Features / One Question Interviews

Ian (Easy Beach)

SPB: You stated that you want the new record to sound live. What, ultimately, was the trick to capturing that vibe?

Ian: Recording as much as we could ourselves, and being accepting of the blemishes. I think anyone who puts out a record will listen and have a lot of things they would change, or …

Hex Records

SPB: How do you typically find the bands you sign to the label?

Hex: There’s a secret cabal of labels that select bands through an ancient ritual and lots of blood… wait, I just gave too much away. Honestly though, it’s a mix of keeping up with what my friends and bands I’ve worked with in …

Donnie Hopper (The Bare Minimum – bass)

SPB: What stands out to you about your first live show with The Bare Minimum?

Hopper: What stands out to me about my first show with the Bare Minimum was how big the shoes were that I had to fill. It was a St. Paddy's Day show on March 15th, 2019. …

Dylan (Colonial Wounds – bass/vocals)

SPB: Is there a particular musician who inspired you to start playing your instrument?

Dylan: Bass was the first instrument I learned to play and it was Hunter Burgan of AFI that inspired me the most at that point. The first song I tried to learn outside of shit like smoke on the …

Ash (The Clever References – guitar/vocals)

SPB: How important is TikTok platform for a DIY band?

Ash: It's a lottery ticket. You can do everything right on that platform, and find that the algorithm has changed and it's kinda left you behind. Alternatively, a piece of content you make might skyrocket you to fame that risks you being …

Chris (School Drugs)

SPB: What model van is your go-to for touring?

Chris: Econoline E-350 with extended cab, the fifteen-passenger masterpiece. Generally bigger and more comfortable, able to haul all gear and personal effects. Out of the thirteen vans I've owned, four of them were that very model. The last van we had before our current ride, known …

Ray Gurz (WIPES – bass/vocals)

SPB: How likely you to pick up a record based off its cover with no knowledge of the band or music?

Gurz: I worked in are Double Decker Records for 8 years and during that time I became attracted to check out strange covers or just odd looking covers. I think the excitement …

Eisenwald Records

SPB: What was the first concert you attended after COVID lockdowns?

Eisenwald: The first gig after covid was Panzerfaust and Velnias on one of their tourdates in Germany, which was a good one. And the second actually was the same tour... stopping at the esteemed Dark Easter Metal Meeting in Munich, Germany. Another short but fun …

Tim Smolens (High Castle Teleorkestra – bass/co-producer) 
 
SPB: What stands out to you the most, today, when you listen to your first record?

Smolens: My first album was with a band we called Don Salsa which was my high school band. The album was called Koolaide Moustache in Jonestown. Some of the members of Don Salsa went …

Antti (Mustasuo)

SPB: How do the folks from Mustasuo react when they hear the kind of music you play under the moniker of their district?

Mustasuo: I doubt most people in Mustasuo (the district) have even heard of our band, or if they have, they're keeping their opinions to themselves. I actually know just one guy who lives …

By The Spirits

SPB: Prior to putting this re-release together, when was the last time you revisited the bonus tracks that you ultimately chose to include?

By The Spirits: Bonus tracks included in the re-release of “We Are Falling” before the actual release were just sketches created after the original release of We Are Falling back in 2018. …

Sarah Mary Chadwick

SPB: Do any of your musician friends have tinnitus?

Chadwich: Tinnitus? I barely knew him!

Cédric (Icare)

SPB: Charogne was written to be played live. Playing a 43-minute piece live seems like quite the task. Was the song intended like this or did it evolve into one epic piece (and a real challenge to be played live)?

Cédric: Charogne was always meant to be made up of one song only. At the end …

Inkswel

What are your favorite music mediums/rank the following: cd, vinyl, cassette, digital, (other)?

Vinyl: 

I’ve had a love/hate relationship with vinyl for over 20 years. I used to be a vinyl-only DJ, I used to work in record stores, and now I run a record label. Vinyl has such an authentic and beautiful quality to it, …

Shaylee

SPB: What song would you want played at your funeral?

Shaylee: Hmm, my funeral? I've never given it much thought, but the first one that comes to mind is "Motion Picture Soundtrack" by Radiohead. The organ on the track feels very reminiscent of a funeral procession, and the lyrics about how "it's not like the movies" would …

Gus Englehorn

SPB: Assuming the album name, Dungeon Master, is a D&D allusion: what is your favorite pop-culture reference during the recent D&D revival?

Englehorn: I got the name for the album from this guy who came up to me after a show I played. He told me that my lyrics reminded him of playing Dungeons and …

Vanum

SPB: Is there a particular record you’ve heard this year that surprised you? In a good or a bad way?

Vanum: The Vanum group text thread is a real treasure trove for sharing exciting records that we find (generally older stuff), but I don't think any contemporary record has elicited as much collective excitement as The Higher …

Daniel (Love Forty Down)

SPB: What is the meaning behind the band name?

Daniel: Our band name is quite obviously a reference to a Frank Turner song. Love Forty Down is the score in a tennis match (0:40). It means, that our opponent is only missing one point to win the game but we have not lost quite …

LonelyTwin

SPB: What venue is your favorite to play and why?

LonelyTwin: I haven’t played a lot with my project yet unfortunately but I’ve played guitar with a lot of other artists, mainly here in Stockholm and I think my favorite is Debaser Strand. It’s one of the oldest spots here and it just has a really great …

Aaron Charles (Falls of Rauros)

SPB: What is your favorite part of the recording process?

Charles: Recording is probably my single favorite part of being a musician. You not only get to hear tangible results of your hard work, but there's also a chance to indulge in some off-the-cuff creativity in the studio. I love the whole experience …