Features / One Question Interviews

Mike Moynihan (Hollow Earth-guitar)

SPB: What do you listen to the most in the van?

Moynihan: For the most part, driver listens to whatever they want, which could honestly be anything. We all come from very different musical backgrounds, so our taste is pretty eclectic. What we like to do to make sure everyone wins is to make …

Evan Jacobs (Orange County Scenester – director)

SPB: Who is your favorite band discovered in the process of filming Orange County Scenester?

Jacobs: Since I was making a memoir on a scene of bands that I was, in many ways, intimately involved with, there wasn't that a band that I discovered during the making of the film.
…

Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu)

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

SPB: Getting the vocals loud enough in the monitors. We have really loud stage volume as I like to be pummeled sonically and we use a drum machine. There are almost always some issues with feedback but we work them out. …

Trevor Reilly (A Wilhelm Scream)

SPB: When you built your studio, what was the primary, driving concept you wanted to make sure you could capture as far as acoustics?

Reilly: The most important thing we tried to do while remodeling the studio was to make sure that the acoustics didn't work against us! We have a room with …

Matt (Rosetta)

SPB: Do you run your own website, facebook, twitter, etc? Do you enjoy that aspect of the industry?

Matt: Yeah, I do all of it (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr posts & question box, website), though occasionally some of the other guys answer questions on our Tumblr or Twitter.

I have a love/hate relationship with social media. …

Erik Ziedses des Plantes (Gazer, bass/vocals)

SPB: How do you find new music?

Erik: My current music discovery system has two tiers that I think does a good job of covering stuff happening more "above ground" and things happening on a more DIY level. 

Tier 1: I have a regular rotation of websites that I've visited …

Jeffrey Novak (Cheap Time, solo)

SPB: What inspired you to start performing solo?

Novak: I have never had much patience with waiting. I got tired of waiting to meet the right people to start a band with, so I got heavy into home recording instead. But it wasn't until I saw the Cheater Slicks play that I finally …

Steve (Hollow Earth, vocals)

SPB: What do you think of bands playing albums in their entirety as a tour concept?

Steve: I personally think it's great! In 2008 one of my all-time favorite bands, Local H, played 7 nights in a row in their hometown of Chicago to commemorate the release of their then new album. In chronological …

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.