PRP: Ok, first, tell me how Uncle No got together. Usual question to start.
Mike: Well, it was for a battle of the bands at our guitarist's high school that he was at. He just called us all up, we got together, jammed it out, and it was good... real good. That was 3½ years ago. Played some Clutch, Rage, and Korn covers, haha. But we kinda realized that we really worked well together and had a really unique (for the time) sound.
PRP: You always had the same line-up? No changes at all?
Mike: Well, we got our current drummer about 2 years ago. The original drummer had another band that he needed to be a part of more than us. But that's cool. I know how that goes.
PRP: Hmmm, anything released?
Mike: Yeah, we have our cd out right now, and a split seven inch record with a live track on it, and like a bunch of tshirts and stickers and shit. We like to really offer people a choice of stuff.
PRP: That's cool. I forgot to ask something: who's in the band at all? I mean, line up.
Mike: Neil - vocals, Nick - guitar, Mike - bass / vocals, Jason - drums.
PRP: Who's the lyricist of the band?
Mike: Neil writes all his own lyrics with absolutely no outside influence... that's his stuff, no one messes with it!
PRP: Cool, and how's the process of composing songs? What comes first: lyrics or music?
Mike: Well, we usually will have some riffs hanging around, and we'll start putting them into an order of some sort. It's a total team effort. All the songs are written by the band. The lyrics are usually written after at least some of the music is written.
PRP: I see. You guys are from? I just forgot.
Mike: Cleveland, OH, USA.
PRP: How's the scene there?
Mike: It's been kinda weird for the last couple of years. We used to have a pretty strong hardcore scene, with bands like Integrity and One Life Crew, and then they kinda went poop. So, right now, there is one band that rules the whole scene, and a ton of other bands struggling to make it.
PRP: Which band rules the scene?
Mike: They are called Mushroomhead.
PRP: I heard about them. Do you play with them a lot?
Mike: We jammed with them once or twice, and we play with some of the side projects that come from Mushroomhead members. Those are good shows.
PRP: Cool. Talking about side projects, any of Uncle No's members have any?
Mike: Yeah. The drummer Jason and I have one. We are still in the writing process. We have about 5 songs right now. I got two of them from the first recording we did on the cd for you. We are recording the new stuff starting next week, and there will 4 of those songs, with a solo thing i am doing (a remake of the old Genesis tune "Land of Confusion") and a noise track on that cd. The Phil Collins song is all messed up...
PRP: Hehehehe, cool. What is it called?
Mike: The side project is called Dissolute.
PRP: Dope...but you and Jason are 100% Uncle No, right?
Mike: Well, we have to prioritize, that's all. We have to be oriented to what's got priority. So far, we are doing both well.
PRP: Yeah, I see side projects as a positive thing, although lots of people would disagree with me.
Mike: Well, Dissolute is a lot more experimental than Uncle No. It's a real creative outlet. Songs with no real time signature and screaming, almost not even music sometimes. Just when you think you can nod your head to it, it takes you for a ride.
PRP: Hehehe, I'd like to hear that.
Mike: Well, you will.
PRP: Cool! Anyway, "Dissolute" and "Uncle No". How you got these names?
Mike: Uncle No came from another Cleveland band, some acid rock band called Nucleon. Neil cut up one of their stickers and rearranged the letters... and out of that came Uncle No. Lots of people think it's about uncles molesting kids... not even close. Dissolute... just a word. It's "not adhering to the socially accepted norm".
PRP: Hehehe, cool. Nucleon...imagine, dude: the name of your band could be something like Cleunno.
Mike: Yeah, totally. We wanted a name that didn't make you think "oh, that's metal" or "oh, that must be rapcore" cause we are not really any one style, it's a real mix. There is no literal comparison.
PRP: So, that's the way you would describe Uncle No's sound?
Mike: It's a mix. We have influences from all the musical styles: hip hop, metal, rap, groove, old school hardcore.... you name it, it's there somewhere.
PRP: Best unsigned band out there?
Mike: Wow... that's tough to say. Do you mean unsigned to a major label? like just some local kids?
PRP: I mean, Underground. Like, I consider Papa Roach big, and they're underground.
Mike: Hmmm... I'd have to say personally, it'd be a couple of local Clevo bands: Double Zero, a rapcore band, or some guys i'm working with right now, Phat Ruckus. Or a band called Dolly Trauma. It's a toss up.
PRP: PRP has links to Dolly Trauma's and Double Zero's sites. Tell me more about Phat Ruckus.
Mike: Yeah, i really like what both of those guys are doing. Well, Phat Ruckus are just now going to go at it full time. They've been playing a couple of years now, just writing and jamming, and they all decided that they want to make it work.
PRP: And you think they're good enough. That's cool, I dig your attitude.
Mike: Well, i think more importantly, people have to have the right attitude. I don't know many people that have the right attitude... those couple of bands have not only great, polished, original products, but the attitude it takes to make it. It's not easy, you have to deal with a lot of bullshit. No wonder so many guys in music drink and get high... it's stressful.
PRP: True. Too many people wanting to fuck you up.
Mike: Well, the way we try to do it, is by accepting that not everyone is going to like you. So you provide the best products, the best shows, the best effort you possibly can to those that do like you. Word of mouth is still the best friend you have.
PRP: What's in the CD Player right now?
Mike: Well, I'm mastering the Phat Ruckus stuff, so some mixes of that are being listened to right now. But right before that, it was Dillenger Escape Plan.
PRP: Cool. You play bass, right? Anyone inspired you to do it?
Mike: Well, the first band I was in in high school, the drummer's older brother played bass. I thought he was the coolest guy, and he could really rip it up on that thing. I was like 14, so he was the end all - be all. That, and I really liked the old Metallica. Cliff Burton did whatever the guitars weren't doing, and made it work. That was a big inspiration to my playing style. Doing your own thing to add to the mix. If you're going to play the same notes as the guitar player, save yourself the effort and just turn up the bass control on his amp and stay home.
PRP: So, Metallica was definitely an influence to you. Could you say Metallica influenced Uncle No's music?
Mike: I think that everything I listen to is put into what i play. I can pick out parts of Uncle No songs, bass lines, and go "wow, that's so Clutch. wow, that's so Slayer, wow, that's so .... whatever." I try to draw from anything I can. And not limit myself to rules. Play what sounds good, just what comes out.
PRP: Has Uncle No ever been surrounded by any record label?
Mike: God help us, no. I think that is something that we are not ready for. It would be nice to get the offer, but I think that we are not ready to just pick up our shit and go off and do it all. At least, I'm not.
PRP: Last show you went?
Mike: Ummmm... let me think. Well, I'm going to see Today is the Day tomorrow. I honestly can't remember who I saw last. I always do that.
PRP: Hehehe, k. Any big plans in the horizon?
Mike: Well, we are always trying to get to the next level. We are talking about another cd, we have a new design of t-shirts about to come out, I just finished them the other day and they went to the printer. We just got the seven inches back, so we got all kinds of goodies avaliable. We did some out of state stuff a few months ago, that went ok. Would like to do more of that, just a lot of people go "call us anytime and we'll get ya a show" and then nothing happens. That's bullshit. I make an offer, i can back it up. If ya can't back it up, don't make the offer! Some big shows coming up here for us in the next month... that is something we are really looking forward to.
PRP: If you have the dates, let me know, so I can put it at PRP.
Mike: Ok, i will. I got them now, but i'll email them to you later.
PRP: What would be the tour of your dreams?
Mike: Ummmm... we play really good shows at all of them!! It's nice to have a good crowd, but it's better to play a good show. I would like to go across country, but that would be a nightmare to set up. But the playing part would be fun...
PRP: Any particular bands you'd like to tour with?
Mike: Hmmmmm... you got me on that one. Well, a lot of our fans are into Korn and Deftones, but i don't think we're quite on par with them. I think we'd get a lot of acceptance playing with either of them though.
PRP: But don't you have a band in your mind which you could say: Damn, that band playing with us would rock. Not because the show at all, but because YOU'd like to have their company and shit.
Mike: There's been a couple of bands that we've played with that were really cool. I would like to play with Stuck Mojo or (brain fart), ummmm, i am forgetting them right now. Oh well, Downset would rock too. Those guys are awesome.. so positive.
PRP: Cool....Downset rocks. Mike, I guess that's it. I only have a couple of stupid questions left, and I don't think you'd like to answer it at all...
Mike: Go ahead. Let me hear ya...
PRP: You're the boss. Have you ever tricked anyone into eating insects?
Mike: No. I've done it myself though, for attention. I was one of those kids that would do anything to get attention.
PRP: Hahahaha. Well, here's another: Whats the oddest thing you've done with vaseline?
Mike: Nothing too odd. Maybe just spanked with it. That's it. It's too messy. Leaves oil stains in your undies.
PRP: Have you ever cried watching Oprah?
Mike: I try really hard not to watch TV at all. The simpsons and some of those "medical detectives" shows, that's about it. Oh, and Tom Green.
PRP: Why's that?
Mike: I think there is too much junk on it. I have better things to do. I gotta be entertained with something different every 3 seconds or so, and t.v. can't do that. I'm always busy, always doing something.
PRP: Don't you think that there's too much junk in internet as well? I mean, I guess TV is just like everything else: it has it's good stuff and it's bad stuff. People just have to try watching the good things.
Mike: Yeah, for me. I use the net for work, you know? The band and my
mastering / graphics shit. And i don't really have time either. But there is always time for the Simpsons. It's like some people go to church. Every day at 5:00, I'm in the family room. No phone calls, nothing.
PRP: Cool. Any last words?
Mike: Well, I'm not much for closing statements or anything like that. Just be true to yourself and the goodies will come. If you are only out for personal gain, look out... you see the same people on the way back down as you do on the way up.
PRP: I guess that's it, man. Thanks a lot for helping PRP.
Mike: Hey, thank you, i enjoyed it!! Wow, I'm hungry. I think there is some pudding in the fridge..
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