Zupe: Press

 

---

Published: December 16, 2007

Songwriters Have Magic For Music            

By TOM LAVIS

TLAVIS@TRIBDEM.COM

Robbing two area songwriters of their music would be like depriving them of oxygen.

Dave Nichols, 54, of Somerset and Zupe, 41, of Altoona are well-known throughout the region for their musicianship, but few people realize their original music has gained national attention.

The pair have collaborated on writing, recording and publishing tunes for advertisements and jingles for more than a decade and have attained more than a modicum of success.

They have released a new compact disc titled “Speechless,”which was nearly three years in the making and features 12 instrumental selections that underscore the men’s musical mastery.

This new CD is a combination of jazz, rock and funk and is designated as a new arrival on CDBaby.com, where it is available for $12.

“Because of our individual performance schedules, I would say we averaged about one day a week, over the past three years, where we could sit down and tackle our musical ideas,” said Nichols, whose compositions and guitar expertise have been used by such bands as the Johnstown Classic Rockers, Red Alert and The Boomers.

Zupe (pronounced Zoop), like Cher or Sting, changed his named 15 years ago to a single moniker and is well-known for his one-man band and composing skills.

The writers are on the same wavelength and it’s not unusual for them to finish each other’s sentences.“We fight not to be pigeonholed to a common degree musically,” Nichols said.

The men’s teamwork dates to 1995, when they composed music for the Johnstown Chiefs.

“The team’s motto at the time was ‘Hockey With an Attitude’ and we composed music that depicted that slogan,” Zupe said. “It was played when the team scored a goal or came on the ice.”

Their published works have appeared on a variety of television programs, including Fox’s “Malcolm in the Middle,” and “The Simple Life,” NBC’s “Dateline,” MTV’s “Road Rules” and “Real World,” and several shows on cable networks, such as A&E and The History Channel.

“Two of our songs were used on a History Channel documentary on America diners, titled ‘Highway Hangouts,’ which was hosted by (actor) Jerry Stiller,” Zupe said.

Nichols and Zupe have collaborated on writing 30-second television spots for such businesses as a local candy company, travel agency, an electric supply company and a plumbing and heating company. 

In describing some of the opening cuts on “Speechless,” Zupe issued a warning about driving while listening.  “It’s high energy and people would have a tendency to push the pedal to the metal,” he said.

The song “Rib Joint” jolts the listener with a blues sound that percolates with a blend of dynamic horns.

Nichols said songwriting has been a natural progression for the pair, who have spent their entire careers making music.  “When you reach middle age, the allure of wearing Spandex on stage looses its appeal,” laughed Nichols. 

On a more serious note, Nichols said the support system of family, friends and fellow musicians has been invaluable.  “We couldn’t do this without knowing that our families believe in what we are doing and give us unrelenting support,” Nichols said.

The duo also supports each other.  “It’s rare when an impasse is reached because one of us generally can pick up the other if we get stumped,” Nichols said.  “But when we are both cooking, it can be described only as magic and the music just flows.”

Now that the CD is released, the pair is confident the music will stand on its own merit.

“We are moving on to other projects,” Zupe said. “We generally make three or four trips to Nashville to showcase our material, as well as trips to New York and L.A.,” Zupe said.

But Nichols said the greatest asset for songwriters has been the Internet.  “Technology has opened a lot of doors for us, and we want to take advantage of each opportunity,” Nichols said.