Features / One Question Interviews

Al (Dromedary Records)

SPB: What keeps you interested in running a record label as time passes and your own life changes? What keeps you motivated?

AL: I’ve been doing this for more than 30 years, and there have certainly been times where it slowed way down or I took breaks, because of personal trauma, or because it was …

Greg Norton (Ultrabomb)

SPB: Has the current political climate affected Ultrabomb and did it influence lyrical content?
 
Norton: Yes, absolutely. I’d say 80% of the lyrics for this album were written last summer as Trump was rolling out his gestapo squads, and the media’s lack of response to accurately reporting. 

Nic (Nonthewiser)

SPB: What were your biggest takeaways from recording your EP Injustice For All? What did you learn and what would that change the process next time around?

Nic: Recording Injustice For All taught us how important planning really is. Since we live in different cities, we record everything ourselves, which means a lot of structure …

Stanley Christiaensen (The Immortal Samsara Travelers – guitar/flute/vocals/sitar)

SPB: How do you typically begin the composition process for a song?

Christiaensen: The composition process always starts from either existential questions like the evolution of the human species or historical visions like the Hadean Eon, Egyptian mythology. An atmosphere will spark the willingness to pick up an instrument and …

On The Cinder

SPB: What is the smallest crowd you’ve played to? How did you approach the show?

Mike: I did a call with my guys last night and we compiled some of the more tragic memories of our time touring over the last 13 years as a band. A big crowd can forgive the more upsetting things …

Time Thieves

SPB: While you’ve all played in punk bands Time Thieves is in the power-pop realm. What is a personal favorite album you feel is overlooked in the genre?

Annie: Teenage Heartbreak (1980) by Sorrows. Heard it with a friend for the first time just a few months ago and I haven't stopped listening to it since.

Mike (Dauber)

SPB: What was the first album you ever bought?

Mike: I'm not quite certain what the first album I ever bought was, probably Dookie or Smash. What I can remember is the first time I ever went to the legendary Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ (RIP). I had my dad drive me there specifically so …

Ian Glasper (A Country Fit For Heroes : DIY Punk in Eighties Britain)
 
SPB: What was the first punk show you saw and do you remember how it inspired you at the time?
 
Glasper: I'm not sure which was the very, very first punk gig I went to, because it's all got a bit blurry over …

Greg Soden (Unscripted Moments: Conversations with Propagandhi)

SPB: You’ve obviously followed Propagandhi for many years – what was the biggest surprise or revelation to you about the band as pieced the book together?
 
Soden: To me, the greatest joy in interviewing members of Propagandhi for five years was the mutual respect that we built between the …

Scott O’Brien (Hooch, Smut Peddlers)

SPB: How is the approach to your solo work different than with Smut Peddlers?

O'Brien: My solo work, which has actually turned into a new collaborative band called Hooch, was a way to work on music I wrote that was somewhat stylistically different from Smut Peddlers. I’ve pretty consistently written music since …

Storm Boy

What is your favorite 1990s artist?

God there’s so much to draw from in so many different scene: much of which we consciously incorporate into our creative process -- like Fugazi, Jesus Lizard, the Cure, and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, but also bands that influenced us simply by proximity like Green Day, Rancid, Avail, or even …

Cesar Ruiz (The Seize - vocals)

SPB: How do you typically choose your album art?

Ruiz: Album art has started with lyrics. When I’m writing, I’ll have these images in mind that represent the feelings or themes within the songs. Those ideas usually become the starting point for the cover. I’ve worked with Ian Church on all of …

Neil Erskine (Chairmaker)

SPB: If Chairmaker had a physical form like a place, a thing, or a smell, what would it be?

Erskine: There is a very specific chair - but you've got to read Banks' Use of Weapons. No spoilers.

Ugly Stick

SPB: Describe in your own words the “Columbus Sound” and what it means or has meant to you and your musical output. 

David Holm (vocals and guitars): As it pertains to Ugly Stick I would say it's kind of an amalgam of punk rock, country, and classic rock. It's kind of jittery and sometimes funny and …

Thomas Harris (Wagemaker)

SPB: You went from a full band to doing Wagemaker as a one-person project. Now you’re a duo. What’s the perfect number of people for a band?

Harris: My name is Thomas Harris and I sing and play bass alongside Jason LaVeris’s (drums) in the group Wagemaker. 

And to answer your question – What …

Liza & Misha (She/Her Records)

SPB: After the SHEHERCOMP001 when did you know you were going to release albums/EPs/etc? .

She/Her Records: We always planned to do solo releases following the first TDoV compilation. SARCOMA was enthusiastic about doing a solo release with us since we first posted our manifesto, we are so grateful she offered …

Matt Glueman (Glueman)

SPB: Your new album is simply titled “III”. What about a simple/to-the-point title appeals to you?

Matt: Well, we love The Spits. They don’t have album titles, so why should we? GLUEMAN III. 

Mike Miller (Endless Mike and the Beagle Club)

SPB; Why “The Beagle Club”? Do you have a favorite breed of dog?

Miller: Looks like we get two questions for the One Question Interview. Love it. 

Why the Beagle Club? My friend Joe used to live on Beagle Club Road. At the end of it was the clubhouse …

Annie Sparrows (PANEL)

SPB: What does the name PANEL mean to you?

Sparrows: I feel like PANEL is an aesthetically pleasing 5 letter word with multiple meanings that, in different contexts, appeal to me. "Panel of experts," as in everyone's a critic. "Wood panel," as in something nice looking that covers up something crappy. "Blood panel," as in …

Jane No (Cheap Perfume - guitar/co-vocals)

SPB: How has the band’s mission or message evolved since when you first formed?

Jane No: When we started, our focus was feminist rage, calling out sexism and celebrating women’s power. That’s still who we are, but over time we’ve zoomed out to see how all systems of oppression are connected. Our …