Radioactive Roddy

     Over the past ten years, Roddy Radiation (from The Specials) has been working his musical magic to bring two of his favorite musical styles together, ska and rockabilly, with his more recent project, The Skabilly Rebels. Founded in 2003, they formed in Coventry, England. Because of how expensive it is to fly a band overseas, Roddy has a collective of members in the U.S. to play with him out here. Since he still enjoys it, they’re known for dropping some Specials’ tunes, strictly pulling from the tunes that he wrote, like “Rat Race.” The Skabilly Rebels put out their debut album, Blues Attack, in 2009, a few years before their 2012 U.S. tour. As far as touring goes, Roddy finds the U.S. to be more accepting of his new project, whereas in the U.K., people mostly still just want to hear The Specials.

    For their latest tour, The Skabilly Rebels picked up Lynval Golding (also from The Specials). I asked Roddy what The Specials think of his new project and apparently, they’re annoyed that Lynval is playing in it. It seems that they fear that The Skabilly Rebels could potentially break The Specials. Roddy also mentioned that he’s unsure about what’s going on with The Specials presently, although he did say that they’re trying to tour again. We also had a good laugh over the story of Elvis Costello as a producer for The Specials. Apparently, he wanted to fire Roddy, seemingly because Elvis thought his rockabilly sound on guitar wouldn’t really work with a ska band. Roddy never heard about this until after recording with him and, to this day, still thinks he’s a good guy.

Due to ties with The Stray Cats, Roddy also said that at one point, they attempted to tour with The Specials. I read in a previous interview about Roddy catching The Stray Cats at Gaz’s Rockin’ Blues club in England, so I asked if The Specials ever played with the owner Gaz Mayall’s ska band, The Trojans. Turns out, rather, that Roddy’s played with his father, famous blues guitarist John Mayall.

On this latest U.S. tour, the Skabilly Rebels played Pub Rock in Scottsdale. I arrived with my wife and hung out out front with some friends before proving that I was on the guest list which hadn’t arrived yet. The Skabilly Rebels ran into some issues on the road, making them run very late. Luckily, local DJs Beat Betty and Fullstop were there to crank out the jams. We grabbed some drinks and hung out before someone from the venue showed us the new control booth for KUKQ onsite. Eventually, The Skabilly Rebels arrived and I ran into Roddy at the bar. We ordered drinks and spoke about conducting our interview before their set. We relaxed in the green room for a brief Q & A session. Afterwards, I hung out with my wife and friends before their set and even had the DJs spin some Bodysnatchers.

After a couple more tunes, The Skabilly Rebels took the stage. Their mix of ska and rockabilly blended together very well. Turns out that one of the guitarists that plays with him in the U.S. is Kevin Bivona from Los Angeles based ska punk band, The Interrupters. As usual, Roddy killed it on lead guitar while Kevin focused on rhythm. Especially toward the end of their set, they threw down some Specials’ classics, like “Concrete Jungle” and “Rat Race”. Overall, Specials tunes or no, The Skabilly Rebels got the crowd shaking it on the dancefloor and singing along.

~Garyn Klasek

Com-boss Rhythms

            From the warm beaches of San Diego, The Combos are a fresh, new band of ska fanatics. Starting in early 2012, these cats come from a slew of other ska bands, like 2000 Tons of TNT, Squirrel Plague, The Demeanors, The Deadbeat Babies, The Amalgamated and The Mayors of Sexytown, to form this conglomeration of a groovy ska project with punk-filled energy. For a new band, they have the ability to capture the hearts of rudies and punks alike. For a band with merely a Facebook page and a bunch of Youtube videos, they really pull you in and leave you intrigued.

            When I arrived at the Yucca Tap Room to catch The Combos at Phoenix Ska Punk Bowling, they were setting up. It wasn’t very packed but there was much going on with Ska Punk Bowling alone. After floating around and greeting some ska f(r)iends, The Combos did their sound check before starting. Right off the bat, they had us grooving to their smooth rhythms. Their guitarist from Ottly Mercer, another ska band from San Diego, and keyboardist Shane Gocke bounced back and forth between rhythm and solo. More prominent to me was the strong rhythm of Shane as well as the jazzy solos of their guitarist. Their drummer, Jeremy Garcia, stood out from many others by driving the band and crowd as well as leading on vocals. At one point, Tim Normand, their saxophonist, went off on a solo while his band mates encouraged him to throw down harder, much to everyone’s delight. Scotty Inumerable, their bassist from 2000 Tons of TNT (San Diego reggae/garage), as well, walked all over the fret board to really get folks skanking. Overall, for a newer ska band, I was really impressed with how outstanding they play together, especially with some of the members playing in other projects, one of whom was playing with them live for the first time. Look out for these guys as they take off and return to Arizona.

~Garyn Klasek

The Limit(less) Club

The Limit Club is a local band that plays a mix of various musical styles, such as gothic, rockabilly and punk. Founded in 2005, they have never strayed from their DIY formula, including releasing their own demos and albums, booking their own shows/tours and even making their own music videos. Over the years, a couple characteristics have changed: their membership and increasing popularity. Despite starting out without a name and releasing “scratchy” demos, they now have their own label, Phantom Cat Records, and have released three albums. These comprise of God Damn The Limit Club in 2007, 2008’s Phantom Cats and This is Cutthroat Business (2011). They’ve also toured pretty hard throughout the United States. Recently, they played their European tour kick-off with some friends.    

When I arrived at the venue Last Exit Live, the opening band, Scorpion vs. Tarantula, was breaking down. I floated around checking out the new layout of what used to be The Ruby Room a few years back. Afterwards, I headed outside to greet the cats from The Limit Club. Eventually, Tucson’s The Mission Creeps went on. I checked them out a little between talking with The Limit Club about their upcoming tour and recent stint about the Southwest. They were rockin’. Next, The Limit Club performed a marvelous set, especially considering the decent sound quality and impressive lighting show. Nick Feratu did his usual kick-ass guitar shredding alongside the boomtastic skills of Juan Carlos on drums. The crowd could even feel NickDave on upright bass walk us through the set and, as always, Monty O was tearin’ it up on rhythm guitar and sax. Finally, The Haymarket Squares rained down their tuneful assault of punkgrass on the crowd with a special appearance by NickDave, relieving Marc Oxborrow on upright bass for a Pink Floyd cover. Eventually, they unplugged and joined the crowd with a special guest on washboard to get the crowd shakin’. Below, I had the fortunate ability of hitting up The Limit Club with some questions:

I just realized that you cats have gone through almost as many members as years of existence. How has that impacted The Limit Club early on as you were developing?

Each time a new member has joined the Limit Club, our sound has improved. And currently, we have the most solid line-up we’ve ever had. For example, Juan’s been in the band longer than George ever was and NickDave has written more songs than Joel ever did.

Y’all play a rather intriguing conglomeration of musical styles. What or who have influenced you the most?

Our influences are ever changing. It really depends on what we’re listening to at the time. The writing process is only the beginning. Our songs change quite a bit from the time they’re written to the time they are recorded. One member could write a song inspired by Dion and the Belmonts, and then another could put a Mano Negro twist on it, and it turns out better than any of us intended or expected.

If y’all could take your pick of any musicians to jam with, dead or alive, who would they be?

We would love to jam with Gogol Bordello or Wesley Willis.

What’s your favorite band that you’ve played with?

We’ve played with so many great bands. As far as bands that we admire and grew up on, The Adicts, The Quakes, Nekromantix, Frenzy and Mad Sin. Bands that we love dearly and are like brothers to us would be Furious, Reckless Ones, The Henchmen, and the Koffin Kats.

If I gave you a time machine, who would you go terrorize?

How much time you got, buddy? There’s Andrew Jackson, who was a jerk. It would be nice to terrorize Colonel Parker before he ruined Elvis Presley. And we would simply have to terrorize Malcolm McLaren. He deserves it.

You guys have been releasing your own material since you started. Has that been an overly-exhausting process or something that you’ve gotten used to and now find easy?

It’s not easy, but it is fun, and very fulfilling. First, writing the songs, then recording them, designing the album art, and opening a box of a thousand new CD’s with your band’s logo on it. It’s a confirmation that all your hard work means something, and you did what you wanted, with no one else telling you what to do.

I was rockin’ out on Youtube and discovered that a couple years ago, The Limit Club made a Blank TV video for “Shake”. Were you shocked to do a video through them?

We recorded that video independently, and Blank TV incorporated it into their collection. We don’t mind at all, it’s cool.

The quality of the video is really nice but your new video (Condemned Vessel) stands out to me musically. I know that y’all are hella proud of it. Was that a pretty complicated process?

It was somewhat of a complicated process. Brainstorming ideas was the most complicated part, but once we came up with shooting locations, and a central theme, it became easy for us. The director/videographers, Jeff Neimoeller and Ryan Hale played the most pertinent role after that. They have a great eye for cinematography and that made the video for us.

After touring and playing 23 states, what’s been your favorite place to play (don’t say PHX; that’s cheating)?

There have been so many memorable towns that we’ve played in. We love playing Pomona with our friends, Switchblade 77, Denver, Austin, and Chicago, to name a few. Although, really, it just depends on the show. For instance, being on the road with Furious, ever night is a night to remember, whether it be in Lompoc, CA, for ten people, or L.A. to 300 ravenous psychos.

So, after being around for almost a decade, y’all are about to tour Europe. Is there any particular place that you’re ecstatic to play?

We really don't know what to expect, so we’re just looking forward to playing Europe!

~Garyn Klasek

Suedehead: International Soul Rebels

Suedehead is a unique band these days, striving to play music from their roots, in this case, soul and pop, while coming from a place of more modern influences (punk and American ska).  With members from bands like TSOL, Berlin, Hepcat, The Aggrolites, Beat Union and The Distraction, they started out as a side project in the spring of 2011 in Costa Mesa, CA. Eventually, Davey Warsop (Beat Union) met Mike Ness while engineering some Social Distortion demos at Hurley Studios. After listening to Suedehead’s demos, Mike asked if they wanted to open for Social D. Of course, Davey said yes and the rest is history.

Since then, Suedehead has released three EP’s: (So) Frantic in May 2011, The Constant in October 2011 and In Motion in March 2012. Recently, they released the single “Lying in Bed” b/w a cover of Fugazi’s “Waiting Room”. The band returned to Martini Ranch in Old Town Scottsdale on Friday, August 9th. Also playing were locals The 2 Tone Lizard Kings, a seven piece ska band, and garage rockers, The Dead Eyes of London.

When I arrived at Martini Ranch, there was some new band added to the lineup that was playing and wrapping up their set. While they were playing, I checked out the space, mostly from a technical angle since it was my first Martini Ranch show. The space was on the small side but that isn’t necessarily bad. They also have a decent lighting set up and the sound was pretty good. As the opener loaded out, I noticed the nice dock system they use there including a roll-up door behind the stage, set-up area and a ramp for gear. The Dead Eyes of London already had some of their equipment ready to go. The Dead Eyes of London had a rockin’ set, including the occasional cover for the Scottsdale crowd. I definitely felt an AC/DC influence, which is kinda surprising for a garage rock band but not really. They also had a guest guitarist, Meliza from Zero Zero, which might’ve been why the guitar parts stood out so much during their set.

Suedehead put on a killer set. I remember Kory’s (Hepcat, The Aggrolites) drumming at the opening of a song having a very R & B feel to it. The crowd really got into it, too, with some dancing and kicking in the air. There were points when I was driven to skank to their soul-power rhythms. Even Greg’s (TSOL, Berlin) attack on keys held such prominence to where it could almost overpower the rest of the rhythm section. Regardless of what was catching the crowd’s interest, everyone on the dancefloor was tearing it up. After their set, I ran into Cameron (Warsaw) from the Sara McAllister band who plays with The 2tone Lizard Kings from time to time. Eventually, I floated around to say my goodbyes to get out of Scottsdale well before the police would be hovering around it. As I spoke with some friends and some of Suedehead, The 2tone Lizard Kings kicked off their tunes to get the crowd skanking again. For Suedehead media, go to Suedeheadband.com. Now, on to my interview with Suedehead:

How have your individual musical roots (punk, new wave, ska, etc…) influenced your band and the direction it has taken?

DAVEY: Suedehead pretty much started as a vehicle for the songs I was writing that had a 'Northern Soul' edge/influence. I tend to write the majority of the music, so I don't think our band is a total blend of everyone's personal tastes because we've all listened to so many styles and artists over the years, it might get messy. But I think all of us as players do put our own musical characteristics on the songs.

Who would you all consider to have been your influences?

DAVEY: The older I get, the more I realize how broad my influences were when I was a kid. the two main things that made we want to be in a band weren't even bands themselves, they were films - Marty McFly in Back To The Future made me wanna play guitar. Then The Commitments was probably my main introduction to soul music. After that, I've had all kinds of musical loves growing up….Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy, Nirvana, The Clash, UK indie and Britpop, Elvis Costello and the pub rock/new wave era, 80s American hardcore and 90s skate punk etc etc.

Now, I understand that this band started out as a side project that was pushed in the right direction by Mike Ness (if it weren’t for Nessy, we may not have even become a real band). When I read that, it reminded me of another project that took a similar path that Korey can identify with (the Aggrolites started out as a backing band for Jamaican artists that was pushed in the right direction by Prince Buster, from what I hear). What’s it like to have someone like that push you into becoming something more?

MIKE: Naturally it was very important to us, on a number of levels. Having someone with Mike Ness's credibility championing us from the get-go lent us a degree of credibility that is very difficult for most bands to achieve right when they're starting out, like we were at the time. We've been fortunate to hear from other highly successful acts that have let us know that they're fans of our band. It's very satisfying to know that musicians and songwriters that you admire are into what you're doing.

Obviously, I could imagine that when punk and roots are such a stronghold in your life, that having Mike Ness asking your band to play with his is exhilarating. What are some other punk bands that you have played with/want to play with?

DAVEY: We played with Stiff Little Fingers, that was pretty special. And got to meet Squeeze when we played Coachella last year - I guess that counts since we played on the same bill. Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford are some of my all-time favorite song writers.

I know that there are a bunch of bands that blend soul with punk and/or ska. Have you all had the opportunity to play with bands like that and do you have any favorites?

MIKE: We've all opened for very cool bands in all genres over the courses of our individual careers. As Suedehead, opening for English Beat is a pretty big thrill. I know they're a different thing now, but those songs were groundbreaking and it was cool to see their very passionate crowd accept us, and not slag us off as just another opening act for their heroes. We get to play with them again in September in LA.

I understand that Greg used to play in TSOL and Berlin (among other various projects). How did you go from playing punk to new wave to soul?

GREG: It's all about making and playing music with good people. We still do some TSOL shows, and that's a lot of fun. Suedehead is just a great band, and I love doing it. Everyone in the band has a distinct musical personality, and that makes for great chemistry when we play.

Did you (get to) enjoy being a part of punk history in the movie Suburbia?

GREG: Yes, that was fun. I think I was 19!

So Korey, you have toured with Hepcat. What was that like and how did you go from playing ska to joining Suedehead?

KOREY: Playing with Hepcat was awesome. I am actually a big fan of Hepcat. My wife and I had our first date at a Hepcat show. So I was so stoked when I got the call. They are all a great bunch of guys and some of the best ska/ reggae musicians I have ever had the pleasure of working with.

A lot of people know me only as a ska/ reggae drummer. But I have actually always played all kinds of music. My first professional gig was with a country western artist. But I went on to play with Suedehead because my old band (the Aggrolites) and Davey's old band (Beat Union) were on Warped Tour together in '08. We became friends and had mutual respect for each other's band. Right before I was about to start touring with Hepcat, I saw Davey at Hurley and he told me about this soul thing he wanted to do. With out even hearing it I told him I was 100% down. About a year later we were called Suedehead.

Did you have fun appearing on Yo Gabba Gabba?

KOREY: Yo Gabba Gabba was awesome. Christian Jacobs [The Aquabats] is so cool, so talented. And hilarious! All those smiles and laughs you see on that video from us are 100% real. Christian was yelling all kinds of funny stuff at us through a bullhorn the whole time. That was prob the most "real deal" video shoot I have ever done though. I had no idea what the show was and how big of a deal it would be. I still have little 3 year old kids recognize me from that. So stoked to have been a part of it.

This one is more for Davey. Now, you started off in the UK before coming to the states. How did the region influence you (outside of, of course, Northern Soul)?

DAVEY: I've learned so much about who I am from living in a foreign country. I would recommend it to anyone. I really don't think I knew much about my culture and what things had been ingrained into me through my upbringing and just living there, until I stepped really far away from it and looked back. The region I lived in for about 25 years had a massive impact on me, although I've no idea if any of that really influences Suedehead's music specifically? I guess it does in terms of the British bands that inspired me to play. I probably wouldn't be here in the USA now, with this band, playing these songs y'know. And maybe if there weren't such shit and uninspiring career opportunities where I grew up I wouldn't have picked up a guitar and started dreaming? Who knows. The Midlands area in the UK isn't very glamorous or exciting really and I sometimes feel that's kinda ingrained in me. I often think I don't have enough of a 'rock star' ego to be a front man, compared to someone that's grown up around the showbiz life of London, or LA or something! But then again, the 80s and 90s days of rock n roll excess have passed and I don't think there's much place for that stereotypical rock star bullshit anymore. It seems the public are far more enamored by the music industry good guys like Dave Grohl or Chris Martin for example.

What’s your impression of the states by comparison?

DAVEY: Everything you have and do is bigger and to the extreme, ha ha. Big Gulps are bigger. food portions are bigger. Roads are wider. Curbs are higher. Cars and trucks are bigger. If you're depressed, the doctors are handing out pills and cures. If you wanna get drunk, you turn into an alcoholic and join AA. Skinny people are skinnier, fat people are fatter, the poor are poorer, the rich are richer. Obviously I'm making fun here, but on a surface level thats kinda how it seems. Maybe that's just my view on Southern California. Joking aside, the greatest thing is, I feel the American dream is for real - if you want something, in general, you can work hard and achieve it.

So, International Soul Rebel Society is an independent label that y’all started for your music. How has your experience with the music business impacted you all on creating it?

DAVEY: I think releasing your music yourself is just a way of life for most bands today. An old band of mine had a brief stint with a record label and whole team around us to push our career. This led me through some amazing experiences and some bad ones - nothing I would ever change, but these experiences definitely made me want to be more 'hands on' in the future.

Do you enjoy the creative freedom and responsibilities that come with being in charge of your own recordings?

DAVEY: I do enjoy it. I pretty much make my living via the music industry (outside of Suedehead) so I realize I'm probably dissing on myself and coming off as a fraud when I say this, but the older I get, the more grossed out I'm becoming with the way people want to 'market' and 'sell' music. The art should stand up for itself - and granted, more times than not, this alone won't catapult the band onto the front page of Rolling Stone or get them a million followers on Instagram or whatever.... but I would rather keep our music honest than have someone telling us what we need to sound like, look like, or which bands we need to kiss ass and hang around or Tweet with in order to get noticed more! And I know some of this sounds extreme, but once you start doing business with (some) labels (or anyone for that matter), and they start giving you money - they will begin controlling and shaping the art, bit by bit. I still wouldn't rule out a record deal with another label - just as long as it suits us and we get to control what we want to control.

Where do you see yourselves in the future, immediate and beyond?

DAVEY: We just want the wheels to keep moving - none of us are 21 any more and we all work jobs, so we're not a full-time band at the moment. But we tour as much as we can and try to make it all work. We're looking towards releasing a full-length early next year and play more shows. I actually have a power-pop side project called Newest York, so I'm gonna release a 7" for that on I.S.R.S soon. We want our label to be about our band as a collective and release anything we feel like putting out there. so there's plenty more to come for sure!

~ Garyn Klasek

Top of the Mornin' to Rum Rebellion

Rum Rebellion is an Irish folk/street punk band from Portland, OR that started in early March of 2005. They started out playing mostly acoustic Celtic instruments and busking at the Portland Saturday Market and outside of punk shows to pay for entry and drinks. Eventually, they took on a drummer and bass player and plugged in to play shows. Rum Rebellion has played with some big bands, like Broken Bones, The Tossers and The Real McKenzies. In the fall of 2006, they released Cruisin’ for a Boozin’. In 2008, they released a split album with Hammered Grunts: Pick Yer Poison. Recently, they put out a full length release called Blackwater. They are also working on another full length album for release this year. Since their first album, Rum Rebellion has toured extensively throughout the West Coast and a few times around the U.S.

    Rum Rebellion is set to play at Tempe Tavern on Wednesday, August 14th at 8 PM. The show is free and for the 21 or older crowd. Also playing are Darrow Chemical Company, a New Jersey-based pop-punk band. Also playing are local Celtic rockers Cockswain, Cottonwood’s Hardcore punkers Unstable Youth and local Irish folk/punk band Whiskey and the Barrels. Check out Rum Rebellion at Rumrebellion.net. Here’s an interview I did with them:

I’m sure you all get asked about your name frequently. Obviously, y’all support that rebellion. How do you feel about the IRA, past and/or present?

Historically the English were oppressive to the Irish, and the IRA served an important function for Irish unification. It's more complicated today. Having never been to Northern Ireland, it's hard to have a truly informed opinion, but overall we're for it - people fighting for their homes and their rights.

Some might also be aware that Rum Rebellion is the name of an album released by one of your influences: Mutiny (Australia). Have any of you had the pleasure of seeing them live?

We've never seen Mutiny perform, they have never been to the US and we've never been to Australia. Hopefully if we can tour there in the future we can set up some shows with them.

So, y’all started out acoustic before plugging in. Obviously, there are advantages to playing acoustic and plugged when it comes to punk. Which do you prefer?

We pretty much only play plugged in these days. Drums, bass, and electric guitar have become an integral part of the band. Personally I enjoy both, but without a lot of traditional instruments performing with us it's hard to play acoustic.

Where did you get the idea to start out acoustic?

We started out acoustic because those were the instruments we had at the time - fiddle, tin whistle, bouzouki, and acoustic guitar. The whole idea was to bring a punk sound out of traditional instruments. Since then, the project has evolved.

You also started out busking, which can be VERY helpful, especially on tour. Do y’all still busk?

We generally don't busk on tour these days because the whole group can't participate - when we tour the only acoustic instruments we have are tin whistle and guitar.

I just watched your video on Blank TV. Did you expect this popularity in the punk community or has it been a long time coming?

The band's popularity has picked up over time. So far 2013 has been a great year for the band, starting with an awesome tour of Oregon and California, followed by the video, and now a larger summer tour of 10 states.

So, y’all have played with Celtic and oi bands, among others. Has there been much connection with modern folk/punk?

Rum Rebellion has a different approach to folk punk than the more Appalachian / Klezmer / Zydeco sound that gypsy folk punk bands and travelers tend to play. We currently do not have as many traditional instruments as we would like - it's been very difficult to find really solid players who have both the technical and stylistic abilities we're looking for and also the availability to practice and perform regularly.

Now, traditional Celtic music has definitely had an impact on your style. I’m sure that the Northwest is a fairly large hub for Celtic folk. Is there much of a good community for it in PDX and is Rum Rebellion appreciated by it?

Rum Rebellion has an amazing following in Oregon. A lot of street punk kids come to our shows. When the band started in 2005, there were a lot of celtic and folk punk bands in the Northwest. Now almost every one of them has broken up, so these days it's hard for us to find groups with similar styles to share bills with in the NW.

Have any of you, individually or as a band, got to play in Ireland?

We're planning to tour Europe next summer, but at this point none of us have ever been to Ireland.

Of course, bands like The Pogues, The Clash and Mutiny are influences. What are some other influences for Rum Rebellion?

McDermott's Two Hours is a more obscure celtic band that all of us listen to a lot. We're also big fans of The Zydepunks from New Orleans. Generally though our influences are more punk and oi, bands like Street Dogs, Oxymoron, The Business, and Cocksparrer.

With more incorporation of traditional instrumentation, do you see more involvement in the folk/punk community or do you maybe see it as setting you apart from the street punk community?

Rum Rebellion has a different approach to folk punk than the more Appalachian / Klezmer / Zydeco sound that gypsy folk punk bands and travelers tend to play. We currently do not have as many traditional instruments as we would like - it's been very difficult to find really solid players who have both the technical and stylistic abilities we're looking for and also the availability to practice and perform regularly.

We see ourselves as offering something unique to the street punk community more so than involvement in the folk/punk community. Most of our fans are street punk kids - mohawks and spiky jackets or anti-racist/trad skinheads, and that's how most of us grew up as well.

What’s your impression of mainstream versus underground music?

Most mainstream music is overproduced - there's not a lot of musical substance. We all have our few guilty pleasures, but the underground scene is just so much more real.

If you could pick any bands to play a show with, past and/or present, what would your dream line-up be?

Playing with Cocksparrer would be a dream come true. Perkele and Greenland Whalefishers as well.

Where do y’all see yourselves evolving as a band?

We want more traditional instruments in the band to fill out that part of the sound. Ultimately we want a sound that is dynamic, expressive, and layered. Every musician should have their chance to shine, and listeners should get to hear changing volumes, feels, styles, and  combinations of instruments throughout an album or a live set - that's part of what makes good music interesting and fun to play.

Touring is really the best way to get out there as a band, so we are looking into the East Coast, Europe, Brazil, Mexico, and SE Asia.

~Garyn Klasek