The Mic: What got this band together and started in
this business?
Headgear For Grasshoppers: Tyler, (our bass player) and i (Dylan-guitar player) were introduced by a mutual friend and we started playing out of boredom in a basement in lindsborg. as far as the "business" goes, we are not much involved (not for lack of effort) in this "business" that you speak of. i wish we were, but.......
The Mic:Who writes and produces all the material for
the band?
Headgear For Grasshoppers: We all have a say in the writing process, but no producer as of yet
The Mic:The band played in front of or with any acts
our readers would
know from the Mainstream?
Headgear For Grasshoppers: no, schumann's resonance is our most well known counterpart
The Mic:Where can people access your music on the web?
Headgear For Grasshoppers: myspace
The Mic:Any embarrassing moments on stage?
Headgear For Grasshoppers: naw we dont embarrass to easily
The Mic:Any good stories you want to tell us?
Headgear For Grasshoppers: hmmm...
The Mic:Who is the bands musical influence?
Headgear For Grasshoppers: we take influence from every genre, but our early influences were primus, tool, meshuggah, isis, radiohead, eh but you cant tell cause we sound unlike any band
The Mic:How did the band get together?
Headgear For Grasshoppers: see question "a"
The Mic:What is your musical background like?
Headgear For Grasshoppers: im a self taught gutarist, tyler is a formally trained bassist as well as jamie being a trained drummer
The Mic:Any other members in your family that are
musicians?
Headgear For Grasshoppers: here and there
The Mic:What is the TOP reason why you want to play
music?
Headgear For Grasshoppers: we love it
The Mic: what's your stance on file swapping?
Headgear For Grasshoppers: im divided myself, but moslty i think its really the only way to get you band out there now a days, so as long as the band can make ends somehow, i think file swapping can be a good thing! publicity! thats something my band needs more of!
The Mic: what is the process of making a cd?
Headgear For Grasshoppers: laborious, energy sapping, gratifying
The Mic: how do you get the word out about your music?
Headgear For Grasshoppers: we play it for people, for lack of better terms
The Mic: how is your local responce to your music?
Headgear For Grasshoppers: the kids love us here, we cant even have a closed practice anymore, there is always people comin over to watch
The Mic: what is the farthers you have traveled for a gig?
Headgear For Grasshoppers: topeka, so about 3 hours
The Mic: What tune on the cd are you most proud of?
Headgear For Grasshoppers: im proudest of one of our newest songs witch is not on the cd
The MIC w/Headgear For Grasshoppers
The MIC with SAWDOFF
Band:ryan mccafferty(vocals)dan walker(guitar)joe gange(bass RYAN MCCAFFERTY(drums)
The Mic: What got this band together and started in
this business?
SAWDOFF: we had all been playin together in a band before sawdoff so the chemistry was already there we just took the music to the next level.
The Mic:Who writes and produces all the material for
the band?
SAWDOFF: dan and myself(RYAN)write most of the music. as for producing its a group effort everyone puts in their 2 cents.
The Mic:Where can people access your music on the web?
SAWDOFF: people can check out our music on myspace under sawdoff or some older tunes on the WAR PARTY RECORDS profile also on potspace,imradio can download from snocap on myspace or buy through pay pal.
The Mic:Any embarrassing moments on stage?
SAWDOFF: lol theres always someone fallen down drunk seems to be a reaccuring theme.
The Mic:Who is the bands musical influence?
SAWDOFF: thers alot of influences mostly old thrash bands d.r.i., slayer, metallica
you know the good stuff.
The Mic:How did the band get together?
SAWDOFF: we have all been freinds growin up in the same hood and causing havoc. music was always there we never had to find a member until we left our previous band thats when we needed to find a singer no one could do what we wanted so we did it ourselves thats when i moved over to sing i still play drums on all the cds past and future its that chemistry we didnt want to lose so when we play live we bring in a drummer it works out great.
The Mic:What is your musical background like?
SAWDOFF: ive been playin drums since the age of 8 dan and joe also have been playin since they were kids its in the blood its all we know.
The Mic:Any other members in your family that are
musicians?
SAWDOFF: no thats the funny thing for us to have music as such a big part of our lives no one in our familys have any musical talent.
The Mic:What is the TOP reason why you want to play
music?
SAWDOFF: thats all we really are good at its all weve reaaly done when other kids were fixing cars and learning valuble lessons we were locked in the basement shreddin our music so really its all we are good at.
The Mic:what's your stance on file swapping?
SAWDOFF: swap away its great to have your music being able to reach so many people. as long as people dig it i really dont care how they get it. we never gave a fuck about the record companys and ther money.thats pretty obvious when you listen to our music everyone was like you swear to much you need to stop you will never get a record deal and the thing is we dont conform to anyone its what makes us different i can honestly say we have our own sound we try to make every song different all bands say they have their own sound but we really do.
The Mic:what is the process of making a cd?
SAWDOFF: its a long pain in the ass is what the procces is with the band writing and then me lyrically writing the cd takes time. i left for florida for 2 months just to get away from everything i need to do that everytime it totally helped and made the cd what it is to get away from what your comfortable with it gives you new outlooks.
The Mic:how do you get the word out about your music?
SAWDOFF: the internet is really great its got us so many followers from around the world what a great invention.
The Mic:how is your local responce to your music?
SAWDOFF: awesome and not just local worldwide.
The Mic:What tune on the cd are you most proud of?
SAWDOFF: thats a tough one i like em all. i love em all i cant pick every song on THE CHONICALS OF SAWDOFF have a different vibe so ill let the people decide.
Thanks,
Jigg
jiggyjaguar@jiggyjaguar.com
In the Wake with The MIC
The Mic: What got this band together and started in
this business?
In the Wake: Bryce and Jerrmey were in a band and Matt and Archie were in a different band, and at some point the two merged and became In The Wake. All four of us have always been inclined to rock.
The Mic:Who writes and produces all the material for
the band?
In the Wake: In The Wake, it is very much a collaborative effort.
The Mic:The band played in front of or with any acts
our readers would know from the Mainstream?
In the Wake: Hawthorne Heights, Maroon 5 (that was weird), Aiden, Emmanuel, Downtown Singapore, the Lions, and lots of other cool band that nobody has ever heard of.
The Mic:Where can people access your music on the web?
In the Wake: myspace.com/inthewakemusic, we are also on Last.Fm (there is a link to our page on Last.fm and people can download lots of our previously released songs.) We are on facebook, and ilike also.
The Mic:Any embarrassing moments on stage?
In the Wake: All the time.
The Mic:Any good stories you want to tell us?
In the Wake: Dear Penthouse; I could never imagine this following story to be true, but it actually happened! The other day I was cleaning my neighbors pool and...
The Mic:Who is the bands musical influence?
In the Wake: This varies for each of us, we all have different influences. To summarize, Bryce (the singer) has some brit-pop-rock influences like Coldplay and Radiohead, Archie (guitar) is heavily influenced by the likes of Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix (which is quite evident in his perfomance). Jerrmey (drums) gets down to some dirty indie shit which is quite evident by his appearance. Matt (bass) is influenced a great deal by a lot of 60s pop and hallucinogenics (i.e. Syd Barrett).
The Mic:How did the band get together?
In the Wake: Magic.
The Mic:What is your musical background like?
In the Wake: We have all played in and out of town in bands for a long time, molding our sound.
The Mic:Any other members in your family that are
musicians?
In the Wake: Matt's dad is a talented musician of different instruments, and Archie's sister plays violin. Bryce's pops and uncle both play guitar.
The Mic:What is the TOP reason why you want to play
music?
In the Wake: There are some things a girl just can't do for you, but seriously it feels good to play whether it's in a practice space or on stage.
The Mic:what's your stance on file swapping?
In the Wake: It's cool, we do it, and we highly encourage our fans to do it with our music, I mean it gets the music out there for people to hear, and if anything it will eventually result in better sales, and it's probably not going to cost you any sales because someone who is going to file swap probably wouldn't be buying a CD anyway, and the people that do want to buy CDs are still going to buy them because they just don't want to go through the trouble of file swapping or because they just like the feel of a real CD. Sometimes, after downloading music files we will go out and buy the real CD just because after listening to the downloaded files we know that it is worth buying and also a lot of the music we listen to is by musicians that aren't exactly well off so there is the issue of supporting those that deserve money, and we meet a lot of people that feel the same way and buy our CDs for the same reason.
The Mic:what is the process of making a cd?
In the Wake: Hell. Write music. Record music. Complain and argue back and forth about how things should REALLY sound and whether it done or not. Make changes. Argue. Make changes. Say this is the final version no more changes or arguing. Argue. Make changes. Get a final version, get it mastered, get it mass produced. Get drunk and sell them bitches. It's a tough process, and this is probably why a lot of really good unsigned bands don't make it past their first album.
The Mic:how do you get the word out about your music?
In the Wake: Play. Promote. Promote. Play. Word of mouth. We try to give away stuff to buy loyalty from people, that doesn't really work though.
The Mic:how is your local responce to your music?
In the Wake: Depends from show to show and place to place. We have a lot of people here that really support what we are doing, unfortunately they aren't at all of our shows everytime. That's ok, we know they love us and we love them too.
The Mic:what is the farthers you have traveled for a gig?
In the Wake: The moon, we played the moon, there weren't many people there.
The Mic:What tune on the cd are you most proud of?
In the Wake: All of them, they have been like babies to us. Wee babies.
Blood in the wire with THE MIC
this business?
Blood in the wire: This band is a bunch of dudes that have all in some shape or form have been in other bands together over the last ten years
The Mic:Who writes and produces all the material for
the band?
Blood in the wire: All of us we just play what we like and try not to sound like anyone else
The Mic:The band played in front of or with any acts
our readers would
know from the Mainstream?
Blood in the wire: abunch that suck ass but to name a few vampire mooose,dog fashion disco, the absense,the destro ,blood of me ,troglodyte and
Locally, we have shared the stage with a multitude of great local bands, which are all unique.
The Mic:Where can people access your music on the web?
Blood in the wire: we have four songs posted on our myspace page and our album is also for sale on there thanks to aven designs
The Mic:Any embarrassing moments on stage?
Blood in the wire: tons we are blood in the wire that alone is an embarassing moment but one is when tracy puched me in the balls on video
The Mic:Any good stories you want to tell us?
Blood in the wire: we had a great time partying with you guys at the double L the other night
The Mic:Who is the bands musical influence?
Blood in the wire: WE ARE DRINKING VIDEO GAMES WEED FAST FOOD NERDING OUT
The Mic:How did the band get together?
Blood in the wire: Blood In The Wire arose from the ashes of three bands, Post Mortem and Vyreal . Tracy was the main writer and guitarist for the band Vyreal, which played a mixture of death metal and groove inspired riffs. Vyreal was lucky enough to share the stage with many national bands, some more than others, such as 40 Below Summer, A Dozen Furries, Bad Acid Trip, Chimaira, Dog Fashion Disco, Skinlab, Tubring and Vampire Mooose. Post Mortem was a local cover band around the Ponca City, OK area, which Brandon, Stuck and Zakk were a part of. They played a mixture of death metal and hardcore covers. Jason Baldock would leave Post Mortem to join Tracy’s band which at the time was Toe Tag Timmy. Later, Toe Tag Timmy would become Vyreal, as the members changed. The group disbanded shortly after recording their first demo. Brandon and Zakk would disband Post Mortem to join Earth A.D. Later, Brandon would leave the band and Zakk shortly after. Earth A.D. shared the stage with the U.K Subs and D.R.I. among others. Which brings us to 2005, Vyreal had disbanded and Brandon and Zakk had left Earth A.D. Enter Blood In The Wire. Blood In The Wire is a mixture of hardcore and death metal and continues to grow is genre. Incorporating elements of many different styles, the songs take an erratic turn with each installment and now we cliff...sweeeeeet .
The Mic:What is your musical background like?
Blood in the wire: harcore black death rawk
The Mic:Any other members in your family that are
musicians?
Blood in the wire: some but were the coolest lol
The Mic:What is the TOP reason why you want to play
music?
Blood in the wire: simple were blood int he wire and were here to fuck your mother
The Mic:what's your stance on file swapping?
Blood in the wire: i dont give a shit
The Mic:what is the process of making a cd?
Blood in the wire: painful and drunk
The Mic:how do you get the word out about your music?
Blood in the wire: internet shows promo materials
The Mic:how is your local responce to your music?
Blood in the wire: they hate us lol
The Mic:what is the farthest you have traveled for a gig?
Blood in the wire: probably council bluffs ia or the lou
The Mic:What tune on the cd are you most proud of?
Blood in the wire: we all pretty much like krakkrawk because it came out the best and is a song that covers alot of what we do
INTERVIEW COMPLETED BY ZAKKRAWK
www.myspace.com/bloodinthewire
Thanks,
Jigg
jiggyjaguar@jiggyjaguar.com
The MIC with The Breakpoint Method
The Mic: What got this band together and started in
this business?
The Breakpoint Method:It actually was a pretty long process. I (Barrett) had spent at least 5 years finding people who could take my musical ideas and make them better than when I originally wrote them. In 2005 we actually got together for a night and jammed in a downtown basement-- things didn't go so well back then! I met up with Shawn after not running into him for about 3 years and I asked if he was still playing. He was, and we decided to go from there! I got the best guitarist I knew, Jimmy, along with my great friend and the most enthusiastic bassist I've ever met, Eric. This time, it clicked, and The Breakpoint Method was formed.
The Mic:Who writes and produces all the material for
the band?
The Breakpoint Method:Everyone writes their own part. So far, for the most part, either Jimmy or Barrett blurts out "Dude, check out this riff!" And we go from there. Jimmy polishes up the lead guitar parts, and Barrett begins working on catchy vocals and harmonies. Eric throws in a ton of flair on the bass and Shawn is pretty much on his own for the drums! After a ton of arguing and name-calling, we have a masterpiece!
The Mic:The band played in front of or with any acts
our readers would
know from the Mainstream?
The Breakpoint Method:Yes, we have opened for Cancer Bats, 4 Years Strong, Pierce the Veil, Bring me the Horizon, Thursday, Flatline, Seasons After, After the Crash, Straight-line Stitch, and Spineshank! We also played the Taste of Chaos tour in St. Louis MO.
The Mic:Where can people access your music on the web?
The Breakpoint Method:
http://www.myspace.com/thebreakpointmethod We also have a facebook group and some videos on youtube!
The Mic:Any embarrassing moments on stage?
The Breakpoint Method:We have embarrassing moments every time we set foot on stage! Whether it's Barrett slamming a wrong note at the VERY begining of a set, or Eric fumbling over himself and nearly falling over! One time in particular, Jimmy did an AMAZING jump off of a stage prop... only to rip his pants from crotch to rear. Luckily, he was able to change into his girlfriend's pants midset. He was pretty red in the face after that one!
The Mic:Any good stories you want to tell us?
The Breakpoint Method:One time we decided to work on our "stage presence." This was before our very first show, and we thought it would be awesome if I (Barrett) could jump off of Eric's back during a song. So, we of course needed to practice this! In the middle of a song, I ran up to Eric, only to jump with ALL my weight directly on him. He fell to the ground instantly, almost smashing his bass! We decided to let other, more limber lead singers, take the spotlight with amazing acrobatics.
The Mic:Who is the bands musical influence?
The Breakpoint Method:We each come from different rock backgrounds. Barrett grew up on Offspring, while Jimmy listens to more As I Lay Dying and Bullet for my Valentine. Shawn is a sucker for Disturbed and Eric gets a little too excited when he hears American Headcharge.
The Mic:How did the band get together?
The Breakpoint Method:It takes a long time to build up friendships with the right people to make a band. We basically all met each other through chance, whether it was a friend of a friend or a co-worker.
The Mic:What is your musical background like?
The Breakpoint Method:I started out singing when I was little-- never performed really, but just liked to sing along to my "Top Gun" soundtrack. I became more interested in singing during church, and pretty much continued singing for my own enjoyment. I started playing guitar when I was in 6th grade and this guy at the guitar shop played "smells like teen spirit" on the guitar in front of me. I was amazed! He said he had only been playing for 2 weeks, and I thought that if you could play Nirvana after just 2 weeks, that maybe I had a chance! I taught myself how to play guitar and never stop learning more.
The Mic:Any other members in your family that are
musicians?
The Breakpoint Method:My grandfather was an amazing piano player. I've heard a few recordings, and have to say that I was really impressed and proud to be his grandson, although he died a long time before I was born. My mother also played the guitar when I was a boy, and was very helpful during those first few years of playing.
The Mic:What is the TOP reason why you want to play
music?
The Breakpoint Method:You know when you hear a song that really moves you? You almost feel as if the song was written just for you, and gives you an outlet to convey emotions? I wanted to give people the same thing. Every time I write a song, I hope to myself that at least one person will feel emotionally moved by its meaning.
The Mic:what's your stance on file swapping?
The Breakpoint Method:Like downloading mp3s? I'm completely for it! As long as people hear you, I think it's wonderful!
The Mic:what is the process of making a cd?
The Breakpoint Method:More than you could imagine. Since we're in the process of making an album, we're learning more and more every day about how much work goes in to one of those bad boys! In the end, though, after you hear yourself playing and singing back-- after it's been mastered... It's the most amazing thing I've ever went through. Even though it takes weeks and weeks of work, it's 100% worth it.
The Mic:how do you get the word out about your music?
The Breakpoint Method:Our fans do most of that for us! We have a very loyal and active fanbase and they treat us well! We also spend hours a day on Myspace and Facebook spreading the word about our music.
The Mic:how is your local responce to your music?
The Breakpoint Method:I never imagined Salina would love us so much!
The Mic:what is the farthers you have traveled for a gig?
The Breakpoint Method:Roughly 8 hours away to St. Louis.
The Mic:What tune on the cd are you most proud of?
The Breakpoint Method:Dropout. That used to be an old acoustic song of mine, and the whole band worked together to make it rock! It's still my favorite to this date!
Thanks,
Jigg
Shat with The MIC
Band:SHAT
The Mic: What got this band together and started in
this business?
SHAT: I HAVE BEEN WRITING SILLY SONGS SINCE I WAS 14. EVEN IN 6 TH GRADE FRIENDS AND I WOULD COME UP WITH SILLY DIRTY SONGS. I REMEMBER STEVE MARTIN HAD "KING TUT" AND THERE WAS A SONG FROM THIS BAND AND IT WENT "YOUR BREAKIN MY HEART, YOUR TEARIN IT APART SO FUCK YOU" WE THOUGHT THAT WAS THE GREATEST, OUR TEACHER TOOK THE TAPE AWAY, C.D.'S WERNT INVENTED YET, THIS WAS 1981. I WOULD ALWAYS HAVE NEW SILLY SONGS ON MY OWN THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, IT WASNT TILL MIND ERASER 1992-1996 THAT THIS BAND STARTED INCORPERATING SILLY LYRICS OVER REDICULIOUS FAST HEAVY MUSIC, MIND ERASER WAS WAY AHEAD OF THERE TIME. BEN FROM DILLIGER ESCAPE PLAN USED TO SOME TO OUR SHOWS WHEN HE WAS 15 AND IF YOU READ EARLY DILLINGER INTERVIEWS, HE STATES THAT IF IT WASNT FOR MIND ERASER, DILLINGER'S MUSIC MAY NOT HAVE EXISTED. AFTER MIND ERASER I PLAYED BASS IN M.O.D. AND THEN DILLINGER FOR A WHILE. DURING THIS TIME I WAS FINDING OUT ABOUT BANDS LIKE MUCKY PUP, MURPHYS LAW, THE MENTORES, ECT AND SEEING THAT FUNNY, FUN HEAVY MUSIC WORKS TOO AND IT WAS WHAT I WANTED TO DO, JUST TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND BEYOND SO I CAME UP WITH THE CONSEPT OF SHAT. STARTED WITH ABOUT 13 SONGS AND ASKED A GUITAR PLAYER AND DRUMMER FROM A BAND CALLED "SLAPJAW" TO LEARN THE RIFFS I HAD WRITTIN AND START THIS BAND SHAT.
The Mic:Who writes and produces all the material for
the band?
I WRITE MOST ALL THE RIFFS AND INDEAS I DO HAVE OUTSIDE INFLUESNSES FROM FRIENDS BUT I TELL THEM THEY WILL GET NO CREDIT, THEY DONT CARE THEY JUST WANNA HEAR THE SONG OR ILL JUST BE HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE AND A SONG IDEA WILL POP INTO MY HEAD, BUT MOSTLY THE SONGS ARE WRITTIN AFTER I HAVE LIVED THEM. PERFECT EXAPLE "STEPPED IN SHIT" IT WAS LIKE IT HAPPENED AND THE SONG WAS BORN. YOU CAN HERE ALOT OF THESE SONGS LIKE THIS ON THE NEW C.D. "CUNTREE". THIS IS WHY IT TAKES A FEW YEARS TO COME OUT WITH A NEW C.D. GOTTA LIVE IT FIRST. ALL THE SONGS I PUT ON MY MINI HAND-HELD RECORDER, EVEN RIFFS, ILL HUM THEM FIRST THEN WRITE THE GUITAR RIFF FROM THAT. BUT YEA SHAT IT PRETTY MUCH ALL ME AND THATS GOOD CAUSE WHEN SHIT DONT GO WRITE THE ONLY ONE I CAN BLAME IS MYSELF.
The Mic:The band played in front of or with any acts
our readers would
know from the Mainstream?
OH YES. SHAT IS HUDGE, PROBABLY MORE SO THEN ILL EVER KNOW. WE DID 2 U.S. AND 1 EUROPEEIN TOUR WITH DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, AT THAT TIME BEN , GUITARIST FROM DILLINGER WAS PLAYING DRUMS AS "MANGINA" AND DILLINGER'S SOUND GUY MIKE "SLOPPY SECONDS" WAS PLAYIN GUITAR, WE HAD NO BASS PLAYER LIVE, I PLAYED BASS ON THE FIRST 2 C.D.'S. "CUNT PARM" AND "CUNT FLAVORD LOLLI-POPS". THAT WAS HUDGE FOR SHAT GETTING THE NAME OUT. THEN WE OPENED FOR CKY AT THE BIRCH HILL AND THATS WHEN BAM AND HIS BROTHER DISCOVERD US. BAM IS A HUDGE SHAT FAN, HE EVEN MADE A VIDIO FOR US YOU CAN SEE IT ON YOUTUBE JUST SEARCH "BAN-I FUCKED YOUR WIFE" ON YOUTUBE AND YOULL FIND IT, ITS ALSO ON OUR MYSPACE www.myspace.com/shatpunkrock ITS NEW HE DIDNT EVEN TELL US HE JUST MADE IT AND WE FOUND OUT, BUT HE HAS PUT ONE OF OUR SONGS ON HIS C.D.S THAT HE GIVES OUT WHEN HE SELLS HIS DVD'S OF THE SHOW VIVA LA BAM, HE CAME TO A SHOW WE PLAYED NEAR HIS HOUSE, AND PUT A TRACK OF OURS IN HIS NEW MOVIE COMMING OUT. THERE HAS BEEN A FEW BIG SHOWS WITH BANDS LIKE THIS BUT I FORGET WHO THEY WERE. WHEN WE PLAYED WITH DILLINGER IN L.A. MARK MC GRAPH FROM SUGER REY CAME UP TO ME AND WAS LIKE I HAVE TO HAVE ONE OF YOUR C.D.'S , GAVE ME 20 BUCKS TOOK THE C.D. AND WALKED AWAY WITHOUT TAKING CHANGE. IT SEEMS THAT I HEAR ALOT FROM BANDS ON THE ROAD AND ALL OVER THAT THEY ARE ALWAYS LISTENING TO SHAT, THATS PRETTY COOL. OUR DIY TOURS OVER THE LAST 6 YEARS ON OUR OWN HAVE REALY HELPED TOO. DIY IS THE WAY FUCK COUNTING ON SOMEONE ELSE. NO ONE IS MORE INTO YOUR OWN BAND BUT THE BAND ITSELF. ANYONE SAYS THERE INTO YOUR BAND AND WANTS TO HELP, ITS BULLSHIT, SOMEWHERE OR SOMEHOW THEY ARE DOING IT CAUSE THEY THINK THEY WILL GET SOMETHING FROM IT EVENTUALY AND IF THEY DONT THEY BAIL AND YOUR FUCKED. DO IT YOUR FUCKING SELF. ITS THE ONLY WAY AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
The Mic:Where can people access your music on the web?
HAD A WEBSITE BUT I OWED DUDE MONEY AND IT EXPIRED, EVERYONE USEES MYSPACE AND IF YA DONT THEN YA SHOULD, ITS A FREE WEBSITE AND A HUDGE COMUNITY FOR BANDS. YES OTHER THAN THAT ITS , WHATEVER, BUT WE ARE AT www.myspace.com/shatpunkrock
OUR OLD MYSPACE OF OVER 150,000 HITS GOT DELEATED IN 2008 AFTER THIS CHICK PUT UP PICS FROM A SHOW IN LONG BEACH C.A. IT WAS LIKE CLOSE UPS OF MY BALLS AND SHIT. I DIDNT HAVE THE SPACE SET TO APROVE PHOTOS SO THEY WENT RIGHT UP, I WAS ON TOUR AND DIDNT SEE THE PICS FOR LIKE 3 DAYS, BY THEN TOM OR MYSPACE SUCERITY SAW THEM AND BANNED THE SITE. IT WAS HORRABLE, ALL MY SHIT THAT I WORKED FOR WAS ERASED.
THIS MAY BE THE ONLY REASON THAT THE SHAT WEBSITE WILL BE BACK UP SOON. BUT THE NEW MYSPACE HAS ONLY BEEN UP SINCE FEB 2008 AND HAS OVER 50,000 HITS, THATS PRETTY COOL. BUT STARTING OVER AGAIN REALY SUCKED ASS.
The Mic:Any embarrassing moments on stage?
EVERY MOMENT ON STAGE IS EMBARRASSING. WE WE EMBARRASS OUR SELVES DILIBERATLY. I THINK THE MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENTS ARE THE MOMENTS THE AUDIENCE IS EXPERIENCING WHILE WATCHING US PLAY.
EM-BARE-ASS , I LIKE THAT WORD. ONE TIME WHEN THE GUYS IN DILLINGER WERE PLAYIN WITH ME I WAS YELLING AT THEM CAUSE THEY FUCKED UP, WICH WORKS FOR THIS BAND, BUT BEN DECIDED TO JUMP OFF THE KIT AND TRY TO TACKLE ME, THEN MIKE TRIED WRESTLING ME AND I WAS KICKING BOTH THERE ASSES WHILE 300 PEOPLE WERE LIKE WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING.
SO MANY STORIES SO LITTLE TIME. YOULL HAVE TO READ MY BOOK. CANT WAIT, GONNA WRITE IT WHEN IM 50.
The Mic:Any good stories you want to tell us?
THERES 1000'S FUNNY THING IS BEN FROM DILLINGER REMEMBERS EVERYTHING, THE PRO'S OF NOT DOING DRUGS I GUESS, ONCE HE BRINGS SHIT UP I CAN REMEMBER, BUT DAMN.
MMMMMM. ALOT OF STORIES CANNOT BE SHARED TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE INVOLED BUT LET ME SEE.....HERES A COOL ONE FROM WAY BACK. SHAT WAS ON TOUR WITH DILLINGER IN EUROPE, WE PLAYED A SHOW IN ENGLAND AND THEN THE NEXT NIGHT WASNT TOO FAR AWAY AND THE SAME PROMOTER. IT WAS AT A CHURCH AND AN ALL AGES SHOW, IT WAS SUPOSSED TO BE US, DILLINGER AND THE ICERUS LINE CAUSE THAT WAS THE TOUR, WE WERE IN AN AWSOME DOUBLE DECKER TOUR BUS FOR 2 AND A HALF WEEKS. ANYWAY THE PROMOTER SAID SHAT CANT PLAY, ALL AGES, CHURCH BLA BLA BLA. SO I GOT ON MIC BEFORE ICKKY LINE AND MADE A SPEACH IT WAS INSPERATIONAL, SO I HUNG OUTSIDE AND CHATTED WIT THE BITCHES AND FANS AND SHIT, THEN !!!! TOM DILLINGERS MANAGER COMES OVER AND SAYS "JEFF THIS CHICK HAS TO PISS AND SHE WANTS TO PISS ON YOUR FACE" SO I WAS LIKE "A-K". REMEMBER THIS IS RIGHT OUTSIDE THE CLUB LIKE IN THE WAY IN. SO I TOOK OFF MY SHIRT AND LAYED DOWN AS THIS CHICK FROM ENGLAND PUT HER CUNT RIGHT OVER MY NOSE AND TRIED TO PEE. I WAS WAITING FOR LIKE 10 MINS AS A CROWD GATHERED AND CHEERED HER ON. SHE TOTALY COULDNT DO IT, SO SHE STARTED POUNDING WHISKY AND BEER AND WHATEVER. MEANWHILE DILLINGERS MERCH GIRL, "MONICA" ,WHO IS A WHOLE OTHER BOOK TO BE WRITTIN, SAYS I CAN DO IT, ILL PISS ON YOUR FACE, LET ME DRINK SOME WATER AND ILL LET YA KNOW WHEN IM READY. ..K.. SO WHILE WAITING FOR MONICA TOM GRABS ME AND SAYS "THE PISS CHICK IS GONNA PUKE" AND I WAS LIKE FUCK IT, THIS WILL BE FUNNY OR WHATEVER, I CANT NOT DO IT, CAUSE THAT WOULD MAKE ME LAME, SO I GOT DOWN ON MY BACK AGAIN AND THE CHICK THAT WAS TRYIN TO PISS, STICKS HER FINGERS DOWN HER THROUGHT AND PUKES RIGHT ON MY FACE, IT WAS 4 FULL PUKES AND EACH PUKE WAS LIKE A GALLAN OF PUKE. AFTER THE 4 TH ONE I SMELLED A BIT OF IT AND ALMOST PUKED MYSELF, BUT I HELD IT IN. I STOOD UP AND SAW A NOODLE ON MY CHEST AND I ATE IT. KEEP IN MIND THERE IS LIKE 40 PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE CLUB WATCHING AND A FEW THROUGH UP THEMSELVES JUST BY WATCHING IT. THEN !!!!! OUT OF NO WHERE MONICA COMES RUNNING OUT "I HAVE TO PISS, I HAVE TO PISS" SO I GOT BACK DOWN AND SHE PISSED THE PUKE OFF MY FACE, AT THAT TIME I DIDNT CARE CAUSE SHE WAS MINT AND I GOT TO STARE AT HER MINT GASH AS IT CAME OUT. THIS IS ALL ON VIDIO AND WELL BE ON MY DVD/MOVIE TYPE THING THIS YEAR I HOPE, SO YA GOTTA SEE THIS TO BELIEVE IT, ITS REALY FUNNY AND DISTURBING.
The Mic:Who is the bands musical influence?
WELL WE KINDA WENT THROUGH THAT THE INFLUENCE COMES MORE FROM THE LIFE I HAVE LIVED AND SHIT THAT I HAVE SEEN OR DONE JUST BY LIVING MY LIFE IN GENERAL. IVE SET MYSELF UP TO BE IN A POISION THAT I CAN DO THE THINGS I DO, GO ON TOUR, GO TO PARTYS, SHOWS, ECT, BY NOT SETTLING DOWN AT A YOUNG AGE OUR AGE IM AT, BY GOING THE MARRIED WITH CHILDERN ROUTE.
THERES ONLY SO MANY ROUTES TO TAKE IN LIFE AND IM JUST GLAD IM SAFE, HAVIN FUN, AND HAVE ESCAPED DEATH ONCE BY LIVING THROUGH GETTING SHOT DIRECTLY IN THE HEAD IN L.A. IN 1992 AND HAVING THE SUPPORT FROM MY CLOSE FRIENDS, BAND MATES, AND BANDS THAT HAVE DONE SO MUCH TO HELP AND WE TRY TO DO THE SAME. ITS THE PATH I CHOSE AND IM RIDIN IT OUT. IT HASNT BEEN GLORIUS BUT FOR THE MOST PART THE HARD WORK HAS PAYED OFF AND IS STILL PAYING OFF AND IM STILL HAVIN FUN 80 PERCENT OF THE TIME. YOU TALKED TO MARRIED DUDES WITH KIDS AND WIFES AND ASK THEM WHAT THERE % OF FUN IS.
The Mic:How did the band get together?
KNDA COVERD THAT WITH GETTING THE GUYS FROM SLAPJAW TO PLAY MY SONGS AND RECORD AND DO A FEW SHOWS, STARTED OUT IN JEANS AND T-SHIRTS THEN WHEN PEOPLE STARTED TAKING NOTICE I JUST KEPT STEPPIN IT UP A BIT AND THE GUYS FROM SLAPJAW COULDNT TOUR SO THATS WHEN I GOT THE GUYS FROM DILLINGER ON BOARD. THEN DILLINGER HAD 2 YEARS OF TOURING TO DO SO I HAD TO PUT TOGETHER A BAND. TOOK A WHILE AND THEN IT HIT ME MY 2 FRIENDS TERRY AND RICH FROM A BAND CALLED ANGER, WHO ARE STILL AROUND, AND THE OLD MIND ERASER DRUMMER ROB PALOTTA, WHO I WAS ALSO IN A BAND CALLED TICKLE T WITH 1997-1998. WE TOURED DIY WITH THAT LINE UP FOR 5 YEARS. THEN LAST YEAR TERRY "BABY WIPES" AND ROB "GRANDPA" RETIRED FROM SHAT TO FOCUS ON THERE OWN THINGS , TERRY WITH ANGER AND ROB NOW WITH THE METAL BEE GEES TRIBUTE "TRAGITY". ROB FOUND DRUMMER PETE " BABY SPINACH" DRUMMER OF 25 TA LIFE AND HIS OWN BAND CRIME LAB, ON CREIGS LIST. I WENT TO SEE CRIME LAB AND MET PETE AND TOLD HIM HES IN, THAT NIGHT I ASKED THERE GUITAR PLAYER GREG IF HE WANTED TO COME ON TOUR AND HE SAID YEA. KEEP IN MIND THIS IS 3 WEEKS BEFORE MY 40 DAY IN A ROW TOUR STARTS. I WAS SHITTIN, THOUGHT I MAY HAVE TO CANCIL THE WHOLE TOUR. THESE GUYS LEARNED 30 SONGS IN 4 PRACTICES OUR 5 TH PRACTICE TOGETHER AND 5 TH TIME WE EVER MEET EACH OTHER, WAS OUR FIRST DAY OF TOUR, THATS HOW CLOSE IT WAS. COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASSTER CUASE RICH "BABY FAT" WHO REMAINS ON BASS FOR 7 YEARS NOW, AND I BARLY NEW THERE GUYS. BUT IT WORKED AND WE KILLED IT. IT WAS A GOOD TOUR. GREG WENT ON TO JOIN A BAND CALLED RUIN AND I HAD TO FIND OTHER GUY AGAIN FOR THIS PAST TOUR AND JUST PUT SOME BULLATINS UP ON MYSPACE AND SPREAD THE WORD ON THE SCEAN AND DAVE "BABY JESUS" LONG TIME FRIEND ON THE LOCAL NJ SCEAN CONTACTED ME. I DIDNT EVEN KNOW THIS GUY PLAYED GUITAR AND IVE HUNG OUT WITH HIM FOR 10 YEARS. ANYWAY DAVE CAN PLAY, AND HES TOTALY ON BOARD AND WE ARE ALL IN A POSITION WARE WE CAN DROP EVERYTHING AND GO ON TOUR FOR HOWEVER LONG WHEN THE OPERTUNITY COMES. FOR NOW WE ALL DO SEANONAL WORK, GET LAIED OFF AND COLLECT DURING WINTER MONTHER, AND TOUR EVERY YEAR AT THE SAME TIME FOR THE LAST 6 YEARS FEB/MAR. UNTIL SOMTHING BIGGER COMES ALONG AND IT WILL.
The Mic:What is your musical background like?
BACK GROUND ? LIKE ELEVATORE MUSIC ?
I DUN O IM SURE EVERYONE THAT LISTES TO SHAT AND USES SHATS MUSIC IN THERE LIVES DOES IT DIFFERENT WAYS. I HEAR STORIES ALL THE TIME ABOUT FANS AND WHERE THEY WERE WHEN THEY HEARD THIS SONG OR PLAYED THIS SONG FOR THIS ONE YADA YADA YADA. BUT YES MY FORMULY IS QUICK CHORUS AND OUT OR VIRSE CHOES QUICKLY , ALL THE GOOD PARTS THEN DONE, NO FILLER TO MAKE IT 4 MINS. OR RADIO FRIENDLY OR ACCEPTED BY THE NORMAL EAR. IF YOU WANT TO USE A SHAT SONG IN A BACKGROUND JUST SEND ME A CHECK AND DO WHATEVER THE HELL YA WANT. BUT THERES 65 SONGS ON "THE BEST OF-THE CUNT CRONICALS" AND 69 ON "CUNTREE" SO IM HOPING THAT THE LISTENER CAN RELATE TO AT LEAST ONE OF THE , WAIT WHATS 65 + 69 ?,,, SONGS THAT I HAVE.
The Mic:Any other members in your family that are
musicians?
NO I WAS ADOPTED. I WAS ORDERD A YEAR BEFORE I WAS BORN. MY SISTER WAS ADOPTED TOO. I BLESS MY PARENTS FOR GIVING ME UP AND THE PARENTS THAT RASED ME IN A WONDERFUL HOME. MY HOMELIFE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SHAT. SHAT IS THE BLESSING THAT WAS CREATED WHEN I WAS LET OUT INTO THE WORLD. SHAT IS NOT ALOWED IN THE HOUSE. MY PARENTS RESPECTED THAT I WANTED TO BE A MUSICIAN AND PUT ME THROUGH MUSIC SCHOOL IN L.A. FROM 1988 TO 1992 AND SUPORT ME IN THAT WAY, BUT THEY DO NOT SUPPORT THE BAND SHAT, BUT THATS O.K. THEY SUPPORT ME.
LIKE WHEN BRITNEY SPEIRS LAWERS SENT MY FATHER AND I A SCEAST AND DISISSED LETTER CAUSE I USED BRITNYS FACE ON THE CUNT FALVORED LOLLI POPS C.D. COVER OF HERE HOLDING A LOLLI POP WITH A SPRAD WIDE SPANISH CUNT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. I GUESS THE EAST COAST ROCKER REVIEWED THE C.D. AND PUT THE PIC IN THERE, BRITNYS LAWERS SAW IT THAT WERE PISSED, SO WERE MY PARENTS, I DIDNT KNOW HAT I SHOULDNT PUT MY PARENTS ADRESS ON THE C.D. AT THE TIME, I WAS LIVING THERE.
The Mic:What is the TOP reason why you want to play
music?
I DINT KNOW. I JUST DO. ITS PRETTY MUCH ALL I KNOW, ITS JUST WHAT I DO, I FEEL PROGRAMMED TO IT. THE ONLY OTHER WAY I WOULD KNOW IN MY HEART WOULD BE WIFE , KIDS, DOG, HOUSE WITH FENCE POOL, MABEY SOMEDAY.
DEFFENATLY NOT B ACCIDENT.
The Mic:what's your stance on file swapping?
IS THAT LIKE WIFE SWAPPING ? I'M DOWN.
The Mic:what is the process of making a cd?
EXPERIANCE THINGS IN LIFE, SING A MELODY TO THE WORDS THAT DISCRIBE THAT EXPERIANCE INTO MINI RECORDER, TEACH MYSELF THE RIFF, BRING TO PRACTICE AND TEACH AND FINE TUNE ARRANGMENT.
The Mic:how do you get the word out about your music?
TOUR, TOUR SHOWS, TOUR.
TOURING IS THE WAY. BUT WE HAVE HAD OTHER HELP
THROUGH A SMALL LABLE CALLED BUDDYHEAD RECORDS OUT OF L.A.
THEY PUT OUT THE 2 C.D.'S THAT ARE OUT THERE NOW, BUT NO ONE IS REALY BUYING C.D.'S ANYMORE WICH IS A SHAME CAUSE THE SHAT ART WORK IS JUST AS GOOD AS THE SONGS OR BETTER. AND OFCORSE MYSPACE
THERE ARE A BUNCH OF TOOLS OUT THERE NOW TO HELP WITH ALL OF THIS JUST HIT US UP IF YA NEED HELP AT www.myspace.com/shatpunkrock
GOOGLE SEARCH SHAT BAND, ALSO YOUTUBE SEACH SHAT WERE THERE ALOT OF SHAT SHIT IS. STICKERS, SHIRTS, BUTTONS, HATS, G-STRINGS, MERCH MERCH MERCH , AGAIN JUST CONTACT ME JEFFUCKIN WOOD THROUGH SHAT'S MYSPACE. NET WORK BITCH ! GET OFF YOUR ASS. I SEE A FEW NERWER BANDS THAT ARE LAZY AND DONT KNOW ABOUT HOW IT WAS BEFORE MYSPACE OR EVEN THE COMPUTER, SHOWS WERE BOOKED AND PEOPLE WOULD SHOW BY WORD OF MOTH, HANGING OUT FLYERS. SAME CONSEPT GOES FOR NOW, DONT COMPLAIN ABOUT YOUR SCENE IF YOUR NOT GETTING OUT THERE, GOING TO SHOWS, NET WORKING, CONTACTING OTHER BANDS, HELPING OTHER BANDS. PUTTING A BLOG OR BULLETIN ON MYSPACE ISNT PROMOTING GOOD ENOUGH. SEND POSTERS TO THE CLUBS YER PLAYING , GO TO THE CLUB IF IN YOUR TOWN AND HAND OUT FLYERS, MEET NEW BANDS ECT.
YA PRICK YA
The Mic:how is your local responce to your music?
LOCAL IS AMAZING THERE ALL OUR FRIENDS AND GREW UP WITH SHAT I STARTED SHAT WITH AND FOR MY FRIENDS. THEY WERE LIKE CAMP FIRE SONGS AT THE KEG, ACID PARTYS IN THE WOODS, THATS WHERE IT STARTED
AND ITS COOL IT HAS SPREAD. WE START EVERY TOUR WITH THE FIRST SHOW AT ONE OF OUR HOME TOWN BARS THE COUNTY LINE PUB, FREE TO GET IN NO STAGE, SET UP IN THE CORNER AND GO ! ALL MY FRIENDS HAVE BEEN SUPPORTIVE FROM DAY 1 WITH PITCH BLACK 1986 TO 1992, MIND ERASER, DILLINGER, M.O.D., TICKLE, AND SHAT. AND OF CORSE MY BAND SLAPJAW WHO I STARTED SINGING FOR AFTER SHAT GOT RUNNIN
www.myspace.com/slapjaw AND MY NEW BAND BACK PLAYIN BASS
WITH TIM MC MERTRY ORIGINAL M.O.D. GUITAR PLAYER, AND ROB MACHETTI ON 2 ND GUITAR AND VOCALS AND A HOMETOWN FAVORITE ON DRUMS, DRUMMER OF DIRT CHURCH, ROB YOULES. THIS BAND IS GONNA BE HUDGE SOON ALSO CHECK OUT www.myspace.com/fullscaleriotsquad
The Mic:what is the farthers you have traveled for a gig?
FLYING OR DRIVING ?
WE FLEW TO EUROPE, AND WE HAVE BEEN TO SEATTLE AND BACK. BUT THE FERTHEST WOULD HAVE TO BE WHEN I WAS IN DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN AND WE LANDED SUPPORT OPENING FOR MR. BUNGLE. THE TOUR STARTED IN C.A. SO WE HAD TO DRIVE STREIGHT THROUGH 2 AND A HALF DAYS TO GET TO THE FIRST SHOW THEN TOURED IN A CIRCLE AND ENED BACK IN C.A. AND HAD TO DIVE 2 AND AHALF DAYS HOME. NOTHIN LIKE THE OPEN ROAD AND A GIG AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW.
The Mic:What tune on the cd are you most proud of?
WICH C.D. ? "CUNTREE" CHRIST !!!! THERES 69 DUDE
I DUN O PROBABLY VAGITARIAN, I DID PUT IT FIRST SO IT FUST ME JUST LIKE CUNT PARM OR BEST OF IT WAS "I THROUGH UP ON HER CUNT" FIRST TRACK.
YOU CAN BUY THESE C.D.'S FROM ME JUST HIT ME UP ON MYSPACE WE HAVE TONS OF MERCH. WE HAVE LOCAL SHOWS THROUGH THIS SUMMER. PLAYIN SELECT SHOWS OUT OF STATE AS WELL, AND A FULL U.S. TOUR IS PLANNED FOR FEB/MAR 2010. JUST HIT UP www.myspace.com/shatpunkrock
www.jeffwoodofshat.com HOPE TO HAVE BACK UP SOON
www.myspace.com/buddyhead AND DONT FORGET MY OTHER SHIT OUT THERE
www.myspace.com/fullscaleriotsquad
www.myspace.com/slapjaw
www.myspace.com/minderaser
THANKS EVERYONE
AND REMEMBER IF IT WASNT FOR CUNT NOT ONE OF US WOULD BE HERE RIGHT NOW. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US CAME OUT OF ONE.
GIVE SOMTHIN BACK !
JEFFUCKIN WOOD OF SHAT
Thanks,
Jigg
The Terrible Airplane with THE MIC
**picture link (photo: Alex Thomas)**
Band: The Terrible Airplane
The Mic: What got this band together and started in this business?
Mark: Well, we're brothers, and we have always talked about starting a band. When life had its way, we decided to conceptualize a musical project, and here we are today.
Todd: We both have a lot of the same musical interests, and look for the same things (mainly originality) when listening to, and writing music. Mark and I think so much alike musically, we hardly ever disagree on an idea. I guess you could say that convenience got this band started. That and the need for artistic expression.
The Mic: Who writes and produces all the material for the band?
Mark: It is a totally collaborative effort. I usually write a bunch of guitar riffs, and take them to Todd. In the basement, we arrange those riffs with new ideas we come up with on the spot, and turn out a song or two. We have no set formula for writing. Sometimes a new song takes 2 hours to write, sometimes it takes over a year.
Todd: Yep. Pretty much like that.
The Mic: The band played in front of or with any acts our readers would know from the Mainstream?
Mark: Mainstream? No. But we have played with some cool independent/underground bands you and your readers should take time to know. They include: Juan Prophet Organization (Portland, OR), Clatter (Columbus, MO), Turdus Musicus (Tromso, Norway), Battlefields (Minnesota), AmenRa (Belgium), Samothrace (Seattle, formerly Lawrence, KS), Big Knife (Lawrence), Sleeping In The Aviary (Madison, WI) Troglodite (St. Louis, MO), Blood of Me (KCMO), Daleria (Lawrence, KS), Killing California (California), Sea of Bones (Connecticut), Go Motion (Omaha, NE), The Seas (Austin, TX) and cool local bands: Dead Commuter, Continent of Ash, The Shingles, David Hasselhoff on Acid, Blood In The Wire, No Romance In Russia, Wrath and Ruin, Noise Complaint, Schumann's Resonance...
Todd: Don't forget about Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire (Denver, CO), Canyons (Marshall, MO) and locals: Nursing Home Panty Raid, She's Dead Jim, Death 2 Nancy...
The Mic: Where can people access your music on the web?
Our main page:
Myspace.com/theterribleairplane
Our second page (more songs/videos):
Myspace.com/terribletheairplane
Our YouTube:
Youtube.com/theterribleairplane
(We are currently working on a Facebook profile, so friend us on Myspace to find out when that is fully operational.)
The Mic: Any embarrassing moments on stage?
Mark: Other than dropping out of a song due to personal retardation, or bad monitor mixes, not really. We have both been on stage so much, embarrassment is not really an issue anymore.
Todd: We played in dresses once at a Halloween show in Lawrence (KS). It was outdoors and kinda' chilly, but not embarrassing. Doing "embarrassing" things kinda' fuels the energy of our live performance. As far as messing up goes, well, isn't that what live music is all about?
The Mic: Any good stories you want to tell us?
Mark: We have had the honor of playing with some of the most randomly cool bands in the world, and there are so many cool stories it is difficult to come up with just one. Drunken idiocy, crazy stage antics, getting unplugged at Kirby's, engineer students from India dancing on the tables—all a typical night with The Terrible Airplane.
Todd: During one gig at Kirby's Beer Store (Wichita, KS) some cops were busting up a "disturbance" outside, and we were inside heckling them from stage as they did it. The cool thing is, they were outside heckling us at the same time--someone asked them for some Tylenol for their bruised hand, and the cop replied they would more likely need it because of the music!
The Mic: Who is the bands musical influence?
Mark: Well, the bands people say TTA most sound like are Melvins, Neurosis, System of a Down, Tool, Meshuggah, Clutch, and Mastadon. Some have gone so far as to say we sound like Metallica, if Metallica were a palm tree, and we have also been likened to The Doors on acid. Personally, I am a sucker for Minus The Bear, and just discovered The Dismemberment Plan. I regularly dabble in Doom/Grind/Metal/Noisecore genres, and recently had the opportunity to see Secret Chiefs 3 live! The band is not really patterned after any single influence, though.
Todd: I think that we are influenced more by what's going on around us than by music. Obviously the musics we are constantly exposing ourselves to bleed through in the final product, but I'm focusing more on color and symmetry when I'm writing music with Mark.
The Mic: How did the band get together?
Mark: We started living together after Todd moved to the 'ta after high school. We spent a couple years working day jobs, bought instruments, and wrote some songs. A few years later, we are still working day jobs, but now play shows, sell an EP, and plan for the future as a band.
Todd: It seemed like the obvious thing to do. We didn't even have to worry about auditions.
The Mic: What is your musical background like?
Mark: I have been 'vocalizing' since the age of 17, and played the trumpet until the 8th grade. I picked up the guitar around 24. Back in the nineties, I was in a Wichita band called Mut, and after that, the improvisational funk-jazz/noise combo The Big Insult: Legendary.
Todd: Well, I also played trumpet, but changed to euphonium in the 7th grade. I played it through high school and some college. Along the way I picked up drums and percussion, bass, guitar, keyboards, I've had voice training, and have studied music theory for many years. I've been composing scores since high school and have a solo project called Foster In Law (myspace.com/fosterinlaw). Music is my only background.
The Mic: Any other members in your family that are musicians?
Mark: Mom Dad both play piano and sing; three uncles played guitar and/or bass; one cousin plays the bass now, and I think another plays drums.
Todd: Yep.
The Mic: What is the TOP reason why you want to play music?
Mark: You know, my reasons for wanting to play music have changed through the years. I guess now the top reason with TTA is to see how far we can go with our songwriting, and touring. All the peripheral rock star reasons have given way to focus more on artistic expression, and creative vision. I have been involved with music for so long, it would be difficult to stop.
Todd: Yea. I don't think we have a choice but to play music. It's the only thing we do that we like doing. I don't think that I'd be able to artistically express enough if my career was a dayjob. I can't stop being a musician. Luckily I don't want to stop.
The Mic: What's your stance on file swapping?
Mark: It is a great way to get your name out. We have no real problems with it, and we do it too. Everyone does. I just think it should be up to the consumer to make an effort to support the artists they like any way they can. If you rip a CD from the internet, buy a t-shirt, or go see the band live. And as a general rule, if you see an independent band at a club, give them a couple bucks for gas, even if you don't like them enough to buy a shirt or CD. It is a difficult world for the independent musician now, and it is up to us as consumers to provide a community of support for everyone committed enough to go on the road.
Todd: People need to go out and see bands and bootleg them all. Audio, video, it doesn't matter. Record them and give it away. Make more people want to go see those bands and record more bootlegs continuing the chain. Sooner or later the band will start selling CDs.
The Mic: What is the process of making a CD?
Mark: It is a tedious experience with many rewards. Our CD Reconnaissance was recorded by our friend Eric Harrison (No Romance In Russia). Recording and mixing took a couple weeks. The packaging includes the talents of five international visual artists, a local screen printer, Copy Max, and a CD burner.
Todd: I like making CDs. I wish I could do it all the time. You get to crawl inside your own songs and view them objectively for a change and translate them to a disc. More listening and tweaking knobs than playing.
The Mic: How do you get the word out about your music?
Mark: Myspace, word of mouth, fliers, and interviews like this.
Todd: Everything but radio for now.
The Mic: How is your local responce to your music?
Mark: Musicians love us, and we have a good number of friends and supporters who come out to shows. We are lucky to be able to play with many different-sounding bands, and the reactions we get from their crowds are usually positive. We also get some entertaining responses that are not so positive. We have been known to clear bars mid-set, and once we were kicked off stage after 2 songs for being too heavy. Ironically, when we played 'Wichita's Metal Bar' the following weekend, we were told that we couldn't come back because we were too alternative.
Todd: We've actually had a good number of middle-agers see us and like what they hear. We're always getting the response "I don't like listening to heavy music but I like it when you play it."
The Mic: What is the farthest you have traveled for a gig?
Mark: Albuquerque, NM. We went on a mini-tour with Dead Commuter a few years ago, and also played Denver, Tulsa, and Taos, NM. But we would love to travel the US and Europe for months on end, so if you are independently wealthy, or own a label, let us know.
Todd: Yea. The Albuquerque gig was a blast. We both drank a whole bottle of Smoking Loon Merlot and got really drunk before we played. Setting up was hard, but we ended up playing the best we did the whole tour. That show was bootlegged. . .
The Mic: What tune on the CD are you most proud of?
Mark: Well, we are actually touching up the CD before we print another batch—messing with the mix, auxiliary tracking, etc—so I may have a solid favorite after that is finished. Right now I like them all equally. Every song is cool because I have specific memories from the recording sessions.
Todd: "Who Painted Whispers on My Fortnight?" and "Minus" are my favorite songs on the EP. They are longer than the rest and require more listening. We captured them in a way that really shows the listener what the song should sound like in a non-live setting.
Thanks,
Jigg
Thank you for the opportunity to get the word out! We encourage everyone who reads this to friend us on Myspace, comment on our Youtube videos, and pass the word along to friends and family. Hope to see you soon! Mark/Todd --TTA
RAISING KANE with The MIC
The Mic: What got this band together and started in
this business?
RAISING KANE: Well, were all friends at first and very poor muscians. We started in seventh grade just for fun. As the years went we decided to get serious about our music. We recruited our singer sophomore year and changed our name. This is when we started the real butt kickin'. We all love and play what we like.
The Mic:Who writes and produces all the material for
the band?
RAISING KANE:We do. Derrr
The Mic:The band played in front of or with any acts
our readers would
know from the Mainstream?
RAISING KANE:Avenged Sevenfold, Atreyu, Bullet for my Valentine, HellYeah, Black Tide, HE is Legend, and more sweet that you check out later.
The Mic:Where can people access your music on the web?
RAISING KANE:www.myspace.com/raisingkanestl
CDbaby.com/raisingkane
itunes
The Mic:Any embarrassing moments on stage?
Raising Kane: "Wanna hear a joke...? Knock Knock"
The whole crowd: "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
(Freshman year at the creepy crawl)
The Mic:Any good stories you want to tell us?
RAISING KANE:
The Mic:Who is the bands musical influence?
RAISING KANE:Good Music.
Metallica, and bands that shred and make beautiful noises via instrument.
The Mic:How did the band get together?
RAISING KANE:We all met at an orgy....
But seriously, we were friends and liked the same music so we started music. Woo.
The Mic:What is your musical background like?
RAISING KANE:We play instruments.
The Mic:Any other members in your family that are
musicians?
RAISING KANE:We have some cousins that play in bands but nothing to serious.
The Mic:What is the TOP reason why you want to play
music?
RAISING KANE:We love it. We love playing for people. And we love it.
The MIC: what's your stance on file swapping?
RAISING KANE:Any way to get your music heard is good.
The MIC: what is the process of making a cd?
RAISING KANE:Terrible and expensive. We just finished our second cd which comes June 3rd at Cicero's and it was long, rigorous, and expensive.
The MIC: how do you get the word out about your music?
RAISING KANE:Constant promotion. Lots of flyers and demos handed out at cocnerts. Thats wathca gotta do.
The MIC: how is your local responce to your music?
RAISING KANE:Swell.
The MIC: what is the farthers you have traveled for a gig?
RAISING KANE:We went Wichita to play with our good friends in Seasons After. We are playing a midwest this summer which should fun.
The MIC: What tune on the cd are you most proud of?
RAISING KANE:We are proud of all the music we make. But I suppose Jaguar Breath, Welcome Vacancy, and Its all for you Damien are our favorites.
Black Ribbon Sky: with The MIC
The Mic: What got this band together and started in
this business?
Black Ribbon Sky: A sheer love of music and performing. When we started out, we didn't want to be much more than a local band who got free beer and girls and had fun. I think that is why we have been able to move to the point that we are now at. We all have careers and families so we weren't chasing the dream. But now things have changed a bit, and we are starting to really get noticed.
The Mic:Who writes and produces all the material for
the band?
Black Ribbon Sky: BRS writes all of the songs as a whole. We all have a knack for putting our egos aside and working together to create the songs. We all provide input on each others parts and bring stuff to the table. We also let the song dictate how it needs to be written, whether we build the song around the vocal melody, or a bass riff, or a guitar riff.
The Mic:The band played in front of or with any acts
our readers would
know from the Mainstream?
Black Ribbon Sky: We haven't had the opportunity to share the stage with many big name acts as of yet. We have played with A.D.D. our of Chicago, and Suicide Angels from Omaha. We also play shows with Isaac James who has a band member formerly of Stone Sour. We are currently working hard to change the status of this answer though.
The Mic:Where can people access your music on the web?
Black Ribbon Sky: You can find us all over the web. We are on Myspace, Reverb Nation, Garage Band, and Facebook. Search all of those for Black Ribbon Sky. Also you can go to our website www.blackribbonsky.com
The Mic:Any embarrassing moments on stage?
Black Ribbon Sky: We've had our share of fuck-ups on stage. I have had problems in the past with my guitar coming unplugged. I've fallen flat on my ass. Justin has made up lyrics (at times unsuccessfully) when he has forgotten them. Jason has forgotten to change basses before and I had to try to transpose the guitar part to a different tuning. A lot of the normal stuff that we all laugh about, even in the moment.
The Mic:Any good stories you want to tell us?
Black Ribbon Sky: Wild Turkey American Honey. Thats our downfall. Leo had a luau earlier this summer at his house, and it was one of those nights that got completely out of control. For one I saw Jason drink for the first time in two years, Our former manager got blackout drunk and decided it would be a good idea to stand on the treadmill. Someone else thought it would be a good idea to turn the treadmill on. Watching him hit the wall was some funny shit. After a hole in the wall and two broken chairs I felt it would be a good time to tea bag the poor guy. I know there are pics, I just haven't seen them yet.
The Mic:Who is the bands musical influence?
Black Ribbon Sky: Our biggest influence is Sevendust. We also take a lot from Stone Sour and Mudvayne. But we all bring a lot of different influences together to develop our sound.
The Mic:How did the band get together?
Black Ribbon Sky: BRS was started when the singer Justin Perkins, and myself (Paul Lichtenauer) met at a show back in January of 06. We had a mutual vision, and just had to find the right people to make it happen. In November of that year, we found Jason Kane (bass) through a random Myspace bulletin. Over the next couple of years, we went through a couple of line-up changes and style changes. Once we found our current drummer Leo Phillips, we found our sound. At the end of May 09 we added Dave Baldwin (Davy B) as a rhythm guitarist, and our vision for and love of music have brought us to the point we are at now.
The Mic:What is your musical background like?
Black Ribbon Sky: I was a band geek in high school who played the trumpet and tuba, but i also played guitar and had a band in high school and another one in college. Justin had been growling in metal bands for years until we found out that he could actually sing too. Jason was in a punk band in high school, and Leo had played drums in a death metal band years before. Davy played bass for years in different bands, and then switched to guitar and joined BRS.
The Mic:Any other members in your family that are
musicians?
Black Ribbon Sky: My grandmother was an awesome pianist. As for the rest of the band not really, but we are passing our passion down to our kids.
The Mic:What is the TOP reason why you want to play
music?
Black Ribbon Sky: Because it is in our blood. We love it and live by it.
The Mic:what's your stance on file swapping?
Black Ribbon Sky: I have no problem with file swapping. We actually encourage our fans to burn our CD's for other people or share the files around. Bands don't make their money off of CD sales anymore. We make our money playing shows and selling merch.
The Mic:what is the process of making a cd?
Black Ribbon Sky: Grueling and long.
The Mic:how do you get the word out about your music?
Black Ribbon Sky: The internet is a blessing. Also using our kids to get the stuff into the hands of their friends.
The Mic:how is your local response to your music?
Black Ribbon Sky: We have a good draw at damn near every show we pay in town. The crowd sings along loudly and there are many times where we don't even have to sing. We just let the crowd do it for us.
The Mic:what is the farthest you have traveled for a gig?
Black Ribbon Sky: About three hours right now. We played in Des Moines. We have some stuff coming up that may take us to the east coast though.
The Mic:What tune on the cd are you most proud of?
Black Ribbon Sky: By far and away "Halo" is our pride and joy
The MIC with Stars Go Dim
Artist- Stars Go Dim:
link- www.starsgodim.com and www.myspace.com/starsgodim
The Mic: What got this band together and started in
this business?
Stars Go Dim:We all came from different bands. All of them were rock bands. When we started SGD we wanted to do something different musically.
The Mic:Who writes and produces all the material for
the band?
Stars Go Dim:Joey writes most of the lyrics and music. Our drummer Lester Estelle Jr. produced our first album. This album, Love Gone Mad, was recorded in about 5 different studios and about 4 different states. You’ve got to love technology and airplanes.
The Mic:The band played in front of or with any acts
our readers would know from the Mainstream?
Stars Go Dim:The bass player,drummer, and the guitarist were in a hard rock band called Pillar.
The Mic:Where can people access your music on the web?
Stars Go Dim:Starsgodim.com. myspace.com/starsgodim. Itunes, amazon, etc…
The Mic:Any embarrassing moments on stage?
Stars Go Dim:For awhile there, our singer would say the wrong band name. He would introduce us as Sweet Memorial instead of Stars Go Dim. Sweet Memorial was the band he fronted before SGD.
The Mic:Any good stories you want to tell us?
Stars Go Dim:Well, This one time in band camp. Just kidding…Honestly the whole how we got here is an on going story. Our first show as a band was with Switchfoot. Second show was with Daughtry. We recently were invited to play the Mayercraft with John Mayer, by John Mayer and Ernie ball. We feel like this once little side project has gradually turned into something more or possibly bigger than we ever imagined it would be.
The Mic:Who is the bands musical influence?
Stars Go Dim:We all come from different backgrounds. Our drummer grew up on the Kansas City gospel scene. At the end of the day we love all kinds of music. We are big fans of Citizen Cope, John Mayer, Gavin Degraw to name a few.
The Mic:How did the band get together?
Stars Go Dim:This was originally just a side project. All of us were in other bands at the time of conception. SGD just gradually turned into a full time gig.
The Mic:What is your musical background like?
Stars Go Dim:We all at sometime took lessons. Our drummer’s dad is an amazing jazz guitarist and singer. Our singer’s family was once a gospel musical group. We all grew up with music being a big part of our lives.
The Mic:Any other members in your family that are
musicians?
Stars Go Dim:The drummer’s dad, brother and mom. The singer’s family and brother. The guitarist’s brother.
The Mic:What is the TOP reason why you want to play
music?
Stars Go Dim:It’s better than working a real job.
The Mic:what's your stance on file swapping?
Stars Go Dim:As long as they come to shows I’m ok with it. You can’t stop it.
The Mic:what is the process of making a cd?
Stars Go Dim:It’s always a unique process. For us it consists of tracking and recording in 5 different studios and in four different states. We all live in different states so our music making ways are quite different than most bands.
The Mic:how do you get the word out about your music?
Stars Go Dim:We are big on fan interaction. We are always on our myspace. Writing or videotaping blogs/vlogs. Good old grassroots marketing. Music is more than creating a product to us. It’s all about making a connection with people.
The Mic:how is your local responce to your music?
Stars Go Dim:Tulsa is a small city. It has that Midwest charm. We have become close friends with all of the radio DJs, newspaper and media. They have embraced our band and so has the community. The local shows have consistently been getting bigger and bigger.
The Mic:what is the farthers you have traveled for a gig?
Stars Go Dim:For this band, California. In other bands we have traveled all over the world. Hopefully we will be able to do the same with SGD soon.
The Mic:What tune on the cd are you most proud of?
Stars Go Dim:We are proud of all of them. It has been a long process making this CD. I think we would say that Love Gone Mad, the title track is one of our proudest moments on this CD.
DAYS OF LOATHING with The MIC
Band: DAYS OF LOATHING
The Mic: What got this band together and started in
this business?
Days of Loathing: Well the band actually came together in 2004 while on our first deployment to Iraq. It mostly started off as just trying to learn our instruments hahaand got more serious when we figured out we could actually play a little bit.
The Mic:Who writes and produces all the material for
the band?
Days of Loathing: Randy, Andrew, and Chris write most of the music, however, everyone pitches in on ideas. As far as production, Chris has handled the logo, artwork, and show gatherings i guess you could say.
The Mic:The band played in front of or with any acts
our readers would
know from the Mainstream?
Days of Loathing: As far as mainstream is concerned, i don't think there are too many bands on the mainstream we would really play with since alot of them lose their original sound when fame is brought to them. But we have played with some awesome local bands, like our good friends in Decimation, Effigy of thought, Terror Tractor, and a few others. We didn't have alot of time to play shows since we deployed so quickly after the new line-up was established.
The Mic:Where can people access your music on the web?
Days of Loathing: We have a myspace the link is www.myspace.com/dayofloathing. The material on there is a bit old but i think people are really going to get excited with our new stuff with the addition of Andrew on lead guitar and Christian on bass.
The Mic:Any embarrassing moments on stage?
Days of Loathing: Well back in the day in 2005 - 2006 our live performance was terrible and pretty much every show was embarrassing haha. The shows with the new line-up were definetly awesome though.
The Mic:Any good stories you want to tell us?
Days of Loathing: Yeah one time after our last show, Randy and chris got all drunk Chris was outside smoking a cig and Randy came out to talk to him and while they were talking Randy had to take a piss and pissed all over Chris's leg cause he thought it was a telephone pole. That's what happens when you drink too much tequila. But we had several crazy nights with several crazy stories behind each one. Days of Loathing is a fun band and we do alot of crazy shit. We could probably make a TV show out of all the stupid shit we do.
The Mic:Who is the bands musical influence?
Days of Loathing: WOW that is interesting. Starting off in 2004 we had a huge In Flames influence but over the years it has changed quite a bit. I would say now especially with the new material we are writing for our full length LP it is heavily influenced by The Black Dahlia Murder, The Haunted, Burning Skies, At the Gates, and The Acacia Strain. We have a wide range of metal sound.
The Mic:How did the band get together?
Days of Loathing: Well Chris met the original guitarist Zip, at a bar in germany when they were stationed there in 2003 and quickly became friends. While deployed to iraq they decided the start a band and the original name was actually Bias Society.
The Mic:What is your musical background like?
Days of Loathing: Well everyone in the band has quite a unique taiste in metal, but we all listen to brutal shit. Chris and Randy are more into the death metal and metaldeathcore aspect of things, while Andrew, Christian, and Bobby are more into the thrash, heavy, and slammy stuff which makes for some very good influence in our music.
The Mic:Any other members in your family that are
musicians?
Days of Loathing: Yeah, there are a few. Chris's dad plays accoustic guitar and was an 80's thrasher in his days.
The Mic:What is the TOP reason why you want to play
music?
Days of Loathing: Well playing metal has such a driving powerful force and it is something that we all equaly hunger for and more importnantly enjoy playing probably way more than we should haha but i think the TOP reason is we all just get lost playing metal and we enjoy it so much so we play it. We consider music our first job and the Army our second, even though a majority of us are actually Sergeants which people never expect much less an entire metal band that came together in the army which makes it very difficult.
what's your stance on file swapping?
The MIC:what is the process of making a cd?
Days of Loathing: Well our experience has been going to the studio, doing our best to record and produce the album in the studio, then getting it copied and distributed with promotion and what not. Nowa days, almost everything is vistual so getting your music up on these mass marthe mass market is not as hard as it used to be.
The MIC:how do you get the word out about your music?
Days of Loathing: Well the best way i think is to play alot of shows, especially in a metal band. Nothing like getting a crowd moving especially if they have never heard you before and they are sold on your music after jsut one show. But we do mostly self promotion with myspace, word of mouth, and friends that like our music help us out when they can.
The MIC:how is your local responce to your music?
Days of Loathing: Well before we left lets just say we went from about 45 people at our first show with the new line-up in August 2008 to about 125 at our last show on Sept 24 2008 at the same place. I think that means something good.
The MIC:what is the farthest you have traveled for a gig?
Days of Loathing: I think the farthest we traveled was only an hour but we plan on changing that when we get back from iraq.
The MIC:What tune on the cd are you most proud of?
Days of Loathing: Well, on our Incineration EP, i would say we are most proud of Days of Loathing and The Release. We actually wrote the whole EP in a matter of 3 months and recorded it in just a couple days since we didn't have enough time to get real in depth since we deployed at the begining of October.
THE LINK IS : WWW.MYSPACE.COM/DAYOFLOATHING
Skinny with The MIC
The Mic: What got this band together and started in
this business?
Skinny: Skinny was a solo venture for Leroy. I asked weasel to get on board. We were both originally Dose and after awhile it was reformed with a new bass player(Harley) & music direction.
The Mic:Who writes and produces all the material for
the band?
Skinny: Leroy & Weasel(also known as the Shaved Monkeys)
The Mic:The band played in front of or with any acts
our readers would
know from the Mainstream?
Skinny: As Skinny we haved opened for The Pennyroyals, Opus Die, Violence to Vegas. In Dose we opened for Stephen Percy, Shootyz Groove, etc..
The Mic:Where can people access your music on the web?
Skinny: www.myspace.com/skinny1music, soon reverbnation, ourstage.com,
crybaby, & itunes is coming soon.
The Mic:Any embarrassing moments on stage?
Skinny: Weasel lost his pants in St. Paul. oh yeah he also had a cock cake shoved in his face. Leroy has fallen on stage a few times.
The Mic:Any good stories you want to tell us?
Skinny: Stephen Percy kept coming up to us asking for some pot every 10 minutes. Leroy likes to throw his food at fast food establishments when they screw up his order. Seen lots of tats in interesting areas.
The Mic:Who is the bands musical influence?
Skinny: Cold, Deftones, Machine Head...countless others.
The Mic:How did the band get together?
Skinny: Just asked everybody if they want to start playing again.
The Mic:What is your musical background like?
Skinny: Weasel is into 80's rock & alternative music. He plays drums, guitar, sings, etc. Leroy listens to heavy music, new alternative really a wide variety of different music. He started playing drums & singing. Lisa is into all music rock, hip-hop, country, etc. She started playing clarinet, then the bass soon followed.
The Mic:Any other members in your family that are
musicians?
Skinny: Leroy's distant cousin is John Baldwin a.k.a. John Paul Jones of Led Zepplin fame. Weasel's related way down the line to Elvis Presley.
The Mic:What is the TOP reason why you want to play
music?
Skinny: Very simple the LOVE of music. It flows through all of us. Anyone wanting to get famous, get a record deal, etc. should not be playing. They would have a better chance playing the lottery. Do it because you enjoy doing it. If the rest follows that's cool.
The Mic:what's your stance on file swapping?
Skinny: It's ok within reason. It spreads your name quicker, but also can take money out of your pocket.
The Mic:what is the process of making a cd?
Skinny: writing songs, recording songs, all done. There are lots of hours envolved, it kinda sucks. Then you hear the end result, you love it or hate it. The great thing is playing all of your songs live & saying we have a cd for sale.
The Mic:how do you get the word out about your music?
Skinny: Playing live, the internet, & word of mouth.
The Mic:how is your local responce to your music?
Skinny: The response is growing since we've been playing more and having our cd released.
The Mic:what is the farthers you have traveled for a gig?
Skinny: up to 300 miles.
The Mic:What tune on the cd are you most proud of?
Skinny: We each like different songs on Silence Breaking Vol. 1, because each song is different.
link- www.myspace.com/skinny1music
The Gazaway Mountain Boys with THE MIC
The Mic: What got this band together and started in
this business?
The Gazaway Mountain Boys: It all started in the summer of ought-5 - Jim Gazaway, fiddle, guitar, moved to Hutchinson from the KC area and was looking for people to jam with. He got together with banjo master Jim Shimel and they started jamming. Eventually they called Bob Colladay, who had never played bass or bluegrass and we were a trio. We added our first mandolin player, Harlen Depew. We played a restaurant and coffee shop and street corners. We added Tammy Colladay, a fantastic vocalist, who has now added some guitar to the group. We have completed this sextet with Dave Schimming on mandolin and guitar, and Robert Hooker on dobro.
The Mic:Who writes and produces all the material for
the band?
The Gazaway Mountain Boys: So far we play mostly covers, everything from traditional bluegrass, classic country, Bob Dylan and Green Day. Bob Colladay has written a couple of songs that we play on an irregular basis.
The Mic:The band played in front of or with any acts
our readers would
know from the Mainstream?
The Gazaway Mountain Boys: Nope, Well some people have probably heard of Truckstop Honeymoon. We have coincidentally opened for them twice at Winfield during the Walnut Valley Festival.
Also we opened the Kansas Bluegrass Association Winter Festival in Wichita this year. There were a lot of great bluegrass bands that most people have never heard of.
Early on we jammed with Chuck Mead, Nashville recording artist and founding member of BR5-49.
The Mic:Where can people access your music on the web?
The Gazaway Mountain Boys: www.gmbks.com & www.youtube.com
The Mic:Any embarrassing moments on stage?
The Gazaway Mountain Boys: Almost every night!
The Mic:Any good stories you want to tell us?
The Gazaway Mountain Boys: We have played some venues, let me tell you, We have played for meat, fancy shirts, and dinner. We have played between bathroom doors, in sheep pens, barns and churches. We have played outside in freezing cold and burning sun.
The Mic:Who is the bands musical influence?
The Gazaway Mountain Boys: We have six people in the band now. There are lots of influences. Traditional bluegrass, classic rock, classic country, folk, Frank Sinatra, Doyle Lawson, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, The Grateful Dead.
The Mic:How did the band get together?
The Gazaway Mountain Boys: Well aside from what we discussed earlier, the mandolin position has been the real side story of the band. If you have seen "This is Spinal Tap" The mandolin is the drummer of our group both musically and Spinal Tapally. We have played with 5 different mandolin players. Harlen Depew started with us, Paul Schimming played a Stage 7 show with us at Winfield, Then Mike Shyder played with us for a couple of months, then moved. John Depew joined us for about a year. Now we have the honor of playing with Dave Schimming. Last year at Winfield, Dave went down with a leg injury and Mike Snyder was there to fill-in when we played the flood stage.
The Mic:What is your musical background like?
The Gazaway Mountain Boys: Most of the band are life long musicians, some have played in bands before, some are just starting out.
The Mic:Any other members in your family that are
musicians?
The Gazaway Mountain Boys: Yep, pretty much all of us have other people in our family interested in music. Our Mandolin player's sons is a music professor. He comes to Winfield every year and plays bluegrass with us.
The Mic:What is the TOP reason why you want to play
music?
The Gazaway Mountain Boys: The people.
The Mic:what's your stance on file swapping?
The Gazaway Mountain Boys: I think it is okay with artist permission. I think Anarchy is overrated.
The Mic:what is the process of making a cd?
The Gazaway Mountain Boys: We choose some songs, practice them for awhile, then we record the track live with no over dubs. Mix the tracks and hope for the best.
The Mic:how do you get the word out about your music?
The Gazaway Mountain Boys: Myspace, Facebook, posters, newspapers
The Mic:how is your local response to your music?
The Gazaway Mountain Boys: Pretty good, the scene for live music is starting to pickup here, so at first it was really a novelty to have a band playing anywhere here. Now we have a few people that see most of our shows.
The Mic:what is the farthest you have traveled for a gig?
The Gazaway Mountain Boys: Not counting Winfield, Probably...Norwich, KS. Ever heard of it? In July we will be doing a show at the Emma Chase Cafe in Cottonwood Falls. That will be the official long haul for us.
The Mic:What tune on the cd are you most proud of?
The Gazaway Mountain Boys: "Caleb Meyer" sung by Tammy, because she makes us all sound good.
Primer55 with THE MIC
The Mic: What got this band together and started in
this business?
Bobby Burns of Primer 55: I started this band in um.... 97 I think... Just doing demos with every singer that I was friends with actually.
The Mic:Who writes and produces all the material for
the band?
Bobby Burns of Primer 55: I write the music myself and i write the lyrics with DRP.
The Mic:The band played in front of or with any acts
our readers would
know from the Mainstream?
Bobby Burns of Primer 55: I.C.P. / STAIND, SOULFLY, DOWNSET, KOTTON MOUTH KINGS/ DOPE/ OZZFEST 2000/ BIOHAZARD/ ECT ECT
The Mic:Where can people access your music on the web?
Bobby Burns of Primer 55: myspace.com/primer55rocks
The Mic:Any embarrassing moments on stage?
Bobby Burns of Primer 55: besides being drunk it would be a torn acl in st. louis
The Mic:Any good stories you want to tell us?
Bobby Burns of Primer 55: NO!
The Mic:Who is the bands musical influence?
Bobby Burns of Primer 55: NOONE
The Mic:How did the band get together?
Bobby Burns of Primer 55: when i lived in memphis tn many years ago i used to skate downtown all night i met some guys, started playing music w them that ended being P55 tunes.
The Mic:What is your musical background like?
Bobby Burns of Primer 55: My own head, listening to kiss and peter frampton comes alive and my dad.
The Mic:Any other members in your family that are
musicians?
Bobby Burns of Primer 55: My dad showed me my first few chords on guitar when i was a little kid and it stuck w me.. he would sing old buddy holly songs and george jones tunes and i thought that was the greatest thing in the world.
The Mic:What is the TOP reason why you want to play
music?
Bobby Burns of Primer 55: kiss and my dad
The Mic:what's your stance on file swapping?
Bobby Burns of Primer 55: well. it fucked up record deals for young bands but i dont really give a fuck anymore.
The MIC: what is the process of making a cd?
Bobby Burns of Primer 55: we make our own records. i play all guitars and bass on our records. so its just the 3 of us really. myself, mikey (drums) and drp (vocals) donny writes most of the lyrics and i write and record all the music.
The Mic:how do you get the word out about your music?
Bobby Burns of Primer 55: with word of mouth these days.. haha!
The Mic:how is your local responce to your music?
Bobby Burns of Primer 55: fuckin perfect!
The Mic:what is the farthers you have traveled for a gig?
Bobby Burns of Primer 55: does europe count?
The Mic:What tune on the cd are you most proud of?
Bobby Burns of Primer 55: im proud of everything i write actually.
Thanks,
Jigg
THANKS MAN!!!!!!
Bobby Burns
The Evolution of Pain with THE MIC
The Mic: What got this band together and started in
this business?
The Evolution of Pain: started as a solo project of mine(Jay). I got underway with some songs, and realized that i really missed playing out, so I contacted Joey our old guitarist, we had been in a little garage band together a few years prior. He came over, and we wrote some shit, he still had 6 monthes left in the Marine Corp. so we agreed while he was gone I'd assemble a band. The first person I contacted was Jeremy. I used to work with him, and always thought he was pretty cool. It didnt hurt that he had been in a fairly popular band named Sluice. He joined, and that's when shit started to really take shape. He brought in Jason (ex-Sluice) on bass, and after a couple of drummers we found Eddie. After a year we parted ways with Joey, and found Mark. That Brings us to the current line-up.
The Mic:Who writes and produces all the material for
the band?
The Evolution of Pain:We all put in. Hell everyone of us plays the guitar. So we are never hurting for riffs. lol. I (Jay) do alot of the lyrics.
The Mic:The band played in front of or with any acts
our readers would
know from the Mainstream?
The Evolution of Pain:We have been very fortunate. We just opened for Psychostick last Friday. We have played with Flaw, The Dreaming, Genuflect (formerly Reveille), and a bunch of up, and coming acts too... such as Blue Felix ( Minn), Horse Called War (OKC), Saetith (KC), and Seasons After (Wichita)to name a few.
The Mic:Where can people access your music on the web?
The Evolution of Pain:Myspace---www.myspace.com/theevolutionofpain
we got half a dozen other sites, but myspace has been the shit for us!!!
The Mic:Any embarrassing moments on stage?
The Evolution of Pain:PLENTY, but fuck it...what are you gonna do.
The Mic:Any good stories you want to tell us?
The Evolution of Pain:Well if Jason was here he could tell you about breaking 3 bass strings in a row on 3 different basses within 5 minutes on stage. Now thats some Karmic shit. My stories usually involve being drunk on stage, and dropping the mic, or some stupid shit like that.
The Mic:Who is the bands musical influence?
The Evolution of Pain:American Headcharge, Machine Head, Metal, Hip-Hop, Country, Punk, and so on.
The Mic:How did the band get together?
The Evolution of Pain:I covered that one already.
The Mic:What is your musical background like?
The Evolution of Pain:Well i (Jay) grew up in a country household. My grandfather was a country musician. I just happened to like Metal more. I started playing guitar @ the age of 13, was in a shit ton of garage bands. I started singing at about 19, or 20 by default (we kept going though singers in my old band so i said fuck it, i'll do it.)
Jeremy played in a few bands, and gained popularity with Sluice.
From what i hear Jason started playing bass in high school, and has been pretty bad ass about it since he picked it up. I think he's one of those people that just gets it. He's been in a bunch of bands also including Sluice, and Blaze Orange Gangstas.
I don't know how long Eddie has been playing, i know he won 2nd place @ the guitar center drum off a few years ago. He has played in a few fairly popular bands before us such as Muddnut, Four Degree Tilt, and Amongst Nothing.
Now Mark, I dont know awhole lot about his back ground except for that he played in 4 degree tilt with Eddie. He's very influenced by Max Cavalera.
The Mic:Any other members in your family that are
musicians?
The Evolution of Pain:I'm sure the other guys got musicians in their families, as i stated earlier my grandfather was a country artist.
The Mic:What is the TOP reason why you want to play
music?
The Evolution of Pain:We fucking love it!!!!!!
The Mic:what's your stance on file swapping?
The Evolution of Pain:could care less
The Mic:what is the process of making a cd?
The Evolution of Pain:long and painful
The Mic:how do you get the word out about your music?
The Evolution of Pain:any way we can, internet, we have a street team that actually passes out paper fliers (remember those?)anyway we can get people to listen we do it.
The Mic:how is your local responce to your music?
The Evolution of Pain:it's fair. Wichita is really more into the radio friendly pretty boy bands, and im ugly, and say Fuck alot, lol. We do have some really cool fans here though.
The MIC:what is the farthers you have traveled for a gig?
The Evolution of Pain:a couple hundred miles so far.
The mIC: What tune on the cd are you most proud of?
i really like Psychotic Episode, and 9mm Pill.
Unspoken Thoughts will be the first single off the cd, i think it will go over pretty well.
Table for Twelve with The MIC
The Mic: What got this band together and started in
this business?
Table for Twelve: We were just bored high schoolers really. When we got started we were pretty sad...we only did covers for the first six months before we finally got the brains to write music. Honestly though that worked out well in hindsight though because it taught us what works for us, what makes a song good, how to put the music together, and loads more I don't think we'd have gotten otherwise.
The Mic:Who writes and produces all the material for
the band?
Table for Twelve: Mostly Ryan and Weston. They've been with the band the longest, Seth and Aaron being relative newbs. A lot of times Ryan will write guitar and drums, while Weston takes lyrics. Sometimes one of us does all of them, and for a few songs its a whole band effort. We just kind of keep making stuff up till we decide what song parts we want to expand on.
The Mic:The band played in front of or with any acts
our readers would
know from the Mainstream?
Table for Twelve: We've had the privilege of opening for pop-rock group Addison Road and punk group Children 18:3. Addison road has been all over the Christian radio stations lately. Children 18:3 is more underground, but they put on one of the best concerts you'll ever see. We're looking forward to being able to open for them again June 10 in Wichita.
The Mic:Where can people access your music on the web?
Table for Twelve: www.myspace.com/table4twelve
The Mic:Any embarrassing moments on stage?
Table for Twelve: Ummm.....we've had a few. Some shows where we've honestly just sucked, either due to poor sound equipment, someone being sick, or just flat out not being prepared. Haven't had the latter for a long time though. A lot of it has to do with the audience too. Our opener is always our most solid and heaviest song, and we can usually tell by the end of it how the rest of the concert will go just by how the crowd responds. We've realized that even though we're from Derby, the crowds there are pretty disappointing every time.
The Mic:Any good stories you want to tell us?
Table for Twelve: Ooohh....where to go where to go.....umm...lets see....we tend to be pretty easy going on stage and off. Makes every show a little different. Not sure we have any off the wall crazy stories but we still have fun all the time. If it wasn't 3 a.m. right now I could probably come up with some good ones.
The Mic:Who is the bands musical influence?
Table for Twelve: We tend to really have our own style. Yeah we're pretty hackneyed heavy rock but I feel with our newer music we've really defined ourselves. I don't think there's any one band we sound like, but the bands we like best are Thousand Foot Krutch, Skillet, Pillar, Red, Switchfoot, Children 18:3, and Underoath. There's plenty more but those tend to be what we all listen to the most. Oh, and Aaron is in love with Taylor Swift...
The Mic:How did the band get together?
Table for Twelve: That story keeps getting longer....Ryan got it all started playing drums with Spencer Jones on guitar and singing and John Broussard on bass in December 2006. John lasted all of one week and two shows before leaving. We've gone through plenty of lineup changes, but with Ryan staying the backbone not much has really changed. Weston joined about Feb 2007 and it's stayed pretty much the same musically. Now we have Ryan on guitar instead of drums, his brother Aaron on drums, Weston singing and on 2nd guitar, and Seth Froncek on bass. Anymore we've come to the realization that Ryan and Weston are really the band. Because of that we're open to lineup changes, and although we love Aaron and Seth, they're kind of the live backup band (no offense guys!). We'll keep them as long as we can and incorporate their musical styles, but Ryan and Weston are really the core.
The Mic:What is your musical background like?
Table for Twelve: When Ryan started this band, really none. Since then he's mastered drums and has gotten good enough on guitar to rock it out live. Weston had the experience of a band before this one, but really this band is what we've grown up in musically.
The Mic:Any other members in your family that are
musicians?
Table for Twelve: Well, Ryan and Aaron are brothers. Their Mom can sing but their Dad lacks all musical talent. Not sure how music became so big to us....Weston's brother played bass but that's about it for him. Seth.....not sure about Seth...think his sister does piano....prolly should find that out....
The Mic:What is the TOP reason why you want to play
music?
Table for Twelve: It's fun!!! Also, being a Christian band, it's an awesome opportunity to spread God's word but in a way that doesn't shove it down anybody's throat and leaves it open to them to listen to us or not.
The Mic: what's your stance on file swapping?
Table for Twelve: Haha, you think we care. It's never been about the (very little) money. We get more satisfaction about people hearing us than us getting anything about it.
The Mic: what is the process of making a cd?
Table for Twelve: Well, you write a bunch of songs (or at least parts). Second, you decide which ones are worth recording and which ones suck. Third, you book a studio for uber amounts of dinero. Fourth, you spend way too much time trying to make the music sound as good as possible. It's fun for sure though. We hope to record another EP soon. We had a studio booked end of May but had to cancel just because the timing did not feel right and we didn't want to rush anything.
The Mic: how do you get the word out about your music?
Table for Twelve: Anymore, mostly through concerts. This is much more of a thing that's just for fun than anything else. We're not in this to become a huge band or anything, but rather we just let whatever happens happen.
The Mic: how is your local responce to your music?
Table for Twelve: In Derby, it sucks. In Wichita, it rocks. Everywhere else it also tends to be pretty favorable.
The Mic: what is the farthers you have traveled for a gig?
Table for Twelve: Salina I think....We've mostly done within an hour or two of Wichita. Hopefully this summer we can hit KC.
The Mic: What tune on the cd are you most proud of?
Table for Twelve: Katie's song for sure. It's the simplest but also the most meaningful. Yeah we get tired of playing it, but we never get tired of the response it has. We really don't play much from the EP we put out anymore. Just Katie's and Black Lights Burn....strangely the heaviest song and the acoustic...go figure. We've really tried to redefine the band since only Ryan and Weston are still around from the group that recorded. Our newer songs are really the ones we're most proud of just because we feel they are miles ahead of the older ones. Really makes us want to record them but at the same time that takes a lot of money a poor college kid and a bunch of high schoolers don't have....so come to a show and buy a shirt!!! haha
Of David with The MIC
The Mic: What got this band together and started in
this business?
Of David: We all share the same drive and desire in what we're doing and what we have to say. We didn't just meet and throw a band together. Being that we are a Christian band, we honestly believe that we were put in each others lives to make this happen. For us, doing what we do isn't just a fun thing. It's something we have to do.
The Mic:Who writes and produces all the material for
the band?
Of David: Tony writes most of the lyrics but all of us play an even role in the production of the songs.
The Mic:The band played in front of or with any acts
our readers would know from the Mainstream?
Of David: We are playing quite a bit in the Denver Colorado area as of now. We have shared the stage with several, very talented, local bands. As of yet we have not shared the stage with any major acts but are working on changing that!
The Mic:Where can people access your music on the web?
Of David:Our music can be found at www.ofdavid.com or on www.myspace.com/ofdavidband
The Mic:Any embarrassing moments on stage?
Of David: Yes we have has some "stellar" moments. Nothing that would make the news, but we have had our share of, cables getting yanked out of instruments, totally forgetting the lyrics mid song, flip flopping verses, or flat out trashing a song. I'm sure there will be many more to come as well.
The Mic:Any good stories you want to tell us?
Of David: When the guys were talking about going into the studio, Tony stated that he would spend the week living on nothing but “Goober” if he had too. Hed stated that was all fine and dandy, but he will eat meat at least one meal a day.
Hed has stated that he has never had “Goober” and that it must be a South Texas thing, this is where the “Goofy” part comes in. This has become such a joke back and forth between the two that jars of “Goober” even showed up in the studio and you will actually see them in the videos. Check out the “Day 1 in Studio” video on the main page, and you will understand more of why we are going back and forth about “Goober”.
Tony says, “Oh yeah…and we have Goobers for Josh”.
Hed, being the meatetarian that he is says, “I’ll eat whatever, but one meal a day…I’m eat’n meat…Since you have made such a big deal about the Goobers…I will never, ever, eat Goober…It’s not happen’n.”
This is a never ending tale that will probably continue for many years to come as Tony will try to get Hed to eat “Goober” and Hed’s quest to avoid it at all costs.
The Mic:Who is the bands musical influence?
Of David: There are so many to name but some of the more prominent ones are, Pillar, Thousand Foot Krutch, Red, Demon Hunter, and Decipher Down.
The Mic:How did the band get together?
Of David: We come from all walks of life and, literally, all over the nation. We feel that we were brought to Colorado to make this thing happen. We got together at different times and places. A friend of a friend, being at a show, working together. Ultimately, it was God that brought us together.
The Mic:What is your musical background like?
Of David: We have all had some instruction at one time or another but most of what we do and our ability comes from self teaching and practice.
The Mic:Any other members in your family that are
musicians?
Of David: We all have family members that did one thing or another with music. Anything from playing the clarinet in a high school band to singing in a national choir.
:What is the TOP reason why you want to play
music?
Of David: All of us feel like we have been called to do this. It's almost an instinctive drive that we can't turn off.
The Micwhat's your stance on file swapping?
Of David: On the fence with that one. On one hand, it's great for getting the word out. On the other, It can hurt the band.
The Micwhat is the process of making a cd?
Of David: A lot of time and a ton of patience for starters. You have to be willing to spend several hours doing the same things over and over till you get them done just right. We started with the drums and moved to lead guitar. After that was done we did the bass guitar and finally the vocals and keyboards. All that took about 2 weeks. Each instrument took about a day or more. The vocals took the longest. Once the recordings are done you have to set the EQ for everything and mix it all down. There are some "secret" studio tricks that took a day or two also. Once all that's done, the songs get mastered. That's where they set the volumes for everything and set the times and markers for the songs on the CD.
The Michow do you get the word out about your music?
Of David: Word of mouth and the web. We have had a radio interview with AM 560 The Light and we were featured in the August 2008 edition of Colorado Music Buzz Magazine. We are also being played on a few regular radio stations around the world and a few web radio stations.
The Michow is your local response to your music?
Of David: Surprisingly good for the venues we are playing at. We are a Christian Metal band and we have been playing mainly at bars. Not that there is anything wrong with that but most would think that a bar wouldn't host a Christian band. We just get out, rock it up and have fun! Everyone seems to really like it.
The Micwhat is the farthest you have traveled for a gig?
Of David: We've done Shows in Colorado Springs as well as all over Denver. Colorado Springs is about 50 miles from Denver. We definitely need to get out there on the road more and are willing to travel if we can.
The MicWhat tune on the cd are you most proud of?
Of David: We all really like Slipping. It's just a big sound and it's got some great grooves. We have some new stuff that we're working on and it's blowing the CD away. Check it out at one of our shows if you can.
FOREVER IN TERROR Interview
Band: Forever In Terror
Streetsboro, OH
Interview Completed by : Glenn Moore (Lead Guitars)
Other Members:
Chris Bianchi (Vocals)
Nick Borukhovsky (Drums)
Ben Kantura (Rhythm / Lead Guitars)
Chad Lundgren (Bass Guitars)
Mike Wartko (Keyboards)
The Mic: What got this band together and started in
this business?
Forever In Terror-The band has been going since 2003 and it was started by our drummer Nick and a slew of ex-members. It started up to prove a point at the middle school talent show and it's come this far based on one thing only- the love of life and music!
The Mic:Who is the main songwriter and who does producing?
Forever In Terror-Everyone contributes a lot, but the majority of the songwriting and producing is taken care of by myself and our drummer Nick.
The Mic:The band played in front of or with any acts
our readers would
know from the Mainstream?
Forever In Terror-We've had the honor of sharing the stage with Machine Head, Unearth, Trivium, God Forbid, All That Remains, DevilDriver, Meshuggah, Mushroomhead, The Black Dahlia Murder, Vital Remains, and Monstrosity just to name a few.
The Mic:Where can people access your music on the web?
Forever In Terror-www.myspace.com/FITmetal !!!!
The Mic:Any embarrassing moments on stage?
Forever In Terror-Plenty!! My equipment decides not to work a lot so that always turns out interesting, I love being heckled and spit on by hundreds of death metal bikers :)
The Mic:Any good stories you want to tell us?
Forever In Terror-I don't have the time to go deep into it, but Forever In Terror beat Hell Within at the Texas World Series of Beer Pong, and if the number 85 defensive back at Tennesee University is reading this- I STILL GOT YOUR BACK and FYI- You can never be at the "wrong" party.. just go right in!
The Mic:Who is the bands musical influence?
Forever In Terror-We enjoy everything from Elton John to Glenn Benton, with a little Daryl Palumbo thrown in the mix. Brutiful!
The Mic:How did the band get together?
Forever In Terror-We're all great friends and have been in bands together throughout our early teens, so one day everybody just sort of fell into their places.
The Mic:What is your musical background like?
Forever In Terror-I've been playing guitar since I was 13 (almost 7 years) and I've loved every second of it. I also love to tear it up occasionally on drums, keyboard, and bass as well! I wasn't too involved in music when I was younger but I always loves listenin to tunes.. it's taken me pretty far and I'm extremely thankful for everything I've been able to acheive and do in my life.
The Mic:Any other members in your family that are
musicians?
Forever In Terror-My Uncle (not by blood) is real into marching band and playing those types of instruments. Other than that, my mom plays a little piano and that's about it.
The Mic:What is the TOP reason why you want to play
music?
Forever In Terror-We want to change the world.
The MIC:what's your stance on file swapping?
Forever In Terror-I love it but I hate it. I'm flattered that someone would want our music that badly, but at the same time these ramen noodles are stale and it'd be nice to have electricity for another month.
The MIC: what is the process of making a cd?
Forever In Terror-Write some music, go to a studio, record your tracks with a PROFESSIONAL engineer, get
your stuff mixed and mastered PROFESSIONAL, go home happy! (or don't leave the place at all!)
The MIC:how do you get the word out about your music?
Forever In Terror-Hard work, dedication, integrity, and a lot of typing on this damn keyboard.
The MIC: how is your local responce to your music?
Forever In Terror-Locals are great, we love our hometown but, we wish our scene would come back alive! BRING BACK THE METAL!!
The MIC: what is the farthers you have traveled for a gig?
Forever In Terror-We've traveled the US quite a few times logging tens of thousands of miles, but the longest drive I remember doing straight was 15 or 16 hours.
The MIC: What tune on the cd are you most proud of?
Forever In Terror-I'm most proud of the last track on the CD entitled Lazarus Mirror, it's pretty jammin!! NEW ALBUM MAY 19TH, 2009 - THE END
Schumanns Resonance with The MIC
The Mic: What got this band together and started in
this business?
Schumanns Resonance :Some random gathering of minds interested in making some
unique music.
The Mic:Who writes and produces all the material for
the band?
Schumanns Resonance :Our guitar player Alan and our bass player Sean usually come
up with the musical arrangements and Chris writes all the
vocal parts. We've just begun producing/recording our own work
with Alan as our main engineer.
The Mic:The band played in front of or with any acts
our readers would
know from the Mainstream?
Schumanns Resonance :Probably not. "Flaw" maybe.
The Mic:Where can people access your music on the web?
Schumanns Resonance : www.myspace.com/schumannsresonance
The Mic:Any embarrassing moments on stage?
Schumanns Resonance :Not really. We cover our errors pretty well.
The Mic:Any good stories you want to tell us?
Schumanns Resonance :People never get our name right. Shamanns Romance, that's
a good one.
The Mic:Who is the bands musical influence?
Schumanns Resonance :Lots. From 70's psychedelic prog rock, to jazz, to punk,
hardcore, etc... King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Miles Davis,
Dead Kennedys, Bad Brains, Tool, and The Mars Volta are a few.
The Mic:How did the band get together?
Schumanns Resonance :Just gradually running into each other and adding pieces.
Started with Alan and Matt, then Chris and Sean.
The Mic:What is your musical background like?
Schumanns Resonance :We are are all primarily self taught and listen to a very
wide range of music.
The Mic:Any other members in your family that are
musicians?
Schumanns Resonance :We all have cousins, uncles, etc... who play/have played music.
The Mic:What is the TOP reason why you want to play
music?
Schumanns Resonance :The love of it.
The MIC:what's your stance on file swapping?
Schumanns Resonance :Don't care.
The Mic:what is the process of making a cd?
Schumanns Resonance :Write good songs, record them, mix them, find cheep duplication
and good art, walla!
The Mic:how do you get the word out about your music?
Schumanns Resonance :My space is a big help.
The Mic:how is your local responce to your music?
Schumanns Resonance :Lots of staring. Most people will not like our music, but
those who do, love it. We are quite happy with that. We sometimes play very long and very untraditional songs. Most people want predictable songs in a pop structure.
The Mic:what is the farthest you have traveled for a gig?
Schumanns Resonance :Just around the midwest.
The Mic:What tune on the cd are you most proud of?
Schumanns Resonance :So We Cast Away Our Eyes
Shotgun Sons Interview
The Mic: What got this band together and started in
this business?
Shotgun Sons: well we all have had music in part of our lives since we were young. (Braden) i started playing the drums when i was in 1st grade, then picked up the guitar and bass when i was a freshman in high school. we all believe that a love for music is something that you are born with.
The Mic:Who writes and produces all the material for
the band?
Shotgun Sons: for the most part Jake has written most of the lyrics and music for our originals, of which he has written before Shotgun Sons formed. Since we have been together most of the writing has been done as a whole band together.
The Mic:The band played in front of or with any acts
our readers would
know from the Mainstream?
Shotgun Sons: we have open up for The Low Cash Cowboys and Aranda. We have also played acoustically for the Cross Canadian Ragweed VIP lounge when they were in Wichita.
The Mic:Where can people access your music on the web?
Shotgun Sons: right now the only recordings we have are availible on our myspace page http://www.myspace.com/shotgunsons
The Mic:Any embarrassing moments on stage?
Shotgun Sons: oh there has been a couple. one time I (Braden)start one of the songs we play in teh wrong key called Guitar Slinger. on new years eve we played a show and got totally hammered and during a song me and jake to carried away on some guitar solos. we later listen to it and it sounded like shit! that was pretty embarrassing.
The Mic:Any good stories you want to tell us?
Shotgun Sons: there are so many that we couldn't possibly fit them into this article. there is a good story for every show that we play. you'll just have to come out and witness first had the things that happen.
The Mic:Who is the bands musical influence?
Shotgun Sons: we probably have the widest variety of influences of any band. each of us comes from a different genre of music and influences. I'd say as a band our influences are Cross Candian Ragween, Reckless Kelly, Randy Rogers, Jamie Johnson, Lynard Skynard, and Jason Aldean.
The Mic:How did the band get together?
Shotgun Sons: Braden Jake and Chad played together in a band previous to Shotgun Sons. once that band disolved we felt that our time playing together wasnt over. so we worked on music and looked for a bass player. Trent came to us and asked if we needed a bass player and the rest is history as they say.
The Mic:What is your musical background like?
Shotgun Sons: Braden, i've playing in a few rock bands. Chad, has played in a punk band called Drive. Jake, has played in country and rock bands. Trent has mainly played funk.
The Mic:Any other members in your family that are
musicians?
Shotgun Sons: i think that if it werent for music being suck a big part in all of our family's lives that we wouldn't be playing music today.
The Mic:What is the TOP reason why you want to play
music?
Shotgun Sons: for the music. we all love music and music is such a big part of our lives. the rock and roll life style doesn't suck either.
The Micwhat's your stance on file swapping?
Shotgun Sons: who cares. yeah it couple cause less profit from record sales but i think its a huge way of spredding the word about your band. i think it helps more then it harms. there's worst things in this world to worry about then file swapping.
The Micwhat is the process of making a cd?
Shotgun Sons: well its the hardest part for a band for sure. writing a rough cut isn't too hard, but perfecting that material is hard. getting the parts just how you want them and weeding out all the good and bad ideas is a long process. dont forget getting the time and money to record. thats another big part of it. its all worth it once you get the finished product in your hand.
The Michow do you get the word out about your music?
Shotgun Sons: we rely mainly on our shows, word of mouth, and myspace
The Michow is your local responce to your music?
Shotgun Sons: our local response is great. people that come to our shows, even if they have never heard us, love us. we just dont play in the city of hutch enough. we are busy playing all over the state and in oklahoma so much that its hard to fit in time for local shows. we'd love to play more in the city of hutch though.
The Micwhat is the farthers you have traveled for a gig?
Shotgun Sons: probably garden city. we have a gig coming up in Holcomb KS that is way out west. that will probbaly be the farstest one. we cover a pretty wide area from garden city to manhattan to emporia to wichita, and every where in between
The MicWhat tune on the cd are you most proud of?
Shotgun Sons: probably Almost to the Top. we have some others that we havent finished yet that we are very proud of and that could soon be our new favorite.
you can check out our videos and picture by going to http://www.myspace.com/shotgunsons
(THS) The Hershey Squirts
The Mic: What got this band together and started in
this business?
THS: well, shamley and i (tyler) were in a band previously so we knew we could work together pretty well. i had moved to tacoma, wa and found another bassist and drummer. after booking a tour our bass player became sick and was unable to go so shamley flew up from kansas for the tour and never left.
The Mic:Who writes and produces all the material for
the band?
THS: its usually shamley and i
The Mic:The band played in front of or with any acts
our readers would know from the Mainstream?
THS: we have played with quite a few "big" acts... the lewd, Dr. Know, raw power, MDC, Off with their heads, and the dreadful children just to mention a few.
The Mic:Where can people access your music on the web?
THS: the best spot is www.myspace.com/thehersheysquirts and our newest disc, do or die, will be available on interpunk.com and a few other "punk" websites starting in june!
The Mic:Any embarrassing moments on stage?
THS: forgetting the names of the bands we play with when trying to plug them to the crowd.
The Mic:Any good stories you want to tell us?
THS: outside the central saloon in seattle washington a retarded homeless person drew our portraits and gave them to us. amazingly enough, the portraits looked nothing like us.
The Mic:Who is the bands musical influence?
THS: we are influenced by everything around us, not just music, the government, society, our friends (thats a big one!), our friends bands, frustration, alcohol, girls, poverty... etc
The Mic:How did the band get together?
THS: I (tyler) found our drummer miguel on craigslist who was in the musicians section looking for a band. he played bass at the first practice and afterwords told me he played drums in highschool AND college, so naturally he went to drums and we found another bass player.
The Mic: What is your musical background like?
THS: shamley was a music major in college and on a full ride schollarship to play bass. miguel played drums in highschool and college and i am pretty uneducated about everything. haha
The Mic:Any other members in your family that are
musicians?
THS: nope on all accounts
The Mic:What is the TOP reason why you want to play
music?
THS: its the only thing that makes sense to us. plus its really what keeps us from killing people.
what's your stance on file swapping?
THS: its great! it helps all the small bands out there! the only people that lose out are the corporate fat cats, and who's complaining about that?? not us!
what is the process of making a cd?
THS: for us??? thats a pretty funny question becuase we normally go into the studio and fight like hell for the first few days, then we realize how much we are waisting so we get down to business and get our shit done! then mixing and mastering then art then pressing. and bodda boom badda bing you got yer self a finished product.
The MIC:how do you get the word out about your music?
THS: we are always networking, everyone we meet or even come into contact with knows about our band. we ALWAYS hand out stickers wherever we are and we give out our patches to! (unless we are real broke!)flyers help alot and we happen to know a set of really cute punk rock twins that rock our shirts and are totally in love with us so they spread the word to! really! and that ALWAYS helps to have boobs on your side! and they run merch for us to! and of course we use myspace.com
The MIC:how is your local responce to your music?
THS: usually its really good. we always do things that are fun for the kids, like pillow fight night. so even if you are not into punk rock you can come and have fun even if you dont like the music. we like to think people like the music though.
The MIC:what is the farthers you have traveled for a gig?
THS: we just got back from a 6000 mile tour?? does that count?
The MIC:What tune on the cd are you most proud of?
THS: i would probably have to say Contageous Christianity. that song kinda wraps us up in a nice little package. its angry at christians, and musically it is well written. thats really what we strive for. we want to bridge the gap between punk rock and good musicianship!
distorted habit with The MIC
The Mic: What got this band together and started in
this business?
Darby-Vocals:EVERYONE IN THE BAND WERE IN THE MUSIC HARDCORE. BASICALLY, I WAS FIRED FROM ONE BAND AND HIRED ON WITH ANOTHER. LOL THEY NEEDED A GUITARIST, SO I BROUGHT ON SAM ALONG WITH ME. MADE SOME LINE UP CHANGES AND ADDED JOEY ON THE BASS AND LATER NATE ON DRUMS, WHO IN FACT WAS DOING SOUND FOR US AT THE TIME...
Mic:Who writes and produces all the material for
the band?
Darby-Vocals:SAM JAMS AND COME UP WITH MELODIES, THEN I WRITE OVER IT. BUT ALL OF US PRODUCE AND MIX OUR MATERIAL...
The Mic:The band played in front of or with any acts
our readers would
know from the Mainstream?
Darby-Vocals:WE HAVEN'T PLAYED WITH ANY MAINSTREAM ACTS YET...
The Mic:Where can people access your music on the web?
Darby-Vocals:THEY CAN LISTEN TO OUR MUSIC ON OUR MY SPACE PAGE. WWW.MYSPACE.COM/DISTORTEDHABIT
The Mic:Any embarrassing moments on stage?
Darby-Vocals:EVERYTHING WE DO IS EMBARRASSING LOL...
The Mic:Any good stories you want to tell us?
Darby-Vocals:YOU MAY HAVE TO ASK SAM THAT ONE...HE CAN TELL THE STORIES BETTER LOL...
The Mic:Who is the bands musical influence?
Darby-Vocals:TOO MANY TO SAY...INFLUENCES RANGE FROM METAL TO HIP-HOP
The Mic:How did the band get together?
Darby-Vocals:A LONG TIME AGO...IN A GALAXY...FAR, FAR AWAY....
The Mic:What is your musical background like?
Darby-Vocals:BAND GEEK ALL THE WAY...
The Mic:Any other members in your family that are
musicians?
Darby-Vocals:MY SISTERS AND BROTHER ARE INTO MUSIC AND PERFORMED IN AND OUT OF MUSIC FOR YEARS...
The Mic:What is the TOP reason why you want to play
music?
Darby-Vocals:PERFORMING MUSIC IS THE TOP REASON...
THE MIC: what is the process of making a cd?
Darby-Vocals:YOU NEED MONEY TO MAKE CD'S...AND WE'RE BROKE LOL
The MIC: how do you get the word out about your music?
Darby-Vocals:PLAY SHOWS...EVERYWHERE AND ANYWHERE
The MIC: how is your local responce to your music?
Darby-Vocals:WE WOULDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT THEM...
The MIC: what is the farthers you have traveled for a gig?
Darby-Vocals:INDEPENDENCE, MO. AND LEE'S SUMMIT, MO. SO FAR...
The MIC: What tune on the cd are you most proud of?
Darby-Vocals:LOVE THEM ALL ;)
