MC: I just love the very eclectic range of elements in your music.  What are some of your musical influences?  Who did you listen to in your musically formative years, so to speak?

Randall Keith: Anything and everything from the early Chess records catalog.  Later on, artists such as Duke Ellington, Thelonius Monk and Charles Mingus really changed my concepts of harmony and composition.

Mather Louth: Personally, my musical influences run the proverbial gamut. Growing up, I was raised on music spanning from Vivaldi to The Cars, and I suppose that eclectic tradition has continued throughout my life. As far as who I would be able to classify as constant musical touchstones, I am always mystified by music bolstered by a voice that instantly seems able to turn your insides out and shake you like a revival meeting. Some of those voices…Mark Lanegan, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Patsy Cline, Howlin’ Wolf, Etta James, Billie Holiday, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins…all iconic in their own right, and always in my regular rotation.

Jon Nilsen: Not to be repetitive, but the whole gamut. I could be twit and boast that it’s broader than Mather’s because I’m older than she and have had more time to listen to music. But someday I’ll be old and senile, while she’s still sprightly and able to hear new music; so I won’t go there. Being a sax player, a jazz influence is almost an unspoken given. Especially the tenor giants, Ben Webster, Lester Young and Dexter Gordon. The power and breadth of sound they could get out of the horn definitely set the overall tonal quality of the bands when they played.  With the more modern horn players, I’ve been drawn to bands such as Oingo Boingo and Fishbone that used the horn sections to add a chaotic layer of harmonics that blended with the rest of the instrumentation.  Listening to Dana Colley of Morphine showed me how approaching the sax as a replacement for the rhythm guitar, rather than a lead, can add this same sort of textural layering to the songs as a lone horn player without sounding like a weak, anemic R&B band missing a few members or resorting to derivative fills that have dominated much of the post-bop playing styles.

Adam Bankhead: Before I was a “musician,” it was the Cure, L&R, PIL, the Smiths, Suicidal Tendencies, Pixies, Minor Threat…  Then at the age of 10, I started playing music as though it was a sport.  Very into the technical aspect of it.  I played in drum corps, listened to Yes, Rush, King Crimson, Tower of Power, Mahavishnu Orchestra, etc.  Math rock, I call it now.  All those time changes were soothing to my ADD. Also, not having to bear the terrible burden of looking cool, as evidenced by greasy mullets and guitar straps cinched short enough to choke a poodle.  That’s a plus. Luckily, my appreciation for acrobatics and technical prowess eventually led me to straight-ahead jazz- Miles, Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Bird, Coleman, etc.  And the annoying snobbery of music school led to an appreciation of the other side of the

guitar-strap-length spectrum, like Supergrass, Madness, Bowie, Nirvana just to name a few… you get the idea.

MC: Many current cabaret performers sort of harken back to the 20’s and 30’s.  The vibe I get from your music is more of a ‘40’s-early ‘60s mix of swing, jazz, beat-poets, blues, and even rockabilly.  Instead of the frantic lets-party-before-the-storm attitude, you exude an attitude of “we-ARE-the-storm, baby”!  Your sound is BIG.   Was this something you consciously aim for, or did it just occur naturally?

Randall: Well. if you think about it – we are essentially an acoustic band with an electric guitar. The combination of an upright bass, sax and drums could just as easily is comfortable playing unobtrusive background music to the dinner crowd.  There is a risk of getting lost in the din of a rock club and we have to arrange the instrument parts so that they compliment each other and maximize the sonic and harmonic possibilities. That’s what gives us our sound. There’s a huge difference between what we do and just playing loud, which is what many bands seem to think constitutes a big sound.  Mather also puts a lot of thought into the tonal characteristics of her guitar playing for each song, giving each tune its own sonic landscape.  Riding on top of all that is Mather’s lung power.  So yes, I would definitely say our sound is deliberate, intentional and focused. At times, some of the creative aspects occur quite naturally and some songs have a momentum of their own in the birthing process, but again, the final outcome will always have a large measure of control.

Mather: Agreed. Relating back to my musical influences, I have always been fascinated by the shoegaze scene and the otherworldly guitar tones that play such an integral role within that specific genre. As Randall mentioned, I love creating “landscapes” for each song, not unlike how a film composer will integrate specific sounds and textures into a scene to enhance the story’s momentum. In fact, as a band we’re often described as “cinematic”, so it’s flattering to hear that the music conjures the vision of a storm for you, Aiden. J

MC: A lot of Goths see absolutely no connection with Swing, Jazz, and even Blues, but I see a lot of common elements.  For example, both were considered to be subversive in their heyday. Like Goth, both became watered-down and co-opted by the mainstream. They were very innovative and unlike anything that came before them.   There was definitely a dark side to many of the famous figures in these genres. What do you think?  Am I too far off the mark?

Randall: An excellent point. I would go as far to say that this is (unfortunately) common to many, if not all, styles of music.  Early rock and roll, punk, rap, hip-hop, soul, metal, etc.  The originators and innovators of these styles were tired of hearing the co-opted versions of whatever was once fresh-sounding and exciting from the prior generation’s musical achievements. There is a measure of anger and intolerance in the need to break away from mediocrity and the unmotivated masses.  These individuals had passion – that “artistic temperament” if you will.  So if, in referring to the “dark side” of human nature, you are referring to the visceral, raw, emotion-fueled side of the human psyche, then yes, you’re on the mark.

Mather: Certainly there is an element of darkness in the blues. I feel that blues, folk, and country (which could all be considered forms of “folk”, really) started out as the musical expression of the long-suffering working class. All of those unintentional pioneers sublimated their sadness, loss, and personal demons into a musical form that helped them to cope with the difficulties they faced. Over time, those genres birthed new genres, and so on and so forth through the present. Gothic music often utilizes blue notes or progressions, and the subject matter often delves into themes of sadness, loss, and personal demons present in the blues- not to mention the Devil himself (who was always a popular subject with one of the greats, Robert Johnson!) I think there has always been a thread of darkness running through the musical bloodline, as human suffering is a universal theme in music, regardless of genre.

MC: You started out as a one-woman show, so to speak, and then you enlisted Randall, Adam, and Jon.  Did having a band influence the processes of how you developed your music at all?

Mather: Oh, absolutely. When I started composing, I had a very experimental and primitive approach to songwriting. However, I have never been a fan of the stereotypical “singer/songwriter” type that runs their band with an iron fist and expects their bandmates to carry out their mad visions without the slightest bit of creative collaboration. Adam, Jon, and Randall each add such distinctive musical viewpoints along with excellent musicianship, so it would be incredibly dense and foolish not to foster a collaborative environment. Besides, oftentimes the “refining process” during rehearsals results in a stronger song than I ever could have written on my own. Nowadays, I find myself able to focus on building the skeleton of a song, because I am confident that the guys will be able to build the connective tissue, so to speak. From time to time, I will revisit original recordings of some of my earliest work (Desert Woman and Marisela included) as a means of witnessing the evolution of the music. It never fails to fascinate me how far the songs have come.

MC: You recently moved to the desert.  How did your move go?  What are some of the things that made you decide to move to where you are now?

Mather: Indeed I did, though it’s more of a pit stop than anything! Until recently, I have called various neighborhoods of Hollywood home since first moving out to California. The move itself was mostly for a personal reason, but provided an additional opportunity to escape the undesirable self-absorbed culture so closely associated with Hollywood. I guess you could call it my “five-year itch”!

MC: How is your touring going? Do you have any plans to come to the East Coast? (Hint, Hint!)

Mather: Well, we have been submitting to a number of prestigious festivals both in and out of state. Touring does require a considerable amount of planning with regards to finances, so it’s in our best interest to be very selective about booking shows outside of our usual radius. However, I know we would love to come to the East Coast (as all of us have lived there at one point or another), and certainly when the right opportunity presents itself, we will be eager to travel there!

MC: This one is for Randall:  are there any advantages that a double-bass lends over an electric bass in your particular style of music?

Randall: The double-bass has many advantages over the electric bass…..except for ease of transportation!  The electric bass is fun and in the hands of the right player, quite versatile, BUT, the upright is capable of many more subtleties of expression. It also makes you work harder at your craft. The upright can be an uncooperative, defiant (and at times, violent) lover. But in the end it’s always worth the extra effort.

MC: Have you ever felt any pressure to compromise on your music to make it more “accessible” (cough*cough) to the mainstream?   What would you say if someone were to suggest this?

Mather: Oh good lord, no! Firstly, the mainstream does not even truly have an opinion as to what it wants. Creating that opinion is the job of advertisers, PR sharks, and other “tastemakers”. Top 40 music receives its ranking oftentimes solely due to how much money a label will pump into their artist, not by the actual validity of the talent being spoon-fed to the masses. Besides, most of the performers that we love and respect as a band are considered to be cult favorites, and oftentimes, cult fans tend to be much more loyal to the band, and not so easily swayed by the fickle pendulum that is the pop music business.

Randall: Never. Period. I would not be capable of having a conversation with such an individual.  It is impossible to explain what integrity is to someone who thinks that way.  Also, such an individual would never have the facility to comprehend what it means to have a complete lack of interest in pleasing mainstream tastes for the sole purpose of attaining “success” (read: MONEY) and “fame”.

Adam: If a sexy front-woman in fishnets and a corset isn’t enough mainstream appeal, then it’s pretty safe to say that we will never have mainstream appeal.

MC: Who are some of your musical heroes? (This can be present as well as past.)   Who do you see as kindred spirits in underground music today?

Randall: Lester Young. Dexter Gordon. Howlin’ Wolf. Muddy Waters. Charles Mingus. Count Basie. Astor Piazzolla. Tom Waits. The New York Dolls. Metallica. Judas Priest. Lydia Lunch (and all of her early collaborations). X. Beethoven.  Can’t say I know much of anything about any contemporary music from the last decade – underground or otherwise.

Mather: I don’t know if I would call them “heroes”, but certainly some musicians I would count among my favorites (other than those mentioned initially) include The Velvet Underground, Cab Calloway, Jesus and Mary Chain, Hank Williams, My Bloody Valentine. The kindred spirits that I see from more recent times are Mark Lanegan, Gallon Drunk, Morphine, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and Mazzy Star. Sadly, some of those bands are now defunct due to various reasons, but perhaps we are meant to carry the torch for them.

Jon: To the above lists I’ll add Love and Rockets, Dramarama, Jane’s Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, Catherine Wheel, Madness, English Beat, Gershwin, Ozomatli as bands consistently in rotation. For more nascent bands, I’m finding Last Shadow Puppets, Silversun Pickups and Shiny Toy Guns creeping into the playlist on a more regular basis.

Adam: Elvin Jones, while in the studio, when questioned on liberties taken while trading 4’s, responded with “well, sometimes my 4’s take a little longer.”  He is my hero.

MC: Do you have any plans to release another CD anytime soon?   What sort of plans are in the works for Mather Louth and radio Noir?  Is there anything else you would like to add?

Mather: Honestly, I know I would love to release a full-length CD in the next year or so. For now, we do have our EP, “The Swamp Jazz Sessions” available for download on both iTunes as well as Amazon, and physical copies are always for sale at our shows. We have also started talks to film a music video, most likely for our song “Damned Lady”. As always, fans can stay posted on our performances and other announcements by visiting our MySpace page at www.myspace.com/matherlouth. In addition, we are located on Facebook, ReverbNation, and many other sites reachable via a simple Google search. Finally, I’d like to thank you for a lovely interview!

MC: I remember back in the ‘80s when Early Music, and particularly medieval music pretty hard to find. Nearly all of it was funded by Universities or Foundations. At least in the USA, in the days before the net if you didn’t live in a college town it was virtually impossible to find. In the past few years, Early Music has become much more popular. What do you think are some of the factors that sparked the public interest in this type of music?

LVCVS: Surely in the last few years the interest in early music has grown. It started back in the 60s when some classical musicians started to explore baroque and renaissance music. Traditional and ethnic music from other cultures pushed listeners and musicians towards more authentic sounds. Also, early music is easier to listen than classical music for the modern ears.

MC: It is very fascinating how the songs of LVCVS are written by Andrea, and not performances of medieval songs, and yet they have a very authentic medieval sound. What factors led you to decide not to perform medieval songs, but to compose your own?

LVCVS: The aim of LVCVS is not to play authentic medieval music. We already do this with our side-project LILIUM AERIS.    LVCVS  is inspired by Folk and Ethnic music as well as Medieval and Renaissance music.

MC: What drew you to Early Music? Do you see any correlations between earlier eras and our own?

LVCVS: A really fascinating thing about early music is that in an age when musicians explored everything, the real avant-garde seemed to be the exploration of the origins of music.

MC: Many bands that are inspired by or incorporate medieval/renaissance music also use modern electronics. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think that music with modern electronics can convey the true spirit of medieval music?

LVCVS: The mix between ancient sounds and electronics can create a really interesting and fascinating music. But we think that the true spirit of the Middle Ages can truly be reached only through the authentic and sometimes rough sound of the medieval instruments.

MC: Do you have any favorite Medieval/renaissance poets or musicians? Also, were you inspired by any of the “first generation” early Music performers such as Alfred Deller, Musica Reservata, or David Munro?

LVCVS: We really love the Italian literature of thirteenth and fourteenth century. From Dante to the “Scuola Siciliana”, Cecco Angiolieri, Petrarca. As listeners and players of medieval music we know our debt to the pioneers of early music.

MC: On your website, you refer to the music of LVCVS as Neo-Folk, as opposed to Early Music. I have also seen the term Neo-Medieval used for similar music. What is the difference between these terms?

LVCVS: We refer to LVCVS as dark-folk because our music is inspired more by folk and ethnic music, and sometimes renaissance music, than by medieval music. But it’s really hard for us to label our music.

MC: What are your thoughts on the debate in Early Music circles about the performance of the music and authenticity? Since notation was a fairly late development and what survived in writing is doubtless only a fraction of what was actually performed, can we ever really know how early medieval music sounded? Is it important?

LVCVS: We can answer to this question as medieval musicians (with our project LILIUM AERIS) not as LVCVS. It’s not easy to know how early music was performed. However beside the notation there are many Middle Age treatises and iconography, which tells us how the instruments were played and something about the vocal technique.

MC: You describe your music as a mix of Medieval and Renaissance influences, and your vision of “a faeric middle east, seen through the eyes of the medieval Europe”. This is very appropriate, since many musical elements of the Middle East filtered Medieval Europe by way of the Troubadours and Moorish Spain. (Just like how the most advanced Medieval medical techniques came from Arab physicians and medical treatises.) Was the music of LVCVS influenced by the Troubadours? Do you have any favorite Medieval poets or musicians?

LVCVS: We share with the Middle Ages the compositional spirit, the union between distant cultures, and the mix of instruments from distant places. We love the Troubadours and all Medieval music.

MC: Is your first album, Cantiones Filicatae, still available?

LVCVS: There’s just a few copies. You can ask for it directly to us, contacting us at www.lvcvs.com (lvcvs@lvcvs.com)

MC: What other music do you enjoy?

LVCVS: We love many kinds of music: classical, early, folk, ethnic, dark, metal.

MC: Why did you decide to start your own label? Has this been a difficult endeavor?

LVCVS: The record label Ars Aeterna was created in 2009 by Andrea and Serena with the aim to support not just our projects (LVCVS, LILIUM AERIS and SEPULCRUM SPEI), but also similar bands. We would like to release bands playing ancient music (medieval and renaissance but also ancient Greek, Roman and Etruscan music), folk and traditional music. We are also interested in other kinds of music, mainly acoustic. “Semen Roris” is our first CD release, and to date we have gotten good feedback from the public.

MC: Are you going to be touring anytime in the next year? Is there anything else you would like to add? Thanks so much for the interview!

LVCVS: We are organizing the concerts of the next year. In 2009 and 2010 we’ll have an intense performance schedule. You’ll find the dates on our website. Thanks to you for your support!

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http://arsaeterna.com

http://lvcvs.com

MC: Your performance at Eccentrik really blew me away!   Considering all the different elements in your music, I was amazed at how seamless and natural everything sounded. For example, it was only after I really began listening that I could pick out things like the reggae-sounding bassline, etc. How do you manage this?

NJ: I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the show. I really didn’t know what to expect from the performance but I knew that there would be some amazing musicians on that stage and that whatever happened, it would be awesome! I wrote pieces that were complex enough that they were interesting to play and yet simple enough that the musicians involved would be able to improvise around in them. On the last song we played, Davis Petterson (the drummer) had never actually heard the song before and had to come up with a rhythm right there on the spot. I love that I know musicians who can do well under that kind of pressure.

As far as how I ‘managed’ to get the sound? Well, it’s all about the trust that I had in the musicians on that stage. Each one is really good at what they do and I just told them, “do what comes naturally” and I left it at that. That’s the joy of improv. It’s always a surprise!

MC: What are some of your favorite influences/artists in world music?

NJ: When I was a developing violinist, the only world music that I was exposed to was of the Celtic and Folk variety: mostly dance sets played in accompaniment to Highland and Irish dancers. I was also exposed to a lot of bluegrass and really like the almost Jazz-like improvisation that the really good players get into. Beyond that, most of my early musical influence was very classical in nature. Of course, that was always colored by all the heavy rock music that I was learning on the guitar.

When I joined Abney Park, I found myself playing with a more Eastern European/Harmonic Minor sort of style and that’s really where I’m finding the most inspiration. Artists like Beats Antique, Balkan Beat Box, Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grapelli, Shankar, and Firewater are getting pretty heavy rotation in my CD player nowadays. They all have a more modern slant to the traditional harmonies and rhythms and that is really spurring me on in my own musical explorations.

MC: You are a prolific musician! Were you inspired by any particular violinists? (I played the violin as a child, and it has stayed close to my heart.) How did you become interested in the mandolin?

NJ: Actually, my most recent inspiration is Paul Mercer. He is such an open minded and good-hearted musician that it’s always a joy to share a stage with him. I took a rather lengthy hiatus from the violin after I graduated from college to concentrate on playing the guitar. I found myself drawn back to it very shortly before joining Abney Park. I figure I’d been back to the instrument no more than a year before I met Paul at DragonCon in 2006. One of the very first things he did when we met was to hand me his 300 year old baroque violin and said, “Let’s improvise!”  That stuck with me and it very much informs how I approach other musicians now. There’s so much joy to be had in music and it’s compounded many times when shared liberally.

I’d always been interested in the mandolin as a kid but had never had the opportunity to play on one. It wasn’t until I was in college when someone handed me a mandolin and said, “try it!” I’d already played the violin and guitar for some years and found myself instantly able to play: the mandolin is tuned just like a violin and the ergonomics of playing it are just like a guitar. I’d never touched a mandolin before and was instantly playing all the old fiddle tunes I’d learned as a child. I went out and bought a cheap old mandolin and have played ever since.

MC: I see that you are a fan of H.P. Lovecraft. I don’t think most people today realize that Lovecraft is really the dean of modern horror, and most popular horror authors owe a substantial debt to him. What do you enjoy about Lovecraft? What are a few of your favorite stories?

NJ: What I like best about H.P. Lovecraft is that he totally eschews the standard model of horror where the conflict is cast as some kind of hero vs. villain struggle. It’s not so much a good vs. evil story as it is a story of an unfolding, nihilistic realization that -everything- we know or thought we knew was wrong. My favorites are Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath and Lurker on the Threshold. I especially like the use of first person voice in his stories and they are even better when read aloud.

MC: What is going on with Abney Park these days? Are you looking forward to the Whitby Festival?

NJ: Things have been getting steadily busier and busier over the past year and it looks like it’s only going to be getting busier. We’re hard at work on the newest album and some of the mixes are really close to done. We’ve been playing about half the songs from the album at shows recently and they’ve been getting a good response. I may be biased but I think the whole album is really going to rock.

We’re all looking forward to visiting the UK. We’ve got two shows planned – one in Whitby and one in London the very next night. I have a feeling there will be very little sleep in this trip. There is so much that I want to see and do…

MC: What do you consider to be the central pillars (for want of a better word) of the Steampunk subculture? I find it to be a fascinating mix of things infused with a fresh approach that will readily appeal to people who may be burned out in related subcultures, There also seems to be a sense of camaraderie that I miss from the old days in the gothic community. . What are your thoughts?

NJ: The first thing that springs to my mind is the inclusive nature of Steampunk. It’s an aesthetic that -everyone- can like. It’s definitely a culture of DIY and Makers. That doesn’t mean that everyone has to build boilers or anything like that – more that everyone, on whatever scale, makes their own way. Even as simple a task as dressing yourself takes on an entirely unique quality. I never see the same outfit worn by two different people.

The audiences that I’ve seen at the Steampunk festivals dwarf every other demographic I’ve ever played to. It used to be that the audience at your typical Abney Park show tended towards the 21-35 year old club going crowd. Now our demographic seems to range from 8-80 years. We still play in 21+ clubs at times but it’s the all-ages shows that we occasionally play that have been some of the most rewarding shows I’ve ever done. I was floored the first time an older gentleman brought his granddaughter to one of our shows!

MC: What are some other bands and events that you would recommend for people getting into Steampunk? Do you have any favorite books or authors?

NJ: Sepiachord.com is a great resource for Steampunk music. Jordan and his crew have pretty much nailed the aesthetic as far as I’m concerned. For specific bands, here’s my short list: Rasputina, Dresden Dolls, Tom Waits, HUMANWINE, The Ghosts Project, Magpie Killjoy, Hellblinki, and Voltaire. Now, not all of these bands claim to be Steampunk but they all have that certain flair that I like to see in my Steampunk.

Tim Powers wrote an incredible time-travel yarn called The Anubis Gates. Pretty much everything he’s written is awesome but that’s the one that really drew me in. His book On Stranger Tides is also as cool but less Steampunk in scope. I’m also a huge fan of Phil and Kaja Foglio’s Girl Genius.

MC: If you can’t get hold of Jameson, what is your next choice in Irish Whiskey? Have you ever gotten hold of the famous Red breast or Green Spot?

NJ: Generally speaking there aren’t a whole lot of choices available to me. Here in Seattle, it’s Jameson or Bushmill’s and between the two, Jameson wins out. I once was given a bottle of Inishowen and loved it. Alas, it’s not available locally. I’ve not tried either Red Breast or Green Spot. I’d certainly be game to try.

MC: Do you like animals? Do you have any pets?

NJ: Cats. Lots and lots of cats. Well, two: Eleanor and Simon. They are about 9 months old right now and have effectively taken ownership of my tiny home.

MC: Are you working on any new projects? Anything else you would like to add?

NJ: I’ve been following my muse wherever it takes me. At the moment, I’m spending most of my time thinking about the new AP album. After that, I’m going to see about turning the songs played at Eccentrik into something more concrete and album-worthy. And from there? Who knows?

http://www.myspace.com/nathanieljohnstone

http://www.myspace.com/abneypark

MC: When you started recording again after Mockingbird Lane, was it sort of a “dark night of the soul” type thing or did you simply decide to get back into it?

C: I had slowed writing and recording to an almost stand-still after I had moved back to my hometown and hooked up with my now “ex”. Spent all my time working and dealing with the insanity of that relationship. My desire to make music was kind of curbed from all that I was going through. After her and I split I started kicking it with a few of my old friends and playing a little music to waste time down at the old Main Street Store. I just started putting what I was going through into the music. I wrote a handful of tunes through the end of ’07 and that is what I recorded for “The Life Of An Outlaw”.

MC: Some of your work sounds along the lines of Nick Cave or even a bit of Leonard Cohen: quite dark, yet basically very straightforward, too. This is refreshing after listening to a lot of bands who seem to have taken being cryptic a bit too far. I love allegorical works, but I believe that there still has to be something the listener can relate to. What is your philosophy or methodology on composing lyrics?

C: Never really had a method. I sit down and write down what comes out as it comes out. I just let my soul speak. Sometimes it hides behind things… but usually it just opens up and speaks the truth. A lot of things I write about I don’t really think about or even realize myself until after it’s written… It’s mys soul speaking to me so I can work it out.

MC: You had mentioned that your music is a blend of country/punk/death-rock. To some viewers this may seem like a strange combination. But I see the new cowpunk/honkytonk scene (what I term New Outlaw Country) as being much like the original Deathrock and early Deathrock revival scenes, i.e. very DIY and anti-commercialism; far outside the mainstream; with fans and performers being pretty close knit. I also see similarities between the very frank attitudes and camaraderie of both.  What are your thoughts?

C: I totally agree. When I first started doing this, back before the Mockingbird days, a lot of people really didn’t get it and wouldn’t listen… but over the years the scene has really expanded and a lot of people are getting back to the roots. Everyone in the scene seems to be real open and honest. It’s just real folks being real. Times have changed and it’s time for all this crass commercialism to go to the wayside.

MC: Who are some of your favorite country punk and horrorpunk performers?

C: Shit… Hank III obviously. Joey Allcorn. My buddy Danny Trashville. Cancerslug. Ghosts Run Wild. Gabe Zander. Gotham Road. Wayne Hancock. I dunno… that’s just a few…

MC: You recently produced some tracks for Fear The Dead radio. Where are they located? Has their comp been released, and were you included?

C: I did a song called “Fear The Dead” that I wrote everything for. Sang and performed all of the parts except the drums. Blizzard recorded those for me. People that like my horror-punk stuff should dig it. As far as I know it’s not released yet, but they are going to use it on the compilation when they release it. If it doesn’t come out I’ll put it out on something. It’s a fun song… I’d hate for it to go to waste.

MC: Tell us about your new albums “The Life of an Outlaw” and “Ten Necromantic Classics”. How can fans get your music?

MC: “The Life Of An Outlaw” is a live demo I recorded in Oregon at the begining of ’08. All the songs I wrote the last couple months of ’07. This one is limied to 100 copies and numbered. You can order them from me $10 postage paid through the MySpace or send me a money order too: Christophe, P.O.Box 3084, Shawnee, OK, 74802.

C: “Ten Necromantic Classics” is a split I did with Thomas Gun (http://www. myspace. com/thomasgun), guitarist for The Necrophilicons and Nuke & The Living Dead. We decided to do an acoustic album of horror-punk songs to release for Halloween. You can listen to that and download it from my site or from ReverbNation. (http://www. reverbnation. com/tennecromanticclassics)

MC: What are some of your upcoming projects? Where will you be playing in the near future?

Right now things are up in the air. Been working my ass off because I hope to get the hearse ready for a show in Oklahoma in May. I have to rebuild the engine and hope to strip, repaint and revinyl it too before then. So I have not been working as much on my music and art as I would like too. I’ll be throwing down some bass lines for the 8 Bit Heretic stuff soon, so those should be online when I do… I just need to give myself a few days off to work on it. Joe D (www. myspace. com/thecultofjoed)has been playing lead for me lately so I’m sure we’ll try to set something up. Most likely around Oklahoma ’til I get the hearse ready.

MC: It seems like that once an “underground” scene gains a certain level of success and exposure; it turns into the same sort of rank commercialism that it originally stood against. Do you think there is any way to avoid this process?

C: No. If something is doing well, the suits will try to copy it. If they can’t copy it they will find people and wave money under thier nose to exploit it. History repeats itself. Always has, always will.

MC: Is there anything else you would like to add? Thanks so much for the interview!

C: Just for everyone to check out the site!  Stop by every month to hear different recordings. Drop me a line, let me know what you think or of you want me to play in your area. If enough people want me somewhere and will set it up, I’ll hitch a ride or hop a bus and come play. Buy my cd’s so I can afford to press new ones.

http://www. myspace. com/hardcoreokieboy

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MC: What has GLBD been up to lately?

phillip: “Well, just recording but it is finally coming to an end and re-issue of the first CD will begin print next month with 3 new tracks that we are excited about. The release will follow up with a video, an official site, and tour. Plans for us are very big. 2009 should bring GLDB to world Goth community in a major way. We are very confident.”

MC: GLBD has a truly classic lineup: Reverb TV, Necrodolly, Stone 558! How did you get together?

phillip: “Reverb Tv and Necrodolly performed with Human Drama at the Whiskey A Go Go in Hollywood many years back and we became friends…Stone 588 guitarist is friends with my bass player and we just hooked up on my ideas.”

MC: The foundation of your music is definitely from the “classic” Goth era. I think this is interesting because GLBD formed in 2004, when a lot of new Deathrock bands were emerging, but not a lot of people were drawing on, say, the Sister’s era. In certain quarters, people say that the classic Goth sound is “passé” , but I think bands like GLDB are living proof that this isn’t so. You show that it is indeed possible to built on the classic elements and synthesize them into a modern, relevant sound. After all, it was popular then because it was good music, and it’s still good music! What are your thoughts?

phillip: “Most definitely, my view is the same and was exactly the thought process going into the GLDB concept back in 2004. the classic elements have always been basic rhythms and melodies with not a whole lot going on…it gives room for less creativity (yes, I said less creativity) so you have to really focus on the hooks since there are usually only 8-16 tracks in a song as apposed to the new styles that probably level 24-40 tracks just to make a song. So, bass lines are very important for the mood and drum rhythms are basic and just keep the whole theme together (not much going on) guitars are very simple to keep the mood and all these simple elements allow me to focus on the lyrics and vocal tracks. So far, everyone seems to like the GLDB formula that has heard us.”

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