Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs: John Lombardo, Rob Buck, Steve Gustafson, Natalie Merchant, Dennis Drew, Jerry Augustyniak, July 6, 1986, New York, New York. (Photo By Larry Busacca/Getty Images) In Part 1 and Part 2 of this interview series with Dennis Drew, keyboardist for and a founding member of 10,000 Maniacs, we covered a lot of ground, including all things Natalie Merchant, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, two hit Maniacs songs, "Don't Talk" and "What's The Matter Here,” and more. In this third and final part, we discuss broader topics, including the origins of the band, early musical influences, experiences on television shows, etc.
Below are edited excerpts from a longer phone conversation. Jim Clash : The very early years: How did 10,000 Maniacs come about? Dennis Drew : [Guitarist] Rob Buck had a band that fell apart, and he invited Steve [Gustafson], me and a couple of others to get together. It was just right place, right time.
The music business was shifting from polished rock and covers to a more do-it-yourself, punk-rock ethic, and we got to be part of that. We started a college radio station, Steve and I, here in Jamestown [New York] in ‘78, '79, so we got to hear all of the new music, The Clash, Gang Of Four, etc. We also became part of the whole network of college stations across the country.
When the band started playing live shows, exhausting ourselves in Jamestown and western New York.
