Features / One Question Interviews

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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, …

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 …

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 …

Vinnie Fiorello (Less Than Jake)

SPB: Would you license your music for use in film, sports, or ads if given the opportunity?

Fiorello: We already have been involved in all of the above. Fact for a band like LTJ or hell most bands: you want everyone and anyone to hear what you've done creatively. Licensing songs allows bands …

Peter Mielech (Modern Radio Record Label)

SPB: You re-released old STNNNG records on the Playbutton format. How did you decide to try that format?

Mielech: It's an experiment of sorts. We've always tried to stay on top of the different ways people listen to music. Although we've always stayed true to the only time-tested format in vinyl, we …

Sean Carswell (Razorcake)

SPB: How has working on a zine changed how you listen to or value music?

Carswell: When I first started doing record reviews for Flipside back in the '90s, I learned to really listen to music in a way I hadn't before. Doing reviews taught me to sit down with an album and …