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Interview: Paco Rubio
Januray 2002
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-Explain who are the members of
the band and what does each member play, and if you have been in another
bands before...
BRODY - VOCALS/GUITAR - PLAYED IN
SOURPUSS
ANDY - DRUMS - PLAYED IN NERVE AGENTS
AND MODEL AMERICAN
RYAN - BASS/VOCALS - SMALL LOCAL
BANDS
ROSE - GUITAR/VOCALS -
-Which groups have influenced
your style?
RYAN - FOR ME, A LOT OF BLACK METAL
AND THE GO GOS, RANCID, FLEA, THE CURE
-What do you want to transmit
with the name of The Distillers? Does it have a special meaning for
you ? Please explain...
RYAN - TO ME IT MEANS TAKING EVERYTHING
DOWN TO IT'S PURE FORM. LIKE INSIDE YOU, PROGRESSING OR BEING MOTIVATED
WITH WHATEVER, LIKE
PURE RAGE OR LOVE, ANGER, SPITE
-What is the difference between
your new album "Sing Sing Death House" and your debut album ?
THE NEW ALBUM IS DEFINETALY A PROGRESSION.
I THINK IT'S MUCH BETTER, A LOT MORE DIVERSITY
-What does the title "Sing Sing Death
House" mean?
RYAN - IT'S A REALLY FUCKED UP PRISON
WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE HORRIBLY MISTREATED. IT'S A METAPHOR FOR GETTING
PAST THE HORRIBLE THINGS IN YOUR LIFE, MOVING ON. SURVIVING
-Where was it recorded? Who has
collaborated with you? Some anecdotes ...
WE RECORDED IT AT WESTBEACH STUDIOS
AND WEST LAKE STUDIOS. BRODY WROTE THE ALBUM, NO ONE COLLABORATED ON IT.
IT'S ALL HER
-Donnell Cameron produced the
album (NOFX, Pennywise, 7 Seconds), ¿How was working with
him?
IT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER, PROBLEMS...
-What has he contributed to your
sound?
NOTHING
-What songs do you like the most
in "Sing Sing Death House"?
RYAN - THAT'S HARD, UM... SICK OF
IT ALL, I AM A REVENANT, SENECA FALLS, HATE ME, I
UNDERSTAND
-What do you consider more important:
the lyrics or the music?
RYAN - IT'S A MIXTURE I THINK, SOME
BANDS I LOVE THE MUSIC, EVEN IF THE LYRICS AREN'T THAT GOOD, AND OTHERS
I FEEL MORE CONNECTED TO THE LYRICS
-What do your lyrics talk about?
GO READ THEM
-Is it important for the Distillers
to be in Epitaph / Hell Cat Records?
IT'S A GREAT LABEL, IT'S LIKE A
BIG FAMILY
-What is the ideology of punk according
your point of view?
RYAN - I DON'T REALLY BOTHER ON
WHAT'S PUNK ANYMORE, IT'S TO DILUTED. EVERYONE HAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
VIEWS ON WHAT IS AND ISN'T PUNK.
I REALLY DON'T CARE, I JUST DO WHAT
MAKES ME AND THOSE I CARE ABOUT HAPPY. LABELING EVERYTHING JUST PUT LIMITS
ON IT.
-What do you think about the evolution
of american punk-rock bands? And the punk-rock scene?
RYAN - IT'S DEFINETALY GOING GOOD.
BANDS ARE POPPONG UP LIKE WILDFLOWERS, IT'S AWSOME. I THINK IT'S A VERY
GOOD TIME FOR MUSIC. IT'S A POINT WHERE A LOT OF WHAT'S ON TOP IS FALLING,
THERE'S ROOM FOR A LOT OF BANDS TO MAKE CHANGES IN THE SCENES OR WHATEVER.
-How is the rock music scene in
L.A.?
RYAN – I LIVE ABOUT 7 HOURS NORTH
OF LA, SO I'M A BIT OUT OF
THE LOOP. HOWEVER THE SAN FRANSISCO/OAKLAND/BERKELY/SAN
JOSE SCENE IS GOING STRONG
-Could you name any band that
has called your attention recently?
RYAN - NINE INCH NAILS, JUCIFER,
AND THE CROWN
-Who would you like to do a split
with?
RYAN - AFI, OR UM...SLAYER??
-Which gig/gigs do you remember
you enjoyed the most?
RYAN - ALMOST ALL OF THEM, ITALY
WAS AMAZING. SPAIN WAS A LOT OF FUN TOO, LONDON WAS GREAT EVEN THOUGH I
KNOCKED MYSELF OUT...
-What
is it more important for the Distillers: to do good gigs or good songs/albums?
RYAN - FOR ME IT'S JUST PLAYING
THE BEST I CAN AND IMPROVING, BEING HAPPY WITH WHAT I'M PLAYING IN THE
STUDIO AND PLAYING
LIVE
-What is the difference between
the European scene and the American one?
RYAN - THE LANGUAGE IS HARD SOMETIMES
IN EUROPE, BUT THE KIDS GO OFF. HERE THE KIDS JUST GO INSANE. HUGE SING
A LONGS AND CIRCLE PITS. CALIFORNIA HAS THE BEST CIRCLE PITS.
-What do you remember of your
gigs in Spain?
BARCELONA WAS BEAUTIFUL, WE GOT
TO GO AROUND TOWN A BIT AND I GOT TO GO SHOPPING. WHEN WE GOT BACK TO THE
CLUB, WALLRIDE WAS PLAYING. I WAS AMAZED BY THEM. I EVEN BOUGHT ALL THEIR
CD'S AND RECORDS. THE SHOW WAS GREAT, AND I FELL DOWN THE STAIRS AFTER,
I THINK BRODY
DID TOO.
-How do you think the attack to
the World Trade Center can affect Punk-rock and freedom of speech?
RYAN - I DON'T THINK IT HAS ANY
AFFECT ON PUNK ROCK. MORE CLOSELY TO PEOPLE INDIVIDUALLY WHO WERE PUT AT
A LOSS BECAUSE OF IT.
-What has been the worst shit
that has ever happened to you in these years on stage.
RYAN – THE LAST SHOW WE PLAYED,
THE SIDE MONITORS WERE UP TO LOUD AND ALL I COULD HEAR WAS MY BASS, AND
IT HAD THIS MUFFLED FEEDBACK, AND I THOUGHT MY BASS WAS OUT OF TUNE, SO
I PLAYED OH SERENA ALL FUCKED UP. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING
ON. THAT AND WHEN I KNOCKED MYSELF OUT IN LONDON. THAT HURT.
-How can you explain the music
of the Distillers in a few words?
RYAN - GO LISTEN FOR YOURSELF
-Which are your ten favorite albums
of the 20 the century?
RYAN - MAN, THAT'S HARD UM...
THE CURE - PORNOGRAPHY
AFI - BLACK SAILS IN THE SUNSET
BJORK - POST
EMPEROR - PROMETHIUS (OR HOWEVER
IT'S SPELLED)
GUNS N ROSES - APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION
RANCID - 2000
NINE INCH NAILS - PRETTY HATE MACHINE,
OR THE FRAGILE
- PICK ONE DANZIG 4
SLAYER - REIGN IN BLOOD
NOWHERE FAST - TINA'S SPICY POONTANG
BURRITOS
Oficial Web: The
Distillers
Label:
Hell
Cat / Epitaph
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