The Mainstay's Musical Rebirth

Dec. 11, 2015

From the roots of the downstate party band Funktion has arisen a new musical outfit that’s added folk and grunge to an already-established funk-soul sound. Funktion’s Andrew Schrock, Neal Conway and Nate Heymoss have teamed up with drummer Paul Bauer and keyboard/organ player Tom Eldred to form The Mainstays, a fusion of talent that pays as much homage to the days of classic Motown as to today’s nightclub dancefloors.

KEEPING ON

“Funktion only plays shows maybe four or five times a year now, as our other bandmates became busy with other things,” explained Schrock. “So we carried a similar musical aesthetic over to this new band project.”

Schrock explained that, while Funktion was more jam band oriented, The Mainstays are pursuing a more classic track, fusing funk and soul with just a touch of rock.

“A lot of what we’re doing was inspired by the old Motown sounds,” Schrock said. “I grew up listening to all sorts of music, but always gravitated to soul and Motown. The first two cassettes I owned were Aretha Franklin and The Temptations. I just like a lot of old music — blues and jazz especially — and in Michigan it’s hard not to be influenced by the sounds that came out of Detroit.”

MUSICAL STEW

Schrock gave a long list of additional influences contributing to what he called The Mainstays’ “musical stew,” from James Brown, Maceo Parker, and Sly and the Family Stone to the Allman Brothers and Little Feat.

“In addition to the Detroit stuff, we like a lot of the Southern rock that’s more soulful,” he said.

Their blend has brought attention from both old Funktion fans and a whole new slate of listeners attracted to the band’s danceability and soulful ways around melody and lyrics. They were hits at Traverse City’s latest Microbrew and Music fest and impressed one of their fellow acts almost as much as the audience.

“Yeah, that was really cool,” Schrock recollected. “We met Robert Randolph [of Robert Randolph and the Family Band, an American funk and soul outfit] at the Microbrew and Music show and then he and his band all came out to Union Street Station [in Traverse City] and jammed with us later that night. That was quite an experience.”

BAND BONDING

Festivals are one of The Mainstays’ strong suits as a band; their energy and sound lend themselves well to big, hyped-up crowds and expansive venues. They’ve already traveled through much of the upper Midwest and are looking to expand their touring boundaries in 2016, especially after the release of their new album early in the new year.

“We’re actually working on that album in the studio now,” Schrock said. “We’re recording it ourselves, all analog and directly to tape.”

After tracking’s complete, the set will be mixed and mastered by a Lansing company run by engineer Glenn Brown [Kid Rock/ Kenny Rogers].

“The analog approach goes really well with our more vintage soul-rock sound,” Schrock said, “mostly because it’s more of a live sound. We’re using very little overdubbing, and recording all at once as a band.”

The band’s last release, the 2014 EP The Mainstays, became in-demand among fans; their new full-length set is poised to do the same, which is good news for this trio who decided to stick together and move forward with their music whether or not Funktion was still functioning.

“We just wanted to keep playing,” Schrock said.

The Mainstays perform at Union Street Station at 117 S. Union Street in Traverse City on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 18 and 19. To learn more about the band, visit: themainstaysmusic.com.