Maybe Boys Finding a Way on The Maybe Trail - Artist Feature: Toy Soldiers

Maybe Boys Finding a Way on The Maybe Trail
Artist Feature: Toy Soldiers

 By: Carolyn Lederach, Co-Writer/Editor: Dan McGurk

Carolyn Lederach is a contributor to Root Down In the Shadow.  Knee deep in the music scene with her work for Sofar Sounds: Philadelphia, Communion Music, and Hey Cole she brings a seasoned view to Root Down in the Shadow
 
My interaction with Toy Soldiers began as a solo exposure when we had lead singer, Ron Gallo, play our Sofar Sounds Philadelphia show. I had heard nothing but great things about Toy Soldiers from the beginning by alumni like The Lawsuits and other trusted ears.  It wasn’t until Ron actually starting playing that I truly discovered what everyone was talking about.  It’s one thing to hear the songs people send in, but seeing it live and getting the same quality is always a treat for the listeners. Hearing Ron doing a solo set, one can only imagine how it carries over into a full live band sound. For those newly introduced to Ron Gallo that night there were whispers about Woody Guthrie, not only in sound, but the hair and looks.  It’s almost like we felt transported back to roots rock for fifteen minutes.  A moment that stood out to me was after finishing up “Been Here All My Days” one of Ron’s initial comments was, “you guys make me nervous because you actually listen, people don’t really do that.” A line that can sum up Sofar pretty quickly and the feeling many artists get every day playing in bars being talked over and ignored.



“Heart in A Mousetrap” - Ron Gallo of Toy Soldiers at Sofar Sounds: Philly 10/26/12



That night in October was only the beginning of Toy Soldier’s Sofar road. They played one of the Sofar Sounds Austin SXSW show this year and most recently played Sofar Philadelphia’s May show as a full band. We asked Ron what his initial reaction was to Sofar and the movement. “I was a little unsure about how it worked or how it would go until I actually showed up at the show location. That's when I discovered I was playing with a bunch of my friends’ bands in a room full of really great, attentive people in a really cool living room environment.  The nature of the shows being sort of secret and announced last minute tends to make for an ill attended show, but SOFAR consistently has had some of the best, most engaged crowds to play to. I think it's a great movement that's making the world feel a little smaller and within reach by creating this great community.”

Toy Soldiers came together as a band a while back in 2007. However, it wasn’t until 2011 that the group finally found it’s niche being in the forms of:

Ron Gallo - Song and Dance man, Culprit of the incurable Seth turrets

Dom Billett - Singing Drummer, Runner, Carrabbas/Veggie/Pizza Enthusiast, Fan of Things and Stuff

Matt Kelly - Guitar Aficionado, Wind Surfing Poet, Music Encyclopedia, Possessor of Great Shirts

Bill McCloskey - Bassist, Baseball Pitcher, McDonald’s Ambassador

Luke Leidy - Pianist, Resident Funnyman, Inventor of the Un-Buttoned Tuck


To sum up Toy Soldiers, Ron describes the group as; “Five good friends barreling around this weird country playing Rock N' Roll music as best as we know how. We like to let loose, we like to take in our surroundings or whatever we're into at a given moment and make things out of it in the most raw, honest way we can. There's something for everyone, we like to make people have fun”. If you ask them what their genre is, they will probably tell you it’s Rock N’ Roll. To truly describe Toy Soldiers sound, it has “seasonings of soul, R&B, country, new orleans, blues, surf, psychedelic, garage, etc. We're more a vehicle for songs than a ‘_____’ band, our next record could be calypso, or big band jazz, who knows!” A lot of this sound can be contributed to the varied tastes between the guys, “the greatest advantage of the people in our band is that we all are very different characters that bring something entirely different to the table all tied together with a really solid common ground. Bill and Dom are such a solid rhythm backbone, seasoned and studied musicians and then me, Luke and Matt are a little more off the cuff, the wildcards.”

Since the formation, the band has received two Tri-State Indie Awards for Indie Rock Band of the Year and such quotes from USA Today as one of the “Top Bands to Watch in 2013.” This is truly a statement they can stand behind.

I had the pleasure of being on the road with the Toy Soldiers for a few days on tour. I knew from the get go that they were hard workers and stick to giving people a great show no matter what the crowd or atmosphere. Whether it be a jammed packed cafe in Blacksburg, VA full of dancing college kids or a crowd of ten people at Charlie Bob’s in Nashville on a Wednesday night, the show was always solid. I can also honestly say after seeing them play the same songs five nights in a row, I never once got tired of watching or listening because I knew the show would be great. Music aside, they’re also some of the nicest, hardest working and goofiest dudes out there. It was my first time meeting four of the five, and as cheesy as it sounds, in those five days on some level it felt like hanging out with the brothers I never had.




Toy Soldiers - Johnny Brenda's 4/19/201

This brings us to present day, Spring 2013. On April 19th, Toy Soldiers premiered their tour documentary, The Maybe Trails at Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia and proceeding the film played to a sold-out crowd. The Maybe Trails is a documentary filmed and edited by one and only Seth Klinger, the man behind the infamous “Seth” phrase you’re bound to hear echo throughout the band. The Maybe Trails started as an organic idea from Ron and Seth about doing a documentary on the band back in 2012. Seth decided instead to not make the film as an introduction to an “unknown” band, but instead to give the average person a look into what tour life is really about for a band starting off. It’s not about the glorious tour bus life that most would assume when they hear the phrase “I’m going on tour,” it’s about the nitty gritty life of traveling on the road in a van that a lot of bands face. Ron noted this about the trip, “It's always growth, it's trial and error, seeing what works and what doesn't, only time and failure and struggle can make you better and smarter.”


Seth embarked on the road with Toy Soldiers on the journey from Pennsylvania to Texas for the annual SXSW Festival and back home. Even though home almost didn’t seem possible after getting a speeding ticket an hour and a half into tour, continuous van problems up until the van completely breaking down in New Orleans, leaving them stranded on the way to a gig that ended up getting cancelled. But with good friends by their sides, they found a way home. The last ten minutes of the film consisted of Seth’s second journey with the boys on their return trip to SXSW this year. With the conclusion of the film ending with Toy Soldiers set at Sofar Sounds Austin SXSW show with their song, “Red Dress.”

Toy Soldiers - “Red Dress” at Sofar Austin SXSW 2013 

**  At Sofar Sounds: Austin #311, Toy Soldiers shared the show with other acts like Kassidy and Sofar global alumni, The Staves. ***


Now we reach the part in the article where you might be wondering what the next steps are for Toy Soldiers? They’re sitting on a fantastic album, The Maybe Boys due out in September. The album was produced by Bill Moriarty (producer for Dr. Dog, Man Man) and will be self-released by the band.  On top of that they have a 7” vinyl coming out in July with four songs recorded at Converse Rubber Tracks in Brooklyn.  They also have two tours coming up in July with Joe Fletcher and Andrew Combs, stay tuned for tour updates here.  With a huge year of success under their belts we’re sure that the best is only yet to come for these Maybe Boys.

“There's no right way so it's just finding OUR way.” - Ron Gallo