Playing an all night set they enjoy their booze, their music, and their tobacco with breaks amidst their Cash, Social D and Country covers, along with a plethora of dark and surfy, thriving rock inspired by the middle of the century. The band itself consists of three pieces of physical Mod Zombie splendiferousness. With a guitar, a bass and a frequently hatted set of drums, they throw a wave of complete, prudently arranged musical ocean that rises and falls such as the tide on the shore. Through this almost visibly blue audio arrangment it is easy to get lost in the notes themselves and practically drown from the energy.
They are releasing their CD soon, though on what date it is uncertain. Keep an eye out on their Facebook page and watch them finalize the date... and BE THERE!! As mentioned below, it is May 9th. Buy a CD, or a shirt, or even buy them a beer. Don't forget to drop a dollar in their tip bucket... cab fare needs to be paid for a crertain someone to get home.
Allow me to introduce The Mod Zombies! Get at em!
Guitar ~ Albert
Bass ~ Ringo
Drums ~ Pete
How did you guys get together?
-- Both Albert and Ringo were in two separate bands and happened to play a show together (one of those multi-band gigs), a few years ago. After a few more of those kinds of gigs, we started talking more about the kind of music we're interested in and decided to start a side project, playing music that we enjoy, but never really get to play.
Ringo, you have another project you're in, does this get in the way of the Mod Zombies?
-- I'm a full-time musician and most every weekend is booked with my other band. It can be very difficult to balance time for both bands, especially when a gig pops up for my other band and I already have something booked with the Mod Zombies. Basically, it boils down to having great communication with everyone and an understanding of commitment priorities.
Albert!!! Who does your hair??
-- Why? Don't you like it? Actually, I have a team of hair specialists that I call "the Pit Crew."
(I actually love it... I think I could rawk the style as well as you do...)
And Pete, you seem to hold the group together pretty well. Do you ever feel like a babysitter for these two?
-- I don't really feel like a babysitter...we all have fun together and even when it's time to "work" and make music, it's still time for fun.
(I have to say that the fun is absolutely reflected in your shows!)
Now, I found your Myspace page. You have an illigitimate child (bandmate) listed. How many members has your band cycled through until landing on your current roster?
-- Albert and Ringo went through quite a few musicians, trying to find the right fit. We wanted someone with a great attitude, loves the music, and knows what to add to the music and what to leave out. We knew we had "THE BAND" when Pete joined.
Why the name Mod Zombie?
-- We like the mod scene from the 50's/60's, plus the old B-movies from the 50's/60's, especially the zombie ones. We wanted to create a modern version of that whole style of music, pay homage to all the bands that gave us great music. As part of that, we play clips from old movies, to create a vibe that fits with that style.
Who are your influences (besides the obvious)
-- The Pretty Things, the Sonics, the Beatles in Hamburg, the Animals, early Yardbirds, Pixies, the Cramps, early Stones, Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters
Do you guys enjoy creating new music as much as you seem to enjoy playing other artists' originals?
-- Of course, that's really why we started playing music. When one of us writes a song, we'll all get together so the whole band can work on it. Everyone brings something to the table, a chord change here, a lyric change there, an arrangement idea, whatever. Sometimes, we just run through the song and all of a sudden, it's a magic moment when everything just gels together and we know we have it.
Will this upcoming EP be your first? If not, what other albums have you released and how can someone get a hold of one?
-- This is our first official release. We've made demos before, but just for either our own reference or to book gigs. We wanted to wait until we had the right members and we could get the best possible sound. Recording was a breeze since we had the right group together. We recorded very similarly to how a lot of the bands in the 50's and early 60's recorded: all of the instruments at once, with no overdubs, and the vocals on a second day. Everything just fit and we have a sound that's pretty accurate to how we sound on stage.
How has the scene been to you?
-- As we mentioned before, we've been concentrating on finding the right members and getting our live show polished. We haven't been pushing to play many venues until we could give a great show, and since Pete has joined the group, we're ready. However, we have been playing at Rip's Bar for a while, and Davy, the owner, has been great to us. He's seen our vision and his support has been great.
What are your aspirations as a band?
-- We'd like to turn people on to great music and have fun at the same time.
(Remember... Wednesday Nights at Rips!! This is a show worth driving for.)
What would YOU like to share with fellow music lovers in the Valley?
-- That's a really hard question. We guess we'd love to just play music that no one has ever heard, or if they have, never heard it live. Our EP release is Wednesday, May 9th at Rip's Bar at 10pm and you can catch us there every Wednesday as well.
Creatures of music!! I salute each and every one of you, support your scene and bands and clubs and smoke shops and record stores and coffee shops and tshirt stores and cafes and... and all that is local!! Without these, there would only be one world, mashed together into one brainwashed McEarth without originality. Appreciate the different music out there, the different food, different styles of everything. Sample, taste, touch, smell and listen. Check out Mod Zombies!
