Interview: Chocolate Love Factory

Chocolate Love Factory are a playful bunch. You’d have to be to proceed with such a moniker. Since their 2010 demo, Biscuit Music, to their debut single ‘Rat Bag/Texty Texty’, the Northern Irish trio of Rory Dee (vocals and guitar), Pearse McClelland (bass) and drummer John Quinn have been blurring the boundaries between grunge and stoner: explosive, blistering grooves that rumble with angst and melodic sensibilities.

Let’s start with the obvious: Chocolate Love Factory. Where did the name come from?

Rory Dee: It’s a truly legendary story. We’d got our first gig, and I’d been struggling with a name. I was thinking of going for something like one of Nirvana’s early pisstake names; just until we had more time to think about it. I had ‘Coughing Coffin’ and a few others that were pretty awful.

Then the promoter emailed again, saying she needed all our details, as she had to get a write up in the local paper. My girlfriend was sitting there, and I asked her what she thought we should call the band and, swear to god, ‘Chocolate Love Factory’ were the first three words that came out of her mouth. We both laughed for a wee bit, and then I was like: “Yes”’. And so, the stupidest name in rock history was born (thanks, love!).

Were you surprised by the initial online positive feedback?

RD: Yeah it was class, we didn’t know what to expect. We thought they were good songs, and well recorded, but we were just doing what we wanted to do: not sparing a thought for what our audience would be. There were a few cool reviews of it and stuff, and then we were listed in Live4Ever’s ‘Best of 2011’ list halfway through the year. It was encouraging to see things like that.

But aye, releasing that in one of the big-ish venues over here, the Spring & Airbrake, was pretty awesome too. A truly memorable night, with all the bands we’d played with and loved during that previous year on the bill, and a load of people came out. It was cool to see all the hard work that went into promoting it paying off. Even looking back at some of the videos from that night, the crowd reaction was awesome.

Having followed your output since then, Octavia embraces grunge aesthetes. Has it been a conscious decision to move away from your desert rock roots?

RD: No, not at all. We like to move forward in the most natural way possible; through jamming and not really thinking about stuff too much. Wherever our guitars want to take us – we’re just the mediums. I want it to be a true expression. Also, the addition of Pearse [McClelland] on bass has definitely brought a lot more energy to proceedings. He’s a wee punk at heart. The new EP isn’t gonna be filled full of ‘Motivator’s’ – it’s really varied – although, yes, I think the desert rock sound has definitely taken a back seat on this one.

Pearse McClelland: It was a conscious decision to spend more time and care when writing ‘Motivator’ and other songs. It’s different from anything we’ve done before, but it’s fun to try something different. Maybe the next EP we do will be freestyle jazz!

RD: John [Quinn] would go mad for that shit like!

RD: Personally, I become enamoured with things for years. First, it was Nirvana and the whole grunge thing. I have a huge catalogue of rip-off Nirvana songs I used to write for ages. Then I started this band while I was obsessed with Queens of the Stone Age; trying to be them for a few years. It feels like another new phase coming on right now, but it’s not clear what it’s inspired by just yet. A microcosm of a load of new stuff I’ve discovered over the past while. Our own sound, maybe? You’ll have to decide for yourself!

AU Magazine recently described you as: “one of this small country’s [Northern Ireland’s] best in riff-fuelled rock.” This must fill you with pride.

RD: Oh yes, it’s always cool when you don’t get slagged [off] in reviews! We have a lot of respect for the guys at AU, so to hear them praising us like that is pretty sweet.

PM: When there are bands like ‘LaFaro’ and ‘The Rupture Dogs’ around here, who consistently write awesome riffs, then yes, that’s pretty fucking cool!

RD: I know. When there are bands like ‘Lantern for a Gale’ knocking about here, too, it’s a class comment to receive.

I’ve noticed that you played a homecoming show in May at the end of last year. How supportive have friends and family been since the Love Factory opened?

PM: They’ve been great for us to be honest. I don’t think we’d have the same enthusiasm for what we do if it wasn’t for them.

Interview: Big Scenic Nowhere

Interviews

Kyuss may be credited with bringing the ‘Palm Desert Scene’ into the wider world, but without Mario Lalli and Gary Arce, the ‘desert rock’ genre would simply not exist. Yawning Man’s generator-driven parties are legendary – and rightly so – as their reverb-soaked grooves and extended jams, lay hidden beneath the sun-scorched sands of their highly-influential surroundings.

Formed after the release of Nomadic Pursuits, Big Scenic Nowhere is a continuation of Yawning Man’s ethos, albeit under a different guise.

Big Scenic Nowhere seems to have, quite literally, come out of nowhere. Where did the idea for this new project come from?

Mario Lalli: This project is just like any music that Gary [Arce] and I create together. I think we just like thinking up cool names for bands. Really, it came out of jams and recordings with Tony Tornay (who plays the drums in Fatso Jetson). Me and Gary just like to play and write. We also enjoy making music with different people. It just kind of happened naturally; we didn’t set out to realize a certain project.

As two of the founding members of the legendary Yawning Man, do you feel any pressure with fans comparing your new project with your previous work?

ML: It all comes from the same place: music is music. We never think about how people will respond. We just play.

Gary Arce: No, not at all. The same core chemistry that made Yawning Man’s music so dark and scenic is still intact, it’s just under a different name. I know fans of Yawning Man will gravitate towards this.

From listening to your early demos, there is a mesmerizing laid-back charm to your playing. Do you have a preference for how you work? Do you go into the studio and just jam, or do you take some time to write?

ML: We have done both of these things quite a bit, there is always a little of both going on. When I am playing bass and Gary is on guitar we feel this freedom to explore, float and dive. Even when songs are reduced to key elements through practice and writing, there is always some spontaneous energy that takes it in a different direction live and in the studio.

From playing in all these different projects together over the years, is it almost like being a part of an extended family whenever you get on stage together?

ML: Absolutely! Me, Gary, Alfredo [Hernández], Larry Lalli, Tony Tornay and Scott Reeder grew up musically together, and it’s something that never leaves you.

Playing ‘Catamaran’ with John Garcia at the Rock For Isaiah benefit concert must have been surreal. What are your thoughts on the Kyuss Lives! project?

GA: I think its great, as it puts things back into perspective musically in Europe. There are so many Kyuss-sounding bands over there and you forget where it all came from. It’s long overdue.

ML: That was fun. I think they will have a great time playing together again and people will appreciate the chance to see at least part of the chemistry of those friends playing. Josh [Homme] is a huge part of the sound and vibe of Kyuss, Alfredo [Hernández] and Scott [Reeder] also. But, it keeps growing and changing so who knows? Maybe they are writing some new songs?

You both recently got back from a European tour with Yawning Man & Fatso Jetson. How were the shows?

GA: Really positive feedback at the shows. I was bummed Mario couldn’t make it. Nomadic Pursuits is by far the best sounding recording we have ever done, but the response every time we go back gets better and better.

ML: I toured with Fatso [Jetson] ending with a performance at Roadburn. We had the most amazing trip. The great band, ‘Oaks Mary’ from Italy was on the road with us. We jammed and improvised together, and we shared some great food and many laughs. It was perfect as so many people were enjoying the live shows, just great.

Yawning Man had to scramble to find a sub for me as I had health problems before the Yawning tour and could not go. It broke my heart to not be on that trip with two of my best friends in the world. They met a great young player and he did a fine job holding down the groove.

Like in all corners of the world, the desert rock scene has had a profound impact on the UK and has a lot of dedicated followers on this side of the pond. Are there any plans to tour the UK?

GA: I would love to go over with Big Scenic Nowhere; it’s just a matter of planning it into our schedule and getting the right booker over there.

ML: We are planning a trip to Morocco to film a music documentary about us travelling through the country and playing outdoors in scenic locations. This will be in August and after that trip, we will try to make more plans for the UK and Europe.

Gary, your signature guitar tone can be picked out straight away on any record that you’ve ever played on. How have you developed your sound over the years?

GA: I have probably had every guitar pedal ever made in and out of my hands at one time or another, and have mixed and matched different reverbs with overdrives and distortion pedals to find the two to three pedals that I really like. I have them set at the same settings along with my semi-hollow Stratocasters that at high volumes add feedback harmonics to my sound. I have a friend in the desert who worked with me on my gear over the years.

I would explain to him the sounds that I was looking for, and he would drop off hand-built guitars, varying from solid bodies with humbuckers to semi-hollow with humbuckers, and everything else in between. I have about five guitars now, all with different body mass.

From what we understand Mario, you have been jamming with your sons band Auto Modown. What can you tell us about the project and what kind of reaction has the project been getting locally?

ML: Playing with my kids is a dream come true. My son, Dino, is only 14, and the drummer Benny Macias is 16, but we have so much in common musically. I am trying to teach him the vibe of jamming and improvising right now and as we get that communication going, I think the music will really start to grow.

We have had a great response to the band. People are thinking: “Oh, how cute! He plays with his little boy in their little garage band,” and then we unleash fudgy nail bombs of rock power on their earholes! They soon realize it’s not so cute. The young lads truly rock. I’m just loving it so much.

There have been so many great bands to have come out of the desert scene. From an outsider’s point of view, there seems to be a special pool of talent in such a small area. What makes the desert so artistically unique?

GA: We were cut off from the rest of the world for a long time, as the desert is two hours away from Los Angeles, and the only thing between us was desert. We kind of developed our own world unaffected by trends and the flavour of the month. It was a close-knit group of friends that loved music and the sky was the limit as far as creativity.

ML: I’m not sure, but one theory I have is that like other small towns, the desert didn’t have much going on to influence young musicians, so everyone kind of had to do their own thing – remotely influenced by the outside world of punk, rock ‘n’ roll and other creative music scenes, but still “cut off” enough to brew in its own juices.

Mario, you were once part of a project called ‘Across The River’, which included Scott Reeder, and Alfredo Hernández. Are there any secret gems from this project locked away that could ever see the light of day?

ML: We recorded a live performance in 1985 at a generator party in Malibu. Originally, It was to be released by SST records, but nothing ever came of it. Maybe we will remix it someday and put it out on vinyl? That would be rad!

Finally, what is the secret to a long-lasting musical relationship?

GA: Yawning Man has always been based on childhood friendships. When we play its more like hanging out with friends rather than looking at it like a business or a job. Music should be a celebration of friends and expression.

ML: I could make some witty joke here and many come to mind, but there are enough sarcastic answers to rock ‘n’ roll interviews to fill the bible twice. So, I say: play for fun and friendship, and never take for granted all the great times you have spent making music, and sharing radness with your bros.

Interview: Serpentina Satelite

Interviews

The Peruvian experimental collective released their third offering, Mecanica Celeste, back in October. The Lima-based rockers describe their sound as: “a unique take on psychedelia, conceived by manipulating traditional religious songs, textual ideology and poetry.”

With this album, Serpentina Satelite has brought their psychedelic teachings into Europe, picking up new fans along the way. Rhythm guitarist and vocalist, Renato Gómez, took a break from his busy schedule to speak to us about their rising reputation.

For our readers who are not familiar with your work, how would you describe Serpentina Satelite?

RG: We tried to get to heaven, but [we] ended up in space.

Who were your biggest musical influences when you were growing up in Lima?

RG: The list is way too long. Perhaps the most relevant for all of us in the band are Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Ash Ra Tempel, Spacemen 3, Loop, My Bloody Valentine, Amon Duul II, Brian Eno, Kraftwerk, Acid Mothers Temple and Iron Maiden.

How did the production and mixing process differ between Mecanica Celeste and Nothing To Say?

RG: We have set more guitar and bass layers, more overdubs, as well as effects, keyboards, oscillations and what not. There is more use of vocals and text all through the record, and we did some recordings with a choir. The sound of it as a whole is a bit different: heavy and subtle, but more intricate. There are many messages within the songs for the listeners to find as well. This time we’ve tried to include a wider set of references.

Judging by the positive reaction to Mecanica Celeste, are you thinking about capitalising on the album’s success, by getting back into the studio to record a follow-up album?

RG: We would like to tour Europe sometime next year.

A longer version of ‘Sendero’ is yet to be released. Are there any plans to release the track? Maybe as a limited edition download, perhaps?

RG: ‘Sendero’ is just the beginning, or entrance, into a way longer trip called ‘Black Meditation’.

Staying on the subject of potential releases, have you got any plans to re-release your debut EP ‘Long Play’ for fans who are curious of how your early recordings compare to how you sound today?

RG: At the moment, there are other priorities. Personally, I think that what we are doing right now is much more interesting than what was going on back then. That EP, I see more like a demo tape than anything else.

Over the years, those songs changed dramatically when we played them live. Along the way, we’ve learned a lot more about studio production, too. Dolmo’s participation in the band changed our sound dramatically. In my opinion, he was like the missing piece to complete this radiant puzzle. Now both guitars tend to be lines of endless aural parapets, crossing each other back and forth.

How supportive have Rocket Recordings been in promoting you to a European audience?

RG: They’ve done a great job promo wise, as we are receiving reviews all over Europe. They work with great distributors as well. We couldn’t be happier.

Are there any home-grown Peruvian bands that you could recommend to our readers?

RG: Yes. Perhaps, the one band from Lima that has inspired us the most – and you should all be listening to – is ‘Hipnoascension’.

Interview: Doors To No Where

Interviews

Doors To No Where, hailing from Santa Cruz, California consists of guitarist and vocalist Marc Lewis, drummer Alex Ross and bass player Sean Sandford. They are members of the RRise family and count hardcore punk legend’s Bl’ast as friends. Doors To No Where is a band that is ready to take the world by storm.

How did the formation of the band come about and how did you guys meet?

Marc: Everything kind of fell into place. I had just moved back to the area of Santa Cruz. I knew I wanted to play music again. I really love writing my own music. I learned how to play the guitar being in a band so I knew for me to be happy I needed to be in a band. I thought about getting my old band Live Wire back together for a show or two, and there was even talk of a Fire Sermon reunion, but I really wanted something that was brand new.

I had done some work with drummer Alex Ross in a project called ‘King Nothing’. In my time away from Santa Cruz, I got lost and fell off the map. I had not talked to Alex for about a year. He probably thought I was crazy cause I just called out of the blue and said let’s play some music. The direct quote was: “You’re alive?”. Classic Alex, but it worked out perfectly.

We got in a room and just jammed. I booked a show at a local club. We had no songs, no bass player and no name, but it was a total kick start. It kind of helped create a local buzz about the band, like it was some sort of secret project. That’s when Sean came into the picture. I grew up with the guy, and I knew he played bass. I got his number and gave him a call. He showed up plugged in, cracked a beer open and just started ripping. Five weeks later we were on stage.

Who are your main influences?

ML: I have so many its not even funny. I grew up loving punk rock, bands like Bl’ast, The Germs, Black Flag, but I also love Led Zeppelin and AC/DC. I also listen to a lot of Kyuss and Megadeth. I am all over the map as far as my main influences are concerned.

I originally started as a drummer, but I have always loved the guitar. There is a Chili Peppers song called ‘I Could Have Lied’ on the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik. The solo on that song just pushed me over the edge. I wanted to do that. Just be able to melt faces with a guitar solo. John Frusciante is one of my favourite guitar players. I love bands and players that separate themselves from the pack.

You’ve described yourselves as: ‘Party Rock’ on your Facebook page. How do you feel about people drawing comparisons with you and other Californian desert rock bands?

ML: The ‘party rock’ thing is really just an inside joke with the band. We all love to party and have a good time! People who know me trip out a little on my music and lyrics. I’m not surprised we get lumped into the desert rock scene. I listen to that stuff, and we are friends with a lot of those bands. It’s not a bad category to be put in, I mean, any time you can be lumped with a giant like Kyuss, it’s got to be a good thing.

How does it feel to be part of the RRise family, alongside bands such as Bl’ast and Fu Manchu?

ML: RRise is our home. It’s by far the best merchandise company I have ever been involved with. It’s more like a family, plus they are legit – that company knows how to do it, and having Fu Manchu and Bl’ast on the roster is great. I love both of those bands. We are planning on doing a lot more with RRise.

What kind of reaction have you been getting in and around California?

ML: We have had some great shows. The crowds have not let us down and I hope we have not let them down. I take playing live very seriously. Music needs to be in the moment, live energy. Too many bands are worried about how cool they look that I think they forget what music is about.

How useful have websites such as Facebook and Myspace been in getting Doors To No Where to a wider audience?

ML: Social [media] sites make the world go round. It has been a great way to get our name out there and reach the fans, but I don’t want to be just another Myspace band. In a way, it takes away some of the magic.

I mean there is magic in getting in a crappy van with your bro’s with no money and hitting the road with nothing but your music to back you. The whole digital world can make this happen for a lot of bands. Your connections can be clicks away, but that can also help spread a lot of crap.

California has always seemed to have been a hotbed for rock and metal bands. What do you think the reasons for this are?

ML: I think it probably has a lot to do with L.A. and San Francisco. California is a very open state, very excepting of all sorts of art and music – it’s full of culture and personality, not to mention it’s the centre of the entertainment world.

Are there bands locally that you are currently influenced by, or could recommend?

ML: Vincent’s Ear just put out an album entitled: Earth to Space. It was produced by Kyuss bass player Scott Reeder and was recorded in Reeder’s studio. It’s a must-have. Dusted Angel is a force. My buddy Jared Hajduk (formally of the band Del Rio) has a yet-to-be-named project coming out soon that will be mind-blowing. Jared is such an exciting and dangerous guitar player, you never know what you’re gonna get.

Are there any plans to tour the rest of the US in the future? A joint tour with Gusto would be awesome!

ML: I’m with you on that one! Mike from Gusto and I will be playing together real soon. That’s a killer band, and I’m sure that when our next album comes out we will be doing some heavy support for it. I’m a huge believer in bringing it live. there are so many bands that can’t perform live, that is just not right to me. I really think music has gotten so far away from its roots: It should be about the music and my idea would be to have Gusto, and [for] us [to] hit the road, and a film crew to record it all, and see what comes of it.

On the subject of touring, are you eventually looking to one day bring Doors To No Where to the UK and the rest of Europe?

ML: I would love to, and when the time comes, we will be bringing are party anywhere we can! If we make it over there, you better be ready to have a beer! It seems like the UK and Europe are way ahead of the U.S when it comes to rock music. Orange Goblin and us… let’s do this!

You’ve released an EP entitled I’m Alive. Are there any plans to release a full-length album in the future?

ML: We sure did. We actually recorded I’m Alive about six months into the band’s life. The title track ‘I’m Alive’ was the first song written. For the most part, that whole disc is about getting back on the horse in a way. The past four years or so we were kind of lost in translation for me, but I’m back and I’m feeling good. I’m in a great place and surrounded by great people.

As for the future of the band, we just started tracking and writing new tunes. I’m so excited for the future. We will be hitting the studio in June and will be working on a full-length album. The band is ready and pumped. The new songs seem to have a new energy and a life of their own. I’m not sure I have ever have been so excited about my own music. I’m always my worst critic, but with these new songs, I’m just feeling like it’s the best stuff I’ve ever written.