//
INTERVIEWS
My
Interview w/ Billy Brimblecom Jr.
June 21, 2004 via telephone
Interviewer: siX
// MY QUESTIONS
NAME, POSITION, FAVORITE LYRICS IN A SONG.
Billy Brimblecom Jr., Drummer, a lot of my favorite lyrics are really dirty
rolling stones lyrics, so let's not use that one. i will keep in mind our underage
fanbase... "let me think on that one"... (EDITING NOTE: I forgot to
go back to this question hah sorry)
A LOT OF US ARE WONDERING HOW EXACTLY YOU MET
MR. ERICK SANGER
Erick used to play in a band named Schatzi, and my old band the Creature Comforts--basically
we had played together. We played in Texas by chance and that was it. We kinda
became friends. And we played in Texas alot and usually stayed with Erick. And
we kind kept each others phone numbers.
WHEN YOU'RE ON STAGE PLAYING, WHAT'S GOING THROUGH
YOUR HEAD?
Hopefully nothing. I mean that's just because if I am thinking about something,
not to sound totally like you know all cheesey or whatever-- ideally you're
not, ideally thinking about anything but music. When you can let it kinda take
you, and your'e not internalizing it is usually is better.
DESCRIBE YOUR BEST CONCERT EXPERIENCE(PLAYING
AND SEEING).
My favorite show that I've ever played was actually a show with some friends
the weekend before christmas. We played two led zeppelin tribute shows. That
was the most fun I've ever had on stage ever. Playing John Bonham for a night:
difficult and rewarding all at the same time. The best show that i've seen.
Wow, so many shows I've seen, particularly, when I was of the age and when I
was a little more carefree with money. Basically high school is when i saw the
most shows. Probably the one that still sticks in my head, I think was in 1999,
I saw Elvis Costello and it was just him and piano player, just a duo. And it
was actually steve naieve, the piano player in the attractions. It was in Kanas
City at the Midland Theatre which is a beauitful old theatre, it's huge. We
actually played a few places on the Offspring tour that reminded me of that
place, but that was the most memorable show.
WHO ARE YOUR MAJOR INFLUENCES
Major musical influences? Referring to the last question my favorite drummer
is John Bonham of Led Zeppelin. Stuart Copeland of The Police. You know, Dave
Grohl of Foo Fighters, Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones, Pete Thomas of The
Attractions. My drumming list could go on and on and on. Those guys along with
guys that inspire me musically from Paul McCartney to Stevie Wonder. Elvis Costello.
Those are probably my favorite song writers ever. Definetely. Those guys along
with a million other things. Miles Davis. All musical heros of mine.
WHAT'S THE WORST JOB YOU'VE EVER HAD?
It's probably a two way tie. Mcdonalds for 2 months when i was 15, that sucked.
And i also worked, this was good and bad, but I'll put it any way for a few
months I was a cashier at Anthropology, its a woman's clothing and furniture
store. Kinda like Anthropology is to Urban Outfitters as Banana Repulic is to
the Gap. But it's all geared towards women who are 40 years old. That was a
fucking nightmare. That was my last stop for retail. From then on I have always
had to work oddjobs. After that I was going to do whatever it took to make more
money and be happier. And then I ended up at joing the band.
WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE FOR YOU GROWING UP?
That's a pretty big question. Good, you know. I guess to make an obviously very
long story short, I grew up in the subrbs of Kansis City, on the Kansas side
as an only child with parents divorced. It's a pretty typical story, but things
were good. I had great parents even though they wern't together. We're close
to this day. I always had alot of friends, but I was still a bit of a loner,
I suppose. I dont think I had a generally unhappy childhood by any means, despite
divorce. I have very fond memories of childhood for the most part. Enjoyed school
even though I got in trouble all the time. Really enjoyed high school and that
kind of thing. Music came into the picture not at an incredibly young age, I
wanted to play the saxophone when I was in gradeschool around 5th grade. So
they made me play the clarinet first, which I understand why now. You kinda
need to know how to do all that stuff to play. I started playing drums in the
6th grade and i was 11. That's when everything took shape for me. Particularly
around 8th grade when I was 13-14, that's when everything changed. At that age
basically when you're a boy, you play sports and I was never really good at
playing sports. Everyone already feels awkward. You're a kid, but becoming an
adult slowly. Playing drums was something I was good at for my age. My peers
started to notice that, it kinda helped me to become comfortable with myself.
That was the thing that I latched on to, to help me. everyone is still trying
to find themselves, even now. That definetely kinda helped create my identity
at that age.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT TOURING? AND
LEAST FAVORITE?
Favorite thing is obvious, it's playing. Least favorite is everything else.
WHAT'S THE NICEST THING A FAN HAS DONE FOR YOU?
A fan once gave me a fifty dollar gift certificate to Guitar Center for my birthday.
A QUESTION MANY LADIES HAVE BEEN WONDERING,
ARE YOU SINGLE?
The business answer would be to tell you that I am 22 and totally single. That's
the big record label answer, but the truth is that I am 27 and I do have a girlfriend
who I am very much in love with and we live together.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE TRACKS OFF THE
NEW ALBUM?
"All or Nothing" I think that's really well-writtten and has a great
melody. That song more than any other song on the record combined a lot of elements
of things i like in music in general. It's a totally rocking song. I am struck
by it. I like the pop structure, which i think that there is never anything
wrong with having pop structure in a song no matter what your band sounds like.
It really appeals to me, and it will appeal to alot of people I think. Definetely
a "hit quality" to it. Catchy and awesome. And i really like "A
Thousand Years". Probably the danciest song on the record. For me personally
its one of the songs I am most proud of my role in it. Those two probably along
with "The Underwater Song". R really love that. My true favorite at
the moment. It's different from the other songs. It's not a "slow"
song, its just a "slower" heavy, mid-tempo song.
CAN YOU TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT THE NEW MUSIC
VIDEO FOR LIKE DAYS?
I dont know exactly what it's going to look like. I can tell you that I read
the treatment, the video screenplay for it. It sounds awesome, but we did it
over 2 days. I was only there for the day I was needed to play. It sounds like
it's going to be really great. Videos are always fun, It was very hot while
making it cuz it was outside. I think our sweat will pay off.
IF ONE OF YOUR FIVE SENSES WERE SUDDENLY TAKEN
AWAY, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU WANT IT TO BE AND WHY?
It would probably be smell or taste. Mainly because I have had this nasty sinus
infection and I havn't been able to smell or taste anything. And even thougth
it sucks I've been making due.
IF YOU COULD PUT YOUR OWN MUSIC FESTIVAL TOGETHER,
WHO WOULD BE PLAYING THE BILL?
To narrow this down I'll use living bands. Wow. the Foo Fighters. Michael Jackson,
Stevie Wonder, and I'm lookin at my record collection here.. Who am I forgetting?
Probably somebody like... the Black Crowes with me playing drums. I am sure
theSTART kids will scoff at me for mentioning the Black Crowes. But they are
one of the most underrated rock bands of the last twenty years. I still have
secret hopes that even though they are on hiatus because their drummer quit.
I still hope that they will get back together, and that i will be the one. you
never know.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN HEARTBROKEN? IF SO, HOW DID
YOU DEAL WITH IT?
Definetely. And that is just one of those things, that hopefully time heals
all wounds. And it definetely did in my case. It was a long time ago and I was
pretty young.
IF YOU COULD BE ONE OF THE MUPPETS, WHICH ONE
WOULD YOU BE? I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT I AM STILL GOING TO ASK!
I suppose I'd have to say Animal for that answer. Although Doctor Teeth was
pretty cool. He's an obscure muppet, but one nonetheless.
IF HEAVEN IS RELIVING YOUR HAPPIEST MOMENT OR
MEMORY, WHAT WOULD HEAVEN BE LIKE FOR YOU
I would have to say, that although I've had plenty of happy memories that I'll
never forget. The happiest is yet to come. so we will see.
// A FEW FAN QUESTIONS
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR DRUMS SOUND LIKE?-OMAR
Hopefully awesome.
WHAT'S IT LIKE BEING WITH A BUNCH OF CURE AND
SIOUXSIE FANATICS?-PHIL
Its' cool. I'm not one, but those are both really good bands that I didn't know
a lot about previous to joining the band. So it's cool. I think especially being
a musician and a big fan of music. The more you know the better. It's broadened
my horizons.
WHAT PART OF KANSAS ARE YOU FROM?-BRETT
I live in Kansas City, Missouri. So I live in Missouri. In an area called the
Plaza, near downtown. But I am actually from basically a couple different suburbs
of Kanasas. Shawnee is where I was born and went to school. It's where all my
family is from originally.
// A FEW OF YOUR FAVORITES
BANDS
Led Zeppelin. favorite of all time. I grew up on classic rock so I do love it.
I am also way into a lot of soul music like Stevie Wonder, Prince, Michael Jackson,
and also everything from the Police to Queens of the Stone Age.
MOVIES
Raising Arizona, The Empire Strikes Back, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, and
of course Caddyshack.
COLOR
Blue
FOODS
Sushi/Pizza/Mexican Food. It's a three way tie
ACTOR
Jack Nicholson, my favorite. I really like Al Pacino a lot. All the old classics.
ACTRESS
I don' think i really have one. Let's just say it's the hot girl who is on the
cover of enertainment weekly this month. I rotate back and forth.
ICE CREAM
Any sort of peanut butter chocolate from baskins robbins. It's been my fave
since I was a lil kid.
BOOKS
I dont read much, so my favorite books are like rock-related biographies. My
favorites Miles: Miles Davis autobiography. I don't own this book, but it's
one of the many biographies of John Lennon by Ray Coleman I think is his name.
And i have one I haven't even finished but its a semi-autobiographical book
on Paul McCartney it's called Many Years From Now.
TV SHOW
Cheers
ANIMAL
Dogs or a bird
// IN THREE WORDS TELL US ABOUT YOUR FELLOW BANDMATES
AIMEE: determined, strong-willed, likeable
JAMIE:patient, talented(understatement), and quiet
ERICK: loud, useful, and generous
ENO: precious, definetely cool, and smart