The following is used with permission from LeastMost.com’s Sounds Good with Tony Foresta. Thanks Tony.
I really wanted to interview this relatively unknown band to help them get some serious internet exposure with my blog powers. These guys have been tearing up the local house show circuit for many years and its time they got a break. You may have heard of them from their brutal 7″ they released on Reptilian records a few years back but believe it or not people these guys actually have a few full lengths out! I recently ran into them at one of their gigs in Amsterdam last month and got these folks to muster up the courage finally come out and do an interview. Ladies and Gentleman meet Brann Dailor and Brent Hinds of Mastodon!
The following is used with permission from LeastMost.com’s Sounds Good with Tony Foresta. Thanks Tony.
I really wanted to interview this relatively unknown band to help them get some serious internet exposure with my blog powers. These guys have been tearing up the local house show circuit for many years and its time they got a break. You may have heard of them from their brutal 7″ they released on Reptilian records a few years back but believe it or not people these guys actually have a few full lengths out! I recently ran into them at one of their gigs in Amsterdam last month and got these folks to muster up the courage finally come out and do an interview. Ladies and Gentleman meet Brann Dailor and Brent Hinds of Mastodon!
TONY: What other band names would you have used if the name Mastodon wasn’t already taken?
BRENT: Mastodont.
Brann: Mastodon was already taken by a christian band in the 80’s and we used it anyways.
TONY: Did they try to sue you? Or did they just pray for you?
BRENT: I met them in Houston. They were really nice.
BRANN: That was a different band.
BRENT: That was a different one?
BRANN: That was that 2 piece noise band that was named Mastodon that exsited the same time as us. But there was also a christian metal band from the 80’s named Mastodon as well. We didn’t really have any option as far as another name goes. Maybe we would have called it Spooky Basement.
TONY: Spooky Basement?
BRANN: Or Erie Dungeon
BRENT: or Vandoor the Destroyer.
BRANN: or Cardoor the Carnivor!
TONY: Alright guys.
BRANN: or Bean Hammer!
BRENT: Those are all good names
TONY: Have you ever completely blown your voice out? I do all the time and I like asking singers this.
BRENT: Hell yeah. Every single night.
TONY: What’s the worst story?
BRENT: Every single night.
TONY: Every single nights the worst story?
BRENT: Yeah, I blow my voice out all the time because I’ve never sang before and ever since I started singing I’ve found that it’s way harder than screaming.
TONY: and you have to do both because you play older songs as well.
BRENT: Yeah I definitely have trouble with that sometimes
TONY: Last time I hung out with you guys you said you were getting ready to go work on a movie score or soundtrack. Whats up with that?
BRANN: (looks to Brent) I think we need to dig back into that the next time we have off in March. Everything keeps changing with that movie. I think the director has to answer to 50 different people and hes having trouble keeping everyone happy. So everything keeps changing with that movie.
BRENT: I just gotta play slide guitar on one thing and I’m done as far as I’m concerned.
BRANN: I think the director has more musical stuff that he wants us to do.
Tony: Who’s the director?
BRANN: Jimmy Hayword.
Tony: What other things has he done?
BRANN: He made Horton Hears a Who?
Tony: Really?
BRANN: Yeah that’s the only things he’s directed but before that he was a Pixar wiz kid.
When he was younger he did a lot of animation. He did Toy Story, Finding Nemo and all those big Pixar movies that came out.
TONY: Is the movie going to be animated?
BRANN: No. It’s LIVE ACTION!
BRENT: LIVE ACTION!!
BRANN: Josh Brolin, Megan Fox and John Malkovich are going to be in it.
Tony: Megan Fox! Do you get to meet her?
BRENT: I banged her.
TONY: Sick!
BRANN: I just had phone sex with her…I’m pretty sure it was her. It sounded just like her anyways. I mean she said it was her….
TONY: What’s the reason for releasing instrumental versions of your songs?
BRANN: We got so much hate mail about the vocals. People really hated the vocals.
Tony: Haha Really?!?!
BRANN: No.
BRENT: I didn’t even know they released our music as instrumentals.
BRANN: You did too.
TONY: They did it behind your back huh?
BRENT: I guess it wouldn’t matter anyways.
BRANN: He doesn’t care.
TONY: Haha! Ok so you guys scored what people would say was the dream gig of opening for Metallica. I remember running into you guys during that tour and asking what it was like. You explained it was a bit more difficult than you thought it was going to be…
Brann: No it was fun.
BRENT: Yeah it was fun hanging out with them but most of their fans were only there to see Metallica you know what I mean?
BRANN: Yeah I mean come on. How many shirts or records do you think your going to sell opening for Metallica? Everybody there wants to see Metallica. Their fans are only there to see one band. I mean there were people there that thought we were awesome but really you just do it for the lamanent and the stories you can tell walking around your town bragging to people like “yeah it was cool (sighs) opening for Metallica”
TONY: Hahaha!
BRENT: I threw up on stage one time.
BRANN: No but that tour was awesome. It was way long and prosperous.
TONY: So some of you guys were in Today is the Day right?
BRANN: Yeah me and Bill were. I was in it for 10 minutes.
TONY: Is Steve Austin pissed that Mastodon is so much bigger than Today is the Day?
BRANN: I don’t know.
TONY: You don’t talk to him? Was it a rough split or something?
BRANN: It wasn’t exactly awesome you know. There wasn’t a big knock down drag out fight or anything.
BRENT: He’s just a different type of guy than who these 2 dudes are.
TONY: Is he as crazy as people say he is?
BRANN: I don’t think hes that much crazier than your average dude.
I was just kind of in the beginning of starting to tour and he had already been doing it for 10 years and he was in the middle of it. Getting shit money and still in the van in his 30’s.
I can see where that would drive somebody a bit insane after such a long time. I just feel like they were kind of on the outs around then anyways.
BRENT: Temple of the Morning Star was awesome!
BRANN: I mean as far as the popularity of the band is concerned I think they were more popular in the Am Rep days than when they got with Relapse.
TONY: Are you guys influenced by any Am Rep bands?
BRANN: Yeah sure.
TONY: Unsane? Jesus Lizard?
BRANN: Yeah we grew up with all that stuff. The Melvins, all that. You know, I think it’s weird that a lot of people ignore that whole era.
TONY: It’ll come back though. The 90’s are coming back! I’ve been saying that for a while.
BRENT: We’ve been saying “get with the 90’s”
TONY: What other stuff influences you guys that people would least expect? Are you into punk or hardcore? I think most people would expect you to be big Prog fans or something like that.
BRENT: I was just listening to the Clash when I woke up.
BRANN: We’re into anything. We’re musicians. So we get off on everything. There’s a gem in every genre! That’s really what it is.
TONY: I like that. Ok last question do you guys collect vinyl?
BRANN: I love vinyl.
BRENT: I collect so much vinyl that it’s stupid. It gets in the way on tour because I have all this sit in my bag and no idea where to put it all. I try to keep them in my check bag and it’s heavy as fuck. But I’m not going to do that on this tour. I did it last time and it sucked. It was a real huge pain in the ass.
TONY: What’s the most valuable record you own.
BRENT: Frank Zappa “Hot Rats” picture disc.
TONY: That was the quickest response to an answer ever.
BRENT: I paid 100 bucks for it.
BRANN: I have the first pressing of Genesis “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” but I don’t know how much it’s worth.
TONY: But its worth a lot to you right? I have a lot of records like that too. Ok, well I’m done. Thanks a lot guys!
For more on this obscure and relatively unknown band go to www.mastodonrocks.com
