An Interview w/ Andy Matchett

Today's interview is with Andy Matchett. He has played in a lot of bands, including my own, and is now focusing more intently on his solo effort. His music in this solo effort is far different from that which he created as The Monorail, but is no less endearing in any way; he's just. . . grown up. I'd drop a bunch of pompous adjectives to make it sound like I was capturing in words the effect his music has upon listening, but I think that's stupid. Mostly.

What do you do creatively?

I write songs and sing them in front of people, preferably with a backing band. I usually play guitar or some kind of piano or keyboard, but I’ve been obsessing about the drums for a few years now, so we’ll see where that leads… I like to paint & draw and I like to build things. A couple years ago I started doing these large scale, elaborate doodles with sharpie marker on plywood. A few friends had them tattooed and I’m really proud of that. Right now I’m working on a series of handmade guitar straps & equipment cases for low-budget artists who don’t want to drop wads of cash on that kind of gear.


You definitely have a broad range of interests. You mention that you are focusing on being a solo artist, musically. In the past you have done the Monorail and People Chasing People. In what ways do you consider what you are doing now different? Will you carry on any of the Monorail songs as Andy Matchett, Andy Matchett and the Monorail? Or do you intend to leave that part of your musical history behind?

I've been writing songs for almost 15 years now and 9 of them have been with The Monorail in mind. The idea of that band will never completely die for me. We started The Monorail before being dancy & poppy was an acceptable thing in indie rock and we took a lot of heat from the hipster crowd for that, but by 2004 every band on the radio had a disco beat and it just got irritating. I felt a little slighted by the whole thing, to be honest, so I started to gravitate to things that were less gimmick-related and more about longevity and true expression. You think about The Beatles, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Springsteen, Beck - people who weren’t necessarily associated with a fashion movement (or able to transcend one, anyway) - they've got dance songs, introspective songs, protest songs, everything. There aren’t any rules with those guys. I'd rather be completely unknown in that kind of position than locked into fleeting success with something stylized & fashionable. This album I'm working on now will probably just be a solo record without the connotation that comes with a band name. I'm pulling songs of mine from the last 10 years without any concern for what's happening right now in music. I want to focus on songwriting instead of some sort of disposable genre gimmick.... That’s not to say I wouldn’t drop a super catchy ELO party album out of the sky in few years, call it The Monorail & make everybody realize I'm a huge weirdo like they do when Neil Young comes out with Vocoder records about electric cars & space.


So does that mean you won't be writing about electric cars & space?

How about a three disc song cycle on the plight of soybean farmers instead?


How did People Chasing People come out of The Monorail?

People Chasing People needed a guitarist and The Monorail needed a band. It was a best-friendship formed in mutual admiration of each other’s music. For all intents & purposes, we were the same band, we just couldn’t decide on which of us would sing or what name we would drop.

When did you decide, "I'm not content just playing guitar. I want to sing,
too”?

It was always about doing both. I think I decided that before I even had a guitar. I wanted to write songs, sing them and have a great band playing along. It took a lot of time to figure out the rest.


At that point, was singing something you were good at, or did you have to work at it? Is there anything in particular you learned about singing in a band that you think people should know if they wanted to do it, too?

It was a struggle for me to get comfortable listening to my own voice. I never felt weird while I was singing, but listening to it afterwards was the worst. The first time someone isolated my vocals in a recording session I almost abandoned the whole project entirely. I couldn’t imagine anyone else wanting to hear that. You get over that stuff pretty quick, though. To me, if you want to sing you should just start singing, regardless of how you think people will feel about it. If you’re comfortable in the moment, the rest will work itself out at some point.


The lyrics in your newer songs often paint some pretty vivid scenes, and recount stories that have happened. From a writing standpoint, you do a great job of showing people your story, rather than simply telling it to them. Where did you learn this? It doesn't seem like something you could accomplish on accident.

Well, I’ve got about 3 years of an English degree from a fairly reputable Florida university - that probably did the trick. (laughter followed by a heavy sigh) (editor’s note: I dunno, all it got me was this lousy blog.)
When I was doing The Monorail it was always more important that the music be intense and emotional and fun. Words tended to be an afterthought. We’d play new songs live without even finishing the words, so I’d just make things up. When I started singing on my own and realized people could actually hear what I was saying, I decided to get my act together. I still think a powerful melody or a striking chord change can be the focal point of a great song, but the older I get, the more I seek out music for its lyrical content.


You've been doing this for 15 years now. If you were going to sit down with someone who is say, 15 years old, and they said, "teach me how to write songs," what's the most important lesson that you have learned in this time that you would want them to learn?

I would tell them to pick their 5 favorite songs and learn them inside and out. Then I would tell them to pick 5 songs they hated and do the same. Then I would tell them to go somewhere dark and eat a sandwich. I’m just kidding. You can’t teach people to write songs. They either figure it out for themselves or they don’t. Like capitalism!


With this much time under your belt playing in bands, mediating personalities, playing shows and touring, do you have any advice for someone who is just starting to do these things?

Yes – talk to as many people as you can and BE NICE. You’ll either succeed or you won’t, so there’s no need to be a total shit along the way.


What is something you learned about touring in a band that you wish you had known before you first tried it?

There is nothing that anyone can say to you that will prepare you for that first month on the road. The most important thing is to be sensitive to the people you are sharing the experience with. You should be up front about the things that bother you and respect the things that bother everyone else. Conflicts should be dealt with openly and quickly so everyone can move on without lingering tension. Everything else is a glorious exercise in self-realization that can only be fully understood in hindsight.


What song-writers do you find particularly inspiring? Do you have a song that you could point to and say, "I was totally imitating that guy when I wrote that song” ?

I love anyone with a good work ethic who invests a lot of themselves in their songs & albums, but never forgets about the audience. I believe in writing songs for yourself, but recording them for other people. I’m a big fan of Dave Grohl, early Weezer, REM, Blur, Dave Bazan, Ben Folds and the holy quartet of Supers – ‘Grass, ‘Drag, ‘Chunk and ‘Furry Animals. I have a lot of respect for people like Eddie Vedder & Neil Young who have made a career out of doing things their own way. I don’t really feel a compulsion to imitate any particular sound or style of music, though. There is a sweet spot right in the middle of all the rock music we’ve come to know as a society and I just want to explore the hell out of that spot. I want to build a little house there and raise a family.


You're currently putting together a full band to perform your newer material. You're recording it, too. What will you call the band?

The live band is called Andy Matchett & The Minks, but I think this album coming out is an Andy Matchett album. We’ll see. We all still have a ways to go yet.


You said that you also enjoy painting. Does your inspiration to paint come from a different place than music, or is it all as simple as being a creative release for you?

I usually only paint as a vehicle to visually express the ideas I’m presenting in the music - like when I need an album cover or something. I’ve only done a few pieces just for the sake of painting. I find it a little easier to express things directly from my subconscious with visual art, but the results haven’t been nearly as satisfying to me as a finished song is. Songs can be relevant to your life over & over in hundreds of different ways. Paintings are done and they either look good or they don’t. People either like them or they don’t, but that’s the end of it for you as the artist. I’m never as proud of my paintings as I am of my songs.


Do you see painting as being something you will pursue more as time goes on? Is there anything painting wise that you would like to achieve that you have not yet?

I see myself being more into creating actual things as I get older. Since I was a kid, I’ve been completely immersed in the world of sounds, words & ideas. Really, anything intangible that can be associated with emotion. The older I get, though, the more I realize those things are temporary in their importance. There is a fleeting passion to music that you strive, sometimes successfully, to capture. It’s addictive and potentially destructive work that is never finished. Building things, painting, sewing, fixing – there’s a satisfaction to seeing these things done and sitting in front of you. It’s easy to move on. Songs stay with you, churning around in your life, demanding attention and taking new shape. I love songs in the way I love complicated women – you can never rest or know what to expect from them. Thinking of myself as a humble ‘maker of things’ is a romantic vision of myself growing older, but at this point in my life anyway, its still all about the struggle to document things in musical form that are extremely difficult to express.


Are there any new bands that you have discovered in the last year that you
are particularly fond of? Why?

Oh, wow, so many. The Thermals – its been longer than a year, but I’m still in love with this band. Hutch has the most amazing lyrical voice. Funny, smart and urgent. His wife/girlfriend Kathy plays bass live, but on the records she drums like a freaking wolfman. I haven’t seen them on stage yet, but I can’t wait. The National is another favorite. I’m a few years behind on these guys, but I feel like I got into them just in time. They’re playing the perfect soundtrack for the great American hangover we’re all in the middle of. I think Boxer is a masterpiece. The Whigs came out with a decent one last year that I just stumbled upon and ended up liking a lot. There are 3 or 4 songs that really kill it. I think Rob Schnapf could record two goats playing checkers and it would still be an indie-rock classic. I like this new Grizzly Bear album, too – weird but familiar somehow. It’s got a quiet, sweaty, summer night kind of vibe. I love the new Mumpsy stuff, too – no surprise there - and the Surfer Blood record I got slipped an advanced copy of is just great. There’s so much good stuff out there right now.


What about in high school and middle school. What music molded you back
then?

Every type of classic or alternative rock imaginable. I would stay up to watch 120 Minutes on Sunday nights, write down everything I liked and go buy it later in the week. I had my folks’ vinyl collection from the 60s & 70s, too, and that stuff really had an impact on me. There wasn’t any particular record or band that pops out, I just loved all of it and wanted to be involved.


Thanks a lot Andy. Last question:

Who would win in a fight between Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney?

Jesus, like a fist fight? Wow. I think Brian Wilson would probably just psych himself out and kick his own ass. Paul wouldn’t have to do anything at all but stand there and smile. And then Mick Jagger would swoop in out of nowhere, kick BOTH of their fussy asses, do a little rooster strut and take off.


*Thanks SO MUCH*
No, no. Thank YOU Kyle!

XOXO C'est La Vie EP Reviewed

By Dryvetimeonlyne.com:
"This album finds a band reaching for the stars with wide eyes and big smiles, but with its collective feet planted firmly on the ground. The big indie-pop textures at play here manage to sound fresh, hip, and relevant without coming across with any flavor-of-the-month aftertaste – XOXO is not taking its cues from Portland or Brooklyn. Kind of like a musical Goldilocks, C’est La Vie has the right amount of ambition, style, and swagger the sort that should carry this band further on and higher up in the musical landscape."

Read here.

Download their EP here.

Hearts of Palm News

Hey guys. . . a couple little updates on Hearts of Palm. Wanted to let you know that Andy Matchett is going to soon be joining me on here, doing some CD reviews and some things. Still going to be mostly focused on promoting and discussing with our friends, but we will also probably branch out a bit, and talk to people who are involved in other aspects of art and music than just making it. Should be pretty fun.

Jeff Ilgenfritz of Mumpsy

(photo courtesy of Chris Garcia)

Today's interview is with Jeff Ilgenfritz, creator and singer/songwriter guy for Orlando based Indie-act, Mumpsy. Jeff is a majorly talented musician, as he was also the drummer for The Heathens, and currently the drummer for Basements of Florida. He is also endlessly energetic, fun to chat with, and likes beer and Greek Gods and Goddesses, though not necessarily in that order. Mumpsy is hosting a Cd Release show for their new 7", "Posturing," at Backbooth Friday July 31.

So Jeff, I know you have been doing the Mumpsy thing for a few years now. How long has Mumpsy existed? How is it different now from what it was when you started it?


Mumpsy was formed back in 2004 when I taught myself music theory. I had never written songs before, and I wanted to challenge myself. I recorded every instrument on it and distributed the album around to friends. Chris Rae helped me produce it, because I had just recently started to play with him in the Heathens. It's different now because I have more fun playing music live, I don't have to worry about what everything sounds like except singing and playing guitar, and we release music all the time. The songwriting has always been all over the place, though.




You guys have your 7" release on Friday at Backbooth. What do you think is one thing people who are familiar with Mumpsy songs will notice as being different on "Posturing" versus "Cat and Canary" or "Three People," for example?


For one, there is more swear words. I think that naturally came as a result of touring over time, and having fun with your bandmates. I didn't even want to record these songs. I thought they were too offenseive. But Rae told me otherwise and the other guys liked them, too. But yeah. More of the cursing, and a lot better recording quality. That's about it. I still like writing pop songs.





You're releasing this on vinyl. What are the plans/ details of the release, and your motivation behind the vinyl release?


We just finally wanted to appease the fans on the road who want to know if we have vinyl. And we all wanted a record like that, too. If we do decide to put in the web, it'll be mp3 only. We wanted this release to be secretive, on the best quality format we can get, and then move on. We want to record more songs, goddamnit.




Did you approach writing this album differently from how you have in the past? If so, why do you think that is?


We recorded this one in Gainesville, FL with Rob McGregor because I couldn't track more than two tracks in my home studio. And we wanted to focus on our sounds, amps, and drinking. And if I had recorded it, it wouldn't have been like that at all.




What is your personal favorite Mumpsy song? Why?


I love "Don't Let Your Big Boots Drag You Down" because it rules and only has three chords. And it's country, and it can make the crowd move. (editor's note: I happen to agree. That, and "You Glued My Broken Heart.")




What sort of things does Mumpsy have planned for the near future? Anything in particular, or are you just taking it as it comes?


Touring a bunch and releasing more music. Nothing special as far as record labels or anything. Although we just recently got someone who wants to help with our touring strategies. But nothing big.




You played drums in The Heathens, before doing the singer/songwriter thing in Mumpsy. What do you prefer?


I prefer only playing drums and not writing. But what can you do?




How long have you been playing music? What other bands have you been in in the past?



I've been playing drums since I was 9 years old. I have been in the Heathens, Dodger, Basements of Florida, and various other projects.




At what point did you decide you wanted to play guitar and sing? How bad did you suck when you first tried it out?


When I learned music theory from a website, and decided I wanted to try it. I was terrible. But then again, I've always been bad at things the first times I try them. That's part of the process of human error.

Where did you learn to write songs? Was there a certain band you were in that really taught you a lot about writing songs, or various bands you have been a fan of over the years that have strongly influenced your song writing?

I learned to write songs mainly from hearing chord progressions from artists I admired and figuring out the music theory behind them. I then tried to remember everything I heard so that I could emulate some of my favorite artists. I learned the most from the Mama's and the Papa's and the Kinks, I'd say.

What is the most important thing you learned about song writing?

That nothing is going to be absolutely original. Nothing.

In addition to writing your own music, you also produce albums for other bands. Who are some of the bands you've worked with recently?

I oversaw the recording and mixing of the XOXO release, I mastered the Oh Fortuna album coming out on Post*Records in a couple months, and I like to work freelance out of Brighton Conservatory, my home studio.

What's that like, working on someone else's songs? Do you approach it much differently from recording and producing your own music?

Yeah, well, I try not to produce the songs too much when I didn't write them. Often times, I just record them and offer input. One time, a local band wanted me to produce every aspect (arrangement, what instruments, et cetera), and I had to politely tell them I wasn't interested in doing their project. When I get too much freedom on a project, I tend to not want to do it. If I have a specific job, I love doing it.

Any new bands (local or otherwise) that you have discovered recently you think people should give a try?

So Help Me Rifle, Flowers Forever, Oh Fortuna (Gainesville), Slippery Slopes, Mike Dunn, Thomas Wynn & the Believers, Vanda, Brimstone Howl, the Dealers, and Gringo Star.

If you had to start a new band tomorrow, and automatically have whatever members you needed to start it, what kind of music would you make?

A heavily layered dance project. With auto-tuned vocals. And synthesizers.

You've got a Zeus tattoo, right? Tell me about your thing with Greek Mythology. I think you should make an entire album dedicated to it.
Loves songs for Athena, and shit. What do you think?

I write songs about my Greek gods and goddesses all the time. Athena is a remarkable deity. I love it. Nereus is a great one, too. He was the "Old Man of the Sea," and was trustworthy, and never spoke a lie. Triton was the master of the waves, and of course, Poseidon was 1/3 of the Holders of the Universe.

If you had a chance to party with Zeus for a night, where would you take him? What kind of beer do you think Zeus would drink?

Zeus eats ambrosia and drinks nectar. Anywhere that serves that type of food and drink would be great. Dionysus would have to be there, too. He'd tear the shit out of some wine and the whores as well.

Actually, to take the question from earlier about starting a band and twist it, if you had to start a band of Greek Gods and Goddesses tomorrow, and you could only pick five, which five would you pick and what would you have them play?

Hermes (my favorite God) is the god of thieves, liars, travellers, and persuasion. So he would be the singer. Hephaestus, the carpenter of the gods, is handicapped, so he would be sitting in his wheelchair playing synthesizers. Zeus, supplying the lightning bolts, is on drums. Artemus is the goddess of the hunt, banging the tasty riffs out on bass (cause women bassists are super hot); naturally, her twin brother Apollo would be a ba-ba-ba-badass on the guitar. I would manage them and take their money.

Download their new single here.

Thanks Jeff!

Interview with Jerrod Landon Porter of IHeartJLP.Com

Today I did an interview with Jerrod Landon Porter, aka JLP of IHeartJLP.Com. He has done all of the artwork for my band, XOXO, as well as a million of my friends' bands, yet everything he churns out is unique to the individual he is working with, and always professional quality. He's also a pretty funny dude to boot. Plus, he did the OFFICIAL Cheaters Myspace. That show rules.

Jerrod, how would you describe what it is that you

do creatively?"

I'm a graphic designer, or so I've been told. I place myself into a caffeine induced high and create visuals for music and products.

How long have you been doing graphic design? I have seen some things you have done that were done quite a while ago. It seems as if this is something you picked up at what could be considered a relatively early age.

I've been doing graphic design a long time. I'll admit to anything I've made in the past 9 or 10 years. Beyond that? I never touched it.

I was taught a lot of classical art techniques when I was younger. The graphic design didn't come until much later.

It also seems like the majority (though not the entirety) of what you have done is band related. What was the first band you did graphic design work for? Do you prefer working with bands, or is that more of just a natural extension of you starting off doing work for your friends' bands?

Yeah, I do a lot of designing for bands. It's something I am just comfortable with.

I always enjoyed album art work. My mom had a shelf of LPs and I'd put them out and look at them all the time. Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and 38 Special's "Strength In Numbers" were some that really stick out in my head. That 38 Special LP really blew my mind and made me think about cover designs. The cover just looks like a bunch of C's, but then you look at it harder (keep in mind I was 6 years old) they form 38. It was so simple and yet I got so excited about it!

I was really into drawing and painting, thanks to comic books and art classes, and I was way into music as a kid. I was exposed to a lot of college age sub culture due to family members working at movie theaters. By middle school I was itching to start my own band. This was way before digital music, and even the CD-R, so we were dubbing cassette tapes and passing them around school. I pretty much became a graphic designer due to needs rather than wanting to learn the trade.

Later, I networked while sharing bills with other bands and they saw I could competently make packaging for music. I got so into the design side of bands that I now care very little for playing in the bands. Plus, there were people doing a better job at the music side of it anyways. I enjoy listening to music way more than playing it.

You are basically self-taught, aren't you? What advice do you have for someone who is say, into painting and drawing- more traditional fine art- who is interested in learning to translate that talent into working as a graphic designer? It seems like these days to do graphic design, it is pretty much a requirement you have a certain level of computer savvy, using programs such as illustrator and photoshop.

My skills as a designer are mostly learned by trial and error and studying other designs I liked. It's something you just have to have an eye and a hand for.

Also, having a background in fine arts is an essential to graphic design. It's very rare that I meet a designer that doesn't draw or paint or sculpt. Photography is another gateway skill into graphic design. Classical art and photography are two starting points for design and typography is the glue. Once you nail typography you can slap professional looking words all over your art.

There's a reason they call computer programs by names like Photoshop, Illustrator, Painter... and so on. Think about it. Some programs have bogus names, too, like Dreamweaver and Flash, but whatever. Fuck those guys.

I have noticed some changes in your work over the years, with a lot of the work you do now having more of a hand-drawn effect, and sometimes vintage effect to it. Is that just a natural extension of you growing as an artist over time, or is it a reflection of design trends overall that I am completely unaware of?

I do like to reinvent my look and extend my range. You get way more longevity out of your career if you have versatility to your style. I can hit a lot of different notes in my design, but to me it still all looks like I did it.

Following trends is not my focus, but I do know when something is over played, or when I am burnt out on something. You know, like, dripping paint? (laughs) There's personal satisfaction in staying fresh.

Does that exist in design, as it does in music? Music can head overall in certain directions for a while. Does graphic design do this, too?

Entertainment and art are hand in hand. Everything goes in trends and waves. There's no mistaking it.

We could talk forever on if people set trends or if trends set people, but it exists. It's there.

Where do you see your own work heading over the next year, two years, three years? Are there things you would like to do as an artist that you have not been afforded the opportunity to try yet?

I'm really poor at looking into future. It's never what I want it to be, so what's the point, eh? There's never going to be flying cars or hoverboards.

Maybe I should get into air brushing? Spray some sweet shirts with people's names on them? Or, maybe, paint face's on boobs. That's a pretty different direction for me. (editor's note: Please get into air brushing! haha)

The myspace you created for Kevin Allen/ One Small Step For Landmines is one of the most creative ones I have ever seen. Would you say it was as difficult to make as it is creative? How did you come up with that concept?

That was the easiest most stress free project ever. Kevin and I have a very simple collaborative partnership. We both like the same things and enjoy each other's creative outputs.

I just had this idea, because I know Kevin loves his bike, to make an animation of him riding his bike with all his most frequented cities' skylines in the background. I picked up the phone and said, "Can you get me some photos of you on a bike during your next photoshoot?"

He said yes and he liked the idea, and it was done. It is a great opportunity to have that kind of symbiotic relationship with a musician. Guys like Kevin understand the point of having a graphic designer.

It's like walking into a tattoo shop. You don't bring them a picture of a butterfly, tell them to slap it over your ass, and expect them to put their all into it. You tell them you like their work and you like badass dragons and to go nuts on it, but hold off on the tribal. (laughs)

Actually, of all the work you've done, be it shirts designs, myspace profiles, websites, albums covers, etc. . . what one are you personally the most proud of?

Most proud of? Of all time? That's an impossible thing to answer. Once I get hung up on something I'll run it into the ground. I gotta keep moving on... moving on! I'm a loner, Dottie... A REBEL!

Any pieces you have done that you wish you could recall, hide, and not let anybody see again?

Nope. I post everything I do on my website. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Actually, I did this CD layout for A New Kind of American Saint... it involves some crude photos. I think there's some minors involved. I don't want my parents or the authorities to see it. That I won't be posting.

At what point did you start to consider yourself a professional graphic designer?

When people started calling me and saying, "I wanna give you some moneys."

There's a lot of levels to me considering myself professional. I thought it was awesome that all my friends wanted me to work with their bands. Then, I was like wow, bands from around the country are calling me. Next, awesome record labels were talking to me. When I started working with Doghouse Records I was thrilled! I loved that label when I was in highschool. Yup... I just made them feel old.

Once, I got an email from a 14 year old that got my web address off a Mayday Parade CD. He wanted to be a graphic designer and he wanted relationship advice. I wanna lie and say I gave him "good" advice, but I don't recall. He asked the wrong guy about girls. (laughs)

Any valuable lessons you have learned doing work for others that you wish you learned sooner?

I learned so many things from trial and error. My biggest lesson I learned early on was not to send material to get printed as an RGB file. The only thing that comes back in color is the red on your face.

No two customers are the same. Everybody has different taste.

Some people are pickier than others. How frustrating is it when you come up with something you really like, and your customer just isn't into it?

Have you been talking to Noah Kussack? (laughs)

There are different ways I take it, depending on the answer I get back. Sometimes I tell the client I might not be the guy for them- but that isn't professional, and it's hard for me to turn a job down. Recently I have been so busy I have had to learn to say, "no".

Most of the time I suck it up and take it as a challenge. Also, it's not to say that maybe what I gave them does stink. I'll pace around and mumble a little, but I like getting my boundaries pushed.

Is there a certain design element that people ask you for more than anything else? Something like the tribal arm band of graphic design work?

Why are we on a roll of making fun of tribal tattoo designs? (laughs)

Yeah, I get a lot of pop-punk bands that say, "Make it colorful and fun."

I wouldn't say my art is really far into the moody and dark, but have these folks ever looked at my portfolio? There's an image of someone's face melting in one. I'm all for drawing cartoon images, but I usually put some kind of ironic twist into it. I think it is genetic. I'm related to O. Henry, famous for his twist endings. Little fun fact for you there.

Enough of the rant. I have gotten a million emails with "make it colorful and fun," and it really got under my skin for a while.

I know you are really into comics, especially Batman. Have you ever thought about doing that yourself one day, whether for fun or even professionally?

Yes, I am secretly studying and plotting stories out now. That is why I subscribe to 30 titles a month.

I love DC comic books so much. I am a pool of knowledge for comics, and I am still learning. I'd love to be a cover artist or writer. Maybe even an editor. Those guys are the keymasters of modern mythology. Think about it. Comic book characters are the Greek and Roman Gods of America and our age in history.

BTW, read Wednesday Comics, Batman and Robin, Detective Comics and the upcoming Blackest Night mini-series this summer and fall. Those titles are amazing right now.

Would you consider comic art something that has influenced you and the development of your own style?

Of course comic books have influenced me. It is a magazine full of art, typography, logos and packaging layout. Those things have evolved into the perfect product of addiction. There must be some kind of math equation for how it is put together to make someone keep coming back to buy them every month. (editor's note: Hey, don't get too concerned with that formula thing. We saw what it did to Rivers Cuomo.)

I must know this secret of the industry!!!

What about other artists. Are there other artists whose work you particularly admire? What is it about their work that you find intriguing?

I like what I see. It's hard to make a list of artists I am influenced by. You know, I don't want them to know I am ripping them off. (laughs) I don't want to me sued.

I will admit to loving v23's Vaughan Oliver. He did a bunch of designs for 4AD Records and all the Pixies albums. That guy is AMAZING!!! People need to go buy his books and read up on him.

Is there anything you have learned from other artists that made you a better artist yourself?

Yes: That we fall, so we can learn to pick ourselves up. No, wait, that was Batman Begins.

Ok, how about this one: With great art comes great responsibilities.

Actually, Pablo Picasso said, "Bad artists copy... Great artists steal." I like that one a lot. (laughs)

How do you get your mindset to do the work that you do? I'm sure you're not always in the mood to make something for someone else. How do you get yourself motivated in these situations?

I have a terrible time staying focused, I am all over the place. I am busy and sociable and my brain is always turning out new ideas.

Sometimes I just have to lock myself down and emotionally kick my own ass to just focus on getting a project done. Other times I just get into a groove. Coffee helps, but if I don't eat enough I get the shakes and that is a couple hours down the toilet until I get leveled out.

Could Batman take Wolverine?

Batman has a contingency plan for EVERYTHING! You're talking about the guy that beat Aliens and Predator at the same time. I'm putting my money on the Bat. (editors note: How would THAT be as a summer blockbuster flick? They'd probably end up on the same page and team up anyways.)

Joshua Mikel of Look Mexico, Sharkguts, and Himself.

Josh is one of those rare guys you meet that does everything well. Even interviews. He made my questions seem better than they were. Thanks Josh.

So, you do a lot of different things: Writing, playing drums for Look Mexico, and you are the artist behind Sharkguts. You told me that overall, you really would like to consider yourself a writer, although at this time you spend more time with music and design. What sort of things do you like to write? I know you have written a play or two. Anything else in particular you find enjoyable?

I wrote a little poetry and a few short stories. I really enjoyed that stuff, but generally I concentrate my efforts in the theater. It's what I got my degree in, and I like seeing my stuff come to life. I am currently in Amherst, VA working with my friend Geoff's theater company on a piece I wrote called My Brother's Knife. It's a real heavy piece, and has gone through a ton of changes in the last month or two. I've written a handful of other one acts, and I wrote a children's play called The Monster Hunters that's published by Playscripts play publishing. It's awesome to write children's theater because it's just so much easier for me, and it's such a welcomed vacation from writing heavy stuff like what I'm working on now. I do better thinking in whimsy than I do in real life, I guess. I'm currently writing another children's piece called "Good Good Trouble on Bad Bad Island".

When you compare writing to other things you do, such as art and music, you said that ultimately you would like to be a writer one day. Why do you think that is? Also, do you think that with the amount of creative energy you expend playing drums in Look Mexico and doing artwork as Sharkguts hinders your ability to write as much as you would like to? I.E. you have an amount of creative output now that leaves little in the tank for you to write on?


I think everything I do is relative. Playing drums, art, acting, writing- there is really SO MUCH cross over. When I write, I essentially act out each part as I write them. I try and think about how I would play the part I am writing, and I think it helps me address problems with the characters before they end up on the page. I've been trying a lot lately to incorporate my more graphically minded side to mingle with my writing and such- to create better images for the stage, and I am trying to write with the teeth and fearlessness I can sometimes do art with. As far as drumming- there is certainly an element of my theater background that comes across at live shows- and a good sense of timing and rhythm is priceless in all art, I'd say. As far as being creatively drained- I like to think that creativity is endless, and it's just a matter of finding the catalyst to spur me into something else. I would say though, when I am working all day on design, by the third design, I am about done with staring at a computer screen. I also find it hard to change gears when I am doing art, and then switch over and write on a play or article or something. I think the writing and art come from different parts of my psyche, and it's hard to access those fluidly. Playing drums always comes a little easier, but sometimes I sit behind the kit and am completely spent and have nothing to offer as far as new writing goes. Acting is different too- I like to think that doing some solid character research and having some good rehearsals before going into a piece definitely brings about the best performance.

What are some of the things you have written thus far, that you are most proud of? Of these, which is your favorite? Why?

I guess I covered this in an earlier question, but as far as what I'm happy with- I wrote this ten minute play called "The Great Black Vulture" - I'm very proud of it. I think like any writer, I fall in love with the things that are most recent to me, but then the honeymoon wears off, and I need to write more.

Do you have any tips for someone who aspires to become a better, or more productive writer?

Put yourself, if at all possible, in situations where other people are depending on you. Right now I am up at my friend's company working on this play full well knowing that actors, crew, and an audience are waiting to perform, design, and see this piece. I mean, they announced it as a season show, and put it on a t-shirt. I have to deliver. It's a kind of stressful spot to be in, but the alternative is taking naps and feeling guilty I wasn't writing. Other than that- I'd say I did my best writing in classes when I had deadlines. If there's any way you can find a way to hold yourself accountable and give yourself a practical deadline for things (and not go off and party hard because it's just easier) then you will undoubtedly get some stuff written. Also- don't wait to be inspired. Once you start writing, you start thinking more about writing, and suddenly things seem more worthy to write about. It's self propelling.


How is your approach to writing different from approaching say, a shirt design for a band? Do you get yourself up for the tasks mentally the same way, or is it all completely different for you?

Yeah- it's definitely different. But there's some cross over. When I come up with a design, I try and come up with a real bad ass sounding idea. For instance "I want to draw a dude sawing his arm off while he's vomiting and getting eaten by beetles." In the same way- I try and come up with a cool idea for a play- "I want to have a crazy cop stop this dude from committing suicide and make the suicider start a rock and roll band with him." That sort of thing. And most always when I go into write or draw something, I am influenced by one previous work or another. Some piece of art I saw before that I liked- or some movie or play I saw that I was really inspired by, and want to recreate in my words and scratches.

How long have you been into graphic design?

Eh- wouldn't say I've ever really been into graphic design. I like drawing bad ass pictures, but the whole design thing- I could take it or leave it.

At what point did you realize it was something you could do on a freelance basis for other people?

I knew I enjoyed drawing, and I felt like I could make some pretty cool t-shirts, so I started doing Look Mexico's. The dudes were cool enough to let me put my stuff on our shirts, and I just kind of fine tuned my style a little, and people started asking at the merch table who designed our stuff. I started small, and just recently in the past half a year or so have really started paying the bills with my art. It's something I can do virtually anywhere, and I love that. I'm doing my best to never work a REAL job the rest of my life. Or at least a job where I'm not actively creating.



Is there a particular Sharkguts project you have done that you are the most proud of?

I like the Look Mexico Gasp Asp EP artwork a lot, but I'm getting a bit tired of it. Again- it's that thing of being SO STOKED immediately when I design something, and then the newness wears off. I think I will always be proud of the video I did for Look Mexico's "You Come Into My House While I Sleep?" just because it was such a passion project. And I really like the "Expecting Concept Art" I did for my friend Ryan's feature film script. I learned a lot in that process.

Has anyone ever asked you to design something that you absolutely hated, and thought, "what the hell is this crap?"

I've designed stuff for bands and projects I didn't necessarily believe in, but folks are generally pretty awesome about letting me do what I want on their shirts. I've been trying to hold myself to a higher standard and give it the "would I like to wear this shirt?" test. There are some past projects that I cringe at, and am kind of sad I let them make it to a screen print.

What is one of the most valuable lessons you have learned about design as you have gotten more and more involved in it?

If it's a project I believe in from the get go, I always do a better job. AND don't do any work until I have seen at least half the money up front because I used to do designs for every dick that asked, and thusly did a lot of work for nothing.
(editor note: funny, my dad is an accountant, the exact opposite possibly of an artist, and he says the same thing: The hardest thing of working for yourself, is working for others who may or may not pay you for the services rendered.)

I guess one of the great advantages of being in a band, and doing graphic design, is that you can do a lot of the work for your band, offering both yourself some practice and your band some cheap design work. Were the Look Mexico shirts the first shirts you designed?

I actually started designing shirts for my high school theater. My mentor was awesome enough to let me throw my stuff on the show shirts. I did a real cool design for the stage version of The Hobbit and about ten shirts after that. They weren't anything like the stuff I do now. I had no idea what I was doing.


Speaking of Look Mexico, you guys have been a band for 5 years now, right? You guys have gone through some changes, but you have been there the entire time. How does it feel to know you guys are still kicking?

I like saying I am one of the founding members (but I think that is still kind of arguable) but I was certainly the first drummer to play shows with the dudes and record with them. All in all, I am proud of the hard work I've done with Look Mexico. I love the dudes, and I believe in the music, and I am goddamn proud of the songs we have written together (maybe not the recordings) but the raw material. We've been recently getting labeled as indie rock veterans, which is nice to get some cred- I think younger bands respect us because we've been through a lot of shit, and still keep at it- and it's gotten progressively easier with each tour we head out on. More people show up to the shows, and things are more comfortable for us. I've never been one to shy away from slow and steady. I don't want to be a flash in the pot anyway.

How long have you been playing drums, exactly?

I joined band, playing standing snare in 8th grade to go on a field trip to Disney World. It was kind of a sexual Babylon. Then I started playing a kit in 9th grade. Dropped out of band, and have been in bands ever since- save a short spell where I was bandless my freshmen year of college.

What are some other bands that you have played in over that time?

The first band I played in was called Last In First Out- and, go figure, we were awful. Then I played with a ska band called The Soapbox Prophets, A melodic hardcore band called Blackpaper Diary who kicked me out for not being able to double bass, then a metal core band called Victims of Society (who were exponentially better than their name would suggest)- I always thought it was a bit ludicrous being a middle class white kid in a band called Victims of Society. Then I went to college and played with Kids Like Us, had a short regrettable stint as a singer for a band called Milktime Riot, and then met up with Look Mexico.

How is drumming in an Indie band like Look Mexico different from, say, drumming in a hardcore band such as Kids Like Us?

Drumming for KLU was about the most uninspired I have ever been as a drummer. The dudes would always be telling me to stop playing "jungle beats" which was anything that involved my toms. That pissed me off, and I got pretty disinterested in hardcore and the "scene". It was fun though how amped kids would get at KLU shows. Mob mentality. Look Mexico in contrast is a breath of fresh air to play for. The guys' math minded guitar styles really help open songs up to lots of movement in the drums, and generally the dudes are real supportive of what I'm playing. I'd say they let me know when they think I'm getting a bit too busy for the good of the song, and sometimes that's hard to take, but I'm usually always happy they said something.

Do you think it has made you a better drummer, by playing in diverse musical styles?

For sure. I think I brought a lot of what I learned in hardcore to Look Mexico- and it's just nice to have a gamut of beats I have written over the years for different things. The experience and familiarity that sometimes comes with working new songs is the best.


Do you play any other instruments? It seems like every drummer I know is the most proficient in the most instruments. Why do you think that is?

I am being very liberal in saying I can play the guitar. I think a lot of musicians tend to learn other instruments- it's just drums are hard to learn for a lot of reasons- I'd say A- a drumset is expensive and B- you just can't practice drums anywhere. Got to have space and cool parents. Whereas dudes can go out and buy a hundred dollar guitar and play it quiet in their room. I think it's also a little frustrating sometimes for drummers for not being a part of the melody creation for songs. I myself have a whole phone full of recordings that I sing to myself on long trips- songs that I'd like to, but probably will never record.

Where do you see Look Mexico, Sharkguts and your writing going over the next couple of years?

Look Mexico- continuing to write, tour, and record a record a year for as long as we're inspired. I'd like Sharkguts to eventually mean a few designers- perhaps a production company to offer larger services like band videos- which I've started dabbling in with Look Mexico- and maybe down the road funding some small budget films (that I or my friends write) - and ideally I'd like to write at least a play a year. I think I'd be a pretty happy dead dude if things work out this way. I think I'd be a pretty happy dead dude now though too.



Are there any bands that you have seen in the last year or so that you have absolutely fallen in love with? What is their link?

I really liked touring with Frank Turner, but other than that- haven't gotten a chance to check out a lot of new live music. As far as what's been spinning on my ipod- Gaslight Anthem, mewithoutYou, Iron & Wine, Okkervil River, Pedro the Lion, R.E.M., and Radiohead stay pretty constant.

Last question. . . Moe's or Chipotle?

Chipotle for burritos and chips- their rice, cheese, and romaine lettuce trump all. Moes for their mind blowing salsa bar and free chip refills.
Thanks Kyle,<3