Interview With Classless Act’s Derek Day and Franco Garvante
This interview has been edited for clarity & conciseness.
All photos courtesy of Enzo Mazzeo.
What’s that? You don’t know who Classless Act is? Well, trust me when I say you’ll be glad to be introduced. (Oh, a few of you do know? Now aren’t you special.) This promising, energetic, up-and-coming rock band only recently released their debut album, Welcome To The Show, over the summer and plans to release an acoustic version of the album, featuring many of the original songs on December 16: Welcome To The Acoustic Show. The band hasn’t been around for long, but if either of these albums are a sign of things to come for Classless Act, then their journey will undoubtedly be one to watch out for.
I recently had the pleasure of sitting down (over Zoom, that is) with the band’s very own Derek Day (frontman/vocalist) and Franco Gravante (bassist/songwriter). We talked about everything from movies, to important advice, to their soon-to-be headlining tour. Curious? Stick around and check it out!
Julianna Morgan: To start off, I’ll dive right in with a really difficult question— What is your favorite movie about music? Like Spinal Tap, Whiplash, Almost Famous, etcetera.
Franco Gravante: I think Tenacious D, probably.
(Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny is the 2006 comedy/musical about two best friends looking to form the greatest rock band of all time by finding a legendary guitar pick possessing supernatural powers.)
Derek Day: Oh yeah! Tenacious D is really good, actually. It’s really accurate.
JM: Oh?! I’ve never even heard of that, I don’t think.
Day: What?!
Gravante: Oh no, it’s a great movie! Jack Black, Kyle Gass—
Day: Wait no, there’s probably more, though. Let me think … I like The Doors movie; I think that was done well. But there’s some better ones. There’s some deep-cut B movies from the 2000s—there’s a bunch. I don’t even know—that’s a tough one.
Gravante: I do love musicals, also.
JM: Yeah? Do you have a favorite musical then?
Gravante: Yeah, probably Jesus Christ Superstar, or something like that. The music is really good.
JM: When writing your songs—though I believe you two tend to write the most—you’ve said that it’s a collaborative process where everyone can get in on it and contribute to both the music and lyrics. That’s not the case for all bands or even most, so what do you think this open-writing process adds to your music and to your band?
Gravante: Well, I guess it makes it more band-like, you know? Sometimes, Derek or [myself] will bring a whole idea to the table and we will just go from there. But we like to hear from all our bandmates and their opinions; it’s always nice. And I feel like if you bring something—like a 95% written song—you can decide what goes in and what doesn’t. It’s like your baby. What’s important, though, is to be open-minded.
JM: Yeah, it gets you more diversity.
Day : There’s definitely an element of uniqueness to the song if someone throws in some new ideas. It just makes it that much more worldly—like you said, more diverse.
JM: Absolutely. (Takes a breath for a long, slightly convoluted question) Now, more into songwriting-type questions: Sometimes people have difficulty distinguishing the message of a song from its songwriter. So I’m curious, in your opinion, how strong of a connection is there between art and its artist when it comes to music? Is there always a strong line tethering the two, or do you believe there’s a clear separation between who you’re portraying in the song and who you are as a band member and a person?
Pause as Derek and Franco look at something on their screen with confusion.
Day: Sorry, we just keep getting spam texts!
Gravante: Yeah, like, “I’m the girl you met at the Hollywood sign.”
Day: (Laughs) Yeah, and they’re not real.
(Everyone laughs).
Day: (Gets back to the question) So, do we have a strong connection to our music or our bandmates, did you say?
JM: What I was getting at is more how, especially if you write something kind of controversial, listeners will sometimes get mad at you or think that you’re singing about yourself. But how much of you is in the person you’re singing about or writing about?
Day: A lot, I would say. I mean, it’s not always about us even—but it can be depending on the style. I write politically and socially, and sometimes emotionally. And that comes straight from my own experience. But even [with] the political stuff, I’m really charged by it and think that it’s important that we talk about it.
Gravante: Mostly, it’s about how people feel with those lyrics and if they know what you’re saying. It’s really up to [listeners] how they [receive the songs] and their message, and how they feel related to them or not. But I can be talking about something completely different, and you just read two phrases and are like, “Ah yeah, they mean that.” And maybe I didn’t mean that, but I don’t care as long as you feel this connection to the music. However you take it, if you like it, that’s amazing.
JM: Everyone can get something different from the same song.
Day: Yeah! (To Franco:) I was going to ask you, do you think your song kind of, even to you, changes [in] its meaning, like, four years after it’s written? You’re like, “Oh that’s what that means!”
Gravante: Yeah—I’m like, “Oh, that’s what I had in mind.” (Laughs) “I knew it!”
Day: Yeahhh! “I knew it! I knew it all along!” It’s so weird. Songwriting is really weird.
JM: When did you guys realize that music was something you actually could make a life out of? When did you realize you could go the distance and make it?
Day: Hmm, I was going to say busking, or when I saw people busking on the street. It was a 1-minute version of it, but it taught me if you’re really good, you can make real money off [music]. And it’s not even about being talented, it’s about working hard enough to work the crowd. I thought that made it more real for me on a non-artistic side.
JM: (Looking for the right question) Obviously, you are doing really well—you just got done with a huge tour and are about to go on tour again. But I would argue it’s a hard time to be in a rock band now, with [fan followings] being more cult-like—with pop and hip-hop music being at the forefront of the music world right now. So, if you had the choice, would you want to go back and be a classic rock band in the 70s or 80s or are you more content with how things are now?
Gravante: That’s a good question.
Day: I would love the challenge of now, personally, because there’s some cool stuff coming out now, and we’ll always stay classic but also do new things too … But I do wish I was in The Beatles too. (Laughs)
JM: Music—like all other aspects of culture—goes through phases. So while [rock music] might not be the number one thing right now, at this second, I think it’s fair to say that eventually it will probably come back around to being one of the most popular genres.
Both: Yes!
Gravante: Yeah, I think it’s gonna come back.
JM: You both have said you enjoy performing live—what do you feel you get out of performing in a huge stadium for thousands of people versus, say, in a bar or a smaller club venue? What’s the difference for you?
Gravante: It was the same, honestly, for me.
JM: Really?
Gravante: Yeah; I liked playing in bars and stuff because it’s more intimate, and of course I love performing in the stadium. But the preparation and actual performance is usually the same. It’s always fun. (Laughs) You just hear yourself better in the stadium, for sure. (To Derek:) I don’t know about you.
Day: I agree, it’s actually very similar. It’s a little more difficult … I don’t even know! They’re both hard; they’re their own beast. But no matter what, for me, it’s like a religious experience performing anywhere. It always feels like I’m out-of-body, so it’s kind of fun.
Gravante: You do have more space to move, which is nice. Really nice.
JM: For the stadiums, definitely. Though the club venues can be more personal, which can also be nice.
Gravante: That’s part of what I love—having the people right there. I like that a lot.
JM: And at these bigger venues, like with The Stadium Tour, you’ve played in front of some huge audiences, of course, which takes a lot of courage. How do you deal with performance anxiety? Have you found that your view of performing has changed over the course of your previous tour, or is it the same?
Gravante: I don’t know—when we were doing The Stadium Tour, we had such a tight schedule, you know? We didn’t even have time to be stressed about performing, honestly. It’s just go-go-go-go-go! We play and that’s it. I don’t know, I don’t deal with that anxiety too much, either. I had more anxiety playing in the clubs, actually.
Day: That’s exactly it. There’s no time to worry, there’s only time to kill it.
Gravante: I’m writing that down.
Day: (Laughs) Yeahhhh!
JM: Since rock music is making a comeback, it’s pretty common for newer rock bands to be compared to the sounds and styles of classic rock bands. For instance, people may compare you to Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue, maybe some Sabbath, etcetera. When this happens to you, do you find it flattering or do you wish people would just see you independently—as Classless Act?
Gravante: Half and half, I would say.
Day: Yeah, I’m indifferent—a little—because I understand why they find a need to compare. It’s a vague reason, but I understand.
Gravante: They’re looking for a familiar face, like putting a face to an object, you know?
JM: Absolutely. If someone’s trying to recommend you to a friend, their friend might say, “Well, what do they sound like?” And they’d answer, “Oh, they sound like this and this and this.” So it makes it a little easier sometimes for that. Anyway, what’s the best piece of advice another musician has ever given you?
Day: Oh, I got one. I say this all the time, so you’ll probably hear this somewhere else, but my buddy Tony Franklin—he’d played with Jimmy Page and The Firm, and wrote albums with [Jimmy]—I played with him a couple of times, but he would always say, “Just keep going and hanging on, because the only ones to make it are the ones hanging onto the bumper last.” So it’s not even so much an X-factor or talent, it’s more about how hard you can work, so just keep that in mind. Otherwise, people would forget to put in the work, I think.
JM: I guess it’s kind of a mix between talent and work ethic. If you don’t have one, the other is useless.
Day: Totally. And then an X-factor—which is rare—obviously helps push you beyond.
JM: Sometimes it comes down to luck, too.
Day: Yeah, and that’s work too!
JM: (Misquoting:) “Luck meets opportunity and that’s success,” I suppose.
Day: (Catching my incorrect quote:) –Or, “preparation meets opportunity!”
JM: Preparation! That’s it. Okay, now, when a fan leaves your show, what do you hope they get out of it? Like, what do you want them to walk away with?
Gravante: Our album.
Day: (Laughing) Yeah, our album! Copy.
Gravante: No, I mean, you know, we want them to leave with a smile, wanting to go home and play the album. That’s what happens to me when I see a band—I saw AC/DC at River Plate in Argentina, like, 14 years ago, and I came home incredibly happy and was blasting AC/DC for the next six months. I want that.
Day: Yeah, if you discover a band you really like in the moment, live, like Franco said, you run home and you play their album—and you feel giddy! Like, “Ahh, I’m a kid again!” type of thing. So we want them to feel like that. Because that happened to me with Thumpasaurus. We saw Thumpasaurus opening for Foxy Shazam as this newer band and we were all like, “That’s so cool!” That excitement is what we want.
JM: If you could see any band, living/dead/still together or not, who would it be?
Gravante: Hmmm …
Day: That’s a good one.
Gravante: Probably Queen.
Day: Yeah, that would be fun, that would be crazy. I mean, I wouldn’t even know …
Gravante: Bowie?
Day: Yeah, Bowie—I never got to see him. Or, no! Actually, I wish I saw Prince. Once.
JM: Switching over to questions about the tour, I was told that you’re preparing for an upcoming tour you’ll be headlining, “The Most Wonderful Tour of the Year,” which is a clever title considering it’ll be going on around Christmas and goes with your new single [a cover of “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year].” Can you tell me about what that will be like?
Gravante: We are preparing a very interesting show.
JM: Oh yeah?
Gravante: I’m trying to think if we can talk about it …
Day: Yeah, I think you can—its style and whatever, I don’t know.
Gravante: We’re definitely going to play the whole album, top to bottom. That includes some piano parts and stuff like that.
JM: Yes!
Gravante: Yes, we’re going to go all out. And there’s a surprise at the end as well. We’re working very hard on this one. It’ll be an [hour or so] of music—
Day: –Maybe even an hour and a half.
Gravante: We’re excited; it’s gonna be great!
JM: How do you think it will be different, headlining this tour versus opening for The Stadium Tour?
Day: Well, it’s a co-headlining kind of thing—
Gravante: –We do have some headliners.
Day: Oh, that’s right! We do have headliners, we do now. (To Franco:) What do you think?
Gravante: It’ll be fun! Touring this whole time, you know, we got a bunch of fans who are going to come see us again. And fans who listened to the album and everything, now we’re going to have the opportunity to show them the whole thing and really entertain them for as long as we can. It’s going to be great.
JM: You’ll, of course, be playing all the songs off your debut album, Welcome To The Show. But how much of your tour will include the acoustic versions from the EP coming out?
Day: We might change it up a bit—we’re still working on the set. Right now, it’s just maybe one or two. Sometimes they just sound better with a band, you know? With a big drum kit. So we’re reluctant. We’ll do some stuff—
Gravante: —We might play the same song twice. Fuck it.
JM: (Laughing) Why not, you know? I mean, if you’re headlining, you can just do whatever feels right. But speaking of the EP, what motivated you to create it? Why do acoustic versions of your existing songs? Franco, I’ve heard you say it’s like telling a different version of the same story—that’s very interesting, can you expand on this?
Gravante: Yeah, sure! It helps to show people how versatile we can get. And it’s all one take, rough, just like “That is what you get.” And it was great; we are very happy with it, but it’s raw. It’s like playing naked. So yes, it’s a different version of the same story—you get to do the same song but with different instruments and different tones. And Derek’s voice is prolific there and you can hear it way more clearly [than in the first album]. So that’s always great.
Day: Thanks! (Laughs) No, I can’t say it better.
JM: Did any of the acoustic songs surprise you with how they sounded that way vs the original, plugged-in way? Are they different from what you thought they might be?
Day: Definitely. I think “All That We Are” was kind of cool—it’s still the same vibe but kind of a new cool vibe too.
Gravante: For me, it was “Time To Bleed.” I know it’s not out yet, but it will be soon!
JM: I think my personal favorite might be the last one, “The Storm Before The Calm.” I thought it sounded great acoustically.
Day: Ahh, nice!
JM: Which out of the songs on the EP—or out of all your songs—makes you the most emotional when you play it?
Day: Oooh man, it’s between three for me, now. It used to be “Circles,” but we’ve been kind of rehearsing this other deep track, “Thoughts Of A Dying Man,” and when I sing it—it’s really more of a physical thing, since it’s perfect in my range. Also, there’s this other tune—ah, man, but it’s not out though. It’s not on the record, it might be—I can’t even say it, but it’s a really good one. We just started rehearsing it yesterday. When I sang it, it’s like “I needed this today.” But, yeah, I can’t even say [the title]! Sorry. (Laughs)
JM: Is [the song] for a new album or are you releasing it as a single?
Gravante: No, it’s part of the same album—there’s some bonus tracks.
Day: Yeah, bonus tracks! We recorded a bunch making this album. So we’re maybe gonna throw some more [songs] out at you.
JM: And what would you say you’re looking forward to most about the new tour? It’s coming up very soon.
Gravante: I like to meet new people, always—getting to meet fans and seeing their happy faces while we play.
Day: Yeahhh, yeah! Definitely seeing the fans or seeing [their] reactions and what people think because it’ll give us an idea of where we are.
JM: Do you like to interact with fans a lot—like going up and talking to them after the shows?
Day: We do that a lot, actually! Whenever we headline, we hang out at merch or—
Gravante: (Laughs) –As long as they’re not crazy!
JM: Before we go, is there anything we didn’t get to that you’d like to touch on? Or words of wisdom to leave us with?
Gravante: Buy the album!
JM: (Laughing) Buy the album?
Day: You know, if I can shamelessly promote, yeah.
(Everyone laughs.)
Day: Follow us on Spotify, it really helps the algorithm! And look on our website for tickets because we’ll be [touring] around. We’re going around all over the states, so, you know, come check it out.
So, now, like me, you’ve got a better sense of who Classless Act is! You can thank me later. For now, do yourself another favor and check out their debut album, stay tuned for the release of Welcome To The Acoustic Show, and get tickets to “The Most Wonderful Tour of the Year.”