My name is Craig and I play guitar, sing and check the e-mail. A huge responsibility!
1) If you toured the US, what would you miss about Glasgow? What would you bring with you?
I would miss the humour of Glasgow. Whenever Aereogramme go anywhere I do notice that the humour is never as good or as offensive as it is in Glasgow. I will be bringing my camera and enough books and music to make the van trips more comfortable.
2) If you ran a school that had a required uniform, what would you make the kids wear?
I would make them wear absolutely nothing but then I would get thrown in jail. How good would lunch time be though?
3) What is the typical Aereogramme groupie like?
As soon as we get our first one I will let you know. We are hairy and we sweat a lot on stage and women don't tend to find that very attractive.
4) What's the funniest game you've ever played with a kitten; like what techniques do you use in play with kittens?
What techniques? Are you kidding? The only technique I have is trying not to let the wee buggers scratch my arm to pieces. Animals react to me in strange ways. When I was smaller, dogs always tried to hump my leg and cats would always go for my eyes. I think I'm the complete opposite of Dr Doolittle.
5) How do you feel about shoplifting? Are you morally opposed to it? When do you think it might be acceptable? What about shoplifting Aereogramme Cds from Tower Records?
OK, I actually have an opinion on this. Having worked in a corporate record store before, I have heard many people argue about how stealing from these shops is acceptable because they expect it and budget for it anyway. Basically, I think that idea is utter bullshit. Lets get one thing straight. I hate the big money bosses as much as anyone else but if you think that stealing from these shops is stealing from the fat bosses then you are SO wrong. The people who are effected are the normal men and women working behind the counter who earn as much as you do and are just trying to pay the rent. The fat bosses will account for shoplifting but they are never going to take it out of their own pockets are they? They take it out of the cashiers pockets by paying them less or else they just put the price of the cd's up. If you really want to hurt the bosses then burst their car tires or follow them home and shit through their letter boxes but don't attack the shop because you are only hurting the people who work behind the counter and they are just as poor as you are. Here endeth my sermon.
6) What is your ultimate goal as a band?
Quite simply, our goal is to move as many people as possible. Like we were moved by all the bands we listen to. I wouldn't be writing this today if I hadnt been changed by Fugazi or The God Machine and I hope someone can say the same thing about us.
7) Do the Scottish have a superior sense of humor than Americans?
Not superior, just very different. I tend to find that sarcasm plays a huge part in Scottish humour and it takes a while for my American friends to catch on to this, but it works both ways. I have no idea why most Americans find Tom Green funny. The man is a dick!
7.5) What's a pretty funny joke to you that maybe we wouldn't get?
Ok, here is a great Scottish joke that I will try and change so that hopefully an American will find funny. I will swap the Scottish punchline for hopefully the right American punchline. Ok, so there is a guy and girl in the car "making out" (as you Americans like to say) and it starts to get pretty intense. They are all over each other and things are hotting up quite considerably. Suddenly, the woman leans over and whispers in the guys ear, "kiss me where its wet and stinky......". So he drives her to Seattle! Ha, hope that worked. The Scottish punchline would have been "Aberdeen" but I doubt many americans would have got that.
8) Do you think that disaster movies are funny? Do you make fun of the pain and suffering of others shown on television?
I only find disaster movies funny when they are badly acted. Take "Towering Inferno" for example. I only make fun of pain and suffering on t.v. when it is self inflicted like those stupid talent shows where they are trying to find a new pop star or when they are trying to prove they are amazing and they find out on live national television that they are as useful as a dead monkey which causes their egos to be brought right back down to earth. That, I find very funny.
9) Do you think that Armageddon is rapidly approaching? (if you knew it was coming during an Aereogramme set, how would you incorporate it into your performance)?
Good question! My parents certainly think Armageddon is coming but I'm not so sure. If you follow the biblical idea of Armageddon you have to wait on the Anti-Christ coming along first. The bible refers to the Anti-Christ bringing peace to the whole world first of all, which makes him so appealing to everyone, then he eventually becomes evil and destroys the world etc etc etc... Now, I just cannot see that this world at the moment could ever be brought to a time of peace. Humans fucking hate each other so intensely that it's going to take a pretty smooth opperator to bring calm to this world right now and it ain't going to be George Bush or Tony Blair. If it did happen during an Aereogramme set I would proably ask the Four Horsemen of the Appocalypse to maybe try out some backing vocals . I hear that "famine" is pretty good on the keyboards as well.
10) What's the shittiest job you've ever had?
I worked in a factory that made glass wool. You know that yellow itchy stuff? I would work the night shift, drive home, take a shower and climb into bed only to find that my whole body still itched like hell. Also, the whole work force had a collective IQ of around 12 which made for some pretty horrible shifts.
11) Who was your favorite character on the early 90s hit television show Full House?
I don't actually recall that program. Maybe I was watching the A-team when that was on?
12) If you could play a show anywhere in the world that you wanted (including like on The Empire State Building or in Antarctica or anything wild like that) where would it be?
Quite simply, I would love to play at the next All Tomorrows parties organised by Shellac because they are playing, I've heard Fugazi are playing and most importantly, NEUROSIS are playing and to share a festival with these groups would be an absolute dream come true.
13) What is your favorite rock video from the Eighties?
OOOhhhh, that is so hard. Can I choose a few? (can't remember if this is eighties or nineties) Metallica - "One", for being genuinely unsettling (the full uncut version). Motley Crue - "Girls Girls Girls", for providing what can only be described as mana from heaven to a teenage boy and maybe David Bowie - "Lets Dance", because it has stuck with me all this time.
Addendum.....
Thanks so much for getting the interview back to me so quickly and having thoughtful answers to my somewhat silly questions. After I sent the interview last night, I was listening closely to your record, trying to write my review of it when it suddenly occured to me that you guys must be strongly influenced by Heavy Metal. I got really excited and started surfing around the web and read some interviews others have done and saw references.
This got me excited, particularly your Neurosis reference. In August, I drove to San Francisco with some friends (which is like a 12 hour drive from Portland) to go to a festival put on by Neurosis. One night, the line up was Thrones, Isis, Neurosis and Shellac! Those are like four of my favorite bands ever! I was in such bliss the entire show. Neurosis and Shellac both played two nights in a row. Neurosis played a completely different set both nights and I can't even tell you how fucking incredibe the shows were. It will always stand out as one of the very best weekends of my entire life.
So, I really like your record a whole lot because I feel all of these wonderful musical influences tastefully used in your own way to make a unique record/sound. I'm sure you'll be compared a lot to Mogwai, and I even made the reference, but there is really so much more going on. It's exciting and moving and completely enjoyable.
So, maybe a few more questions.. metal related...
1) One of the things that excites me about some of my favorite intense heavy bands are the use of visuals in the performance. Neurosis with their digital video projected over their heads, Dillinger Escape Plan and Botch with their extra member of the band who works the light show, Pink & Brown with their nylon stocking body suits... It's very different than most "indie rock" bands who just sort of stand on stage and play. Where do you think these other band's draw to visuals comes from? Does Aereogramme use visuals (or would consider it?)
Aereogramme do not use visuals but as soon as we can afford it I know we will. I saw the Dillenger Escape Plan on tour with Botch and it still rates as one of the best gigs I've ever seen and the lights had so much to do with that. It was very subtle lighting though, but it made all the difference. I think bands who make music as intense as these bands have an interest in effecting the listener in as many ways as possible so that a gig becomes more than an aural experience. You can effect peoples' visual experience of a gig with the lights and projections and you can effect their physical experience by making it so loud you can feel the music. This all adds to the experience of these bands' gigs and because their music is a lot more experimental and different it's no surprise that they want to make the gig experience different from the usual "indie rock" gigs. I admire them very much for this.
2) Do you think that metal is more universal than indie-rock in it's appeal (crossing cultural and language barriers)? Why or why not?
I think aggression has a lot to do with it. People across the world are pissed off and metal has the ability to connect with all these pissed off kids. It goes that bit further than indie-rock but there is the danger of metal becoming the overground which it has done now and you get these bands classed as metal who are no such thing. The aggression has been replaced with macho bullshit like Limp Bizkit or fake pain like Korn and I hate it with all my heart.
3) What is going on with the metal scene in the UK?
There are a few great metal bands but they are largely ignored. Metal has become the mainstream here instead of the underground and so there are all these metal kids who will not give the time to grass root bands struggling to be heard over the major label bands. The kids here will lap up any old shite that America places in front of them when there are much better bands right in their own country. Its more about style than anything else now. It seems to matter more about how many peircings the band have and how freaky your hair is rather than wether it fucking rocks or not and it really gets to me. There are a couple of amazing metal bands in Glasgow. I cannot recommend these bands enough - Churn, Mad Man Is Absolute, Regorge - but the metal kids in Glasgow couldn't care less because the bands don't have big shiney videos to impress them with.
4) Neurosis is your favorite band? What is your favorite album of theirs and why?
Neurosis are one of my favorite bands. I would struggle to choose between "Times of Grace" and their newest album, "A Sun That Never Sets". "Times of Grace" was one of the most important albums of last year for me as I had "Grace" (he "Tribes of Neurot" companion CD) and "Times of Grace" burned onto one cd and it was one of the most frightening albums I had ever heard. The idea of releasing an album with a companion cd to be played at the same time, released on their own label, is an amazing idea that is very inspirational at the same time. "A Sun That Never Sets" has to be singled out as well though. I find this album very brave as it seems to be their most melodic album to date. It feels as if the parts of the songs where they would normally explode and take off have been pulled back and it's such a good step to take. I don't know if they made the descision to hold back on this album but it's made such a difference and I can only imagine where they will go next. "Locust Star" from "Through Silver and Blood" has to be mentioned as well. What a song!
5) How do you think your love for metal influences the music that you make?
I think that it has helped us create an album that goes to many different exteremes. We always wanted certain songs to be as heavy as we could possibly make them ("Shouting For Joey or the end of "Post Tour, Pre-Judgement") but our love for bands like LOW and MARK EITZEL, RED HOUSE PAINTERS etc help make the heavy parts even more extreme by preceding them or following them with our most gentle, quiet songs. THE GOD MACHINE were always a huge influence as they were one of the very few bands who could make heavy music and quiet music work on an album and I admired that very much.
6) What do you think of the new Slayer album? Do you have any conspiracy theories about the fact that it was released on Sept 11 (the day of the World Trade Center/Pentagon) attack here in the US and is titled "God Hates Us All"?
The new slayer album is incredible. I'm going to stick my neck out here and say that it might be their best album to date. I know, I know, how could you possibly beat "Reign In Blood"? Well, they have toned down the guitar solo's on the new album and that is very welcome by me. It's also one of the most aggresive albums I have ever heard. "Give me a reason not to rip your fuckin face off" is one of the more gentle lyrics on the album! Conspiracy theories? Nah, Tom Araya would never stoop so low as to be involved in something like that. Not so sure about Jeff Hanneman though...
Interview by James Squeaky
Interview courtesy of Sincere Brutality (http://www.sincerebrutality.com)