INTERVIEWS: Lou Hanman (Caves)

For a relatively new band, Bristol's Caves have surely achieved a lot! From Fest appearances to countless Euro tours, and records released on Yo-Yo and Kiss Of Death records, Caves are without a doubt one of the leaders in the current UK scene. I talked to Lou Hanman about the new record "Homeward Bound", Sexism and a bunch of other stuff and this is what she had to say...



Okay, so first things first... Can you give us a brief History of Caves, how you came to start the band etc?
I moved to Bristol in December 2008. Went to a few punk shows and met Dave Brent. I was looking to form a new band but play drums in it.  I decided to go back onto guitar and singing because Dave was a drummer and I had songs waiting to go.  Dave enlisted his flat mate Mike.

Are there any messages you wanted to give out through the band?
Yes I guess personally I want to live the way I want to live and not feel pressure from society to change or be a certain way.  That said, I think Caves isn’t a “political message” type band but I believe in making the personal – political, so in being who you are (your lifestyle choices), you can be political.

Do you feel it's important for DIY bands to have ideals, or ethics?
Yes but it’s not the most important thing.  Also, being DIY can be ethical enough.

Caves are no strangers to touring. Do you think touring is an important aspect of being in a band?
For me it is yes.  I don’t think you have to tour in order to be a band, but for the bands I’ve been in I think it would be hard to keep momentum and interest up if you’re not playing alot.

Speaking as a band that have recently toured the mainland, what is your take on the current DIY scene in the UK in comparison?
Well I would have said that in Europe they respect DIY bands a lot more – give so much time and energy into looking after you.  It’s the norm to get free food and beer all night, and then have somewhere to stay – normally with a breakfast too.  But since we did the Sundials tour in the UK in July, we were treated SO well.  I think there was only one night out of 17 that we didn’t get fed. We even got plenty of free booze and there was always good audiences at the gigs.  The current bunch of people involved in UK DIY – promoters and bands - are really special and we can be proud of it.  So, I think the UK DIY scene is as good as the mainland right now.

Who're you favourite bands in the UK at the moment? Who should we be checking out if we haven't already?
Well it’s the obvious ones – The Arteries, Bangers are favourites to begin with.  Also though, I think Dividers, Muncie Girls, Big Success, Wellwisher, Linekar and Canons and Tanks are all great and under valued too.  Also Southport are still totally on top of their game – love that band.




You've spoken out quite a lot about Sexism in the past, or atleast you have at the Caves show's that I have attended. So I was just wondering what your current take is on sexism in the punk scene in the UK?
Firstly I feel sexism a lot more outside of DIY Punk.  My current take is that when I’m playing a gig I don’t feel like people are being sexist, generally I don’t feel that in the atmosphere.  However, I know it’s there with some people that I don’t associate with as friends.  For example I was told recently that when we were playing a gig a little while ago, someone shouted “take your top off” whilst we were on stage – I didn’t hear this, if I had, I would have had a problem with that guy.  It annoys me when people see women as a novelty in punk.  I want to be seen as a musician first.  I do know it makes Caves slightly stand out from other punk bands which can work in our favour but I wish it wasn’t like that.

What has been the most memorable moment of being in Caves?
The main memorable moment for me was playing Fest 9.  There weren’t many people there when I went side of stage to tune up and get equipment but when I came back out on stage suddenly the room had filled up and I saw people I knew from the UK and people I knew from US bands that I loved.  I was genuinely surprised that people had come to watch us.  I’d had the opportunity of playing Fest a few years ago but had to turn it down, so it was a personal triumph to have a second chance and been able to play.  Also  I love being able to meet so many great people and play with so many bands that I’m a fan of.

You've recently finished a tour with Sundials, aswell as doing a split with them on Kiss Of Death. How did it all come about? And how was the tour? Any cool stories?
The split happened because we’d chatted to Bryon KoD about doing a Wormburner/Caves split but that didn’t pan out unfortunately.  So when we started setting up the Sundials tour we approached him again and luckily he was up for doing a split with Sundials.  Tour was so great, again genuinely surprised that we could do 17 dates in the UK without a day off and all of the gigs were great and we were treated so well.  Cool stories? Um, the party in Pontefract destroyed me. Sorry I’m rubbish at telling cool stories… There were plenty of rad times.

Are there plans of doing Splits with any other bands in the near future? Who would you dream of doing a split with?
We’re constantly chatting about doing splits with people.  Who knows, some of them might work out.  We’ve started writing the next bunch of songs so we’ll see how prolific we are!  Top of my wish list to do a split with would be Lemuria I think (in my dreams!).

The new record Homeward Bound has been pretty well received! How would you say the material differs from your past efforts? Did you want to try anything new on this record?
Thanks.  The songs have (slightly) more developed lyrics and crazier guitar and bass parts.  We recorded these songs over three days the weekend after we got back from touring mainland Europe for 3 weeks, so that’s why they sound how they do – we decided to play them exactly as we had been on tour.  There’s still a large amount of woahs – incidentally that’s how I like to get none lyrical melodic content into the song whilst still being able to play a full chord type guitar part.  If we weren’t a three piece I think there’d be much less woahs.

In terms of production the record was pretty unpolished which resulted in the recording sounding Honest and Organic. Was that the intention?
Yes absolutely, Nick who recorded us was great and fully committed to the energy and rawness that we were trying to get.  So there’s no overdubbed parts and most are first takes. Mine and Minty’s vocals were laid down at the same to get the buzz off each other that we get live.  Personally I’ve recorded by putting down a few guitar parts to try and make the sound more full but in the end I’d always feel like it sounded muddy and unclear so yeah , it was the intension to keep it live and raw sounding.

It was released via Yo-Yo Records and Specialist Subject. How has working with both labels been? 
Great, they’re both super labels to be involved in and they know each other so have a good relationship.  It’s been perfect for us – LP with Yo-Yo and CD with Specialist Subject.  It also means that the labels haven’t got the monetary burden of both formats and can help each other out with promo etc.  It seems like the perfect combination to me!

As a DIY band, what are your views on file sharing and downloading music?
With our level of band, I think file sharing only helps us to get the word out – the more people hear our stuff the better.  I don’t know if it’s affecting CD or LP sales at all.  I would like to think that people who’ve downloaded the music for free would pay to come to a gig and perhaps buy the LP and support us in that way.

You're playing Fest this year, and played last year too. Are you excited? How was last year? How are Caves recieved in the US?
YES I’m so excited. Last year was great (see my previous answer).  We were received pretty well I think!  We had a good crowd and the pre-fest shows were also great.

What's next for Caves? What does the future hold?
Well we’ve got some UK gigs with Glasses early Sept, gigs with RVIVR in October, Fest 10 in October, French weekender with OK Pilot in November.  Then in the spring hopefully another euro mainland tour and fingers crossed a US tour.  We shall see! Maybe another LP same time next year!??

Thanks so much for doing this Lou! Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Thanks to you Gav for including us in your blog, you’re a gem.

INTERVIEWS: Jason Lubrano (Iron Chic / Wax Phantom)

Jason Lubrano has been making music for the best part of a decade in such bands as Small Arms Dealer, Wax Phantom and the more widely known Iron Chic. We talked to him about their recent tour of Europe, future plans and things that inspire Iron Chic's sound (Spoiler: Weed) and this is what he had to say...



Ok so firstly, how did Iron Chic come together as a band?
Since the real story is boring I'm gonna tell a fake story about how we formed. It all started when Phil was working at a Russian circus riding a unicycle across a tightrope. One day he snapped and bit one of his trainers, that's when they took him outside to put him down. Just at that moment I swung in on a grappling hook, in a similar manner to batman/spiderman (except I just had regular clothes on) and began to brutally murder the trainers and then everyone else at the circus including all of the children and the other animals. Phil and I escaped to an secret space station in low earth orbit where i nursed him back to health. Then Gordon came and began to kick-flip his way into our hearts. We grew Dumps in a lab from cells obtained from a muppet scrotum. Shortly after that Rob showed up on an invisible motorcycle and transformed into WILD DAD in front of our very eyes, so obviously he was accepted immediately. I think there were a couple of other guys too.

You've all been in and still are in bands as well as Iron Chic. How would you say Iron Chic differs from your other efforts?
I can't speak for everyone but I don't Really think there's a specific difference beyond the changing dynamics of working with different people. Everyone has different ideas and ways of working and different priorities that will effect the overall shape and nature of the band.

What general theme would you say Iron Chic's songs have?
I don't know that I would really say there is a theme to our songs but I also dropped out of college.

Iron Chic (Full Set) from hate5six on Vimeo.

What things inspire Iron Chic's sound?
Weed.

"Not Like This" has been out for quite a while now. Can we expect another full length in the near future?
We just recently started working on the next full length and we're looking to finish it up by the fall.

And what about Wax Phantom? Do you plan to release a full length anytime soon?
Probably at some point. Right now we're working on a couple of songs for a split and maybe an e.p. after that.

You've recently returned from Europe, where at the shows I attended you seemed to be pretty well received! How did it compare to playing shows in the US?
Most of the shows we played in Europe we're as good if not better than our shows in the US and as far as tours go it was one of the best. It really is hard to describe the feeling of being halfway around the world and seeing everyone singing along or at least phonetically mimicking along.

What was your favourite, or most memorable moment in Europe?
It's don't think I can pick just one but some of mine would be: Cafe Jamaica, Roofdog, Lloyd Chamber's homemade bangers and mash, shitting standing up in some weirdo European toilet and Jan waking up early to jog every fucking day.

Do you plan on returning anytime soon? With Wax Phantom, perhaps?
Iron Chic will definitely be coming back as soon as we can. Wax Phantom doesn't tour. That band was mainly started as an excuse to get Beaker away from a computer desk for a few hours a month.

Mostly everything Iron Chic has released has been self released (or rather released on Dumps Label, Dead Broke). Do you think you'll continue to do things this way?
It's really hard to say right now. Everything has worked out great for us doing things the way we have, but we're not against the idea of working with a different label in the future.

Iron Chic are a very DIY band. In terms of booking shows, creating your own artwork etc. What would you say are the advantages and disadvantages of being a DIY band?
Well the biggest advantage is control, we can do whatever we want provided we have the means or resources to accomplish it. The only drawback, really, is having to be responsible for coming up with those resources, be it money or time or whatever.      

What is your stance on Downloading Music? Will everything Iron Chic ever release be up for free download?

I think having an opinion on downloading music is like having an opinion on gravity. It's kind of inevitable and it really doesn't matter what anyone thinks about it. As a band we like having a free or pay-what-you-want download available, and I think that we will continue to do that as long as the decision is solely ours to make.  

Iron Chic - Time keeps on slipping (live Cologne May 20th 2011) from Marc Gärtner on Vimeo.

So what's next for Iron Chic? Is there anything in the pipeline that we should be excited about?
We've got a bunch of shows and fests coming up but after the stuff we've got booked now I think we're gonna just try and chill out on shows for a bit and work on the next record.

And lastly there seems to be a thriving scene in Long Island, and New York in general. Are there any bands from the area that we should be checking out?
I really hate just listing bands because I feel bad if I leave anyone out but Halfway to Hell Club, Fellow Project, Warm Needles, Pretty Bullshit, Sister Kisser, Deep pockets and Make it Plain are all definitely worth a minute  of your time.

• Listen to Iron Chic on Bandcamp

INTERVIEWS: Jan Matthias (Yo-Yo Records)

Whenever I think of “DIY” one man comes to mind; Jan Matthias of Yo-Yo Records. For the last 11 years Jan has been putting out amazing records by the bands I love, booking tours for the bands I love, driving the bands I love and generally being the best dude in the world! A few months ago my friend asked me to contribute something for her zine, and I couldn't think of anyone else better to interview than Jan. This is what he had to say...

For those not in the know, what is Yo-Yo Records?
Yo-Yo Records is one person, living in a small and packed bedroom/storage room in Berlin and spending too much money and time on releasing records.

What motivated you to start your own record label?
I grew up in a sleepy village in south west Germany. It was incredibly boring there, nothing was going on at all. So I started doing shows with a few friends to get more people interested in the music we liked, which didn't work out. A little later I started the label because there were still not enough people there to form a band.

How would you describe a Yo-Yo records sound? What sort of band grabs your attention, and makes you want to release their music?
Personally I think I've put out a lot of different music, or at least i like to think that! I at least like a lot of different music, so it's not so much a sound. It's more an attitude I guess and it's all about who you know. Maybe that's also something I like to think.

In a day and age where bands are labels are opting to release their music digitally, what do you think is the future for record labels such as Yo-Yo? Will Yo-Yo ever release a digital only release?
Almost everything I ever put out is on vinyl. If there was an option I also released stuff on CD format in the past but vinyl was always the main priority. I think people will always like vinyl because it looks nice, smells nice, fucks up your back when you're moving house and is incredibly bad for the environment. So you can listen to poppy music and still claim to live a no-future punk lifestyle, I think I'll keep putting out actual physical records.

Where do you stand on illegally downloading music? Do you feel it has an impact on how your records sell?
I run a punk label! If you put out 300 seven inches you should definitely not care about sales. It's a quite expensive hobby anyways. If people like something and are willing to buy it they'll still do. It’s a very positive development in my opinion to have access to music so easily. You can find all these obscure hardcore singles online now. You can listen to Moss Icon, Judge, The Lookouts or Jawbreaker without spending ridiculous amounts on the original records. It helps smaller bands a lot because people actually get a chance to listen to them! It might also have a positive effect on how a punk or hardcore "scene" works. It gets easier for people to get in contact with this kind of music and hopefully also lowers to barriers of getting involved in shows etc.

The last few releases have been pretty unique in appearance (for example, the Iron Chic and RVIVR records being screenprinted on the one side etc). What influenced you to start adding an “arty” concept to the records you've been releasing?
You know, I live in Berlin. Everything here is very arty. We even say something "is very Berlin" here! But to be honest I have to disappoint you. The reason the Iron Chic is a one sided LP with a screenprint is just the fact that the music wouldn't have fit on a single. It's not a new concept it's just a necessity ...

Do you think that art is equally as important as the records content?
Yes actually I do. Now you would say "why have you release records with such an ugly art". Well you're right. Sometimes it doesn't work out and you'll do something you don't think is that perfect but in general I like a interesting artwork.

What are your favourite releases on the label? Are there any records in the Yo Yo catalogue you feel are overlooked?
I feel the I Farm album "Sincerely, Robots" is very overlooked. Maybe it’s because the artwork doesn't look that good... but the music is great! It’s probably one of my favourite records ever. Go get it! You'll find it online somewhere.
What should I say? Of course I love the records I've put out! But over the last 11 years while I've been running the label my musical taste has changed a bit so I might not be happy with all the records as I was at the point when they came out. Also, sometimes when a band disappoints you personally it might have an effect on how you feel about their music. Besides that, I always think the most recent record is the best! Which would be the last Deny Everything single in that case.

What is the most rewarding thing from running a label?
That's a good question. Label work is a lot of boring work. I like finding a record that I've put out in somebodies record collection. That's the best! It's even better when it's on another continent!

What's next for Yo Yo? Do you have any interesting releases/plans in the pipeline?
I also do some tour booking and with that I have a couple of things coming up. A tour with Worn In Red, Attack! Vipers! and OK Pilot, I’m also putting out a 3-way split for this tour. I’ve got a tour with Iron Chic in May and then the final tour of Thousandaires before they split up. Besides this we'll see what's coming up next year.

Last question, how would you sum up DIY in your own words?
DIY, it's a pretty fun way of self exploitation for a scene that's a zombie.

• Check out and buy YO-YO Records releases from yoyorecords.de

INTERVIEWS: Adam Jones (Peachfuzz)

Peachfuzz are a great Powerpop band from Bridgend in South Wales. Formed back in 2007, through a mutual love of bands such as Teenage Fanclub and The Replacements, Peachfuzz have since released two full length records and have played shows up and down the country (despite not touring!). I caught up with guitarist/vocalist Adam Jones, and talked about growing up in the valleys, the new record, and recording a record on a budget of just £350... (Photo: Adam Hunter)

Okay, so first of all, the most cliche of questions, how did Peachfuzz come together as a band?
I lured Lewis and Jon away from other bands by lying to them about our prospects. Seriously though, we love bands like Big Star and Crazy Horse and Cheap Trick and Badfinger and it seemed to us that nobody was writing those sorts of songs anymore. I’ve known Lewis and Jon forever and it seemed it might be worth trying to write those sorts of songs because it didn’t seem likely that anyone else was going to do it. So we had a go.

The lyrics to a large majority of Peachfuzz's songs read like stories. Are they based on your own life experiences or on true stories? Or are they completely fictional?
Bit of a mixture. Everything anybody writes has a bit of their own life in there, I think. I work hard at lyrics because I think if you’re going to say something you might as well try for something good. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much. Ultimately I just try to mangle words together into a sequence that conveys feeling, is interesting to listen to and that I can sing with a straight face without feeling like a complete fucking liar. If it feels like that then I’m happy.

Hardly the most reliable of sources, but I read on a forum that Everything Takes Forever was written as a concept album. What is the concept behind it, and what influenced you to write an album in such a way?
If by concept album we’re talking about a record that tries to tell a story then I suppose ETF is a concept album. I don’t much like spelling things out because when I listen to stuff I like to make up my own mind. However, I will say that we’d done the first record and wondered how we could keep things interesting. The first record was a collection of what we felt were the best songs we had at the time. ETF was written to order. There were no omitted songs. It was written in sequence from start to finish. It was all very deliberate. I enjoyed the discipline of writing like that. It’s good to test yourself, I think.

I heard it was recorded on a budget of 350 UK pounds. Was this simply due to lack of funding? Or was it intentional as a way of preserving the authenticity and raw sound?
We’ve been playing together for a good while and we record fast. As I recall the whole thing was recorded in five days. All of the rhythm tracks and most of the vocals were first takes. The songs were thoroughly rehearsed and we had very specific ideas about how the record should sound. We discussed what we wanted with Eifion Lloyd at NOLEX at great length and he quoted 350 quid. He was good to his word and did the record in for that. NOLEX is a no-frills studio. It’s a big one-room shed on legs at the end of a muddy track. It’s the Mickey’s Gym of recording studios. There’s no heating and no toilets. However, Eifion knows what he’s doing and the equipment is good. I understand why it’s a bit of a novelty that ETF cost 350 quid to make because some bands spend more than that on their fucking haircuts. Really though making records is just a matter of knowing your songs, dangling some microphones in front of some amps and watching the levels. There’s nothing mysterious about it and it needn’t be expensive if the band is well rehearsed.

The record was released on the infamous UK label, Bombed Out Records. How did that all come about?
There were a bunch of labels wanting to put it out but most of them wanted to fuck around with the sound of the record or placed unrealistic demands on the band. Obviously we were having none of that. We knew Steve Jackson at Bombed Out because he had been supportive of the first record that came out on Rat Patrol. We liked a lot of the stuff that Bombed Out had put out. We sent him a copy and he liked the record. Steve’s ethos is that the band makes the record they want to make and then Bombed Out puts it out and promotes it. It’s a very pure and beautiful thing they’ve got going on. I have nothing but good things to say about Bombed Out Records and Steve Jackson.

Much like most of South Wales, Bridgend is a pretty economically deprived area. Do you feel this has influenced your sound at all?
That’s an interesting question. We are from working class backgrounds. I grew up in the seventies in the valleys just around the time the pits started closing. Looking back we were poor but the family was strong. There was no fucking money but there was no shortage of love. I didn’t feel deprived. In terms of musical influence, I will say that music served a very important and specific purpose in people’s lives and that purpose was to provide an escape, a good time. In my experience, people who know genuine hardship don’t want to be reminded how difficult life is when they put a record on. They want to be transported. That’s what we try to do to the best of our abilities.

Going back 10 years ago, Bridgend’s music scene used to be one of the best in South Wales. How and why do you think things have changed in recent years?
I really wouldn’t know. What was happening ten years ago? I was otherwise engaged. However, I’ll hazard a guess that, due to the internet, people have become more selective. Whereas ten years ago people would come out to shows just in case they found something they liked, nowadays they won’t come out unless they know there’s something they like. Plus any music scene is fuelled by pissed-off youngsters whose blood is hot and who want to make a point. I have a sad suspicion that those kids are now buying Guitar Hero instead of guitars.

Peachfuzz are hardly the most youthful band in South Wales (no offence, brother!). Were there any previous projects pre-Peachfuzz?
Nope. Every other band I’ve played in was killing time until this band could happen.

What do you feel is the most rewarding thing about being in Peachfuzz?
We’re hardly the most fashionable band in the world but we’ve managed to put out what I feel are good honest records while making absolutely no concessions. We’re able to do exactly what we want to do at our own pace and there are some people who will listen to it. I’m proud of the fact that none of us are twenty-one anymore and we haven’t run out of steam and taken up golf. I’m proud that we’ve carried the band into our adult lives with all the complexity that adult life entails and still feel excited about playing. I think that’s pretty good going!

For a band that never does massive tours, Peachfuzz are a pretty successful band. Do you think touring is an important aspect of being in a band? Will Peachfuzz ever do a mammoth Euro tour like most UK bands seem to be doing more and more as of late?
I’m pleased that you think we’re successful but I don’t know what yardstick you’re measuring success by. I suppose I’d say that touring is important if a band really wants to tour. We actually turn down very little and I’m sure we’d love to do a big tour if it came up and was at all viable but we have wives and children and mortgages. I’m not going to jump into the back of a Transit with my three pairs of jeans , eat goulash in toilet cubicles for six months straight and come out ten grand worse off. Fuck that. I’m sure that Jon and Lewis would say the same.

You recently revealed that you are working on a new “bastard of a record” called We Are Solid State. What can we expect from it? I heard something about pianos and female vocals...
It’ll be another Peachfuzz record but there will be more lyrics and a broader range of sounds. We’ll have lap steel and piano and acoustic guitars. I want to get some female backing vocals. I’m obsessed with what Emmylou Harris did on Grievous Angel and Nicolette Larson did on Neil Young’s seventies records. I love Neil Young and Gram Parsons and Gene Clark and Townes Van Zandt so we’ll be digging into that stuff a bit more. We’re trying to figure out how to work it in without sounding forced or fake or derivative and just tap into the essence of that good stuff.

Everything Takes Forever was pretty well received! Does that put more pressure on you in regards to your next output?
I was pleasantly surprised that ETF was received as well as it was. Just as I was with the first record. But I feel no pressure whatsoever. It’ll be what it’ll be and it’ll be the best that we’re capable of. I have absolute faith and trust in the rest of the band and the other people who are contributing to the record. I’m excited about the songs and finding out how they end up sounding. I felt exactly the same when we were putting together ETF. Pressure would be being unable to feed your kids or keep a roof over your family’s heads. Peachfuzz is just good fun and that’s exactly how bands should operate.

Do you feel that people’s opinions and reviews should matter to a band?
I am truly grateful if people find something to enjoy in our stuff. That really is an amazing feeling. It’s why bands bother in the first place and we’ve made many good friends through the band. That said I couldn’t give two fucks about negative opinions or reviews. I’d have to be a moron to believe that somebody else’s half-baked opinion about our band carries more weight than our own. Nobody is forcing anybody else to listen to our records. If you don’t like it you can fuck off and listen to something else. Life’s too short to worry about that bullshit!

Other than a new full length, is anything else in the pipeline for Peachfuzz?
Aside from the split with Dividers? Somebody approached us recently about making some videos for songs off ETF. I was a bit sceptical but having spoken to them at length about it I think it could be good if it’s handled right. We’ll see. And more shows of course. Other than that it’s about the new record.

Anything else you'd like to add? Are there any new bands that we should be listening to?
I’m in no position to tell anyone what to listen to and I’m possibly the worst person on Earth to ask about new bands. However, I would like to say thanks for giving me the opportunity to answer your questions. Cheers!

• Everything Takes Forever is available through Bombed Out Records now!

INTERVIEWS: Dave Garwacke (If You Make It, Thousandaires, State Lottery...)

Whether it be for the free/donation-based albums, or for the Pink Couch Sessions, If You Make It is the go-to site for many punks around the globe! For the past 4 years, Dave has been running and maintaining the site, which I guess has been a pretty big influence behind What We Should Be Doing, so I thought it would be cool to chuck some questions his way. This interview is featured in my good friend Carly Davies' zine "No Matter Where You Go".

For those not in the know, what is If You Make It?
If You Make It is a site I started 4 years ago. We/I haphazardly post videos and free albums, depending on my current mood and level of excitement in the project.


How did the idea for If You Make it come about?
I started IYMI mostly because I needed a project to work on outside of my actual job. Eventually I ended up spending more time on this then actually making money. I used to live in a house that had shows all of the time, and afterwards I realized that there was a lack of physical evidence that anything had ever happened. When I moved to Brooklyn I decided to change that and started filming shows and throwing them up on my wordpress blog. Eventually I redesigned that site and added a bunch of different content.


If You Make It is mostly known for the variety of free albums on the site. What made you decide to put the albums up for free?
I basically copied Jeff Rosenstock, who runs Quote Unquote Records. I was over his apartment and we were talking about his site, and I figured it would be a good idea to add the same kind of thing to IYMI. I'm pretty sure I ran it by him first, but who can remember?


To me, being in a DIY band is more a hobby than a career. But it certainly costs money, and obviously by giving away albums for free you eliminate the income that is needed for most bands to survive. You've played in several bands that have been featured from the site, so speaking from your experience, have you or any other band benifited financially from being on the site?
Free/donation downloads aren't for everyone, but I think they are an amazing tool for spreading music. You'll definitely never make your money back, but in the meantime thousands of people are listening to your music. I think it's a great idea for bands to release their first demo for free. In that way I'm mostly just pointing out records that I think people should give a chance. It's not really about the money. On the other hand, there has been some awesome people who have donated to the site. I think more people are pumped to see the number of downloads rise than how much money is in their paypal account.


How do you choose what albums to upload to the site?
It's all based on music that I love. I usually approach bands about putting their records up on the site, although sometimes I'm surprised by a random submission (ex. Candy Hearts) and we go from there. It's sort of like a record label but I have the ability to disconnect myself from the financial aspect of putting out a record. I don't have to check my wallet before putting a record up.


I've seen some reviews posted on the internet where the bands have been described as having an IYMI sound. It seems pretty ridiculous to me, because I think no band on the site sounds the same. But if you had to, how would you describe the "If You Make It" sound?
I think a majority of the IYMI sound is based on the same people being in 50% of the bands. I guess you'd could say it's all generally melodic punk, but there are bands that don't fit the mold, like Busman's Holiday and Eachothers' Mothers.


How did the pink couch sessions come about?
I started the Pink Couch Sessions when I realized that live shows were impossible to tape. The sound was always bad and the lighting was almost unusable. I had a big pink couch already, and I asked a couple friends over to help try out an idea. I was also in love with sites like La Blogotheque and wanted to try something similar.


What have been your favourite Pink Couch Sessions?
Some of my favorites have been Defiance Ohio, Des Ark, Nana Grizol, Vio/Mire, Ava Luna, Heathers and Hot New Mexicans. I could probably name a ton more but that would defeat the point.


Are there any interesting Pink Couch Sessions in the Pipeline?
Let me see. Some bands have been in the pipeline for way too long, and I feel really bad about that. I hit a rough patch over the summer and unfortunately a bunch of bands got shafted. I'm trying to make that up this winter. The RVIVR pink couch is going to be pretty funny and Blunt Mechanic came out pretty awesome. Toby Foster, Candy Hearts, imadethismistake, Two Funerals, The Wild, Fucking Cops, Title Tracks, Grown Ups and Big Soda have been extremely patient with me. Theirs will be going up really soon. Cynics, Koji, Calvinball and Two Hand Fools also came over recently, so stay tuned for those. Maps & Atlases also did a new one.


What would you're dream pink couch session be?
John K. Samson of The Weakerthans. I'd burn the couch after that.


Quite a few simular sites to IYMI have surfaced on the internet. What would your advice be to anyone wanting to start a site like IYMI?
Stick with it. It's a pain in the butt, but you need to produce content pretty regularly or people will lose interest. Keep to a deadline and try to update on a schedule. I screwed this site up by being so flaky.


What is the most rewarding thing about running IYMI?
It makes me excited that other people are fans of the site. I love reading reviews of the records and seeing other sites linking to their favorite videos. I love interacting with people despite my weird mumbling and craziness. It's a fun project.


How would you sum up DIY in your own words?
I have to make up my own words? Let's say "individualitude". It's individuality with attitude. Sort of like a Ninja Turtle, of the teenage variety. I think Do It Together is a better acronym, since doing it alone is pretty hard.


What's next for IYMI?
New types of videos, maybe some new series. I want to expand away from the Pink Couch and flex my editing skills. I want to include other people in maintaining the site and let up on the reins a little.


Anything else to add?
Bergen Bagels in Brooklyn has the best bagels on the East Coast. I haven't had a better one in the U.S. but I don't want to sound crazy.

INTERVIEWS: OK Pilot

OK Pilot are a post punk three piece from Exeter, UK, described as "Orgcore for Englishmen" by punknews.org (though I'm not too sure I fully agree with them on this). This interview was meant to be filmed at our house, but everyone (including me) got way too drunk after the show at Sigma in Swansea. So in the end we did the interview on the bar, scribbling all the answers on the back of a clubnight poster and a couple of flyers. Keeping it old school, amirite? I wrote as fast as I could and I didn't catch it all. I can't even guarantee that I wrote who said what properly. Interview by Kat. Photo by Scott Neill.

Me: Ok. So, you guys played Fest recently. Obviously. I was there. I only managed to catch you at the 1982 Pre Fest, I've no idea what I was doing when you actually played. I think I was staring at my feet in The Venue after Bangers. Sorry about that. Anyway, how was your reception from the American crowd? Or were there too many boozey brits to tell?

Ben: Every time we've played in America it's been slightly overwhelming. People like us more in America I guess. The Fest show was probably the best we've ever played... it was pretty overwhelming.

Me: How did the Brits Abroad split come about?

Ben: Basically, Bangers asked us if we wanted to do it and everyone was like 'hell yeah!'

Me: I've read some pretty rad reviews. I guess it's been pretty well received?

Ben: Yeah, um, I feel like it's all the other bands that have been well received, not us.

Me: Really?

Tom: I'll be honest with you, I haven't read the reviews so I couldn't tell you... That's a terrible answer!

Ben: I'm very happy with the reviews. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed it. That's why we do this-

Tom: Basically, if you can sum up this action (Tom gobbles off an imaginary horse)

Me: Ha. Um, Exeter is notorious for producing very attractive punk rock bands like Computers, Dead City Stereo, Brothers etc. Do you find yourselves taking more time over your appearance in order to live up to these sexy expectations?

Ben & Chris. Maybe Tom, too: NO.

Ben: You can quote me on this, I didn't know there was a sexpectation (looking very pleased with this word)

Chris: Tom is sexy NO MATTER WHAT.

Ben: You can quote me on this too, a sexy scene is built on a sexy venue. And we have one of those.

Me: I stopped very briefly in Exeter train station a few months ago on the way to Plymouth I think. Everyone looks exactly the same. Am I mental or amirite?

Ben: I think you're generalising... (someone says something. I can't remember what) I think this is a weird question.

Tom: Do you mean every train station looks the same or everyone in Exeter looks the same?

Me: Everyone in Exeter looks the same.

Tom: I thought you said everyone in Exeter was sexy!

Me: They are! ...But they all look the same.

Ben: Everyone doesn't look sexy in Exeter.

Tom: (aside) I'd rather Chris wasn't involved in this at all...

Me: You're on your third day of tour. Are there any places in particular you like to play?

Ben: Yeah. South Wales. Swansea!

Tom: Not my words! (Initially I wrote down that Chris said this but Tom corrected me. I think he wanted to make it clear that he's not into Swansea)

Ben: Anywhere where we get to see friends we never see.

Me: What have your best and worst shows been?

Ben: The best was our Fest show this year.

Me: The worst?

Tom: There's been a lot of them.

Ben: I would say the one time we played in Swindon and, uh, we set everything up, went to get some food, came back and the promoter said 'I wouldn't bother playing. Some people came... but they left. So you might as well not play'.

Me: What's the weirdest thing that's ever happened to you guys on tour? Like women, crusties, ghosts...

Tom: This is quite a good one. Last year in May we were going on tour with The Dead City Stereo and Chris was having lunch with his girlfriend, his CURRENT girlfriend, in Exeter in a café called Giraffe and a suicide bomber tried to blow up the cafe.

Ben: That, or anywhere in America.

Tom: And, if he had succeeded, Chris wouldn't be here right now.

(They all sing along to The Smiths: This Charming Man)

Me: So... I've run out of interesting questions.

Chris: Ask us a shit question!

Me: OK. Uhh... What's your favourite sandwich?

Tom: Cheese and onion!

Chris: How can you ask that? You can't just expect someone to answer that. Uhh... Swiss cheese and coleslaw.

Tom: What?!

Chris: I went there.

Me: Ben?

Ben: Um. Fuck! ...I had this really great BBQ sort of tofu sandwich from America.

Me: Oh! From the Reggae Shack?

Ben: Nah, from The Top.

Me: Oh. Hang on, where?

Ben: The Top. Opposite The Atlantic.

Me: Ohh. So... What does the future hold for the band?

Ben: We really, really, really don't... tend to plan that far in advance. But, if you must know, say, if anyone out there is waiting for us to release an album, it's never gonna happen. But we're doing a lengthy e.p. in January-

Tom: It won't be done in January!

Ben: Say next year. Then we're going on tour in June with a band called Hour of the Wolf (Ben had to write this down for me as I didn't have a clue what he was saying. He has lovely handwriting)

Me: I guess that's it. Worst interview ever?

Ben: No.

Tom: Uh... (very long pause)... No. Not it's not, you smell nice so it's pretty enjoyable. That's a bad answer.

Me: I'm glad you think I smell nice because I feel very sweaty.

Tom: Worst interview was probably last year at Fest because it was a bit weird.

Ben: I said some terrible things and a lot of people saw it.