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BANDS: Punk
& Ska INTERESTS: Venues ETC... About LOTD
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For over two years, Steven MacLauchlan has been a presence in the Lynchburg, VA music scene, balancing management of the label he co-founded, PA Records, with his role in the band, Born With a Tail. After a lineup change and a big summer tour, the band has made some interesting changes to their sound that will be shown off on their soon to be released EP. Steven talks to LOTD about all this and more... LOTD: You guys just did your biggest tour ever this summer with the K Word. How did it go? Any high points, low points or memorable shows? Steven: It was amazing. The K Word are the greatest guys in the world. The beginning of the tour was one long low point it seems. Lots of shows fell through, some of the shows were pretty bad but by the end it was going great. We were all sad to go home. I think a good memory is the show we played in Ithaca, New York. It was in some house we had been staying at for a few days, and about three hours before the show, sewage filled up the basement. I mean real sewage, not just water. It was thick and chunky like some sort of grotesque beef stew. So we got pretty bummed thinking the show would be cancelled, but the resourceful kids of the house cleaned it all up, got the show going on time, and it wound up being one of the best shows we played all tour. Good job Ithaca. It was also amazing getting a chance to play in Canada with Jets to Brazil. In Canada, milk comes in bags, and Canadian Corn Pops are different than they are here. LOTD: You all seem to tour the region constantly. For an independent band, BWaT seems to have no trouble booking shows. Whats your secret? Steven: Mafia connections. Jared handles all the booking, and he spends a lot of time with it. Our other method is threatening people. We tell them to get us a show, or we will kill their family. It usually works out. LOTD: With all the shows you play, is it safe to say that you are more comfortable on a stage than in the studio? Steven: I think thats about right. Weve done all of our recordings ourselves so there hasnt been a lot of pressure on us, but it still always seems like we just get burnt out really fast. Not to say we hate recording but I think we all definitely like playing live a lot more. When we record we do everything in a sandbox. Youd think thatd be fun, but it really gets to be a pain. But Brian wont have it any other way. Jeez, I hope people get that joke, or else Ill sound like a jackass. LOTD: You guys are about to release a new EP, Clown Funeral. What can we expect from this EP in relation to previous releases? More or less instrumentals than The Gravest Suspicion? And the overall sound? Steven: On Clown Funeral, only two of the six songs are instrumental. I think its quite a bit different from TGS the songs are a bit catchier and less jagged. Also we let Adam Baber from the K Word mix it down, and do some crazy little effects. Normally we just present the songs in a pretty straightforward manner, so this will be a little different. Also we put in lots of backwards messages like Catherine Nicholas eats babies. LOTD: Ill be sure to listen for that message when I get a copy. Its been awhile since your last release. When exactly were the songs on Clown Funeral written and recorded? Before or after Justin left and Chris joined?
Steven: They were written between the release of TGS, and Justin leaving the band. They were recorded in like.. May of this year? Or April - sometime in the spring. I cant remember. It was pretty cold at night; I slept in the van and had a really bad cold. Recording the album was sort of Justins last shindig with the fellas, so it was a pretty good experience, and a tiny bit sad at the same time. LOTD: I heard you guys have a few interesting side projects in the works. Tell me a little about those. Steven: Word to the early bird. Well, Chris and I are in Fortran For Humans. Weve only recorded a few songs, and lately it seems we never have time to do it, but its certainly a lot of fun. Jared was doing a project called The Autumn Fall I dont know what he plans to do with that. Justin has started a new project called Justin Has Rats (he really does too lots), and the CD is called Heres and Theres. And Matt really just plays video games. LOTD: Any plans to release anything or tour for these side projects? Steven: Fortran For Humans plans to release an EP sometime and then a split EP with our friends band, Robots Care. Wed also like to at least do some weekend tours with it. Its tough to say right now though I am pretty busy. Well put something out though, Im sure! Also, Justin has his new CD coming out. I am excited to hear it. LOTD: Whats it like balancing the work for your label and the work for the band? What takes up most of your time? And whats been going on with PA Records and the whole Lynchburg scene lately? Steven: I havent really done much with the label lately. In fact, I even forced my buddy Patrick to make the new website. I guess the band takes up more of my time. Coke takes up more than that though, but no one ever wants to interview me about that. So does my spoon collection. Well, my coke spoon collection. If those exist. PA has sort of started fresh. As for Lynchburg Im out of the loop. Im too old; the scene in Lynchburg is very young now. Which is cool, I think since the future of the scene looks good, but I just feel pretty disconnected. I know there is a really big Christian scene in Lynchburg a ton of big bands come down and play, and apparently the turnouts are ridiculous. To be fair, therere some pretty heinous bands around too. I guess thats everywhere though. LOTD: Speaking of labels, will Clown Funeral be released on your PA Records or have you sent it out to other labels to see if there is interest in releasing it? Steven: This is sort of up in the air really Id say chances are it will come out on PA. LOTD: You guys are on the road again in November. Where are you playing, and who are you playing with? Steven: Its going up through the Midwest. I know were playing with Collapse (we met those guys on our last tour and they are great), and Famous Last Words (who we also played with on our last tour). Not sure who else right now, but were playing with Rocky Votolato in two weeks, I am pretty excited about that.
Releases from Born With a Tail can be purchased at CD Baby and PA Records LEFT OFF THE DIAL's review of Born With a Tail's The Gravest Suspicion LEFT OFF THE DIAL's Born With a Tail page About LOTD Contact/Staff Advertise Home All content © LEFT OFF THE DIAL 2001-2005. All rights reserved. |
