First ever phone interview!
Adam Forkner, currently of White Rainbow and Purple & Green, and I chatted on the phone last week about all the important things in life: Paul Allen, and Pauly Shore, and basketball. What else could there possibly be to talk about?
Adam and I spoke before he made his way from Portland to Seattle earlier this month to perform for Cairo's EXPO fest, which was fucking AWESOME. (Props to Marius for "bringing the party" with his strobe light app.)
Thanks to Adam for coming up here, for the last-minute phone interview, and especially for the enormous, rubbery, scented...member... that you brought along from Portland.
ANYWAY.
This is what the show looked like:
"this song is like a caterpillar"
And this what we said:
What is
something that makes you never want to live in seattle?
Oh
god. Where do I start. I don’t know. Starbucks! I’ll just say starbucks. Also,
the EMP. Paul Allen--he seems to have really ruined downtown. Alice in Chains.
They’re from Tacoma, though, I know. Man, Baby Gap. People in turtlenecks.
There are no turtle necks in Portland! Unless they’re from Seattle.
This is your
second Cairo festival this year. Do have any expectations are you looking
forward to something in particular?
Yeah
you know, I pop in, I pop out. That’s my thing. I’m
looking forward to playing in the small room. Its such a special little room.
It’s always so nice there, so cozy. You can get crunk and sweaty. Im not going
to wear my stupid Columbia red jacket again. Last time I wore it and Ian was
wearing the same one. Not again.
What was it
like running into Pauly Shore
during an interview? (Was that staged?)
No
man, that was not staged! A film crew followed us around LA on the Atlas
Sound/White Rainbow tour in 2008, and it was our day off. We were in Chinatown, shopping and going to galleries. The film crew wanted to do an interview,
and we were just sitting ducks answering music questions. Anyway, the guy
filming saw Pauly Shore and was totally starstruck, and got him to come over. I
looked it up later on, and there are videos of him heckling people on that same
day. He had that same dumb do-rag on. I guess hes doing internet comedy
now.
You have done a lot of collaborative projects. What do you
like about collaborations versus solo projects?
With
collaborations you get to leave your ego aside. You get to just dedicate
yourself to a musical idea without having to have ownership, like, everyone in
the collaboration gets to ease off their ego a bit. Solo is all about yourself
and your music. When I do solo stuff its almost like a musical diary for me.
I’ve been a musician my whole life.
What instruments
do you play?
I played the trumpet from fifth
grade to college, but then quickly to drum machines and the
synthesizer.
Do you have a
style icon?
A
style icon? Oh geez, yeah probably. FUCK! YEAH! George Clinton? FUCK! I don’t
know, I don’t have any money, haha. I like hyphy and hip hop fashion, and put
it into my very-poor-person/noise-guy clothes. But I’m getting old now, so I
just like t-shirts. I love Uniqlo, haha. Man, I went to Uniqlo in Japan and I
wore all men’s size large. Makes me feel good.
Tell me about the name “White Rainbow".
Oh,
that was many years ago, like 2003. I liked that it made no sense. It negates
itself. White is all the colors, and so is a rainbow. At
the time it represented the feeling of everything—the whole spectrum of light.
But now I don’t fucking know. Sometimes I go by Dr. Pizza. White Rainbow just seems
hella serious. And I'm not a very serious person, even though I take music
seriously.
Someone that
you would really like to collaborate with?
Dam Funk comes to mind, I would love to learn what he knows about synthesized funk.
Dane Funk is an ambassador to the R&B funk path of synth. Much respect to
that guy.
What three people would you invite to dinner?
Haha.
Dinner? Like, eating and talking? Oh shit. Fuck. Dinner party! Those are fun!
George Clinton. Because he would just be funny. Oh, and Larry David and JB
Smooth. I feel like that would be a wonderful dinner. Lots of laughs.
Looking for a little Christmas gift for yourself? Saunter on over to our blog to listen to Adam's special mixtape JUST FOR CAIRO! AHH!
We've added an extra silkscreen workshop this month for all your holiday gift-making needs. $45 gets you this great workshop, teaching you the basics of silkscreening shirts and posters + 1 month's worth of 7 day a week access to our studio to create your very own goodies. Stop by or email alchemy.of.time (at) gmail.com to reserve a spot!
In celebration of such fortunes, I asked Jesy to come in for a small interview and photo shoot with me before her performance.
As luck would have it, we had a class together at Seattle Central in 2010, a discovery which led to a conversation bemoaning the quality of coffee at SCCC's The Buzz and discuss the explosion of pseudo-corporate eateries surrounding the school. "Panera? That place smells like toddlers."
Jesy is currently in school for hydrology, with the hopes of some day working at the Cedar River Watershed. Academia has put her music career on a temporary hiatus, however, which is why it's even greater than she is playing EXPO 89 on SUNDAY NIGHT!
You’re not originally from Seattle, how does the PNW manifest itself in your music?
I’ve been in the Northwest since I was about ten, and I go on a lot of hikes… but I’m not really sure how to answer that because I can’t remove myself from it, you know? I get asked that a lot and I never know what to say.
Where is your favorite place to hike?
Taylor Mountain, Tiger Mountain, and the Cedar River Watershed. I’m going to school for hydrology, so hopefully I can work there someday.
What is inspiring you the most right now?
I guess all the books I have been reading are really inspiring. I’m reading “We Have Never Been Modern” by Bruno Latour right now. It has been inspiring me to think about things in a new way.
Do you have a style icon?
Let me think. I never thought about that. I like really functional clothing… I wear hiking boots every day… but I’m not sure where I got that from. Probably the Pacific Northwest actually—you have to dress for the weather. I grew up in the mountains so you always had to do that, I guess I still do. I guess you could say the NW affected my style more than my music.
What is your fantasy band line-up [to play with]?
I would feel like a dingus playing with really good musicians! I guess Townes Van Zandt just because I would want to hang out with him afterwards. The Durutti Column, except I would feel like such an asshole for playing a show with them. But that would be so cool!
Do you have a favorite Sub Pop label mate?
I’m so out of touch right now, but really I like the Fleet Foxes. Robin Pecknold is a good friend, or was, before he moved.
Your style of music is very intimate, what kind of venue do you prefer to play?
Big venues are the most uncomfortable—anything with a huge stage and crazy sound system and, you know, lighting and fog, is just bad. The best are galleries and small places especially when its just me or one other person. My first-ever tour was with Minus the Bear and The Helio Sequence—every night we played huge venues full of assholes that just hated me. It was very disheartening.
Have you had any shitty jobs?
Um, I worked at McDonalds? And I worked at Skipper’s for years and years. I've pretty much had every shitty job there is.
What is something you are never without?
Like, when I go walking and stuff? I guess there is nothing in particular. I leave my phone at home and it causes problems sometimes. When we go hiking we always bring fire flints.
Tell me about your tattoo (at the base of your throat).
I got it when I was a teenager. The guy I was dating at the time was a tattoo guy. It’s a microscope. I kind of regret it. All my tattoos are bad… they are from high school. Look at this terrible one [shows me her upper arm]… it says “facism” instead of “fascism”. I tried to cover it up with stick and poke. I just walked around my house all day poking my arm with an inked needle, and it barely did anything.
Still haven't had your fill? Never fear! Jesy and Liz Harris (Grouper) are releasing a record on Kranky that will be out in 2012, under the moniker "Mirroring".
6 pm - 9pm opening reception for DIRT, new artwork by Robert Wolfe. Also during this time will be a trunk show for &. Co jewelry.
9 pm- 10pm AFTER DARK, a series of short films by: Emily Denton, Matt Lawson, Robert M. Wolfe, Christopher Ando, Robin Stein, Sean Pecknold, Jamey Braden, Shannon Perry, Carlos Lopez, Christian Palmer, and Frank Correa.
ROBERT WOLFE
BIO for Robert Wolfe written by Ruby Jay "When we are patient and take the time to listen, life opens up around us like a season in bloom. Some men are able to leave home and create a new world somewhere far away, while others never forget where they come from. “Dirt” is one of those little things you pass over or see at a glance, but the meaning is quite monumental. With a hesitance to make bold statements, it is the feeling I get when I think of what I saw in “Dirt” that sticks in the deep part of my mind to this day. Many objects will come and go out of one’s life. That is certain. Some are more important than others, sure, but the cycles of their tiny impact is undeniable. A marbled rock similar in weight to an apple is worth almost nothing, but it’s something and it’s significant. Many have passed away without ever knowing this and to me that is a great shame. “Dirt”, teach us to care. Remind us to remember, and please, “Dirt”, forgive us for our footprint."
- Ruby Jay "2011"
& Co. Jewelry
Very Special trunk show with one of our favorite and longest running designer, Meghann S0mmer and & Co. Jewelry. Come grab some gifts!
After Dark, a series of short films by local artists
Deborah's Interview by Shannon Perry, Jamey Braden & Carlos Lopez.
NIGHTVISIONS, by Christian Palmer, starring Margot Smith & Nate Quiroga
HAUNTED HORSES video for "Wands", directed by Emily Denton
2010's The Cold Jungle landed on more than a couple year end favorite lists, including top billing by Seattle Time's Andrew Matson....more on that HERE.
2011's compilation will be released December 8th in conjunction with EXPO 89. Coastal Sightings is again a reflection of this year's excellent EXPO line-up, and boasts new tracks by Stickers, King Dude, White Rainbow, Flexions, a special collaboration between U.S.F., Witch Gardens, and buds, AND many many more. See below for complete track listing. Head to the Temple of Cairo site to hear the tracks from U & King Dude
Coastal Sightings will be available as CD/CASS & digital download. As in years past, we will be offering special prices on the compilation during the festival, so don't forget to pick up your copy as you walk in (or out)!
Otis Calvin III, or OC Notes, is becoming a Cairo regular. Well, why wouldn't he? He's fucking cool. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing OC3 here at Cairo, and we discussed everything from the magic of cable-knit sweaters to Funkedelic's One Nation Under a Groove.
As 1/2 of local hiphop group Metal Chocolates with rapper Rik Rude, Otis produces psychedelic beats for "the whole world. Everybody, really." Yeah? NPR and The Seattle Times think so, and so do we! So much in fact, that OC Notes will be performing at Cairo's winter music fest, EXPO89! Woot.
So check out those photos, and read that interview. Or look at more photos.
Jewelry from Iacoli & McCallister. NEWLY Available at Cairo.
"I feel very lucky that I started out playing instruments and singing in choir. I understand the spirit of truth that you express through music, instead of making a beat.That's just playing with noise."
"This sweater makes me feel like it's christmas dinner, man. And I got allll the money in the family."
"Never"
"Stop"
Our Interview:
Are you from Seattle?
Arizona. My father is in the military and I lived all over the place for a long time. I spent the most time in Washington State, though.
What is most inspiring about Washington to you?
Nature. The mountains.
Where is the most exciting place you've travelled to?
Germany, I think. Europe is hella cool. The food is really good, the people are nice. It's unreal.
What are you doing when you're not making music?
Sleeping! No, I have a daughter, so I'm with her a lot. She's advanced. She's really bossy. She's a double Leo. I also like to try new things to do, like random shit. This lifestyle is so stressful, you know? You're not allowed to just be satisfied in anything you do.
What's your favorite kid's cereal?
Cinnamon Toast Crunch, man. That's the best cereal ever.
Favorite show growing up?
I was a huge fan of Seinfeld. That shit is great! I love that show. My life is like Seinfeld.
Do you have a style icon or influence?
I'm inspired by not giving a fuck about my style. I can't think about it. Takes too much time in the day. Those are my favorite styles, people who don't think about it ever. Hard work, that's the best style of all time.
Who would you love to play a show with?
Madlib, without a doubt.
What is the best part about collaborating with Fresh Espresso's Rik Rude?
We work really well together. He's really passionate about what he does, and about what he doesn't. His quality of work is better than most people who try twice as hard, too.
What is one thing you will never be able to give up?
I am never going to stop making music. I'm never going to stop trying to make something with my music, that's for sure. I'm glad the press likes my music as much as they do...I just need to get the rest of the world to like it.
Do you ever get starstruck?
Man, I am always starstruck. I get starstruck by Ish [Shabazz Palaces] and even Rik Rude! They are so hardworking and impressive. I'm all shy and shit, so I don't know how to approach a conversation.
Who are your favorite musicians and collaborators in Seattle?
Musicians? Stas and Cat [of THEESatisfaction], all the Wheedle's Groove cats, Darrius Willrich, Jahon Mikal. And of course, Ishmael and Tendai [of Shabazz Palaces] are mindblowing.
What was the best show you saw recently?
I would say Don't Talk to the Cops at Reverb Fest. That's the first one that comes to mind. I love their energy on stage.
What was the best show you played recently?
Metal Chocolates' show at the Triple Door was filthy? The Annika show was filthy too--I wrote 5 new songs for it.
What do you think is different or original about the Seattle hiphop scene?
I think that people are getting really inspired by the weird shit. I don't think people were expecting it to get so popular. I think people thought there was a certain recipe for hiphop, but now they are realizing you need to be an artist, not a businessman.
Where was your first-ever date?
Damn. I think I took this chick to the movies when I was in junior high school. My mom drove us. It was a really awkward situation. I just remember thinking, "damn, this is so lame."
What are your favorite spots to hangout in Seattle?
I like to go to Niho Sushi. I go to The Lo-fi sometimes too. They care a lot about the music.
Who is your target audience?
The whole world. Everybody, really. I really want to make music that everybody can listen to. I wanted to have something for everybody at some point. Well, people with open minds: I dont want to make music for people who make all the problems.
Do you have any music that you are the most proud of?
I made a record called This is Your Brain on Drugs. It's filthy, but no one's ever heard it. It's some of the most universal music I've made, though.
EXPO 89 line-up Thursday December 8th- Sunday December 11th
Announcing the line-up for Cairo's 4th annual EXPO fest! See you at the FREE Thursday night kick-off party with new artwork by Robert Wolfe, jewels by Meghann Sommer of & Co. Jewelry, and a series of film shorts loosely revolving around the topic of "After Dark" by some of our favorite northwest artists!
Start getting hyped for EXPO now with a new exclusive Cairo mix by Adam Forkner of White Rainbow. Listen/download/explode your mind HERE.
Thursday December 8th, 6 pm, FREE Robert M. Wolfe presents "Dirt", & Co. Jewelry trunk show, and screening of "After Dark"
On the cusp of their upcoming Rain Delay b/w Goodbye Ball 7” on High Fives & Handshakes records, and subsequent record release party at Cairo this Saturday, we sat down with our four favorite Witches for a nice Q&A. Photos by Lena Joy Whittle.
IAN JUDD: Let’s start with your band name. Sources say that it came from a dream, did it not? What all happened in that dream?
SARA BEABOUT: It did. It’s kind of hard to explain, because it was a dream after all, and they’re hard to explain in full detail. But it was a very bleak, dark, misty area that made me think of a witches’ garden, and there it was! That’s how it happened – it’s not that exciting. I could lie and say there were a lot of cool things about it…
CASEY CATHERWOOD: I remember that I almost didn’t like it! I love (the name) now, and I can’t imagine it being called anything else. But at the time I was like, “that’s so stupid” (laughs) But I think that’s the thing about band names, it’s like, you think about them so much but then if you own one, it sort of just becomes a representation of what you’re doing. So if you really like what you’re doing, then the band name isn’t really that important, it’s just a name.
I: Were there any alternate names that you considered?
KAROLYN KUKOSKI: I only remember “The Age of Rings”…lots of rings.
C: Sara B and I were into tarot stuff for a while, and we were flipping through some and thinking, “what if we were to combine these two, like, the page of wands and the page of rings?” And then we were just like, “this is so stupid, let’s just call it Witch Gardens, or wait until it becomes more mystic. (all laugh)
I: Let’s share a little bit of your musical background, I know that most of you have grown up playing an instrument, like I know that Beth, you played classical piano growing up; Karolyn, you played the autoharp for years before you joined Witch Gardens; and Casey, you played a few other instruments before the guitar. Sara, I know you played bass in a band once?
S: Very briefly I played the bass. I wouldn’t say that I playedˆ the bass really. I tried. I grew up singing in theater but I never played an instrument before the picked up the drums. I’ve been playing the drums since I was 23! Being a drama nerd helped me with my confidence, like in trying new things, and wanting to get out there and perform. Confidence is the key, the rest will come to you.
BETH CORRY: I grew up playing classical piano, and I played for 10 years. I miss it, but I do feel that it provides an interesting and helpful angle in our band, because it’s fun to come with that background and understanding in music and try to make something new with people who don’t. You end up creating something cool. K: And we need you to translate most of the music. (laughs) She’s the Beethoven of the band.
C: In learning new songs, it’s her ability to hear something, figure it out, and relay it Karol…her inherent ability to hear music and process it into notes and chords is a major boost to the communication of our band. For awhile it was like, playing a note on guitar and looking it up on Wikipedia, like searching “guitar” (laughs) to find what note it was, and it seriously took forever.
K: I signed up for autoharp lessons with Katherine Britell, who’s a cool autoharp lady, but I crashed my car and couldn’t go to all of them. There was another woman in the class named Karolyn who was 40 years old and wrote a song called “Bassett Hound Blues”…and I felt like I was looking into my future. (all laughs)
I: How did this record come to be? Out of all the songs that you have written, why did you choose “Rain Delay” to become its own single? Was it out of practicality or preference?
S: Peter Lowe approached us and wanted to put something out for us, so we got the ball rolling with him. We had a lot of songs at the time, but the majority of them were already on our Alice, Agatha, Branch, and Christ cassette. So to be honest, there weren’t a lot of songs left to put on this record. But we thought that Rain Delay and Goodbye Ball went together nicely!
C: It’s interesting that it’s coming out now, almost a year after it was written! The song is very much inspired by Pacific Northwest life. You can do all of these great things, but the weather is not accommodating, you’re harshed out, so you have to make the best of it. I love playing that song. I’m stoked that it’s getting its own seven-inch.
I: Would you want to elaborate on “Goodbye Ball”?
B: “Goodbye Ball” is a song that was inspired by Koko (the Gorilla)’s kitten. We wrote this song without lyrics, and when we sat down together to write some lyrics for it, the clipboard that I was using to write on top of was Casey’s copy of “Koko’s Kitten”. A lot of the lyrics are actually quotes from Koko.
C: But the actual chorus of “Goodbye Ball" is not in the book at all. It is referencing Koko’s cat, “Ball”, who dies. But the idea of a ball was inspired by this day that I was walking with Matt Lawson, up Union Street and we were just literally watching these kids lose a ball. And they were these tiny kids, so they were just chasing this ball all the way down Union, they were maybe like a few steps behind it the whole way. We watched them, they passed us, the ball keeps rolling, we don’t stop it, the ball keeps going. It was just like, “see you later, goodbye ball.”
I: Word is that Witch Gardens are contributing a track for Cairo’s Expo 89 compilation (Coastal Sightings) and it’s a collaboration with USF and Haunted Horses. Your group seems to be very open to collaboration – you cut a track with rapper Manch Malevolent a couple of months ago – is there anybody in the contemporary moment that you would like to collaborate with in the future?
C: I’ve wanted to write a song with my friend ISSUE, and I’ve been talking with him a little bit about it. He’s a young guy, totally weird, we both think a lot about creativity; just on the same wavelength. We’re friends on twitter. We’d like to collaborate with artists that sound completely different from us. I don’t think collaborating with another rock band would be very interesting, unless it was a collaboration of voices or something. We can make rock music, but we’re not very good at making rap or dance music.
I: I know that the four of you are all big rap and hip-hop fans, and you’ve played with a few rap & hip-hop groups: who are some of your favorite emcees/rappers?
S: Luda. Ludacris is my all time favorite.
K: Dead Prez, Brother Ali, Eminem. I love Eminem.
B: Pharell, but I mostly care about Snoop Dogg. I’ll be honest. Metal Chocolates are a favorite.
I: There’s a lot of imagery in your lyrics, but there’s an equal amount of humor and sadness to be found as well. Would you agree?
B: I would say that in terms of humor the four of us like each other a lot, get along really well, and have a really good time together. Humor just plays into that because we’re all funny people, and we take that into account when we’re writing lyrics, because we don’t take things that seriously. I mean, we take things seriously, we want the music and lyrics to be good, but we also want to have fun, and that’s just a part of our band and our personalities. In terms of sadness, I would just say that we’re sad dudes.
C: I would say that there is an element of true sadness in every one of our band members. I’m not trying to milk it but every one of us uses humor in a way to paint a positive picture to what are actually very dark issues. A lot of our songs are about things that I find to be truly sad, or a lot of the songwriting will come from a sad place, but if you can laugh about it all with your friends, that’s what our band is about, I think.
I: There’s also a heavy visual element to Witch Gardens. You make your own banners and posters, there’s a lot of iconography and references in those show posters - basically, you seem to have a good handle on the visual aesthetic of your project. Why do you feel that it’s necessary to have complete control not just over the musical aspects of your band, but the visual parts as well?
B: It’s exciting to be in this project with Casey, who has seemingly unlimited creative drive, and works with a variety of visual elements. It definitely adds a lot to the band.
C: Think about your favorite bands, they usually have cool album covers, who doesn’t like an album more when it looks good? When you get a book and there’s two different copies of the same book, like Art of War or whatever, and there’s the Barnes & Noble copy that looks like crap, or a different copy that some great graphic designer created. If they’re the same price, of course you’re going to choose the one that looks better. There’s something about it that’s just visually appealing. The band is like an art project. We have spent a lot of time on video work too…
I: You’ve made all of your own videos, except for the “Goodbye Ball” video, right?
B: Yeah, there’s also a video that Pierce made for “Small Daring Boy”.
I: Witch Gardens marks the first time that three of you have been in a band. When you were starting out, what were the biggest obstacles to being in your first band? Also, what came easiest?
K: It was really scary playing live for the first time. You don’t even know how nervous you are, you can’t feel it. I remember when we played “I Wanna Get Sick” the first couple of times, and there’s a part where I play the keyboard, and afterward you said to me, “your hands were trembling, were you nervous?” And I remember saying, “I had no idea, I can’t remember anything that just happened!” (laughs)
S: Travis Coster gave me some advice after our first show. He told me, “don’t forget this feeling, because at a certain point, you will lose that feeling of super nervousness,” and he was saying that he wished that he still felt that way sometimes.
B: Travis blows my mind…I would never want to feel that way again! (laughs)
I: My final question: what’s in store for the future of Witch Gardens? What do y’all see in your crystal ball?
S: We see a full length that we’re recording for Couple Skate in the future. That’s our next project that we want to focus on.
C: Happiness, taking things out on to the road, more music videos, more art.
B: I just want to keep playing and meeting more great people. Those are probably the best things about being in a band.
K: Beth and me have a two-piece called “Two Girls on a Porch”, we only play Linkin Park covers. We’re excited.
WG: See you in two weeks.
WITCH GARDENS PLAY SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH AT CAIRO WITH STEPHANIE AND JOHN OVEN / THE MILLENIALS. Show starts at 8PM. Cover is $5, $7 gets you in with a record!
$45 gets you this great workshop, teaching you the basics of silkscreening shirts and posters + 1 month's worth of 7 day a week access to our studio to create your very own goodies. Stop by or email alchemy.of.time (at) gmail.com to reserve a spot!
It appears that maroon is IN right now. (Burgundy?)
Kari Odegaard (1/2 of Voodoo Reverb ) and Isabel Trujillo ( 1 whole megababe) both sported their dark red leathers at Cairo last week. Who is so excited to see more new fall fashion? ME!
All about Isabel's jacket? WELL it will be posted for sale on Etsy soon!
We recently talked with Matt Lawson from Secret Colors in advance of his show here at Cairo on Friday November 4th celebrating the new release, Water Mirror, being put out on Brooklyn NY label Group Tightener. Show starts at 8 pm, and will also feature sets from Weed (Vancouver, B.C.) & Pleasure Beauties (Olympia, WA). Check out the interview below & as well as some recent videos Matt created.
1995, or 2012? That is hard! I feel like I could think about this for a long time . . . As much as I wanna say 1995 I know it's foolish to wanna live in the past so I'll say 2012. I'm excited for the future.
How did this album come about? What is your relationship with Group Tightener? Group Tightener is run by two guys from Seattle that live in Brooklyn now. They found my music via the internet/myspace about a year and a half ago and asked if they could put out some of my stuff. At that time I wasn't too focused on Secret Colors, I was a lot more invested in this new band, Stephanie. But they really wanted to do it and of course the prospect of having a vinyl record with my music on it was really exciting. So we came up with a way to do it. Basically, I hadn't recorded any new material in a long time, so they asked if I could send them all my old recordings and together we could decide on a batch of songs that could make for a good album. As a result, half the songs are from an old tape that had a ridiculously small pressing, and the other half are from a cd-r that I made and never officially released. Those guys are awesome and their support really made me take my solo music-making a lot more seriously and the process of putting out this record has been so amazing. Thanks Jamie and Sam!
Where did you grow up? Did you go to shows there? Do you remember the first show you ever attended (sans parents)? I was born and raised in Spokane, WA. There was some stuff going on there but I never knew about it. I never really went to shows at all until I moved to Seattle. I think that's given me a real appreciation for a lot of the stuff I'm able to experience and be a part of here, because it hasn't always been like that for me. There's so much going on all the time, it's so cool. I feel really blessed to be where I am in all of it. The first show sans parents might have been The Wailers (with some guy filling in for Bob Marley) in Spokane. Haha, that was pretty cool.
You work in a ton of mediums, was art apart of your childhood or upbringing? I loved to draw and write at a young age. I loved writing stories. I really enjoyed that and was told that I was pretty good at it. That's something I wish I did more of these days. I used to draw a lot and make comic books and stuff. At some point basketball kind of took over, and then skateboarding, and finally music. But I really love to try and create things in lots of different ways. Music definitely comes the most naturally to me, but with other stuff I just get inspired by friends and stuff I see and sometimes it's fun to try and make a poster or a video or whatever.
Are there particular filmmakers or video artists you admire? I really like David Lynch, Werner Herzog, Terrence Mallick, I saw a couple films by Andrei Tarkovsky that were inspiring. Same with Ingmar Bergman. Recently I got into Lars Von Trier's stuff. I really love Enter the Void by Gaspar Noe. Old skateboarding videos for sure. I think what I like about video art is the way you can sort of simulate a hallucinatory experience. I also really love the way situations or stories can be presented through film, as opposed to in a book, as much as I love reading and appreciate what that medium has to offer. There are just certain things that can be done with film that I feel really drawn to.
Was there a particular band, or song, that made you understand a reality "outside of Top 40", or commercial radio? It's hard to think back and figure out when that switch was flipped. I grew up a huge hip hop fan. From about 10 to 15 almost all I listened to was like hardcore rap. My dad would find the cd's and break them in half! But then I got really into a classic rock phase, and then I heard The Velvet Underground and that was huge for me. So then it just went from them to Sonic Youth, and then Black Dice and stuff like that later on.
You collaborate a lot, is there someone either historically, or a contemporary artist you'd like to create music with? There are a few bands that I'm so obsessed with that I've totally dreamed about going back in time and being in the band. It's almost painful that I can't actually do it. The Velvet Underground, My Bloody Valentine, and The Swirlies.
Top five forever albums?
The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico My Bloody Valentine - Loveless Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand Animal Collective - Sung Tongs/Feels Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out
Who are you particularly psyched on right now musically? My biggest musical discovery this year has been Thinking Fellers Union Local 282. I'm obsessed. They've become one of my all time favorites for sure. Eric Copeland from Black Dice is one of my favorite contemporary artists. I've been really into this band Disco Inferno. They were from England and put out a lot of awesome stuff in the '90's. I also just recently discovered Tonstartssbandht, these two guys that make this weird music that just feels so good to me. It's kind of all over the place, from psych-rock to crazy a capella doo wop. Feeling inspired by them right now, like there's no reason to hold back.
What is your day job? How do you view your day-to-day, is a job a means to an end, or does it contribute to your creative process? I work at an elementary school as an after school counselor. I hang out with kids every day. I've been doing it for almost two years now and I feel really comfortable and it fits into my life really well. I think in some ways it could be contributing to the creative process because I spend that time thinking a lot about musical ideas and band stuff. It's not so demanding or stressful that I can't let my mind wander. A lot of it is fun and really entertaining and keeps me feeling like a kid.
We've never met, but I hear you are over 8 feet tall, any good stories come out of that? Haha,I'm 6'7" actually. Sometimes I become really conscious of that fact and it freaks me out, but at the end of the day I am what I am. I've gotten used to it. I always have a pretty good view of my surroundings, which is nice.
What's your favorite thing about the Northwest, or Seattle in particular....what keeps you here? The Northwest is just home. I'm so used to it. I think the main thing that keeps me here is relationships with friends and loved ones. I'd like to travel more and see more of the U.S. at some point. I don't know if I'll be in Seattle forever, but it feels good right now.
SEE YOU ON FRIDAY, $5 gets you in the door, and $10 gets you in the door AND a copy of Water Mirror! Until then enjoy another insanely blissed out video below....
Last month we shot our newest Cairo Lookbook at the Cafe Vita Loft on Capitol Hill. Thanks to Cafe Vita and our models. Styling by Aimee Butterworth. Photos by Olivia McCausland.
Check out our newest FALL / early WINTER Lookbook on our new TUMBLR.
$45 gets you this great workshop, teaching you the basics of silkscreening shirts and posters + 1 month's worth of 7 day a week access to our studio to create your very own goodies. Stop by or email alchemy.of.time (at) gmail.com to reserve a spot!
Please join us Thursday, November 10th from 6-10 pm, to celebrate the release of TRIP FANTASTIC, a new comic book series by Jason Baxter (U.S.F., the Stranger) and Mac Hamilton, with stunning artwork by New York-based illustrator Derek Charm. All three creators will be on hand for this event and Thursday's party will also be the first time, anywhere, that physical editions of TRIP FANTASTIC #1 will be available for purchase. This ultra-limited first-run consists of thirty hand-numbered editions; there will also be libations, a live DJ set by Self Actualized (Reed Juenger of Beat Connection), strobing projections, and live, on-demand silkscreening of TRIP FANTASTIC t-shirts.
At a time when the average comic book is only twenty pages at four bucks a pop, TRIP FANTASTIC #1 is fairly priced at seven dollars for fifty-two full-color pages and back matter including creator bios, essays, and pin-ups by Casey Catherwood (Witch Gardens), Joey Gantner (Radical Fortress), and others.
TJ Cowgill, of Book of Black Earth and KING DUDE fame, came in recently, and brought the whole fucking family. That's right. Emily, Pagan, and King TJ at Cairo together. Hanging out with me. What a great day.
This dude is no joke...although all we talked about was channeling his inner Christian Slater... and the origins of the term 'gnarlitude'. TJ is conquering the world as co-owner/creater of clothing brand ACTUAL PAIN with Emily, who live in their warehouse/castle (tattoos occasionally available!) on the hill.
TJ, you are the truly kingliest dude.
Here are some photos from the day, but check out our Tumblr to see all of them! "Meanest Danny Zuko"
Receipt to Comics Dungeon on 45th, compliments of USF's Jason Baxter. Thanks, Brah!
The man and his Pagan.
Ahem, jewelry by &c.
The interview...
Which do you prefer, performing a metal set or an acoustic? I like both equally, for different reasons. The thing I like about acoustic sets? I don't have to lift a thousand pounds of gear, TWICE. The thing about metal? They are loud enough that you can't talk over me.
Where did you grow up and how did those surroundings affect your music/art? I was born in Kennewick, WA, but when my parents got divorced we moved to Georgetown. I got beat up by black girls every day. There was one other white kid but he was fucked up, so my friends were culturally diverse. We were poor and moved like every six months. I started playing shitty pop-punk music when I was 15, like The Fallouts and Mudhoney, to get chicks. I realized that music sucked, so I quit playing it and started playing heavy metal.
You are a man of many trades, what do you say you do when people ask? I say I own a clothing company. The stupidest thing you could say is "I'm a fashion designer". I'm a graphic designer and I use the medium of clothing. I don't say I'm a musician, because that is a hobby.
I like the combed-back look, by the way. How would you describe personal your style these days? A slightly less ugly/disgusting Roy Orbison. OR, Roy Oribson as a vampire. Man, he looks like a child's nightmare.
How do you think Actual Pain's style aesthetic works with Seattle fashion? Well we aim to change the entire world's taste in graphic tees. Our target audience isn't Seattle. It's a great place to live, and we have a lot of support but there isn't any influence in Seattle. It's something we would be doing with or or without Seattle. It's our home, and it's so supportive. Why not stay in your city? I think if people didn't move to NY and LA, they wouldn't be so shitty. I mean, sometimes I feel like a big fish in a small pond… but thats fucking awesome!
Do you have a motto? Yes. "Love is the law, love under will" by Aleister Crowley. I believe love is the most important thing, but your will is more important that love.
In retrospect, what has been your favorite career path so far? Probably making clothes. What I really want to do is get King Dude songs in TV shows, like Breaking Bad and Dexter. That would be a cool way to make money. King Dude is weirdo music, you know? It has to be fun, or I wont do it.
What is the best Halloween costume you've had? I suck at halloween, I am not very clever really.
What is one natural talent you wish you had? Oh, man. Probably to be photogenic. I always look like I'm in pain, or like I'm sick, or like I have to take a shit.
Something you always bring with you? Pagan. Haha.
What is your favorite horror movie? Probably Dario Argento's Suspiria. It's perfect.
Who is your favorite wordsmith? I like Robert Frost a lot.
Who kills the undead better? Bruce Campbell or Sarah Michelle Gellar? That's a tough one. I met Bruce Campbell when I was 10. He signed an Army of Darkness poster. My mom somehow fell off the 6 foot stage and he helped! AND he was dressed like a cowboy. It was fucking awesome. At the time I was so pissed…she totally stole my moment. I'll have to go with Bruce Campbell. I haven't met SMG… YET. But we love Buffy. We watch the shit out of that shit.
Desert island albums? White Light/White Heat by Velvet Underground and Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie.
What are you listening to right now? Ela Orleans, from New York. Also Angel Olsen…she sounds like she's 50, but she's actually really young. And a lot of Umberto.
What are you listening to in Seattle? I love White Coward and Stickers. I really like Tit Pig, too.
Are you a downloader OR record store shopper OR merch buyer? I'm all three actually. I do all three pretty obsessively. i don't buy cds at all anymore.
Biggest personal fashion inspirations? roy orison or johnny cash. all black all well all the time. i know its corny but i like it.
If you had to choose 5 things with you to take to a different planet, what would they be? A bag of cheeseburgers from Dick's, a lot morphine, some kind of gun, some beers, and cigarettes. That's what I would want.
What is your spookiest halloween memory? There's this haunted house in Georgetown where I grew up and as a kid my Mom would tell us stories about how there was a choking ghost that lived there. Well, one year on Halloween, we went and trick or treated there. A guy that basically looked like an adult version of myself answered the door in a tuxedo and had white sort of gaunt face paint on. He didn't say a word, just opened the door and and gave us candy, and then shut the door. That was pretty spooky.
What other place would you want to live and why? I want to live in Germany. I don't know why, but think I'm going end up moving.
What was the #1 King Dude international tour highlight? I really loved playing Prague, and Italy was beautiful. Overall the hospitality was amazing. We are definitely going back.
What is the best part about your job? That I don't have a boss, but that is also the worst part, because when something is fucked up, its usually my fault. There's no one i can blame it on…except Emily, but she never makes mistakes.
What would you do if you had a hamburger for a hand? I would definitely eat it. No questions asked. I would eat it right away, too so it wouldn't go bad.
KING DUDE IS PLAYING HTFC TONIGHT, SATURDAY 10/29! He will be covering The Kinks and Nico. It would be in your best interest to be there.
DO YOU LIVE IN CALIFORNIA AND ARE PINING TO SEE KING DUDE?! Check out these west coast dates: November 30th at Elbo Room in SF December 2nd at Vacation Vinyl in LA December 4th at Tin Can in SD
I wish all of you the happiest of Halloweens. See you at Healthy Times!
"Never" 
