Blag Dahlia (Dwarves – vocals)
SPB: What is the most important vocal element when doing sound check for a Dwarves show?
Blag Dahlia: A sound man who isn’t profoundly retarded. They do exist, but to find them you have to travel far and wide sorting through countless buffoons until, like the princess and the pea, you find one that’s just right. Then you fire him for doing heroin while driving the van.
One-question interviews with artists where we find out about the gear and equipment they use to achieve their sound.
— More from this series
Matthew Brammer (Six Below Zero) SPB: Can you walk us through your studio or recording set-up to get a glimpse of how a one-man band works for Six Below Zero? Brammer: Since I don't play live anymore, I'm pretty much 100% "in the box" these days. Especially since a lot … Read more
Steve Brewer (Distants) SPB: Did you choose your name before the band members were located in different cities? Brweer: Yes. Everyone who was in the band when it started lived in Chicago. When I joined the band in 2019, Zach and I would carpool the distants from Michigan to Chicago … Read more
Chris Mason (Faulty Cognitions) SPB: Was the mic’ing of your kit for the recording of Somehow, Here We Are fairly straight forward, or were there some techniques or experiments used to capture the sound? Mason: We didn't do anything too fancy. I do remember that we didn't mic the toms … Read more
Stephen Hamm Theremin Man shows off his theremin magic. Read more
Josh Levine (Middle-Aged Queers) SPB: Tell us about the day you bought your current (primary) bass and why you chose it. Levine: I bought my current primary bass in the ‘90s at Univibe Music (RIP) in Oakland. It’s a DanElectro Longhorn, ‘90s reissue. I thought it was black. I played … Read more
Take Back The Night isn’t one of those experiment Dwarves records, like the industrio-tinge of Come Clean. On their latest offering, the long-running band alternates styles consistently between their unique and twisted take on bubblegum pop-punk and screaming, single-vocalist hardcore. For the most part, the hardcore songs are fronted by Rex Everything (Nick Oliveri), with occasional SPB guest contributor Blag … Read more
I know what you’re thinking? Why has it already been five months without a new Dwarves release? Never fear, the long-running goodtime smutlovers are back, this time with a 4-song EP on Fat Wreck Chords. Gentleman Blag pulls its title track from their latest, The Dwarves Invented Rock & Roll, as the band is prone to putting out already released … Read more
I won’t say anything as hyperbolic as that the Dwarves invented rock ‘n’ roll, but I’ll still give them another borderline statement that fits on a press sheet: the 2014 Dwarves are a supergroup—not a supergroup side project of glossy mag pin-ups, but a supergroup that is honestly comprised of, well, Dwarves. While always performing as a 3-5 piece band … Read more
Jeremiah (Small Steps - guitar/vocals) SPB: What song has the best use of whistling? Jeremiah: I feel like the easy answer would be the Bobby McFerrin song "Don't Worry Be Happy". Which is catchy as all get out, but we prefer the road less traveled here in Small Steps. For … Read more
Joliette SPB: What foreign country has been the most fun to play? Joliette: Our favorite country to play shows in has definitely got to be Switzerland. It’s such a beautiful and fascinating place. Despite its relatively small size, we’ve been lucky enough to play in several different regions -- including … Read more
Morgan (Visual Learner – bass) SPB: What was the first song you learned to play on your instrument? Morgan: I think the first song I learned on bass was either “No” by Subhumans or “Boredom” by the Buzzcocks. I was maybe 16? and traded a blunt to my boyfriend for … Read more
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