Roo Pescod (guitar/vocals) Bangers
What is your name and band/label/etc?
I'm Roo Pescod. Amongst other more boring things, I play guitar and sing in Bangers.
What are your top five albums that were released in 2012? (In order 1-5)
- Muncie Girls – Revolution Summer
- Joyce Manor – Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired
- Attack!! Vipers!! – Deadbeat Revival
- Sundials – When I Couldn't Breathe
- The Cut Ups – Building Bridges, Starting Here
What band did you discover in 2012 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I don't want to sound like a real tool, but I started listening to Charles Mingus a lot this year.
How will you remember 2012? (In terms of music)
2012 is going to be the year that I bought a piano and a cornet and played them both really badly. Fingers crossed for learning to play in 2013.
What can we look forward to from you in 2013?
Bangers are currently mid-way through writing a new album and having a blast. We're re-pressing Small Pleasures and releasing Dude Trips on 12" for the first time, and hopefully planning to tour a bunch later in the year as 2012 has seemed a little real-life heavy. Also I recorded a 12-inch with Giles Bidder from Great Cynics and (the) Kelly Kemp which is currently at press and will be out early next year, so we'll be touring that in January with El Morgan and Sam Russo. It's going to be fun fun fun.
What records are you looking forward to most in 2013?
Even though I know it's already out on Red Scare, I'm really excited about Russo's album coming out on vinyl in January. I hope he becomes a superstar and remembers to book himself some tours. Also the new Lemuria album is going to be out, and the new Great Cynics record, and the new Computers soul record. I think it's going to be a year to remember.
Fundraising sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have made a strong impact on the ability of artists to release music. Do you think this approach is a trend, or will it continue to shape how artists produce their material?
I think this statement is kind of daft in a world where you can home-record an album for the cost of a decent microphone and stream it on Bandcamp in the evening. Anybody in a punk band should be able to tell you that releasing music doesn't have to be difficult or expensive, and that you shouldn't need public approval to the scale of a Kickstarter campaign in order to think it's a good idea to make your record. I guess my answer is the same as it was about "downloading is destroying the music industry," which is that I really don't care. The industry can fall apart, the public can vote for their favourite songs to make the new One Direction album, and friends will still be getting together in filthy practise rooms and making music that I want to listen to.
