-My guy! What’s good? Please introduce yourself to the readers. Hey! Before I get started on this, I just want to preface this interview. I've done a bunch of things with music and business in my life. This is by far the most excited I have ever been for an interview. I feel so lucky to be asked to be a part of this zine. So truly, sincerely, thank you! That being said, I'm A.J. -In one shape or form, it seems like you’ve always been a part of the music scene in Grand Rapids. Walk me through your various past and present projects, whether it be bands (you are “that one guy from that one band” afterall) or otherwise. Well, I have been in Three Cents Short, The Faultline, and Cashed Out. I would say the band people know me most from is TCS. The short version of that story is we started the band in 2008. I was 17 at the time, as was Brandon. Our drummer was only 14, if you can believe that. Niko still slays to this day. As does Brandon! Anyway Brandon would stay the night at my parents house every weekend (we were in high school) and we would stay up all night emailing venues and hitting up people on MySpace trying to book our first tour. We bought the Kaline van for $500 or $300? I can’t remember. But what I do remember is Han Solo spray painted on the side of it. We took that sucker all over the country, booking tours all by ourselves and partying super hard. Eventually Niko had to leave because a month out on the road wasn’t going to work into his life’s plan at that time. Dude... being down a drummer a month before you leave for the most important tour of your life is a real bummer, let me tell ya. Luckily, we found a guy and taught him the songs in a few weeks! Unfortunately, drugs were a very prevalent part of his life. They would eventually take it a few years later... It was a weird tour, man. Every tour I've been on has been best friends just doing the damn thing. This one was more our friends and one random guy who played drums. He would disappear for hours on end and we'd never know where he went. Not to knock the guy! He did his part, it just wasn't the same as having Niko. That particular tour in Florida, Roger from Less Than Jake was doing sound for us one night. I remember parking up at the bar and getting my first of many drinks of the night and there he was setting up mics. I couldn't help but fanboy a bit. Turned out he was doing sound that night to check us out! The buzz had made it to Florida. He ended up mastering a record and some other recordings of ours. Great guy! We smoked SO much weed with that dude, my God. Being known as the party band was a well-earned title. I was drinking very heavily. I mean, always being drunk. I got so good at being drunk, I could function no problem. Life was a giant party and I felt invincible. But I could tell all the drinking and drugs were taking a toll on my mind and body. At this point, Will Lange was our drummer. Will fit with us like a glove, man. He played fast, aggressive, and loved punk music. Also, at this point I was getting blackout drunk almost every night on tour. Touring is SO BORING 90% of the time. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. Especially for someone like me who can't sit still for more than five minutes. So you get stoned out of your mind or have a van beer or six to keep the anxiety away. Plus, you're
always getting into something new with your best friends and every little adventure deserves a drink. It bled from tour life into my normal life. I would have no problem getting super drunk on a Monday night and going to work at a warehouse at 7AM. I truly felt like I had to meet expectations, like I had to be that wild ass dude who’s up for anything. It fucked me up bad. At one point, Tonia and I got drunk at a friend’s house and ran to a nearby parking garage to do who knows what. I ended up walking along the edge of it without thinking about how we were 4 stories up. I grabbed her fireball and ran! She chased after me and tripped. She was so cut up, she looked like she got hit by a car. In true DIY fashion we patched her up at the house and continued drinking. That was the kind of life I was living. Wreckless. The next day she called into work and bought her first ukulele. I think we know how the rest of that story goes! The thing I’m most proud of was our local shows and the little scene we created. We didn’t give a fuck about being punk or being dorks or complete wrecks. All our friends came to every show. And basically none of them were part of any scene. Our shows were just a room full of friends. It was so powerful it could make Mulligan’s seem like a safe place. Tonia or Anthony Hanson would open shows and we would all cry, laugh, and drink together. Some of the best nights of my life. We even had a few of our friends do stand up comedy multiple times at our shows! We just wanted to showcase all our cool friends. (Shout out Darby and Chad!) Eventually drinking had me so depressed that I needed a change. Will told us he was moving back to Chicago to regroup with his old band, Ratboys, and Matt Proch filled in on drums. I've always hated bands that have a ton of lineup changes and I think this all eventually helped take the wind out of our sails for good. We decided we wanted to start a new band, Cashed Out, and see if that gave us the drive to really get into it again. I can't speak for the other guys but for me it was the nail in the coffin. I was getting worse and worse mentally. I felt so paranoid that everyone hated my guts. I still feel that way sometimes. After I quit drinking in excess, I noticed patterns in my brain. Like how it would randomly remember something I said to someone 5 years ago while drunk, and make me feel like shit. Getting a grip on that and realizing everyone makes mistakes is hard man! Being spread so thin wasn't doing me any favors either. I worked at Jimmy John’s part time, was starting the print shop, and being in a band. That was also around the time I started my relationship with Tonia so I wanted to really give that my all. Maybe that's just the obsessive nature of mental illness. You never feel like you're accomplishing enough. Either way, Cashed Out was short lived. I fell off the face of the Earth and focused on getting my drinking under control. Sometimes, you have to walk away from something special in order to move to the next chapter of your story. It was hard, but I’ve never been happier. Finding that balance within routine was what really made it all click for me. Working out and getting in shape, eating healthier, drinking FAR less, and getting back on my skateboard. I truly feel that without those things, I wouldn't have been able to successfully get my business off the ground and be where I am today, or here at all, really. Also, I'm happy to now report that my mental health is in a solid spot and I'm no longer drinking in excess or doing drugs to escape my brain! I definitely don't want to romanticize that shit. I’d also like to make a note that I’m sorry I can’t make it to as many shows these days. I honestly miss it more than anything, but I know I’d become a mess of a human again. So please don’t think I dislike you or your band!
-I feel like even your day job, Party On Printing, is a pretty big staple in the scene. What’s your experience been like doing that? I know you’ve been able to use that platform to give back to the community quite a bit. Do you mind touching on that a bit? Not at all! Party On Printing is my pride and joy. That was something that happened because of music as well. TCS would be home from tour and Ryan and I would print our merch on a screen printing press we bought on Craigslist and threw into my parents garage. (Thanks again, Mom and Dad.) After the band stopped touring we started focusing on that more and realized we were pretty good at it! Five years later, we are in our own building and busier than ever. Honestly, I love business and what goes into maintaining it. It's an art form of it's own. When I was playing music we would always play benefits and things of that nature. It's cool to be out of that limelight a little bit and be able to give more than ever. It's definitely something we want to expand on as our budget allows! Growing into an adult is weird. Having been a wild kid it's definitely nice to be a responsible adult. -Your latest creative endeavor is the Zero Chill Youtube channel, vlogs, and live music sessions. What made you want to start that and what do you hope to achieve via that outlet? That's a good question, haha! I think I've already achieved my goal with that. I just wanted to learn a new skill and be able to help out local bands that didn't have any kind of Youtube presence. It's all free and for the love of the music. I was in the music scene for majority of my life and only recently have I completely dropped off the face of the Earth. This was a cool way to be a part of music but not have to commit to band practice or staying out late to go to shows. Definitely a bit selfish, but what can I say? -Is there a particular live session that you are especially proud of having filmed? My favorite is Ratboys. I have a lot of history with that band and I'm super proud of the things Julia and Dave have accomplished with that project. It was touching. Also they rule as a band! -Do you have any special vlogs planned for summertime? Nahhh. I don't really like vlogging in particular. I just wanted to try something new. Realized I'm not a fan. -Are you a big Youtube watcher then? Are there any cool channels you think deserve more attention?
I do love Youtube. I would say my favorite channel is The Nine Club. It's basically just a skateboard podcast hosted by Chris Roberts. They talk to all these different skaters and get their back stories and stuff. Super interesting if you're into skating. Even if you’re not these people’s stories are so inspiring. There is a huge correlation between young skaters and young dudes in bands. Both seem to party hard. On the more basic end of youtube I really like DIY videos and how to build/make things. It's crazy what you can learn! -Please, tell me all about the trip you took to skate at the Braille House out in California. Who all did you get to meet from the Braille team? Oh my... That was a random decision my friend Andy, Ryan, and I made to go to California. We were messing around with Youtube and we figured why not just go to the Braille house? I mean, it's super cringy content but we figured it would be fun, and it was! We met the OG crew - Lance, Aaron, Gabe. They were super nice. A little cringy in real life as well, but still nice! Skating that park was so weird, dude. Like you watch it on Youtube all the time and now you’re just there, in California. I kept being like “How did I get here?” Haha -What’s your current go to skateboard setup (deck, trucks, wheels)? Dang! Good question. A Baker 8.125 deck, Indy trucks, Bones Red Bearings, Spitfire Formula Four 52mm wheels, diamond hardware, AND Panda Grip. -Are you a stage diver? I used to be that's for sure. To set the stage, it's July 18 (my birthday) at Mulligan’s at the peak of my alcoholism. I keep telling my band mates not to let us play last, knowing full well I can't control my booze intake. BUT... we HAD TO GO LAST. Which I understand. I should have had my shit together! We actually played decent, but at one point I put down my guitar and jumped off stage onto the crowd. Here's the kicker though, the pit was pretty gnarly that night and a few pint glasses got smashed. A bouncer was holding one over his head as he navigated his way out of the pit to dispose of said glass. That just so happened to be as I decided to make a jump for it. Now I don't remember one second of this but apparently I missed that jagged glass by about half a foot. My palms are sweaty just thinking about what would have happened if I landed on it. A good ole classic AJ moment. -Top 5 favorite bands you’ve seen live, and where did you see them? Jesus, dude... what a loaded question! Hmm, let's see... 1. Against Me! Warped tour 2007 2. Against Me! Side stage of Riot Fest (My amazing girlfriend, Tonia, was in a band called The Lippies and played Riot Fest. We both had been drinking since about 8 in the morning and wandering around backstage. We ended up seeing parts of Rancid from backstage,
Teenage Bottlerocket, and of course, Against Me! 3. Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, Streetlight Manifesto, Against All Authority (This show is what made me fall in love with ska. Streetlight had just put out Keasby Nights and I was hooked.) 4. Mad Caddies at the Pyramid Scheme. This was especially special because we got to play with them. (Naturally us and the Caddies all got stoned together backstage.) 5. FIDLAR and Dune Rats at the Loving Touch in Ferndale. FIDLAR had booked this tour of small venues before they blew up and had to go through with the tour as planned. So basically, the venue was packed with kids getting super rowdy and I loved every second of it. -If you have any specific good vibes to spare, please share them with the readers here. Thanks bud. <3 Honestly, I always feel weird talking about myself. I want to take this moment to thank everyone who’s been a positive influence in my life. This awesome community that’s allowed me to start a small business and succeed. Also I’ve never talked publicly about my depression and anxiety. I dealt with depression and anxiety by drinking myself into oblivion. I wasn't the person I wanted to be. But I got it under control and I'm happier now than I've ever been. I realize this is kind of intense, and not so feel good, but the moral of the story is don't be afraid to confront the things you don't like about yourself. You can do it! You reading this are beautiful and capable. Thanks for making it to the end of this interview. <3 -thatonedudefromthatoneband
-Hey buds. Please introduce yourselves for the readers. Alex: I play guitar and sing. Benj: Hey, I'm Benny. I play guitar number 2 in the band. Chris: I play the drummies. Zach: I play bass. -Please give a brief history of the band. How did you guys come together? Alex: So Benj and I go back to probably about 2001 as young punx in Grand Rapids. I met Zach in maybe 2005 and became a little tighter when our two bands at the time did a short tour together. Fast forward, met Chris in Grand Rapids in 2013 while he was on tour with Brickfight. I was old friends with them. I had an idea and over some beers was able to rope Benny into it and started to get this together in 2015 shortly after I moved to Chicago. We started playing with Chris and another person playing bass who once showed up to practice drunk and high and forgot their bass. So Benj moved to bass and got someone else on guitar. That didn’t work. I had a vision! Somewhere in there Chris fell off the face of the earth and we got another drummer. That wasn’t working either. Kind of laid low for a while before Chris asked if he could jam with us again and then added Zach to the mix. I want to say that was February 2016? Wrote some songs and played the first gig that November. Benj: We almost called the band “Little Guitars”. Alex: I think if Chris had his way that’s what it would be. -I was a big fan of some of your old bands (Wormburner, Low Cloud, and Kaline were all there for my “musical awakening” or whatever in college). Do you ever revisit some of your old recordings? What do you think about your old projects compared to this one? Ever get an inkling to reunite once just for kicks? Alex: I tend to revisit some of the stuff quite often. The two of mine you mentioned specifically more than any others, for sure. Sometimes I just wonder how the hell I played some of those songs, so I try to just play along and see if I can relearn some old tricks. If a band has broken up I don't ever really even think of a reunion, but in those two cases neither of those bands ever technically broke up, so I'm generally up for whatever. Benj: I tried to listen to an old album by a band I was in called The Deafinates. It was terrible. We had a song called "My Beer Just Ran Out". I didn't even drink beer then. Zach: I for sure jam old stuff. Being in a band is my all time favorite thing to do, love every second of it. I’m a total sucker for nostalgia and would love a reunion of any band I've ever been in. Sometime last year I tried to learn all the Kaline songs again but I’ve gotten way worse at playing bass in the last 10ish years and couldn’t figure them out.
-You’re about to go on a pretty rad midwest/east coast tour. Are there any specific things you’re looking forward to on it? Any places any of you haven’t seen before? Benj: I'm really excited for our philly show. We all have a bunch of buds there, and we are playing with our friends in Big Nothing and Ellen and the Degenerates. We played with Big Nothing and Greg from Ellen and the Degenerates’ other band at the time. It's going to be great doing a round 2 of that. I've actually never been to Maryland before, so it'll be nice to putts around there for a while. Zach: I’m also really looking forward to Philly. I keep making a list of touristy things I'm going to try and do and then end up doing none of them. I just love being in the van on the road. I’m getting a pretty great playlist ready for the first long drive - Fleetwood Mac “Rumours” about 10 times in a row. Alex: I’m excited for the whole damn thing. I love touring. It’s what I’ve wanted to do and have tried to do since I was a teenager. The good shows are great and the bad shows are part of it and I dig it all. I just like being in the van and then setting up my shit in a different place every day.
-Tell me a little about your new self-titled EP. What are the songs about and how are they different from the demo you put out a while back? Alex: Take a listen! Make it whatever you want it to be about. To me, these were just 4 songs that kind of fit together the best musically out of the first 12 or 13 or however many we recorded. Generally just about life and all the bullshit that goes with it, and in this case, mine. Chris: The demo is just a live practice recording that we did ourselves and then polished up some in post. The EP we put a lot more time and effort into it. It was recorded by Rick Johnson in Grand Rapids who did a great job on it. All the songs are new except for the song Grounded. Benj: It was really fun to drive to GR to record with Rick. It's so easy recording with him. I drank about 100 Topo Chicos. -Are you excited to be releasing it on vinyl? Are you doing that through a label? Which one? Benj: We're super excited to have it out on Salinas Records. I can't wait to tour behind it. We pressed 300 records, and they'll be available March 16th. We'll have a bunch with us on tour.
-Let’s talk about the music video you made for Meanwhile. I’ve literally watched it about 100 times cause it’s so fun. Is video making a passion of yours? How did you make it and what all goes into something like that? Zach: I did pretty much 0 work except head banging for like 2 hours. Everyone else did all the heavy lifting. I found out that day that playing drums is very hard and i’m very bad at it.
Chris: We had a blast doing the video. The main idea for the video came from Alex. He was inspired by the Weezer video for Sweater Song. They shot it at twice the normal speed so when they played back at normal speed all the action looked slow motion even though it was in time. After he explained what he wanted to do everyone thought it was a rad idea. We all almost unanimously agreed that since Zach would need to be the star of it. Then much like how we write songs, everyone became a part of it and was throwing out ideas. We recorded it in one day at our practice space on an iPhone, then Alex edited the whole thing. Alex: Yep, stole the idea from Weezer. Probably the last good idea they had! We shot it upside down too. -Do you guys pride yourselves on being like… really, really loud when you play live? Haha, not that I mind, I just could literally feel my hair moving from your sound last time you were in town. I love that feeling. Tinnitus all around, am I right?! Alex: Absolutely. But I mean, they make ear plugs for a reason. Benj: I have tinnitus, but found this crazy way to get rid of it for 30 minutes at a time, so I'm all good. I sold my Vox to keep up with Alex, and we've just kind of been one-upping each other ever since. I like old amps that might catch on fire at any moment. Chris: When you only dig old ass loud amps it can’t be helped, or can it? The constant conversation at practice between the three guitarists is how many more speaker cabinets they can fit in the van. This upcoming tour might require us to just borrow drums because of it. -Alex, is it true that you’re filling in on guitar for a couple shows with Canadien Rifle? How did that come to be? That band rips. Alex: Jake from Rifle and I had a short lived project a few years back that wrote a few songs but didn't really do anything. When it came time for CR needing a guitar player for a few tours, knowing how I play he hit me up. I immediately said yes. A day later he said they got someone else. A couple days after that he said that wasn't working so I'm back in. I jammed a couple times and now they've just decided that the original full-on CR guitarist wasn't going to work out anymore so they plugged me in full-time. So I'm now actually just the new guitar player in Canadian Rifle. -Who is the best band in Chicago? Seems like a lot of the really good bands I’ve been finding lately are from your city. Is that a coincidence or would you say your scene is in good shape right now? Benj: Sore History and What Gives. I've been watching What Gives for the past 2 years, and they're amazing people, and an amazing band. Chris: I can’t say there is a best band in Chicago, but the amount of incredible bands is amazing. Coming from a music desert in Fort Worth, it’s kind of an amazing thing to witness. It seems like whenever you get this many people pushed together in a city, good music is bound to come out of it because you can always find other people that are into what you are into and that keeps you motivated. Alex: I can't say who I think the best band in Chicago is anymore. Bands here have always been good! Zach: Kali Masi and What Gives. Both bands are soooooo good.
-Are you aware of a band called THE Distants? I checked if you were on Spotify and found them and then I just got wondering if you’ve heard of them. Alex: Nope, never fuckin heard of em. Benj: Maybe we'll get sued like Ratboys did. They got sued by a dad rock band, and now look at them. -Please close this with the nicest compliment each of you’ve ever received. Chris: The drummer from another band told me “I still had it.” Benj: Someone stuck a matchbook in my pocket the other day. It just said "Call Me!" with a number without an area code. It was probably a friend and this is going to be really embarrassing. Alex: I think that matchbook is for like a bar and they print them like that. Benj: Yup that’s embarrassing . Alex: After our second show, someone came up to me and said “you weren’t as emo as I thought you’d be” ...and I think it was meant to be a compliment? Zach: Once I commented on a Reddit post and someone replied that I should be a writer. I occasionally go back and read that post.
reggie!! Hope everything has been tight for you all lately. Please introduce yourselves for the readers. (Sam, welcome back to being in the Skitchin’ zine, you’re the first followup/update interview I’ve ever done! And Nauman and Ben, welcome officially to the family. <3) Sam: Thank you!! Glad to be back in something so cool. My name is Samantha Andrade, and I cover vox/guitar in our band. Ben: My name’s Ben Patrick. Drums are my department. Also, I happen to be a serious skate rat, so this gunna work out well! Newm: I’m Nauman. I play bass guitar with reggie. Sometimes they let me sing; I’m just happy to be here. I’m also band dad. How did this band form? Was it sort of the natural progression from Charlie Darling as a solo thing to full band or do you prefer to think of this project as something completely new? Sam: Welp, doing the solo project was great. I still do some things with it! Yet, it got to a point where I really wanted to create music with others as well. I can only do so much. I ain’t no Jes Kramer! (Check her out, holy shit) I ended up reaching out to the boys (Nauman & Ben) about jamming. We met up, we jammed, and we became…reggie! I’d like to think of this as different from Charlie Darling, but there are a couple songs that I brought to reggie! Nauman, have I heard correctly that you haven’t played music for very long? When did you start and what made you take the leap? Newm: I guess that’s true and not true. Skitchin’ is “hella wordy” so here we go- I started playing guitar in high school (trombone in middle school and did absolutely nothing with it). I grew up in Kalamazoo and was always surrounded by friends with incredible talent. It was actually intimidating because they were so good even as kids – so I never really played WITH anyone, but I was around it a lot and involved in other ways. That music scene was/is really special. I kept learning and dabbling with other instruments, played some covers at a few open mics, and at some point (circa 2008) joined a band called Monsters & Mannequins. On paper, I did virtually nothing for that band. I was hanging around at practice one day when the drummer told me to build on a ride cymbal during this song cuz his arms were too busy. Somehow that turned into other extra (some might say pointless) percussion parts, some backup vocals, and a bit of writing here and there – but not guitar/bass. Either way, I had a TON of fun and learned a lot – not just musically, but bandlogistically. Years after that, I moved to GR and shoved my way into a new music scene with super talented folks that let me hang around their bands. I had even bugged Sam a couple times about doing a full band thing with Charlie Darling – we even got together with another guitarist a few times, but everyone got busy or bored or drunk, and that never panned out. Something like that. Back when Twin Flame was Naomi, Jonny and some
recorded synth tracks, I told them that they should get a live bassist to round out their sound. They responded with some form of “okay well you should do it.” A few months after that, we started reggie. All of a sudden, I guess I’m a bassist. ¯\_(?)_/¯ I have to ask. It’s been driving me wild, haha. Where does your band name come from? Is it a weed reference? Sam: HAH! Well, well, well. This is a story. Yes, coincidentally it is a term used for low-grade weed – presumably back before ALL weed was scientifically engineered to be mega-dank. However, it isn’t the reason we chose the name. After jamming together and working on our first few songs, we got to the point where we needed a name. Wow, it took a while and a lot of names being tossed around. The name reggie was actually in one of the first lists of names we had come up with. It was on Ben’s list. Ben: WOOT! I just always wanted to be in a band called reggie. I had some old drawings of fake band names, and reggie was one of them. Sam: Many lists of names later, and it was almost a month of trying to think of a name. We would randomly say how reggie wasn’t a bad name, but it wasn’t the one we off the bat put first. We were outside my house, and I think we were about to take some band photos on my tire swing. I remember standing outside, looking at the boys, and (roughly) said “So.. reggie is really starting to grow on me. Should we just be called that?” Everyone seemed down, and BAM. We were reggie. Which reggie is ALWAYS lowercase, just fyi. We try to stick to that, hahahah. Were you all pretty close before this whole thing started? One thing that especially sticks out to me is your chemistry, like you definitely give off best buds vibes. In what ways would you say being so close helps you work together whether it be on stage or in the studio?
Sam: I love hearing that. Yeah, I love these guys and I’m super happy that I get to play music with them. I use to pretty much be neighbors with Nauman, so that made us close. As for Ben, I use to work with and originally met him from Harmony Brewing in Eastown. I feel like band members need to be close because you’re creating something together. It couldn’t happen if we didn’t pour ourselves into this. It wouldn’t feel right. I like to think that reggie is all of us, combined! Ben: The very first jam session was the first time I even met Nauman. I didn’t really know them yet. It didn’t take long though, we just clicked. Everyone was just so excited to make music. It’s pretty wild to think about.. *nostalgically looks up* I have so much love for both Sam and Nauman. “Working” with them couldn’t be easier. At this point, it’s so fun every time we play or record together. Newm: Back when Sam and I first talked about playing together, I sort of made it a point to hang out and get to know her better – in a weird way it was almost like I was vetting a potential bandmate, but it all came so easily and we ended up becoming close friends. I met Ben the first time we played, and quickly knew that this dude was the perfect amount of chill. You’ve only been playing live for a few months or so, but every time your sound expands even further. It’s big. And loud. How would you say you’ve progressed since your first gig? Sam: So much, holy shit. I think we all don’t like to think of how we actually sounded at our first show...we cringe at it. I mean, at least I do. I can be super self-critical. Everything else about our first show was AMAZING. I couldn’t be more grateful that we got to have our first at the Pyramid Scheme with a ton of other buds playing it as well! As for our progression as a band, I believe we’re all just slowing figuring it out. We figure out parts we like more, things to add. It’s all evolving each time we get to jam together, stage or not. The Chills & Thrills Demo was so good I had to write about it! Do you have any details you can share about a possible follow-up release? Sam: I’ll leave this one for N Dawg. Ben: … Newm: Yes! We’re currently working on putting together a split. BUT THERE’S MORE! It’s a TRIAD split. That’s right, THREE bands, two tracks each. Neat, right? IT GETS EVEN BETTER! It is our absolute pleasure that the other two thirds of this threesome are comprised by our
friends and yours – The Quirk AND Minkus. More details on that soon! We’ve also got a handful of other songs and more in the works that we’d like to put later this year. Ben, don’t you handle all the artwork for the band? It’s really cool stuff. From where do you draw your inspiration? Do you or are you interested in working with other bands/artists? Do you have a website or anything where they can contact you? Ben: I do! Thankfully the others enjoy my work enough to let me do it. I’ve never really pursued anything like this until recently. Being in a band is the perfect excuse to really go for it! So that’s what I’ve been doing! I really appreciate everything my friends and other local artists *shout out Skitchin’* have been doing and that seems to be what drives me most. Thanks to all the support, I’m soon to the point where I feel I can do much more with it. Maybe a website or an art show in the future. I’m stoked to be part of Skitchin’ Zine and thank you so much, Ty.! Newm: Side note- I must shout out to Emily Hromi – I like her handwriting a lot because it’s clean and organically personable – we had her do the “Chills & Thrills” title typography instead of using a packaged font. 10/10 will definitely keep bugging her to write things for us in the future. What are your favorite girl groups of the 90s? Sam: I know this isn’t exactly what you asked, but… Spice Girls, Cranberries, Bikini Kill, TLC, No Doubt, Mazzy Star, Alanis Morissette, Salt-N-Pepa.. yeah, that’ll do. Ben: Does No Doubt or Bikini Kill count? Newm: Bettie Seveert • No Doubt • Cranberries • Poe • is Ani DiFranco a “girl group”? •
Alanis, doy. Tell me about the time you renamed all of your songs “butts”, hahaha! Sam: Hahaha – such a good memory. Our good friends Minkus played right before us at 78RPM’s EP release show. They didn’t have names for any of their songs, so they gave everyone in the crowd slips of paper to write their first names on, and named/introduced each song by drawing a slip from a box. Being the rebel I am, I wrote down “butts” on one of them. I also wrote my name on another. My name was chosen for a song. My “butts” slip was also drawn. Minkus was all like “naahh that isn’t a real first name wah wah” and they redrew for that song. Later, they got one that said “Pants” and they kept it. I was like, “WHAT HEY WHAT ABOUT BUTTS!” (To be fair, Pants was considered a legal entry since it’s an obscurely-used nickname for our friend Josh). So, we RECLAIMED that comedic gold by introducing each of our songs like “this one’s called BUTTS”. Really glad you and the crowd liked that bit. Where are your favorite places to skate? And can we please go skitchin’ together this summer? Sam: I’m a baby skater and just starting out thanks to Ben! He knows the good spots. I’m down to try to skitch, if I don’t freak out! Ben: Clemente skate-park is the zone. Just on the westside of GR, down off Godfrey. It’s a total DIY park. Everything there was built from scratch by local skateboarders. It really doesn’t get any better than that. Best place to skate by far. I encourage anyone to check it out, if skating is your thing. Address below. And yes! I’m always down to skitch. Let’s catch some speed!! @diyclemente Roberto Clemente Park 901-911 Godfrey Ave SW Grand Rapids, MI Newm: One time I did a varial’d down a very small incline made out of material being used by nearby construction workers. They seemed impressed. And last but not least, my mom loves you guys. I just wanted you to know that. <3 Sam: Yay yay yay! That is so great, and makes me happy to hear. :) Ben: She sounds like a sweetheart. Newm: reggie = kid tested, mother approved. (For real though, I’ve only met her a couple times but it was an absolute pleasure, and it evokes exultant joy to hear that she likes the noise we make.)
-Hi Squeeg! Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m glad to have you grace this zine with your wonderful presence. Introduce yourself and tell the readers what your role in the GR scene is. My name is Squeeg and I am a Sockitoain (that's an entire race of sock people!). I'm all about meeting interesting people and came to Earth to fulfill that desire. Since my arrival about a month ago, I've been fortunate enough to chat with a handful of wonderful and supportive humans in the area, and I can't wait to meet more! -Where are you originally from and how did you get here? Where do you stay now? It's hard to say the name of my original home. You have to be able to speak a sort of static language that's nearly been forgotten by thousands of years of adaptation to Earth talk. So rub your head on a balloon and listen to the sound that makes and you'll be close. I got here the same way your socks sometimes go missing in the dryer, just in reverse, so I ended up in Grand Rapids by mere coincidence! I'm staying with my buddy Dan, his wife Panda, and my Sockitoain brother, Brody. Brody and I are looking for our own place, but apparently humans have a thing called money that I haven't really grasped the full concept of yet... so after that little snag Brody and I will be living on our own. -How did you get involved in the Grand Rapids music scene? Dan introduced me to the music scene. When I came out of the dryer, he was listening to this band called Shoebox and I HAD to see what this scene was all about. -What is your favorite band? And why? Shoebox! They are awesome dudes with big hearts. They welcomed me with open arms, and were gracious enough to let us use their song "On the Flipside" for our theme. -Do you ever plan to start a band of your own? I hear you are an excellent Xylophonist. Or maybe an expert at the Triangle? Definitely. Though we need a lot of practice, and as well as figure out what style we want to play, Brody and I will hit the stage eventually! -Who would you most like to interview in the future? I hear you may be scheming to meet Andrew WK. And let me underline "SCHEMING". Dan mentioned the idea as we walked past a show poster at
the Pyramid Scheme one day and I was like, "Yeah that'd be a thing that's going to happen." But I would LOVE to interview all the bands. ALL THE BANDS. -Are you going to come hang out at Skitchin’ Fest in May? If so, who are you most excited to see? DUH! I wouldn't miss it! I can't wait to see Tonia Bug. I did an interview with them, but I have yet to see them play live. -Who is this Brody character I’ve been hearing about? Are you guys buds or enemies? Are there any plans for you to interview each other? He's my roomie and fellow Sockitoain brother! I got mad when he stole my camera and crew to do the Alien Dogs interview, but I love the bastard. Brody will probably do a few interviews here and there. I mean, I can't be everywhere at once! But we're going to start filming a documentary, or sockumentary if you will, that will be focused on our day to day lives. Too many hilarious things happen when we hang out to be ignored. -When we hung out recently, you told me you’d just discovered pizza. Walk me through your very first pizza experience. Also what are YOUR favorite toppings? Deep dish or thin crust? Let’s get one together sometime, bud! It's the best food in the universe. AND it's so universal! By the way, you were totally right; pineapple on pizza all day every day. In fact, hang on... I need to call and order some right now... (Hello? Yeah it's Squeeg again. Yeah I need the usual handtossed pineapple, ham, onion, green pepper, aaaaaand bacon. Thanks dude! See you in a few) ...Okay where were we? Oh, I think you were about to invite me over for pizza sometime? -When Jeff Baird gave you a hit off his cigarette did it make you cough? I hope this isn’t too intrusive, and tell me if it is, do you even have lungs? I hope you didn’t pick up the habit. Cigarettes are bad. Just smoke weed. I'm all about trying most things this earth has to offer, so that was my first cigarette. It wasn't bad, but I didn't care for it. In fact, I do not have lungs, but something similar. And YES Sockitoains smoke weed. We actually sent the first seeds down to your planet! (or so the history books claim) -What is the funniest story from one of your many interviews so far? Oh man, I just have to pick one because there are soooo many... When I was interviewing Steve Meltzer, a man came up and said "Oh, you got dat purple puppet pizzazz going on, huh?" He asked me for some money, which again I just don't understand, but I do know that it's usually carried in pockets (of which I have exactly zero.) He looked at me very disappointed and confused, looked at Dan, and Dan just shrugged and said "Yeah man, no pockets." It was funny at the time, maybe you had to be there? -And last but not least, please say something nice to the people at home. When life is getting you down, just remember there's always buds, beer, and budds. Oh and pixie sticks are cheap! They're like happiness in a tube!!
-Most important band in the world! How have you been? Introduce yourselves to the readers. Tino: I’m Tino. I play guitar, sing, and write the songs. Rolando: Hey, I'm Rolando. I'm an advocate for equality in humans and dogs. I take photos and I'm also a musician. I play percussion in PVS and am the ringleader of this hot new group called "Aubreys." -When did Pancho Villa’s Skull start and how has the project progressed since then? Tino: It started in 2010...Whoa, 8 years ago. It was a solo project at first although my buddy, Ariel Obando, would play second guitar every now and then, but it was pretty much a solo project until January 2016 when I made Lando be in the band lol. -The release of the Mariachi Punk EP let you guys go on a pretty extensive southwestern tour last year. What were some of the coolest places you went to and otherwise general highlights from that tour? Tino: El Paso was rad! It had the potential to be one of the worst shows, but it wound up being one of the best. We had to find another venue to play last minute and Love Buzz was cool enough to let us play with only a few hours notice! Albuquerque was really cool too. It’s exactly how Breaking Bad portrays it. L.A. was just amazing to see and Chicano Park in San Diego was one of the coolest spots to visit. I could’ve spent all day there if we had the time. Rolando: One of the coolest venues we were able to brag about was Whiskey a Go-Go on Sunset BLVD in West Hollywood. It's just one of those legendary places where even people who maybe aren't that into music know about it. My favorite non-venue place we stopped at was Chicano Park in Barrio Logan San Diego. It was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. To see the amount of unity in the Mexican American community there expressed through generations of art literally brought a tear to my eye. I felt very proud to be a Chicano that day. My favorite house we stayed at was most definitely Jaclyn Heuser's. Shes amazing check out her new EP on Spotify! -There are rumblings of maybe a full length coming from the PVS camp… say it will be soon. Can you share any deets on that? Rolando: I don't write the songs but we do have a couple of new songs that are already finished up and ready to hit the studio. I've heard that Tino had a little spark of creativity recently so we will see what happens. Tino: Well, I want to write a few more songs first, but we’re definitely hoping we can give you guys something new to jam to this year. We already got a couple of the new songs on rotation in our live set we just gotta put them on record.
-Super excited to have you be a part of Skitchin’ Fest 2.0! Actually, you kind of gave it that title. What is it that you like so well about playing on the westside? Tino: Thanks. The westside is an amazingly supportive scene! We’re not there all the time obviously, so I hope I’m not wrong, but it seems like you guys all really just help each other out. You can feel the camaraderie at shows on the westside. Rolando: There are a lot of places where we play where it’s kind of anxiety inducing because you never know how people will react to the message we put out and the style of music we play. When we are in GR it has never felt that way and I know them Westside Rebels have our back if anything were to go down. -Do you have anything cool planned for Cinco De Mayo? Tino: Yes! Cinco De Mayo is not really a big holiday in Mexico like people here think it is. I could give you a history lesson on Cinco De Mayo and its importance in the Chicano movement, but it would be too long so just google it. Anyway, yeah! We’re doing a show at the Ghost Light in Hamtramck with some other Chicano artists. It’s gonna be rad! Rolando: We have this really cool show lined up for Cinco de Mayo where we are showcasing the diversity within the Mexican-American community. Playing along with us we have Nina Sofia of Nina and the Buffalo Riders and we also have the Lansing young-gun, Angelo Chavez coming to hit us with a very special solo set. It will of course be May 5th at Ghost Light in Hamtramck. Keep up with our socials for specifics! -First of all, congratulations on making BLED Fest this year. But! I know you have some rightful and constructive criticisms of the platform/Fusion Shows. Walk us through your stance on it and the importance of holding people/organizations accountable even/especially those that we have come to love and appreciate. Tino: Well, like I said before I’m glad to be apart of BLED Fest and excited to play with some of my favorite bands and friends. The problem that we had with BLED Fest is that they said “We’re doubling down on diversity this year!” So, when the roster came out and, we noticed that there are only 2 POC bands out of the 60 or so bands (ourselves and Saving Throw). It was really disappointing. Like I said in my Facebook post, it was baffling to me because Detroit’s scene is so diverse with some amazing POC bands! So, it felt like they didn’t do as much as they could or should’ve done and that didn’t sit well with us. We weren’t about to give them a pass on this just because, they put us on the bill and we have friendships with some Fusion people. Honestly, because of that we felt like had to hold them more accountable. Accountability is important to me because I really pride myself on being a man of my word and having integrity. It’s something that our Dad ingrained into us from childhood. I’m the kinda guy that will tell my friends, “Hey, man you’re messing up.” It’s not out of spite or hatred it’s more out of love. So, even if we love these fests and people we still
gotta let them know when they’re messing up. So, in conclusion, I hope BLED Fest does better next year and evolves past this. Rolando: Thank you, we are super excited for BLED this year. I remember in high school, me and my friends would be stoked to hit up BLED every year, so it’s kind of nuts to think we are even on the lineup. There is not another festival that you can see some of the biggest artists in the scene play in a high school gym with no barricades... it’s nuts. Part of the reason it seems so nuts is because we are (prob) the first Spanish speaking band to be put on this fest. Over the past few years Fusion has committed themselves to implementing more diversity into not just BLED but in their booking as a whole. Last year they made big strides in diversity, adding a lot more women and those in the LGBT community into the lineup. Even with this there was still a lacking of color. When I questioned why I was assured that next year (2018) there would be more representation for the black and brown community. When we were confirmed to be on this lineup, it felt exciting because if we, an "acoustic" band, got on then there must be some more POC rock artists on. When it started to come out that it was not that way it was upsetting and I felt the need to speak out on this and hold Fusion accountable. For the past few years I have gone to countless Fusion Shows, photographed for them and recently PVS played on a couple of Fusion lineups. It’s because of my/our relationship with Fusion that it was doubly important to hold them accountable. It may have rubbed some of them the wrong way but acknowledging and growing into something better isn't always comfortable. I didn't care if we got kicked off the fest or weren't asked on any Fusion lineups again because this is an issue that is bigger than us that we have been trying to combat in our music scene for a while. And just because we love Fusion and BLED, we can’t give them a pass on it. Don't be afraid to speak out and hold those around you accountable. Don't cave when they try to press you about it. We need representation and we need wheelchair accessibility and no, I won't shut up about it. No Passes 2018. -You’ve mentioned it numerous times before that Donald Trump is indeed NOT the worst president ever. Who is it and why? Tino: It’s Yolanda Saldivar. She took Selena from us. Worst. President. Ever. Rolando: Tino has this one covered lol. I just think its funny that the last time we played GR we looked like the Selena Fan Club. -Tino, what is your all time favorite episode of the X-Files? It’s actually a three parter. “Anasazi,” “The Blessing Way,” and “Paper Clip.” Those three episodes perfectly define the series for me and everything I love about it. -Lando, tell me the craziest story you’ve got about working at the animal shelter? I can't go into TOO much detail but one time we had a person who had domesticated a raccoon. He was about 30lbs. It was nuts.
-Please tell me all about BB-8. Plug that boiiz Instagram. Tino: BB-8 is a puppy my wife and I adopted. Lando brought him home to foster for a bit and told me that there was an option to adopt. I held him for a few minutes and I decided right then and there I was gonna adopt him. Danielle was hesitant for about 2 minutes before she fell in love with him after holding him lol. He’s currently trying to jump on the computer as I type this. Hahaha. He was/is so freaking adorable that I started an instagram for him to share his adorableness with the world. So, check out BB8TheBlackLab Rolando: Julia is cuter. -And to close, if you’d be so kind, explain to the readers why representation, whether it be on a stage, on screen, or in public office, is so very important to the youth and the leaders and artists of tomorrow. That’s a lot to ask of you, so I understand if you’d rather pass, but you do it so eloquently. All my love, my friends. Tino: It’s so important for people to see themselves on all those platforms you mentioned. For me, as a kid my mind was blown anytime I would see someone who looked like me on TV (that wasn’t a criminal). When I saw La Bamba as a kid, my first thought was “Whoa! Mexicans can play rock n roll?!” It completely opened my eyes and let me know that I could do it too. So, I guess that’s why it’s important to me. It shows the next generation that anything is possible. Rolando: When I spoke to someone who books shows earlier I mentioned to them that I thought it was their job to know local POC bands in the area and not just all white bands. This person responded "it's my job to make money." It sort of made me feel like they automatically assumed that artists of color have no worth. When I was younger I went to a lot of shows and really loved pop-punk and emo (still do). There was never a time I remember where I looked up on stage and saw someone with skin similar to mine looking back at me. It wasn't until I saw Los Lobos rock out in Spanish and English to a sold out crowd that I felt like it was possible for me. There are a lot of young kids out here these days who are prematurely settling for something because something better hasn't been shown to them. We don't often see black and brown character on film portrayed as something other than "ghetto.” We need equal representation across the board so that our next generation can truly feel like anything really is possible because it has been presented to them before. Thank you Ty for always allowing us to be ourselves and giving us free reign to be ourselves. Godfather for LIFE!
-Hey bud! How are you doing? Very excited to finally have you in this zine. Please introduce yourself to those that don’t already know you. Hello Human, I am Maggie May :) I play folk punk tunes! -Walk me through your musical journey. What made you want to start playing music and taking it seriously as not just a hobby but as a possible career path? I took it seriously from the start, I have always wanted music to be a career for me. But I realized it was possible by seeing my friends play music. Once I realized that I didn't need to be on mainstream radio or sign to a label to be successful I just jumped into music world full force. -It’s my understanding that the dream or ultimate goal for you is to get to a point where you can tour super heavily, right? As a solo artist, what all goes into that? What’s your ideal tour vehicle? My goal at the moment is to get up to 10 shows a month. But I am also very excited about the idea of touring. As a solo artist this means sending lots of emails, and doing a lot with social media. I've been getting gigs recently as a result of my videos being viewed on my Instagram page, "MaggieMayGr". Going online has given me the ability to reach people not just outside of Michigan, but the United States. Currently, I am saving up to buy a VW bus to tour in. I like the idea of just being able to take my bed with me so I can tour anywhere and always have a place to crash. -So we sort of reconnected and became friends at your album release party last summer and I’m so grateful for that. What were some of the highlights of that show? And were there any further cool opportunities that came from that show? Seeing the turnout, and finding out how much we raised for Well House was what really made the night special. Everyone came together and donated any money they would have
made that night to a good cause. That was my first glimpse inside of the Westside family in Grand Rapids. I made a lot of friends in the music community that night, which has resulted in some awesome collaborations and shows. -And youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a new batch of songs ready for the second record coming out soon, yes? How do you think youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve advanced as an artist in the year between albums? What kind of things can we expect to hear on this new project? Any surprises you can spoil here? Yes! I am currently recording album #2, which will have a bunch of new songs on it. Overall I think I've advanced with finding a style of writing I am comfortable with. Also, writing stories that the audience can get invested in and engage with. Since this first album came out I've noticed more people singing along to my songs. Which has been really cool to see. I can tell you there will be a surprise on the new album. But I'll let you all stumble across it yourselfs when album #2 gets released. -Aside from your solo material, what side projects are you currently involved with? The Petty Bastards: Duo folk/punk project (ukulele, vocals) Brother Wolf and the Wolfpack from Mars: David Bowie Tribute Band (backup vocals) (Name TBA): 90's-early 2000's Pop-Punk cover band (ukulele, vocals) -What awards were you nominated for at the Jammies? How did that feel to be recognized like that? I was nominated for Best Album By A New Artist, Best Contemporary Folk Album, and Best Album Of The Year. It was a huge surprise to be nominated! I had submitted an album in 2017 so I knew that I was in the running to be potentially nominated for a Jammie. But to see my name in the lineup with artists that I'd been listening to and admiring since I was a teenager was a bit of an unreal experience. It really felt like it was a reassuring sign that I'm on the right path with music. -Is it fair to say the majority of your music is pretty political? What, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re comfortable expressing them here, are some of the subjects you touch upon in your songs? And are the based upon personal experiences? Yes, for sure. My song, "Knock'em Dead" is about a person awaiting trial for killing a Nazi, and their struggle because the law and their own moral beliefs are on opposite spectrums. (kill your local nazi, kids). One of my newest songs, "God Hates Me" touches on issues of homophobia and white supremacy in the Christian church. The homophobic issues in the church came from personal experience with the first church I attended. I experienced resistance to me being apart of the community due to my sexuality. Someone was afraid I'd
turn them gay if I was in the building. Off my first album there is a song called, "Your Strings Are Showing" which touches on the issues surrounding cost of education, student debt, and the pressure our society puts on people to conform to a standard 9-5 job. -What was it like seeing The Homeless Gospel Choir live for the first time? And what would it mean to you to collaborate with him? Hearing his music for the first time, made me feel... normal. I've always felt like people thought I was too loud with my political beliefs. That speaking my mind would just result in negative outcomes. But here's this guy and it's just him and a guitar. And the whole room was captivated. And it made me realize that you could be exactly who you want to be and still make music. His writing style has had a massive impact on how I write my songs today. If that ever happened it would be a fangirl, bucket list item come true. -What is your stance on cat suits? On Wednesdays we wear cat suits. Otherwise you can't sit with us. *hiss* -What are your all-time favorite vegan snack foods? And what is your all-time favorite horror movie to eat those snacks to? I love Gardien chicken tenders. I try to always keep a stock of them in the freezer. Or Justin's dark chocolate peanut butter cups. I try not to keep a stock of them because otherwise I would eat all of them. If I'm trying to eat a healthier green seedless grapes are my jammmm. Favorite horror movies to eat these nomz to are 31, anything Goosebumps, and the Sleepaway Camp series. -Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s close with this. One thing I especially admire about you is your unrelenting belief in yourself and your art. What is some advice youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re willing to share to any young and aspiring musicians that may be reading? My advice is to not settle, and to try not getting discouraged. I've had people talk over me at shows, talk shit during a set (yes we can hear what people are saying while on stage), and walk out during a set. It happens, not everyone will like your music. Make the music that makes you happy, and sing really fucking loud so the people who don't dig your music have a harder time not listening. *finger guns*