By Brian Miller, June 1999
With all the musicians available across this vast planet, you'd think maybe one or two would actually have a huge impact on your listening experience. I'm talking about a musician that makes you think, listen, want more, want less, and basically have an explosion of emotion. I think I may
have found that one particular musician, Trey Spruance.
Spruance, most commonly recognized as the guitarist for the great Mr. Bungle, is not only
involved in that band, but heavily participates in two other bands and still has the time
to produce his own solo works! Each of his projects, Mr. Bungle, Faxed Head, and Secret
Chiefs 3 have different styles, feelings, and impacts. His ability to choose certain
sounds at certain points within a song is indescribable. His musicianship is an
experience, and his works need to be heard to fully understand the impact of his music.
Recently I was given the opportunity to have a brief conversation with Spruance about
music, life, the latest Mr. Bungle album, and some other odds and ends.
First off, congrats on an awesome career, I have been a huge fan for quite some
time now...
What made you decided to follow a career in music?
And what did you initially plan on doing with your music, since each of your
projects are so different from each other?
I know that in a majority of your projects (Bungle, SC3, Faxed Head) you have a
big say with what goes in the music. What was that like as compared to working
collectively or even not being able to contribute when you were in Faith No More? Were
they easy to work with?
Since I knew it was a Job, it was easy. And they were fine to work with.
Because honestly, I think that King for a day... was probably FNM's best album,
both creatively and musically
Out of the literally hundreds of musicians you've worked with over the years,
who do you get along with the most out of all your projects?
Why is Trevor Dunn the most underrated bassist ever?
How do you get the ideas for your music? I know you are an accomplished
guitarist/trumpeter/pianist, so I see there are huge possibilities for ideas, but is there
one group or person that you can always fall back on for whatever?
About the new album? Where are you going with Bungle?
Is there gonna be major touring for the new album, maybe even Colorado?
Where do you see the group now as compared to something a little more
rough from years ago, like 'The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny' (Mr.
Bungle's first release, circa 1986.)?
Whats your most favorite/least favorite thing about touring?
What is your alltime favorite Bungle/SC3/Faxed Head song?
Favorite other bands?
I know you probably get asked this all the time, but what's the deal with Mike
Patton? Is he really as nuts as he seems?
Ok, to keep things interesting here are some random questions that I though
might be useful someday, but probably not. Be prepared...
What's your favorite color?
Food?
Weekend activity?
Jazz musician?
Cologne?
Here's one, your favorite mask worn on tour? (Mr. Bungle is notorious for
wearing masks to hide their identity while performing live.)
Finally, since this interview is for musicians and music lovers in the local
scene as well, What advice can you give for the young musicians out here in Colorado? Any
do's or don'ts?
Wow. That was fantastic. Well, I think I'm just about finished
Thanks! I guess having fans means there is a career buried beneath all this
madness somewhere. I never really thought about it that way.
When I was 13 I had to face a serious decision. I was giving equal time to three
things, and decided that I'd better concentrate on just one. They were a) designing video
games on my TRS-80, b) Akido Karate, and c) playing the guitar. Devo pushed me over the
edge into music at that time.
I wanted to have an impact, create an impression the way Stravinsky, Slayer, and
Mingus did for me when I was 17, and the way Bernard Parmegiani, Meshuggah and Fanfare
Ciocarlia do for me now (29 years old). Music can and should be powerful, motivating; at
least MOVING in some way. You can't just do the same thing over and over and expect that
experience to
come to you or an audience again and again. It needs to be nurtured within. You need to
grow all the time in order to have the capacity to receive a fresh influx, and then
develop new skills to convey it.
It had some moments for sure. I don't think those moments are necessarily
Guitar-Related, however.
Either Danny Heifetz, Bar, (Both of Mr. Bungle) or Eyvind Kang. It's a toss up.
If there's anything that I'm truly lucky for in this world, it's being able to work with
those guys.
Trevor is pretty well respected, actually. He's a gigging monster in New York
and San Francisco. His star is definitely rising, as is his price! He is a fucking nut
beneath it all, though, and a super nice person.
No, it's always changing. I think I get my inspiration more from worldviews than
from actual music. Like today, I watched "the Sacrifice" by Tarkovsky. I can
appreciate the mood, hopelessness and truth of a film like that, and reflect it's essence
later musically. It's the struggle between the world-weary and bitter cynic in me, and the
naive idiot who can always move mountains. That struggle is very pregnant in creative
terms. It's terrible in life, though.
On tour. A long one.
Yeah, you got fucked last time, huh? We'll make amends!!
About the same, but with better mikes and around a hundred more channels! And 14
hired musicians!!
Favorite: Seeing the world, of course. This time around I'll have a good set up
for portable recording. Least favorite: Not having time to do anything but shit out music
like a cyborg. And then the all day-long blue-collar labor that goes into a one-to-two
hour music fiasco, then starting it all again the following day.
Hmmm... Bungle, Desert Search (For Techno Allah) or Violenza
Domestica. SC3, White as They Come. Faxed Head, Don't Turn Out
Like Me or 'Time To Re-tire.
Not really into any bands at the moment, but I AM going to see Meshuggah soon.
Fuck no. He's about as straight arrow as they get. But people want him to be
crazy, so they project it. He DOES deal with all kinds of situations that are strange
because people already THINK he's so weird in the first place - THEY act weird - I think
that's why he seems "crazy" to them.
Oh shit.
Green.
Poop. Oh wait, you said food...
Recording the SC3. Jeez, what a great and dynamic life I have.
I hate Jazz (no joke). But I like Sun Ra and Mingus, Dolphy, Ayler, sometimes
Monk. There's quite a bit of good stuff I guess. Maybe it's that I especially hate the
"new" jazz. And I am allowed to.
I like the one in Germany.
The one I havent worn yet and never will.
Care only about the music. Do your best to get the business end happening, and
make all your connections and such, but don't rely on any of it. Really, you are a
musician, and that means that even if you somehow get everything you want it will all
eventually get shit-upon by some rat-fucker. You'd BETTER be into it for the love of it, because most of
the time that's all there is.the time that's all there is. But do your best to not take any shit, either. Forget artist sensitivity issues for a moment, many of the industry people I've met don't even really have aclue how to run a business. They're just enjoying the jerk-off ride for a couple of years.
Try to avoid letting people like that have power over you. And if they DO get you in a
fucked position (they will), you must never let them spoil what you do, what's in your
heart! That's what they are after; what they are inherently jealous of. Learn the business
end as best you can, or hire somebody who's really good at it. Though it shouldnt
be, it's a fucking WAR out there.
Hey, wait a minute - did I say "fuck" enough in this interview yet?
fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck
fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck
fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuckfuck fuck. There, that's better.