Features / One Question Interviews

Srini Radhakrishna (Circles, Space Raft)

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

Radhakrishna: Despite having custom earplugs made over a year ago, I've only used them once. They actually haven't even moved from where I put them the day I got them. I forget that I own them and never think to bring them to …

Clint (Organized Crime Records)

SPB: How much space in your house is dedicated to music storage (albums or instruments)?

Clint: I would say that overall about 60% of my place is consumed with music. I have been a long time avid collector.

Funny thing: I am dealing with music storage issues right now. Having a label means …

Al Jourgensen (Ministry)

SPB: Is there a sample you’ve tried to get the rights to use but were denied?

Jourgensen: ALL OF THEM.... Just kidding. Actually the biggest sample pain in the ass was on Houses of the Molé with the use of Carmina Burana on “No W.” It was a nightmare. We'd reached out to the publisher …

Chris Reifert (Autopsy/Violation Wound)

SPB: What’s the best movie you’ve seen this year?

Reifert: The best movie ever made is The Dark Backward. It didn't come out this year, nor did I see it for the first time this year. But mark my words, it's warped, dark, weird and I love the hell out of it! A …

Nate (Banner Pilot)

SPB: What is the hardest thing about touring in foreign countries? Last year (2 years ago?) you played in Russia…

Nate: I'm having a hard time answering this. Touring foreign countries is easy! I find it to be much easier than touring the States. You have someone driving for you, the language barrier is never …

Dave Williams (Crusades)

SPB: What do your children think of your music?

Williams: Well, my daughter is only two-and-a-half years old, but I'm a stay-at-home-parent and so our day is pretty full of music. I do my best to be as eclectic as possible, and so we end up listening to a lot of my favourite records that  …

Sascha (Mad Caddies)

SPB: What makes a good roadie? Have you done it? 

Sascha: We don't really use the term “roadie.” That seems kinda like an ‘80s word. We use the term “crew.”

Obviously any crew member must do their job well. Besides that they must be easy to travel with and relatively drama-free especially when under …

Avi (Magrudergrind)

SPB: What’s the secret to a successful tour?

Avi: Efficiency. Don't bring too many personal items or equipment. Bring essential equipment to retain your sound but try and borrow other items (within reason) like extra cabs for full stacks.

Annie DeTemple (Old Man Markley)

SPB: What is the best Buck Owens song?

DeTemple: Well, my favorite Buck Owens song is "Act Naturally." I'm not just saying that because The Beatles covered it, but it goes to show that they probably thought it was the best Buck Owens song, too! I love “Act Naturally” for its catchy melody. …

Ian Vanek (Japanther)

SPB: Is there a regional food you look forward to when you tour?

Vanek: We eat regionally, seasonally and locally as much as possible. Japanther also forage for wild food and eat out of dumpsters. We snack on oranges and avocados off the trees in Cali and make green juice in almost every hotel room. …

Joey Cape (Lagwagon, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes)

SPB: What is the most overdone cover song? 

Cape: "Brown Eyed Girl"

Mike (Beartrap)

SPB: How do you primarily find new music these days?

Mike: The Internet. There are thousands of music blogs dedicated to whatever little niche of hardcore/punk/ whatever you subscribe to. A lot of people fight the digital age but it does help in a lot of ways too.

Kim Kelly (Catharsis PR, writer)

SPB: How did you first get involved in PR work?

Kelly: It happened pretty organically. By the time I decided to try my hand at PR, I'd already been writing for a variety of publications for a good four years so I had an inkling of how it all worked. As a writer, …

Jarrett D (Screaming Females)

SPB: What song in your active playlist requires the most practice? What part is the hardest to get down?

D: Screaming Females plays a different setlist every night. We have a catalogue of about 70 songs.

I'd like to be able to say that we could play any of those songs at any …

Haiduk

SPB: What do you remember of your first live performance ever?

Haiduk: I'd been talking to some friends from a local band about possibly, eventually doing one-man shows. So, without telling me, they went ahead and booked Haiduk and their band for a bar show 2 weeks later! The sound guy was somewhat confused when I told …

Pontus (Agrimonia)

SPB: What makes death metal - or metal in general - so prevalent in Sweden?

Pontus: I think there is a huge music interest in general in Sweden. This might have to do with that it’s easy to pick up and learn an instrument at an early age thanks to Sweden’s community music school, so many …

Peelander Yellow (Peelander-Z)

SPB: What is your favorite music-related book?

Yellow: I never read music-related book!!!

I have to learn a lot of things without music-related book!!!

music-related book never teach me how to dance "My dance"!

music-related book never show me how to kiss "My kiss"!

music-related book never bring to my world!!!

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 …

David Yow (the Jesus Lizard, artist, Qui, Scratch Acid)

SPB: How has aging affected your musical performance?

Yow: Dunno if it's due to aging, but I have almost no desire whatever to play in some full-time musical outfit.

SPB: Is touring a larger physical burden?

Yow: I haven't done any touring in a few years, but, …

Shannon T. Moore (Activator, lead singer)

SPB: How did you “discover” punk rock?

Moore: I discovered punk rock on few different occasions in a few stages of my life. Starting with all of the media hype of the Sex Pistols and all of the times Sid Vicious was in the news. I remember seeing a clip of them …