Features / One Question Interviews

Johnny Iguana (The Claudettes)

SPB: How did the band come to combine the different musical styles that make the Claudettes so unique? 

Johny: I had every intention of making the Claudettes a pretty straight-up blues-piano band, but as I wrote even the first three or four instrumentals, I found the Tin Pan Alley stuff I'd been playing late (Hoagy Carmichael, …

Sean Moriarty (The Cabin Fever)

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

Sean: The song I want played at my funeral is "Love Life" by the band Lush. This song appeared as a B-side from their seminal ‘90s album "Split" and it perfectly encapsulates the sad beauty that is life. The song begins with a kick drum like a …

Matthew (The Fleeting Ends)

SPB: What is your favorite book about music?

Matthew: My favorite book about music would have to be Starman -- a David Bowie biography that paints a fascinating portrait of someone that I'd quite confidently call a complete original. I love reading about his complete refusal to give up on his long and hard fight for success …

Curtiss (The Shell Corporation)

SPB: What is your favorite documentary or music-related film?

Curtiss: Ok, so total disclosure, I’ve never actually seen my favorite music documentary. Which happens to be “It Might Get Loud”. The apparently epic pairing of jimmy page, the edge and that dude from the stripey shirt band. But here’s the thing. I’ve TOLD a lot of …

Karl Eifrig (The Mons)

SPB: What was the first punk show you attended?

Karl: The first punk show I attended was February 28, 1986 at Cabaret Metro (now just Metro) in Chicago. The lineup was Killdozer opening, Dead Milkmen second, and Die Kreuzen headlining. Being a high school freshman in a small town in northwest Indiana, I was there to see Dead …

Chris Moore (The Rememberables)

SPB: Playing in more bands can be complicated planning wise. What will happen with your other bands if The Rememberables will really take off? Or the other way around? 

Chris Moore: Haha. The question of the ages! Well fortunately out of the six bands I play in (Coke Bust, Repulsion, D.O.C., Guilt Parade, Sick Fix, Rememberables) …

Perry (The Travoltas)

SPB: Should more punk bands listen to Beach Boys and use their influences? And which album would you recommend to start listening?

Perry: That's an absolute yes. If you want to be schooled in songwriting and come up with great harmonies, this is it. Especially with the early records it's just back-to-the-basics: bare-bones production with great hooks …

Frank Discussion (The Feederz-guitar/vocals)

SPB: How did the current line-up come together?

Discussion: Clear Bob was our first bass player and he still lives in Arizona. Thomas at Slope first contacted him to see if he could reach me about the idea of doing another record. This was right after Annoying Orange won the election, ripping apart the last shred …

Mike Felumlee (The Bigger Empty)

SPB: Do you wear earplugs when you play? Why/why not?

Femumlee: Yes, I wear earplugs now, but have just started wearing them over the last couple of years.

This can be taken as a cautionary tale for the young rockers out there. I'm 42 years old and have been actively playing shows and touring since I …

Tomber Lever

SPB: What band has the best logo of all time?

Tomber Lever: We would say that Titus Andronicus has the best band logo! Not only is it a T and A for their name, it’s an upside down cross and an anarchy sign! No Gods, No Masters!

Fluffy (The Ejector Seats/The By-Products – bass/vocals)

SPB: How has the increasing digitalization of music changed how you listen to or consume music?

Fluffy: Well...this is a sensitive subject for me!

Mostly...I hate the digitization of music! I'm not a "purist" or anything...I just love records and the whole process/religious experience of listening to them. Don't get me wrong, I …

Poli (The Bombpops)

SPB: What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?

Poli: Worst job we've ever had... well, Jen and I are both servers at restaurants in Los Angeles, so that's an obvious one. But I actually have a story of us working together.

Jen and I did catering here in LA quite a few times and, even though, you …

Chrissy (Thin Lips-vocals/guitar)

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

Chrissy: I definitely am always scared before we play...Sometimes it's worse than others. The boys are pretty relaxed, a little nervous here or there, sometimes pretty nervous but it doesn't show too much. Usually once I start playing I'm fine but right before I get on stage …

Mike (Two Houses)

SPB: Do you have any vinyl that your own strictly for collector’s purposes but never listen to?

Mike: No one in the band does. Norman Marston, who recorded and mixed our full-length, I Feel So Good I Can't Stand Myself (out this summer on Rad Girlfriend), has a bunch of records he has two copies of (one …

Joshua Loggan (The Blind Pets – guitar/vocals)

SPB: What do you like to do on a tour off-day?

Loggan: Anything outdoors! I absolutely love to swim or see something new. Best day off I have ever had was at Earthquake Lake in Yellowstone with my band and a fat sack of chronic! GOOD TIMES!

Seth Decoteau (Topshelf Records)

SPB: Do you accept demos? What is the most surprising demo you’ve received?

Decoteau: Yes. I'd say the most surprising demo we've received was from Infinity Girl, which we ended up releasing. 

Jack (toyGuitar)

SPB: What’s the story behind your name?

Jack: There isn't much backstory on this one. I think I stole the idea of the name "toy guitar" from Spike Slawson or Kent Jamieson (NOFX tour manager). I can't remember which of those two had it first. It was either something like Spike was playing in a kids band or Kent and I were gonna start a kids band and …

David Combs (The Max Levine Ensemble – guitar, vocals)

SPB: What’s the worst tour experience you’ve had? Have you ever been stranded?

Combs: On our first cross-country tour back in 2004 our friend's van, Black Betty, died in the mountains of Nevada. We got towed to Reno, but the tow truck driver couldn't take us all so some of us …

Kyle Fisher (The Dirty Nil)

SPB: What song in your active set list requires the most practice? What part is the hardest to get down? 

Fisher: “Little Metal Baby Fist”

The second verse is tough in that song to maintain a good tempo. Sometimes the snare roll can slow the song down. We've got it now though.

Justin Pearson (Three One G, Retox, The Locust)

SPB: How do you find new music?

Pearson: There is no one way to find music, or any art for that matter. Maybe the universe presents it or maybe your subconscious welcomes it. For me, I tend to find it within my friends and comrades, or by touring around the world and …