ANTIFOLKinterview |
May 1st 2003: |
Kimya: good morning brad Brad: Morning! Before we start is there anything that you wanna talk about or don't wanna talk about? Kimya: did you shower and eat breakfast? I do think that was a part of the deal. that we would both shower and eat breakfast. Brad: I took a bath and had chips and salsa Kimya: I even washed my hair (for the first time in 4 months) Kimya: that sounds good Brad: And some Easter candy Kimya: hmmm, I guess you can ask me anything. Brad: ok- you are working on some new songs right? for rough trade Kimya: I have some new songs, yeah. I am thinking of doing some recording with john flansburgh from they might be giants. he kindly offered his services to me. Kimya: I learned to bounce tracks on the four track Brad: how do you do that? Kimya: you recorded 3 tracks and then get the mix right and record them onto the fourth track and then you can use the first and second ones again Kimya: and record them onto the 3rd track and then record over the first and 2nd ones again Kimya: so I have been able to work out some fancier arrangements Kimya: it gets muddy though on the four track Kimya: so I have been making arrangements for the songs that way and I think I will have other people help me record them so they are clear. Kimya: it helps because I can only play one handed keyboard Kimya: so if I want a 2 handed keyboard part I have to use 2 tracks Brad: why can you only play one handed? Kimya: and before it could just be keyboard guitar and vocals if I did that Kimya: I took piano lessons when I was a kid and the only two handed song I got to was this one called the swan Kimya: whenever I put both hands on the keyboard at once everything I try to play ends up as the swan Brad: That's like me, I took a typing class and broke one of my hands, so I type with one hand Brad: What are the newer songs about>? Kimya: all different stuff Brad: like.... Kimya: I was kinda thinking that if they were all on one album it might seem kinda preachy but I have been really overwhelmed lately and have been using my songs to remind myself how to be Kimya: I am not telling other people how to be as much as I am telling me how to be Kimya: to keep my shit together Kimya: one is about my grandma Kimya: one is a love song Kimya: one is about peewee herman and michael jackson Kimya: one is about boats Kimya: some kinda war inspired ones Kimya: you know the usual Brad: Whats been overwhelming you lately? Kimya: well, I don't have a manager or a tour manager. and I have been playing a bunch of out of town shows. I am learning how to set everything up on my own. Kimya: yesterday I found out that I can't rent a car without a credit card Kimya: I thought I could use my debit card Kimya: so I spent all night trying to recruit fans to drive me city to city next week Kimya: I am going on a tour with the butchies that starts in minneapolis Brad: Is that Amy Ray? Kimya: plus I make all my own shirts Kimya: who? Kimya: I also burn copies of knock-knock who and my cute fiend..... Kimya: plus I have this handpainted tote bag business Kimya: and my parents are planning on selling the house Kimya: and my mom was diagnosed with 2 benign brain tumors Kimya: and my friend symenya died last month Kimya: just a lot going on Brad: you are starting to overwhelm me Brad: My mom is having a liver cancer scare right now Kimya: it is enough to make you wanna curl up in a ball and hide, right? Kimya: but I know how I get Brad: And my dad live in Hong Kong- big SARS scare over there, they give a mask when he goes to work Kimya: if I stop and let myself feel bad it might be hard for me to get going again Kimya: so I keep sooo busy and sometimes I get in over my head Brad: Feel good- ANti-up!! What were you like in the sixth grade? Mid-eights right? Kimya: I just sent a bag to a girl whose friend ordered it for her birthday which was last month Kimya: in 6th grade? Kimya: I was little and I was pretty scared Kimya: I had to have an 8th grade girl help me get the stuff out of the top of my locker Kimya: I don't really remember though Brad: I will fix most of the spelling and such Kimya: ok Kimya: older boys would pretend to have crushes on me because I would squirm Brad: that's not nice Brad: when was your first crush? Kimya: it's pretty funny because ira delone lee would say that sean had a crush on me and sean would turn red and I would just about die and then the next year I became good friends with sean's sister tina a Kimya: and I would go over to their house a lot Kimya: she is still one of my best friends so I see him a lot and just kinda giggle about how retarded we were Kimya: he has a daughter who is almost as tall as me Brad: whoa Kimya: she will be in 6th grade next year Kimya: it's funny Kimya: but sad too Kimya: the daughter is named after their big sister who died that year Kimya: even though I didn't know her my whole middle school and high school experience was affected by her death Brad: because you were friends with tina? Kimya: yeah Kimya: my grandpa and my dog and my great grandma and a 9 month old that came to our day care all died around that time too Kimya: I was really sensitive Kimya: and I kinda fell apart Brad: Me and my pal Ben say that the neighborhood that I grew up in is cursed cause about ten people around our age that grew up their died early. two of whom I considered my best friends at one time Kimya: how old were you? Kimya: brad? Brad: I was 20 when Roger got run over by an 18 wheeler, and 26 when bill's motorcycle hit a car, but lots of kids died earlier, Nathan hung himself by accident when I was 16 and so on Kimya: my goodness. tina's sister was hit by a train. Kimya: and the little baby daniel was killed in a car accident Brad: Roger was hitchhiking, and they found him 3 months after it happened Kimya: holy crap Brad: I knew since I was 2 Brad: knew him Brad: where are your parents going and what are you gunna do? Kimya: you'd think that each death could be death with individually, but everytime someone dies it just adds on to the pile and brings up emotions from every other time Brad: true! Kimya: symenya was neighbor from when we were kids Brad: Vanessa has never known anyone who has died Kimya: she was diagnosed with cancer a couple months ago and died 3 weeks after she was diagnosed Brad: sheeees\ Kimya: my age Kimya: she was the one who would spend 6 hours at a time braiding my hair for me in high school Kimya: I had long milli vanilli braids down past my butt Brad: me too Brad: jk Kimya: haha! I bet you did! Brad: I had pig-tails Kimya: oh yeah, I am not morbid all the time, but when people get sick it brings up those same feeling for me almost as when someone dies Kimya: but almost worse because when they die they die Kimya: the anticipation and fear are too fucking much Brad: that reminds me of... Kimya: when they are sick Kimya: of...... Kimya: hmmm Brad: my grandmother was born two months pre mature, which in those days was a death sentence, the doctors told her mom not to let her cry, after about a week... Kimya: and the war doesn't help relax me any Brad: she wouldn't stop cryin' and her mom said, "if she dies, she dies, I can't stop the crying Kimya: my across the street neighbor chichi just had a baby 2 1/2 months early Kimya: 2 lbs Brad: wow... Brad: what has been the happiest time lately? (I lost Like Three Lines of the Interview here- Talking about the Daniel Johnston Tour. I am sooo lame.) Kimya: and we got to stay on a dairy farm in vermont! Brad: with cows... Kimya: there are pics from that trip on my website Kimya: they are all from the farm none from the shows Kimya: and we spent a couple days with john from important records Kimya: he is really a good good person Brad: good good people are the best Kimya: he is going to put out knock-knock who and my cute fiend as a double cd Kimya: we are going to manufacture it inexpensively so it can be sold for the price of a single cd Kimya: and I will do a painting for the cover and the insert will be a picture book! Brad: I am trying to work on a sticker design for my site Kimya: he is into doing special limited runs of things too so maybe we'll do a hundred that come with a puppet or something Kimya: oh that is cool Kimya: i'd put stickers for this site on my stuff Kimya: for some reason stickers fall off my guitar case Brad: I have covered my guitar in stickers Kimya: the only one that has survived my adventures is the purple organ one Brad: that is on my guitar Kimya: daniel johnston was going to draw on my guitar but we both forgot Kimya: next time Brad: doug just got email Kimya: from you? Brad: an email address Kimya: or you mean an email account Kimya: oh yeah Brad: yep Kimya: I got an email from him this morning Kimya: he wants to buy a painting of a baby cow I did Kimya: called "gulden scours" Kimya: I showed paintings at galapagos the other night at the unicornsounds cd release party Brad: he is doing a mad libs for me, I heard that was really cool Brad: unicornsounds rocks Kimya: it was great, I was exhausted though Brad: Simple rules Kimya: yeah toby is doing good things Kimya: simple is a very amazing man Brad: Do you like hangin with kids? Kimya: yeah Kimya: especially my nephew skyler Kimya: he is sooooo cool Brad: baby of the summer Kimya: he is so silly and smart Kimya: yup Kimya: this is the first nice weather since he learned to walk and it is so crazy how much he loves to be outside Kimya: when he gets brought back in the house he screams at the top of his lungs Kimya: he also likes making faces at himself in the mirror and dancing and singing and playing music Kimya: he makes really funny tuff guy faces Kimya: it's extra funny because he is so tiny Kimya: just this little 20 pound human Kimya: and he already cracks himself up Kimya: I was watching some of the stuff at punkcast.com with him the other day Kimya: he really liked tv smith Kimya: and diane cluck Brad: diane is way cool Kimya: he was singing along and trying to strum their guitars! Kimya: diane is very very cool Kimya: I don't know if you remember my krisbee interview from fall but I said my dream show would be to play with daniel johnston and the danielson famile Brad: I remember Brad: he is in NC now Kimya: I have played with both, but diane gets to play a show with daniel johnston and brother danielson together at a church in pennsylvania Kimya: I am a little jealous! Kimya: that is going to be AMAZING Kimya: the 3 of them are so intense and so inspiring! Brad: I don't know of the danielson famile Kimya: holy crap brad! http://www.danielsonfamile.com Brad: hey I am so out of the loop Kimya: they aren't a part of antifolk Brad: I barely know antifolk Kimya: some brothers and sisters and their spouses from new jersey good christians with weir weird good music Kimya: they dress like nurses Kimya: the songs are so good Brad: are they your favorite band? Kimya: they are one of my favorite bands to watch Brad: who else Kimya: they are so tight Kimya: and they have dance moves Kimya: when brother danielson plays solo he plays inside a giant felt tree he and his wife elin made Kimya: in december the europe antifolk tour crossed paths with the secretly canadian tour and we played a show together in belgium Kimya: it was me, toby, jeff lewis with jack and anders (sort of), daniel, scout niblett and june panic Kimya: it was sort of a round robin kind of thing we took turns playing 15 minute sets Kimya: we each did a couple sets Kimya: it was a tiny bar and daniel was in this great big tree Kimya: totally surreal Kimya: we each did a couple sets Kimya: it was a tiny bar and daniel was in this great big tree Kimya: totally surreal Brad: what are your fave bands? Kimya: moments like that all I can think is "I am doing exactly what I want to be doing and it's funny that I never could've predicted that this is what I wanted to be doing" Kimya: favorite bands Kimya: yikes Kimya: I like so much stuff a lot Kimya: everyday something different is a favorite Kimya: and old favorites always swing back around Brad: that is a very diplomatic answer Kimya: on the bus back from boston the other day right around dusk I listened to brian piltin's old 6 song cd Brad: I haven't heard it Kimya: (dusk on a greyhound is the most nostalgia inducing place in the world) Kimya: and I cried and cried all the way from providence to new haven Kimya: I like those songs so much that I used to want to impress brian real bad Brad: New Haven- blah- Those Yale peeps didn't let me in their grad school Kimya: that's why I started writing songs on my own Kimya: brian gave me a guitar and told me to write solo songs Kimya: so I did because his songs floored me Brad: wasn't he in the moldy peaches at one time? Kimya: he was our bassist for awhile Kimya: sucked at bass though Kimya: much better at guitar and his own thing Kimya: I am super into bright eyes these days Kimya: I think he writes really good lyrics Brad: Bright eyes? Kimya: I like the way he plays with words Kimya: yeah Brad: who is that? Kimya: this kid conor oberst from omaha Kimya: he has different band set ups on different tours but he has a crapload of albums Brad: I am soooo outta the loop, losin' all my music cred Kimya: you should get his new album Brad: I am still catchin up with the cds I have Kimya: go to the store and say...do you have this bright eyes I hear about? the new album lifted...and the album letting go the happiness are my favorites Kimya: you can hear his emotional progress if you listen to the old albums first Kimya: you hear him growing up Brad: I go there and say- hey you need more anti Kimya: I feel like he makes words dance Kimya: appreciates language and wordplay Brad: how do you feel about your songs? Kimya: in what way Kimya: ? Brad: do you like em? how do you see em? Kimya: well yesterday I was telling this little kid matthew that his name starts with an m and has ts in the middle and timmy's name starts with a t and has ms in the middle. Kimya: I don't know why I was thinking about that. Kimya: and my mother said that I have broken words down and looked at their pieces and sounds since I learned to talk Kimya: I love words Brad: What is the biggest secret that you didn't keep? Kimya: my point is that I like putting words together in ways that kinda boggle my mind Brad: ahhh Kimya: I like my songs because in each one I am challenging myself Kimya: there are things that are such tiny details I wouldn't want anyone to know about Kimya: the things that make me excited Kimya: like certain letters in certain syllables...... Kimya: oy vey Kimya: biggest secret? Brad: yep- that you didn't keep Kimya: my neighbor elizabeth's dog got hit by the garbage truck when we were kids and her parents told her that he choked on a chicken bone Kimya: I was never sure why because the truck was probably fairly quick Kimya: she was bugging me one day and I told her how he really died Kimya: she didn't believe me Kimya: but she asked her parents and they told her Kimya: and I told some kids once that one of our friends had a bedwetting problem Brad: roofless Kimya: when my parents explained to me that it was a medical condition I felt really bad Kimya: sometime I had that problem of being mean to seem cool because I was so small and I didn't always want to be picked on Kimya: so I would victimize other kids Kimya: it sucks Kimya: that I was like that Brad: I was very naive myself Brad: not cool at all Kimya: are these the furious 5 questions? should I have briefer answers? Brad: These aren't them- they are later Kimya: oh ok Kimya: can I tell you something cool that happened? Brad: yes Kimya: there is a daniel johnston tribute album being made that me and jeff lewis and the trachtenburgs are going to be on and I was in the car with daniel when he heard jeff's cover for the first time Brad: jeff rules Kimya: he started clapping and saying "oh yes very good. that is very good!" Kimya: I was so happy because jeff is who got me into daniel and it is so cool when admiration is reciprocated! Brad: that is way cool Brad: When are the moldy peaches going to play again, and do you think it'll be the full band? Kimya: daniel kept saying to me "you write very good songs kimmie, but if you talk about that fart machine onstage it will ruin your career." Brad: fart machine? Kimya: you put a little turd in a plastic soda bottle and but duct tape over the opening and poke holes in the duct tape and put it in a paper bag. Kimya: then you squeeze it towards people and a smelly fart smell comes out! Kimya: voila! Brad: ahhhh Kimya: my friend matt rouse, from the titanium heart stuff) invented it Kimya: I was telling daniel about it but he wasn't impressed Kimya: he doesn't like farts Kimya: don farted in the car and dan got mad Kimya: but dan is a burping machine Kimya: I guess some gasses are better than others to some people Brad: some guys at work have been farting and calling it shock and awe Brad: me I don't know because I have no sence of smell Kimya: I can't get the phrase toxic shock and awe out of my head Kimya: the only moldy peaches song that didn't make an album was called toxic shock Brad: I can't get a camper van beethoven song out of mine Kimya: "played with fire broken glass death by tampon what an ass" Kimya: adam remembers the rest Kimya: I thought it was pretty good Brad: so, When are the moldy peaches going to play again, and do you think it'll be the full band? Kimya: sometimes I make adam sing it to me Kimya: um....I guess when we all burn out on doing our own stuff Kimya: we didn't plan a reunion tour, we'll just see what happens Brad: do you like performing better solo or with a band Kimya: maybe I should say "when pigs fly" Kimya: then we can have the pigs flying tour Kimya: like the eagle hell freezes over tour Brad: make it shit flies and you got yourself a show Kimya: we will all sit in a row on the stage on stools with our guitars and the wicked harmonies that develop as young rebels age into handsome old men Brad: Tony hightower- "does anyone here recognize a rebel?" Kimya: have you talked to him lately? Brad: yes Kimya: is that damn book done yet? Brad: I don't think so- he is going to toronto to do his album though Kimya: where I come from we call him tony hightiger Kimya: I like tony Brad: I want to hear his demos Kimya: we actually started to write a song about him once Brad: A single angry word was one of my two fave songs in 2000 Kimya: "hey kimya, it's tony, i'm just calling to say hey i'm jerking off to you" Brad: really Kimya: it had dance moves too Brad: hahhaah Kimya: we did it on a radio show in england....it went into a bad cover of love will tear us apart Brad: so was it obvious that steve e. had a crush on you? Kimya: eek! Kimya: how did you know?! Brad: he told me Kimya: oh, okay Kimya: well he told people he did Brad: so it was not obvious Kimya: one night lach and anu were like "we know someone who loves you" Kimya: it was kind of obvious but people never really liked me liked me so I wasn't sure Kimya: then when he played me the song he wrote....that's when I really knew Brad: which song? Kimya: he played it for me over the phone Kimya: you should ask him about it Kimya: he doesn't perform it Brad: I will- I like him a lot Kimya: he is nice Kimya: I just didn't like him in that way Kimya: his crush was too intense Brad: He took Madd (Patter) and I out while for lunch I was in NYC last year Kimya: it freaked me out Brad: really Kimya: he is a good person Kimya: I am not good at people things sometimes Kimya: that is why I stay home so much Brad: Is there anyone that I need to put on my site? Brad: that is not there Kimya: rachel lipson isn't there is she? Brad: nope, I don't know her Kimya: she is jeff's ladyfriend Kimya: she has a really beautiful album Brad: ahhh Kimya: also danny kelly Brad: I am working on getting him Brad: and karen Kimya: and knot pinebox Kimya: yeah Kimya: I mention them on my diary and have no links to them Kimya: simple too Kimya: he needs a page Brad: I have pages started for em, but need more stuff to finish em Kimya: and double deuce Brad: I told him that on my b-day Kimya: and huggabroomstick Brad: yep , yep, and paleface Kimya: I am not around so much anymore so I don't know a lot of the new people Kimya: oh yeah paleface, what a clown Brad: cool- Do you have any questions for me? Kimya: I meant that in a good way Kimya: paleface is one of my favorite people Brad: Paleface is way cool!! Kimya: also patsy grace Kimya: they both start with PA and end with ACE Brad: I need a new copy of crazy like an ambush Brad: I wore it out Brad: Do you have any questions for me? Kimya: I am having a bbq at my house on may 11th from noon til 6 (pre fishbone concert/ mother's day party) Kimya: patsy and grey and julian might make it Brad: Julian rules Kimya: that is exciting because they used to have nice dinner parties and bbqs at their old place in brooklyn Kimya: where they had a backyard Brad: I had a bbq last week in my new house- mad brought the food Kimya: my car got towed from in front of the birthing center when patsy was in labor Brad: Mad might go with me to see you in Chapel hill Kimya: cool Kimya: I am excited to go down there Brad: really? Kimya: hopefully I will get to see my cousin alex Kimya: she goes to duke Brad: at duke? Kimya: and my good friend kristine lives in raleigh Brad: Mad and I used to room together in raliegh Brad: Do you have any question for me? Kimya: I tried to convince toby to go with me for a couple days but he is playing at artland that sunday Kimya: questions for brad? Brad: if any? Kimya: I am not sure Brad: It would be rad to see toby again Kimya: when I told him you were going to be at the show he was psyched but when I told him how long of a trip it is on the bus he realized he couldn't do it Brad: ok - then lets do the fast five. Kimya: okay Brad: what is your fave cartoon of alltime? Kimya: ugh I am bad at favorites brad Brad: be good Brad: that is what I always say and now I say anti-up too Kimya: okay......uh......fat albert........ Kimya: maybe Kimya: or tenchi in tokyo Brad: What is the best thing you have ever done? Kimya: learned to be honest Brad: what are the best names for a baby? Kimya: are you having a baby?! Brad: maybe next year Brad: I hold vanessa off by saying it must be named lach Kimya: ooh um Brad: Lach Hatcher Willis Kimya: I am not so sure about that Kimya: I like calamity Kimya: calamity bruce willis if it's a girl Brad: I like bradley if it is girl Kimya: wachoo talkin bout willis if it's a boy Kimya: I like talulah Brad: ahahahahah Brad: how did you first hear of antifolk? Kimya: from adam who heard about it from a beck book or something Brad: What is your fave pair of shoes? Kimya: these red boots I got at the bass outlet are the shit. I have real flat feet and I wear orthotics and have had pretty constant foot pain since I was born but not with these shoes! Brad: last one- Kimya: alright Brad: If you had to leave stuff for a time vault what would it be? Kimya: antifolk vol. 1 and unicornsounds comps and my four track and the master tapes of my stuff and adam's stuff, and the stuff we did together, and some old slides from when I was a kid and some paintings Kimya: arty stuff.....personal stuff Kimya: that is what explains what the times were like more than the technology.....how people were affected Kimya: I hope that is what people in the future really want to know Brad: get em! Thank you for doing this thingee I hope that it was fun for ya! Brad: I will most likely put it up somewhere between a week and a week and a hal from now Kimya: it was brad. i'm always psyched when you log onto messenger. you are a good egg. Kimya: okay....see you soon! Brad: you be good!!!! See ya soon!!! Kimya: bye! Brad: Bye kimya has left the chat room. |
The Kimya DawsonInterview |
