My interview with Mudd co-owner/founder of Long Beach Records. He has also appeared in Falling Idols, Pivot Foots, Del Noah, Busface, Gluefactory, Corn Doggy Dog and the 1/2 Pound, 3rd Alley and Live@subs.
So what first got you in interested in music? My Dad was a drummer back in Detroit. He mostly just jammed at a local bar, and stopped playing by the time he moved to California. He still liked the idea though, so when my older brother showed interest in drums he bought us a set, and set it up in the garage. I got more interested when me and friends discovered punk rock. Since I had a drum set I was destined to be a drummer.
What bands and artists did you follow when you were growing up? By middle school I was mostly into David Bowie, Jimmi Hendrix, Niel Young, and Pink Floyd. The summer between junior high, and high school I was up in San Francisco at a friends house. He took me to a Dead Kennedy show. We were 15 but convinced the door guy we were older, and got in. After that I got into local punk bands (Rhino 39, Secret Hate, Crewd, Descendants), and west coast bands like DOA, Dead Kennedys, No Alternative, Germs, Plugs, Circle Jerks, Rik L. Rik. I also got into old school NY punk like Johnny Thunders, Dead Boys, Patti Smith, Jim Carol, etc, and UK bands like the Damned, Stiff Little Fingers, 999, Sex Pistols, etc.
What bands/artists influance you? Same as above, but also including MC 5, Bubble Puppy, Steppenwolf, Elvis Costello, etc. But mostly, and most significantly local bands, and the tastes of guys that I have played in bands. Guys like Blair and Brent of the Pivot Foots, and Mike Davis of Gluefactory opened up musical doors that otherwise I would have overlooked. Currently Mike Happoldt and Mike Long of Perro Bravo have me listening to a lot of cool stuff, and continuing to add to my influences.
What are some of the bands and projects that you have played in? Drums: Falling Idols, Pivot Foots, Del Noah, Busface, Gluefactory, Corn Doggy Dog and the 1/2 Pound, 3rd Alley, Live@subs, etc. I also have got to play some guitar with Live@subs, and Ken the All Night Rocker and the Wild Eyed Southern Boys. Recently I got to play bass with Part One Tribe. Very cool to record a couple of songs with those guys. Great band.
How did Long Beach Records get started? Mike Happoldt of Skunk/Sublime had me as a consultant on Stand By Your Van. I didn't really feel that I did much, so I wanted to put the money back into Skunk. Mike thought it best if I had a separate label, and we worked closely, so that he would not have to be personally involved in every band I wanted to add to the label. My first release was Das Klown's Antidote. It is a hard core punk album, and not really what Mike was doing with Skunk at the time, so it made sense to keep the labels separate, but closely linked.
Has there been alot of struggles along the way? Yeah of course. If there isn't then at the end of your life, you have not really lived. Life is a series of peeks and valleys. Flat lining is where I will be at the end.
How did the Australia and Europe divisions get started? Just meeting cool dudes like Gernot Krebs in Germany, and Simon "Sub" Michaelski in Australia. I have always loved to travel. It reinforces the fact that I too live in a bitchen part of the world. Gernot was in a band Mongrel. He sent me his cd and it was great. Same with Sub, and Live@subs. Once I got to know those guys, and their bands, we decided to go global.
Whats the process like when you choose to put a band on the label? I like them as people, and I like what they are doing musically. LBR is a DIY label. We rarely know what the band is going to do until they send us what they did.
What do you think of the Reggae/Punk/Cali music scene lately? It is really cool. I like where it is going. I think it started in the punk era for me with bands like Secret Hate, DOA, and the Plugz throwing in an occasional reggae song with political messages, and frustrated youth style lyrics. Sublime turned that into a west coast style that influenced a lot of bands. I like where a lot of the bands like the Expendables are adding to that with the double lead attack that at times reminds me of Iron Madden. Great stuff. Live@subs is adding Australian flavor, and some Hendrix style blues. Not really into the bands that take it to the pot and chicks lyrics only thing. That does not help me think, but almost encourages me not to.
What advice do you have for just starting up musicians? Build on what you hear. Write lyrics that are universal, and make your listener think. Play beyond your abilities. A lot of my favorite bands struggled to play their own songs live. I respect that. That says to me that their mind was a head of their fingers.
Should we be on the look out for some new stuff coming out? Always. Part One Tribe has some new stuff that is currently being previewed as a prerelease on lastfm.com. I am playing in a band called River Jetty that hopes to be in the studio soon. Look for Perro Bravo with Miguel Happoldt in a Costa Rican town near you in December.
Anything you want to say to the peoples/fans out there? Think for yourself. Don't just accept anyone's interpretations of books, events, etc. Enjoy a diverse world, and people with other opinions. Thank you for enjoying or hating what we do at LBR. We are just glad you know who we are. Have fun, live is to short not to.
Check out the Long Beach Records Website right here
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