Hi. My name is Molly. In the immortal words of Kriss Kross, "I'm the Mac and I'm bad. I'll give you something that you never had."
Brace yourself, because in this week's music column I'm going to send you on a little treasure hunt. Grab your Bics and checklists, and keep your eyes peeled for action, mystery, surprise, blood, sweat and tears (plus a random reference to two 13-year-old rappers from the early '90s).
I was lucky enough to schedule an interview with Richmond-based rock band Engine Down before the Suicide Prevention Concert at Starr Hill last Friday.
It was going to be a great night, an awesome experience. Boy, was I psyched to interview Engine Down. Boy, was I excited to see them live. Boy, was I startled when a lady fell down the steps in front of me and broke her leg (surprise -- check).
Luckily, the band was understanding. In fact, that sort of thing happens all the time to vocalist Keeley Davis.
"It never fails that when I'm waiting in line somewhere, the old lady in front of me will fall down and spill all her stuff," Davis said.
With these sympathetic words, the interview began. The boys of Engine Down are what I would call super-hardcore road warriors. That is, if I can say "super-hardcore road warriors" without immediately categorizing myself as lame. (Humor -- check. No? Oh, alright.)
"We keep touring because we just have to," guitarist Jonathan Fuller said.
Going on the road seems tame enough, but long nights, monotonous hotels and endless shows demand a level of energy that is difficult to sustain for weeks on end. Engine Down has played in a slaughterhouse, a zoo and on a boat in Paris. They've been to Europe twice before and are crossing the ocean again this April.
In August of their 2004 tour, $53,000 worth of equipment and personal items was stolen, along with the band's van (blood, sweat and tears -- check).
"Our whole lives were in the van," remembered Fuller.
Davis agreed, saying, "It was definitely the hardest thing we've ever been through. Luckily, our fans really helped us out."
After finishing the tour, the band returned to Richmond and headed into the studio.
"We enjoy both recording and touring, but it's like comparing apples and oranges," Fuller explained.
Their self-titled album came out in 2004, featuring "Rogue," a catchy song with chunky guitar work and a chorus that you can't get out of your head. It's a crowd favorite and will fill your prescription for rock like nothing else.
The band members practice daily when they're writing, a feat made easier because only one of them has a "real" job; bassist Jason Wood works at a Richmond diner.
"It's the sketchiest place you've ever seen. If I didn't work there, I'd be scared to go inside," Wood said, declining to tell me the establishment's name (mystery -- check).
Engine Down released its first album, Under the Pretense of Present Tense in 1998. The guys have been "doing the full-time band thing" ever since.
"It doesn't seem like anything has changed to us. It's like, 'Wait, we didn't always do it that way?'" drummer Cornbread Compton said of the band's changes.
Davis, the group's lyricist, mentioned the difference between their earlier songs and their recent work: "There's innocence to our earlier records. They're blissfully naïve."
"But it's all been learning and growing. We're a different band than we were on our first album," Wood added.
Fuller finished the conversation by saying, "We know how to be a band now, and that's the biggest difference."
Engine Down's performance at Starr Hill was polished --the band has been performing for so long they seem almost bored. Still, the faster songs sparked the audience into a surging mass of dancing bodies, crowned by several failed attempts at crowd surfing (action -- check).
Though classified as post-hardcore, Engine Down cites influences ranging from Motley Crüe to Fiona Apple to Dinosaur Jr. If you're lucky, these awesome guys (super- hard-core road warriors!) will be coming to a city near you.
Before I go, I'd like to thank the bands that have contacted me to be featured here. Your interest means I get to do cool stuff on a continual basis. Rad readership -- check.
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