PRP: How was Madhops formed?
Dan: Well, AJ and I were playing in a former incarnation of Madhops when we realized: "this sucks!" Haha. Then we quit and found Tim (our current drummer,) who actually AJ and I called seperately on the same day out of the newspaper and found out we both called the same guy! It was a good move because the other guys weren't on the same level as we were musically. We kept the name though, 'cause it was mine anyway and we never played out in the other band.
PRP: Huh...Dan, I was expecting you to put in the answer something about your relationship with DedEx (formerly 20 Dead Flower Children) and TapRoot, but since you haven't....hmmmm...what's your relationship with DedEx and TapRoot?
Dan: Hahaha. Dennis (DedEx) and I were in our first band together back in Detroit (I lived there for a couple years after high school.) It was called "Cymonic Drive" - what a horrible name. Haha, anyway, Dennis sang and I played bass. We weren't happy though because we wanted to do more progressive music and the rest of the guys were totally into thrash metal. We started talking to a couple guys from Skumbag who opened a really horrible venue with us (some old fucking bowling alley in the middle of nowhere, hehe.) It had Steve on drums and MikeD on guitar. Anyway, we were unhappy with our band and they were unhappy with theirs, so we started talking about doing a side project. Needless to say, we all quit our bands and formed Taproot. (I pitched the name Madhops but they didn't like it, hahaha.)
PRP: Hahahahahaha.
Dan: Shit was fucking slamming! I had never been so excited about playing before! We were writing a new tune EVERY practice and they were fucking intense! Then Dennis left... 'whooa' out of nowhere. We didn't know what was going to happen, so I moved back home to Chicago. Then Mike called me up and said Steve was going to sing, and I was like: "Can Steve sing?" You all know the answer to that. So I took a train back to Detroit to record and we recorded the first demo, with Negative Rein4sment, where I busted a horrible freestyle rap that I'm still embarrassed to admit was me. Hahaha. But the bass lines ruled, hehehe. So, anyway, to shorten this up a bit, I was supposed to move back to Detroit for Taproot, but then I started thinking: before I played bass and before everything, my first passion was singing. I had always felt like: "Man, if I could only use these ideas in my head." I've always been a front man by personality and only partially content as a bass player. So even though I knew Taproot was going to make it, I decided to stay in Chicago (the best city in the world) and start my own project. I called Mike(D) and let him know I wasn't moving back, and he was cool, said he understood. We still talk all the time. Mike will always be my friend.
PRP: Hahahaha, this will make people cry.
Dan: Hahahaha. So I went through a million fucking bands after that, trying to find people I could relate to. All I found was a big pile of shit for a long time! A bunch of fucking 80's metal heads trying to be "hip", hahaha. 2 1/2 years later I met AJ, the best writing partner I ever had. Like I said, we started jamming in an old incarnation of Madhops. The rest of the guys we were jamming with were cool guys but just weren't fitting the bill so to speak (it was like wanna be 311 pop shit and we hated it.) So we left and went to look for more experimental musicians. Well, AJ and I kind of took a break out of frustration for a couple weeks, just to chill I guess. But I got antsy and called an ad in the paper of a drummer that was looking for a singer and a guitarist. I figured: "what the fuck, worth a try." I left a message and then AJ called me and said he found this drummer he started jamming with. We started talking about him and it turned out to be the same drummer I had just called, hahaha. We all tested the waters the next day and it was phat! A good chemistry that I hadn't felt in a few years since Detroit. Needless to say it was Tim. We had revolving bass players for a while and auditioned a ton of bass players until this kid, called Jeremy, came in that kind of seemed on the same level. We auditioned him three times until we decided he was in. The day we decided, he was pretty excited about it and brought a buddy with him to practice. It was like Feb of 99. After practice was over, he was driving home and him and his buddy flipped their truck with Jeremy's arm hangin out the window! He scraped all the skin off his arm! Needless to say we were back in the search for a bass player, hahaha.
PRP: Hahahaha, holy shit, man. You laugh! You're a fucking sick bastard.
Dan: Haha, he was ok. I talked to him a couple of weeks after it happened and he had to have skin graphed from his ass on to his arm. Haha, I said: "So you have ass on your arm?" Hehehe. He's a nice kid though. Well we held a million more shitty auditions until Matt Abels tried out. That's who we have now.
PRP: Hahaha, Matt has such a small note in the band's story. Is he the less important member? Hahahaha.
Dan: Hahaha, no, it's not like that. He's pretty new, the new guy. Has to pay his dues, hehehe.
PRP: I see. So, why you decided to leave the bass guitar and start to sing only?
Dan: Well, put it this way: I play guitar too, so why should I limit myself to just bass, when I also sing and play guitar? I still use my bass and guitar to write music. I'm just not strictly a bass player. I have more freedom now and I'm happier. I don't miss playing bass because I still write a lot of the bass lines in the band. I also write a lot of the guitar parts (but AJ's wicked good and improves everything, hehe.) When I just played bass I felt like I was letting a lot of ideas for vocals and guitar go to waste. Some people say: "Well, why didn't you use your ideas for vox and guitar when you were a bass player too?" Well here's my answer: why don't you go up to a singer and tell him YOU have an idea of what HE should do? You'll understand when he looks back at you like: "kiss my ass."
PRP: Ok, hehehe. Since you talked a lot about it, let me ask you: What's with the band's name?
Dan: The name? Well, come and see us play and you'll understand.
PRP: I don't feel like doing it. I heard you suck live.
Dan: Hehehe.
PRP: Any of the band members' have any side projects?
Dan: Nope. Right now we have too much shit going on with this band that this has to be our only focus.
PRP: Why, if you suck? Hehehehe.
Dan: Hehehehe, shut up. :P
PRP: I'm kidding, punk. Don't show me your fucking tongue. Hehehehe.
Dan: Hahahaha. Punk.
PRP: What would be the band's influences?
Dan: Fuck... everything and nothing, I guess. We listen to everything and try to imitate nothing, hehe. If you want to know what bands we listen to, that would probably be easier to answer. Hehehe.
PRP: Ok, bitch. Hehehe, then what bands do you listen to?
Dan: Well, I'm really into God Lives Underwater! They're probably my favorite. I'm also diggin' Cold quite a lot right now. Tori Amos is probably one of the best artists out there, and, of course, we listen to deftones, tool and shit like that. Incubus is phat too.
PRP: Cold rocks, hehehe. Have you already found the something to show you the way, although you go astray?
Dan: Hahahahaha. No, not yet.
PRP: Damn! You should get yourself a detective, boy.
Dan: Hahahahaha.
PRP: Has anyone of the band ever been a winner at the game of life?
Dan: Haha, not really. That's why our songs are so depressing, I guess. Hehehe, we have fun though.
PRP: Hehehe, I see. Is anyone in the band addicted to Flintstone vitamins?
Dan: I like the Dino's.
PRP: Hehehe, Dino's ok. Astro (The Jetsons) is cooler though.
Dan: You like to eat Betty don't you?
PRP: Shut up, man. I'm the question guy here. Just limit yourself to answer them. Hehehehe.
Dan: Hahahaha.
PRP: Is there any meaning behind the cd's name? "A New Brand Of Hurt"?
Dan: It's life. I've been sitting on that name for an album title since Cymonic Drive. Hehehe.
PRP: Hahaha, holy shit! Show me the thanks list of it then. Hahahaha.
Dan: Hahahahaha.
PRP: So, what do you usually talk about in your lyrics? Don't you think they're too personal?
Dan: Yeah, I guess they are pretty personal, but I can't see me playing music that's unemotional and not real. Everybody seems to like my lyrics for that reason. They really mean something to me.
PRP: Well, must the lyrics be personal for a music to be emotional?
Dan: For me it does. If the music is powerful but the lyrics and vocals aren't as powerful emotionally, I feel like I'm just spouting syllables.
PRP: Nah. You can write a lyric without it being too personal, and let the music really emotional and beautiful. Well, that's my opinion, although I know that, with the lyrics being personal, it helps a lot to make the music emotional.
Dan: I agree that you can, but not that I will.
PRP: You can cry listening to a song if if you don't understand all the words. It's just the "chemistry". It's just how it all fits together and sounds emotional.
Dan: But I can cry singing my own song if I'm singing about bullshit.
PRP: True, hehehe. Well, I like your lyrics, man. I really do.
Dan: That's what I'm talking about. You asked ME about what I sing. I've thrown away perfectly good riffs because I didn't get anything off them vocally and emotionally. That's why I said: "For me it does. If the music is powerful but the lyrics and vocals aren't as powerful emotionally, I feel like I'm just spouting syllables." Not for you.
PRP: Hahahaha, hey man! Don't go hostile, punk!
Dan: Hahahaha, just getting my meaning across, bitch. Everybody does what they feel is best musically. My way is just my opinion.
PRP: I know, Dan. I didn't said what I said for you to agree with me. I was, just like you, expressing my opinion, and I agree with you about that thing you just said. But I'm saying you can write a beautiful lyric without it being personal stuff.
Dan: If it's beautiful to you, it's personal. It doesn't have to be about you.
PRP: Ok, true.
Dan: Cool. Hahahaha, we had our first fight.
PRP: Hahahaha, now our relationship is going down. Hahahaha.
Dan: Hahahaha.
PRP: You know, I'll let our fight out of the interview.
Dan: Hahahahaha.
PRP: And that's because I care about you, because I totally crushed you, bitch! Hahahahaha.
Dan: Hahahaha, kiss my ass.
PRP: Hahahahaha, I'm kidding, man.
Dan: I know you're kidding.
PRP: Yes, I am. I was defeated. (Doctor told me not to oppose.)
Dan: Hahahahaha.
PRP: Have you ever cupped your hand on a fart and smelt it?
Dan: Nope. Ever lit yours?
PRP: I'm the question guy, bitch! Hehehehe. Can you do the moonwalk?
Dan: Nope, hehehe. My brother can though, hahaha. J-Byrd!
PRP: Have you ever considered the idea of getting a vasectomy so you could have an active sexual life without letting girls pregnant?
Dan: No, then you would have never been born.
PRP: Ha-ha-ha. So funny. Pause, please. Let me breathe for a few hours and then we'll be able to continue.
Dan: Hahahahaha.
PRP: What's in the CD Player right now?
Dan: God Lives Underwater - life in the so called space age.
PRP: Do you really think suicide is the only solution?
Dan: Hahahaha, there was a period in life that I did. But, think back, look up, and live on - as it says.
PRP: Hehehe, ok. In your short period of time as a Taproot member, have you ever wrote a lyric for them?
Dan: Nope. Just the bass lines, and that really bad freestyle on Negative Rein4sment. Hahaha.
PRP: Yeah, let me be the first to tell you all who're reading this that it sucks. Hahaha, I'm kidding. Hmmm, name a band which you think that should be signed.
Dan: Hmmm, DedEx. Factory 81. Diegrinder.
PRP: Hahahahaha. Bitch!
Dan: Hahahahaha, Angerfunk crew, bitch!
PRP: Hahahaha, ok! Besides those bands!
Dan: Hmmm.....I'd have to say.....hmmmm...
« after 5 minutes waiting »
PRP: Ok, bitch. "I don't wanna wait for our lives to be over. I want to know right now how will it be."
Dan: Hahahaha. Alien Ant Farm.
PRP: Ok. Hmmmm.... Why are you such a punk? Hahahahaha.
Dan: Why is my own child calling me a punk? Hahahaha.
PRP: Well, maybe because you're a fucking punk. Or maybe it's because of that hair style you use.
Dan: Maybe you need to be put over my knee, bitch. And beaten like a red headed step child.
PRP: Shut up, jackass. I could kick your ass, cut you in pieces and feed my dogs.
Dan: I'll eat your soul.
PRP: Hahahaha. Eat my soul? I have no soul, bitch.
Dan: I'm not kidding.
PRP: Neither am I. I challenge you, punk. Eat my soul! I'll fuck up with your body, bitch! I don't care for no soul.
Dan: Oooohhhh.
PRP: Hehehehe, scary, huh?
Dan: Nah.
PRP: Hehehe, relax, man. I'm your friend. Don't go have nightmares, huh? Hahaha.
Dan: And I won't beat you into submission. So don't pee your pants.
PRP: Hahahaha. What's up with your voice during the recording of The Generation Killer EP? Cause it sucks. Hahahaha, I'm kidding, bro.
Dan: Hehehehe.
PRP: Hahahaha, damn, Dan! I'm kidding, dude. I just noticed how mad you get when I say you suck. But it's a joke. You guys rule my house.
Dan: I know.
PRP: Hahahaha, it's just a joke, bro. C'mon.
Dan: I know, bro. I'm laughing on this side.
PRP: Are you killing me in the other one? Hahahaha.
Dan: Jksdfbifsbgkfhelf;dnkfjn. Hehehe. I gotta go now.
PRP: Ok, just give me 5 minutes so we can finish this.
Dan: Ok, cool. No problem.
PRP: How did you got to be managed by Thom Hazaert, of Loudside?
Dan: I've been bullshitting with him on and off for a year, and I sent him a copy of the EP. He flipped! He called me and was like: "Don't sign with CMS!" I was like: "Why?" He said he already talked to some majors about us and he thinks we're worth a lot more than an indie label can offer. Since then he's met with A&R from a few different majors that dug us and are coming to see us showcase when we go to California this november.
PRP: Wow, that's awesome. Ok, I think that's it, hahaha. We fought a lot in this interview, so, since we're coming to it's end, I'm asking for your forgiveness. Please, PLEASE love me again! Hahahahahaha.
Dan: Cool, hahahahaha. It's cool, man. Thanks. I'm out. Peace
« Ok, so I wasn't satisfied with the whole personal lyric / emotional music arguing, and, as I was passing the interview to html format, I got online just to discuss a little bit more with Dan about it. So what? Bite me. »
PRP: YOU.
Dan: You.
PRP: Dude, hahaha, you won't believe. I'm passing our interview to html format and I came online just to argue with you a little bit more about the whole personal lyric / emotional music thing, just so I can make my point clear. Hahahaha. Ok, I'm stupid. Hahahaha.
Dan: Hahahaha. If music is emotional to you, it becomes personal. Otherwise, if it didn't effect you personally you wouldn't derive emotion from it. Hehehe, point made.
PRP: But about the whole lyric thing: you can write a beautiful lyric without it being about a personal thing that happened to you. Can't you?
Dan: What? I never said that. I said for ME the lyrics are important. Not for everyone.
PRP: Dude, I'm not saying it's you and only you. I'm just saying: PEOPLE can write a beautiful lyric without it being about a personal thing that happened to THEM. Can't THEM?
Dan: I said the lyrics had to be personal to me. Not personally about me. Stand With Precedence isn't about me. It's about a girl who was raped and takes revenge. But that song personally effects me as do the lyrics. It has nothing to do with me. But I feel it emotionally.
PRP: Hahahaha, that's my whole point. When you agreed with me when I said that your lyrics are a bit personal, I though that you were agreeing that they were about something that happened to YOU. In fact, that's what I was asking. Do the lyrics have to be about something that YOU experienced?
Dan: No, like I said Stand With Precedence isn't about me. You didn't ask that before. You asked if the lyrics had to be personal. If it effects you emotionally, it becomes personal to you, whether it's about you or not.
PRP: Hahaha, man, please don't get mad with me. I just love having those discussions, specially when they're music related.
Dan: No, I'm not mad, hehehe. Breathe isn't about me either.
PRP: So, to be "personal" to you, is to touch you inside, to mess with you and make you think about it. That's what you're saying, right?
Dan: Exactly!
PRP: Hahahaha, yeah. I agree with that. It's cool cause we can get married now. Hahahaha.
Dan: Hahahaha. I feel nothing when I hear: "I did it all for the nookie." That's just shit.
PRP: Hahahaha, cool man. That was my whole point. I'm sorry I got back to this. I have nothing but the upmost respect by you, your band and your lyrics. I'd never try to judge you or anything.
Dan: Thank you. I have the same for you and wookubus, for all the work you do for underground music.
PRP: Thanks, brother. *hug* Hahahaha. Can I add this convo to the interview?
Dan: Hahaha, sure.
PRP: Dope. That interview must be the dopest one I've ever made. Thanks for that.
Dan: Hahahaha, you rule.
PRP: Hehehe, I need to get going now. So I'll talk to you later. Peace.
Dan: Peace.
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