When you hear or read the words, “Every Flavor Weather Machine,” you don’t immediately think of music, but that’s precisely what Every Flavor Weather Machine is. The band is an octet, something you don’t see very often in today’s popular music. They use a bassist, trombonist, drummer, trumpeter, saxophonist, percussionist, vocalist, and keyboarder to create the many flavors in their music. The flavors that the band offers include funk, soul, blues, gospel, and rock and roll. Some of these flavors or songs have meaning, and some just make you want to dance, according to front man and songwriter, Ben Anshutz (keyboards/vocals). Read more of Gadfly Online’s interview with Anshutz to learn how the band got their name and more, and be sure to check out EFWM’s latest single, “Do What I Can,” here.
Gadfly Online: How did you guys get your name?
Ben Anshutz: The name was an amalgamation of a few other ideas we had: Every Flavor Gum and Her Majesty’s Weather Machine. We decided Every Flavor Weather Machine hit the sweet spot between Wonka kookiness and a mad scientist circus.
GO: Can you provide us with some background? Where are you from? What made you pursue a career in music?
BA: We were formed in Boston back in 2009 and moved to NYC in 2011. Personally, I grew up in California where my love of music was fostered by my mother who taught me piano since before I could walk. I started out with classical and when I started improvising bridges over Beethoven, my mom said, “That’s not how it’s supposed to be,” and I said, “But this is more fun,” so she decided to give me a blues song to learn, where I could run free, and well, I haven’t looked back since.
GO: How would you characterize your music? Do you fit into a stock genre or create a fusion of genres?
BA: I’d characterize our music as “the thinking man’s party band.” We like to swim around in funk, soul, blues, and red-blooded American rock n’ roll.
GO: Who would you cite as your musical influence?
BA: When I first started to try songwriting, I went through songbooks of Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, and Ray Charles and decided that’s how I wanted to write. So I just started faking like I knew what I was doing and nobody ever seemed to notice I was just swinging with my eyes closed.
GO: What project are you promoting right now? How does this fit into your overall career arc?
BA: We just dropped our new EP Bullhorn, and it comes at an interesting point in our career. We’ve recently brought on some new band members as others moved out of NYC, and this output of recordings is the last batch from the last iteration of the band. So, we’re going to be getting the new crew into the studio soon to put out some of the latest stuff we’ve been writing, which will likely blow your pants off your butt. Look out for more in early 2015.
GO: What do you hope to communicate to listeners through your music? What does music mean to you?
BA: So what’s the message of our music? People ask that question to a lot of musicians and I think sometimes there is a message, while other times there isn’t. The song “Do What I Can” has a message for sure, and if you listen, it’ll tell you. On the other hand, the title track off the EP “Bullhorn (Get To Work)” doesn’t really have a message, or if it does, it’s probably just something like “Dance, sucker.” As far as what music itself means to me, it is the higher power in my life that guides my quest to walk the righteous path. We could also call it my mind-burrito—as important, if not more important than face-burritos.
GO: What can we expect from you in the future?
BA: 2015 will hold new music and the creation of a super secret condiment so you can taste us while you hear us. Om nom nom.
GO: Whom is your music geared towards? How is it impacting them? In other words, why should we listen to your music and message?
BA: Our music is geared towards modern kids who still love the Golden Age of funk, soul, blues, and rock & roll. We’re not Luddites, more just children of the internet who are bummed we missed out on the time before people decided computers were the only way to crush a dance floor. Listen to our songs if you can relate to something that’s “less head, more hips”.
For more information about EFWM, visit their
