Thurston Moore is a big fan of the electronic noise band Wolf Eyes which is no shock. They are made of Aaron Dilloway on tapes, guitar, voice, electronics, Nathan Young on vocals, electronics, programming and John Olson who does electronics, tapes, and horns. Their latest album, Burned Mind, just got released from Sub Pop. I dont know how much you will learn from my interview wioth Josh except for the fact that hes nuts. But its still a lot of fun!
Check out the official website of Wolf Eyes
Daniel Robert Epstein: What do you think of all the good stuff Thurston Moore said about your band?
John Olson: Hes a good buddy man.
DRE: How was it touring with him?
JO: Hes just a blast man! Hes fucking crazy and rad. Hes like an 18 year old who parties with us all the time.
DRE: Does he come out while you are playing your set?
JO: Once in a while!
DRE: How does the Sonic Youth audience react to you guys?
JO: All those fucking AFI girls are just in awe. Whatever, they are just there to see Sonic Youth.
DRE: I would imagine it would be pretty rough for some of those fans. Did you turn up the heat on them?
JO: Fuck yeah, fuck them! They paid their money they are going to get what they paid for.
DRE: Do you see the fear in their faces when you start playing?
JO: No man, I only see fear on my face. I live in a state of constant fear.
DRE: Why is that?
JO: Youve got to come to Michigan and find out.
DRE: Is part of the fun with the kind of music you do is making people feel uncomfortable?
JO: Were just doing our thing so if people get uncomfortable then thats fine. Its cooler to jam to people who are into it but its also fun to piss off the teeny bopper indie girls too.
DRE: Whats it like onstage?
JO: Everyone has their own electronics and weve got a guitar up there too. Weve got all our machines working.
DRE: Do your influences go back Lou Reeds Metal Machine Music and Einstrzende Neubaten?
JO: Our influences go to 1950s South American psychedelic music. I dont play Lou Reeds Metal Machine Music shit. I am more into psychedelic music and shit like that. Thats where its at.
DRE: Do you guys do lots of drugs?
JO: Mostly just weed.
DRE: No psychedelics?
JO: Naw, the guys from Hair Police are into that.
DRE: When you guys get together to make your music is it very organized?
JO: We just kind of jam out and whatever happens, happens. Thats where we are at now. Then at the end of the day it might be a song or it might just be a jam.
DRE: Have you always made noise even when you were a kid?
JO: Ive been doing this shit since like 1985. Its just been my life.
DRE: What did you do back in 1985?
JO: Back then I was just finding shit on the side of the road and throwing it at cats and shit to see what would happen. Then we would record the outcome of that. It was totally fucked up.
DRE: Just cats or dogs too
JO: Mostly just cats. They make the best noises. I actually love cats, I have three at home. When I get home I usually feel like shit so I play with my wife and my three kitties.
DRE: Your wife?
JO: Yeah man! A lot of the crew is married. I just got married in September.
DRE: Congratulations!
JO: Thanks man. It was awesome.
DRE: Did you guys play smooth jazz at the wedding?
JO: Fuck no! Afterwards we had a party that was like the LA riots.
DRE: Everyone got a free TV then.
JO: Yup everyone got a TV, free coffeemaker and free chronic.
DRE: What kind of stuff besides actual instruments do you guys bring into the studio?
JO: Whatever we got around.
DRE: How did you hook with Sub Pop?
JO: It was this gamble. We were playing a card game with the owner from Sub Pop. We were a little drunk and the final bet was that if we win well do a record with you. So we won!
DRE: Do you think Sub Pop is a little unusual for you guys?
JO: Theyve been super cool with us and its been a great experience.
DRE: What does listening to your own music do for you?
JO: I dont listen to it after we finish, its just done. Who knows where it all comes from?
Tell me about SuicideGirls.
DRE: Its hot Goth, punk and emo girls naked.
JO: Naked? Thats crazy! Theyre just naked?
DRE: Yeah, its awesome.
JO: Thats killer.
DRE: What kind of girls come after you guys?
JO: Your guess is as good as mine. I dont think weve had a girl show up at our shows. Its mostly just the wives and sausage.
DRE: How do you guys all get along?
JO: We barely see each other and we hate each other. Its a mess. Touring is just a wreck, we were thinking about taking three vans next time. Naw its cool.
DRE: Is anyone one of you guys a crazy mechanical engineer?
JO: Naw man I work at a t-shirt printing place, Nate builds barns and Dilloway works at a record shop.
DRE: You still work at the t-shirt place.
JO: Yeah a lot of people work here like Mike Connelly from Hair Police. Its a really rad place to work.
DRE: Another technical question, after jamming how do you split the music up into separate tracks?
JO: Its usually whatever jams sound good together.
DRE: Im a fan of Bill Laswell and hes done albums where its just two tracks that are 40 minutes apiece. Would you like to do something like that?
JO: Weve got tons of CDs like that.
DRE: Where did you grow up?
JO: All around. But mostly I grew up in Wyoming then I moved to Germany for a little then down to Mississippi. I moved around my whole life.
DRE: Are you like an army brat?
JO: Yeah but we dont want to talk about that.
DRE: Why not?
JO: You know.
DRE: Is your history filled with too much pain?
JO: Yeah, its rough. The streets are rough. Its just like Calzoni Tony said The streets are rough get off my back. You know what Im saying.
DRE: Whats a Calzoni Tony?
JO: One of the raddest dudes youll ever meet.
DRE: Is he from Wyoming?
JO: No hes from Michigan.
DRE: Does he sell pizza?
JO: He wishes he sold pizza.
DRE: Is he a drug dealer?
JO: No hes just Calzoni Tony man. Thats all I can say about him.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
Check out the official website of Wolf Eyes
Daniel Robert Epstein: What do you think of all the good stuff Thurston Moore said about your band?
John Olson: Hes a good buddy man.
DRE: How was it touring with him?
JO: Hes just a blast man! Hes fucking crazy and rad. Hes like an 18 year old who parties with us all the time.
DRE: Does he come out while you are playing your set?
JO: Once in a while!
DRE: How does the Sonic Youth audience react to you guys?
JO: All those fucking AFI girls are just in awe. Whatever, they are just there to see Sonic Youth.
DRE: I would imagine it would be pretty rough for some of those fans. Did you turn up the heat on them?
JO: Fuck yeah, fuck them! They paid their money they are going to get what they paid for.
DRE: Do you see the fear in their faces when you start playing?
JO: No man, I only see fear on my face. I live in a state of constant fear.
DRE: Why is that?
JO: Youve got to come to Michigan and find out.
DRE: Is part of the fun with the kind of music you do is making people feel uncomfortable?
JO: Were just doing our thing so if people get uncomfortable then thats fine. Its cooler to jam to people who are into it but its also fun to piss off the teeny bopper indie girls too.
DRE: Whats it like onstage?
JO: Everyone has their own electronics and weve got a guitar up there too. Weve got all our machines working.
DRE: Do your influences go back Lou Reeds Metal Machine Music and Einstrzende Neubaten?
JO: Our influences go to 1950s South American psychedelic music. I dont play Lou Reeds Metal Machine Music shit. I am more into psychedelic music and shit like that. Thats where its at.
DRE: Do you guys do lots of drugs?
JO: Mostly just weed.
DRE: No psychedelics?
JO: Naw, the guys from Hair Police are into that.
DRE: When you guys get together to make your music is it very organized?
JO: We just kind of jam out and whatever happens, happens. Thats where we are at now. Then at the end of the day it might be a song or it might just be a jam.
DRE: Have you always made noise even when you were a kid?
JO: Ive been doing this shit since like 1985. Its just been my life.
DRE: What did you do back in 1985?
JO: Back then I was just finding shit on the side of the road and throwing it at cats and shit to see what would happen. Then we would record the outcome of that. It was totally fucked up.
DRE: Just cats or dogs too
JO: Mostly just cats. They make the best noises. I actually love cats, I have three at home. When I get home I usually feel like shit so I play with my wife and my three kitties.
DRE: Your wife?
JO: Yeah man! A lot of the crew is married. I just got married in September.
DRE: Congratulations!
JO: Thanks man. It was awesome.
DRE: Did you guys play smooth jazz at the wedding?
JO: Fuck no! Afterwards we had a party that was like the LA riots.
DRE: Everyone got a free TV then.
JO: Yup everyone got a TV, free coffeemaker and free chronic.
DRE: What kind of stuff besides actual instruments do you guys bring into the studio?
JO: Whatever we got around.
DRE: How did you hook with Sub Pop?
JO: It was this gamble. We were playing a card game with the owner from Sub Pop. We were a little drunk and the final bet was that if we win well do a record with you. So we won!
DRE: Do you think Sub Pop is a little unusual for you guys?
JO: Theyve been super cool with us and its been a great experience.
DRE: What does listening to your own music do for you?
JO: I dont listen to it after we finish, its just done. Who knows where it all comes from?
Tell me about SuicideGirls.
DRE: Its hot Goth, punk and emo girls naked.
JO: Naked? Thats crazy! Theyre just naked?
DRE: Yeah, its awesome.
JO: Thats killer.
DRE: What kind of girls come after you guys?
JO: Your guess is as good as mine. I dont think weve had a girl show up at our shows. Its mostly just the wives and sausage.
DRE: How do you guys all get along?
JO: We barely see each other and we hate each other. Its a mess. Touring is just a wreck, we were thinking about taking three vans next time. Naw its cool.
DRE: Is anyone one of you guys a crazy mechanical engineer?
JO: Naw man I work at a t-shirt printing place, Nate builds barns and Dilloway works at a record shop.
DRE: You still work at the t-shirt place.
JO: Yeah a lot of people work here like Mike Connelly from Hair Police. Its a really rad place to work.
DRE: Another technical question, after jamming how do you split the music up into separate tracks?
JO: Its usually whatever jams sound good together.
DRE: Im a fan of Bill Laswell and hes done albums where its just two tracks that are 40 minutes apiece. Would you like to do something like that?
JO: Weve got tons of CDs like that.
DRE: Where did you grow up?
JO: All around. But mostly I grew up in Wyoming then I moved to Germany for a little then down to Mississippi. I moved around my whole life.
DRE: Are you like an army brat?
JO: Yeah but we dont want to talk about that.
DRE: Why not?
JO: You know.
DRE: Is your history filled with too much pain?
JO: Yeah, its rough. The streets are rough. Its just like Calzoni Tony said The streets are rough get off my back. You know what Im saying.
DRE: Whats a Calzoni Tony?
JO: One of the raddest dudes youll ever meet.
DRE: Is he from Wyoming?
JO: No hes from Michigan.
DRE: Does he sell pizza?
JO: He wishes he sold pizza.
DRE: Is he a drug dealer?
JO: No hes just Calzoni Tony man. Thats all I can say about him.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
VIEW 14 of 14 COMMENTS
satya:
One of the best live bands EVER!!!
takeahnase:
Caught these guys live a few months ago and fuck, it was insane! Seriously, a great live act. Great interview too.