Features / One Question Interviews

Patti Yang

SPB: Do you feel your experiences growing up in Communist Poland have shaped your views on the relationship between politics and art?

Yang: Art has always served as a powerful form of commentary on politics and on society. Back in the communist Poland anything released to the public had to go through strict censorship which made …

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 …

Eric Jernigan (Driftoff)

SPB: Would you license your music for use in another medium if given the opportunity?

Jernigan: We're open to the idea so long as we can stand behind the content of the film or commercial. The fact is, many bands in our genre have come to accept that the formerly modest goal of recouping recording …

Bryan (Koo Koo Kanga Roo)

SPB: You see to perform on a lot of varied bills from kids stuff to hip-hop shows and Warped. Do you prefer to mix up the audience you play to or do you prefer a headline-type club show?

Bryan: We prefer everything. It helps keep the show and the concepts fresh and helps …

Tempest

SPB: What was your favorite band in high school? How do they influence your songwriting today?

c.a: There are probably only a handful of bands that Tempest as a whole can agree on enjoying. Now, take that handful and whittle it down to bands that we have been listening to for the past 15 years. There really …

Bruno Sanfilippo

SPB: Though things like bandcamp have made it easier for artists to release music, I can't help but think that there are many out there who, like the main character in the film Mr. Holland's Opus, tirelessly work on writing and composing yet have no clue how to go about releasing their work to the public.  

Kate Eldridge (Big Eyes)

What is the most annoying recurring thing you read about your band (whether accurate or not)?

I am really bothered by the term "female fronted." Being a "FEMALE" has nothing to do with the music I write and play. It also sounds so unnecessarily scientific. Nobody says "MALE FRONTED" or asks how it is …

Brandon Cruz (So Hideous)

SPB: What do your parents think of your music?

Cruz: We’ve been fortunate enough to have a strong support system with respect to our families and them understanding why we do this music thing. I’d say our parents “appreciate” the work we do but would probably be more apt to enjoy the music if …

Jack Vermillion (Ex-Breathers)

SPB: Would you ever crowdfund a record?

Vermillion: I don't think we'll ever find ourselves in a position where this is the best option for us. We're the kind of band that would rather just make a record for cheap by ourselves or with a friend before crowdfunding. However, people really love to demonize bands …

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 …

Kris (Boilerman – bass)

SPB: What’s your favorite format of release (7”, LP, etc)?

Kris: I think the 7" is a great format, physically speaking. Its layout space is pretty easy to fill nicely, but storing 7-inches isn't as nice. They're so hard to rifle through and they get lost amongst each other easier -- smaller packages, no …

Joey Cape (Lagwagon, solo)

SPB: What is the biggest improvement you’ve made to your touring lifestyle over the years? Is there an area of comfort or economy where you’d drastically changed your approach?

Cape: Surrounding myself with good people. People who enjoy this life. They need to be happy, patient, and comfortable with constant change and unpredictable situations. …

Dave Castillo (White Widows Pact)

SPB: How do you find new music?

Castillo: Call me old fashioned but usually I find out about new music through my friends. A lot of them are a part of music in one way or another so I get the scoop on a ton of great stuff. It's also part of my …

Rob Moran (Unbroken)

SPB: Have you ever heard your band covered by somebody else? What did you think?

Moran: I've heard a few covers over the years, some live and some recorded and it is always humbling. Of all the ones I've heard, Planes Mistaken For Stars was one that really nailed it. I could feel the angst …

Rebecca Foon (Esmerine)

SPB: What is your favorite 1960s artist?

Foon: Jimi Hendrix.

He probably fits under the category of people I would want to meet most as well. I have been inspired by him for as long as I can remember.

Alex (Wonk Unit)

SPB: How do you describe the band’s changes from Day One into what it is today, sound-wise?

Alex: The biggest change is a total reversal in songwriting style. For our first two albums I was writing lyrics to music, some pretty crazy technical stuff. These days (for the last two records) I'm writing music to …

Joel (City States)

SPB: How do you find the time to work on so many projects and do your regular day job (if you have one)? 

Joel: At the risk of sounding overly technical, a lot of my productivity just comes down to really rigorous planning and time management. I do have a full-time job as an art …

Dave Curran (Pigs, Unsane)

SPB: What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long tour?

Curran: I curl up in fetal position and sleep for 5 days. Then I go on tour again...

Jon Lebiecki (Undesirable People)

SPB: Winter touring: yes or now (and why/got any stories)?

Lebiecki: Yes, absolutely. Simply because we’ve got a sick record coming out on 12” that we need entire world to hear. I’m not quite sure where we are headed yet because we don’t have a booking agent. I think the plan is to head …

Neon Shudder

SPB: It seems like there would be a temptation when working within the world of cyberpunk to make soundtracks to situations presented in pre-existing games, books, or movies. Do you find yourself doing that, or do you try to represent your own imaginary worlds and situations with your music?  

Neon Shudder: The name "neon shudder" was …