John Boegehold was previously known as a co-songwriter and guest musician for Spock's Beard. But the multi-instrumentalist from Detroit, who has been living in Los Angeles since 1980, didn't feel that busy. That's why the American, who already liked classical prog bands like ELP, Genesis or Yes as a teenager and later wrote TV and film music, founded his own quartet with Pattern-Seeking Animals. The highlight: Boegehold's band colleagues Ted Leonard, Dave Meros and Jimmy Keegan are current and former members of Spock's Beard.
eclipsed: Before we talk about your new band, I'd like to know when you started with the music and what your first instrument was.
John Boegehold: When I had my first band in high school, I was the bass player. Until the middle of the eighties I only played bass. I was in a band back then, but at some point we couldn't hold our guitarists. So I put the basics on the guitar and went looking for a new bass player. That's when I met Dave Meros. When I started composing, I also learned keyboards. Meanwhile I play a bit of everything, none of it really well, but it's enough for composing.
eclipsed: The band name Pattern-Seeking Animals could be a metaphor for people seeking the meaning of life.
Boegehold: Exactly! Scientists believe that we learn by identifying certain patterns in nature and in everyday life. The Stone Age hunters, for example, said: "If the weather develops like this, these animals will return and we can hunt them.
eclipsed: You already wrote some songs with Dave Meros in the eighties and nineties, before you took part on the Spock's Beard album "Feel Euphoria". How'd you get together with the boys?
Boegehold: I had been friends with them long before, had made graphics and photos for them or made my studio available to them. When "Snow" came out, I saw the band at an acoustic concert at a record store in L.A., but the guys were kind of in a strange mood. The next day I called Dave and asked him what was going on, and he said, "Neal [Morse; then singer/main composer of the group; note] just got out, but we're going to keep going." Then I said: "Here's the deal: I want to write for you - lyrics, no matter what - because I love your music." And he said, "Okay, let's go!" So I sort of forced myself on them. (laughs)
