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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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Rachel Minton - Vocals, Percussion Vince Ratti - Guitar, Keyboard, Vocals Pete Helms - Bass, Vocals Greg Kerr - Keyboard, Tambourine T. J. DeBlois - Drums |
| Interview with Rachel and Vince February 24th, 2004 |
| E: Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer has collected countless fans from all over. What do you think it is about your music that draws so many people in? Rachel: A lot of people can relate to serious music, which is especially popular right now... and we're just seriously trying to have some fun. Vince: People can get their more aggressive or sad feelings out of their systems while listening to other bands' music, then just come and feel good and shake it with us. We're trying to get people to have fun with the music, and kids seem to be responding to it. E: How seriously do you think a band has to be taken for it to be successful? Vince: We take our craft seriously, but not ourselves. But for any band, serious or not... if they're not going to work hard and take the work aspect of it seriously, I doubt they're going to be very successful. Rachel: Any band's success is directly related to how serious the fans are about the band, and we owe a lot of what we have now to people who believed in us enough in the beginning to help us out. E: The band has undergone a number of changes throughout its lifetime. What alterations do you think have proved to be the most influential in molding today's Zolof? Vince: Yeah, the roster is always changing. Me and Rach are the only originals left. When we parted ways with Anthony (who we're still great friends with), Rachel was forced to come into her own and find her voice, being left as the only main singer. Rachel: But any member change has a huge impact on our personal lives, what we sound like, and where we're going to go. We still go to some former members for their opinions on what we're writing. Vince: The "Anthony" is Anthony Green, who sang for Saosin, by the way. He's going to do some guest vocals on our next CD... it's gonna be rad. E: How is all of this relative to the re-recording of "Plays Pretty For Baby" as "Super OK" on Jalopy Go Far? Vince: We re-recorded three of the old songs and put them on Jalopy because at the time, they sounded completely revamped with all the newer members that it warrented new recordings. Rachel: There are two different versions of the song because they were done in two different eras of our band. They both feel like they belong to the albums they're on. We were actually scheduled to play a show with Saosin next month, and Anthony was talking to us about doing a version of the song at the show with it split in half, old and new. E: Have you written any more new songs that might again alter Zolof's style? Vince: We have more of the slower songs written and they sound a bit like the first CD to me, but we'll always keep the balance on a CD to where it's mainly peppy, and then, like, two of the slower. Rachel: We're demo-ing songs right now, but they aren't totally "realized." I'm sure they'll go through some more changes after we play them out more. Every once in a while we put a demo up on our website to see what people think of them. The feedback, in general, has an impact on where we take the songs, too. E: How involved do you think fans are--or should be--in a band's career? Vince: Well, as much as they want... but I think it's totally critical for the band that the fans are active. They're the people that will flyer for your shows or let you sleep on their floors, and they're the reason your music spreads. E: How do you think a Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer show could be set apart from a show by any other band? Rachel: For one, we have a tambourine player that combines hardcore dancing with James Brown moves. At first we wanted just a keyboard player, but Greg has become so much that even we are entertained while we're playing. Vince: Our shows are about having fun and dancing if you want to. I love seeing kids dance... to our band or any other. E: Is it hard to capture the Zolof album sound in a live performance? Vince: We don't think so. We are what we are. We record and produce our own CDs, so there's no person sitting behind us in the studio telling us to do things we wouldn't normally do. It's all natural, and we do the same thing live. Rachel: It's actually easier live because having someone someone watching you and singing along with me calms my nerves. *Laughs* E: Has recording songs and playing shows become a comfortable, typical thing for you, considering your degree of experience? Rachel: Heck no! Me and Vince record bands as our main job, and we see so many people come through the studio and freak out and get super-nervous and frustrated with themselves. It happens to everyone who cares about what they're doing, I think, whether it be live or in the studio. Vince: We still get nervous before we play, even when we're playing every night. Rach needs a good five hours between eating a meal and playing a show... we found that out the hard way. E: With so many new unknown bands getting started every day, what event or achievement do you think defines a band "making it" on the scene? Victor: We'll let you know when we find out. Rachel: I imagine it's when Jon Bon Jovi tells you backstage that you've had enough to drink for the night and to save it for the big show tomorrow night. Victor: Actually, I guess it's just the ability to keep going... to be able to keep touring and have kids come out to your shows and support you. E: Are there any traditions you've continued to uphold as a working band? Vince: Having a good time. As lame as it sounds... if it's not fun, it's hell. And we're all about enjoying it. Also, not crashing the van and dying is a very important tradition to me. Rachel: After a long drive, always visit the local record store. E: What's it like returning from an extensive tour? Rachel: Well, it's nice to come home and be clean again, but it's sad, because we don't want to be clean, and we want to be back out. Also, I find myself missing the people you just spent every minute with for a month, and wondering where the other four other people who should be in my bed. E: Do you think that getting close to bandmates is a different experience from getting close to other friends? Rachel: Definitely! I know that every person in my band has seen me naked. I'm really, really shy, and I don't get even get changed in front of my best girlfriends! There's an embarrassing story behind each situation... like tripping over someone's bag in the morning while trying to get changed, and everyone waking up at the clamor. E: Do you think it takes a certain type of person with certain traits to be in a band? Rachel: If playing music makes you happy, then you have to be willing to put that before making money. Vince: ...any money at all. E: It's a question that just has to be asked to satisfy the curiosity of fans everywhere... how did the name "Zolof" come into this world? Vince: Okay... it's not as meaningful as some people might think. It doesn't have anything to do with pharmaceuticals... which would be far more interesting and clever. But what really happened was--I was hanging out with our old bassist and we were sitting around playing with Twizzlers (the licorice). He was making them talk to each other, and there was this one called Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer. So in the end it's just an irate piece of candy. He's a total genius... or something. Rachel: And Vince ended up naming his band "Revenge of the English Student." Also genius... or something. Vince: His name is Bob Bonocore, by the way. E: How do you think the band's style and musical theories could be related to this name? Rachel: It would have been awesome if we would've come up with it that way... us being an anti-depressant. Vince: Or the idea that rock needs to be fueled by angst and other negative emotions. People always tell us they think an anti-depressant like Zoloft would destroy what makes rock passionate. But really, it's just a name that should be taken light-heartedly. It's fun... and that's what we try to convey. E: Well, thanks a lot for giving me your time--you were a lot of fun, and I'm lucky to have had this opportunity. Vince: Thank you. |