Is Bully For You getting distribution from a major label?
That's kinda a question that's gonna be answered through our website. So, I mean, I'm kinda not at liberty to discuss that matter at the present time. Just check back with the website to be updated on all that stuff.
Is tossed out records going to feature other artists?
That's kinda like another website question.
What drumsets do you have?
a DW 4 pc. With a 20" bass drum, 12" tom 14" floor tom and I got a Gretch. Two 24" bass drums, 8", 10", 12" , 14" , and 16" and 18" floor toms. That's the one I want to use when we go out on the road. I probably won't use the like 8" tom. I don't know if I'm gonna use the whole thing when I go out on the road. I might just break it up in two sections and have like one when I go on the road and like if we do TV stuff or anything or small gigs I might just break it down and make like a smaller kit out of the smaller drums. Right now I'm just rehearsing with the DW 4 pc. Cuz you know that's all I really need. If I put up more drums, I'm just gonna go crazy.
Do you prefer recording or playing live?
Both. I mean live is a lot funner because you get to play in front of a lot of people. You get to go out there and express yourself in front of a lot of people but then in the studio you get to do that too, but in the studio it's a little bit different cuz(puts me on hold)I actually like playing live. Live is a lot funner. You know playing in the studio it's a good opportunity to put down and go over it and make it into what you want it to be.
Are any songs gonna be added or changed for distribution by a mojor label?
um... I don't know
How did you become drum tech for so many famous bands and why did you decide to play with Cousin Kevin?
I've always wanted to be a drummer. I wanted to always go to that next level so I played in different bands I played in a bunch of bands, I just didn't seem to be going anywhere, or where I wanted to go. Everytime I stopped playing for one band and went to the next, I always tried to make sure that the next band was doing a little bit better, or everyone was a little bit more focused on a goal. Into the next level. And I started just helping friends out, moving equipment, just trying to meet different people, get into the scene, and it led to working for bands the were doing well in the bay area. From there I was like well if I'm getting into all the cool shows in San Francisco just working for a cool band, I wondered what it would be like to take it to the next level and so I started working for Testament, got into working for bigger bands, you start meeting all the right people and that's one thing I learned id you wanna be a part of a group you got to get to know these people. It's not like you can just walk up to like U2 and be a part of that clique. You have to kind of work your way up to it, pay your dues. That's kinda what happened working for Third Eye Blind that's how I met Kevin. When all that stuff went down with that, I had the opportunity to step into the role as a drummer. Only a fool would say no. I am where I am now because I just pushed forward I just didn't ever really want to stop.
What is the best part about making music?
The fact that you get to just express yourself. You get to open up. It's like being able to walk up to a complete stranger and say whatever comes out of your mouth whether it's something vulgar like fuck you or you know hi how are you doing? You just get to express yourself however you want and only you can understand what your truly expressing but you know, it's cool because other people get inspired by it in so many different ways. I love being able to express myself however I want. I watch other people and that's how I was influenced.
Did you ever take drum lessons?
Oh yeah, I took drum lessons like when I was in high school, I've been playing drums for, I think I started taking drum lessons like a year after I started playing, I knew it was something I wanted to do. The teacher at my high school as a drummer so he took me under his wing and started showing me rudiments and I was more interested in learning beats and learning how to play music, learning how to play songs. I never really took the rudiment thing too seriously. That's one thing that I wish I would
have taken a little bit more seriously, but at the same time I was more interested in playing songs. He would say go home and practice rudiments and I'd just go home and practice playing beats(laughs) That's what I do(laughs) but now it's like I'm learnin', like I gotta practice just double strokes, I gotta practice just paradittles, because it helps when you want to try and do something cool in a song, if you don't have that stuff on you available its kind of a pain to learn, but with practice you can learn anything.
So did you play drums in school?
Yeah, I played in jr. high and high school.
What was the first concert you went to?
The Go Go's. Because my sister works for catering for BGP which is a local production. They put on all the big concerts out here and she did backstage catering for a lot of the shows. That was the first one she got me into. I helped her do catering work. It was the Go Go's. It was kind of inspiring seeing a big band up close ya know, doing it. And after that I've seen pretty much everybody now.
What was the best concert you went to?
I think KISS was probably the bast concert I went to. I was pretty for it when I saw them, they just blow, they blow shit up. Fly across the arena, blow fire, I mean that's just good rock n roll music. That was probably one of the best shows that I've seen. And they sounded great I thought. I listened to a lot of their records. I thought that they were on it ya know. And they're like in their 50's doin' it. That was the best part.
Did you do anything for Valentine's day, you have a girlfriend of anything?
oh yeah, I was with my girlfriend and we spent Valentines Day together.
Do you like and punk rock?
uh. It depends. I'm not too much into hardcore. It's not my most favorite thing to listen to, but I'll listen to punk rock.
Do you like The Clash?
um. It's cool. I'm not like a hardcore punk ya know. I try to listen to everything. I try not to stay buried with one thing.
Yeah, that's my new thing. Punk. I'm just really into the Clash and the Sex Pistols lately. you like that huh?
yeah. Normally I just liked basic rock like Metalica, Bob Dylan, The Doors, I just kinda discovered punk the last few months, gettin' into it Well that's cool. I mean you know you'll get into that, and hopefully you'll get into other things, the more years you put under your belt on your instrument hopefully you'll be influenced by a lot of different music, and I think that's what makes a good musician, the more influences you have. I even had the country thing goin' yeah, my mom used to always listen to country music ever time we would commute to San Francisco. I went to school and she would always be singing Patsy Kline or something like that. Or have it on a country station. Yeah, like my whole family grew up listening to that(laughs) so like up until I was 11 when I discovered rock music.
What's the best thing you've ever eaten?
I would have to say, I really love lobster. Lobster is like one of my favorite things to eat. I love seafood. Something about it, it's just nece just got, it's sweet, the texture is just right, little bit of like melted butter mmm..mmm..mmm!
What's the best thing you've ever worn?
Oh gosh. I don't know. I would have to say the first time, no, the best thing I've ever worn? I would have to say new clothes(laughs) That's kind of a weird question. Yeah, you have some crazy fans (laughs) that's alright, they've got a crazy drummer.
What's the best thing you've ever read?
I would have to say Interview with a Vampire. That was one of the first books that I actually got into. I thought that was a really cool book. Do you read a lot? um. I play drums a lot(laughs) I don?t like sit down everyday and read, I mean it?s not really my nature to do that. But I do like to read like when I fly ans stuff. It's a good time to sit down and read or listen to music.
What's the best thing you've ever seen?
I think the best thing I've ever seen is my senior year in high school, I got straight A's. I think that was the best thing I've ever seen, cuz like my whole academic career, I was like C, D, B student, a know, so my senior year I totally wanted to get good grades, I applied myself, and when I saw those report cards, that was like on of the best things I've seen. That and the smile on my girlfriends face.
What's the best place to go on vacation?
Anywhere except work. Ya know there's a whole world out there that needs to be explored. That's one of the cool things about being in a band, if you are successful in what you do, part of that success is a lot of traveling. You don't really get a lot of time to spend in one place, but you get to see different things. You get to experience a different lifestyle. But yeah, traveling is like on of the best things anyone can do.
What song do you look forward most to performing when you start touring?
I would have to say, one song that I really like to play is "Prayer" That's like one of my favorite songs. That's one song I look forward to playing. It's a nice rock song, ya know.
Do you guys have any ideas of any cover songs you might want to do?
I don't know. We might do some, I don't know, maybe Zeppelin, maybe, I don't know. We really haven't focused on any cover songs yet, but I'm sure we're gonna do some covers. I don't know what thought. We fooled aroung with a Led Zeppelin song a couple times but we never really said like ya know what, lets do this song, lets do that song. I don't know maybe a Beatles song. Slayer, no(laughs> Megadeth(laughs)
What bands did you play with before Cousin Kevin?
Just like local bands. Red Session, Unjust, Impact, Flange, I got that stuff on the bio on the website. check it out here
When were you in your first band?
I was 15 when I was in my first band.
Has there been just one song that's influenced you?
"Purple Rain" by Prince. When I first heard that song, I totally dug it cuz it was like a nice slow groove, and at the end he just comes in with this guitar solo. I grew up with my sisters music, and she really got into Prince, and when I heard that song, I was like wow, that really toughed me. It really influenced me a lot, got me interested in music.
