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Interview with Mad Habit VMU: Hey guys how are you? Brian: Pretty damn busy. We're putting the finishing touches on our debut EP, and trying to keep up with requests for press kits and demos, which have accelerated because we've been featured on a few websites lately. Yours, for example. But it's all good. It's better to be busy than sitting idle. And, like any band, we love the exposure. VMU: How long have you guys been together and who is the current line up? Mike: Nomi on vocals, Brian on guitar, Joey on bass, me on drums. Brian and I have been going at this for a couple of years now. Nomi graced us with his talent about a year ago and Joey...well, you'll become acquainted with his story soon enough... VMU: Where exactly are you guys from? Nomi: I'm from Dallas, Texas. Brian: I think I was conceived in the back of a '68 Camaro in Redlands CA. I hope that was specific enough. Actually...I don't want to think about it anymore. Joey: I was found floating unconscious in the ocean just off the coast of Florida, by a fisherman who nursed me back to health. I was found with only a bass which I used for a raft. I can't remember anything before that point, total amnesia, except that I knew how to play the bass. Luckily, my band mates saw me play at an open mic, where they recruited me as their bassist, then taught me how to speak. Actually I'm from the Bay Area. Cupertino to be exact. Mike: I'm from El Paso, Texas. No, that isn't in Mexico - a common misconception. A couple of good indies have come from there - anybody remember At-the-Drive-In or currently follow Sparta? VMU: The songs "Rewind" and "Morphine" are very emotional songs and I love the sound! Where did you guys record and who is the producer? Brian: Thanks. We did most of the recording at Capricorn Studios in San Diego. We worked with a couple of sound engineers over there who are both really creative and clever -- Bryan Stratman and Christian Cummings. I guess we'd say that Stratman was the producer, but it was really a collaboration between both of them and all of us. Capricorn has this sort of insane circus environment where people are walking in and out of the recording room all of the time. I had a guy come in and start talking to me while I was tracking "I Can See You." About 15 seconds into the conversation he realized that the guitar he was hearing out of the monitors was live, and he was like "That's cool, man!". I can't remember if that realization actually caused him to stop talking, though. I don't think so. But all of the characters and insanity contributed to a creative environment down there where we were free to throw out ideas and see what stuck. By working with them, we managed to get a lot of sound out in a pretty short amount of time. Nomi: I totally agree that Capricorn was a circus. But, like Brian said, it sort of helped with the creativity at times. There was a lot of spontaneity in the recording sessions. I remember changing things at the last minute or coming up with an idea on the spot for a song and actually leaving it in the final mix. I don't think I'd ever want to go back there to record again, but I will say that Bryan and Christian are two of the more creative people I've worked with in my career. Regarding Rewind and Morphine, those songs are pretty emotional, they're both extremely personal. I wrote the lyrics to Rewind at a time when it felt like my life was falling apart. That song turned out to be therapeutic in that it helped me deal with those personal issues I was having. I think the fact that I was so stoked on that song really woke me up again. It gave me new life. The song itself is, ultimately, about not living in your own sadness. Which I had been doing. I had to sort of convince myself that I was going to be happy again. The realization that life goes in circles was what really made me start to change my outlook and what prompted the lyrics for that song. As long as you know there's going to be a break in the clouds again, you can get through anything. Brian wrote the lyrics to Morphine. I think it's a beautiful song...A lot of the guitar tones and fills that Brian does on that song, along with an incredible bass line, make it very emotional and very enjoyable to listen to. VMU: Can you guys tell us how it was recorded, analog or digital (computer program)? Nomi: I think it was all digital. I know that's sacrilegious, but we didn't have the time or the money to record onto analog and then transfer it to Digital. I think the next time we record, we're definitely going Analog. It just has a warmer sound than digital does. VMU: How many releases have you guys put out? Mike: Wait, what is a release in the Indie world? We've been very fortunate to have received some radio airplay with our song 'Stranded' in one SF Bay Area market because of good, supportive friends. Both 'Stranded' and 'Rewind (Circles)' have had their time on internet radio. In short, it is fair to say two releases thus far... Brian: This is our first album. Since we finished recording, we've written four songs for our second. VMU: The vocals are really good!! Reminds me of Faith No More! Who are your guy's influences? Nomi: Wow. Thanks for the compliment. What's funny is that I've probably only heard one or two Faith No More songs. And I probably couldn't even name them. Wait... Is that sacrilegious, too? I know that Mike Patton is a God to many who follow Faith No More! Seriously, though... one of my main influences, vocally, is probably Michael Jackson. I know that I'm going to get chastised by my bandmates for that comment, but I really feel that he's one of the best melody writers the music industry has ever known. Listening to his songs is pretty much how I taught myself to sing. I learned a lot about constructing vocal melodies/harmonies and hooks by listening to his songs... One of my modern-day influences is Maynard from Tool... I think that guy is creative beyond his years. Mike: Neil Peart, John Bonham, Stewart Copeland, Elvin Jones (rest in peace). Since the issue is open, we really don't mind that Nomi derives inspiration from Jacko. Although, it is of concern when he misses practice because he's hanging out at neighborhood parks or drawing up plans for an amusement park at home. Brian: My main influences are Dave Navarro -- I love all the trippy textures he adds to songs while keeping a heavy edge, Tom Morello, The Edge, Jimmy Page, Billy Corgan, and Billy Howerdel from A Perfect Circle. VMU: How many times a week do you guys practice? Brian: Usually two or three times per week. More or less depending on what's going on. VMU: What gear do you guy's use live and in the studio (please in detail)? Brian: I mostly use a custom Fender Telecaster fitted with a couple of humbuckers, one of which has a coil tap, so I can switch between fat and thin sounds. It gives me a huge range of tones, which is nice live. For the recording, I used that, plus an old Ibanez Roadstar that had great fat sound, and a standard Tele for high-end crunch. I put those through a variety of effects -- MXR Phaser, Boss RV-3 digital delay, a boss CH-1 chorus, a Morely Bad Horsie Two Wah pedal, and a Mesa Boogie Bottle Rocket for overdrive. My amp is a Marshall JCM 2000 head hooked up to a Marshall 1960 AV cab. I use the exact same setup in both the studio and live. Nomi: I don't know a damn thing about gear. Mike: I'm with Nomi. Usually, there is a kit in either situation. I like to sit behind it and hit stuff with sticks...I currently smash a Yamaha Stage Custom Advantage. Nice lacquer finish, clean tones yet affordable enough to kick around the club scene. Capricorn was kind enough to let me use their Noble&Cooley for studio work. For cymbals, I like heavy-type Sabians. Joey: I'm all about the Musicman Bongo bass. I haven't found anything that sounds better than the Bongo. VMU: Any of you have their own home studio? If so what are you running? Mike: I've always managed at least a one-bedroom apartment. I did live in the dorms in college. As far as what I was running through there, I'd rather not say as my political aspirations are still alive. At this point in time, I'd like to admit that I did inhale-on more than one occasion. Thank you 'W' and 'BillyBoy' for allowing me the freedom to admit that...I'd like to add I don't smoke or insert (tobacco) cigars - in any humidor, human or mechanical. In all seriousness, none of us have a home studio per se. It is on the wish list. VMU: What was the worst experience live? Brian: Our final gig with our former bass player was probably my all-time low point. We hadn't rehearsed for two weeks, and we had terrible band morale. We were playing our least favorite venue. Man, we totally sucked. By about the third song I just wanted to unplug, ditch out the side door, and get myself a stiff drink. I wanted to apologize to the audience after our set for putting them through that for 45 minutes. Mike: I concur with Brian. I feel like it has been the 'worst' live experience whenever musicianship and performance value are deflated. It is so hard to get through such moments...it feels like an eternity. Luckily, we have not experienced too many of these 'worst' moments. Nomi: I fell off of a stage once. That was pretty embarrassing. VMU: Are you guys shopping around for a label or prefer indie? Brian: We're not really actively seeking a label at this point, though we've been contacted by a few, and we're happy to respond. If the right deal comes along, we'd take it. From everything we've seen, it doesn't really benefit you to sign to a label unless you already have your own loyal following. So that's what we're trying to build. Mike: I think we truly prefer whatever allows us the opportunity to keep writing, recording, performing and sharing as artists and musicians. VMU: Any tours in the works? Mike: We've kicked around ideas for setting ourselves up with dates, for example, in the Pacific Northwest. We'll keep you posted. This too is on our wish list, right before the home studio. VMU: Give a shout out to some other bands you like in the indie scene (bands in your area) Nomi: I'd like to give a shout out to another local San Diego band. The Trophy Life. I think they're a band that's going to be signed very soon. They really fit in well with the emo scene that seems to be really popular right now. Plus, they write great tunes. You should check `em out. Brian: Futyle. We've played several shows with them, and they put on a killer show. And they are very cool guys. Mike: Many bands deserve a shout out for doing what they do week after week - in San Diego: Futyle, The Big Provider, Jake, Soothsayers to name a few. I've really learned to love the vocal strength of San Diego's own Jen Grinels - she's powerful. VMU: Thanks so much for the interview! Any last comments? Mike: As a band, I think we need to end by thanking you for your time, interest and dedication to indie performers and musicians. Gives a reason to keep working at it...THANKS! VM UNDERGROUND June 2004 http://www.madhabit.com
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