PRP: Hey Rik. First of all, thanks for taking your time to answer these questions. Well, how did Ephedrine's members got together to form a band?
Rik: I told Jay (Justin) that i wanted to start a band. We were in high school at the time. He said "yes", and then Brent (Jay's brother) joined up in playing bass. That's how it all started, around March 1997.
PRP: Who are in the band at all?
Rik: Me, Jay, Brent, Vato, and Dathan.
PRP: Why you decided to play the instrument you do, or, to sing? Anyone inspired you?
Rik: Well, I was originally the drummer for us, 'cause I played drums for around 10 years. Then, we decided we needed a singer, so I started to sing and that's when Vato came in to be our drummer.
PRP: How long have you guys been together as a band?
Rik: Around 2½ years.
PRP: Any material released?
Rik: We got a shitty cheese ball demo tape out with 2 songs on it. That's for free.
PRP: What happened with the CD recording?
Rik: The CD never saw the light of day 'cause of a few reasons: 1) it's cheaper to make tapes and give them out for free; and 2) I was really sick while we were recording and it shows on the recording. So we decided to put the best 2 songs on a tape and throw 'em out for free. Everyone likes free shit.
PRP: Lyricist of the band?
Rik: I'm the lyricist of the group. I write all the words.
PRP: What do you usually write about?
Rik: I usually write about things that piss me off, like ex-girlfriends, or things that could happen to me and how I would react if they did.
PRP: How you got your name?
Rik: Well, we needed a name and we all made a bunch of lists. I was looking for a name to put on my list, and EPHEDRINE was on my asthma inhaler as part of the bronchial dilator, so I thought it sounded kind of cool and showed everyone else, and they dug it.
PRP: How would you describe your band's sound to someone who has never heard you guys?
Rik: Our sound is entirely ours. People say we sound like Korn, Limp Bizkit or Deftones, etc, but that's just because those same people have only been exposed to those bands 'cause they have gotten a little bit big in the industry, so those bands are what they have to base a comparison on. If you ask me, we sound like kinda jazzy with hard riffs and a little bit of hip-hop and funk in it. Not really metal, but just hard shit.
PRP: How's the process of creating songs? Lyrics first, music second?
Rik: We'll usually write the music first, and then I listen to it over and over and write words to how the music makes me feel.
PRP: How's the music scene there in CA?
Rik: It's full of a bunch of the same type of bands. A lot of good bands can get over looked in the mix. They're all trying to be rockstars. I just wanna play.
PRP: How you guys do to spread yourself out from the others?
Rik: We try to make up music that we love to play. We don't really care what others think about it. If they can get into the music we love playing, then more power to 'em and I'd love to sit down and talk to everyone that can relate or that likes our music just so I can say "hi".
PRP: Has Ephik's ever been approached by any record label?
Rik: We had a couple close calls here and there. None worked out 'cause of the people that we were going through. Who knows though, maybe someone will catch on soon.
PRP: Influences of the band?
Rik: Hmmmm.... we have a grip of influences. I'm into Incubus a lot and like Pantera, RATM, Chilli Peppers, Sepultura, and my girlfriend has got me into Sunny Day Real Estate and Jimmy Eat World. Jay, Brent and Dathan listen to a lot of 80's music like Depeche Mode (which is the shit!), The Cure, The Smiths, O.M.D.. Dathan has the hip hop influences too like Slick Rick and Brent likes N.W.A. Vato, on the other hand, likes a lot of the old school metal like Ozzy, Dream Theater and Black Sabbath, which I'm all into too.
PRP: Who gave the idea of covering Depeche Mode's "Blasphemous Rumors"? The cover kicks ass, so props for that!
Rik: We all wanted to cover it. That song just kicks ass the way it was. We just wanted to liven it up a little.
PRP: Best underground band out there, in your opinion?
Rik: My favorite underground band out here has got to be a band called Alien Ant Farm. They are absolutely fucking bad ass. I'm really shocked that no big label has picked them up yet, but in a way I'm kinda happy for that.
PRP: All Time Favorite Band?
Rik: Oh damn! That's real hard. There's too many, but I have to say one of them would be Faith No More.
PRP: What would be the tour of your dreams? Your band plus.... ?
Rik: Ephedrine, Incubus, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Deftones, Faith No More and George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic.
PRP: Any big plans in the horizon?
Rik: Well, we have a show coming up at the blockbuster pavilion August 14th. We'll play with Mötley Crue and the Scorpions. So maybe something dope will come out of that. Other than that, I really want to record our newer shit that we've written since Dathan joined us in a real studio.
PRP: Last and (if you remember) first CD you bought?
Rik: The first CD I bought was Pearl Jam "Vs", then I sold it back to the wherehouse, 'cause i grew out of my grunge phase.
PRP: Last show you went?
Rik: Shit, I can't remember! But I'm going to OzzFest this coming saturday. Hell yeah!
PRP: Anything you wanna add? Last comments?
Rik: I hate rockstar druggie fags! They all piss me off, 'cause they do music for the wrong reasons. They need to shut up and quit taking it in the ass long enough to realize they suck. (Note: My last comment was in no way a slam on the gay community or gay people in general. Just that's how I think of rockstars. Just for the record!)
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