I recently had a chance to "sit down" with Nate Reed the Ace of Bass, and default spokesman (that's what you get for being articulate) for the Mooseknuckles and "aks" him some questions about the band and whatever else came up. Read what Nate has to say he is smart and insightful.
Guy: First off lets talk about the your record Next Stop Perkins!. It is exponentially better than the first e.p. which I understand you guys pretend doesn't exist. How do you feel the record was/is being recieved and is the response living up to yours and the bands expectations?
Nate: There is no e.p., but yea, we all are fairly pleased with how the record came out. A few complaints here and there popped up, but that's because we had minimal say in the mixing. Anyways, we knew it'd do well in Kane, and we haven't been disappointed so far. What we're all really excited about is Next Stop Perkins will be distributed by our good friends at Radio Eat Radio Records.
Guy: That has to feel like a huge break for you guys with a chance to get some attention and your name out there how did this come about and where can people go to get the record?
Nate: Our good friend Mike Billups, drummer for Darling Articles, runs Radio Eat Radio Records, so when asked if he would be able to add it to his distribution store. He's a fan of the record, so he hooked it up. It should be available on www.radioeatradio.com any day now (Ed.'s Note: I checked it today Jan 29 it is available for 8.00 postage paid in U.S.)
Guy:Now that the band has more than a year under its belt and two releases, how do you feel the group is growing and what can we expect from The Mooseknuckles in the future?
Nate: Where do you get this 2 releases stuff? But we've made a great deal of progress musically, branching out into other genre's, such as reggae and metal-ish stuff (Stevie may not admit it, but he's got a finger tapping demon deep down in him somewhere just waiting to be unleashed). Ideally we'd like to record a new record this summer, and it's going to be completely different from the last one, so watch out. Most of the new songs have been received well when played live however, so that's always a good sign.
Guy: You mentioned the next record will be different from Next Stop Perkins! In what ways can we expect the changes? And is there any truth to the rumor that I wrote the lyrics to one of the songs on the upcoming album?
Nate: We felt that a few of the songs on that record got boring quickly. The new songs typically have fewer chords, but they don't get old. There's also alot less punk, more reggae, catchy pop, and even a 6 minute epic. Numb thumb will be a treat for the ears, and that's all i'm allowed to say about it.
Guy: What is your perception of the scene in Kane? It seems to me alot of the younger kids are really into you guys and starting bands and coming to all the shows buying merch from the bands. Do you think the kids will keep it up and strong? Can we expect some other Kane bands to follow your lead and put on shows make records and stuff?
Nate: We've already had other bands start setting up shows in Kane, so that's a good sign. But it's good to see other bands starting up and playing shows. It's alot of work, so it's admirable that they're still going at it. If it wasn't for Kane scene I'm sure we wouldn't still be a band. It's great that all the kids come out and spend their lunch money on something from us; it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. But the best part is playing shows in Kane and having everyone be really into it.
Guy: What can we expect from The Mooseknuckles in 2004?
Nate: We're working with Mike from Giving Chase to set up a summer tour, so that should be...interesting. Again, we're aiming for a new record this summer also, tentitively titled by Chuck "Big Ian's Ghetto Beats" in honor of his former roommate. Finally The Mooseknuckles hit the big time with our own domain name: www.the-mooseknuckles.com. Bill is currently working on it, but it'll be at least a few months before it's up. Keep looking for it though
Guy: What are some of your favorite band related mometns?
Nate:The trip to, and the show in WV. That was the best response we've gotten to a show outside of Kane.
Guy:Any interesting dirt you can give us about anyone in the band (Habits, sayings, anything)?
Nate: Everyone who's anyone already knows the Chuck stories, which have reached mythic proportions. And Bill at least used to shave his armpits, which was kinda hot. I think that's about it.
Guy:Thank you Nate for taking the time to do this interview.
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