Interview by Karla Ash
Smaktones: Smak My Ringtone Up
When I interview musicians, it's usually for a new album
- and not the latest ringtone. But with technology changing at
an accelerated speed, rockers are finding different ways of selling
their creativity. For music veterans Billy Trudel and Tony Rader,
it became time to collaborate their artistry in a different arena,
the crazy world of ringtone making. Forming a company called
Smaktones, Rader and Trudel have pulled out all of the stops,
producing an array of genre-specific and original ringtones that
are achingly funny in their accuracy and lyrics. If you don't
believe, head straight to the punk section and sample "I
Hate This Ring."
Hysterical stuff that elaborated on in this interview.
Karla Ash: What are your musical backgrounds and how much
of that experience finds itself in the ringtones you create?
Tony Rader: Billy Trudel's credits in the wonderful world
of music is far to long to talk about so here are a few highlights
in his career. His first recording contract was in 1984 with
a group called the City, which was a spin off of Men At Work.
In 1990, he joined a group called Warpipes, a.k.a. the Elton
John Band. In 1991, while touring on the East Coast, Trudel was
invited to a dinner party given by John at the Four Seasons restaurant
where he was introduced to the man himself. Then, in 1994, John's
management called and asked Trudel if he would sing backgrounds
for John at the Oscars. Trudel and [Smaktones associate] Bruce
Watson were the two guys singing the high notes on "Can
You Feel The Love Tonight?" That led to a full-time gig
with John, touring the world from 1997 to 2000. Watson is a long
time friend of Trudel's who is a multi-talented guitarist/vocalist
who has toured with Rod Stewart, Patty Smyth, Jewel, and worked
with Christina Aguilera on "What A Girl Wants." He
is the foundation to the music we create at Smaktones. In 2000
Trudel signed with a talent agency where he met me. I first started
out as a professional baseball player and after my baseball career
ended due to injury, I got into acting and worked on such TV
shows as All My Children, Fame, and Hill Street Blues, just to
name a few. I then found my way to New York where I became a
stage manager on Broadway working in such shows as Gypsy with
Tyne Daly and Stepping Out with Liza Minnelli, which continued
with a would tour and culminating at Radio City Music Hall.
Ash: How do you decide what genres to create ringtones
for?
Rader: It's more of looking at what's current first. For instance,
in our Modern Rock section we have many genres of rock music.
There's Emo and Pop Punk or Heavy Rock. You have to look at the
market place and see what sells or is being aired on the radio.
Hip Hop, Rock, Pop, and Country fall into that market. If you
look at who's downloading ringtones, it's a wide open market
from 12 years old to 70, anyone who has a cell phone, so we try
and cover it all. It's a work in progress since we are creating
from scratch. We will definitely be looking at what sells the
most and trying to stay up on that as well. What makes us stand
out is that we are creating music that is specific to your cell
phone, so all the lyrics are little stories about someone looking
for you, I've been searching for you, someone's trying to find
you. We have lyrics like, Dying Emo, I'm Dying, Dying To Talk
To You, Dying To Hear Your Voice, Dying To Know Your Out There,
Somewhere. This is what makes this site so much fun. We felt
it was better to lead in a new direction than to follow everyone
else, to customize your ring and not sound like everyone else.
We also have an awesome wallpaper section that is headed up by
our wallpaper designer F. Kirk Alley, one of the most sought
after tattoo artists in the world right now. Some of his art
will be animated and you will also be able to personalize it
by writing your own message on the art.
Ash: Name some of the star talent who are working for and
will be contributing to Smaktones.
Rader: This is another work in progress, but so far we have
had some of our close friends drop by. Valarie Pettiford and
Essence Atkins from the hit TV series Half & Half have lent
their talents to the microphone. Raymond Del Bario, who is our
Latin King. Del Bario is a dancer/director/chorographer extraordinaire.
He has danced in West Side Story and choreographed many MTV videos.
You never know when you need someone to dance on a ringtone for
you. Raymond is a natural comedian on the mic. Then in our Hip
Hop category we are featuring someone from the Seattle area,
Kojo Oberg. Trudel has worked with Oberg on a few projects and
considers him to be one of the best rappers to have yet to be
discovered, and they hope that by bringing him into their world
that it will open up some doors for him. We will be bringing
in different artists when needed but because we have to deal
with their managers and labels we can't disclose who they are
at this moment.
Ash: What are the funniest ringtones that you have?
Rader: We have quit a few of them. We feel that our Latin
section will make a lot a people laugh. Some of the ones right
now that are getting the most attention is Laughing Munchkin
and our Hindu East Indian voice over. We also have a New York
Cabbie and a When Harry Met Sally one that is going to be very
popular with the boys. But what we are really proud of is that
the site is very clean and can be listened to by any age.
To find more about the artist visit http://www.smaktones.com
