BAND SHRINKS TO GROW -- 10,000 MANIACS' SHORT TOURS, INDEPENDENT RECORD COMPANY LET THEM DO THINGS THEY COULDN'T AS BIG STARS

Beacon Journal (Akron) Monday April 13, 1998 Glenn Gamboa, Beacon Journal staff writer Edition: 1 STAR , Section: ENTERTAIN , Page: B6

Bigger is not always better. For one-time college-rock titans 10,000 Maniacs, smaller is definitely nicer. The band from Jamestown, N.Y., once dominated the alternative charts and even graced MTV's inaugural ball for President Clinton. But these days, the six-member group has traded in big-label success and the on-the-road rock-star life for a far more manageable existence. By mutual agreement, the band parted ways with Geffen Records this year and set off to start its own independent label so the members can better maintain creative control. Rather than packing up the band and doing a traditional tour, the Maniacs have been doing smaller tours over extended weekends -- running Wednesday to Saturday. They journey to Akron's Tangier restaurant on Friday. "It's more logical this way," said guitarist John Lombardo, from his home in upstate New York. "People in the band have small children, and this way they get to see their children on a weekly basis. It's a lot harder when you're away for long stretches at a time." And, these days, the band isn't interested in making things any harder for itself. It had a pretty rough time with its last album, Love Among the Ruins, released in June. "The company made it very clear that the producer we got was in charge," Lombardo said. "I think a record benefits from a lot of people's input." With the multiplatinum success of acts like Jewel and Sarah McLachlan, tender melodies and thought-provoking lyrics were once again in style. The band fits that mold, and the initial success of its version of Roxy Music's More Than This showed promise. But its album never took off. In the midst of the publicity behind Lilith Fair -- the female-dominated summer festival filled with new artists that targeted the same audience as 10,000 Maniacs -- Love Among the Ruins got lost, Lombardo said. "When it came out in the summer, everyone was talking about Lilith," he said. "I think that eally hurt our record." Nevertheless, the focus on lyrics and the softer side of rock will likely be around long enough for the next record to benefit. "It was a natural reaction to how vacuous some of the harder stuff was," Lombardo said. "A thinking person is going to be more naturally attracted to music composed by people that have intellectual pursuits in their lives. There's more to life than hating your parents." There's also more to life than hating your record company. "We're looking forward to doing the whole independent route," he said. "We are hoping to get to do things exactly the way we want." The band's own label, which will likely release a new 10,000 Maniacs album around Thanksgiving, will eventually sign other acts. And the new album will likely feature more diversity in sound and content. "The record companies want everything to be very glossy," he said. "But we want to make a darker record. And we've always wanted to make a mysterious record. Now we have a chance." It's a chance many people didn't give the band after lead singer Natalie Merchant left in 1995. "Some people think Natalie Merchant was the whole band," said Lombardo, who rejoined the group shortly after Merchant left. "But it seems so obvious to us that she wasn't. I thought of the name. We have the same five out of six people in the band." When the remaining Maniacs -- Lombardo, guitarist Rob Buck, keyboardist Dennis Drew, bassist Steve Gustafson and drummer Jerome Augustyniak -- were deciding what to do post-Merchant, they realized the band was still essentially intact. Although Merchant had been the focal point of the publicity and the main object of fans' affection, anyone who saw the group in action knew it was much more than a one-woman affair. "It would be different if someone listened to the record and heard something completely different," Lombardo said. "But there is a Maniacs sound. And you hear it on our record." You will also hear it in the live show. "If they didn't know our history, a lot of people wouldn't really know the difference," he said. But don't hold your breath to hear hits like Few and Far Between. Or, Like the Weather. Or, Verdi Cries. The band doesn't do those songs anymore. "It just wouldn't be right for us to do something that was so personal to her," Lombardo said. "We don't do anything she wrote by herself or that is lyrically about specific things in her life. We concentrate on the things the guys wrote." Mary Ramsey, Lombardo's partner in the acclaimed acoustic folk duo John and Mary, as well as a violinist and backing vocalist on the 10,000 Maniacs' previous albums, stepped into the lead vocalist role. But she has not tried to replace Merchant. The spotlight is shared more equally. "Mary's not specifically replacing somebody, but that's how people see it," Lombardo said. "It's quite a legacy to live up to. And it would be very difficult for anyone to assume that role. But Mary has done it with tremendous style and grace. Everything has worked out fine."