Dementia Cookie Box. Submitted photo.

This November 10th, 2010 we are delighted to welcome back the local and exceptional talent of the Steve Baker to the Java City concert series.  The last time Steve played Java City, it was with his band Dementia Cookie Box and the crowd really responded in a favorable manner so, we asked him back.  I can see from his MySpace page that he is a man in musical motion.  Steve has also been a feature on the southern Kentucky musical scene for quite some time and I wanted to know more about the man and his music

Steve, we are looking forward to having you at Java City this fall. You’ve been playing in the area for some time. Can you tell us a bit about your personal and musical history?

Well, I moved to Bowling Green in 2006 to go back to school for Art Education. I’m actually from the Lexington area. I formed the Dementia Cookie Box in 1996 and just haven’t been able to give it up. Throughout the years I’ve recruited willing musicians to help me keep a live presence with the band, but for most of that time I guess you could say that the DCB has been a kind of “solo project” for me. I would make the records in the studio and then form bands to play shows in support of them. I kind of’ feel like the Dementia Cookie Box has always been cheap mental health care for myself as well! It keeps me going.

Over the years I’ve also acted as a drummer for several bands in the Lexington and Nashville areas, and I’ve been making electronic music on the side. The Dementia Cookie Box went through a techno-industrial phase around 1999 and I’ve always had a soft spot for that sort of’ thing. In 2005 I started my X-Ray Man project and tried to separate the electronic style from the DCB. I’m happy to say that both projects have a healthy discography behind them now!

When did you get started performing in clubs and other venues?

Unfortunately, there isn’t much of an active music scene in Central Kentucky (at least there wasn’t fifteen years ago!) If we wanted to play shows then we had to come up with unique ideas ourselves. When we started out we were pretty young and couldn’t play the bars in Lexington. Even when we were old enough to play they still mostly wanted cover bands and we played original music. We had some of our first shows at local town fairs and house parties.

In 1997 I struck a deal with an entertainment complex in Nicholasville – one of those arcade, putt-putt, laser tag, go-kart places – to host weekend shows. The owner ended up putting me on the payroll as a booking agent for the new venue. We finally had a regular place to play in town and the kids loved it!

It wasn’t until I moved to Bowling Green in 2006 that I got a solid, steady group of band mates together and really hit the clubs and bars hard. Around 2004 I was going through some pretty rough stuff after losing my great-grandmother and a fiancé back in Lexington. I wondered if I should even bother with making music anymore. After about a year of deliberation and recording a record of my own personal “greatest hits,” I decided to give it one last go. That “go” brought me here and “here” has been very good to me.

Who influenced you as a musician? Anyone local?

I don’t think I’d even be making music if it weren’t for the Smashing Pumpkins. During a time when everyone was dirty and flannel-clad, the Pumpkins were shining through as something altogether different. The music was rockin’ and their appearance and presence was stunning! As soon as I heard Siamese Dream I was hooked and they have forever remained my favorite band and a large influence on my own projects.

I also draw inspiration from other 90s bands such as the Lemonheads, Helmet, Our Lady Peace, Hum, Jawbox, Therapy? and Tripping Daisy. These are my favorites and I hold them dear to my heart.

What is your favorite sort of gig?

I’ve always loved outdoor stuff – especially on a pretty day. I don’t know if it’s my nostalgia for the DCB roots back at the local town fairs on a tobacco trailer, or if it’s just the non-confining feel of being outdoors. If we can be on stage and crankin’ it up loud, I love looking out over the grass and all people in the crowd just doing’ what they do.

Your music seems to be clearly in the alt-rock genre but, how do you define what you do musically?

The Dementia Cookie Box has its roots in the grunge era. Over the years the term “alternative” has been associated with such a wide array of musical styles that it can’t safely be used by itself anymore! I normally refer to us as “Adult Alternative;” meaning that it’s an alternative rock that young adults late 20s and early 30s will probably appreciate because it’s the kind of’ stuff we grew up with. The younger generation doesn’t always get what I do because I’m not screaming through every song coupled with unintelligible guitar twiddlings.

I know you write a lot of your music, where to you get the ideas for your songs?

Who really knows where ideas come from? The spirits plant the seeds in my head and then they grow! Truthfully though, I’m not sure. I tend to be drawn to concepts; large ideas. I don’t really write songs individually as much as I plan a record out that should be listened to from start to finish in order to take in the whole thing in. That’s the way I like to listen to music, so that’s the way I like to make my music.

Unfortunately with today’s musical trends and the average consumer buying and listening to individual songs via downloads, my music-making theory doesn’t stand up too well. But hey, I do what I do because it makes me happy. I figure if anyone else digs it, that’s just icing on the cake!

Where do you want go with your music?

To infinity and beyond! (Wait, can I get in trouble for saying that?) At this point, I don’t really care. When you’ve done something for fifteen years you see a lot of things change. I’ve watched trends in music change three or four times over the years and technology has exploded! Everyone and their brother are making home recordings now that can compete with big-time studios. The indie scene isn’t as exclusive as it used to be. The charm and appeal of what I do has worn off over the years with the increase in like-acts. It’s not a novelty to produce and release music yourself anymore.

It used to be that every musician’s goal was to obtain some type of major label recording contract. For what reason?  Mostly large-scale distribution and the funds to make a good-sounding record. Well, nowadays anyone can have those things. Online companies such as CD Baby give you the avenues to shop your music worldwide to anyone who will listen. Computer-based recording equipment is super-affordable and easily obtainable. It seems as though the only good use for a recording contract today is for the press. The PR the AR and all those other acronyms that most people don’t even know what they stand for. I’m seriously thinking of setting my sites on a publicist rather than a record company for the remainder of my musical career!

Tell us about your newest CD?

Begin to Live is our newest album. It’s aimed at those folks who may be lost or confused about what they should do and where they should go to do it. Everyone goes through a time in their lives (possibly more than once) where they’re caught in a state of limbo. Nothing seems to be working out and they don’t know what they should do with themselves.

I think this record is full of hope and inspiration, or at least it’s hidden in there for those who choose to look for it! I’m coming up on the end of my college career (again) and I too will have to “Begin to Live” soon. This album comes from the realization that there are other people out there going through what I was going through a few years ago, and it’s just my way of offering up a little cheap therapy.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

For all those musicians out there who are taking the DIY approach, I commend you. I commend you for not only having the guts to aim for a dream, but to also have the energy to follow that dream. Don’t ever let anyone laugh at you or tell you that you’re wasting your time. I’ve held on to the Dementia Cookie Box for fifteen years, and it’s been this last five that have been the best! If I’d given up on it, then I would’ve never had some of the great experiences that I have with this band.

On the business side of things, do as much as you can yourself. There’s a lot of equipment and software out there nowadays that can save you tons of money. If your strengths don’t lie in production, then let someone else do the recording for you. You can handle the replication yourself. Think outside of the box and exercise all aspects of your creativity. Remember that you don’t have to do what everyone else is doing… in fact; the best way to get noticed by power people is to set yourself apart and be different!  Good luck and keep rockin’!

About the author: Jack Montgomery is a librarian, author and associate professor at Western Kentucky University where he handles bookings for musical acts in University Libraries, Java City coffeehouse. Jack has also been a professional musician since 1969 and performs with a celtic quartet called Watersprite. Visit him at MySpace/shadowdancerjack or on Facebook.