Features / One Question Interviews

Sal Medrano (Rebuilder – vocals/guitar)

SPB: Who is the first musician whose technique really stood out to you?

Medrano: While I play guitar and sing in Rebuilder, I grew up playing drums. I really wanted to push myself to become a better drummer when I listened to the Vandals and saw them open for No Doubt. Josh Freese …

Ian Miller (Roman Cities)

SPB: How important to the band’s concept was playing “era-appropriate instrumentation”?

Miller: Man, what a great question. When I was imagining this project, I had visions of headless basses and chorus pedals. But the gear ended up not really mattering. Bradley plays a Tele into a Fender combo; Dan used his giant Early Graves …

Dave (Reckless Records, Chicago-buyer)

SPB: How do you recommend people store their vinyl at home?

Dave: Vertically.

Matt Scheuermann (roses)

SPB: Coming into the Philadelphia music scene, what were your expectations (if any) and have those early expectations and perceptions changed over time? 

Scheuermann: Every time I'd visit Philly, I was always inspired. I'd always loved the people here and the music was just so great and diverse. So my expectations were somewhat based in …

Jerome Reuter (Rome)

SPB: You're playing some anniversary shows this year and visiting some interesting places - How did you decide which countries to play in? 

Reuter: I have to admit that there is a certain amount of randomness to some of it, but we are trying to play most of the European capitals and we want to …

Dennis Callaci (Rhino Records/Mad Platter/Video Paradiso-General Manager)

SPB: When do you start planning for Record Store Day on a given year?

Callaci: Record Store Day falls on Saturday April 18th this year, and for this year's event we have been working since late last year to get things in line. Besides all of the nifty releases for the …

Nathalie Haurberg (Rat Storm/Closet Burner/Reality is a Cult Records)

SPB: Do you wear earplugs when you play? Why/why not?

Haurberg: I don't wear earplugs. I sometimes think I should, because my hearing is important. However, I just think it makes things sound different. If I'm playing it totally distorts how I hear the guitar tone and if I'm …

Recreant

SPB: What’s the largest crowd you’ve played to? Did you approach it differently?

Recreant: Not really sure, we approach every show differently. It just depends on the space. We have played for crowds that have just been the other bands, to almost 200 people. We prefer playing on the floor to a stage. A house show or …

Josh Weaver (Royal Thunder)

SPB: Do you have a favorite type of van or bus?

Weaver: Dodge Ram vans are definitely our favorite vans. I bought a ‘95 full luxury Dodge Ram van from my friend Johnny Collins for $200 around 2007-2008. It had 200k original miles on it and Johhny's band, Thunderlip, had used it for years. …

Bill Clower (Radon, drums)

SPB: How did your set at Fest 12 come about? Any surprises in store for #13?

Clower: That's 2 questions.

Tate, the owner of The Lunch Box restaurant, asked us to play.

[For Fest 13,] if we told you, it wouldn't be a surprise (you're really going to have to start thinking …

Josh (Raging Nathans/Rad Girlfriend Records)

SPB: If you had your choice, what band would you love to tour with?

Josh: I think if we could pick to go on tour with one band it would probably be Iron Chic right now. I get along really well with all of those dudes and they are a ton of fun …

Scott (Roaming Herds of Buffalo)

SPB: How did you decide to include the comic with your new CD?

Scott: There are a few reasons why we decided to include a comic with the CD. First of all, we love the artist, Darin Shuler. You can see more of Darin's work here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/super-rare/.

The guy is out …

Matt (Rosetta)

SPB: Do you run your own website, facebook, twitter, etc? Do you enjoy that aspect of the industry?

Matt: Yeah, I do all of it (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr posts & question box, website), though occasionally some of the other guys answer questions on our Tumblr or Twitter.

I have a love/hate relationship with social media. …

Chris Pepus (Razorcake)

SPB: What is your favorite thing about working with print media?

Pepus: Most of my writing appears on the web, but I still prefer to read, and write for, print. When I get a zine or a book from an independent press via U.S. Mail, the communication feels more direct than if the writing comes …

RJD2

SPB: What do you like to do on a tour off date?

RJD2: On an off date when I'm touring, two things dominate my day: food, and craigslist. That's pretty much it. So I'm on Yelp, asking on twitter, texting friends, etc to make sure I'm eating the must-have grub. And simultaneously, I'm trolling craigslist for finds …

Sean Carswell (Razorcake)

SPB: How has working on a zine changed how you listen to or value music?

Carswell: When I first started doing record reviews for Flipside back in the '90s, I learned to really listen to music in a way I hadn't before. Doing reviews taught me to sit down with an album and …

Mike Wiebe (Riverboat Gamblers, High Tension Wires)

SPB: In addition to your multiple bands, you've taken to stand-up comedy recently too. What drew you to the medium, and what has struck you the most about it?

Wiebe: I was drawn to it initially just from being such a huge fan of good stand-up since I was a little …

Toby Jeg (Red Scare Industries)

SPB: What is your favorite book or author?

Jeg: Man, these aren't supposed to be easy, huh? That's so hard for me because I take different things away from every book I read. I also try and oscillate my readings between something classic/scholarly and something hip and trashy. For example I was recently …

Rob Huddleston (Ann Beretta, solo, Foundation)

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

Huddleston: I do, depending on the show. I think I've surprised people in the past with this answer but when it comes to playing in front of large audiences I don't get nervous at all but, when it’s a small crowd, …

Eli Hansen (Real Numbers/Three Dimensional Records)

SPB: Who is your favorite pre-1960s artist?

Hansen: I'll have to go with Chuck Berry... but it's not easy picking a favorite from the BIG THREE: Chuck, Little & Bo.