“I was in this slump, man,” Goldman said. “I wasn’t listening to music. I wasn’t writing music. I would write one song at a time, and it would take me a very long time. I was having a very difficult time. I’m like, ‘This is ridiculous. I’m listening to the same records I was listening to 15 years ago. I need to find something new.’ I made myself start listening to music again.”
Goldman started digging into music again but he still needed another creative jolt to his system.
“I started booking studio time twice a month every month since before the New Year in an effort to start writing more,” he said. “I was paying money to be in the studio so I knew I needed to write some songs and that worked. Since then, things have been great. I’ve been finding a little bit of inspiration. I’ve been writing some music and we’ve been recording.”
The Raging Nathans, currently on tour with British punk band Wonk Unit, have been recording with Micah Carli at Popside Recordings in Troy.
“I like Micah,” Goldman said. “His recordings sound great but more than anything he’s easy to work with and he’s not afraid to be like, ‘That wasn’t that good. Do it again.’ I can appreciate that because some people will just let it go.
“Other people are overly critical but Micah is very good about letting me kind of direct things,” Goldman continued. “I know what I want but sometimes I need some input from him. He’s done a great job for us.”
Rather than put out another full-length album, the Raging Nathans is releasing a string of split 7-inch records with different bands. When you run your own label like Goldman does with Rad Girlfriend Records, you can follow such whims. This year, Raging Nathans has released splits with acts like the Nobodys and Wonk Unit and there are others in the works with Rad Company, Dopamines and the Queers.
“My goal was to release those with better-known bands that I’ve made connections with so we can try to get our name out there a little bit,” Goldman said. “I wanted to go crazy. I thought it was an interesting idea, and if it doesn’t get us some attention I don’t know what will.”
More info: www.radgirlfriendrecords.com.
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