PipemanRadio Interviews Mephiskapheles

0:04 Hi, you have THENTO censure. Wow cra you young rob. Why become America. It's time for the Adventures of Pipe Man on W four C why dot com list pomp Beats is number one internet radio station. Here's your host, the White Man. Thereah, mind. Twisted and filled with paint. Verah cried so.

0:44 Brutal let you can't relate story stone, this man grove bone. Story stone, this lives broke. Hold there, mind, this is the pipe Man here on the Adventures of Pipe Man W. Four C Y Radio and Larry. It's about our next guest. And I'll be very excited if I pronounced the band name right, because I've. Tried it five times. One time I got it right, the rest of I didn't. But let's welcome to the show. See, I was gonna screw it up right there. I know Memphis cough. And I it's the way there, man, I. Know I was so there mephis memphiscophales. Yeah there you go.

1:28 Okay, see all right, well you know I'm an idiot. What can I tell you but that now I want here's what we're gonna do that. Okay, So it's your band? Can you say that band name? Ten times fast, miscuffes, methiscopals, methiscopals, mephiscuplies, methiskoples, mephiscopalis, memphiscopals, methischophalies, methiscophlies, methisguphalies. Man. I am oh, I am so impressed with that, because even knowing it, it would be hard to do that ten times fast. Oh, look, band named for thirty three years. So I kind of got it in my blood. We got we got somebody else here. Hold on, let's bring them on their only audio. Andre's on with us only audio. So he's got a face for radio right now.

2:16 That's right there. Oh, and we can hear them, he can hear us. Man, See, I knew he'd pulled through. Look at that. Okay, so let's let's see because he I don't know if he heard us. Let's see if he can say your band name ten times fast? Can you do it? Probably not. Up to the challenge. I nailed it. Oh yeah, yeah, he did nail it. Man. Oh god, he's been practicing. I was so impressed too, because, like I was telling him before we even got on, I was like the first time I said to myself, like, you know, before the interview, I got it right, and then every time after that I got wrong. And then I had them say to me, and then I got on and I was like, you can make fun of me if you want when I screw it up, because I'll be funny.

3:11 And sure as shit, I screwed it up half this. So the fact that he can do it ten times fast, man, that's better than anything I've ever seen. But not as good as your music, because your music's badass. Thank you exactly. And you know what I love about it is that it doesn't sound the same as everything else. Okay, Like I'm into a bunch of different genres, but a lot of times. Nowadays we're all old school here. A lot of times nowadays, if it's a certain genre, like every band sounds the same. I feel like when I was a teenager, my dad was saying, all that stuff you listening to sounds the same, like you don't know what you're talking about. And now I feel like i'm him now because it's actually kind of true now it wasn't that. So I love a band like yours that has a unique sound that you can tell is not just genre specific, Thank you.

4:16 Very much, man. Yeah, thank you. You know, it's very natural for us. We don't purposely try to bring in all these different styles or influences. It's just who we are and it's just the music that we make, and so we appreciate it when the people out there recognize that we're a bit different, you know, and you got to have your ears ready for something different, but you kind of hope yourself to it, and all of a sudden, we've got a new fan. And see, to me, that makes you, guys, true musicians, because true musicians don't use formulas programs. I remember when I first started playing guitar, like I played drums, I sucked at that, So I went to guitar. I sucked at that. And then I sang threash mallow. I sucked at that too.

4:58 So now I do radio. But when I was first playing guitar, I just wanted to see what sounds I can make, and you know, the the like I wanted to experiment with it. And I remember my dad would be like, you should give that up. You sucked, but he didn't get what I was doing. I wasn't trying to make a song. I was just experimenting of what you could do with the guitar, and to me, that is being a musician, although I sucked. So how about you, guys, how did it start for you with music?

5:40 For me, with music, it started just I don't know, listening to teach days. Back home, just like a fed End Street local club there and people with DJ, a lot of rockers. And reggae and dub and stuff like that. So that's kind of how I got into music. Plus also just listening to a lot of Calypso and stuff first, and then more rock and roll stuff came after. Nice and how about you. Yeah, similar kind of thing, you know, early experiences where you just discovered a sound that became part of you.

6:26 You know, early on I was I was into rock and roll, but I was also into jazz and reggae, and I tried, like you, I tried to play guitar and it did not work for me, so I switched over to the bass and it just became a part of me. And uh, I started on electric bass but then switched to upright basses. When I play in the band now, and you know, you'll find in our band, which has so many musical influences from metal to jazz, the punk and of course gott reggae, and you know, we just make one one crazy soup that just it sounds just right and when we get it. So yeah, we are a band of many influences and that's why we sound different, you know. And to me, I listen to your music and it's almost like your music is a combination of all the waves of ska reggae and then the rock thrown in with it.

7:20 Yep, yep, even some metal, even some you know on the record that we're working on now, which we've recorded at Muscle Shoals Studio in Alabama, you know, very famous soul and R and V studio. We went down and we made our next record down there, and so we even bring those influences in. But you know, this next record is going to even represent more of a mix but also our core, dark, evil sound. So we're we're really excited about this next one. It's our first full length I think in over twenty five years. Yep. Wow, you know I'm saying a trend of that lately.

8:01 You know. It's like, Okay, so a festival I'm doing in a couple of weeks, bands playing that hasn't played in like twenty five years, and I'm finding that happen. More and more and more that these great bands from back when are just coming back into the mix and people love them. Like It's like, it's so cool to me because. When I was a teenager and I was going to shows, the bands you went to see were people your age, Like I went to the first Metallica show ever, first Slayer show ever, and they're only like a couple of years older than me. And I could never imagine somebody my age now being at one of those shows.

8:48 But nowadays, or me going to a show and seeing somebody my age playing. But now it's like these kids they love these old dudes, I'll put it that way. It just blows my mind. It's so cool. It just shows that even though people say some of the music goes away, if it's good music, it doesn't matter what it stands and testa time that's true. Now, what I always wonder is, how do guys like you that have been doing this for so long, how do you come up with new material all these years later. I think it's it's for us. It's definitely sort of just the fact that we have this history together and this chemistry, and the fact also at the beginning of this whole incarnation of music collexpl.

9:41 I just wanted to go journey. As Mike had mentioned before. You know, it was just a lot of people bringing ideas from all over the place. You know, we never really stuck to one particular thing, even though you know, we love Sky music and we would talk about back in the day going to see Stantilized as less as we can or whatever. I mean. We also would go see you know, punk bands and stuff. So yeah, and at the time, being on the Lower east Side was mentioned to someone else. It was just really fertile. You know. It's just like so much different music happening, and you just new. People in bands and stuff, and you would just go, you know, just go see the people your age playing, people way older playing.

10:24 If you like the ship, you would just go see it, you know. So for us to come back together, we always love making music together, so it's kind of a just a natural thing for this band, you know. I love it. Yeah, And I was just talking to my daughter the other day because I used to always take her to the Lower east Side to get a pickle, because the best fricking pickles in the world. Uh. I remember, like being a little kid going on a field trip with my Hebrew school to get pickles in the Lower East Side.

11:04 That's punk, you know, it's where you can find it. That's it. That's it. And so wait, wait, just to pickles, no sandwiches. Well yeah, there's the sandwiches too, But I just remember so clearly the vision of my mind, the dude with the big barrel of pickles and the pickle was probably bigger than my arms trip. You know what, kids were getting in the bus and everyone's gonna get. A pickle, you know, exactly like that, that's a dream for a kid. Come on, get a pickle that big? Like that's like, that's that's You've reached the mammoth right there. So what so what is it that you know you love most about making music?

11:58 It's the connection with the people who love the music and the and the other band members on stage. You know, when we're all locked in and the vibration is just right there. You know, that's what music is all about. That's why we all got into it because it just feels so good. But when then there's those people out there in the audience, and even if it's not a huge crowd, but those people who are there are just soaking it up and loving every second of it. That's what it is. For me, we say, Andrew, Yeah, I agree with that. It's it's the I guess, the relationship amongst the band members. You know, it's like when people are just willing to push themselves and in some ways experiment, there's something a little different. Even if it doesn't work, you know, it's still really great because that one there's always something in there, the whole thing itself at the time of creation, like not you know, this beautiful time, There's always gonna be something in there you can always get back to.

13:05 And that's what I like about it. Nice. And you know what I love about Scott specifically is especially like Scott punk. It's like I'm a total metal head that's also punk. But you know, I'm used to like Slayer pits, but I have way more fun in a SKA pit. Like there's nothing more fun as Scott's circle pit. To me, I've never been in one of those. A couple. Yeah, I mean for us, we always bring the party, you know, Scott's fun music, feel good music, and we bring our own sense of the party, you know, kind of a dark style and moody style grooving style to it. But it's it's all about having a good time.

13:53 Everyone should be out there dancing when we play it. Yeah, that's what makes it feel right. Yeah, and that's why I know this when you were saying before about the darkness, like because you I'm glad you said that, because most people don't. Usually associate SKA with that. They associate with just happy sunny, you know, happy go lucky type of thing. And I think it's totally cool that you mix in that dark element because that dark element is reality, you know, and that's the reason we go into music, Like I go into a sh I go to a show to get all the darkness out of me, you know. So there you go, and so you got you got the best of all worlds.

14:39 Yeah. Well, the thing though, people just need I'm not going to give a history lesson here, but people need to just if they really want to know about it, they just find out the history to start of the music. The players always really great and but this's the scene or where this music sort of you know, came from. They're all different type of characters, every sort of scene, and it's not you know, just the happy go lucky ships. The scene that this came from, like well, like most most music scenes, you know, it's going to be bands that I guess sort of epredomize that.

15:20 But when you really look at the German German, this. Ship, it's not all happy and whatever, you know, because it's like you said, it's reality, realities, yeah, Diddy and skipping across the fucking you know right. Well, you know, I'm glad you brought that up too, because a lot of people that don't even know the genre. They all they think of is going on some cruise to Caribbean and hearing the clipso music and they associate that with all and like that's all of it. And I even learned a lot. You talk about a history lesson. We had a show on my station that was just about Scatt. This dude like he knew his ship man.

16:01 He went from the very beginning, went through every wave. I used to sit there and listen to a show and go wow, I didn't know that because even me, I didn't think of all these different waves of SKA. I just knew what I knew. Yeah, Well, like most people, I guess, yeah no, but really they don't know, you know. So yeah, but that's everything. That's what everything is. It's like everybody knows certain bands, certain songs and they think that's the whole genre. Yeah, so what but what else? What else? I mean the way the music figure is set up, it's you know that which is most popular, whatever becomes a worm that that or whatever, and you're like, oh, yeah, that's what sky is or that's what this is, or that's what that is.

16:53 But it's a broad thing. It's music, you know, it's spectrum of. Sounds, you know, no doubt, no doubt. So tell us more about the new album that's going to be coming out. You know what can you tell the listeners that would make them morek go check it out? When is it dropping and dropping if you know yet? And to talk about your live shows too. We don't exactly know when the record is dropping. We're still putting on the finishing touches, but it's is very close to complete. It's uh, you know, full length record.

17:34 That again was the first time we've done it in years and decades. We recorded it while we were on tour, so we were super ready and super tight. You know, there's a difference between playing a show and being tour ready, and so we recorded this album right in the middle of a tour and so we ripped it. We recorded overnight three nights muscle shows Alabama Classic Studio where you know, so many records were made, you know, from Wilson Pickett to you know, the Rolling Stones, you know, just so many legendary figures. In fact, the reason why we recorded at night is because they do tours of the famous studio during the day and so it's that kind of vibe.

18:17 It was incredible, and the music that we produced in that session we're really excited about. We're actually going to be playing some of it at Punk Rock Bowling and there. We got get together and do an interview there on site. Sound good be there. What don't you say about the record, Andre, I mean, it's it's reloving it. Yeah, I love the record too. It's it's for us different yet again, oh rehashing of anything. It's just pushing ourselves to try different things and whatever clicks, you know, clicks and become something that we're that's near and exciting for us, and so we want to play. Yeah, I'm pretty excited about the record too. I'm pretty excited about all the other music roomotless working on and just haven't gotten the chance to, you know, put the time in.

19:10 But we're just like, yeah, we feel really productive and let's keep writing. So yeah, and the most the most important thing you said that I was referring to before that I picked out of what you just said is the fact that you just let what came to you. It's like you don't sit down and say. Okay, we're gonna do this formula. We're gonna it's like just whatever, and the feeling was that's what comes. Yeah, that's how you're gonna get something that's that's surprising, you know, you surprising fanmates. Yeah, it's just going to help the initial idea to grow, you know, basically total it's not stuck in this you.

19:52 Know should be this, should sound like, this should be want It's like, you know, you could come in with that and try that beach you also try different things totally. Have you guys been at Punk Rock Bowling before? No, so first time and we're looking forward to it, flying in upbreak base in the hall and uh, we can't wait for the show. I mean, we have a lot of friends we're going to see out there. But we know it's just gonna rip. It's going to be such a six show. Oh man, I go, and I do festivals all over the US, UK, Europe, and Punk Rock Bowling is my favorite one to do press for just because it's so cool. It takes over all of downtown Las Vegas, and.

20:35 Yeah, we played Vegas before. Yeah, yeah, and you have all these shows everywhere and you got the punk rock swim. But one of the most memorable moments for me was a couple years ago, well more than a couple of years now, like before COVID, a couple of years ago, and the Specials were headlining and they played ghost Town like they never played that song live ever, and they played it. I remember I was sitting with this girl that's lead singer of this other band, and we were just hanging out and as soon as the first note came, we looked at each other and went, holy shit, I can't believe they're playing this song.

21:17 So it's live music, right, because you never know what you're gonna hear. You gotta hear bands live, come out and support, so yeah, man. Yeah it's and it's the best therapy ever. Okay, Like I think the stupidest thing we ever did was shut down live music for COVID. That's why everybody got pissed and depressed and everything else. And my solution today and to today's world problems is have a music festival where the whole world is required to attend and then we could work all our bullshit out. Yeah, man, it's the best. Any other good shows you got coming up you want to talk about?

21:59 Yeah, we're playing the Sunday Broken Goblet Brewery and part of the nock Croydon Festival. We're doing a West Coast tour in July, first West Coast tour in several years. Nice, very cool. And how do people reach out to you guys on the web? Socials? All that good stuff? Merch that's important. Yeah, all from our website Methiscofflesofficial dot com and you can get merch show tickets there. Check out videos history of the band. Anybody who's really curious. You know, we've been around since the early nineties and we have a really interesting history and tied into New York City the Lower East Side in those days. So you can find out about all that out the website.

22:46 I love it, I love it. Is there anything else you guys want to tell the listeners that we haven't covered already. We still love doing what we do and we still love playing for people. Come, come listen, Come hang out, have a drink bullshit, you know, have some fun. That's what it's about. And check this out. Mephis Scoffilees in a row, go Memphis, Scott Leaves, Mephis scoff les, Methith scoff leaves, Methhis, Scott leaves, Methis, Scott leaves, Mephiscott leaves, Methid, Scott leaves, Methhith, Scott leaves, Methith, Scott leaves Memphis, Scott leaves Methods. Scott les started, well, I know right, hey, listen, he had to push it. I got it right, he had to push it. I got a trivia question for you now, since you went from guitar to bass.

23:40 Yeah, who is one of the most famous bassis of all time that never wanted to play bass? They played guitar, and the only reason he went to bass is because there were already two other people in the band that were playing guitar. This is a tricky one. I'll take a guess, though, Bill. Lineman, Nope, how about you? How about you? Andre do you have a guest. No, I wouldn't get it. I'll give you a hint. They really, they really this band like blew up at Shea Stadium.

24:27 Guessing Paul McCartney. Then that's the one. Absolutely. Yeah. He was a guitarist and you know, yeah George and John. So he's like, okay, I'll just play bass and that's now. Now if you listen to him, you can hear that he plays the bass more like a. Guitar than the bass. Lines definitely. So there you have it. So you're you're along the same line. You're in the same crowd as Paul McCartney. Sounds good. Take it. There, it is. Right exactly. Well. I can't wait to see you guys live at Punk Rock Bowling. I will definitely have to make sure to catch your set for sure, and we'll have email me, we'll set something up on site. We'll do something on site there and uh man, I can't wait till your new music comes out because if it's better than your previous music, is going to be some of the best music out there in this decade. So I love it.

25:31 Thanks for coming back, Thanks for coming back with new music. We we need a lot of the old school musicianship to be in music today and I think that's what you bring to the table. And thanks for being on the Adventures of pipe Man. Cool, thank you for having me. Again. Thank you for listening to the Adventures of pipe Man. I'm W four c U I Radio H