Meet the Artist: Also on Sundays

In a unique fusion of cinema and live music, the band Also on Sundays is joining forces with The Music Village to present a live score for Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror at the Browning Cinema. Comprised of instructors from The Music Village, Also on Sundays brings together a remarkable blend of musicians who share a deep passion for both film and music. Originally formed for this special, spooky season project, the group has since evolved into a dynamic ensemble with a shared love for interpretive music.

Discover more about band members Kevin Joiner, Jason Richmond, Jeremy Richmond, and Vincenzo Carrasco as they discuss their band’s origins, inspirations, and the creative process behind crafting a hauntingly immersive live score for one of cinema’s earliest horror masterpieces.

How did your band come together? Can you share the story of how you all met and formed the band Also on Sundays?

Kevin: The original incarnation of the band was formed specifically for writing and performing a live film score to Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror as a special, Halloween season event for The Music Village (TMV). The impetus for that was a meeting TMV executive director Josh Aerie and I had with Ricky Herbst, cinema program director for the Browning Cinema at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. Ricky is a big enthusiast for live film scoring, which he’d had at the Browning Cinema several times in the past. Part of that meeting was discussing ways TMV could partner with them in facilitating that. And as I’d been wanting to perform a live film score to Nosferatu for a few years, it seemed a good way to kick off that partnership.

Initially, the band consisted of myself (Kevin Joiner) on guitar, drummer Vincenzo “Vinny” Carrasco, and bassist Sean Conlon. We’re all instructors at The Music Village. Vinny and I have played together in different projects over the years, and Sean and I are both film geeks. So, it was a good lineup where this project was concerned.

Sean, Vinny, and I had already come up with a few basic ideas for the show when we asked Jason Richmond, a guitar instructor at TMV, to come onboard as my understudy. In addition to the first show, which was set for First Friday in October of 2023, we had a reprise show booked at the Browning Cinema much closer to Halloween. But since my wife and I were expecting a baby and the show was scheduled right in the middle of her delivery window, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make the second performance.

Jason is a great writer and arranger, and he had a lot of solid ideas to add to the mix. Unfortunately, Sean had to bow out well before the first show, so Vinny, Jason, and I played it as a 3-piece. For the second performance, Jason asked his brother, Jeremy Richmond, to play bass so we could still have a trio in case I had to miss.

Jeremy was in the audience for the first show, and rehearsals for the second show started soon after. It was clear from the beginning that everyone really gelled, so it was decided that, if I was able to perform at the Browning Cinema show, we’d do it as a 4-piece, with Jeremy on bass. And that’s exactly what happened.

During that whole process, we learned that 3 out of 4 of us really had a love for the music of Radiohead. Vinny, the odd man out, liked what he’d heard of their music and had even performed a few of their tunes with me over the years. But he wasn’t nearly as familiar with their work as the rest of us. Fortunately, we dropped him a playlist of their tunes and fixed that problem really quickly.

So, after the Browning Cinema show, we decided to remain a band with an eye toward doing interpretive covers of Radiohead songs. We even took our name, Also on Sundays, from one of their song lyrics, as well as it being a nod to that band’s original name, On a Friday. Apparently, they used to practice on Fridays, and since we usually practice on Sundays, it seemed fitting. We had intended to make our non-Nosferatu debut at Notre Dame’s Otterfest, but I had a bout with COVID, and we had to cancel. Instead, we made our debut at South Bend’s Rebel Art Fest this past June, where we played some prog rock from the soundtrack of Forbidden Cassettes: Consummation, an audio drama podcast for which I’m co-creator. And we’ll be getting a second chance to play Otterfest on November 2 of this year.

How long have you been performing together, and what inspired you to pursue live scoring for films like Nosferatu?

Jason: Our first performance was early October 2023, and we had started rehearsing some time in August. I came on board as Kevin’s understudy in case he couldn’t do the show. The live scoring of Nosferatu idea was already in place.

What drew you to this particular project of scoring Nosferatu? Was there something about this iconic silent film that captured your imagination?

Jeremy: That first performance at TMV was also my first viewing of the movie. I was struck by the historicity of the film situated as it is in the aftermath of WWI and the coming trauma of WWII—the scenes, the characters, the settings are a nineteenth-century past that was not yet so past for the filmmakers, actors, and audience; for them, it was the past of their or their parents’ childhood. As for the work itself, and with any work that has held cultural relevancy, it is conceptually fertile: for me, this work has become a meditation on the ‘Other’—a fully dehumanized ‘Other’ devoid of empathy. And given our historicity, it is useful to ask, “What narrative ‘Others’ have I accepted as actual?”

Kevin: I’ve been a horror fan since I was a little kid. The Saturday afternoon “Creature Feature” on TV was always a big deal in my household, and my dad would dress up as Frankenstein every Halloween, which was an impressive sight given that he was 6’6” tall and wearing 6” lifts on his boots, putting him at 7’ total. A friend and I even took up special FX as a hobby during my late middle school years, and we watched every horror movie we could find at our local video rental store.

Given that Nosferatu is considered by many cinephiles to be the first true horror film, it’s always been on my radar. And I love how the film manages to still produce a haunting effect despite its scares appearing somewhat tame in comparison to modern horror movies. Add that to its German Expressionist aesthetic, and the film is just begging for a more modern score. Prog Rock seemed like a good fit for that to my ears. So, when the opportunity for staging a live score of the film coincided with the right musicians being available, I jumped at the chance.

How do you approach composing a score for a silent film? Can you walk us through your creative process?

Jason: While Kevin wrote most of the themes, the approach I’ve taken with my contributions has been to match the emotional tenor of the scene, not just in writing but in direction while playing a theme or riff. Kevin and I are able to bounce ideas off each other, twisting or sweetening the existing themes as the scene requires.

What were some of the challenges you faced while creating the score for Nosferatu? How did you overcome them?

Kevin: Timing and tempo are always a challenge, but that’s just a question of practice and making sure we have ways to mark our cues. Two separate video monitors—one with the film and one with a timer—go a long way to keeping us on track.

From a writing and arrangement standpoint, we have to find a balance between specific musical moments intended toward dramatic effect and good stretches of improvisation, which is half the fun for the band and audience combined. Creating specific themes—sort of musical leitmotifs—for each recurring character, object, or symbolic moment (the ship at sea or the sun rising, for example) helps to better orient our performance and the audience’s experience. Having established a lot of these themes last year, we were able to spend a lot of our rehearsals this year expanding and combining and altering these ideas to make the show even more musically dynamic.

How do you balance the need for the music to enhance the visual storytelling without overshadowing the film itself?

Jason: The film is the ultimate arbiter of what we are doing. It’s a relentless taskmaster that keeps us in line.

How does performing a live score in front of an audience differ from a regular concert performance for Also on Sundays?

Jason: The film is like an unresponsive band leader we need to get direction from, so instead of just looking at each other, we need to pay attention to what is happening on the screen, not just what the other bandmates are doing.

What can the audience expect from your live performance of Nosferatu? Are there any elements of the score you’re particularly excited for them to experience?

Jason: It will get loud. It will get dissonant. It will get scary.

How did your involvement with The Music Village come about, and what has the experience been like working with them for this project?

Jason: During an open mic in summer 2023, Kevin asked if anyone who was there would be available to teach guitar lessons. I found myself with both the time and the aptitude to join the team of instructors.

Kevin: About 8 or 9 years ago, I started out as a guitar instructor for The Music Village’s flagship Girls Rock Michiana summer day camp program. I then came onboard as a full-time instructor in January of 2023. A few months later, I was asked to be their client and community engagement manager. It was in that capacity that I came up with the idea of doing this event. And after the success of the first one, I was given the opportunity to develop more of these kinds of things in my new role as community engagement and events manager.

As for working with The Music Village on this project, you couldn’t ask for a better team. At the heart of The Music Village’s mission is the idea of building community. That idea extends to our staff, faculty, clientele, board, volunteers, and community partners. We’re one big family. So, all of those facets of who we are and what we do were brought to bear on this project. At least one representative from each of these elements of The Music Village was a part of making this happen.

Beyond the band, of course, I worked most closely with my fellow staff members: Josh Aerie, executive director; Michele Lowe, operations manager; and Laura Korn, client engagement and programs manager. They were with me every step of the way, providing guidance and assistance in all aspects of event development and coordination. They really were the wind in my sails.

How has The Music Village supported your artistic journey as a band, and what role do you think organizations like theirs play in fostering local music and performance opportunities? 

Vincenzo: We have been able to rehearse there.

Kevin: As Vinny pointed out, TMV opened their doors to us so we would have a good space and any additional equipment necessary for developing the show. Additionally, through their connections in the community, we were able to partner with some other community organizations (St. Joe County Public Library, DTSB Inc., and the University of Notre Dame) in producing this event. Attaching sponsors to the event (the University of Notre Dame, Fiddler’s Hearth, Griffon Games and Bookstore, and Buy Me Toys and Comics) was also a huge help. Between equipment, promotion, film rights, musician fees, and other expenses, an event like this takes a bit of funding to do it right.

Organizations like The Music Village are so crucial to not only building and strengthening community in their area, but also to fostering artistic development and self-expression. They do this by providing opportunities and means for artists and audiences alike to experience and participate in the innately human phenomenon that is creativity.

Any advice for aspiring musicians who might be looking to follow a similar path?

Vincenzo: Stay true to your dreams and put in the work. Eventually, your dream will find you!

Also on Sundays brings a powerful, intense new layer to Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror through their unique approach to live scoring. Their collaboration with The Music Village and dedication to the art of live performance promise an unforgettable experience for audiences. Looking ahead to future creative projects, the group embodies a spirit of artistic innovation and community engagement, reminding us all of the enduring impact of live music and storytelling. 

We hope you’ll join us on Saturday, October 26, for the live score event of Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, featuring Also on Sundays at the Browning Cinema!