Features / One Question Interviews

Billy West (voice actor, Futurama, Ren & Stimpy, many more)

SPB: You've also played music in your past and you do some singing ("Shut Up and Love Me") in Futurama. How much creative say do you have when your characters create music?

West: Most of the music was always written for us and we sang exactly what Ken Keeler …

Mike Watt (Bass, The Stooges, Minutemen, Solo, more)

SPB: How have the Stooges shows gone? Is it difficult to step into a group where the other members have an existing relationship and you’re the new guy?

Watt: I have served 125 months with The Stooges. Of course I owe them my best notes and total focus when helping them - we …

Dovetail

SPB: Who is your favorite 1960s band or artist?

Philip: The Beatles reign supreme in my ‘60s catalog. For records like Rubber Soul, The Beatles, and for obvious reasons. I feel they were the best band, though I'd probably say Gram Parsons is equally my favorite artist from the ‘60s.

Andrew: The Beatles. Their belief and conviction …

Luke McNeill (The Copyrights, Attorney)

SPB: Did you choose your band name partially because of your interest in law?

McNeill: No. It was actually a name we almost called me and Adam's old band, Moloko Plus. That name was a popular one for obvious reasons, and a dumb jazz band from Philadelphia sent us a cease and desist from using …

Nick Woods (Direct Hit!, Galactic Cannibal)

SPB: What is the best Milwaukee-made beer?

Woods: My favorite Milwaukee-made beer is Fuel Coffee Stout, more for the memory of getting hammered on it at a bar that I won't name on Center Street that used to let underagers play tunes in exchange for liquor. It's this super-bitter, almost chocolatey-tasting stuff that's about …

Joe Cardamone (The Icarus Line)

SPB: What is your drink of choice?

Cardamone: Fizzy water

Yako (Melt Banana)

SPB: What surprised you the most on your first US tour?

Yako: I was surprised that we needed to show ID to enter the clubs. In Japan, we don't need to be over 21 to enter clubs!

Jonny 5 (Flobots)

SPB: When did you opt to make your living as a musician/did you quit a regular day job in doing so?

Jonny 5: Yes! I was working as a paraprofessional at East High School, a job I thoroughly enjoyed. I helped with the A+ Angels Mentoring program, Link Crew, and a Peer Tutoring program, and also was …

Jeff (Capitalist Kids)

SPB: Who is your favorite capitalist hero?

Jeff: Ha ha. I don't have a capitalist hero. The Capitalist Kids are not huge fans of capitalism, even though every once in a while someone mistakenly “likes” our Facebook page with that belief. I suppose if we want to use this question as a springboard for discussing capitalism, I'll …

Justin Wettstein (Multiple Truths)

SPB: After music, what other arts are you interested in?

Wettstein: Taking music out of the art spectrum is tough. I feel that music plays a large part in many forms of art, at least in some small capacity...so I must admit, I was a little stumped at first. When forced to think about it, though, …

Sarah Neufeld (solo, Arcade Fire)

SPB: What are the biggest challenge you face in getting the sound you want live while playing with amplified instruments?

Neufeld: I've always had a pretty good pick-up situation on my violin, so it hasn't really been an issue. It is fun to experiment with pushing the sound of that instrument in a band context. …

Anthony (Stranger by Starlight)

SPB: What is your favorite 1970s artist?

Anthony: It's incredibly difficult to pick a favourite artist, album or even track from the entirety of the 1970s, so many things spring immediately to mind, all of which deserve to be mentioned: Leonard Cohen, The Stooges, Amon Duul II and Ash Ra Temple, Gang of Four, Joy Division...my …

Kevin Baker (All Pigs Must Die)

SPB: What is your favorite thing about international touring?

Baker: In my opinion, traveling to different regions and absorbing the culture is the greatest thing anyone can ever do in life. I really miss that part of being in a band and am real fortunate I got to do it when I did. I …

Dallas Thomas (Pelican)

SPB: How would you summarize the Chicago heavy scene?

Thomas: Chicago has had a really strong scene for awhile now. Maybe one reason is that you have to survive the city before a band has a chance plug in and crank it up. Practice rooms are not cheap here, so it forces a level of focus and …

Brian Case (Disappears)

SPB: How was your experience recording at Electrical Audio?

Case: Electrical Audio is such a great studio: both comfortable and top of the line. Everything works, the staff is hospitable and knowledgeable and it has a vibe and atmosphere that allow for creativity and experimentation. Every band I've been in has recorded there and I plan on …

Bryan Spinks (Samothrace, vocalist/guitarist)

SPB: How did you get so bloody heavy?

Spinks: I suppose it is a culmination of some different things. Obviously the riffs have to be solid. Tone is a huge factor, too. I, as many guitarists do, have spent the past 20+ years searching for the proper tone from my amps and cabs. It took a …

Clifford Dinsmore (BL'AST!)

SPB: When you found the Blood tapes, did you think it was possible to remaster them to the point you achieved with the final released product?

Dinsmore: We never imagined it would sound as heavy as it does now! But, when you consider all the contributing factors, like Will's tracks being brought back to life, and all …

PJ Fancher (The Fest ticketmaster, Grabass Charlestons/The Careeners, I worked at No Idea Records for 10 years)

Fancher: I've never seen any direct numbers proving so but I imagine that the whole download code thing has only helped vinyl sales. I actually get a bit bummed if I buy a new record and it does not have a download code. …

Swordplay (Swordplay & Pierre the Motionless)

SPB: Is there a regional food you look forward to when you tour?

Swordplay: Boiled Peanuts. Probably the best part about going to the South is boiled peanuts. Last time I was in SC, I learned they can even be turned into hummus. It's delicious.

Daniel O’ Sullivan (Mothlite)

SPB: How do you find the time for so many different projects?

O'Sullivan: I don't find the time because time doesn't exist. It's always now. Right now I'm answering this question, before that I was assembling an Ikea bookshelf, these are projects and they're always happening now unless they're not happening and in that context they …