Features / One Question Interviews

Brandon (Amarok)
SPB: What is your staple tour food?

Brandon: It’s usually pizza. I say this because its something you can find meat or vegetarian. Available almost anywhere, and available late night like after our shows. May not be our favorite tour food but its one that we end up eating frequently. I think we would all prefer burritos …

Erik Stenglein (Northless)
SPB: What part of your live show is the hardest on sound engineers?

Stenglein: I would say the hardest aspect of our live sound would be the mix between our instruments and the vocals. We play loud with a lot of bass, and depending on how bright the room sounds, sometimes getting the vocals to cut …

Anne Elizabeth Moore (zinester, writer, former Punk Planet editor)

SPB: What do you miss about running a zine? What has changed the most in music since Punk Planet ceased publication?

Moore: For folks who've followed my work, they'll realize that since we folded Punk Planet in the middle of 2007 very little has changed about what I do …

Ben Crew (In Defence-vocals, Profane Existence Records)

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

Crew: No. Not any more. I use but that was back when I wanted people to like me. Now I don't give a shit what people think. I'm going out there to have a good time. I'm going out there for …

Chris (Nothington)
SPB: How many vans have you had?

Chris: We have owned 4 vans. They usually die after about 2 US tours, and oddly enough they always seem to bite the dust in the last couple of days of tour. I guess that makes us lucky, because we've never been stranded 2,000 miles from home with a busted …

Cory Von Bohlen (Halo of Flies)
SPB: What do you think of band’s playing an entire album as a touring concept?

Von Bohlen: I think its fine. considering everyone's fascination with the "glory days" of most bands and the times in which said records occurred, it makes sense. That, and I think we've all wished such and such band …

Jihad Rabah (Twelve Gauge Records)

SPB: What is the most thankless job in the music industry?

Rabah: The role of preparing a new release for distribution while meeting their 10,000 requirements.

Pete Adams (Baroness)

SPB: Who was your favorite band in high school? How do they influence your songwriting today?

Adams: The Stray Cats. I love rockabilly and psychobilly. Brian Setzer has been my only real inspiration as far as guitarists are concerned. I've always tried in corporate something Setzer might have done/ sounds like he would have done …

Buzz Osborne (Melvins/Melvins Lite)

SPB: After music, what other arts are of prominent interest to you?

Osborne: Painting holds a deep interest with me. My favorite painter is Francis Bacon with Manuel Ocampo running a close second. I wish I could paint but instead I will simply enjoy them!

Trevor Dunn (Tomahawk, Melvins Lite, Fantomas, and formerly of Mr. Bungle)

SPB: What part of your live show is the hardest on sound engineers?

Dunn: I wouldn't know because 1) I stand in front of my 8x10 so that I have the best possible sound in the entire place and that's all I care about and 2) we …

Mike (Pentimento)

SPB: Will the new Arrested Development season meet expectations?

Mike: Life is perception. You are only disappointed if you set yourself up to be by forgetting that there is an art to everything, and within that art is true beauty. Whether it is familiar, or not.

Haha, no I'm kidding. I've never watched that show …

Dick Lucas [Citizen Fish/Subhumans (UK), singer]

SPB: What is the fewest people you've ever played to? Have you returned to that city or venue?

Lucas: Two!

Citizen Fish headed to Duisberg, in Germany, on a soaking wet day in September 93, on a tour with The Gr'ups from Oakland/SF, and arrived at 'Efendi', a Turkish bar with …

Jeff Lohrber (Enabler)

SPB: How do you choose your t-shirt/merchandise designs?

Lohrber: When we approach t-shirt designs or album artwork, we do our best to make it fit with the overall feel of our music. We are a dark, pissed, aggressive band, but I feel that there is a little more substance behind the music and emotion than …

Andrew WK

SPB: What is your favorite thing about touring Europe or foreign countries?

Andrew WK: My favorite thing about touring Europe and foreign countries is THE PARTYING!

Lauren Denitzio (The Measure [SA], The Worriers)

SPB: What was your first tape (or cd or record)?

Denitzio: The first cassette I ever bought was Gin Blossoms "New Miserable Experience" in 1993. I was nine years old and ordered it from that Columbia House mailorder catalog. Hey Jealousy was my first favorite song, and I still think that …

Blag Dahlia (Dwarves)
SPB: How do you choose your album art?

Dahlia: Well, SPB, I could say that we didn’t choose the art, it choose us. Then again, that would be bullshit.

Our most famous cover is still the Blood, Guts & Pussy LP. The idea was mine, a direct parody of the Samhain ‘Initium’ cover. The iconic …

Jello Biafra
SPB: What do you think of bands playing albums in their entirety as a touring concept? Is it a way to reinvigorate the album format?

Biafra: It's a way for someone as versatile as the Melvins to keep playing their hottest towns several times a year, and never play the same set twice.

Frank Turner
SPB: How old were you when you first picked up an instrument?

Turner: The first instrument I came across I couldn't pick up - it was my mum's piano, which had been her 21st birthday present from her folks when she was younger. It was in the corner of the living room and I used to mess …