Interviews: Tsunami Bomb

The wait is over. Here's our interview with all four members of California punk band Tsunami Bomb. Click READ MORE to read about pretty much everything you could ever want to know about this band [and then some]. If you'd like to read a review of their newest album "The Ultimate Escape," click here.

Please state your name and what you do in this band.

Agent M; I sing in the band.
Dominic, I play bass.
Mike. I play guitar.
My name is Gabe, and I play the drums.

Please describe your band to my grandmother.

Agent M--We are fast, loud rock music, but we have a nice young lady as our
vocalist and three strapping young men playing the instruments.
Dominic--Good music that grandkids love.
Mike-- Good 'ole fashion rock 'n' roll.
Gabe-- Kind of poppy, snappy, and all together snazzy.

How long has Tsunami Bomb been together? How long has the current lineup
been playing?

Agent M--We have been together for almost 5 years now, and the current lineup
has been active since May 5th 2001 when we played our first show without our
keyboardist.
Gabe-- Hmm…Tsunami Bomb has been playing for about 5 years. The current
lineup has existed for about 2 ½ years.

I've always been fascinated by your name. My friend Moldy and I love to
say "Tsunami Bomb!" all the time, in various speeds and pitches. How
exactly did your name come about?

Agent M--This question should be answered by Dominic, since he came up with
the name.
Dominic--That's funny, I have never attempted that with punknews.org. I
should try that. I am glad our name strikes you in such a way. I came up
the name before the band had even really started. I had just left a band
where everything was pretty ugly and I was dead set on starting a band that
would be different, especially since I felt this was going to be my last
attempt at creating something great. A band that would act different, play
different, treat each other different…everything. So it needed a great name
that no one else had, so I tried to think of something that sounded like an
experimental destructive weapon. I think I was partly inspired by Japanese
anime and to many comic books, but whatever the inspiration, once I thought
of Tsunami Bomb, I knew that was the name. Thus, now you say our name in
various speeds and pitches.

What happened to your old keyboard player?

Agent M--We truly just parted ways. She wanted to move away, and we weren't
ready for a long-distance band. We decided everything would be easier if we
did not replace her.
Dominic--To put it simply, it was just one of the situations where people
start drifting apart. She seemed to be less interested in the group as a
whole and eventually wanted to move away. At the time, finding a keyboard
player that could just jump in to our tour schedule was impossible, so we
took a risk and went ahead with out one. Surprisingly that's when things
exploded and the reaction to our live show was amazing. Since we had to make
up for the change, our performances became more intense and in the end, we
became a better live band. I think it worked out for the best for all of us.
She lives in Texas now and I believe is going to school.
Mike-- She quit.
Gabe-- Oh shit, I thought something was different….

Agent M, rumor has it your brother plays drums for The [amazing] Velvet
Teen. Is this true, and if so will we ever see the siblings touring
together?

Agent M--I would love that very much - my older brother Logan is one of my
favorite people ever. Unfortunately the 2 music styles vary significantly -
we (Tsunami Bomb) are hoping to eventually do a hometown show together and
see how well it goes over.

Are you happy with Kung Fu Records? Will the next record be coming out on
a different label?

Agent M--We are really happy with Kung Fu Records! Everyone who works there
is great, and all of our labelmates are wonderful. Our next 2 records will
be out on Kung Fu.
Dominic--We are very happy with Kung Fu Records! We spent a lot of time
trying to find a label where we could feel at home and where we could grow as
a band. Every indie label you can think of passed on us for some lame reason
or another, some even tried to convince us to go to a major! Kung Fu was the
only one that believed in us at all. They are a fantastic label to be on.
Our next album will without a doubt be out on Kung Fu.
Mike-- Kung Fu has been great. The next record will for sure be coming out on
Kung Fu.
Gabe-- I love Kung Fu, and Kung Fu loves me. They will most definately
release our next record.

I know you guys have a lot of touring lined up for the next few months. Do
you have any plans to get back in the studio?

Agent M--We are hoping to write continually until we have a big enough break
to start recording. On Warped Tour, there is a mobile studio that goes to
every show - hopefully we'll get to mess around in there during the tour.
Dominic--It's tough, we aren't exactly the kind of band that has been able to
write on the road much in the past, but we are working on that. We have
already started writing and made some rough demos of those ideas. Hopefully
we'll have some breaks where we can get some solid writing done. We are
hoping to record the next album at the end of the year after all the touring
is done.
Mike-- I think the closest we'll be coming to a studio this year will be the
John Lennon bus on Warped Tour.
Gabe--We're making rough plans right now to write and record this winter.

It's cliché, I know, but what are your influences?

Agent M--My vocal influences are Morrissey (The Smiths), Billie Joe (Green
Day), Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio), Chris Cheney (The Living End), and Matt
Embry (Rx Bandits). There are many more, but those are the main ones.
Dominic--Its such a hard question to answer. I think that's the most dreaded
interview question. I guess the bands that have influenced me most have been
the bands with the amazing live shows. We have always strived to be a great
live band and I have been inspired a lot from bands like Skankin' Pickle,
AFI, Green Day, Hot Water Music, and a ton of others. Don't even get me
started.
Mike-- I listen to a lot of everything, and most of the time it has some kind
of influence on me.
Gabe-- My personal influences are Stewart Copeland, Dave Grohl, Jimmy
Chamberlain, and Josh Freese.

How did the co-headlining tour with Hot Rod Circuit come together? You
guys don't necessarily have the most similar sounds or fanbases - do you
think it will go over well?

Agent M--We have never really had any reservations when it comes to touring
with a band of a different genre. We have toured with heavier bands like
Avenged Sevenfold, poppier bands like The Eyeliners, indie bands like
Counterfit and Fairview, and old school bands like The Damned and The
Vandals. We like to always have as many options as possible. What we have
found in the past is that if the bands on the show are good, the show will go
over well.
Dominic--Our favorite bills and tours have always been the ones with the most
diverse line ups. I guess that's one of the reasons we love Warped Tour so
much. Underground music is really diverse and I would hate to pick tours by
what someone thinks is an appropriate "genre" for us. I think the tour will
be great and even challenging for us. The whole point of tours and shows is
to increase your fanbase, and people who are fans of either band may discover
a whole new band to follow. Besides, we pick tours by the quality of the
bands, and Hot Rod Circuit is really an amazing band.
Mike-- I think it's going to go great. They're a great band and I have
nothing but great expectations for this tour.
Gabe-- It was as simple as their agent calling our agent, and both bands were
planning a tour around the same time, in the same areas. We had heard
nothing but great things about them, and decided that it'd be a fun tour.

What has been your favorite tour thus far? Your least favorite?

Agent M--My favorite tour is always Warped Tour. Every year there are so
many great bands and so many great people to meet and hang out with. Every
day is like a huge party - you get to watch your favorite bands play, and
then meet them and hang out in the cafeteria. My least favorite tour… I
can't say. That would be bad band etiquette. Truthfully, we really have not
had a BAD tour. All of them have been fun in their own ways.
Dominic--We tour so much, there have been so many good ones, but I have to
say Warped Tour. Where else do you get a festival of that magnitude with so
many types of bands that reflect the ever changing sounds of punk and
underground music? Say what you will about the Warped Tour, but I do think
we would all miss it if it was gone. As for least, I suppose it would have
been one of the many early tours we did by ourselves when no one cared about
what we were or what we were doing. Back when we only had 7" vinyl to sell
and no one was buying. Even those were kind of fun too though.
Mike-- That's a tough question. Every tour has the good times and bad times,
so I don't think I can answer that fairly.
Gabe-- Favorite for me has been the overseas touring with The Vandals and
Audio Karate. Least favorite….hmm…I don't really have a least favorite.
I've enjoyed every tour we've done.

Speaking of tours, you guys have done a lot recently. You must have some
good tour stories - this is your open forum to tell the funniest/most
ridiculous of them all. Bonus points for nudity.

Agent M--No good tour stories. Sorry.
Dominic--I would tell you, but then I would have to kill you. We really
aren't a nude band anyway.
Gabe-- Just recently, we were in Hamburg, Germany with the Vandals and Audio
Karate. One of the locals at the show decided he wanted to show the
Americans a good time by taking us out to some of Hamburg's "hot spots". To
start off with, these "hot spots" were about 4 miles from the club we were
playing, and since the Hamburgian taxi drivers would only drive the Americans
in circles around the block to run up the fair, we decided to walk. It was a
brisk 10 degrees out, and about 2am by the time we made it to the first bar.
"Thees ees thee after pahrty bar! Everbody's gonna be heer!", he repeated
over and over again during the walk there. We walk in, and 3 people are
there. He stops, looks around as if to make sure he has the right place,
then looks at us and says, "We're the first ones here!". Sure buddy. Five
minutes later we all get bored of our own company, and decide to relocate.
"Thees ees very popular dance club in Hamburg! You gonna like thees place!"
He walks us about a mile, through little alleys with drunken germans lining
the sidewalks, talking trash to the street walkers, who smile at the sight of
men who are still able to walk. We get to this place, and he asks us to wait
outside while he talks to the doorman, and tries to get us in without paying
the cover. Half of our group (I won't mention any names…hehe) are obviously
getting ancy, but decide to give the club a try. We walk in, through plastic
drapes, and down a stairway to an underground floor. It's really dark, and
there's probably 50 people in the place, all wearing vinyl, fishnets, and
thigh high boots. It's a freakin' goth dance club. This crazy, drunken lil'
german took us to a goth dance club. If you've ever seen the movie "Teen
Wolf" with Micheal J. Fox, think of the "Teen Wolf" dance that they were doing
…where they raise their hands up like wolf claws, and growl, side to side…
that's what they were doing. Man, I was ready to shoot myself. We lost half
of our group at that point…they decided to go back and talk to the street
walkers. The lil' german guy took those of us who remained to one more bar,
where the first thing I saw as I walked in was a big german woman sitting a a
barstool turn to her right, and reach over a pick up a scrawny little man
sitting next to her, and put him in her lap. Yeah. We left immediately, and
took a cab back as fast as we could.

Do you find your band treated differently due to having a female lead
singer? If so, how?

Agent M--We definitely were treated differently some places in Europe. I saw
a lot more vulgar gestures directed towards me than ever, and guys shouted a
lot of rude stuff too. Generally in the US I feel I've been more respected
than that. Another way that we're treated differently is in the pranks
department. The punk rock world really is a little boys' club, and a lot of
bands pull silly and/or mean pranks on each other. I think that having a
girl in the band makes people hesitate. It's kinda lucky for us, because
we're not really that type of band anyway. Silly pranks are ok, but pranks
that could potentially damage us or our property are not. Sometimes bands do
some crazy stuff to each other!
Dominic--Yeah, sadly I think we have been. It bothers me because M is
straight up one of the best vocalists out there today and I would put her up
against anyone, male or female. I honestly feel that way, she is that good.
Still the most obvious difference is that people (both the audience and the
industry) automatically think you are going to be terrible or gimmicky. So
we have had to work hard to prove ourselves. We are always proving
ourselves, but some of our most loyal fans started out as people who were not
into us at all.
Mike-- I think we used to get kind of lumped into this "girl band" type of
thing, and people weren't expecting us to bring the rock. Now they know we
bring the rock.
Gabe-- Maybe a little. Some people don't like female lead singers, but we
always win 'em over in the end.

What are your feelings on MP3s? Do you think that they have helped or
hurt your band?

Agent M--I think they have definitely helped. We are a band that believes if
someone downloads our music and likes it, they will most likely come to a
show and maybe buy something there. Or if they like it enough, maybe they
will want the artwork and video that come along with the real cd.
Dominic: It has completely helped, especially in the early years. I think
the industry needs to look at the bigger picture and focus on the long term.
Mp3's are the number one way people are finding out about new music,
especially in the underground. Most of those fans, if they find a quality
band will buy their albums. It's a new form of radio in a way and I know we
wouldn't be where we are without it. It would be nice if labels looked at it
as a new way to break music rather then something that will be the death of
them.
Mike-- Music is there for everyone. I'm just as guilty of burning records as
anyone else, so who am I to judge? I think they have for sure helped this
band. I meet people that come to our shows and love us, after only hearing an
MP3.
Gabe-- Definitely helped.

A reader told us that they read in an article that you guys clashed with
your producer of your newest album while recording it. What happened,
exactly? How did it affect the album?

Agent M--We had some personality clashes with our producer Steve. I think he
had different end goals than we did. We wanted a good, solid album that
portrayed us and our sound well. He wanted the best selling album of the
century. Therefore, we had some differing ideas on how things should sound
and how they should be arranged. Mixing an album is a difficult task - it
can change the entire feel of the album. We're hoping that the next album
will sound a little more real, and not so spit-shined.
Dominic--Steve is a talented producer and he does excellent work, but I think
that we approached the album with two different visions of the end result.
There was clashing and I have to say it was an extremely difficult time. I
think he saw the pop aspects of our music and focused on trying to bring out
a polished sound that showcased that, but we wanted to bring out more of the
darker, more powerful aspects in our sound. I think there was some
personality differences as well. I would like to think we did make a good
album, especially considering that it is only our first full length. We
learned a lot from the experience, both what we will do in the future and
what we won't do.

And now, for a ton of reader submissions: "Are girls on tour are allowed to sleep with a bunch of guys just like guys
sleep with a bunch of girls?"

Agent M--I don't really understand how you're using the word "allowed".
Anyone can sleep with anyone they want to. If a girl on tour wanted to hook
up with a different guy every night, I'm sure she could. I'm sure there are
some who do.
Dominic--Everyone is allowed to do as they will. Though, just like guys,
girls do as their class dictates them to do. Lucky for us, we have a lot of
classy people in our band.
Mike-Yes.
Gabe-- You'd have to ask a girl who likes to sleep with a ton of guys on
tour.

"How did you like playing pizza land in California?"

Agent M--It was fun, but somewhat frightening. Having a sold out show where
there is no stage isn't generally a good idea. It results in people moshing
into us while we're trying to play, and our "stage" area kept getting smaller
and smaller until we could barely move. The best thing about a show like
that is that it makes you feel really punk rock.
Dominic--Yes. However it was way to full and with no stage, someone could
have been badly hurt. No one was, and it was a intense, amazing show. I
wish the people in the back could have seen more…but it was a Pizza place
after all.
Mike-- For me it was a very love/hate relationship. Props to anyone who stood
in that line and got crushed by that crowd though. Thank you very much.
Gabe-- Loved it.

"Do you like being popular? Are you virgins?" [yes, these two questions
were submitted together]

Agent M--To answer both questions at once, here are the ages of the people in
our band. 23, 27, 27, and 27. The words "popular" and "virgins" don't
really pertain to us anymore. Maybe 10 years ago we would be more concerned
about things like that.
Dominic--I guess. No.
Mike-- Popularity is what you make of it. I'm glad people like the music I
help make, but it wouldn't bother me if nobody recognized me at the grocery
store. Does that make sense?
And no, I'm not a virgin.
Gabe-- Hahahahahahaha…. I don't know about being popular..I don't feel
popular. And no, I'm not a virgin….haha.

"What do you think of your 7"s selling on eBay for hundreds of dollars?"

Agent M--I think it's insane!!! We sold "B-Movie Queens" for $3.00, and
"Mayhem" for $4.00. The B-Movie Queens booklets were designed by Dominic and
me, the insert was made with a glue stick, and we photocopied it all at
Kinko's. It is quite flattering that people want to have them so badly. We
have always wanted to be a band that has lots of collectible and rare items,
and we're on our way.
Dominic--Flattered. People are making more off them then we ever did. It is
really funny to think that I remember a time when it seemed no one was
interested in buying them, how things have changed.
Mike-- I know what it's like to be obsessive.
Gabe--I think it's crazy, cause when we had 'em, we sold them for 3 and $4.

"How did it feel headlining over Sugarcult and Yellowcard at the glasshouse?"

Agent M--Being based out of the north bay area, I am not very knowledgeable
about who's who in southern California. To us it was just a good show with a
great lineup. We enjoyed playing with those bands a lot.
Dominic--Uh….Great. They are great bands and they seem to be very
successful, its good to see good things happen to good people.
Mike-- Both of those bands are great. I'm happy they were able to play that
show with us.
No ego trips.
Gabe-- Well, at the time, it just felt like a good show.

"What's your writing process like?"

Agent M--Usually one person brings a short riff or melody to practice, then
everyone tries building off of it to make it ours. After the music is
roughly done, I write the lyrics and melody over it based on how the music
makes me feel.
Dominic--Pretty involved. There is not just one writer in the band. We all
contribute to every song and all of us bring ideas to the table. Generally
we start with a riff or an idea of a few changes, lyrics are added and we
develop the arrangement. We spend a lot of time on the arrangement and M
spends a lot of time on her lyrics. By the time a song has been finalized we
have really put it through the paces.
Mike-- We all write and then re-write until we get it right. Everyone has
input on the songs.
Gabe-- Someone comes up with an idea for a song, and we all expand on that
idea, until we have a complete song, then M writes the vocal melodies over
the top, and the lyrics. Then Justin Timberlake comes in and puts the
finishing touches on the song.

"What was it like playing with the Damned?"

Agent M--It was fun. The crowd was really different than any we had played
to before - there were a lot more old school punks than we usually draw. The
Damned are great people: they are really experienced in the business and have
a lot of interesting stories to tell.
Dominic--It was great! They are legends and every bit as good as they ever
were. I got to wrestle with Captain Sensible during the last show on stage
and let me just say he is a dirty fighter! So I lifted on my shoulders while
he wailed on a lead. I hear we will be seeing them again on Warped Tour and
I can't wait to see them all again. Great people and we all got along really
well.
Mike--Fun, fun, fun.
Gabe-- It was awesome…I love those damned guys, and gal.

"Tsunami Bomb recently completed their first Canadian tour with Downway and
I am just wondering how you felt about the whole Canadian tour experience?"

Agent M--The Canadian tour reminded us a lot of some of the first tours we
had ever done in the US. On our first US tours, no one knew who we were, we
only had the two 7"s released, and we had no real label backing. We were
putting in our hard time and laying down a foundation. The Canadian tour was
really similar: hardly anyone knew who we were. So we worked extra hard to
try and gain as many fans as we could along the way, and it was a lot less
profitable and comfortable than our current US tours. But it did seem like
the kids were receptive to us out there - we will surely be going back. One
major difference between touring Canada and touring the US is that there
aren't as many places to play in Canada, yet it's just as huge of a country.
The drives were really long and isolated - there were a few times when we
almost ran out of gas in the middle of the forest. It was scary.
Personally, I thought the terrain in Canada was really beautiful.
Dominic--It was good. Still it was our first tour of Canada and that's
always tough. Downway are great and we had a great time with them. There
were some rough times though…like being attacked by a hotel owner with a road
cone while being falsely accused of stealing pillows. Ahhh….Canada. Plus,
no where else have we been warned about Moose on the road. It's a great
country and I hope we'll go back at some point.
Mike--That was also very love/hate for me. We met a lot of rad people, and
saw a lot of neat things, but we also got chased and assaulted by a motel
owner. We'll see next time.
Gabe--"The Canadian Experience"….hmm…it was a thrill ride for sure.

Submitted anonymously - "Agent M, will you go out with me?"

Agent M--No.
Dominic-- HA HA….good luck! Nerd.

"What are your favorite books and authors?"

Agent M--My favorite books of all time are Phillip Pullman's "Dark
Materials": The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass.
They are amazingly written fiction books about parallel worlds, the
afterlife, and love. It's a trilogy that I highly recommend. One of my
other favorite authors is Kurt Vonnegut. I love Breakfast of Champions,
Cat's Cradle, etc. Pretty much anything written by him is good.
Dominic--My favorite book of all time has always been Lord of The Rings by
JRR Tolkien. So I am glad so many people are discovering that masterpiece.
I love Stephen King and H. P. Lovecraft is a dear favorite of mine. I just
finished the Sherlock Homes collection by Sir Authur Conan Doyle and loved
every minute of it. I also love The Godfather by Mario Puzo and any of
Shakespeare's works, I find myself returning a lot to his plays. That's off
the top of my head.
Mike-- My favorite author right now is Nick Hornby. My favorite books right
now are all written by him.

"Del Taco or Taco Bell?"

Agent M--Hmmm… that's really tough for me to answer. Sometimes I feel like
having a veggie works, and other times I feel like having a 7-layer or a
Grilled Stuft with no meat. Try it, it's good! It makes me kinda sad that I
know the menus of both places - I don't really want to eat that much fast
food, but life on the road makes it unavoidable sometimes.
Dominic-- I am rolling with Del Taco.
Mike-- Taco Mayo.
Gabe-- The Del fo' sho'…

"Why do people in vegas think Tsunami Bomb sounds like Save Ferris and No
Doubt? is it the heat or are people in vegas just weird?"

Agent M--I think there are people everywhere who think we sound like Save
Ferris and No Doubt. I do think it's really weird. It's something that we
in Tsunami Bomb have pondered over the years: why do people associate us with
girl-fronted ska bands? We have a number of possible theories. Maybe since
there are hardly any girl-fronted bands in punk, people attach us to whatever
girl-fronted band they can, whether we really sound like them or not. Name a
girl-fronted band, we have been compared to them. X, Tilt, Dance Hall
Crashers, Blondie, B-52s, X-ray Specs, 45 Grave, Distillers, etc., etc. The
list goes on and on. The thing that distinguishes Save Ferris and No Doubt
from all the others is that they are probably the most well-known by the
current general public. I am guessing that after The Distillers release
their major label debut, we will be compared to them a lot more too.
Dominic--People like to compare girl fronted bands with other girl fronted
bands. Its weird, because often they sound nothing like each other, as in
this instance. For one, we are not ska….but in the end they are probably
trying to pay us a compliment. Just smile and nod at them in a humoring way,
then start taking them to more shows.
Mike-- It's not just people in Vegas. Ask St. Louis, MO.
Gabe-- Well, "The Ultimate Escape" and "Rock Steady" are practically the same
album.

And the question to end all questions - "Why is wussemorock such a cock ass?"

Agent M--You tell me.
Dominic--I don't know. From what I have read in the forums, wussemorock can
be pretty opinionated. I would hardly call someone a "cock ass" for that. I
don't even know him or her. Didn't that person say we were "wuss"?
Mike-- I didn't read the cliff notes on the questions. I'm behind.
Gabe-- Maybe cause there's a cock in his/her/it's ass?

Back to my own inane questions. What do you like better, monkeys or
robots? Please be thorough in your answer.

Agent M--I like monkeys better - they are funnier and more unpredictable.
You never know what a monkey is going to do! It could throw poop at you or
accidentally fall out of a tree. Robots can be funny, but I think usually
they are just programmed to do things, which does not seem as cool to me.
The funniest robot is C3PO from Star Wars, but we all know he's just a man in
a suit. A real robot would never be that flaming.
Dominic--I believe that, in fact, Monkeys are bad people. Robots are all
that stands between us and total domination. For God sakes man, what if
Charlton Heston was right? Listen to "Monkeys are Bad People" by Logan
Whitehurst. Its all there.
Mike-- Robots. They're almost human, but instead of organs they're filled
with wires and circuits and stuff. Creepy. But sometimes I like to be creeped
out.

If you could prevent one death, would it be Kurt Cobain's or John Lennon's,
and why?

Agent M--This is a logic question. If I prevented Kurt Cobain's death, there
is a pretty good chance he would try and kill himself again anyway (or
Courtney Love would try and kill him). So I think the efforts would be
better spent preventing the murder of John Lennon. Truthfully, I think both
of those artists died before their time.
Dominic--That's a tough one. I probably pick John Lennon. He was murdered,
as sad as it was, Kurt Cobain choose his fate.
Mike--Kurt Cobains. If it wasn't for John Lennon's death, I don't think
people would have even known who Kurt Cobain was.
Gabe--I agree with Dominic on this one.

What bands do you think we should be on the lookout for?

Agent M--Avenged Sevenfold, Fairview, Scattered Fall, The Frisk, Counterfit,
Audio Karate.
Dominic--The Velvet Teen, Fairview, Avenged Sevenfold, Scattered Fall, The
Frisk…that's a good group to start with.
Mike-- Idlewild. They're great.

There's recently been a huge signing spree of punk related bands by major
labels - AFI, Recover, Poison The Well, Thrice, Thursday, and many
more. What are your feelings on this? Is signing to a major label in the
band's long term goals? Have you had any offers?

Agent M--I think it will be fascinating to see the results of all of these
signings. Personally, I feel like some of them have signed over too soon. I
just hope that they all got decent deals. I also hope that they don't have
to change their sound to be accepted to radio. It would be one of the most
wonderful things in my world if all of those bands took over the radio
together. It's about time they played some good music. I am crossing my
fingers for them. As for Tsunami Bomb, I have a different outlook on the
option. If a label is going to make us change our style and songwriting just
so we can be on the radio, I have no faith in that label at all. The way the
business is right now, a major label signs a band to try and get them on the
radio, so in turn they can have a hit single and sell lots of albums. I feel
like there are other ways that labels can promote their bands. Also, why is
the radio so inane in the first place? Why do bands have to simplify
everything and make everything so unoriginal? The way mainstream radio
operates, the public will go out and buy anything that they've heard ten
million times. Why not put something good on there and see what happens?
The record executives are too scared and conservative these days. Remember
when Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins first got played on the radio? The record
executives who made those decisions probably have gotten laid off since. I
do appreciate that Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age are on the radio,
but would they even be there today if Nirvana wasn't such a success? Sorry
for the rant; here is a summation. What I'm saying is that no one is
adventurous anymore in mainstream music, and this wave of major label punk
bands have the potential to turn all that around. I'm hoping for the best.
Dominic--I worry for them. In only a few instances do I feel that bands did
the rightthing by going up. So many of them are so young as far as their
careers have gone, and I would have liked to see more development. Of them
all, only AFI was justified completely in moving into that world in my
opinion. They are that huge. Even then, I know for a fact they debated it
for a long time! The others that have gone up are amazingly talented bands
and a few of them are good friends of ours, but I am not sure if they all
were ready for this. I am crossing my fingers that they are able to make the
jump into the mainstream world where they will have to deal with the
pressures that being on a major brings. Do they have radio hits? Are they
that kind of band? Can they resist the influences to change their ways and
their sound? I hope so. In an ideal world they will all be huge and a new
wave of amazing bands will be inspired and formed because of it. I am
watching closely like everyone else. As a fellow musician, I wish them well.
As a fan, I can't wait for their next releases. As for Tsunami Bomb, we are
not thinking of being on a major label as a long term goal. Our long term
goal is to create the best band we can. That is a constant work in progress
and we hope that one day when this is all over, people will look back on what
we did and remember us as something great. That is the long term goal.
Where our path will lead, I don't know…..but we don't let that dictate what
we are doing now, and where we are now.
Mike-- I remember when major labels were signing bands like Melvins, Shudder
To Think, etc… and it wasn't so out of the ordinary to go by a cd that was on
Geffen or Atlantic. I hope this is a new resurgence in music, one where I
won't be afraid to actually listen to the radio anymore. The radio! I wish
all those bands the best of luck.

Lastly - don't you hate pants???

Agent M--No, I really love pants! I do hate how the garment industry has
sized them for twigs. It makes it really hard for me to find a pair that
truly fits.
Dominic--Um…no. Not really.
Mike-- Yes.
Gabe-- I actually like pants. Why don't you take your pants-hatin' somewhere
else buddy. =)

Okay, this is a free space. Write whatever you want here.

Agent M--Everyone in the world, please stop smoking. You're giving yourself
and the people around you tickets to an unnecessarily painful death.
Dominic--See us live. Support local bands….once upon a time everyone was
one.
Mike-- Big head like Raja!