Saturday, July 15, 2006

Casey got to interview Pyro! *EXCLUSIVE*

Casey (C): Okay, Pyro...let's start with the basics. What is your favorite color?
My favorite color would have to be blue. But I also love reds and greens a lot. But blue is the most bestest color ever! Hahah.

C: Favorite food?
Hmmm. That's a tough one. My mom's spaghetti is just incredible. She puts Italian sausage in it. Italian sausage is the sh**. I also love Japanese and Indian food. I think Indian is my favorite foreign food. I love curry and lentil soup. Lentil soup is da bomb. And bananas with peanut butter on them...is the greatest thing ever. And of course, good old fashioned southern Barbeque!

C: Favorite band or artist?
Wow, that's another hard question. I love so many. My favorite rock band would have to be Static-X. Those guys are always good, no matter what mood I'm in. Muse's Absolution album is really damn good. And the White Pony album by Deftones is amazing. So those bands come in second place. But I love so many more...
Mindless Self Indulgence, Korn, Tool, Prodigy...I can't even list them all.

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with The Pretenders. Chrissie Hynde was my hero.

I also have to mention my favorite classical artist here, because classical music has so much depth and intensity. I LOVE Beethoven. I have never been one of those fans that are like, "OH MY GOD! HE SWEATED ON ME! YAY!" ...but if Beethoven sweated on me, I wouldn't bathe for two weeks.

Amanda (A): So, Pyro...as we all know, your band isn't really big and out and about yet. But you're working on it. Tell us, what got you and your little brother into music?
Well, I can't really explain what 'gets you into music'. You're either into music, or you're not. Haha.
FlameHead and I have always loved music, since the day we were born. Our whole family loves music. As a kid, I remember getting picked up from school and listening to the rock stations on the radio, all the way home. Every time I heard my favorite songs on the radio, it made me happy. So I decided I wanted to learn how to create something that could speak to people the way those songs spoke to me. I started taking violin and piano lessons in the fourth grade. And FlameHead started taking piano and drum lessons when he was 10. He has always been a drummer. He's been finding things to beat on and make noise with his whole life.

When I got into my teens, I started getting really interested in the bands who wrote the songs that I loved. I started watching them on MTV, going to concerts, and learning about their history. I went to a Foo Fighters concert with FlameHead when we were kids. They were playing with The Transplants and the show was awesome. I remember coming home and thinking that what they were doing was just amazing. That's when we decided that we wanted to start a band.

A: What made you want to move to Texas to make music?
When we were starting Doomsday Machine, we lived in South Carolina...and there wasn't really much of a rock scene there. People seemed to really like our music, so we decided to make a career out of it. We ended up moving to Austin, Texas because they have such a fresh, growing music scene. My family has always wanted to live in Texas, and Austin is my favorite place in the world so far.

A: "Doomsday Machine". That's your band's name. But I've heard that you plan on changing it. Is this true?
Heheh, somebody has been doing their homework...
Yes that is true. It won't be too different from the current name, but it will suit the band better.

A: "Pyro" is such a nice nickname for you. It fits you well. I must ask though, where and how did you come up with it? Did it take you a long time to think of it or what?
Thank you! Actually, it's kind of a strange...most people think it's only because I love fire and explosives, which I do, but that's not actually how I got that nickname. The first band I was in was called Photo 51. It was me and these two guys and I was only like 14. One day we were in a rehearsal and I was being really silly and crazy. And one of the guys said something like, "You're so fiery and crazy, we should start calling you Pyro." And it stuck.
So the name actually came from my personality. But I do like fire.....a lot. Heheh.

C: And where did FlameHead's nickname come from?
When he was like 10, he started dying his hair and messing with it all the time. He had red and orange hair for a while, so we started calling him FlameHead. And he also has a really wild personality. "Pyro" and "FlameHead" went together well, so the names stuck.

C: We heard that you and your brother's real names are Jennie and Johnny Doomsday. Is that true? Where did those names come from?
Yes, that is true. When we built Doomsday Machine, our friends started calling us "The Doomsdays" and "The Doomsday Kids". And when we tell people that our names are Pyro and FlameHead, they always ask us, "Well, what are your real names?" So we became "Jennie and Johnny Doomsday", and those are the names we use for official stuff. Besides, a lot of musicians change their names. Hahaha.

C: Even being an underground band, Doomsday Machine has gathered quite a fan base and people recognize you and FlameHead in public frequently. Why do you think you guys have had such a fast success? What's it like to be a semi-celebrity, so quickly?
I think one of the big reasons people like this band, is that they can feel our excitement for what we're doing, and they feel like they are part of it. I feel like they can really tell how much we enjoy them. It's not all about us and our band. It's about everybody. Doomsday Machine is the combination of the band members and the people we're speaking to. We're not singing at you. We're singing with you. We love our music, but anyone could just play their music in their own living room and be a great thing, but what we're doing is about more than just the music. It's about the people who are taking part in everything that we do.

As far as the "semi-celebrity" thing goes...well I just have to worry a little more about what I'm wearing or the pimple that I woke up with in the morning. Hahaha. One thing you have to learn to be ready for is cameras. FlameHead and I have gotten some really big laughs out of how insane we look in some of our pictures. Most of the time, the photographer won't really tell you when he's going to take the photo. There is no "Ready...1...2...3! Smile!"
They don't warn you. They just tap you on the shoulder, and when you turn around, they take like 10 shots of you. It's crazy! But we love people, so we enjoy it. You just have to learn how to be a really good sport when you're looking at the pictures later. Hahaha.
But I must say, there is nothing cooler than meeting someone who wants to take your picture. For someone to want to remember you, and have a picture of you...that's just really cool.

C: So do you have any crazy fan stories? Or just funny things that happened to the band?
One time, we were driving down the freeway in our truck. We had the windows down, and some young, crazy guys in this other truck recognized us. And FlameHead started hanging out the window. And the guys started hollering at us...it was hilarious. But they kept asking us to go party with them. And they were great, but we didn't want them to follow us home! So we told them to pull up beside us in the fast lane as we got near the next exit. We waited till the last second, and then we veered off into the exit lane. So they had absolutely no chance to follow us. It was hilarious. And they just kept hollering and trying to get to our exit...it was insane. It was so fun.

When people recognize my username when I play Xbox Live, things can get pretty interesting. In one game, I had a bunch of guys chasing me around in the game. They were chanting my name and doing all kinds of crazy stuff. You would have to play Halo 2 to know what I'm talking about. But it was hilarious.

Another time, when I was at a restaurant, this guy walked over to me and he told me he thought he had seen me somewhere before. When I told him that I was in a band called Doomsday Machine, he didn't believe me. When I told him about our website and our fan base, he basically just laughed at me. So I just wrote our website down for him and gave it to him. Then, just as I was leaving the restaurant, this guy sitting on the other side of the room started yelling, "Doomsday Machine! That's Pyro from Doomsday Machine!" and all his friends started yelling and stuff. Hahaha.
After that, the guy who didn't believe me just said, "Oh. I guess you are in Doomsday Machine." Hahahahaha.

A: Has there ever been a time where you're on stage and you suddenly have to burp or use the bathroom really bad?
No, never! I never have to burp! And I never go to the bathroom. Ever. And I never have to barf or fart. Ever! I have never farted really loudly in front of people by accident. Never. And my farts don't smell at all. Whoops, I mean...what farts?

I'm kidding.

Actually, one time I had just eaten before a rehearsal, and I sang a really loud note...and I kind of threw up a little bit. I had to swallow it. Nasty!

And this other time, it was our FIRST SHOW. And we were in the middle of playing one of our heavy songs. I was in the middle of singing a really loud part, and then.........I farted. And it wasn't just any fart. Because no one could hear it, so how could that affect me? Hah. It was HUGE. And it felt SO WEIRD, that my voice cracked a little bit. I was like, 'HOLY SH**!!! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT COMING OUT OF MY ASS?!'

C: You have a really amazing voice. How long have you been interested in a career in music? And how old were you when you started performing?
Thanks! Apparently, I have been singing and dancing since before I could even speak properly. I love to make people laugh too.
I have always enjoyed people. When I was a kid, I couldn't decide whether I wanted to be a singer, a comedian, or a scientist.

A: When you were little, were you big on music as well? Or did you ever want to be something other than a singer/entertainer?
At one point, when I was a kid, I wanted to be a biologist. I still love science and computers.
But music and entertainment was always my first love.

C: What about FlameHead? As your drummer and programmer, he must be pretty talented. The song on your website shows off some great programming skills. How long has he been drumming and working with synthesizers?
He's been drumming (on an actual drum set) since he was 10. But he's always drummed on anything he could find that made noise.
He's been working with synthesizers for the past two and a half years, and he's really amazing with our keyboard. He just comes up with the coolest stuff.

C: What inspires you the most when you sit down to write a song? Do you listen to other bands?
Wow...there isn't really anything that inspires me the most. There are a lot of things that inspire us...just life in general. Sometimes, I am just haunted by a melody that pops up in my head. And sometimes there's a feeling that just goes with that melody. It always sparks some kind of story. I'll have this song thumping around in my head, and I have no idea what it's about yet, but it drives me to go downstairs and sit in my studio and put that melody into the instrument that was meant to play it. And for some reason, I always know which instrument was meant to play it. Writing music is weird like that. I have no idea just how it works, but somehow that melody drives me to weave a story together that I hadn't even planned before. And for some reason, the story always ends up being about something or someone that is important to me. And then I realize that I've always wanted to write this song, and never even knew it.
I love to write about the people around me. In fact, most of our songs are about (or are from the perspective of) other people.
For example, "Worm" is not written from our perspective. I am actually singing as someone else who feels like they have gone down the wrong road in life.
We're just trying to communicate what we see. I can't really explain it in any other way.

A: Linkin Park is my favorite band ever! Do you like them as well? And if so, does their style of music inspire you to write more or give you ideas for your own in any kind of way?
Yeah, they're good. I really love the Reanimation album. The "One Step Closer" remix is my favorite song that they've done.

C: Out of all the well-known bands you have met, which one is your favorite one to hang out with?
Top 3 so far:
Cid from Slipknot is a cool guy, even though he tried to steal my hat.
The guys from Less Than Jake are great. They're so fun.
And Page from Helmet is a great guy. I enjoyed hanging out with him a lot.

C: What band or celebrity(s) do you want to meet the most?
Probably Chrissie Hynde and Jack Black.

C: There have been a lot of rumors going around about how the road to success has been so far. We've heard that you've gone through a lot of band members and changes in the band itself. Can you tell us what's been going on?
Well...most bands go through growing pains. And we have had to readjust our sound and performance a few times. It's been tough, but sh** happens. Sometimes you just have to adapt. FlameHead and I have always done most of the writing. But now that it's just the two of us, we've had to learn new instruments and techniques in order to finish this album, but I think it has made us both better writers. So everything has ended up pretty good. But we do miss our other members a lot.

C: You've said that the band has a whole new sound on the upcoming album. Can you tell us a bit about what the album will be like? Maybe describe some of the songs and music styles?
I think our music has a very melodic feel to it. The drums tend to be tribal and we like to use a lot of bass. Our songs are all pretty different. Some of them are very epic, almost like a movie soundtrack...while others are raw and edgy. We have some slow ballads and electronic songs too. We like to keep most of our guitar parts pretty simple and powerful.
Vocal styles vary greatly. On this album, I'll be all over the place. Hahaha.
We write the music that we love. If we don't love it, it doesn't go on the album.

C: So what kind of a show do you and FlameHead have planned? You'll be going on a Texas tour shortly after you release the album. So how are you going to do the shows with only two official band members? And what kind of experience do you think it will be for the audience?
Since we only have two official members, we will have guest musicians touring with us.
The shows should be...pretty interesting. We just do whatever we feel like doing at the time. Honestly, we really don't do much "planning", like some kind of dance group. We don't want to go through the same routine, every show. We will play the songs we feel like playing, we will wear the clothing we feel like wearing, and we'll make the jokes we feel like making. We also take a lot of input from our audience. You never know what's going to happen at our show.
We really just want everyone to feel like they are a big part of the show. I can't really tell you what kind of experience it will be for you, because art affects everyone differently.

A: Out of all the places you've played at so far... what's your favorite place? Or is it right at your own home?
Hmm...you know what? I should hold our next concert at my own house. Then I could play in my pajamas.

C: So is there anywhere you really want to go to, on tour?
New Zealand! I really want to play Australia and New Zealand.

C: You said you love classical music. What are some of your favorite classical songs?
Hmmm. Here are a few:
"Moonlight Sonata" by Beethoven is my all time favorite song, EVER.
"Pathetique Sonata" by Beethoven
"Piano Sonata No.14 III Presto" by Beethoven
"Arietta" by Edvard Grieg
"Nocturna" by Edvard Grieg
"Night On Bald Mountain" by Moussorgsky
"Ride of the Valkyries" by Richard Wagner
"Claire De Lune" by Debussy

A: Your style. I love your style of clothing and such. I heard from someone, you make your own clothing. Or you'll buy clothes and fix them up with a little "Pyro style". Do you want to have your own clothing line? And if so, what would you name it?
Thank you for the compliment! And yes, I try to add my own style to everything I wear.
Haha, if I started one, it would be called "Would FlameHead Wear This?" or maybe "Goodwill R Us".

C: When designing an outfit you're making, how do you usually start making it? Do you make things from scratch, or do you start with something simple?
I usually just start with something simple, and add to it. But I also love making small things from scratch. I'm still practicing.

C: How did you get your hair to look like that???
That is my little secret!
Okay, I'll give you a hint.
It has to do with me, a Port-a-Potty, and the blue stuff that goes in the toilet. Heheh. Really, I'll never tell.

A: You and your brother, even though you're much older, you two seem to be like two peas in a pod. Has there ever a time you wanted to say "Get the hell out of my face!" to him?
Yeah, FlameHead and I get along really well. But if we didn't fight sometimes, wouldn't that be kind of weird?
When we fight, it's always about stupid sh**, like who wants to play halo or who gets to sit in the front seat. Hahaha. I get really pissed when he uses my microphone. He breathes all over it! He gets mad at me for acting like a whiny girl. Hahaha!

C: Tell us what life was like when you were growing up. What kind of area did you live in? What kind of stuff did you and FlameHead do as kids?
We lived in the country, about 30 miles from the city. We were definitely the outdoorsy type. Fishing, dirtbiking, paintball, redneck yard sledding (haha), swimming, haybail bowling with trucks...don't ask.
But we have fun in the city too. We can adapt to just about any environment. We should be on a nature show.

C: So what was highschool like for you? Did you belong in some kind of cliche? What were your friends like?
Highschool? Hah, screw that. I came, I saw, I conquered.
Then I left.

C: You're a great artist. What are some of your favorite artists? And how long have you been drawing and painting?
Well thanks. I'm not a great artist. But I can doodle. And I like it.
I never plan what I'm going to draw. It always just ends up drawing itself and when I'm done, I'm like, "What the f*** is that?"
Seriously, my art comes from a part of me...that I haven't met yet. So...no answer there.

Favorite artist? I love Renoir (classic) and Clive Barker (modern). And the artists in our Forum are really good. There is some amazing art in there. I like most art...unless it looks like dog barf or something...

C: What kind of impact does art have on you personally? What makes you want to draw?
My art has a big impact on me, because it's really a part of me.
What makes me want to draw? My hand. It does it by itself. Shhh! My hand is like Anakin Skywalker's robot hand, except demonic...okay, I kinda went off the deep end, there. Let's get it together.

Seriously, that's hard to explain. My art itself is very hard to explain. But the Funny Little Men, the machines, the odd scenes, and whatever else I have put on paper...it usually has some kind of amusing, odd, or intense meaning to it. Sometimes it doesn't even make sense. But something about the way it looks intrigues me. Most of the time, I don't even know how it's going to look until it's done. But somehow, I always know when it's done. And somehow, it always means something. And don't ask me how. I guess that's one of those invisible tissues in our brains.
When I sit down to draw an individual of any kind, I always start with the eyes. I never know what they're doing or thinking yet. I never know what exactly they are. But I always know what their eyes will look like. And it always just falls together and creates itself.

Don't get it? Neither do I.

C: So you live in Austin, Texas. Tell us about your favorite places to go in Austin. Restaurants, clubs, etc.
Restaurants:
I love Chuy's! Chuy's has the greatest burritos on the planet.
Carmelo's is amazing. Best Italian food ever.
Fran's and Sandy's have the best hotdogs and hamburgers ever.
If you want home-cooked food, go to Hill's Cafe. That place is awesome. I love their Chicken Fried Steak.
The Emerald Restaurant is the most delicious Irish restaurant in the world.
Waffle House is always fun in the middle of the night. Lisa is the coolest waitress ever.
And Magnolia's has great food, all night.

Clubs:
The Parish is a great club. It's just got a great feel to it. They welcome all kinds of music.
Ellysium is an awesome dance club.
Redrum is mostly a metal club. But sometimes they have other kinds of music too. I love that place.
Antone's is a great club. It's got a good stage.
If you like dancing, Area 512 Entertainment puts on great dance events. Look them up. They have the best parties, including the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.
The White Rabbit is a San Antonio club, but that's my favorite small venue so far.

Fun stuff:
The best place to go to have fun is Lake Travis. I love swimming, waterskiing, and innertubing. Lake Travis is beautiful!
GreenBelt is a great place for paintball...heheh, all though sometimes people get mad at us.
BlazerTag rocks! We go there for the lock-ins. You pay a fee that covers the whole night for Lazer Tag. You have to stay all night and you can't leave. It goes from midnight to 7 AM and you get pizza and tokens. I LOVE lock-ins.

C: Is it true.....that you are.....single?! Heheh.
.................YES, usually. But sometimes I'm double. For real, yes I am single right now.

A: Thank you for doing this interview for Casey's site. I appreciate you doing this for her, because...I know she's a big fan of yours. And I thank you as well. I hope to meet you someday.
You're welcome, and I would love to meet both of you. Thank YOU for the questions.

C: Yes, thanks for your time, Pyro! I'm really happy about you doing this interview for us. I can't wait to get the new album! Good luck with your career. You guys will go far. Have a great day!
No problem. This was a fun interview! Thank you for your time, writing all of these questions, and working so hard to help us. You two are angels.

posted by Amanda at 1:42 PM
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