Band Worth Knowing: Ludo

The only back up plan the guys in Ludo had was “don’t have a back up plan.”

It seems to have worked out OK for the St. Louis-based rock band. Just a few years into it’s existence and Ludo has already signed with Island and are hitting the road with the Presidents of the United States of America to promote their second full-length “You’re Awful, I Love You.”

Co-founder Andrew Volpe took time recently to speak with me about the beauty of not looking back.

So where did all of you meet?

We came together in pieces. Tim Ferrell and I played together as Ludo while we both were in college. We started playing acoustic shows full time in early 2003. Tim Convy, who had known Ferrell since high school joined after that spring and the three spent that summer recruiting a rhythm section and got Matt (Palermo) and Marshall (Fanciullo) that summer. We recorded our first album after being together for a few weeks, and immediately went on tour.

I know at least some of you dropped out of college for Ludo. How thrilled were your folks about that?

I think all of our parents had a feeling early on their kids were going to pursue something like this. They've all been very supportive - they see how hard we work, and they know how much we love what we do. Of course there's an occasional "get a REAL job!" but for the most part they've all been great.

How would you describe the band's sound?

Describing what music sounds like is like trying to draw a picture of what spaghetti tastes like, so it's not really something we like to do but in short - we're a rock band.

Do you guys have any influences that would surprise people?

We really like Chuck Berry and we've all got individual tastes that would surprise people. Tim Ferrell has been really in to music in "pure" intonation which basically abandons all rules of Western notes, chords, etc and it's crazy!

Have you all been able to quit your day jobs yet or do you still work between tours?

We've been very fortunate and have done nothing but Ludo from the day we started. We always say "If you have fall-back plan, you'll fall back on it." Before Ludo we did everything from bartending, DJing, graphic design, and selling shoes, futons, and all sorts of things.

How did you get the attention of Island records?

We played a show at South by Southwest in Austin and there was an A&R guy there from Island. He saw us, took us out to eat the next day and then brought his boss to see us at home in St. Louis.

How long have you been working on the songs that made this record?

Years. Some of the songs have existed since December of 2003, and others were written while we were in the studio.

How was the recording process this time around?

It was really amazing and probably one of the most positive experiences we've ever had as a band. Our producer, Matt Wallace, was incredible and supported us in making the record we wanted to make. We also got to live in Hollywood for two months which was quite an experience in and of itself.

What are the largest and smallest crowds you've played in front of?

We played to over 4,000 people at a show during the Final Four in St. Louis. We also played to about four people in a swimming pool at college in Texas.

Any advice to bands that are just now starting out?

Love it. Do it for yourself. Write lots of songs. Push each other. Play every show you can. If something isn't fun, don't do it. Get plenty of sleep.

What do you have planned for the rest of 2008?

We're going on tour with The Presidents of The United States of America. Before that, we need to get the oil changed in the van. And after that, who knows?