, I've walked, and I've ridden the line of that fence, in terms of even saying a lot with the dance stuff in Cary Nokey, because it is more spiritual, I think we talked about this, even like with songs like Now Or Never, or Be Who You Are, there's more of a spiritual message.

 

More so than 'Burn The House Down' or some of the older ones?

 

Yes. Yes. And even more so than, not to knock some of the current dance records out now, which I love -- but sometimes, you know, you have to keep it very simple. I understand why an artist does that and a writer does that. But Cary Nokey really isn't that. Because there is more life here. There is more history. There are more years. There's more happiness. There's more sorrow. There is more of all of these emotions, you can't really squeeze into , "Hey let's go to the club and drink and get messed up!" It's not really that kind of thing.

 

It's more cerebral.

 

Right. Yes.

 

We're coming up on the two year anniversary of the founding of Cary Nokey, aren't we, February 26th?

 

Yes, you're right. Exactly right. It's almost two years.

 

Rob tells me that coincidentally, the day he got the vision to create the band was also his birthday.

 

That was totally unplanned. It just happened that way!

 

A few Gaga fans had some questions for you, I'm going to read them to you now:

 

Alex from GagaDaily would like to know:

 

"Who was Lina Morgana? Did you know her?"

 

Rob turns somber for a moment.

 

Yes... I know who she was...  I want to do her memory justice in my answer. Let me put it to you this way: Lina Morgana was my Gaga.

 

Really? Before Gaga? How so?

 

She was my Strokes Girl. She was it. She was the Gaga project.

 

Did the two work together on Wonderland?

 

I knew Gaga wasn't using Wonderland. And it was one of my favorites. And I just [started]messing around with it in the studio and I brought it up, I played it for Lina and she said, "Aw, I'd love to try it, can I try it? Can I try it?" And she put her voice on it. I had re-written a hook, so the hook I put on Lina's version didn't exist on Gaga's version.

 

We had never come up with a hook... It's coming back to me! The reason that Wonderland didn't get used was that we struggled... We wrote like five hooks, myself and Gaga, for that track.  And the verses were really cool, the whole vibe was really cool, but we struggled with the hook. We just never nailed that hook! Somehow, when I brought it up that day to Lina, I heard a different hook. So we recorded it. Now, I don't remember how it got released.

 

I'm pretty sure it was a part of iLeaks or perhaps Burim. It was a great track.

 

Yes it was.

 

I posted your version of 'Spin You Around' on GGD. Some people really liked it.

 

 

That's a good thing! It's amazing people even know of that old song. Her version (Gaga's version) was never released, I believe.

 

 

Gaga's version has never been released to my knowledge, just Lina Morgana's. There was a speculation that the background vocals on Lina's version were Gaga's.

 

 

They actually were. They were Gaga's vocals. That's why the whole Lina vs Gaga thing is such a [joke].

 

Next question: Nathan of GagaDaily would like to know: "Dear Cary Nokey, can you release the instrumental to Broken Drum Machine?" 

 

I wonder, why the instrumental? (amused) Why the instrumental?

 

I don't know! (laughs)

 

The answer is yes!

 

There was a rule to not talk about any specific legal matters between Gaga and Rob, so I was careful to not ask anything off limits out of my respect for Gaga and Rob. We did talk briefly in general terms about the elephant in the room...

 

I realized the power of a lawsuit. I had never realized before.  It changed my life... it hurt me, considerably. It's just not something I would do again. You get so inside your own emotions, inside your thoughts... that you can't think straight.

 

The whole thing takes on a life of it's own?

 

It does. It really does. And it consumed me. As I watched her, yes, because I love her so much, and I loved the project so much, I watched it grow... it was like a balloon that was taking off and I was like --

 

Wait for me?

 

Yeah! And you get so like you just don't know what to do.

 

You got emotionally invested.

 

It was my baby. It was like my child. That's why I had to turn that around and start saying "Ok, I get it." Because, I'm sure if somebody sued me, the people around me would be attacking that person, too.

 

I'm not here to talk bad about Gaga. Because I still have love for her. I have complete respect for her. She's moved on, she's a grown woman now.

 

Any hope of a reconciliation someday, with Gaga?

 

Maybe... How great it would be to [someday] do The Fame Part 2?

 

It would be great. I wish the best for both of you in whatever you choose to do.

 

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Earlier this week, Rob released a special version of the previously unreleased Fusari/Gaga track "Broken Drum Machine", with himself singing the lines Gaga would have sung.

 

This is the first time fans can hear what the song sounds like, other than the lucky few who heard the tune at the Stray Kat Gallery back in May 2014.

 

Enjoy this glimpse into the past, into the history of the one of the 30+ demo songs that led up to the album "The Fame". Click the button that reads Play or Download: http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/22991019?utm_campaign=a_public_songs&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=page_object_news_item

 

Alternate link: https://soundcloud.com/chicaskas4/cary-nokey-broken-drum-machine

 

 

Cary Nokey is currently touring with RuPaul's Drag Race, and will be hosting a lecture on audio and professional sound tools in New York soon, all you audiophiles can check that out here: http://i.imgur.com/yt2819p.jpg His new album is available here for those who like his music:https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/id965970436

The above article is © Katharine Styles-Burroughs and not to be copied or reused anywhere without credit, thanks.

[mcoop 628]

hmmm.

[NIKE 262]

very professional Chica and it made for a interesting read

[Pandemiya 61]

This is great! Thank you so much!!! The song sounds amazing.

[Wet Fire 5,687]

No offence, but anything related to Lina Morgana scares me. Anyway, interesting read.

[JEWRJEWR 5,663]

Maybe... How great it would be to [someday] do The Fame Part 2?

my life  

[PoisonM 17]

Lina Morgana Justice! Thank you 

[Pablo 6,981]

Thanks Chicas, this was a great read!

[Memo 176]

yES

THE FAME PART II SOUNDS GREAT KTHX

[Zsolti 2,688]

No offence, but anything related to Lina Morgana scares me.

 

I know, me too. 

[inuborg 4,135]

Thanks for posting Chica!!  

[NIKE 262]

No offence, but anything related to Lina Morgana scares me. Anyway, interesting read.

 

I find it haunting and so mysterious 

[gagzus 13,646]

interesting read about Lina & no offence but if it ain't a GAGA demo that she sings i ain't interested tbh

[RainingOnMe 7,189]

Thanks Chica! I like the song!

 

interesting read about Lina & no offence but if it ain't a GAGA demo that she sings i ain't interested tbh

[MonsterVSAnimal 0]

Awh I love this! :)