isroxxor interviews, may 2008
1. davina sowers (davina & the vagabonds)
rx: how long have you been together/been playing music?
ds: davina & the vagabonds - 3 years
rx: what's the longest you've ever held your breath?
ds: not sure if that is a good idea
rx: briefly describe what you do to prepare immediately before a performance.
ds: set up our pa humm and pray that the vagabonds show up on time
rx: many of us here at isroxxor are huge comic book geeks. how about you--any favorites?
ds: wonder woman...i even have a star band tattoo around my forearm for her. invisible keys, invisible jet? a golden lasso? ..i mean come on...she rocks!
rx: many musicians claim to have broadly eclectic taste in music; is there any type of music that you just can't stand?
ds: i can honestly say..i don't hate any music. there is music i don't listen to...but not hate or can't stand. i hate to sound like a hippie, but music is universal and a wonderful thing
rx: the big record companies seem to be dying off. do you think this is going to help you, hurt you, or have no affect on you as you pursue your career?
ds: it won't affect us. i am happy i make all the sales. i am happy we have our own engineer. i am happy i can have say in what i give to people.
rx: we’re fascinated by food here at isroxxor. sometimes we even remember to cook. do you cook? what’s your favorite thing to make?
ds: i love to cook. i like making soups, you can be creative.
rx: it seems like the pace of our world just keeps getting faster and faster. besides playing music, what do you do to wind down?
ds: tylenol pm
rx: do you ever write or perform music just for kids?
ds: yes..the vagabonds and i have done workshops for elementary students.
rx: what's your favorite way to travel?
ds: car / plane / bike . traveling is in my blood. i am just happy if i can get out and smell a different place.
rx: sparkling or still spring water?
ds: spring, sparkling hurts my nose.
rx: if the macarthur foundation granted you one of their fellowships (a.k.a. "genius grants"), what would you like to work on?
ds: i would like to work on the district i live in. (frogtown , st.paul d7). a lot of the children in this area need need to be exposed to so much ( music, art, lit. ) i would love if someone gave me some scratch to take the kids to museums, plays, music events, etc.
rx: what do you think of those weekly celebrity magazines with all the paparazzi photos? they're sort of a guilty pleasure here at headquarters.
ds: i am a pop culture freak.
rx: where do you see yourself in five years?
ds: touring and writing music..and if that doesn't work..hmm...it better work..i have no back up plan
rx: what other talents do you have that you wish you had more time to explore?
ds: web design, design, painting, music business
2. michael rossetto (spaghetti western string company)
rx: how long have you been together/been playing music?
mr: as a group, since the winter of 2003 – a very cold one i might add. personally, i began in the sixth grade.
rx: what's the longest you've ever held your breath?
mr: maybe 30 seconds. i have a fear of not breathing.
rx: briefly describe what you do to prepare immediately before a performance.
mr: breathe. run my scales. play the beginning of bach’s partita #3. breathe.
rx: many of us here at isroxxor are huge comic book geeks. how about you--any favorites?
mr: i was a trekker growing up, and comic books seemed pale in comparison to shatner’s dynamite acting.
rx: many musicians claim to have broadly eclectic taste in music; is there any type of music that you just can't stand?
mr: ‘budweiser country’ - you’ve heard it i’m sure. otherwise known as ‘nascar country,’ or perhaps ‘billboard country’ - toby keith’s face does not belong on a billboard. i love twang, and pedal steels and hot nashville pickin’ but the leading men and ladies of that type of music are obnoxious. the backing bands however, are pretty talented.
rx: the big record companies seem to be dying off. do you think this is going to help you, hurt you, or have no affect on you as you pursue your career?
mr: their current methods and procedures to promote music have died off, they will still be around – perhaps in a different form. sites like myspace or pitchfork have enormous pull over what people listen to. if they marketed and sold records like a traditional record company, they would be monstrous, just like warner, universal, sony/bmg etc. these days it seems that technology is dictating how we get music. i’m going to invent a sticker that you can put on your body. all of our records would be absorbed into your skin and then you would be able to listen to any of our songs in your head. take that itunes. for the record i support the local record shops because i like the experience and the people who work at them.
rx: we're fascinated by food here at isroxxor. sometimes we even remember to cook. do you cook? what's your favorite thing to make?
mr: my parents are right off the boat from italia. of course i can cook! my red sauce is pretty good i think. takes two days to prepare.
rx: it seems like the pace of our world just keeps getting faster and faster. besides playing music, what do you do to wind down?
mr: honestly, i play banjo. i also have a special vhs tape i made in grade school with a ton of austin city limits performances. neil young back in the late 70’s, bela fleck, los lobos, albert collins etc. it takes me back to being 13 and completely fascinated by music, which i still am of course.
rx: do you ever write or perform music just for kids?
mr: sure do. it sounds nothing like raffi though.
rx: what's your favorite way to travel?
i love the motion of trains. i also really liked quantum leap. someday, i’d love to time travel.
rx: sparkling or still spring water?
mr: spring.
rx: if the macarthur foundation granted you one of their fellowships (a.k.a. "genius grants"), what would you like to work on?
mr: produce a children’s television show that exposes kids to the music of the world in the most sophisticated way of course.
rx: what do you think of those weekly celebrity magazines with all the paparazzi photos? they're sort of a guilty pleasure here at headquarters.
mr: don’t read them.
rx: where do you see yourself in five years?
mr: al and ziggy said i can’t talk about the future. (quantum leap, man i miss that show.)
rx: what other talents do you have that you wish you had more time to explore?
cooking, but i’m not really that talented at it. i’ve considered building instruments. ever seen the ‘new yankee workshop’ or the ‘woodwright’s shop?’ amazing talent there.
3. keith pille (derailleur)
rx: how long have you been together/been playing music?
kp: derailleur’s been together since 2000 (holy crap), although we’ve mutated enough that we’re not really the same band that we were then. we started out as super by-the-book guitar pop, and now we’re kind of like some sort of musical swamp thing, lurching around from weird sound to weird sound.
rx: what's the longest you've ever held your breath?
kp: i’ve broken a minute, i know that. i actually was doing some competitive breath-holding last fall, but i can’t remember exact times.
rx: briefly describe what you do to prepare immediately before a performance.
kp:
pee.
make sure i’ve got enough beer for the set.
tune the guitars.
rock.
rx: many of us here at isroxxor are huge comic book geeks. how about you--any favorites?
kp: big-time. to the extent that comics have sort of taken over my brain. i’ll read just about anything grant morrison writes. i like frank miller until about 1990, after which he seems to have gone kind of nuts. dan clowes is pretty kick-ass. i still enjoy paging through the phonebook-sized essential x-men collections, at least the stuff from the late 70s and early 80s. and there are a world of great comics being made on the web... the low cost of entry is really feeding a creative explosion. some of it’s shit, of course, but there are a lot of gems. i think people will still be talking about achewood in 30 years.
rx: many musicians claim to have broadly eclectic taste in music; is there any type of music that you just can't stand?
kp: my wife’s parents listen to a lot of mainstream country, and whenever we visit, i get reminded that i don’t have a lot of use for that stuff. but i think it’s pretty interesting how it all seems to revolve around a couple of recurring themes. like, it’s all either “we’re jus’ folks, and that’s just fine” or “if you fuck with america, you will die badly.” i’m probably oversimplifying, but that’s what i always get from it.
rx: the big record companies seem to be dying off. do you think this is going to help you, hurt you, or have no affect on you as you pursue your career?
kp: i think it’s good for society. the same low barriers to entry that i was talking about with webcomics are just as good for music, with a similar shit/gems mix. it makes for a messy scene, but that’s fine, i like messy. as for me personally, and for the rest of derailleur, to be honest it doesn’t matter much either way. we were always destined to be the sort of band who likes to get together and play, and likes to record when possible, but really would never be ready to go to the lengths it takes—either under the old record label system or the new web-anarchy world—to make a living as musicians. i’ve read too many memoirs about how awful it is to spend long periods of time touring. i’m happy to be in a world where we can record music pretty easily and just put it out there for anybody who wants it.
rx: we're fascinated by food here at isroxxor. sometimes we even remember to cook. do you cook? what's your favorite thing to make?
kp: i’m a big cook. baked ziti with fake ground beef is probably my best meal, although my burritos/guacamole combo is a hell of a one-two punch.
rx: it seems like the pace of our world just keeps getting faster and faster. besides playing music, what do you do to wind down?
kp: if anything, i play music to wind down from cartooning. one nowhere band strip takes so much effort that it’s gratifying to be able to just sit down and make noise. and then there’s always reading, biking, and watching (and deconstructing) movies with my wife.
rx: do you ever write or perform music just for kids?
kp: no, but i often sing to my cats.
rx: what's your favorite way to travel?
kp: bicycle, although that’d be a poor way to get to, say, mexico.
rx: sparkling or still spring water?
kp: tap!
rx: if the macarthur foundation granted you one of their fellowships (a.k.a. "genius grants"), what would you like to work on?
kp: comics, probably. either a long-form graphic novel version of nowhere band or some other long standalone work.
rx: what do you think of those weekly celebrity magazines with all the paparazzi photos? they're sort of a guilty pleasure here at isroxxor.
kp: i don’t buy them, but if my wife picks one up i usually wind up reading it when nobody’s around.
rx: where do you see yourself in five years?
kp: more or less where i am, really. it’d be nice to have more readership for nowhere band, and i guess i’d love it if derailleur had a somewhat higher profile locally; but really, i’m pretty happy with the status quo. i suppose my dog will be older and better-behaved in 5 years, so there’s that to look forward to.
rx: what other talents do you have that you wish you had more time to explore?
kp: i don’t know, that’s a dangerous way to think. for me, the curse of my 20s was weeding through all of my interests and finding a couple to focus on. i guess if i had more time, i’d put more effort into homebrewing beer... there’s a hobby that pays for itself in time and energy. and beer.
4. ken pete, aka peter rosewall (the wars of 1812)
rx: how long have you been together/been playing music?
kp: well, the band really just played for the first time in the summer of 2006. but, the members have been playing music for years before that. personally, i have been heavily involved with music since before i can remember. i took my first piano lessons from my mother when i was 5 years old. i kept studying throughout high school. when i was in college i decided to become composition major, but still played piano and took lessons. after college, the band got together.
rx: what's the longest you've ever held your breath?
kp: 40 seconds
rx: briefly describe what you do to prepare immediately before a performance.
kp: it depends on the show. sometimes we all keep to ourselves and take cat naps. for our bigger shows that mean a lot to us personally we usually have a short pep talk where we huddle in together to reflect and boost our confidence.
rx: many of us here at isroxxor are huge comic book geeks. how about you--any favorites?
kp: i used to date someone that was very big into comic books. i myself am not, but got into a few due to being the relationship. my all time favorite is the watchmen by alan moore. my other favorites at the time were tank girl and ghost world.
rx: many musicians claim to have broadly eclectic taste in music; is there any type of music that you just can't stand?
kp: not any type of music, no. maybe i have artists that i hate, but not a whole type or genre of music. typically you hear rap and country thrown out here, but i love aesop rock and uncle tupelo for example. i used to hate ub40, but then i heard their album signing off and i changed my whole tune. wait, no...reggae i don't like.
rx: the big record companies seem to be dying off. do you think this is going to help you, hurt you, or have no affect on you as you pursue your career?
kp: it will affect us, but not help or hurt us. people are going to want to hear good music in whatever capacity, whether it is through huge companies, small companies, or directly from the artist. we will always find a way to make music. either way seem to be serendipitous at the time, but either way we will make music.
rx: we're fascinated by food here at isroxxor. sometimes we even remember to cook. do you cook? what's your favorite thing to make?
kp: i love to cook, as well as bobby maher in the band. my favorite thing to make is burnt chicken cacciatore. i got a recipe for chicken cacciatore, and i accidentally burnt it the first time that i made it. it made a great addition to the dish, and now i will never make it without burning it.
rx: it seems like the pace of our world just keeps getting faster and faster. besides playing music, what do you do to wind down?
kp: the more speed the better.
rx: do you ever write or perform music just for kids?
kp: i have definitely written a handful of music for kids in my life. the band doesn't specifically write songs for kids, although most of our songs are loved by kids. i say this because peter pisano is a middle school teacher, and his students love our music. we played a benefit show for the school that peter teaches at, and all the kids came and loved it. it was great.
rx: what's your favorite way to travel?
kp: i went on a ferry from barcelona to rome. we had a room by the motor, so our whole room shook. it was like magic fingers without paying the quarters. also, we got to see the milky way with absolutely no light pollution. we went to bed in barcelona and woke up in rome. that was great.
rx: sparkling or still spring water?
kp: sparkling. in europe you have to specifically ask for water that is not sparkling. if you just ask for water, they will give you sparkling water. it is the only way to go.
rx: if the macarthur foundation granted you one of their fellowships (a.k.a. "genius grants"), what would you like to work on?
kp: honestly i would probably get one of my tv shows produced or pour it all into the band. jokingly i would act out the most definitive scientific tests for psychics and paranormal and debunk as much as i could. i would probably turn that into a tv show as well.
rx: what do you think of those weekly celebrity magazines with all the paparazzi photos? they're sort of a guilty pleasure here at headquarters.
kp: never looked at them, so i have no opinion. i hope to appear in one some day.
rx: where do you see yourself in five years?
kp: owning the company i work at whilst making our 4th album for the wars of 1812 and doing a world tour.
rx: what other talents do you have that you wish you had more time to explore?
kp: i wish i had more time for learning languages than i do now. i do have a lot of time for that, but i would like more. maybe when i retire i will learn as much as i can then, but then i won't be able to travel. it doesn't work.
5. john hermanson (the hopefuls, storyhill, alva star)
rx: how long have you been playing music?
jh: i've played music since third grade--starting with violin. i started writing songs in high school on an unplayable small acoustic i got at a garage sale.
rx: what's the longest you've ever held your breath?
jh: 2 and a half years in my late twenties waiting for break in the music business.
rx: briefly describe what you do to prepare immediately before a performance.
jh: hold my breath.
rx: many of us here at isroxxor are huge comic book geeks. how about you--any favorites?
jh: i got nothin. i wish i could be down with that.
rx: many musicians claim to have broadly eclectic taste in music; is there any type of music that you just can't stand?
jh: not really. i figured out recently that i like music that's honest. or music that is going for fake and pulls it off. genre doesn't really matter to me.
rx: the big record companies seem to be dying off. do you think this is going to help you, hurt you, or have no affect on you as you pursue your career?
jh: i think the jury's out on that. i'm hopeful we're seeing the dawning of a new era where musicians have more control. it feels that way to me.
rx: we're fascinated by food here at isroxxor. sometimes we even remember to cook. do you cook? what's your favorite thing to make?
jh: spanish beef stew is all i do. but i do it well. there's nothing better on a late fall evening.
rx: it seems like the pace of our world just keeps getting faster and faster. besides playing music, what do you do to wind down?
jh: i hang out with my kids mainly.
rx: do you ever write or perform music just for kids?
jh: i have recorded a fair amount of kids stuff but not performed it. its about as challenging as it gets for me. my hunch though, if my kids tastes are any measure, is that the best kind of kids music is adult music. my kids are big ac/dc fans. ac/dc is adult music right?. . .
rx: what's your favorite way to travel?
jh: in my mind. i've been on the road a lot lately and i'm super glad to be home. but ask me in a month and i'll say airplane.
rx: sparkling or still spring water?
jh: sparkling. mendota springs is one of the biggest benefits of living in minnesota.
rx: if the macarthur foundation granted you one of their fellowships (a.k.a. "genius grants"), what would you like to work on?
jh: my next record.
rx: what do you think of those weekly celebrity magazines with all the paparazzi photos? they're sort of a guilty pleasure here at isroxxor.
jh: i try to stay away. i try to limit my guilty pleasures to call of duty and halo, oh and paris hiltons cd.
rx: where do you see yourself in five years?
jh: right here. i've grown to love minnesota.
rx: what other talents do you have that you wish you had more time to explore?
jh: painting, drawing, fishing.
rx: how long have you been together/been playing music?
mm: oh...about 21 years with tom and i. the rest of the group about a year and a half.
rx: what's the longest you've ever held your breath?
mm: not sure, i passed out
rx: briefly describe what you do to prepare immediately before a performance.
mm: relax and remember the insignificance of what i am about to do.
rx: many of us here at isroxxor are huge comic book geeks. how about you--any favorites?
mm: when i was little i loved war movies and hated reading but there was one comic i would get called nam about vietnam vets during the war both in vietnam and at home. it was a very strange comic now that i reflect on it. that was the only comic i would read.
rx: many musicians claim to have broadly eclectic taste in music; is there any type of music that you just can't stand?
mm: mexican music can turn on me rather fast. i can handle everything for awhile. i love mexican food, and the band and i eat a lot of it. something about hearing the bass line bump in song after song that starts to get to me.
rx: the big record companies seem to be dying off. do you think this is going to help you, hurt you, or have no affect on you as you pursue your career?
mm: well as much as people say you don't need a label now a days, it is not true. those statements usually come from someone who was already on a label, has been broken, and can now manage their careers themselves. sure there are going to be the sufjan stevens and bon ivers out there, there always will be. but for the most part not having the financial investors with the relationships/connections and know how makes it rather difficult to be heard. another common thing i hear is that with the internet the playing field is level....i have found it is not level but saturated...flooded....we can't play on the playing field any longer...there is too much crap on it. which is why people are looking to alternative means of breaking such as commercials (they have always looked for alt ways but now more than ever). people are even going as far as looking like other bands who were successful with commercials...copying what worked for them almost to the t.....not to name any names but its coldplay.....side note: what the hell is with that coldplay i tunes commercial “i rule the world”, is it not just a complete rip off of u2...is 30 million dollars that much better than just 20???? anyway...without someone who can help you get out into these new means of flag waving it is hard. you need a heavy hitter, like pitchfork, to give you a nod and even that might not do anything. what will this mean for us...i don't know. my band and i are good performers, we pride ourselves on our live performance and as long as we have that we will continue to do it. whoever wants to help us along the way is welcomed with open arms. will i benefit from the fall of the giants....i don't know, but i can only hope so.
rx: we're fascinated by food here at isroxxor. sometimes we even remember to cook. do you cook? what's your favorite thing to make?
mm: i do cook. between my wife and i, i am the chef. i am the youngest in my family and my mother would always keep me by her side. one of the things i would get to do besides shop, drop off laundry and go on walks was cook. i like working with rice...so some kind of stir-fry thing is my fav right now.
rx: it seems like the pace of our world just keeps getting faster and faster. besides playing music, what do you do to wind down?
mm: i go to mass a lot. sit on the couch with my wife stacy and my dog ramona. try...try to read..like i said i hated reading as a kid.
rx: do you ever write or perform music just for kids?
mm: i play with two kids in my band kristina (violin) and patrick (cello)..ha ha ha.ha ha ha….sigh....ok. write for, no. i have done some retreats but that was high school students, not really young kids...so i guess...no
rx: what's your favorite way to travel?
mm: my favorite is free. it used to be by car but i have been on the road for 5 years, i am tired of driving. i do absolutely love boats. my dream would be travel by sailboat.
rx: sparkling or still spring water?
mm: oh still spring for sure. i made that mistake in italy....sans gas!
rx: if the macarthur foundation granted you one of their fellowships (a.k.a. "genius grants"), what would you like to work on?
mm: i would work on becoming a genius…i would just feel guilty otherwise.
rx: what do you think of those weekly celebrity magazines with all the paparazzi photos? they're sort of a guilty pleasure here at isroxxor.
mm: i don’t think much of them…anything moving has energy lost…our culture has those magazines.
rx: where do you see yourself in five years?
mm: as a father next to my wife somewhere other than here.
rx: what other talents do you have that you wish you had more time to explore?
mm: my ability to lose hair on my head and gain on my body…i want to explore that…and stop it…. because it is pretty ridiculous. play the piano would be nice too…but lets explore the hair thing first.
7. alison scott
rx: how long have you been together/been playing music?
as: my whole life. i started piano at 5, and choir in 3rd grade. i never stopped!
rx: what's the longest you've ever held your breath?
as: i used to be a swimmer. we had to make it over a minute. so, i've got that going for me!
rx: briefly describe what you do to prepare immediately before a performance.
as: i have a hot tea concoction i drink most of the time. other than that, just try to chill out, not talk too much so i save my voice.
rx: many of us here at isroxxor are huge comic book geeks. how about you--any favorites?
as: i have to say, i never read to many comic books, but i am a big fan of the movies they base on them. love x-men.
rx: many musicians claim to have broadly eclectic taste in music; is here any type of music that you just can't stand?
as: any music where the singer just screams and doesn't really "sing" anything. i just dont get it. other than that, i love pretty much everything.
rx: the big record companies seem to be dying off. do you think this is going to help you, hurt you, or have no affect on you as you pursue your career?
as: i used to be scared by it. but now i have started to realize that the artists are keeping their creative control and their profits! so, i'm ok with it.
rx: we're fascinated by food here at isroxxor. sometimes we even remember to cook. do you cook? what's your favorite thing to make?
as: i love cooking. i don't have much time to do it anymore, but i try. i am a big baked goods junkie. i could eat cookies all day long. but usually i try to be sort of healthy and make something good for dinner. chicken and veggies is often on the menu at this house.
rx: it seems like the pace of our world just keeps getting faster and faster. besides playing music, what do you do to wind down?
as: i like going out to eat with friends and family. movies are always entertaining. house projects can be very rewarding also.
rx: do you ever write or perform music just for kids?
as: i have not as of yet. but i think children’s music is great, and i could see myself being involved in it later in life.
rx: what's your favorite way to travel?
as: well, by plane. but i have never tried a train and i think i would enjoy it.
rx: sparkling or still spring water?
as: usually still, but i like the occasional bubble.
rx: if the macarthur foundation granted you one of their fellowships (a.k.a. "genius grants"), what would you like to work on?
as: i suppose music therapy. i have heard that unbelievable things are being done in that field.
rx: what do you think of those weekly celebrity magazines with all the paparazzi photos? they're sort of a guilty pleasure here at headquarters.
as: yea, i can't help myself either. i know it's trash. but i consider it research. you have to scope out the competition.
rx: where do you see yourself in five years?
as: hopefully having kids, making records, and doing the occasional tour.
rx: what other talents do you have that you wish you had more time to explore?
as: photography. i love it, but i never have really gotten to learn enough about it. anything artistic or creative fascinates me. pottery is fantastic also. besides choir, it was my favorite subject in high school.