PRP: The basic question first, how did you guys get started?
jake: Well, back in January of 98, I met these guys via an ad at the local
drum shop. So, to make a long story short, I bought some new drum sticks
(because I hadn't played in awhile) and set up my kit, and they plugged in
some guitar/PA stuff...and we rocked! Kind of....
PRP: The name Pressure 4-5 isn't to common, any explanation behind it?
jake: Sex with farm animals isn't too common either...at least, not that we're
aware of. So the answer is...maybe.
PRP: Ever consider Pressure 6-9?
jake: Every single goddamned day!!!!!!!
PRP: Do you find it hard to gain attention being based in the Santa Barbara
area even with acts like Snot and Ultraspank spawning out of the local scene?
jake: From a California band point of view, we've got the best spot
available...SB's right in the middle of everything so we don't have to drive
too far to get anywhere...like if you're Life Hates Me (from San Diego)...you
gotta drive 10 hours to Sacramento...we only have to drive 6 hours to get
there...or 4 hours to get to San Diego! Plus, everyone wants to play here, so
trading out shows with other bands has gotten our name spread all across this
little land of ours! And, with the internet taking over the world of music,
you can be a band of freaky lemurs from the island of Madagascar and people
will still say, "Hey, I've heard of those dudes!"
PRP: Being from Snot's hometown, did you notice an outpouring of emotion
locally when Lynn passed away?
jake: Yeah...that just plain old sucked ass....I'd rather not talk about it.
PRP: If you had to do The Running Man, The Roger Rabbit or The Moonwalk on
stage, which would you choose?
jake: What in the hell are you talkin' about, man...don't you know...are you not privy to the new shit, man?
PRP: Your guys' music is very dark and twisting yet still invokes a lot of
emotion. Do you guys set out to make songs that are a bit slowed down like
this? Or is this a natural flow?
jake: Well, I don't really think the songs are that slow...actually, I think
they're kind of fast...I mean unless you compare us to some gnarly speed
metal or hardcore band. Our shit grooves in an emotionally evil kinda
way...real fast shit tends not to groove...and, ya just gotta have the
groove, baby! As far as our song writing process (if you can call it that),
we never know where a song is gonna go, where it'll end up or what it's about
until it's done...we just kinda take each part and say, "Geepers, that's
pretty cool or, zoinks, that sucks ass or, holy shnikees, that's the same
part in that song!"
PRP: Have you ever wished Sea Monkeys really looked like they did in the comics?
jake: THEY DO...on 3 hits of acid, 5 valiums, 8 shots of tequila and a Coors
Light!!!
PRP: Your songs aren't exactly titled in the most conventional method, any
reason behind this?
jake: Are you saying that you find song titles such as
"Delaysion", "4or" or "N" unconventional? What's the matter with you...are you on dope?
PRP: The very groove heavy song structure really drives the bands music. When
writing, do you guys start around the bass and drums?
jake: We do when I'm writing the song!
PRP: Who's more likely to make a comeback this year, Scott Baio or Tony Danza?
jake: Aren't they dead?
PRP: Each instrument really gets it's fair share of sound throughout the CD.
Do you guys find it hard writing together for everyone to get their sound to
come out so well?
jake: Nah...the individualism of each members creative output seems to find a
way a seeking out its place in the microcosm of each song...kinda like the
way I imagine Larry Flynt's crack squad of editors put together a really good
issue of Hustler.
PRP: Some turntable work on the album shows up, and the album credits list it
as Joe Schmidt. Anything special about him or his relationship to the band?
jake: Well, besides the fact that he's a crack whore with ADD and has bad luck
buying vans, he now plays guitar alongside Mark Barry ...the turntables have
been laid to rest. Sorry.
PRP: In school, were you brown bagging it or a cafeteria man?
jake: The brown bag was the only way I could smuggle in dope to sell to the
elementary school kids next door.
PRP: If Young M.C. called you up right now asking to do a collaboration, would
you?
jake: Does the pope shit in the woods? Boy, would I!!!
PRP: How do you feel about the internet and the way it's used in promoting
bands?
jake: Ten years ago...you were lucky if you got your bands name spread to the
next county (trust me, I know...I'm that old!) Now, we sell our CD's on our
website to not only people across the US, but to people around the world! You
ask me how I feel about it? It's fucking incredible...you can promote
yourself...get the buzz going....get your CD up for sale on every website
possible...who needs major labels sending you royalty checks for $0.50 a unit
when you can sell them yourself and make some dough!!! Shit, if it wasn't for
the internet, I wouldn't be doing this interview right now!!! Like Al Pacino
said in Scarface, "Fuck Casper Gomez and fuck the fucking Diaz brothers!"
PRP: How about mp3's?
jake: Dope nipples, buddy, dope nipples!!!
PRP: Do you suspect any of your band members having and enjoying a Play-Doh
fun factory?
jake: No, they're not that talented...but, they sure do go through a lot of
those combat size bottles of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly you can get at Costco.
PRP: Just what the hell is being said on the beginning of
"11"? Something
about Trousers or something?
jake: Not a big Mike Myers fan, huh? Well, I'll give you a hint...watch all
the Myer's films that don't feature the Wayne Campbell or Austin Powers
characters and you're bound to figure it out!
PRP: The name of the CD "Antechnology" isn't a real word but more a pairing of
two, any specific meaning or reason behind this choice?
jake: The phrase was coined by our singer and is basically a warning against
over reliance on today's technological advances. It's OK to turn your
computer off once in awhile and go outside....no, really!
PRP: Ever attempted to look at your own asshole in the mirror?
jake: Man, you just read my mind!!! I was just thinking of that time when I
had really bad hemorrhoids. At first, I didn't know what it was...it hurt
real bad. You know, like when someone sticks a hot poker up
your...oh...well...anyway, I thought it might be venereal warts all over
again (boy, you know how those can be...that acid stuff and laser
surgery...don't get me started!). So, I had to climb up on the bathroom
counter and examine my own asshole...it was pretty cool!
PRP: Who did the cover art and is it connected in some way to the title?
jake: That is the incredible hand-drawn artwork of San Francisco-based popart
hero, Joe Shea...and...yes....it is.
PRP: Is the track "P.M.A" about a bad drug trip?
jake: Well, I wrote the main riff in another band in 1996...back then the song
was about chickens and masturbation, or something like that....I can't really
remember. We took that riff, wrote some knew shit around, P:4-5 style, and
then Adam threw in some lyrics about these radical stories I had told him
about when I was in high school back in the 80's...he combined those with
some more recent experiences of his own and, presto, we have a song
about...OH NO...drugs!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But, for all you kiddies out
there...drugs are bad, so don't do them...unless you have enough to share
with the other kids. Oh yes, and legalize marijuana...I mean, come on, if
we're allowed to drink alcohol we might as well be allowed to smoke
pot...here endeth the political propaganda.
PRP: You guys have a pretty dense sound structure, do you find it hard
translating it to the live performance?
jake: Man, with the two guitars, it is not a problem! Wait'll ya see us...I
think you're gonna like it.
PRP: Are you as frightened as I am that Ewoks had no visible genitalia?
jake: You've obviously never seen the director's cut...where the Ewoks gang
rape Princess Layme back at their village....brutal, man, brutal.
PRP: If you could bring back one canceled cartoon, what would you pick?
jake: Super Chicken...of course!
PRP: You handle pretty much the whole business side of the band as well as
drumming for them, do you find it stressful or enjoy it?
jake: ahhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaahahhaha!!!!
PRP: Did you guys really record the album in a studio called "Pig Turd Alley"?
jake: Fuckin' A.
PRP: What major label band's career path would you most like to emulate if you
guys got signed?
jake: The Rolling Stones...I mean, come on, if you're gonna go big, GO
BIGG!!!!!!!!!!!! Or for that matter, GO GALES!!!!! WOOOOO!!!!!!!
PRP: Any big plans in the near future?
jake: Always! We're going back into the studio in July to record a new 6-song
CD. Hopefully, it'll be out by late August/early September...it'll have some
of the newer songs we've been playing in our set, some brand new ones, and
perhaps maybe even an old favorite that everybody keeps asking, "Why didn't
you put that one on your CD."
PRP: That's about it, any shoutouts or shameless promotion you want to throw
out?
jake: As a matter of fact....yes! I'd like to thank PimpRockPalace for all the
support and interest. Thanks for letting me have some fun with this
interview...you can probably tell that I watch a lot of movies. I hope I made
somebody out there laugh...just a little. I'd also like to point out that
there is a whole shit load of incredibly talented bands currently slamming
the California local scene....you should check them out...Implant, Tenfold,
Lavish Green, Shortie, Life Hates Me, Nogahyde, Down2None,
Dirtnap, Sickshift, Dredg, Keen, Shadowdrop...and the list goes on. Most of these
band's websites you can link to from ours (here comes the shameless plug) at www.pressure4-5.com. Go there, check out the bands (and ours), buy our stuff
and come to our shows. Because, when you check out the bands, buy our stuff
and come to our shows, you are directly supporting the local, underground
music scene...and gosh darn it, isn't that what this is all really about.
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