Jon McKiel
SPB: Do you get nervous before you play a show?
McKiel: Yes, but it really depends on whether I've played the room before, how much practice the band has had leading up, whether or not the sound check was ok, or the PA even exists! Sometimes we sing through our amps and improvise a whole lot, so that keeps things pretty light. We can't do anything but go out and play and if we're making it up as we go there's no expectations, at least from a playing perspective.
Andrew Burgess (Skyway) SPB: What is your favorite protest song? Burgess: My favorite protest song? That's a tough one. I think it's impossible to talk about protest songs without mentioning the all-time greats that have held up over the years. I'm talking about songs like "We Shall Overcome," "We Will … Read more
Rob (ButcherBird – guitar) SPB: How do you draw the line between taking influence vs. mimicking? Rob: When it comes to human creativity, almost nothing is truly and completely new. There’s a song by Iron Monkey called “House Anxiety” which has an absolutely crushing riff in it -- and it’s … Read more
Petey J. Cool (Perfect Buzz) SPB: What is the best TV theme song? Petey J. Cool: I’ve still never seen an episode of Hawaii Five-O, but when I was a kid I’d get to catch the opening sequence just before I was marched off to bed. I was fascinated because … Read more
Each year in late May, the 4-day party and noise-rock festival Caterwaul takes over multiple venues in Minneapolis. It’s a stacked lineup this year, to put it mildly, with each night’s headliners FACS, Young Widows, Naw, Pissed Jeans, and Uniform -- and that’s leaving a ton of other great bands … Read more
There are a lot of misconceptions about the life of a musician. Most musicians have day jobs – and not just to pay the bills. Jobs provide new challenges, personal fulfillment and, yes, some rent or gas money. How an artist spends their time by day will influence the creative … Read more
An old, black-and-white photo depicts five dilapidated homes slowly crumbling away on an island in the middle of a vast, dismal ocean; the sea's endlessness and archaicness adds a sense of sentimentality to the picture. With such a glum album cover, it’s a dazzling surprise once the effervescent, action-packed “New Tracy (I Will Learn To See)” - opening song on … Read more
So it's finally summer, and that usually means an overload of new music. I can't name the number of songs or albums that remind me of a specific summer in my life. Something about the change of pace and warm weather that just makes music attach itself to memories. What does this have to do with this album? I'm just … Read more
Andrew Burgess (Skyway) SPB: What is your favorite protest song? Burgess: My favorite protest song? That's a tough one. I think it's impossible to talk about protest songs without mentioning the all-time greats that have held up over the years. I'm talking about songs like "We Shall Overcome," "We Will … Read more
Rob (ButcherBird – guitar) SPB: How do you draw the line between taking influence vs. mimicking? Rob: When it comes to human creativity, almost nothing is truly and completely new. There’s a song by Iron Monkey called “House Anxiety” which has an absolutely crushing riff in it -- and it’s … Read more
Petey J. Cool (Perfect Buzz) SPB: What is the best TV theme song? Petey J. Cool: I’ve still never seen an episode of Hawaii Five-O, but when I was a kid I’d get to catch the opening sequence just before I was marched off to bed. I was fascinated because … Read more
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