Bleak Anthem
Derek
Virus: You guys have been around for a long time, but you just recently started getting serious, what happened?
James: We were young and in high school, and we had no money to really do anything. But this is something we all really loved. So we decided to put everything into it.
Virus: How long did it take you to finish the first album?
James: Surprisingly, two weeks. We recorded in this weird warehouse that had been converted into a house/studio, and the guy was using some out-dated recording equipment. Everything took a while to set up, and record, blah, blah, blah. Special emphasis on the 'blah, blah, blah'. We didn't record everyday, just random days over the span of two weeks. The place smelled.
Jason
Virus: Any tour plans?
James: Yeah, for sure. We might be signing to a record label that is putting on a tour this summer. If we decide not to sign with them, we'll try to do a D.I.Y. tour off the west coast when summer starts.
Virus: Who's the label?
James: Classic Filth, www.classicfilth.com. They're a new label, and they seem really nice. We're gonna be on their first compilations (for sure) this summer as well.
Virus: Any favorite local bands?
James: Something for Nothing, they're our friends that are really young and just starting out. Wreckreation is pretty dope, so are the guys from This Moment (a hardcore band).
Virus: Any favorite zines?
James: Virus! All the way...yeah, there's a bunch of zines around here that we pick up at shows and skateshops: Scratch, Destroy All...and Meanstreet.
James
Virus: What do you think is the best thing to write songs about?
James: Hmmm...that's a good question. I think the best thing is to tell a story, paint a picture, use really big words that no one understands but makes yourself feel incopeulant (what?) Opinions are good too. Writing songs about not writing songs about girls...stuff.
Steve
Virus: Your worst sound guy experience was....
James: The Roxy in Hollywood. He was f-ing with our sound the entire show...turning down vocals, turning up Paula Abdul and mixing it in with our sings...just weird crap.
Virus: Paula Abdul?
James: um...yeah. No. Sorry about that one...she's just been on my mind lately...
Virus: Hmmmm, okay. Worst show ever?
James: The Shack in Fullerton. The drum pedal fell apart three times during the show; it made us look like amateurs. We ended up telling bad jokes while he tried to fix it. Anyways, no one was there anyways. So it was crappy all the way.
Virus: I hate to ask this one, but...try to describe your music.
James: New-school punk rock. Melodic, edgy, fun? Original? Skeptical. DefinaDefinitelyop-punk. I dunno. We like out music; it's good to listen to. It's good to listen to. It's for the mob.
Virus: And finally...what are your ultimate goals with Bleak Anthem?
James: We all want different things; James wants our CD in stores, Jason wants a tour bus with a built in humidifier, Derek wants to travel to find a cure to his 'itching disease', and Steve wants to stop the world from eating meat. And damnit, I am gonna eat as much meat as possible.
James: I think we all just want to play.