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Interviews
Hellride Music: Give us the history on the Lazerwolfs as a band...you guys were originally a studio band, correct? And you guys have a lonnnnnnnnnng history.... Jimmy: I'm not really qualified to answer this one. Chris: I guess you could say we were a studio band initially; Bubba (he's the drummer, and he has no phone or e-mail, so he won't be participating in this interview - which is a good thing, trust me!) and I have played together since about 1984 or 1985 in various bands (though neither of us were involved in music at all for a good chunk of the 90's). In '99/'00, we were playing in a band called Nobody's Heroes that was starting to stagnate. I had written some songs that we just weren't getting to, and we had recorded at Bevel Studio with Jimmy once before - so we hooked up with this guitar player we had jammed with just to do the session, and it came out so well we decided to make it our focus. The thing
is, Jimmy says he's not qualified to answer this question, but he has
been involved with the Lazerwolfs from day one, really. We became friends
while working on these various projects (Nobody's Heroes and a "reunion"
project of our old 80's/90's era band called Stryker) and he was always
the guy I would bitch to when things weren't going well. I think this
dialed us in as far as how we felt this music should sound, and he had
a big part in making Gothic, the first Lazerwolfs release, sound like
it does, even though he didn't actually play on it. Hellride Music: In your own words, how would you describe the Lazerwolfs sound? What artists or bands have had an impact on your sound? How about lyrically? Jimmy: I would not really call the Lazerwolfs "Stoner Rock", at least not all the way. I like to call our sound 'Modern/Vintage'. I guess that can be taken for what it is worth, but to me it means having a big, riff oriented sound, with heavy bass and drums. I guess to me it is trying to envision what some of the bands in the late 60's and early 70's would sound like if they were recording with equipment available 15 years later. Some bands that have influenced me are Fu Manchu, Pearl Jam, Rage Against The Machine, Poster Children, Aerosmith, Led Zepplin, and Hendrix. These are bands that I have listened to and incorporated ideas from, if not blatantly ripped off at some point. Lyrically I really dig Eddie Vedder's lyrics, although I am not capable of writing anything as convincing. Chris: I think Jimmy gives the best definition of our sound. I just think we're fairly heavy, but it never seems to me we are as heavy as other people think we are - there are bands in the stoner/doom community who make us sound like lightweights! Others have called us metal, and I think we were more metal with our previous guitar player, based on his tone and influences. I think our drummer rides the front end of the beat more than laying back, if that makes any sense to you, which makes us sound pretty in your face. We're really just trying to groove real loud, you know? KISS got me interested in music, but I've listened to so much over the years and gotten so into so many things the list would be horrifically long. I think I am most influenced now by the guys in the band, the conversations we have about tone and getting good sounds, what we want our music to sound like, etc. That's what influences me - the drive to write a song or a riff that Jimmy and Bubba really dig playing; I figure if they are into it, others will be too, and that is very satisfying. Lyrics are
a struggle for me, not so much the process, but the content. Do meaningful
lyrics have a place in heavy music, or should we just be about forgetting
all the bullshit and having a good time? What about politics? How about
mysticism? What about personal/emo stuff? Finding a good balance is what
I am struggling with right now, and probably will forever. A lot of what
I write may sound like I mean one thing, but if you don't know me for
the snide, sarcastic SOB I really am than you probably won't realize what
I'm really saying. The only thing I can say for sure is I think we will
veer away from the "fast cars, booze and chicks" aspect of lyrical
content; others do it much better than I ever could anyway. I drive like
an old man, I don't drink much, and chicks don't dig me, so who am I kidding? Hellride Music: Why "Lazerwolfs" and not "Laserwolves"?
Will you be attempting to bastardize the English language at any other
juncture of your career? ;-) Seriously, where did the name come from? Jimmy: Since I wasn't around when they chose the name I can't put a lot of input into it. I do know that making a mockery of any language is enjoyable at times, and that people in some areas of Montana do say "wolfs" instead of "wolves". I've heard people say "wuf" instead of "wolf" many times. Chris:
Jimmy is full of shit on this one, because he was around when we picked
the name. It happened on the discussion board of his studio's website!
He suggested we call the band "Brown Donkey" based on kind of
an inside joke/outtake on our Stryker project! We didn't put a lot of
thought into it, since it was going to be a one-off deal. I posted on
the Bevel discussion board for band name suggestions, and some guy suggested
Lazerwolfs. A friend of ours, Yale Kaul (of www.yalestar.com fame) said
that if we didn't choose that name he would kill himself. So, not wanting
his blood on our hands, that's what we went with . . . and it stuck. It
gets misspelled all the time. Laserwulfs is most common. Or two words,
Laser Wolf, and every way imaginable. One joker suggested we spell it
Lazerwulfs and put an umlaut over the "u", ala Motley Crue,
but that would be too damn metal for me. . . . Hellride Music: You guys just finished recording a new six song demo. To me it appears much more consistent musically than your previous effort. Was this something you strived for in the studio? Jimmy: I don't think we strived for it intentionally, but we definitely knew what songs we sounded best on. We only recorded the songs that we knew would mesh stylistically with the ones we are currently working on. More or less, we treated this recording like we were a completely new band. Everyone is on the same page as far as style goes, and we just went with what was working. Chris: Our previous effort was really a mishmash of stuff. There were a couple new songs on there that were supposed to be Nobody's Heroes songs - which was much more of a straightahead, 3-chords-and-a-dream punk/metal crossover band. Then there were a couple old 80's Stryker tunes that our guitar player picked from our "archives" and wanted to play, and finally there were a couple new songs that became definition points that hinted the direction we wanted to go: those being "Ride" and "Bonfire" which we prerecorded for this demo. We had been aiming for the sound we captured on this latest demo, and the results validate that effort. We still aren't there yet, nor do I think we necessarily will ever be. What excites me most about this recording is it heralds what our full-length will be like, which we are working on all new material for right now. It's a blast.
Hellride Music: Jimmy, I understand you are co-owner of the studio you guys record in. What's that all about? What was the studio experience like this time around? Jimmy: I am the co-owner and co-engineer of Bevel Studio. My good pal Hank D. and I have had the studio running for about 2.5 years. Hank is a computer guru and one hell of a musician, and I like to play with gear, so it works out great. We record, mix and master in house, and leave duplication to the big outfits. Hank and I do all the engineering, and business stuff ourselves. Sometimes I feel that people think, because I own the studio, my bands spend a lot of time dinking with stuff that most bands wouldn't. I think this is really backwards. Every band that I have recorded with has done almost everything live, with limited overdubs. Bevel's philosophy is that quality recordings result from good source tone, and by capturing great performances. The Lazerwolfs stuff was recorded live first. Then I laid a rhythm track on most songs (all except ORT) and we did the vocals. From my end, I wanted to play all my real parts and the solos live to convey the feel of our live sound to the listener. I think overdubbed solos can really be sterile, and I don't like the sound of a solo coming from nowhere and then disappearing again when it is over. Recording this way can limit a band in some ways, but open doors to the listener that tracking sometimes can't. Chris:
I'd also like to point out that part of making this relationship work
is separation. We've gotten comments from people like, "Must be nice
having Jimmy in the band because you get all that free studio time, that's
why it sounds so good 'cuz you don't have to rush." Which is utter
bullshit. First off, Bevel Studio is a business entity separate from the
Lazerwolfs. We want them to be successful, so we make sure we handle that
relationship just as we did before Jimmy was in the band. Keeps things
on a professional level and eliminate any chances for misunderstandings.
Second, the recording sounds good because we write decent songs, we know
how to play our instruments, and we use good gear. If you write shitty
songs, can't play them, and use crappy gear, no studio in the world will
make you sound good. If that's the sound you are after, that's great and
more power to you . . . but I am not a lo-fi purist by any means. Really,
the only tricks on this recording are the overdubbed rhythm guitar Jimmy
mentioned and we doubled the vocals. Beyond that, what you hear is exactly
what is coming out of the amps and drums. Hellride Music: Your long-time guitarist left and was replaced by Jimmy on guitar. Tell us a little about Jimmy and how has it changed the bands sound and overall vibe? Jimmy: I'll let Chris and Bubba answer. Chris:
Jimmy had recorded some songs on his own, and Bubba and I jammed
with him on them (that is where ORT and FOTC came from), so we had played
before. Our original guitarist was a purely metal guy, he had lots of
flash and was a good player, but didn't have the same feel that Jimmy
does. I describe Jimmy as being a craftsman, really. His guitar playing
is tone-focused, not speed and flash. He's also very laid back, and a
blast to hang out with. I wanted to be in a band with the guy for a long
time, just from the post-session rap sessions, talking about music, gear,
watching live videos, etc. Bubba and I talked about it a lot, and this
is really the best thing that has happened to us musically. He's a good
beer drinking buddy too; we all have lives outside of the band that are
hectic and stressful, and I feel we are friends first, bandmates second,
which certainly helps. The vibe is all positive, and that is kind of a
novel feeling to have, being in a band and dealing with musicians! Hellride Music: Give us the scoop on the songs on the new album - who wrote what and what tunes are you most proud of? Jimmy: I wrote "ORT" and "FOTC", and Chris wrote the rest. Although there is a difference of styles between these (slight at most), we never focus on who is doing what. I am most proud of "FOTC", but Chris and Bubba have a lot to do with that. "FOTC" is a song that had good potential that was only reached when Chris and Bubba stepped in. I think all the songs are that way for all of us. Chris:
Yeah, I really don't care who writes what. When I "write" a
song, it is just a framework. It inevitably becomes something much different
than what I thought it would be, so how can I possibly take credit for
that? I don't think there is a song on there that wasn't influenced by
each player bringing their own ideas to it, whether it is in the feel,
the arrangement, whatever. That is how it should be, in my opinion. If
I had to pick one song to be proud of, it would be "ORT". That
was recorded completely live, one take, boom. It makes me feel like a
real musician! Hellride Music: I have to confess to not knowing a whole lot about the music scene in Montana, but it seems like you guys have played with some big bands. What is the live Lazerwolfs like and who have you played with recently? Jimmy: We are solid, and loud. The only thing that really sticks out in my mind is that we have fun playing live, and the crowd almost always comments on it. Chris:
The music scene in Montana is okay. Lots of punk bands. Thing is, the
state is a 2-day travel for most bands passing through, so they need a
show. We decided to start setting up our own - Spirit Caravan was our
first real cool one (Wino and Jimmy would still be talking gear if SC
hadn't had to be in Salt Lake City in the morning), Nashville Pussy came,
and we have Fu Manchu coming. Those are the bigger shows, but I would
like to extend an open invitation to all bands to come through town and
play here! It's pretty cool, really. It's nice to be able to live where
we do - truly one of the most beautiful places on Mama Earth - and still
be able to play music and reach people all over, you know? The Internet
has been invaluable in connecting people, not only in getting our music
out but hooking up with the bands we love and figuring out ways to bring
them here. Hellride Music: What's in your CD player at the moment? Jimmy: Pearl Jam - Binaural, Poster Children - New World Record, Fu Manchu - Eatin' Dust. Chris:
Fooz, Fu Manchu's California Crossing album, and a boatload of
"stoner rock" mp3's from the Internet. Hellride Music: Any shout outs or what ups to the peeps out there? Chris:
A big thanks to Hellride Music and all the regulars who make it worth checking
out, and a HUGE thanks to Hank Donovan of Bevel Studio for putting up
with us and making us sound good!
Visit the Lazerwolfs official website at www.lazerwolfs.com Visit the Bevel Studio website at www.bevelstudio.com
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One
of the beauties of underground heavy music is that it's everywhere....even
in Missoula, Montana, home of the Lazerwolfs. This band has taken great
strides musically in the last year, adding a new guitar player and gigging
with the likes of Spirit Caravan, Nashville Pussy and Fu Manchu. The Lazerwolfs
combine retro-groove and NWOBHM-like sound with modern sensibilities to
create a sound that brings new meaning to the word "riff". Hellride Music chats with bassist/vocalist Chris La Tray and new guitarist Jimmy
Rolle. 