When I got in touch with Derrick Frost from Chiodos about an interview, I knew it wasn’t going to be a traditional interview. I thought maybe we would meet up and talk outside the venue or maybe even on the bus, but I didn’t think we’d be meeting up after the show at the bar next door, well into our night of having a few drinks.
I was supposed to meet Derrick by the busses before their show, but he never showed up. I was a little disappointed, but still stoked to see the show. I don’t want to get too much into that show because that’s an entirely different story (real quick though, it was rad). After the concert my friend and I went over to The Joint, which is connected to The Cabooze, to have a drink because the show was over by 10:00.
After a couple beers I saw a bunch of the guys from Emery and Chiodos, jokingly I shouted out “Hey that Derrick owes me and interview!” and at first I thought I scared him away, but he came over and said he could do the interview right there. So we ended up at a picnic table in the outside bar. I’m sure this interview could have been more professional, but we were both having a good time, and like they say, “A drunk mind speaks the sober soul”. I don’t know who said that first, but I do know that I’ve said it enough times to make it legit.
YO! MUSIC! – While listening to this album I couldn’t stop myself from noticing the musicality of it and all the different layers. I can tell you guys know what you’re doing. What’s your musical background?
Derrick – My dad played acoustic guitar in church when he was younger, my mom didn’t really do anything like that. I just got interested in music when I was younger and I played various instruments. I played the saxophone, the trumpet and the clarinet, but I got tired of carrying an instrument home so I started playing drums in marching band and orchestra. The other guys were classically trained, except for Pat and Jason.
Y!M! - Can you remember your first musical experience?
D – My first memory was being in middle school at a talent show, playing a show in front of a ton of kids. It wasn’t even a band but I played the drums on a keyboard to Lean On Me, just like, do do cha, do do cha. That was my first experience playing in front of people, other than band concerts where you have to get all dressed up in the suits.
Y!M! - How do you guys get together when you’re ready to write a new album? Because when you’re not on tour, you live in Texas and most of the other guys live in Michigan, right?
D - Yeah, I just recently moved back to Texas, that’s where Jason and I are both from. I go there when I have time off. I own my own house in Texas so I go there and hang out in my home and just chill, whatever, do my thing. When it’s time to go on tour or record an album, obviously I’m gonna fly back up to Michigan and I stay with Pat’s mom. Pat doesn’t even live with Pat’s mom. She’s lives there by herself, she’s retired and I just stay with her and hang out and go to practice. It’s not bad, it’s an easy situation.
Y!M! - There seems to be a concept that carries throughout the whole album. What were you guys doing or watching or listening to when you recorded this? Did anything influence you?
D - It’s been 3 years since we’ve written new music as a band, and so we’re writing this record and we’re like dude, we’re not into this or this or that. Honestly when you’re on tour so much you don’t really listen to a lot of music, well I do, but I don’t listen to anything that’s new. A lot of my dudes listen to weird kinda stuff, like Craig is into this weird indie shit that I’ve never heard about, but it’s awesome. Like Radiohead and this European band he showed me I forgot the name it’s like me… something,
Y!M! - Mew?
D – No, not Mew. Actually, yes it’s Mew. He’s got the high voice?
Y!M! – Yeah.
D – Yeah, he showed me a youtube video of them live and I was like, dude this is fucking incredible. What is this? And he’s like this is Mew. He’s got a t-shirt of theirs too. He’s in total support of the band. I think they’re rad. I think they’re fucking awesome. They’re definitely insanely inspirational for sure, but I think everybody pulls inspiration from different things so that’s what’s good about our band. We don’t really all like the same things we just get along very well.
Y!M! - You all have your own ideas that you bring to the table.
D - Yeah. Jason is more of a metal screaming kid and I don’t listen to any screaming music at all.
Y!M! - What do you listen to?
D - I listen to a lot of old shit, I like classic rock and blues and folk.
Y!M! - Do you have an i-Pod?
D - No. I have a record player, I have quite a bit on vinyl. It just sounds so much better. It’s just so raw, it’s a good feeling.
Y!M! - It’s cool because now a lot of bands are putting out their records on vinyl, and also offering mp3’s of the whole album with it.
D - What we did with our vinyl on this tour, we were like yeah we kinda wanna make this option available for whatever, for the fan or two that are record junkies like I am. Our vinyl is for sale on this tour for 20 bucks, and the vinyl, it’s a full fledged vinyl disc and the cover, and you get the mp3 album and the album booklet. So you pretty much get everything for 20 bucks, which is pretty rare.
Y!M! - Have you ever thought about what might happen to music in the future?
D - Not really. I think obviously with technology taking over whatever, it’s gonna come to a point where you don’t ever buy a CD. You’re just gonna walk into Best Buy and say, “I want this CD” and you stick your i-Pod into a thing and upload it. If there's even a Best Buy around.
Y!M! - How do you think the changing record industry is going to affect you, if at all. Don’t let anything else influence you, what do you think right now?
D - Mind state right now… to be honest, I think the music industry is gonna roll me up a huge ass blunt and I’m gonna smoke it until its ass is on fire. That’s what I think the music industry is gonna do for me.
fin
I gotta say, I was nervous I wasn’t going to get this interview. I haven’t had the best luck in the past with these things, but Derrick was rad and I’m so glad I got the chance to meet him. Hopefully if I ever get the chance to interview him again, it will be before the show.
(photo credit www.pearldrummersforum.com)
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