Features / One Question Interviews

Laura Larson (Scrunchies)

SPB: What is the highest number of bands you’ve been in at one time?

Larson:

Todd Allen (Squarecrow)

SPB: What amps do you use, and how did you decide on that setup?

Allen: I upgraded from some random half stack with a Boss Metal Zone pedal to a Fender Deville 4x10 combo amp because I was playing in a rockabilly punk band at the time (2009). It makes noise, goes “crunch” when I …

Storm Ross

SPB: Is there a single piece of gear that you would say is the most essential to “the Storm Ross sound”?

Ross: As you can see in the video, I primarily play a 2008 Gibson SG Custom. I run this through an array of pedals, ending with a looper that then goes into my amp, a …

Stu Folsom (SpiritWorld)

SPB: Your musical inspiration (heavy + country) combines two worlds. Was that part of the concept behind the project’s name, which is also a melding of two worlds (of sorts)?

Folsom: That is interesting. I'd like to say I was that on the ball to tie everything in but no, the name is an homage …

Jake (Sunliner)

SPB: When did you start thinking about the name change (from Jake & The Jellyfish) and how did you decide that now is the time? 

Jake: To be honest we’d been talking about changing it from the word go. It was only ever a “hold” name, but we just played more and more shows and the …

Seagulls

SPB: What model of guitar do you play and how did you choose it? 

Steve: I play a fender mexi pbass with delano pmvc 4 fe/m2 pickups (quarter pounders on roids) and always a fresh set of 45-100 strings. It's super bright, but still meaty. My stingray was too stingray-ey for me. My american pbass has a …

Dick Lucas (Subhumans UK)

SPB: You’re at least somewhat active in three different bands. Do you make a point with Subhumans to differentiate your vocal sound or delivery from your other bands? How so?

Lucas: No. What sets the vocal sound for any song [is] whichever band is the music I'm singing to: so hard and fast leads …

Marissa (Screaming Females)

SPB: How does your choice of guitar define the Screaming Females sound?

Marissa: I never put much thought into what sort of guitar I wanted to play in Screaming Females, because I didn't have much of a choice. My G&L was a gift given to me when I first began playing, and it always seemed …

Vytautas Leistrumas (Solo Ansamblis)

SPB: Walk us through your gear setup from your last tour. How do you implement the mix of live and electronic elements?

Leistrumas: Let's start with a very important, beloved and sometimes hated Elektron Octatrack MK2, which serves as a midi host, effects machine and also plays some backing tracks as well as gives …

Kevin (Sutekh Hexen)

SPB: Walk us through Sutekh Hexen’s setup.

[Here] is a sketch and quick video clip of the primary noise setup that I have used in Sutekh Hexen 2010-present.

This sketch represents the absolute base setup. Various distortions, delays, or reverbs are switched out depending on what we're going to do. It has been …

Tom (Smash The Statues)

SPB: What is your favorite cover to play? Why?

Tom: Covers could be really fun to play. Back in the days we played a bunch of covers that suited us both musically and lyrically. As a political band, you want to get your message through, so it wouldn't make sense for us to play …

AEF (Starless Domain)

SPB: What electronic equipment/synthesisers do you use and what led you to those in particular?

AEF: On the album EOS I went fairly simple with synthesizers and only used a Roland JP-8000. This was mostly due to my gear being in storage and, since this was our first run writing music for Starless Domain, I …

Small Million

SPB: Can you enjoy the work of a musician if you disagree with their politics?   

Malachi: I don’t need to agree with someone 100% to enjoy their music, but I do think that I’m most drawn to art that shows empathy and a willingness to ask questions, regardless of politics. I think it comes down to …

Kevin White (Squarecrow – bass)

SPB: To you, what is the best thing about the San Diego scene right now?

White: It’s hard to identify. It’s just a group of musicians exhausting through a subsidiary fragmented universe of ego and alienation, entitlement and reproach, where diuretics and laxatives are employed to produce on a sidewalk; a San Diego …

Redmer (Sun-0-Bathers)

SPB: Sun-0-Bathers sounds very true to one particular scene or sound (and mocks a couple of others just by naming the band as you did). The more truly a band presents itself, the more it makes me wonder: what guilty pleasures are hidden? So: what are your guilty pleasures outside of your general style?

Redmer: Our …

Sarah Shook & the Disarmers

SPB: Which venue has the best food for touring artists? 

Sarah Shook & the Disarmers: The Grey Eagle in Asheville, NC, those cats make dope tacos and have vegan options.

Andrea (Sect Mark)

SPB: How did you get involved with Iron Lung Records? 

Andrea: We already got in touch by email with Iron Lung previously and we knew they enjoyed our demo recording in 2017.

When we recorded "Worship", Iron Lung was on the top of the list of labels we hoped for. When they said, "Cool, …

Deanna Belos (Sincere Engineer)

SPB: Who is your favorite 1980s artist?

Deanna: My favorite 1980s artist is probably Tears For Fears. I think "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" is one of the greatest songs ever written. I saw them open for Hall and Oates last year. It was pretty incredible.

Spotlights

SPB: What’s a record you love that would surprise people?

Spotlights: Gonna go with – Braid’s The Age of Octeen. We love this band and especially this time in their career.  

Shilpa Ray

SPB: What is the strangest trend you see in modern music (or in the industry)?

Shilpa: Baseball caps. Too many baseball caps.