Features / One Question Interviews

Chris X (Reptilian Records)

SPB: What’s an often overlooked but essential skillset for running a label in 2023?

Chris X: With the side job I picked up two weeks ago on top of label/mailorder, I'm kinda fried. I thought about it over the last day or so, but I got nothin'. In fact, if someone has a good answer to …

Keaton Rogers (Raised on TV)

SPB: What’s a record you love that would surprise people?

Rogers: That's a cool question. Hmm, a rock record, or any record along those lines, probably wouldn't be a surprise to anyone. I'll go with The Slim Shady LP from Eminem, his first big record. It's such a raw, angsty album, with a lot of …

Eli Hansen (Real Numbers)

SPB: What type of guitar are you playing with Real Numbers and how did you choose it?

Hansen: I play a 1965 Hagstrom I. Many years ago I was guitar shopping in Milwaukee with my Dad (also a musician and guitar collector) and stumbled across one at Rockhaus Guitars. It was so cool and unusual and …

Jason (Riot For Romance)

SPB: Were there any amps, cabs or anything else that stood out when you recorded the self-titled EP?

Jason: Something different for me than in past lives, is that I recorded my guitars from home for the first time ever. Previously, I've done scratch tracks at home but final recordings in a professional studio. After testing …

Bob Spires (Remote Control)

SPB: Who is your favorite 1980s artist/band?

Spires: This is a tough one but I'd have to say, being a Georgia boy, that the early ‘80s records by REM have to be top for me. I got a cassette of Murmur, their first full length on IRS, when I was in early high school. That record …

Andrew (Raw Grip)

SPB: Your record is releasing on 6 different labels (in 6 countries). How did you connect with so many different labels?

Andrew: We have been in the punk hardcore scene for a long time and during all this time we have gathered a lot of different contacts and acquaintances, so finding labels was not a problem for us, …

Bryan W. Fleming (Rig Time! – vocals/drums)

SPB: As a band that’s very active on the road, how have you adjusted or focused your creative energy over the past year (plus)?

Fleming: Before the world shut down, we were ready to hit about 150 tour dates in 2020. We had to shift our focus from creating an intense live performance, …

R. Boyd

SPB: Is there a particular album or artist that inspired you to start writing your own music when you were younger?

Boyd: No particular album or artist but I was really into ‘90s grunge when that hit. My neighbor who had learned to play guitar showed me some chords and really inspired me. He definitely played some Nirvana on his …

Rash

SPB: What is your favorite protest song?

Eric (vocals): "The Dream is Dead" by Blight

Jesse (guitar): "Police State" by Dead Prez

Skyler (drums): "Draft Morning" by The Byrds

Jim (bass): "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Radical Fun Time

SPB: What does DIY mean to you in 2020? How has it changed since you started playing music (has it)? 

PunX Rock $@M (guitar/vocals): !Radical Fun Time! is still living the Do It Yourself lifestyle!

In this new Decade !RFT! attempts to do as much as we can ourselves! Writing our own music and lyrics. We draw …

Chris (Rational Anthem – bass/backing vocals)

SPB: How do you determine who sings in a given song?

Chris: These days Noelle sings all of the songs. Chris does harmonies and backups. We split writing duties but since Noelle has the stronger voice we let her sing all the songs these days. We used to toy with the idea of going …

Seth Babb and Chris Berry (Repeater Records)

SPB: What stood out to you most in the reissue process as you revisited Gospel’s The Moon Is a Dead World?  

Repeater: The thing that really stood out putting out the reissue of “The Moon is a Dead World” was just how well this album holds up. Everything about it, the songs …

Eric Saylor (Reunions – guitar/vocals)

SPB: Can you walk us through your guitar gear?

Saylor: I have two pretty distinct setups I like to run; both are pretty basic. Most of the time I'll run my LTD EC-1000 into a Mesa DC-10 paired with an oversized Mesa 4x12. I've spent a lot of time in bands that tune real low …

Ruby Boots

SPB: How does a musician’s politics affect your appreciation of them? Does it factor in, or can you separate the two ideas?

Ruby: I feel like using the word 'politics' as opposed to morals and values adds to the great divide that we are currently living in, I want to know where a musician stands on things like saving the planet, …

Dave Rohm (Radon)

SPB: What’s your favorite 1990s Radon song to play live?

Rohm: My favorite 1990’s Radon song to play live is called “Exhaustra.”  It’s a house-rocking metal song that reminds me of the bands that we grew up listening to in Gainesville, FL. It mostly reminds me of one of my favorite bands from Gainesville called The Doldrums.  The …

Chachy (Round Eye)  

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

Chachy: In mainland China I would say the promoters, especially if they're bringing in foreign acts.  The live music scene in China is by no means safe from inspection and events like festivals and even regular club dates for controversial music like punk, noise, heavy …

Jim “Reverend” Heath (Rev. Horton Heat)

SPB: You've played a lot of "out-of-the-way" cities over the years. What inspires you to set up a tour hitting some these oft-skipped over places? Is there a different feel when you play a city or venue that doesn't see as many national acts?

Heath: We don't take many days off when we tour. …

Scott Herold (Rock the Cause)

SPB: What’s the hardest part of running a non-profit organization?

Herold: The most difficult aspect of running an NPO is your income streams rely completely on the benevolence of the public. You have to continually design new products and programs that tell a compelling story, that will motivate donors to give. There is a ton …

Sal Medrano (Rebuilder – vocals/guitar)

SPB: Who is the first musician whose technique really stood out to you?

Medrano: While I play guitar and sing in Rebuilder, I grew up playing drums. I really wanted to push myself to become a better drummer when I listened to the Vandals and saw them open for No Doubt. Josh Freese is an …

Ian Miller (Roman Cities)

SPB: How important to the band’s concept was playing “era-appropriate instrumentation”?

Miller: Man, what a great question. When I was imagining this project, I had visions of headless basses and chorus pedals. But the gear ended up not really mattering. Bradley plays a Tele into a Fender combo; Dan used his giant Early Graves metal kit; …