Editor’s Note: It was a nice conversation with the bass player Al Ruiz of The Sh-Booms for Madness To Creation. Out of Orlando, Florida, The Sh-Booms have seen success sharing the stage with the likes of The B-52’s, The Roots, Of Montreal, and Big Freedia and have also been featured on NPR. In fact, Kate Pierson of The B-52’s describes The Sh-Booms as, “soulful and bluesy and all of the things that you would want in this sometimes humdrum world of modern music. Our crowd loves them!”. That is quite the praise from a member of a legendary pop/rock band. Al Ruiz also discusses “The Blurred Odyssey”, mental health awareness and their first gig. Fans can find The Sh-Booms at the following locations:
Madness To Creation: Take us into the writing process of “The Blurred Odyssey”, what were some of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of creating that album?
Al: For the album, we were nine piece band. Coordinating all the instruments and arrangements was tricky, but with enough rehearsals we pulled it off. The subject matter for the lyrical content is basically themed on life and death.
Madness To Creation: How did the performance for Illegal Mezcal go, what’s the biggest difference in your mindset in terms of preparation between performing say on Instagram Live as opposed to playing in front of an audience?
Al: Working with Illegal Mezcal’s crew was great! Everyone was super supportive and we were excited to be a part of their Musicians Breakfast series. We approached the virtual performance as if it was a live performance, but a bit team down as we were at home in quarantine.
Madness To Creation: You guys are known for your live shows, what’s your most favorite live experience and most embarrassing live performance?
Al: I’d have to say any of the performances when we got to tour the B-52s would conquer all other shows.
Madness To Creation: Take us into the very first The Sh-booms gig, what are some memories that you have from that experience?
Al: Our first show ruled! We played at a bar called The Lodge, no stage on the floor. It was really cool to see Brenda explode live for the first time in front of a crowd.
Madness To Creation: Take yourself back to that first gig, what pieces of advice would you give yourself?
Al: Think more on your attire!
Madness To Creation: How has the band adjusted their social media presence with the Covid-19 pandemic?
Al: Our social media presence has been little to none. Our first safe hang out was for Illegal’s Musician’s Breakfast. We’ve all been in quarantine trying to figure out what the hell is going on in this crazy world.
Madness To Creation: What’s the first thing that you want to do when this pandemic is all over?
Al: Hangout with friends and play shows and watch shows again!
Madness To Creation: We focus on mental health awareness at Madness To Creation, what gets you through difficult times and what makes you happy?
Al: I love to cook, write and play music, spending quality time with loved ones. Happy hours with my friends via FaceTime has become pretty fun.
Madness To Creation: I’m giving you the floor to plug whatever you want to plug in regards to the band.
Al: Stay tuned to our socials @theshbooms, We will see you all in the virtual world soon!
And there you have it! Check out their music video for “Leon The Hustler” below:
