12/18/06
Dan-Zig
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The Howlers are a psychobilly band from the San Gabriel Valley in Southern California. They are friends with Deadboy and have done quite a few shows with us. They recently expanded from a three-piece band to a five-piece band. We talked with Eli, Jared, and new guitarist Grim about what is going on with the Howlers lately.
How are things going for the Howlers right now?
Actually they are probably going better than ever. We finally have a new lineup that we’ve been wanting since we started. It’s kind of what we’ve wanted from the beginning, because it was just a three piece at first, but comparing to our old punk band it didn’t have the same friendship or unity that we wanted so that’s why we didn’t really care too much, but now with Grim in the band and Peter, it’s been better than ever and we’re doing more with it now.
Did you always just want to do vocals instead of playing bass, because you just played bass in your old punk band, right?
Yeah I used to play bass, electric bass and no I never even sang until the Howlers. I never even thought of it. I pretty much had to sing.
You didn’t have a choice? No one else could sing?
No (laughs)
As far as record wise, what are the plans with coming out with a record now that you have an established lineup? You even recorded stuff as a three piece so what’s going to happen now that you have a new lineup?
Yeah, we actually already pretty much have it finished, a six song E.P. We just have to master it and mix it. It should be released by next month. We thought we were going to release it a lot sooner, but we didn’t want to release something half ass like our old demo. There’s a lot of shit we changed as far as lyrics and some solos and everything.
Did you rerecord some parts?
Actually we rerecorded the guitar tracks and pretty much all the vocal tracks, we redid.
You just pretty much kept the rhythm section then?
Pretty much. Just the bass and the drums are pretty much kept, so that’s what has been taking longer than we expected.
Are you planning anything new now that you have new members in the band?
Yeah actually we want to actually, since we are more in tune now, by spring or summer, release like a three song single.
Would that be something you would be looking to sell online or in stores or what?
Yeah we’d like to sell it online, shows, record shops. We have a lot of friends and know different people so it should be cool.
Now you guys use MySpace a lot. Does that help you think? (Jared, the drummer joins us)
Yeah actually even after we played at the Nekromantix show, there was at least like 400 friend requests that same week.
Tonight are you guys using two drummers?
Jared: No just me but he is gonna be our new drummer, Scott from the Hellevators.
Let’s talk about that for a minute. You said you had to go?
Jared: I have to be out of town for a while. He’s going to play drums permanently.
(We are interrupted by the security at the Showcase who is trying to get us to stop drinking or at least hide it, in the meantime Grim Phantom joins us for the rest of the interview)
So you are playing with the Howlers now, too? How’s it going man? Did you learn the songs pretty quick?
It’s awesome actually; the songs are coming along pretty good. It sounds fucking heavy, it sounds great.
Security continues to bug us, but he is a cool guy. He tries to get Eli to conceal his beer or get him to drink in the car. Eli asks him if someone in his band had given him a shirt from the last time the Howlers played there. The security guy says he hasn’t gotten it yet and Eli tells security that Jared is in charge of the shirts tonight to which security replies that he will let Eli go and get it.
As far as any new shows with the new lineup, anything confirmed or anything that you want to do in the future? Any places you want to play?
Eli: We just want to play as much as possible and start touring like crazy.
Grim: Trash hotel rooms.
Grim, jelly or syrup?
I prefer the taste of syrup. It helps mask the taste of the ass especially Aunt Jemimas.
Let’s talk about you first practice with the Howlers.
Grim: We went to this bar right, Eli had just eaten Jack in the Box. He had like two double cheeseburgers. I’m pounding like full beers. We shared a pitcher or two. We walk outside and he vomits everywhere and then he said he hadn’t puked in a long time and right after that vomits again and I got pictures too. At our first practice I was stumbling on my feet. It was great.
How many practices have you had since he joined?
Eli: Like 3 or 2
Grim: Less than 5, around 3 or 4
Eli: We’re risk takers!
So can we expect some screw ups?
Eli: if there are screw ups….
Grim: Blame Josh.
Eli: Blame whoever is drunkes