Ted Hajnasiewicz is one of the nicest and most collaborative musicians in the Cities. One small sign is the number of times he sends me other bands for the radio playlist once the theme comes out. His music is as warming as he is – the new album, Tadeusz, just shines. You can check it out February 12 at the Schooner.
Last time we checked was last summer, International Treasures has just released two songs. I want to ask you to catch us up but also, you collaborate so much and play so much (HebbaJebba). How do you balance what to focus on and when? When did you find time for the lovely new album Tadeusz?
Oh gosh – thank you! I’m glad you like it Ann!
This project was several years in the making. I’d actually recorded a version of this album, then scrapped it. I was not happy with the results, and one song in particular, I worried that I had ruined it forever.
I kept chipping away at this, however, while working on other projects. New songs came, some songs fell off the list, replaced by new songs. I started working with a couple amazing producers, which is when this started to “come into focus” for me. Something like three years later, here we are! 🙂
Forgotten Melodies is a touching song. It starts with the “where the sidewalk ends” which for any Shel Silverstein fan is a touchstone. It brings you home, while the rest of the song helps us understand how home defines who we are, who we let in, and in the world we’re in might be a place to unite us. What was the inspiration or intention of the song?
For a short time, I lived at a house in Robbinsdale where the sidewalk literally ended! Being a Shel fan (The Giving Tree, is still my fav), I thought this was the coolest thing – “I live literally where the sidewalk ends!”
This was a house full of dudes from two bands. All we did was rehearse and party at that house. It was fun – until it wasn’t. 🙂 But I still love those guys. Two of them used to bellow “HebbaJEBBA!!!!” whenever I came home. That’s where that name comes from.
Back in 2016 or 2017, I was trying to woo one of the guys into starting a remote band (He lives in Sheboygan, WI). I wrote this song, about our time in that lovely home and sent it his way. My thought was, we’d call the band HebbaJebba. He didn’t bite. But I got a band name and this little song from it.
The really cool thing is, many folks came through that house even in the short time I lived there. Literally everyone was welcome. This resonated with young me, and has shaped who I try to be today. I’m very grateful for that time and those lovely people.
Long Song for Dusty is a dance song. It’s fun, it celebrates community. It’s you in a song. Can you talk about the mix of songs on the album? If your album was a dress shop you’d have fun and flirty, next to gym clothes, next to high society. But I love that all-accepted approach.
Ooh I like this approach! I should figure out a way to describe my songs in apparel terms. Or maybe ice cream flavors.
“Dusty” is just plain FUN. It was borne out of one of the sweetest nights at Dusty’s, where Doyle and I got to sing for and with a room full of mostly musicians/songwriters (we were sharing the bill with Edie Rae and Jim Walsh, and it seemed like all of Minneapolis was there in that little room). So we were channeling the “love” energy, plus a little silliness (“Singable refrain” as the singable refrain).
The common thread on the album is that each song is deeply personal to me. Whether I’m writing about a place and time I lived, or love songs for my love, or songs about faith, hope and love – they all come from my view. That’s not unique to this album, if I’m honest – I think that might be the only way I know how to write. Does that make me self-centered???
But really – “Tadeusz” is significant, in that this is my birth-given name. Something I tried to hide, or hide from most of my life (growing up in the 70’s and 80’s my name drew a lot of not so kind attention from kids and adults alike). And “Teddy”… The nickname my mom, sisters, aunts lovingly called me – ugh. I hated that too. This is me sort of realizing who I am and accepting it. Dare I say “embracing it”? I say it, hoping I eventually live it.
The songs on the album fit this theme very well. I’ll likely say something similar about any project I’m involved in.:) I don’t know that that IS self-centered, the more I think of it. No, I think maybe it’s self-expression. I think that is good. I encourage us all to do this, in whatever capacity we are able.
Please talk about the musicians who helped with the album. It’s a rock solid list!
Oh yes! I was very, VERY lucky to get to work with two producers on this album.
Gary Spencer (Wildhurst Studio in lovely Waconia) really kicked the dick out of the songs he produced (“Love Song for Dusty” and “Easy to Love”). He brought an entirely new energy to “Dusty”, that my demo didn’t have. And “Easy to Love” is the song I thought I might just ditch – until he saved it from the junk heap my original sessions made of that song. I really loved that song, and feared I’d turned it into a pile of refuse. Gary lovingly made it into what it was always meant to be. He’s a genius, and just plain ROCKS!
Gary played drums on both songs as well (and the cool piano tinkles on Dusty). We then asked our friend Chris Rose to play electric guitar on these songs. He is pure rock and roll and he pure rock and rolled all over these songs.
Dave Mehling produced the last four songs on the album. They were all relatively new songs (they were not part of my original sessions for this project). Dave just brings a special genius into the process, and plays ALL the instruments! His ideas helped shape and affect ideas I had, which helped shape next ideas he had. LIke a kick-ass drum loop he built for “Star Gazer”, that led me to lay down the thumpy bass part, that led him to put on the killer guitars, that led to my “Bowie” chant (which might sound more AC/DC than Bowie? But hey, it worked!).
We basically just collaborated throughout the four songs. One exception is “Love Is All Around” – I did play the acoustic guitar, but Dave did all of the magic on this one. To the point where my guitar was no longer the focus. Oh! Genius!
On “Star Gazer”, I may have mentioned I wanted to have some sort of “Bowie vibe”. But it’s so crazy how EXACT Dave was in capturing what I had in my head. He did that without me there to say “Oh, but really this…” – he just NAILED IT! Gaah!
Steve Peffer, a sweetheart of a human who I’ve hired to play B3 and Wurli on quite a few of my past projects, did his special stuff on “Easy to Love”, “There’s a Price for Everything” and “The Most Interesting Man In the World”. Steve is in Nashville. We’ve met in person once, but have never had the opportunity to actually play together (YET). It’s so odd though – I swear every time he sends me his parts it’s as if we were in the room together shaping the song. How does he do that?
On “I Wanna Marry You”, I heard saxophone in my head. I don’t know any sax players. So I hit up the hive mind that is Facebook, asking folks for suggestions. I wanted a Clarence Clemons vibe, but wanted to clarify, my song is no Springsteen epic (I’m not Bruce Springsteen. I might be more like Bruce the guy in HR at your company). Two friends sent me a text, saying “RONNY LOEW!!!!”. So I hit him up. He was gracious enough to track his parts, and oh my heart! I love ‘em.
The rest was me. Bass, guitars, vocals, some percussion things. Saying that, I must say there is only one song (“Forgotten Melodies”) where I’m the only one on the track. I just had a lot of fun pulling these songs together. And for me at least, it’s so much more fun when you get to share the experience with others.
Gary Spencer then took all the songs and mastered them. Dare I say “masterfully” mastered them. Pure gold!
Please tell me about the upcoming album release.
Oh this will be a sweet time! The album comes out February 12 (this was my dad’s birthday). I’m throwing a fun little party at the Schooner that night. A Thursday night. No tickets, no cover, no muss, no fuss – just come if you can. And we’ll celebrate together. That’s all I wanna do anyway – make things and share them with others. This was the best way I could think of to do that.
EdieRaeBand will close the night. Edie and Craig are stellar songwriters, both involved in several projects. This one, just blows my mind every time I get to experience them together. Oh! They rock so much! It’s actually their night – they have a monthly residency at the Schooner, which landed on this night. They were gracious enough to share it with me (they are just the loveliest humans).
Leslie Rich and Rocket Soul Choir will kick things off with a short sweet set of proper rock and roll. Then we’ll roll immediately into my set with the Rocket Soul Choir as MY band (Plus my friend and Hebba bandmate Brendan Ober). Ahhh how dang fun! It’s been a longtime dream to collaborate with them. Who knows – maybe a Ted/RSC album in the future?
February 12 at the Schooner. Music starts promptly at 7. You wanna not be late for this one. Blink and you’ll miss it. But no worries – if you do miss it, let’s get coffee and I’ll tell you all about it.
Thank you Ann for letting me do this! You’re good people.
Mostly Minnesota 