Features / One Question Interviews

Andy Pohl (Sell The Heart Records)

SPB: Have you ever signed a band you didn’t personally know?

Pohl: Yes, I've worked with many bands that I didn't personally know beforehand.  Most have been introduced to me by other bands or musicians that I personally knew, such as Failing Up, Original Son and Heavy Seas. There have been a few that …

T.J. McFaull (The Bar Stool Preachers)

SPB: Noting that Terry Hall recently passed away, what is your favorite song by The Specials and what does it mean to you?

McFaull:

“Do Nothing”

Even a band as genre specific as The Specials could slow it down and write a balladic banger like this was life-changing. The lyrics, like so many Specials …

Kepi Ghoulie

SPB: Noting that Terry Hall recently passed away, what is your favorite song by The Specials and what does it mean to you?

Kepi: My favorite Specials song may be an obvious choice, but “A Message To You, Rudy“ is my jam! It is ALWAYS in my head, so I am glad you asked!! 

It is their “Blitzkrieg …

Davey Warsop (Suedehead, Beat Union, Sharp/Shock)

SPB: Noting that Terry Hall recently passed away, what is your favorite song by The Specials and what does it mean to you?

Warsop: It’s so hard to choose but currently I’d probably say “Do Nothing” … The lyrics and melody are just so haunting. 

But they had so many great songs that were …

Rev (The Drowns)

SPB: Noting that Terry Hall recently passed away, what is your favorite song by The Specials and what does it mean to you?

Rev: My first band ever was a ska band when I was in high school over 20 years ago now. I learned how to play “A Message To You Rudy” and “Nite Klub” on …

Victor Dowgiallo (Grizzlor)

SPB: You just released a collection of b-sides and rarities. Did you use any specific techniques in mixing to get a steady sound when merging different recording sessions?

Dowgiallo: No, I didn't use any special techniques, I just basically went into the old mixes and touched them up in a way with some things I had …

Jake (Painted Light – guitar)

SPB: What type of guitar do you play (and how did you land on this one)? 

Jake: Fender 1972 Thinline Telecaster! 

I love it because the tone is warm, not too bright -- but the highs come through well, and the pickups are hot enough to really project the tapping parts into tbe next level. …

Elle Reynolds (Endless, Nameless)

SPB: You’re named after a hidden Nirvana track. What other record “gimmicks” like bonus tracks are you a fan of?

Reynolds: There are a lot I’m a big fan of, honestly! My absolute favorites are little handwritten notes/drawings and things like that, the really special one of a kind stuff that you typically only find with …

Joe Anderl (The 1984 Draft)

SPB: What is the origin of the band name?

Anderl: Both my parents are from Omaha, Nebraska. My dad graduated from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Since my dad was in the Air Force, we moved around a lot so we didn’t have deep ties to any real geographic region or sports teams outside …

Ben Green (Fairweather-keyboards/vocals)

SPB: Did you experiment with different sounds in the studio for Deluge, or did you enter knowing exactly what equipment you wanted to capture it? (Do you have any examples of equipment that helped to define this EP?)

Green: Lots of different guitar sounds went into the recording of this record. I think my guitar parts …

Johnny Waylon Porcupine (Friends of Cesar Romero)

SPB: You’re averaging about a record per year over a 10+ year span. What keeps you motivated?

Johnny Waylon Porcupine: Short answer- death. Long answer- I like writing and recording songs. Seneca said it best “It is not that we have a short space of time but that we waste much of it.”

Alex (The Remote Controls)

SPB: What’s your favorite Ramones deep cut?

Alex: My favorite Ramones deep cut is “Oh Oh I Love Her So” from Leave Home. I’m a big fan of Joey’s love songs and this is one of the best. The song has a cool ‘50s/American Graffiti vibe but set against the backdrop of Coney Island. The live …

Ian (Easy Beach)

SPB: You stated that you want the new record to sound live. What, ultimately, was the trick to capturing that vibe?

Ian: Recording as much as we could ourselves, and being accepting of the blemishes. I think anyone who puts out a record will listen and have a lot of things they would change, or hear things that …

Hex Records

SPB: How do you typically find the bands you sign to the label?

Hex: There’s a secret cabal of labels that select bands through an ancient ritual and lots of blood… wait, I just gave too much away. Honestly though, it’s a mix of keeping up with what my friends and bands I’ve worked with in the past …

Donnie Hopper (The Bare Minimum – bass)

SPB: What stands out to you about your first live show with The Bare Minimum?

Hopper: What stands out to me about my first show with the Bare Minimum was how big the shoes were that I had to fill. It was a St. Paddy's Day show on March 15th, 2019. I had …

Dylan (Colonial Wounds – bass/vocals)

SPB: Is there a particular musician who inspired you to start playing your instrument?

Dylan: Bass was the first instrument I learned to play and it was Hunter Burgan of AFI that inspired me the most at that point. The first song I tried to learn outside of shit like smoke on the water was …

Ash (The Clever References – guitar/vocals)

SPB: How important is TikTok platform for a DIY band?

Ash: It's a lottery ticket. You can do everything right on that platform, and find that the algorithm has changed and it's kinda left you behind. Alternatively, a piece of content you make might skyrocket you to fame that risks you being a passenger of …

Chris (School Drugs)

SPB: What model van is your go-to for touring?

Chris: Econoline E-350 with extended cab, the fifteen-passenger masterpiece. Generally bigger and more comfortable, able to haul all gear and personal effects. Out of the thirteen vans I've owned, four of them were that very model. The last van we had before our current ride, known amongst us …

Ray Gurz (WIPES – bass/vocals)

SPB: How likely you to pick up a record based off its cover with no knowledge of the band or music?

Gurz: I worked in are Double Decker Records for 8 years and during that time I became attracted to check out strange covers or just odd looking covers. I think the excitement to be …

Eisenwald Records

SPB: What was the first concert you attended after COVID lockdowns?

Eisenwald: The first gig after covid was Panzerfaust and Velnias on one of their tourdates in Germany, which was a good one. And the second actually was the same tour... stopping at the esteemed Dark Easter Metal Meeting in Munich, Germany. Another short but fun night for …