Todd Novak & Brian Sagrafena
Redwood Rockers: Todd Novak & Brian Sagrafena’s Sonic Journey
In the secluded redwoods of La Honda, California, tucked away in the Santa Cruz Mountains, a musical partnership was forged. Todd Novak and Brian Sagrafena, both veterans of the rock scene, found in each other not just a kindred spirit, but a creative dynamo. Drawn together by their shared pasts and irreverent humor, their bond was instant and electric.
Both Todd and Brian had cut their teeth in the whirlwind world of pre-digital music. They knew the grind, the rewards, and the grit of the industry before streaming turned everything on its head. These were the guys who lived the stories that now sound like folklore – tales from the tarmac, tour buses, backstage bust-ups, and marathon bus and van rides.
Brian Sagrafena spent years pounding the drums for Echo Brain with his Metallica comrade, Jason Newsted. Todd Novak, meanwhile, built a resume with an eclectic mix of signed touring bands including the Dragsters, Ronald Koal & The Trillionaires, Kevin Salem, The Schramms, Cryin' Out Loud, The Hootowls, and The Cowlicks. Their paths would cross occasionally at gigs or the local La Honda country store – the sole market in town.
For over a year, Brian had been coaxing Todd to check out his home-built recording retreat, Sloth Mountain Studios. Eventually, his persistence paid off. "Todd, you just need to come up and we’ll record a song together," he insisted. And so, their collaboration began.
Todd would pen a song and trek up to Brian's studio. Building new songs from the ground up and with Todd on guitar, vocals, bass, and backing vocals, and Brian handling the engineering and drums, they crafted fresh tracks with a retro yet modern vibe. They used a mix of old-school recording gear and innovative techniques, channeling the spirit of the Beatles' studio experimentation after they hung up their touring boots. It was a liberation from the need to reproduce the music live – a pure, unfiltered dive into creative exploration.
Sessions were intense and exhilarating. In a single day, Todd would often leave Brian's studio late at night with a near-complete track, a rough mix on a CD-R in hand. The process was reminiscent of Todd Rundgren's solo efforts, where the artist would play and sing nearly every part. It was fun, fast-paced, and, to Todd and Brian, utterly magical.
Before long, the duo had laid down nine tracks. Then, the world stopped as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Yet, undeterred, Todd Novak and Brian Sagrafena pressed on.
Their debut song and video, fittingly titled “Lucky,” is set to be unleashed soon. It’s a testament to their journey and a signal of what's to come.
Todd Novak's cosmic country journey began as he sprouted up in rural Pennsylvania and southern Ohio. He soon outgrew the scenery and moved to Columbus, Ohio where he met kindred spirits on the local music scene. After spending several years in the legendary "Ronald Koal and the Trillionaires", he was soon looking for a more rootsy/country band to scratch his itch.
"Rickey Barnes and the Hootowls" became that back scratchin' band. Equipped with hay bales and an upright bass fiddle, the Hootowls played barns & club dates warming up for the likes of Rank N' File and many other early alt-country greats, with Dave Schramm often joining in on lap steel guitar. Todd felt he was out-growing his britches in Ohio (ouch!), and he moved to New York City to play in the Ska band "Cryin' Out Loud". C.O.L found themselves the first independent label band to have a video on MTV in regular rotation.
Once again the britches shrunk. So Todd joined Dave Schramm's group "The Schramms" and recorded with them on their first CD "Walk To Delphi" on Okra records. Still in a growing spurt, Todd formed and fronted a surf band "The Dragsters". He left the Schramms when "The Dragsters" received a recording deal from Great Jones/Island records.....Loads of touring, surfing, and sun followed.
Enter Kevin Salem of Dumptruck, Freedy Johnston, and Yo La Tengo fame. Kevin asked Todd to join his group, and they soon landed a recording deal with Roadrunner records via Jeff Pachman. Todd appeared on Kevin's first CD "Soma City," produced by Nico Bolas (of Neil Young fame), playing guitar and singing harmony vocals with Syd Straw .
The KS band played on national tours supporting The Jayhawks, Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, The Bottle Rockets, and many others. Other New York activities included performing and producing cuts on the Brian Wilson tribute album "Smiles, Vibes and Harmony", and teaming up with virtuoso jazz guitarist/mandolin player Peter Brazier in a 1920's/Django-style group "The String Tickers".
Soon the growing pains started again and sunny California started callin' Todd's name. He flipped coasts and formed a band of all-star Bay Area musicians called, yes, you guessed it, "The Cowlicks." Don't worry though, he's all grown-up now, and the Cowlicks are here to stay.The Cowlicks.com
