Off The Beaten Track Interviews:

The Smithereens profile is coming soon. 

Pat DiNizio and Dennis Diken talk about their debut album in July of 1986, literally days after its release. Ilene Barg at Enigma Records helped to coordinate this interview. The interview took place in the noisy back room at Spit, 15 Lansdowne Street in Boston on July 11, 1986.

Billy Squier profile coming soon.

This interview was recorded prior to a concert at the Springfield, Massachusetts Civic Center on August 13, 1981. Billy Squier was opening for Pat Benatar. The Stroke, the song that would become Squier's first big hit, was at number 7 on Rock Radio’s Top Tracks. 

For an interviewer doing interviews on the road, especially when an artist is on tour, one is always at the mercy of the venue on any given night. Civic Centers are among the worst. They are constructed primarily of concrete and steel . They are custom made for sporting events not concerts.  Add to that a soundcheck going on at the same time. This interview suffers from all of that. During the first half of the interview, the acoustics are ok. The hollowness of the room is evident, but background noise is negligible. As the interview progresses, the band’s soundcheck picks up steam...and volume. By the end of the interview, Billy and Michael are literally yelling at each other to be heard over the din.  Because of this, this interview is shorter than most. Our apologies for the compromised sound quality of this interview. It is what it is.