Houston Calling

Ten Questions for The Warlocks

October 4th, 2005 · No Comments

If you’re like me, you find out about a band and try to get everything they’ve released. A band I found out a few years ago was The Warlocks. I think I read a write-up in Magnet or something similar. I was able to see them live on their last tour a time or two and can attest to their brilliant live shows. The shows are dark, haunting, and droning — just like their albums promise.

The Warlocks’ latest album, Surgery, was released last month — it’s easily their most accessible and should gain the band a lot of new fans. You’ll undubtedly be elbow-to-elbow with a lot of them this Saturday night at Walter’s on Washington (across from Mary Jane’s/Fat Cat’s).

I recently asked The Warlocks’ drummer (one of them, anyway) Bob Mustachio a series of questions. Enjoy.

Ten Questions for The Warlocks

HC: How did The Warlocks get started as a band?

Bob: I think someone got sick of playing in other peoples’ bands, and decided to do their own thing.

HC: Your music is often compared to bands like the Velvet Underground and other sixties and seventies psychedelic luminaries. Besides the obvious, what do YOU consider to be your musical influences?

Bob: Anything that is well-crafted, recorded, mixed. Something interesting.

HC: On Surgery, a lot of the songs seem more cohesive than on The Warlocks’ previous albums. Maybe more mature is a better description. Do you agree? What do you feel was the inspiration for the songs on the new album?

Bob: Just life experience, like all the others. Maybe we have a more cohesive life now?

HC: What is the songwriting process for the band? Is the album recorded live in the studio or do you guys fiddle with ProTools and some of the more recent digital technology when making your music?

Bob: It is all live, with a few vocal and guitar overdubs. Nothing too crazy in the digital domain, but it was tracked to disk. However, we did so through plenty of vintage amps and preamps there in the studio, so it is not like hooking up your laptop exactly.

HC: Here’s a loaded one for you: What’s your take on the state of the music industry? Are you for or against the MP3 “revolution”?

Bob: Information wants to be out there. It will get out there one way or another.

HC: (Lead singer) Bobby spent some time in The Brian Jonestown Massacre and you guys played a few shows together this summer. I am curious to know how you feel about the publicity surrounding the Dig! documentary. I recently attended a BJM
show here and it seemed like more than half the crowd was there only because of the movie, not because of the music. On one hand I think it’s great if these people end up buying the music (well, they paid to get in as well), but if they’re only there in the hopes to see a spectacle, would you prefer they just stay at home? I’d like your take on it.

Bob: Have you ever heard of G.G. Allen? I mean, people like spectacles, watch the news. In the end, I don’t really think it matters all that much. As long as the music is good and people have a good time.

HC: If you could have any band cover one of your songs, what song would it be and what band?

Bob: I hate covers.

HC: What is the one description that you hate to hear about your music?

Bob: I don’t really hate to hear peoples’ opinions, about music or anything else. I have a deep regard for honesty.

HC: How has the tour been going so far? Are fans receptive to the new music?

Bob: …things seem to be going well, I guess…

HC: What is in your CD player/iPod/MP3 player right now? Any music you’d recommend we check out?

Bob: The Gris Gris, who we are touring with, are great!!! New stff, Black Moutian, old stuff, Captian Beyond.

Thanks to Bob Mustachio from The Warlocks for taking the time to answer these questions. Thanks for Karen for setting it up.

Be sure to come out to Walter’s On Washington this Saturday night to see The Warlocks. It is sure to be a great live show.

Visit The Warlocks website here.

Now Playing: Granian — On My Own Two Feet

Tags: Music