Features / One Question Interviews

Josh Levine (Middle-Aged Queers)

SPB: Tell us about the day you bought your current (primary) bass and why you chose it.

Levine: I bought my current primary bass in the ‘90s at Univibe Music (RIP) in Oakland. It’s a DanElectro Longhorn, ‘90s reissue. I thought it was black. I played it and really liked the feel of it, the lightness …

Evan (Maple Stave)

SPB: What do your parents think of your music?

Evan: My parents have always been happy that I'm playing music. They've usually been confused by it and by my choices surrounding it -- long drives, carrying heavy things, and questionable accommodations for less than an hour of playing -- but even when they're at a loss as …

Shaun Osburn (Middle-Aged Queers)

SPB: What was the first concert you went to?

Osburn: I want to parse this out into three different answers, because I think all of them are important milestones in shaping my musical interests and influences.

FIRST CONCERT: Jimmy Buffett. I believe I was six years-old. My dad is still a huge parrothead. I got in …

Martin (Mosaic)

SPB: What band has the best logo of all time?

Martin: I really like old-fashioned logos - like the old Tiamat or Katatonia logo - which are quite similar, to be honest. Those are really remarkable in their style, still have a classic feel, and represent the music best.

Antti (Mustasuo)

SPB: How do the folks from Mustasuo react when they hear the kind of music you play under the moniker of their district?

Mustasuo: I doubt most people in Mustasuo (the district) have even heard of our band, or if they have, they're keeping their opinions to themselves. I actually know just one guy who lives there, and …

Eric Robel (Moral Panic)

SPB: You recently covered “Colombian Necktie” by Big Black. What made you pick that song from Big Black’s catalog?

Robel: I thought of the idea, looking through my records. I was purposely trying to come up with a cover that was different. Something not what you are supposed to do. I feel like it’s my job …

Brenton “B-Train” Aragon (Moxiebeat-bass)

SPB: What type of bass do you play and how did you choose it?

B-Train: I Play a Fender P Bass. For a long time I used a Music Man Sting Ray and loved it. I bought it used from Jorge Cassillas of Voodoo Glow Skulls for $300 (which is super cheap!) when I was 14 …

Tomas Acosta (Moxiebeat – drums)

SPB: Tell our readers about your kit and how it’s put together?

Acosta: I’ve been playing ‘70-‘80s Ludwig kits of for the past 15 years or so. Usually they can be found pretty cheap on Craigslist/Offerup. I’ve had about 10 Ludwig kits pass thru my hands. My buying and selling has become quite a problem …

SJC (Mycelium Cloak – drums/lyrics/vocals)

SPB: Has being on a stage regularly changed how you interact with strangers? Are you more/less social because of your stage experience? 

SJC: When I first started playing music, it definitely made me more social. Simply playing with other bands extended my network of friends. As I became an ancient head in punk years, I …

Mikey Erg

SPB: Walk our readers through your kit and offer insight as to how you arrived at your sizes (shells and cymbals)? 

Mikey: My current kit is a Ludwig Blue Vistalite kit with a 26" kick drum and 14" and 18" toms. My snare is a Pork Pie "Pig lite" 13x7 snare that I just LOVE the sound of. …

Mad Caddies

SPB: Was the mic’ing of the horns in the studio different for Punk Rocksteady than on “traditional” Mad Caddies records?

Mad Caddies: The mic and position always changes depending on the horn sound. Punk Rocksteady was mostly close miking. On older records the room mics played a bigger role in the mix. 

Moonshield

SPB: What type of amps do you use and how did you choose the combo? 

Nathan: I use a Sovtek Mig60 and a Music Man HD130. This combo was chosen because the Mig60 sounds huge and boomy and Music Man HD130 delivers crystal clear clarity. The idea is that they make up for each other's deficits. The Mig60 is more …

Dave Bate (Michael Crafter)

SPB: What parts of your (gear) setup have really helped Michael Crafter voice your sound from when you started until today?

Bate: Michael Crafter recordings are often done on the fly at rehearsal, though every now and then we like to go into the studio and record something that is a bit more palatable. Mostly we …

Multicult (Nick Skrobisz/Rebecca Burchette – guitar/bass)

SPB: Describe your pedal board: How did you choose which pedals to use and why did you arrange them as you did?

Berman Berbert (Malvina)

SPB: Your lyrics are very critical about a number of things. What kind of feedback do you get on this? Do you feel you have some influence on the world?

Berman Berbert: Well, in our case, since we’re from Brazil and many political issues here, especially before the election of Bolsonaro, were not well known in the …

Zache (Maniac – bass/vocals)

SPB: What kind of guitar/bass do you use and what do you like about it? 

Zache: I played bass and sang in Maniac and play a Fender Squier P Bass.  Andrew (lead guitar) plays a black Gibson SG. 

Ben (Much Worse)

SPB: What was your first live show?

Ben: First concert: Oasis/Black Crowes at Roy Wilkins [Auditorium] when I was in 7th grade. My old man got tickets through his work or something like that.

Martin Bisi

SPB: What is your preferred guitar model for personal playing, and how has your production work affected that choice?

Bisi: I started way late on guitar. I was a drummer during my teens, through my early years recording. It was drumming that helped me work with the early hip-hop I did (Afrika Bambaataa, "Rockit," etc.) And I also had mind …

Coady (Murder City Devils)

SPB: Is there any particular older song that is frequently requested but you’d like to put to rest?

Coady: "Boom Swagger Boom" is probably the song that people comment on us not playing the most. We've always had a policy in this band that any one of us has veto power over the set list. If …

Zache (Maniac)

SPB: The title track on the new album is a bit of a departure in sound from the rest of the album. What’s the story behind this song? 

Zache: My Dad died of cancer on October 29, 2013, two days after Lou Reed. Pretty quickly after I had the lyrics, “And we all join the dead dad’s club,” …