Cathedral Ceilings Interview: La La La…Whatever Meets Dromfest
Cathedral Ceilings is a three-piece with the muscle of a five-piece, they strike that rare balance between tunefulness and volume, the kind where the hooks are undeniable but the amps are still rattling your ribs.
Their history is stitched together from decades of New Jersey indie rock lore…from Stuyvesant, Overlake, Footstone, to Bad Karma, but instead of sounding like a patchwork, Cathedral Ceilings arrive fully alive, bristling with their own momentum. They’ve got that Hüsker Dü vibe, Sloan’s melodic intelligence, and the offhand humor of bands who know not to take themselves too seriously. What makes them so magnetic is the joy embedded in every song: casual, even tossed-off at times, but always hitting square in the chest.
So, ‘La La La…Whatever!’ … killer title, by the way. What’s the story behind that name? Was there a moment where you just threw your hands up and that phrase popped out, or did it have some deeper, hidden meaning for the album’s vibe?
Nicky: I think we were listening to the final tracks in the studio and coming up with song titles in the moment. I would hear a line pop out and say, “Oh, that should be the song title.” The album already had a working title, but during “Bill Berry,” I always loved this line and thought it might make for a cool title. It’s kind of funny, sarcastic, a little “Nevermind”-y. I thought it summed up Ralph’s approach to writing, too. He’s always got a killer melody and half a song in his head, but he can be very casual about it. “What was that?!” “I dunno…”
Ralphie: I’m kinda a (new) traditionalist. Nicky found the album title for ‘Summer of Misguided Dynamite’ this way. So I like the idea of him listening to the lyrics, sometimes for the first time, and coming up with an album title.
‘Nevermind The Helicopters’ is such a frantic, explosive track, and the Goodfellas inspiration is chef’s kiss. Are there any other movies or pop culture nuggets that secretly, or not so secretly, influence your songwriting? We need the scoop!
Nicky: Three goombahs in a band, this was bound to happen!
Ralphie: I think writing about pop culture is a dangerous line to tread. You run the risk of painting yourself in a corner. I do love writing about other songs, or mentioning other songs and artists in my songs, because they are so influential. I don’t get that same jolt of inspiration from movies or pop culture, I’m afraid. “Nevermind the Helicopters” might be it in that regard.
Speaking of influences, I read you enjoy the Ramones, Marked Men, Tony Molina, Cloud Nothings… but if you had to pick one band or artist, perhaps a deep cut, that really lights a fire under Cathedral Ceilings, who would it be and why?
Nicky: I think the one old band we all love equally is Hüsker Dü; and the more current band we all love is Meat Wave.
Ralphie: I agree with Nicky on Hüsker Dü and Meat Wave. Both serious power trios, which we identify with. But if there is one band that the three of us go gaga for, it’s the band most played in the van. And I think that’s Sloan. No matter whatever weirdness each member brings to the group—Nicky’s Grateful Dead/prog stuff, Tommy’s 60’s dream pop, or my 80’s darkwave obsession—it always comes back to Sloan.
You guys have some serious indie cred with your past bands… Stuyvesant, Overlake, Footstone, Bad Karma. What’s it like bringing all those different experiences and sounds into the melting pot that is Cathedral Ceilings? Do you ever find yourselves having “that sounds too much like my old band” moments?
Nicky: My old bands definitely sounded way different than CC. I think what blows my mind is that we sound very different from Stuyvesant, even though Ralph is the main singer in that band and one of the main songwriters.
Ralphie: It’s amazing how one person can alter and change a band’s sound. Which is why I don’t worry about CC sounding like Stuyvesant. Sean’s presence (and 3rd guitarist Eric) takes Stuyvesant to a different place. Not better or worse, just different. I think that’s a good thing.
‘Bill Berry’ is a jam! And dedicating a song to R.E.M.’s drummer is pretty awesome. What was it about Bill that made him worthy of a tribute track? And, if you could pick another unsung hero of rock to write a song about, who’d be next on the list?
Nicky: The title was originally just a working title because I was going to do a Bill Berry-type beat over it—that sort of fast disco/4-on-the-floor/alternating hi-hat thing. But I couldn’t do it! It was so fast, I would lose the groove like a minute in. But the title stuck. Bill Berry rules. No one like him.
I think we should write a song about Robo next.
Ralphie: This was really just a creative writing exercise. We had this title, now I needed a song. It’s all honest and true, but I didn’t intend to write a hero worship song. But here’s a list of people who should have songs written about them. Bands, take note! Kenny Laguna. Andy Stamets. Karl Alvarez. John Stirratt.
‘La La La…Whatever!’ was recorded and co-produced by Tom Beaujour, who’s worked with some legit legends like Nada Surf. How did that collaboration go down? Did he push you guys in any new directions?
Nicky: Tom’s been in and around all our lives for a long time. We each separately got to know him at different times. My first studio experience with him was doing the ‘Overlake’ record Fall and it was just as easy as could be. He’s supportive, enthusiastic, and efficient—and every record he does just sounds amazing. He’s also an absolutely killer mixing engineer. The best thing about him is that he’s always listening. Even just doing some minor percussion overdubs, he’s listening, he has ideas, he has notes, and I love that.
Ralphie: Come for the mutual love of Cheap Trick. Stay for the easiest recording process ever. Tom is a true pleasure to work with. I consider myself very lucky to have worked with him on Stuyvesant and CC records. He has this weird knack for anticipating your needs and wants.
You started as a side project for Ralph’s Stuyvesant songs, but now you’re a full-fledged beast of a band. What was the tipping point where it went from “side hustle” to “main event”? Was it a particular show, a songwriting session, or just the pure joy of it all?
Nicky: I really just wanted an excuse to play with Ralph. My initial thought was worming my way into Stuyvesant when they were between drummers. But ‘Overlake’ was super busy at the time, touring and gigging constantly. Ralph just forever has troves of songs and ideas, so he had a ton of non-Stuy stuff we could jam on. It took a while to become a thing. Ralph and I would get together and play sporadically or just talk about it whenever we ran into each other. Once we got a shared practice space at Volume IV in New Brunswick (RIP), we started playing and writing more consistently. Soon after, my and Tom’s other band Mr. Payday broke up and I asked him to come play with us. Then things really took off. Tom was the catalyst.
Ralphie: Tommy joining was the watershed moment for me. It was instant rhythm section cohesion. It was amazing. Mr. Payday was slowing down. Stuyvesant was slowing down. It was a natural shift. It really helped me personally not having to drive to Hoboken/Jersey City for practice. That drive, sometimes an hour and a half each way, was brutal. I hated it. The 40-minute drive to New Brunswick was heaven. Plus we would have these marathon 4 or 5-hour practices. Songs came hot and heavy. It eclipsed Stuyvesant because Nicky and Tommy were willing to go on the road. Stuyvesant has trouble doing that.
You’ve got that classic power trio setup—guitar, bass, drums. What do you love about that stripped-down format? Does it give you more freedom, or are there challenges in filling out the sound with just three of you?
Nicky: I don’t really think of it as stripped down since we’re such a wall of sound. We all play loud, but we all play musically. We each have pretty wide lanes to work in. The heart of the sound is the guitar, though—Ralph’s tone and his playing.
Ralphie: I’m pretty self-conscious about both my singing and playing. I worry that just hearing my voice gets boring. I worry that I’m not a good enough guitarist to carry the tune. I’m always thinking of adding a fourth person to fill out the sound. Maybe in the future we will. But for now, this dynamic we have is working and sounding pretty good. So I think we’ll remain a trio for the time being.
Okay, so ‘La La La…Whatever!’ came out last September, but you’re still hitting it hard with live shows. What’s the best part about playing these new songs live?
Nicky: I’m not really sick of any of them yet! They’re still very fun to play. And, of course, in typical CC fashion, we also have like six new-new songs in the set.
Ralphie: Man, I always feel like we don’t play enough shows. New songs, old songs, I just enjoy playing. But Nick is right. We have already started including some unrecorded songs in the set, which we are prone to do.
And finally, for the big one! You’re playing Dromfest 2025, which is seriously exciting. What are you looking forward to most about that festival? Any special plans for your set, or perhaps some dream collaborations you’re hoping might spontaneously combust on stage with another Dromedary Records band?
Nicky: I love seeing and meeting bands I’d never seen back in the day, or maybe never even heard of! Seeing Scrawl last year was just fantastic, and I hadn’t really heard them before. But those who knew were super hyped for it. So I’m stoked to see them again this year. I’m very excited to see The Dambuilders, who I also didn’t see back when they were active. Having gotten to know Dave Derby a bit over the years, I’m looking forward to that set. And, of course, you can’t miss Yo La Tengo, Thalia Zedek, or Chris Brokaw either.
I say this often, but Al and Sandy of Dromedary are the ultimate forces of good in independent music. Super enthusiastic and passionate, and they want you to be too. I also like seeing everyone descend on Catskill village and The Avalon Lounge, two places I love.
Dream collabs… Maybe this is the year I convince Lyle Hysen to do a double-drummer set.
Ralphie: Al and Sandy from Dromedary Records have built a wonderful little thing. Nurturing it from its first live event at Live Tonight in Hoboken to promote their first compilation release in the early 90s, to this beautifully curated weekend. Al is the sommelier of indie rock, pairing great music to your ears. Besides bands like Yo La Tengo and Das Damen, I especially look forward to the special craft beer that Return Brewing is doing this year. With poetry readings and movie screenings, it seems this year’s fest has a ton to offer.
As for our set, no plans for special guests or collaborations. Probably a few new tunes.
Oh, and one more… I always ask… if the band would crash at my place, what records would we play? Loud, experimental, freak-out? What’s your ultimate cup of tea for a late-night session that’s not just more power pop? Lay it on me!
Nicky: Got any Weird Al???
Ralphie: I’m cool with anything. I’ll probably be asleep anyway.
Klemen Breznikar
Headline photo: Cathedral Ceilings by Nick D’Amore
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