Features / One Question Interviews

Big Chungus

SPB: Wet Cassettes released your latest so we think you may be biased. Anyway, rank your preference of music media formats for listening: cd, vinyl, cassette, digital, (other?)

Big Chungus: As a former subterranean creature, I, like so many of you human Americans, prefer things that taste good versus what's good for me. And yeah, I …

Chase D. Spruiell (Big Loser)

SPB: What is the largest crowd you’ve played to (back when people did that)? Did you approach the set differently than a “normal” show?

Spruiell:

1. One time I was opening up for this famous K-Pop singer in San Francisco. I can’t remember her name, but she was playing a sold-out show …

Tony (Barren Womb)

SPB: Were there any amps, cabs or anything else that stood out in the studio when you recorded Lizard Lounge?

Tony: There was nothing very unusual about the amp setup for the Lizard Lounge recording sessions, in fact it was very similar to the setup we’ve been running live for years. I split my signal …

Ryan Jones (Body Stuff)

SPB: Is there a specific piece of equipment that’s essential to “the Body Stuff” sound?

Jones: "Yeah man, I'd say the one thing that comes out of the speakers that is a MUST is the drums. Those are some Steven Slate drum triggers!!!"

Cory (Bar Tape)

SPB: If I understand correctly, you’re all US expats now living in Dublin. Was it hard to acclimate to the scene in a new country?

Cory: We’re lucky enough to have been embraced by both the hardcore and punk scene in Ireland.

After we started, our friends gave us a chance to play a …

Jim (Boilerman - guitar)

SPB: What's the most overrated guitar feature? eg. whammy bars, D-Tuna?

Jim: I don't know about overrated, but my most hated guitar feature is the floating bridge. The Dan Electro guitar I use for Boilerman doesn't have one, but the guitar I learned on did and it caused me nothing but trouble as a …

Brent Eyestone (Bleach Everything)

SPB: What are the best things somebody can do when hosting a touring band at their house for the night? 

Eyestone: I think we're all in our 40s, so staying with people from shows that we technically could have fathered would be both creepy and highly unnecessary since we have jobs and can afford …

R Hellshrieker (Bütcher – vocals)

SPB: During live shows you've played an amazing Agent Steel cover, which sounded great. However, I couldn't help myself thinking something more unhinged should be covered by you, for example “The Burning Of Atlanta” by Whiplash, as it would fit better to your style (in my mind at least). If you were to play …

Tony Bucci (Broken Field Runner - guitar, vocals)

SPB: What is your favorite 1970s artist?

Bucci: My favorite artist from the ‘70s has got to be Nick Drake. I️ hadn’t heard of his music until I️ was 19 and was visiting with my “cool cousin” Tempi who put it on during a long drive saying, “Tell me when …

James Alex (Beach Slang – guitar/vocals)

SPB: What is your favorite movie score/soundtrack?

Alex: It’s a deadlock between Valley Girl and Pretty In Pink. I tried to wrestle a winner, but couldn’t. I mean, The Plimsouls, The Psychedelic Furs, The Smiths, Otis Redding, Sparks, New Order, The Rave-Ups, etcetera and so on—I mean, how could I choose …

Chuck (Batshit Crazy – guitar)

SPB: What kind of guitar do you use, and how/why did you choose this one?  

Chuck: For the Batshit Crazy record I totally stumbled into using this DEAN guitar. The background of the guitar is I used to own a Recording & Rehearsal studio and I had bought a cheap Dean guitar (not …

Chuck (Bullet Treatment – guitar)

SPB: What kind of guitar do you use, and how/why did you choose this one?  

Chuck: My main guitar is a Gibson Epiphone Les Paul Model, it wasn't necessarily the guitar I set out to use but I like to try and buy cheaper guitars and then modify them to get a specific …

Burnt Tapes (Pan T-guitar/vocals)

SPB: Do you get nervous before you play a show? 

Pan T: Yeah for sure, even after years of playing shows I still feel differing amounts of anxiety before going on stage. I think it’s something that for most people never really goes away – there will always be a certain amount of nerves …

Tony Gonzalez (Barren Womb)

SPB: There was very little time between the first couple of Barren Womb releases. We have had to wait a bit for Old Money/New Lows. What caused the wait?

Tony: There are a couple of reasons for the gap between "Nique Everything" and "Old Money / New Lows". First of all, we were touring …

Barrence Whitfield & the Savages

SPB: What is your favorite restaurant to visit on tour?

Barrence Whitfield & the Savages: BBQ anywhere southern U.S.A

Sean Bohrman (Burger Records)

SPB: What is the most touching or memorable thing a fan has told you about the label?

Sean: It's happened a few times, but inspiring people to start their own labels is really gratifying. I feel inspirational in a "if these guys can do it why can't I?" type of way. Like when the …

Roger (Breag Naofa – guitar)

SPB: Do any of your musician friends have tinnitus?

Roger: I can’t speak on behalf of my fellow musicians, but I myself have it. Although it might be a mild enough form that it’s not maddening like other folks describe it. It’s a constant ringing in my ear I’ve had for a few …

James Farwell (Bison)

SPB: Can you enjoy a musician’s work if you when you disagree with their politics? Are you able to make the separation?

James: I generally separate the art from the artist, unless the art itself contains some politically or socially offensive content - racist, homophobic, misogynist, xenophobic, etc. If the artist was someone I had …

Becca Richardson

SPB: What is the most touching or memorable thing a fan has told you about your work?

Becca: A fan sent me a video of her daughter singing along to one of my songs in the car and it was pretty adorable.

Sally Grayson (Black Swift)

SPB: What did participating in The Voice bring you, both personally and artistically?

When the talent scout approached me asking if I would audition for The Voice of Germany, I was very skeptical. I honestly really didn't think that this was something for me. I'm more of a punk rocker and not a …