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| ::Interviews:: |
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| review & interview content, as well as web site graphics & design, copywrite 2003-2004 Euphonia Online. use of materials granted only with reasonable purposes. |
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| interviewed by robby sumner |
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Zach Muck - Vocals, Guitar Nick Ugly - Vocals, Guitar Doug Young - Bass, Vocals James Ferris - Drums |
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| Interview with Zach May 17th, 2004 |
| E: Zach, the Muckruckers have been receiving more and more acclaim as they continue to gain exposure on the scene. What kind of work has it taken to achieve this success? Zach: Whoa, right with the hard questions... aren't you going to ask me who I am and what instrument I play, and where the band is from? As far as the band getting bigger and more exposure and all that... I think it's just a byproduct of us being around for so long and gaining experience as songwriters and performers. We're not really big on promotion stuff, which probably hurts us in some ways... but I think it's more rewarding to know that kids are starting to get into us for what we're doing musically, not just how many flyers we can pass out. I can't call writing music or playing shows work, 'cause they are so much fun... so I guess the answer to the question is, none. E: How often do you get to play shows? Zach: We can pretty much play shows whenever we want... there's a lot of stuff going on in the area and we have a lot of friends who can always help us out with shows. Sometimes we'll play twice a weekend, but then there are times when we just want to take time off to write or whatever, and we won't play any shows for a couple of weeks. E: What's it like to play a song at a show for the first time since it's been written? Zach: It all depends on the situation. There are times when we get so excited about a new song that we'll rush it into the set list prematurely, and then it's just crossing our fingers hoping we're not so drunk we f*ck it up. Otherwise, we usually try to wait until we really have the song locked down before we play it at a show, and then it's funny, 'cause we'll be playing this show where everyone in the audience is singing along and jumping around, and then we kick into the new song and the crowd just stops... it's either because they haven't heard the song before, so they actually want to listen to the music, or they think it sucks and they're waiting for us to get back to the ones they already know. E: Do you generally prefer playing the newer songs, or the older ones that are better established? Zach: Well, I think we like playing newer stuff 'cause it's fresher to us, but I know a lot of kids who come out to shows would prefer the older songs since they know them, so we keep it mixed up. Right now we are in the last stages of writing for our next CD, so we are playing more of the new songs live, just to see how the crowd reacts and what parts of songs people like and dislike. E: What sort of thoughts go through your head after you've just played a great live set? Zach: I don't know... my first thought after we finish our set is to get my equipment off the stage as quick as I can so that the next band can get going... I hate waiting for slow bands. Other than that, I'm usually just stoked we got through the set without any major f*ck-ups. We usually get together as a band right after we're done playing, and talk it over and see if we had any ideas during the set for a particular song... and then, of course, anyone who messed up gets made fun of and pointed at. E: What would make a Muckruckers show different from any other show? Zach: The thing that makes our shows different is that the crowd that comes out to see us is pretty unique. The majority of our fans are really into music and having a good time at shows... there's a lot less superficiality than you'll see in the crowd at a lot of other shows. There are times when we'll play with other bands who have these fans who are basically at the show to be seen, and they are there for that one band and that's it. Our fans will hang around and watch every band with an open mind, which is pretty cool and hard to find at a lot of shows these days. E: How significant does an emotion, event, or person have to be for a good song to be written about it? Zach: I'm sure that's different for every band. For our band, I think to write a good song, the subject matter definitely has to be something that is significant to us. The thought has never crossed my mind to write a song about something that wasn't important to me, so that's a hard question to answer. E: How much time is spent playing music when you're not involved in practicing or playing with the band? Zach: I pretty much just do musical stuff that pertains to the band. Anytime I pick up a guitar it's to practice or write stuff for the band... I don't do a whole lot of music that isn't Muckruckers-related. I know that's different for everyone in the band, though--Doug always has a side project going on, and Nick is constantly playing guitar in his spare time. That's why he's so much better than I am. E: Do you think the Muckruckers' style has changed as you've started expanding your musical tastes outside the band? Zach: We've definitely changed a ton over the past three years we have been playing as a band, but I'm not sure if that is directly related to personal musical tastes or if it's related to the experience of playing together for so long. I think the longer you play an instrument, the better you become, and the more new things you want to try. After a while of playing the exact same style of music over and over again, it can become as boring as a musician, so the trick is to bring in new stuff without changing the overall style and vibe of the band too drastically. E: Which band member generally starts off the writing process? Zach: Any of us... usually the way it works is one of us will come to practice with an idea for a song and some lyrics, and then everyone else will kinda add their own ideas to it. By the end of the day, the song is usually completely different from when we started. It's pretty even though, as far as the majority of the songwriting is concerned... everyone pulls their weight. E: In what ways have you followed the examples set by bands before you? Zach: I don't know. I think we try hard not to follow any example another band has set, except to write good songs and put on the best show we can. E: What would you say are the most gratifying moments of being in a band? Zach: I am sure that's different for everyone in the band... I know for James it's the girls, and for Nick and Doug it's all about the eleven-day drug binges, but for me personally, working on an album and then releasing it has always been the most gratifying thing. It's pretty cool to work on something for a long time and then release it to an audience and get feedback on your songs. Another gratifying thing is playing shows--we've been lucky to get to play with a lot of amazing bands, and through that I've been exposed to a lot of great music. E: Well, there's no doubt you guys have talent... thanks for taking the time. I expect a lot from you in the future. Zach: Thanks a lot--keep up the good work. |