1-First of all, can you explain to us what is the story of the band ?
We started out in Santa Barbara, California about 5 years ago as a power-pop band obsessed with Elvis Costello and a band called Superdrag. We played lots of shows around Southern California and self-released 2 cds of demos we recorded on our own which we sold at our shows and around town. Gradually our songs got louder and faster as we developed our own sound. A few years into it a record label called Ultimatum Music found us and we decided to sign with them so we could make a record. We recorded our first record “Start Static” and then hit the road touring the US non-stop for 2 years. Eventually we sold enough records and built our band up enough that we got the attention of a few labels overseas; Brett Gurewitz liked our band a lot and signed us to Epitaph for Europe. So we started touring a lot in Europe and Japan over the last year or so. Then we came home and felt it was time to make our next record; that brings us to “Palm Trees and Power Lines” our new record!

2-How was the process of recording of the new album? How long, the conditions...
It came together pretty fast; we wrote and arranged the songs in a period of about 6 weeks. Then we rehearsed for a month to let the songs find their right feel and then we jumped into the recording studio; cut the drums in a few days at a fancy place and then moved to a small cheaper studio for a month or so to track the rest of it. We worked with a producer named Gavin MacKillop, he’s from Scotland and made his name in the 80’s working with PIL, Echo & the Bunnymen, General Public, and Nick Cave. His overall mood was very British and overcast; smoked a lot of cigarettes and brought a gloomier vibe to the experience. I think this had a lot to do with the darker vibe of our new record.

3-What are the main differences betewwen that new one and `Start Static´ ?
“Palm Trees…” is more focused and confident, it digs a little deeper lyrically and musically; when we made our first record we were a bit more innocent and wreckless. I love the energy of “Start Static” I feel like we succeeded in making a perfect first record; so we definitely didn’t want to repeat ourselves. The new album still represents our band’s original vision, but we’ve moved forward. Music has to keep moving or it will die.

4-Is it true that the story of “Start Static” being distributed by Epitaph Europe is because of the daughter of Brett Gurewitz? What is the story ?
No. It was Brett’s son, Max Gurewitz who discovered us! Brett would listen to our album while driving his kid to soccer practice, and being a songwriter himself, he fell in love with our songs.

5-How was the experience of knowing him ?
I met him at a NOFX after-party and he told me he loved Sugarcult! Fat Mike also likes our band and I sat there while he and Brett were talking about which songs they liked the best off “Start Static”; what a strange situation! When we sat in his office and he told us he wanted to put our record out in Europe, we were so honored. He’s an incredibly smart guy, very eccentric too. We bonded over our mutual love of Tom Waits!

6-Are you a Bad Religion fan ?
Yes! I bought a used copy of “How Could Hell be Any Worse?” on vinyl when I was a kid and loved it; then “Suffer” and “No Control” came out and just blew my mind. Those records re-ignited punk rock in many ways; most bands in the late 80’s/early 90’s had dried up creatively or gone heavy metal; Bad Religion made it important again. I have lost interest in their last few records, not because they’re not good, just because there’s so much other music to take in. I will always have respect for Bad Religion; great lyrics, great pop melodies, great guitar playing, cool style.

7-Do you have yet a relationship with ?
not sure what this question is….sorry!

8-Why did the band change labels from Epitaph to Ryko in Europe?
Epitaph, like all record companies today, is low on money to support and promote new bands, so they were honest with us about not feeling ready to put all the money and time into our new record. We have a great relationship with all the people there still and consider them good friends.

9-Is the group ready for an enormous success ?
I don’t think anyone is ever “ready” for the big time, nor is reaching fame and fortune that important on our list of goals; all we ever wanted to do was be a good rock band, make music, travel, play and have fun adventures along the way, which is exactly what we do. If we get really big doing that then that’s okay we’ll find a way to have a lot of fun with it and use our power to help other smaller bands and shed light on things that need attention; either that, or we’ll blow all of our money on alcohol and food and have a big party for all of our fans!

10-What is the story of Bad Astronaut, the group with Joey Cape of Lag Wagon ?
Bad Astronaut is my side-project experimental band with a bunch of my friends from my hometown (Santa Barbara, CA) music community. Joey is one of my best friends. He, Derrick Plourde (ex Lagwagon drummer), and I grew up in the same punk scene together and thought it would be fun to start a band where we could pursue some musical terrain that our other bands hadn’t already done. We’ve been doing it off and on between our main bands’ busy schedules for the past 5 years. We have 2 releases on Honest Don’s Records and another one in the works this summer. We’ve never played a show.

11-Who is the producer and how was was the experience with ?
See earlier questions where I mention him.

12-How do you feel about the actual situation of the punk scene in USA?
For better or for worse, punk has followed skateboarding’s lead from a well kept underground secret to a worldwide cultural phenomenon. With so many bands constantly touring, records being distributed in a much more organized way, and the ease of the internet there really are not many “scenes” anymore. I liked things better when it wasn’t so structured, but that’s life, people always move in the direction of structure whether they know it or not. There’s a lot of shitty bands over here, but if you dig through it all there are also a lot of really good bands. I think the original spirit of punk rock now resides in a lot of electronic based music and DJ culture; forming a “punk” band with your friends isn’t very punk!

13-Do you find a relation between Sugarcult and Sum 41 and all that kind of bands, or do you prefer the comparison with Green Day (for me there are songs that could be played by the band) ?
We all grew up on those early Green Day records, so they are definitely a band we relate to. Billie Joe, Kurt Cobain, and Elvis Costello are our singer Tim’s favorite songwriters of all time. Sum 41 are a lot of fun to get drunk with!

14-In what kind of groups are you really interested ? What kind of music did you listen to when you were younger than now ?
I’ve always listened to a wide variety of bands; in my teenage years I went through phases of being really into Cheap Trick, The Ramones, AC/DC, Guns & Roses, GBH, Social Distortion, Hanoi Rocks, Johnny Thunders, Suicidal Tendencies, Decendents, etc. Later I got really into the Pixies, the Muffs, the Replacements, power-pop, garage punk, late-70’s punk. Over the last few years I’ve gotten more into listening to non-rock stuff like down-tempo electronica, Primal Scream, dub reggae, weird film-score music, Aphex Twin, as well as artsy stuff like Wilco and Radiohead and singer-songwriters like Elliott Smith, Bright Eyes, Ryan Adams, etc. My all time favorite band is still The Clash.

15-How was the relation with Matt Wallace ?
Matt is a great producer and a really inspiring person; it’s not so common for legendary people to be so humble, friendly and down to earth. He taught us a lot about music.

16-In the recording of `Start Static´, the band was in the same studios as Zakk Wylde. How did that go ?
Zakk insists that they keep a full refridgerator of beer, which he constantly drinks and offers to anyone in the same room as him. He pulled me into his studio and played me his music full volume while he drank his beer and banged his head along to the beat; then he talked forever about baseball, jazz fusion and eating pussy! Strange guy.

17-I know that you are a basketball fan ?What is your favourite team ?And, What´s your opinion about Pau Gasol ?
I like the Lakers, but honestly I don’t really follow sports. It’s fun to play every once in a while.

18-To finish, What are the inmediate plans for the band ?
As I type this I’m sitting in a hotel in Okaka, Japan; in a few minutes I’m going to see a band called the Icarus Line, then I’m DJ’ing at a bar called Rock Rock, tomorrow night we play our own show here. We tour the UK in June and the Warped Tour in the US in July in August. We hope to get back to Europe in September. Hope to see you then!

Thanks
Marko72