PRP: Before we start, let me hear that "so whatcha want bitch" mp3, cool?
Speedy: Cool.
PRP: YEAAH! So whatcha want, bitch? Hehehe, it rocks.
Speedy: You seriously like it?
PRP: Yeah. I definitely do.
Speedy: That's cool.
PRP: The drummer is good.
Speedy: Yeah, he is. It doesn't hurt that he has a $10,000 drum set.
PRP: Holy shit. So, is he a millionaire? Hehehe.
Speedy: Nah, we all just put a lot of cash into our shit.
PRP: Hehehe, cool. Tell me How was Sift formed?
Speedy: I was in a previous band with Mijo and Bubba, but we booted our singer and drummer to take on a new style. We knew that Donny was a drummer, but we didnt know he was that good, so we told him come try out. We were amazed. Then we went looking for a singer, and just about when we were going to give up, we found Shmoe, and we all clicked.
PRP: Hmmmm, how long have you been playing together?
Speedy: SiFT has been together for nearly 3 years now, but I have been playing with Mijo and Bubba for close to 6 years.
PRP: No line-up changes during these 3 years, right?
Speedy: That's right, just the 5 of us. Thankfully we have tolerated each other this long.
PRP: Cool. Hmmm, any material released?
Speedy: Nothing nationally, but we have an EP available, which we sell at shows and off of our site. Surprisingly, we've sold more than a few of them. It's doing pretty good for us.
PRP: Any idea of how many thousands of EP's ya sold so far?
Speedy: I couldn't tell you off hand. We just sell them to whoever asks for them, and that's not counting the ones we just throw out to the crowds at shows.
PRP: I see. Have ya sent that EP to some labels? Have they showed interest?
Speedy: It's hard to find labels who accept material in the mail, but the ones we have found, I've sent every possible bit of info to. We're having contacts with a good label right now, which we don't want to tell the name since we're not officially bond to them yet.
PRP: Cool. Any of the band members has any side projects?
Speedy: No. Shmoe had something going on on the side about a year ago, but we found that it took away from our band. We all put all our time and talents to use in SiFT.
PRP: What's your favorite cereal? Hahaha, I'm joking.
Speedy: LUCKY CHARMS! I love that shit.
PRP: Hahaha. Tell me some of your influences.
Speedy: I'm influenced by anything that has a groove and rocks. I can get inspired by sitting and listening to cd's like Sevendust, Limp Bizkit, (hed)pe, etc, but then I can go listen to some hip hop shit which just totally flows, and then just bond those 2 styles together in my head, and then go write a song. I get my influences from a wide array of music.
PRP: Cool.
Speedy: The whole band is different though. We all listen to different shit.
PRP: Tell me the band's influences then.
Speedy: Bubba is definitely into the rap and funk side of the scene; Method Man, George Clinton, Phunk Junkees, etc. Shmoe is basically the same as me as far as influences, but the singer he looks up to the most is Chino (deftones). Donny listens to anything with a great drummer, like Tool, Dave Matthews, and even Rush sometimes. Mijo is into everything, from Ministry to Alice In Chains. As you can see, we all bring different influences to the table in our songwriting.
PRP: Definitely. Hehehe. Do you think your band must be considered a "new metal" band?
Speedy: Not necessarily. Everyone who asks me what genre we fit into, I ask them the question: "which song?", because I feel that each song has it's own vibe and they all can't be categorized under the same title. But more often than anything we're either called "new metal", "crossover", "rapcore", etc. It's all up to the listener to decide, I guess.
PRP: Are you able to say for sure that SiFT's one of the biggest metal bands in the Ohio music scene?
Speedy: I don't know about all of Ohio, but we definitely have a hold on the northeastern part of the state. I haven't really heard of too many other underground bands in Ohio. So it very well may be that we are one of the more noteable ones in the state.
PRP: Cool. Hmmm, all-time favorite band?
Speedy: I couldn't just name one. I love so many bands it would be unfair to name just one as my favorite.
PRP: Hmmm, name 3 them. No more than that.
Speedy: Old Metallica, because it made me want to pick up a guitar, Limp Bizkit because they were one of the 1st bands to successfully blend rock and rap, so they deserve respect, and Sevendust because they flat out fucking rock!
PRP: Would you let the Hamgburglar burgle your burgers?
Speedy: I suppose, because I hate McDonald's. Except their fries and shakes. They rule.
PRP: Hahaha, dude......that's the most stupid question I've ever seen. Hahaha. So funny.
Speedy: It's cool. Hehe.
PRP: What should fans coming to your shows expect?
Speedy: To be entertained with both kickin' music and an aggressive stage presence that will make them jump around and get crazy. It's hard to avoid a pit at the shows, unless you're in the balcony.
PRP: What's the meaning behind the name "SiFT"?
Speedy: About a year and a half ago, we had a lot of bad shit happen around us. Radio stations giving us shit, other bands backstabbing us out of jealousy; we even had all our equipment stolen from our studio. So we "sifted" through all the bullshit, and turned away from those who disrespected us, and started a new name. We just figured that "sift" was a good one.
PRP: Cool. When do you plan to release a full-lenght cd?
Speedy: Sometime during 2000. Hopefully we'll be on a label by then and we'll have some help, but even if we don't, it's going to be self produced.
PRP: Cool. Name a band which, in your opinion, should be signed. (besides SiFT.)
Speedy: Juice. Those guys rock.
PRP: What's the song writing process like?
Speedy: Usually we all go to the studio at, like, 2 in the morning and write the music and record it. Then it's given to Shmoe, and he does his magic. But there have been a few times where he wrote lyrics 1st and told us the vibe and way he wants it to flow, and we wrote music around it.
PRP: Does the earlybird really get the worm?
Speedy: Who knows? I'm still waiting for my worm.
PRP: Who got laid first, the chicken or the egg?
Speedy: ME! Here's one for you. How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
PRP: Hahaha, I'd have to get Monkey Island 2 to remember of the answer. Is Oprah really the king of daytime TV?
Speedy: Nah. Jerry Springer.
PRP: Hmmmm, what website you visit the most when you're online?
Speedy: I definitely check out sites like Pimp Rock Palace and The Noisebox, Democenter, countless record labels, and any cool bands I come across. I'm just always looking for cool shit, and I usually find a lot of it out there. The internet can be a great tool if you take advantage of it.
PRP: Cool. Thanks. Any final comments?
Speedy: I'd just like to first off thank you for taking some time to do this, it was really cool of you. And to the thousands who will read this interview; just take a few minutes and check us out. If you dig this type of music, you will eat us up. It's definitely a break from all the alternashit going around out there.
PRP: Thanks. I hope you liked the interview, questions and everything. Good practice.... :)
Speedy: Thanks again bro. I'll talk to you again soon, probably. Peace and respect, I got to run.
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