Every Psychostick interview I’ve come across always starts out with the same, ‘background of the band’ question. I’ll spare you that monotony and ask for some behind-the-scenes dirt on the band that you might not typically discuss.
Some dirt? Oh jeez, that’s a tough one. I don’t wanna condemn my guys into hating me because I’ve gotta sit in the van with them for miles and miles and miles. Let’s see, something dirty, but not DIRTY… Josh [“Joshy” Key, guitar] snores really loud. Alex [“Shmalex” Priess, drums] is exclusive to one seat in the van and one seat only. I am awesome in every possible way. Jimmy [“Jimmychanga” Grant, bass] likes to leave his "mandex" lying around and it smells really bad. And Jake ["Jakermeister" McReynolds, guitar], Jake follows his crotch everywhere. In his defense, it is in front of him.
Ryan Ogle: So did you start the band with the intent of playing, what you call, humorcore, or did the comedy just creep its way in?
Rob Kersey: Not originally, when we first started we were just excited about being a band. We went and saw Machine Head, Pantera and Sevendust and immediately thought, "We gotta start a band!" It was just that prospect alone. We didn’t think much about humorous content or lyrics or anything like that. We just wanted to be heavy and have a good time. The comedy thing just happened naturally. By default, we’re not angry or depressed or anything like that. We’re just weird; I suppose that would be the best way to put it. We’re weird and nerdy and like to watch movies like Hot Shots and Naked Gun.
Throughout your tours and travels, have you ever come across a crowd that was less than receptive to your brand of metal?
Actually, not really. We just did a couple of dates with Pennywise and Pepper; two bands that are a lot different than we are. The first night, the crowd was huge. We went out there and started playing and until we got to our Drowning Pool parody they weren’t sure what we were doing. After that, they finally got it and loved us; as far as I could tell. I’m sure there are always some people in the back going [in an exaggerated Southern drawl], "What are these guys doin’? I don’t understand." But that’s okay, most crowds are receptive to what we’re doing; I’ve never had much of a problem with that.
Are you satisfied with the way Sandwich turned out?
Absolutely. I’m not gonna say that I think it’s perfect; there are a couple of little glitches in there that if we had another month, we could make better. We did end up running into a little trouble with the deadline, but we had a lot longer with this record than we’ve ever had before, so we made sure we made the best of what time we had. I’m very, very happy with the way it turned out. Personally, I think it blows away our first record. A lot of the Beer fans might not agree, but we’ll see.
Comedy aside, Sandwich features some great musicianship and songwriting. Are you worried that people might overlook what the band is truly capable of?
No, that has never been a problem. People who appreciate heavy bands and appreciate musicianship will definitely appreciate us; at least I think. We’re no Meshuggah by any means, but we have a solid sound and know how to play our instruments. We’ve been doing this for nine years now, so I’m hoping it shows. Making the music good is that extra, big step we take because a lot of comedic acts won’t take that extra step. A lot of them just focus on the comedy. We focus on the comedy and the musicianship, equally.
The tune, “The Hunger Within” is just a few lyrical tweaks away from being the next melodic metalcore anthem. Is that song a parody of anyone in particular? No, the only song on this record where we parody anybody is “Number One Radio Hit,” which is a very, very, very in-your-face jab at radio rock. We’re talking ‘bout Nickleback and bands like that. We just set out to trash bands like that because we’re very tired of that sound.
And you’re probably right for doing so.
Well, they ask for it by going out of their way to sound like… HAHA! Man, I should really stop talking (crap) before this gets me into big trouble. I’ve got a feeling those guys are gonna read this and send their posse after us. A posse of really strong working girls.
So who in the band has the food fetish? Damn near every song on this album is about food or the eating of.
It’s hard to pigeonhole anybody in particular on that one. I would have to point a finger at Josh and Jimmy as being the resident food connoisseurs. If only you knew the noises Josh makes when we walk into a place that has something with frosting on it…The food-inspired record was a natural step for us. We’ve been all over the country, ate a ton of good food and felt that it was a passion that needed to be addressed; via music.
