Features / One Question Interviews

John (Disconnect Disconnect Records)

SPB: You've had a good run in 2019. What do we have to look forward to in 2020?

John: 2019 was great for Disconnect Disconnect, working with some great upcoming bands (Blowfuse, A Time To Stand, Drunktank, Stone Lions, Kill The Rooster), great new albums from some bands we’d worked with before (The Decline, …

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 …

Kitten Forever

SPB: You change instruments at points in your set. How do you make sure that you have the best setup for all 3 of you on a given instrument (and don’t require too much time re-tuning or adjusting when you move)?

Kitten Forever: Here is Laura, Corrie, and Liz answering the question via video:

Bruno Dorella (OvO - drums,)

SPB: Walk our readers through your self-described “minimal drum kit.” How did you arrive at your sizes of what to include (or not include)?

Dorella: There are different reasons why I choose to play without kick drum. First, when I started playing drums in a band I didn't really know how to play. …

Ian Cory (Lamniformes)

SPB: Lamniformes is a one-man project, of sorts. Have you played in groups where you weren’t the primary songwriter and, if so, what did you like or not like about that dynamic? 

Cory: I haven’t been the primary songwriter for any of the musical projects that I’ve worked on outside of Lamniformes. I am a …

Gnaw

SPB: Was the mic’ing of your diverse instrumentation fairly straightforward when you recorded the new EP, or were there some things you and the engineer did to find the right mics or experiment with sounds?

Brian Beatrice: The creative process behind Gnaw is always about trying to push instruments, production, and the recording process beyond the conventional …

Germán Picazo (The Blackjaw)

SPB: Your record is called Burn The Artisan. What do you hold against them?

Picazo: We’ve nothing against the artisans, it’s just an irony figure of speech. We have been composing, practicing and then recording the album for about 3 years so it feels like we were cherishing, crafting and taking care of …

Ryan Kennedy (Wake-bass)

SPB: You've recorded split EPs before. Which band(s) are on your wishlist for future splits?   

Ryan:

• Gadget
• Swarrrrm
• 324

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 …

Jimi Hazel (24-7 Spyz - vocals)

SPB: The music industry has changed a lot over the years. What’s been the most common constant since you got started? 

Hazel: The mentality of the new guard is the same as the mentality of the old guard. The box is still the box and as long as it has four corners, …

Chris (Glare Of The Sun)

SPB: Your record Theia is over an hour long. To contrast that: what is your favorite record of around twenty minutes and what would you take from that record to Glare Of The Sun?

Chris: Twenty minutes seems tough first, but it's not, if you spent your youth with hardcore/punk or grindcore like …

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. 

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 …

Wes Bentley (Doc Rotten)

SPB: Do you read press/reviews written about you? 

Bentley: Sometimes, for a review, I am more likely to read them because I want to see if it is a positive review. Interviews not so much because I was there and know what I said.  

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 …

Ian Cory (Lamniformes)

SPB: Did you experiment much with different drum sizes, cymbals, or drum heads in the studio when making Sisyphean, or did you have a set approach when you went in? 

Cory: I experimented with the kit much less than I expected before going into the sessions. Having spent more years than I should have …

Tim Buchanan 

SPB: What do your parents think of your music?

Buchanan: My parents love what we do now. They’ve always been supportive, but I think the more abrasive music I helped make when I was younger was confusing to them, as it would’ve been for many I’m sure. Now that I make country music, or something …

Radical Fun Time

SPB: What does DIY mean to you in 2020? How has it changed since you started playing music (has it)? 

PunX Rock $@M (guitar/vocals): !Radical Fun Time! is still living the Do It Yourself lifestyle!

In this new Decade !RFT! attempts to do as much as we can ourselves! Writing our own music and …

Nate Cook (The Yawpers)

SPB: What’s the worst or harshest thing that’s happened to you in the middle of a tour? 

Cook: We were in Bern, Switzerland. I’d spent the last 6 months unable to move due to a collapsed disc in my neck. It had finally stopped crippling my movement about 2 weeks prior. We were playing …

Shanti Wintergate (Play Date)

SPB: What is the biggest different in how you approach writing a song for children as compared to writing a song for adults?

Wintergate: I would have to say the actual approach and process is pretty much the same. We set out to make authentic, thoughtful music for kids and families. So as much …