Get to Know My Goodness Before their Show at The Pike Room

This Thursday, May 7th head out to The Pike Room in Pontiac to catch My Goodness from Seattle. The band was a two piece for years, featuring Joel Schneider (guitar, vocals) and Andy Lum (drums). Then, prior to their latest release Shiver + Shake, the duo teamed up with Cody Votolato (bass), whom you might know from past projects like The Blood Brothers and Jaguar Love. The duo turned trio has been hard at work out on the road with dates spread across the Midwest and West Coast. Detroit fans will be happy to see the band in a much more intimate setting this Thursday, as their last stop in our area was at Freedom Hill last year.

Tickets for My Goodness' show at The Pike Room are only $10 and can be purchased in advance here. Also on the lineup for the evening are Michigan's own The Fever Haze and Boy Royal. Doors are set to open at 8 p.m. and all ages are welcome.

We had a chance to chat with Andy & Cody of My Goodness before they head to town this week. Check out this interview with the guys below.

Photo by: Angel Ceballos

HID- In one sentence or less, explain your music to someone that has never heard My Goodness before.

Andy Lum- "Punk-blues."

HID- You recently released a new music video for "Sweet Tooth". Who shot it, where did you shoot it, and who came up with the idea behind the video?
Andy- "Our friend Ryan Rothermel conceptualized and directed the video and we shot it at various locations around Portland. The scenes in the rose garden turned out amazing with the candy laid over the images. It was the first time we've incorporated post effects so it was cool to see the final product come out so well."

HID- So you guys were a two piece for quite awhile before you joined forces with Cody. Other than the addition of another person, how is the band different now?
Andy- "The sonic differences are obvious right away, adding bass allows the guitar and drums to step back and breathe when they need to. The heavier parts of our set are even heavier now as well. I think the new material we've been working on is where adding another member and instrument makes a big difference. We have more ideas to bounce off each other and also more ways to work with rhythm and melody."

HID- How did you guys know each other anyways?
Andy- "Joel and I (Andy) grew up in the same neighborhood playing in local bands. We knew of each other and had mutual friends but went to different schools. We reconnected at SXSW in 2012 and I joined the band later that year. It's funny because we both grew up going to see the Blood Brothers in high school so it's been awesome to have Cody as a bandmate and be able to see their reunion shows."

HID- Cody, My Goodness doesn't have quite the same sound as your past projects, like the Blood Brothers and Jaguar Love. Is it super different playing with these guys? Or is music, music, regardless of the genre?
Cody Votolato- "It's different immediately in the sense that I'm playing bass and not guitar which is what I traditionally have played in bands. It's a different approach to the instrument in general. I try not to treat the bass like a guitar, though I imagine it sneaks in there. Being that the music is so rhythmic and the drums are so dialed in, it's fun to be able to slide into the pocket and hold it down. It's musically different than any specific project I've been involved in, but he spirit is the same. That's what drew me in initially. It feels like a punk band to me. It's all about energy."

HID- You are gearing up to head out on the road again, are there any cities that you are really looking forward to hitting this spring?
Andy- "Really looking forward to Denver, St Louis, Kansas City, Detroit & Chicago. Looking forward to exploring the food (BBQ especially) and it's a good time of year to be out."

HID- You actually tour quite a bit. Are there any must have items that you have to have with you when you head out on the road?
Andy- "Good headphones, weed, AppleTV."

HID- I know you played at Freedom Hill last year when you were in Metro Detroit. Have you had a chance to check out Detroit much while you were in town in the past? If so, what are some of your favorite spots?
Andy- "Unfortunately we were staying a little farther out from the city when we played Freedom Hill and bad to fly out the next morning. I'm really looking forward to exploring Downtown as much as possible this time around."

HID- What can fans expect at the show at The Pike Room on May 7th?
Andy- "You can definitely expect a lot of energy and at least 2 brand new songs we're trying out. Faster and a little funkier than Shiver + Shake too."

HID- What's next for My Goodness?
Andy- "Sasquatch!"

HID- Anything else you would like our readers to know?
Andy- "We love getting hit up with suggestions on Twitter for where we should eat and what we should see! @mygoodnessmusic"

~C