Solace: The H.o.S Interview
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UD: The Scene Killer compilation was a great document of community solidarity--both from a genre and geographic standpoint. How important is this Jersey contingent of groove 'n doomers to fostering and sustaining what you're doing musically?
TS: Years ago we had one of the coolest music scenes around. I guess, from an outsider's point of view, it still seems that way. There are certainly a lot of great bands and great players around these parts, but somehow it seems to have splintered and become a different animal than it used to be. So really, the local scene here does nothing for me to help sustain what I do musically. I do this because I love it. I do it for me before anything or anyone else.
UD: Related to Scene Killer, you made contributions to that album in the form of Rotgut's three tracks. How did those songs and your involvement with the project come together? What are your thoughts on those tracks and Scene Killer as a whole?
TS: I think Scene Killer has it moments but I also think it could have been done even better--with a little more structured interplay between the musicians. I like the song we did. The edited things could have been cooler but it wasn't my deal. It was fun and stressful at the same time. I'd do it again, that's for sure, but maybe with a little more control of some things.
UD: I think the Rotgut tracks possess a slightly more psychedelic edge than what you do with Solace. Did you enjoy psych-ing things up a bit on that material? Is psych something you regularly crave to play? Are there any plans to do more Rotgut material?
TS: I love old heavy psych stuff from the 60's and 70's but I thought the Rotgut song itself was more punk rock than psych. I guess from the edited jam things you can hear some of that love of weird guitar sounds from early psych stuff but, overall, Rotgut was a punk rock band. Rotgut has actually transformed into a full-fledged band these days, just under a new name--Robot Dicks.
UD: On the subject of your projects outside Solace, there was a track called "Holy Mother Sunshine" on the MeteorCity sampler that came with the Atomic Bitchwax Spit Blood CD. That tune was credited to Slaprocket. I was curious, are Slaprocket and Gallery of Mites two seperate bands, or did you just make a name change on that project? I ask because I know the Gallery of Mites CD is scheduled to come out shortly, but I haven't heard Slaprocket mentioned in awhile.
TS: Two very different bands. Gallery of Mites is just something I was asked to play on. Gallery is really Jon and Tim's baby. SlapRocket was an actual band that I was in with Keith and Chris from Bitchwax, along with Shane from Nudeswirl. We recorded some stuff a long time ago, before Solace was even a band, and it never really got off the ground. The tapes were just lying around and Jadd had the idea to release it. So, 8 years later, it will finally see the light of day.
UD: What can people expect from the Gallery of Mites CD? Any curve balls being thrown stylistically?
TS: It's a crazy, messy mix of Stooges, MC5, early Stones--a punk rock 'n roll, good time party record that you should buy your kids for Christmas!
UD: With all the projects you have going, are there any people might not know about? If so, what are the band names and musical styles of those outfits?
TS: The only thing I have going on now other than Solace is the Robot Dicks thing. It has morphed from a total punk rock, get your ya ya's out kind of thing, to a serious project. We're taking those doom elements of Solace and fusing them with the Black Flag side of things. It's gonna flat out blast--BLAST!
UD: How did the Jersey Devils split Solace did with Solarized come about? What are your thoughts on those recordings now that some time has passed?
TS: Meteorcity set that up. I originally was trying to do the split with Goatsnake. When that didn't pan out, Meteorcity suggested Solarized. Being that both bands were from Jersey, Jersey Devils was born. My thoughts on the recordings are that I know we could do those songs better now. That is why we have redone two of those songs over the last two records. Song-wise, I think the songs are very good. We may even redo one more of them at some point or maybe remix it. It was a pretty limited release and we would like to let some people who have since discovered Solace have a chance to hear those old songs.
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