Interview of Alt Rock band 'Cake'

[This article was published in the New Haven Advocate.]

Licking It Clean

Touching two decades, the Cake’s still fresh

Hate them or love them, you can’t classify them; neither can you wish them away. Their music flows effortlessly from one genre to the other, and it definitely has come a long distance.

Perhaps it is this versatility — this ability to belong to many genres and not be constrained by one — that is the key to Cake’s longevity. It’s been a decade and a half since the Motorcade of Generosity rolled by and close to two decades since “Rock ‘n’ Roll Lifestyle” happened. If this is not durability for an indie band, what is?

Trumpeter Vince DiFiore agrees. “People thought we’d be gone, that we were a novelty, and wouldn’t have much to say. But that was not the case. We have had consistent songwriting and consistent contributions to the arrangement of sounds. And we have had band members committed to the idea of a band. We keep adding new sounds, a little bit of jazz, a little bit of Latino.”

Consistency and innovation are aplenty in Cake’s music: songwriter John McCrea speaks his songs in a way that’s distinctly his. DiFiore’s trumpet (pleasantly) surprises you in all the unexpected places, for instance, when it blasphemously usurps the electric guitar. There definitely is a Cake sound, yet it’s the many flavors that leave you licking the plate.

Innovating was also helped along by the fact that the make-up of the band has changed now and then. “If all the [original] band members had stayed on, we’d have perhaps fallen into a rut. With new guys coming in, we’ve got diverse points of view. But the underlying philosophy — the thrust of which comes from John — has not changed.”

It’s not just their music that sets them apart, but also the fact that they are a thinking band. At other times, they have highlighted other issues. They have an opinion poll and an advice section on their Web site, too. They are a seriously green band, committed to making their carbon footprints smaller. (They’d have had none if they stopped touring altogether, but DiFiore says they’re doing everything else apart from that.)

They are now recording a new album in their 100 percent solar-powered studio. DiFiore says, “the band really came charging” at these sun-powered songs. “They are all new songs. The album is certainly kinetic, with some strong electric guitar and a lot of good energy.”

As part of their fiercely independent existence, the new album will be released via the band’s own label, Upbeat Records, which is also re-issuing Motorcade of Generosity. (Four previously unavailable live performances are included.) “Having our own label has added more work. We’ve had to pay attention to more things than in the past, but it’s been worth it. When you’re calling the shots, you’re more in command.”

As long as this do-it-yourself urge remains intact, all’s well with Cake, and it shall continue to be craved for.

You can have your own slice of the Cake at the Webster Theater, Hartford, on May 28. If you’re there and are lucky enough, you might get a tree as gift.