Features / One Question Interviews

Paula Lombardo (Venamoris)

SPB: It sounds like you were hesitant to return to music performance. What about the response to Venamoris has surprised you most?

Lombardo: Yes, I was hesitant. And now I’m left with the realization that my hesitancy was built on lies we tell ourselves.

There have been many surprises on this journey. But at this moment, I’m …

John Hoffman (Vacation, The Mimes)

SPB: From when you were starting out to now, what parts of your setup in studio have help to voice your sound as it stands today?

Hoffman: I'd have to say it's my Tascam 122 cassette deck. It's a two-track cassette desk that can monitor the recording of the cassette's audio in real time 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 Power by …

Vali S.C (Kenny Elkin)

SPB: Is there any vinyl you own strictly for collector’s purposes but don’t listen to? 

Elkin: I do have an unopened dead kennedys “singles collection” on vinyl. I received it as a gift and don’t really feel the need to ever open it.

Yianna (Vouna)

SPB: How did you choose the guest artists for this record?

Yianna: Everyone was a very natural addition to the record:

Autumn Kassel and Caitlin Fate were both members of the live line-up at the time, before they both moved to New Orleans. Autumn had been playing the synth interlude of What Once Was live and Caitlin had …

Gene Woolfolk III (Vincas - guitar)

SPB: What type of guitar do you play for live gigs and how/why did you choose it?

Woolfolk: I have a plethora of large, heavy tube amps but none of them fit in a minivan. Chris lets me use his Musicman HD-130 2x10 combo for Vincas because I need something loud, clean, fits in …

Markus (Van Dammes)

SPB: Do you listen to any Christmas or holiday music?

Markus: Christmas time particularly is very important to us because Santa Claus comes from our home country Finland. Then we usually listen only to Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight) by Ramones, except sometimes, when we listen to Weezer's Christmas EP or Joulusydän by Timo T.A. Mikkonen and …

Chris McNeal (Vincas – bass)

SPB: What bass/amp pairing do you use and why did you choose it?

McNeal: When I was a kid, every band I saw that had an awesome bass player seemed to play thru a old SVT bass head paired with a 8x10 bass cab. After seeing and hearing many ear destroying shows with this pairing, …

Josh Fleming (Vandoliers)

SPB: Take us through your gear setup from your last tour? 

Fleming: We roll around the country as a six-piece band, stuffing everything in to the back of a Ford Transit named Vannah Montana. I play a Gibson SJ200 and SJ100 ‘cause they are giant and I love swinging them around, Dustin our lead guitarist plays a …

Harrison Nida (Victory Kid)

SPB: Who is your favorite band/artist from the 2000-2010 era?

Harrison: We chose Sum 41 because of their impact on the scene moving from the early 2000s. They’re metal infusions were inspirational to a ton of bands, which ultimately led to the hardcore scene. Also to have All Killer No Filler, Does This Look Infected, and Chuck …

Vile Creature

SPB: What is your favorite (non Vile Creature) release on Halo of Flies?

Vile Creature: Both of us find it hard to pick just one. Cory & Halo of Flies have done such an amazing job of curating an epic list of underground, thoughtful metal over the last bunch of years. Here’s a few of our favourites off …

Jonathan Smith (Vassals – drums)

SPB: What’s your preferred listening medium/in which order would you rank cd, vinyl, digital, cassette, (other?)?

Smith: Vinyl all the way! I’m really into ritual. I like the idea of looking through a library and choosing a record, having to physically drop the needle and be a part of the process. Not to mention the …

Ian (Vexx)

SPB: How much does location and history (specifically Olympia, WA) influence you?

Ian: I grew up in Singapore but the majority of my extended family lives in Washington, so I would go to shows in Seattle when I came back to visit. Olympia was always in the ethers, kind of haunting literature and politics in my music scene back home …

T (Vegas)

SPB: How do you vary your songwriting approach between your different projects?

T: Most of the songs I've written blast through wounds and articulate a sense of longing and loss. I tend to become obsessed with a theme and it haunts me for years until eventually it is penned down. I do not believe in the "kiss of …

Ali (Vapour Night)

SPB: What’s the last “grower” record you heard that didn’t impress on first listen but has, since, grown on you?

Ali: Burials by AFI. I love AFI but I found this album to be such a horrible disappointment on first listen. I've listened to the album lots of times since and I really like the first half …

Evan (Vacation)

SPB: What is your primary tour food?

Evan: Our primary tour food is PIZZA. Like as much as your town has to offer, and if you know where we can get a New Jersey-style slice let us know! Been achin' to try some. Also see this:

...except no riboflavin for us.

Kurt Midness (Volcom)

SPB: How do you determine which bands go into the singles series?

Midness: To start with we try to pick artists that we think are doing something cool that we like. In an ideal world we could just pick and choose from what we consider to be the best music happening now. Since that is hardly the …

Chucho (Vultress)

SPB: What is your assessment of the current status of progressive rock as a genre?

Chucho: I would say that progressive music is somewhat blossoming right now. More and more I'm seeing bands incorporating new ideas and pulling from both past and present, especially on the metal side. I think that what we're seeing is a rise of …