The Goodnicks

Pop/Rock band, The Goodnicks, performed at Hoot's Talent Showcase in February. This month Hoot News met with The Goodnicks' vocalist/bassist, Paul Thomas, to talk about the band.

Hoot News: What is the significance of the band name The Goodnicks?

Paul: One bandmate, Derek, thought of the name. It was a cool name and sounded good to us. We had tossed a few other names around and they didn't ring a bell. It's just one of those names that kind of stuck with us.

HN: How do you describe your style of music?

Paul: I would say it's a combination of pop and rock.

HN: Who are the members of the band The Goodnicks?

Paul: Well, Derek and I share lead vocal duties while he plays acoustic guitar and I play bass. There are some songs that we sing together on and others that we sing seperately. Whenever one of us isn't singing lead we sing the backups with Ric Foss. Ric, aside from handling the backing vocals, is, first and foremost, our lead guitarist. We all share the writing duties. We have what are probably two of the best drummers (Brian Chilluffo and Willy Anido) in South Florida that sit in with us depending on their availability.

HN: What fascinates you most about the music industry up to date?

Paul: Well, I think, especially in the last 10 years, there seems to be room for everybody and I think it's good because it gives listeners a lot to choose from. No one is limited to one particular genre that they listen to.

I think it opens up a lot of possibilities for experimentation and allowing the artist to grow as well.

HN: What is the key element to the success of the band The Goodnicks?

Paul: I would say that the band has several strengths. One is that we're good songwriters. I think that if you songs, then you have everything. If you don't have good songs, you're only going to last for as long as a blink of an eye. The other thing is we're honest about who we are. The music that we write is very much a part of who we are. I would say that none of us feels that a certain individual is more important than the team. We're all team players.

HN: How long has The Goodnicks performed together?

Paul: We started performing live in November, but I have been doing this for awhile. Derek and I have actually worked together for a few years and we had other bands before. We were pointed in the direction of our guitarist, Ric, who had the same type of aspirations. He had taken a break from playing for awhile and was ready to get back into it. We met with him and we rehearsed a few times and things kind of came together. We started writing songs and just really focusing on what we wanted to be.

HN: What advice would you give to aspiring artists?

Paul: First, I would tell them not to listen to anyone else because no one has the right answer. You have to believe in what you're doing. The other thing is keep your head on straight and to keep your wits about you. Make sure to really pay attention to not so much the criticism or the praise but be careful about what people say. People are out there to make empty promises so really be prepared for some letdowns. Don't ever let that make you drop your head and throw your arms up in the air. Just keep after it. Go after your dreams.

HN: Who is the bad boy of the band?

Paul: I'm probably the closest to a bad boy in the band. I'm usually all over the place on stage. I like just to run around. As far as off stage, I am noted for my exploits off stage.

(FAU's Hoot News - April 2004 - Vol. 3, Issue 3) - FAU - Hoot News - Tamisha Smith, staff writer

Pop/Rock band, The Goodnicks, performed at Hoot's Talent Showcase in February. This month Hoot News met with The Goodnicks' vocalist/bassist, Paul Thomas, to talk about the band.

Hoot News: What is the significance of the band name The Goodnicks?

Paul: One bandmate, Derek, thought of the name. It was a cool name and sounded good to us. We had tossed a few other names around and they didn't ring a bell. It's just one of those names that kind of stuck with us.

HN: How do you describe your style of music?

Paul: I would say it's a combination of pop and rock.

HN: Who are the members of the band The Goodnicks?

Paul: Well, Derek and I share lead vocal duties while he plays acoustic guitar and I play bass. There are some songs that we sing together on and others that we sing seperately. Whenever one of us isn't singing lead we sing the backups with Ric Foss. Ric, aside from handling the backing vocals, is, first and foremost, our lead guitarist. We all share the writing duties. We have what are probably two of the best drummers (Brian Chilluffo and Willy Anido) in South Florida that sit in with us depending on their availability.

HN: What fascinates you most about the music industry up to date?

Paul: Well, I think, especially in the last 10 years, there seems to be room for everybody and I think it's good because it gives listeners a lot to choose from. No one is limited to one particular genre that they listen to.

I think it opens up a lot of possibilities for experimentation and allowing the artist to grow as well.

HN: What is the key element to the success of the band The Goodnicks?

Paul: I would say that the band has several strengths. One is that we're good songwriters. I think that if you songs, then you have everything. If you don't have good songs, you're only going to last for as long as a blink of an eye. The other thing is we're honest about who we are. The music that we write is very much a part of who we are. I would say that none of us feels that a certain individual is more important than the team. We're all team players.

HN: How long has The Goodnicks performed together?

Paul: We started performing live in November, but I have been doing this for awhile. Derek and I have actually worked together for a few years and we had other bands before. We were pointed in the direction of our guitarist, Ric, who had the same type of aspirations. He had taken a break from playing for awhile and was ready to get back into it. We met with him and we rehearsed a few times and things kind of came together. We started writing songs and just really focusing on what we wanted to be.

HN: What advice would you give to aspiring artists?

Paul: First, I would tell them not to listen to anyone else because no one has the right answer. You have to believe in what you're doing. The other thing is keep your head on straight and to keep your wits about you. Make sure to really pay attention to not so much the criticism or the praise but be careful about what people say. People are out there to make empty promises so really be prepared for some letdowns. Don't ever let that make you drop your head and throw your arms up in the air. Just keep after it. Go after your dreams.

HN: Who is the bad boy of the band?

Paul: I'm probably the closest to a bad boy in the band. I'm usually all over the place on stage. I like just to run around. As far as off stage, I am noted for my exploits off stage.

(FAU's Hoot News - April 2004 - Vol. 3, Issue 3) - FAU - Hoot News - Tamisha Smith, staff writer