Interview SKANK

SKANK The Virgin Spring Ellora 2/25/05 Bottom Lounge Interviewer: Sharita Lumpkin

Lineup: Skunk - Vocals Nuzzo - Guitar Kyle - Bass "G" - Drums

"Fuck impressing people!"

Skank are one of the most approachable bands I've met so far, however these guys are not signed yet! Skank hails from the Chicago suburb of Jefferson Park with a hard edged sound and very in your face lyrics. Their demo, with three songs including my personal fave Maggots, reminds me of old Fear Factory with a little of old Pantera mixed in. These guys are very talented and show they deserve to have a record deal. In this interview, they talk about their influences, their awesome logo, their day jobs, as well as the interesting picture on their website. In the Speed Round, they speak of their mantra's their favorite CDs and guilty pleasures. This interview is full of laughs and might not be suitable for the easily offended!

Sharita: My first question is, the logo and the name who came up with that?

Nuzzo: I think it was pretty much all [of us] together wasn't it?

Skunk: Yeah, we had the concept in our mind that we all fooling around with, so from there came the name Skank. So we all collaborated and that's the outcome of it, basically. The girl with the panties around her knees is the perfect "a". (Kyle walks in.)

Sharita: I read in the bio that there were a few problems at first, one of the members got hurt and left, and you Skunk, got some advice from David Allen Coe about your musical future, why don't you expound on the history of the band?

Skunk: We wanted to start a band so we came across Johnny (Nuzzo) from an ad, and he, Kyle and I been jammin' for quite sometime. We had another drummer that was a little loose about being there when we needed him. So first, we needed to find a new drummer and that's when we found our man "G".

Sharita: I heard you sent the demo to Roadrunner, what happened with that?

Skunk: Nothin, we didn't hear anything.

Sharita: Were there any other labels that you sent music to?

Skunk: No, that was the first one but, we are going to do mass production to get some more out there.

Nuzzo: We tried a long shot first (smiles).

Skunk: Yeah, we did. (laughs) We don't even know if the guys name was fuckin' for real. (hysterical laughter erupts)

Sharita: Tonight, you guys got a great reaction from the crowd, are there plans to tour other than the Midwest?

Skunk: Yeah, it's either gonna be fall of this year or spring of next year that we're gonna do a tour of Florida and back. We're gonna hit all the states in between.

Nuzzo: I think we'll be really hot in the bible belt. (laughs)

Skunk: (laughs)

Sharita: Ok, I have to ask you this; the person who is peeing the name Skank in the snow on the website, who is that?

Skunk: That's him! (points to "G", drummer)

Nuzzo: (laughs)

G: That's me!

Skunk: Not that many people catch that. You are absolutely right! (laughs)

Sharita: Well actually it was my partner, we we're sitting down, talkin' and looking at your page, she goes wait, that's someone peeing! (laughs)

Nuzzo: He's very much into public nudity! (everyone laughs)

Skunk: You might find him naked in the men's room.

Nuzzo: You might even find him naked in the checkout aisle. (everyone laughs)

G: I drank a lot of water.

Skunk: Yeah, you did.

Sharita: That was pretty cool actually. So, I found the band on Myspace, do you think being part of that has made the band more popular?

Nuzzo: Absolutely.

Skunk: Absolutely, to a certain extent. I mean, we still see a lot of the same faces from before, a couple of new faces too. It’s definitely a great tool. 

Kyle: Promoting!

Skunk: Again, Myspace is just a tool, you need to back that up with a good product. I mean, we can’t just be a bunch of social retards and expect people to hit (our page). So, Myspace gives you the [ability] to meet the people and you just have to take it upon yourself from there; some people have the people skills and some others don’t. It could be beneficial to some, others they’re a lost cause.

Sharita: Are there any other Myspace bands that you guys are fans of?

G: Maggotwat

Skunk: Yeah, Maggotwat. Look into the Maggotwat.

G: There’s a lot of bands here tonight…

Skunk: Yeah, Grigore Three, 18 Speed Tranny, Soundry, and Figure Hate. There’s a ton of bands on Myspace, everyone [has their own page]. 

Sharita: So as far as the metal scene here in Chicago, do you see it improving or not?

Kyle: I think it’s gonna take a while.

Nuzzo: Yeah, it seems like such a slow process.

Kyle: Disturbed did a big thing to help get Chicago recognized, but I don’t think there are  enough big bands like Disturbed and SOiL to get that recognition going. I don’t think they give other bands a chance to get that same exposure. It’s almost like they got a couple of good bands out of it, now they’re lookin’ for the next trendy little thing.

Skunk: That’s all it is!

Sharita: If I can interject, I think that people in the Midwest are a lot more…

Skunk: Picky?

Sharita: Yeah, but also they are not as open-minded as New York and California are either; too conservative. They’re not ready for a band like Skank or other bands that push the envelope.

Skunk: Not ready for the underground stuff.

Sharita: Yeah.

Skunk: Who is that guy? (laughs) (S was referring to a guy in a leather jacket who stood with them throughout the interview. I assume they were joking.)

Sharita: I dunno, who is he? (laughs) So I think people need to lighten up here in the Midwest.

Skunk: Absolutely!

Nuzzo: Yeah, definitely.

Skunk: Yeah, they all stand there with their arms crossed like I’m supposed to impress them.

Sharita: Yeah, you were saying that during the show.

Skunk: Yeah, fuck impressing people! For what? That’s why we take a different approach, even though we’re metal music, we try not to have that hard on stage we’re headbangin’ …

Nuzzo: Yeah, after this song I’m gonna kick you in the face. (laughs)

Kyle: We’re very approachable!

G: Yeah, after the show you can come up to us and we’re not fuckin’ dicks.

Skunk: That's especially for the little boys with this guy here. (points to G)

G: (laughs) Yeah.

Kyle: Yeah but at the same time there’s a lot of other bands that don’t make themselves accessible, they have these attitudes they’re too good for everybody.

Nuzzo: They got 3 people watchin’ them, they’re hard asses, and then they walk out the back door. There’s more people in the band than the people in the audience.

Skunk: We have a very, very loyal fan base and they make it happen for us, thank God!

Sharita: So tell me, since I have all four of you here, what would be like…

Skunk: About 6 and a half inches… oh I’m sorry… (laughter from G and Kyle)

Nuzzo: (laughs) That’s weak, go out on a limb!

Sharita: (laughs) Tell me what would be the ultimate Skank fest, what bands would play on that bill?

Skunk: (whistles)

Nuzzo: Wow! This is an impossible question.

G: We all like such different music.

Nuzzo: The closest would be Kyle and I because we like the same bands unlike those two and even theirs would be different from each other.

Sharita: Ok well, throw some names out at me.

Kyle: We could tell you our favorite bands. Obviously Pantera, even though they’re not around, was a big influence on John (Nuzzo) and I and Slayer, Soulfly and Machine Head, everything in that genre.

G: I like everything, Dimmu Borgir to Sinatra. I’ll listen to anything so it’s hard to say.

Nuzzo: I like Marvin Gaye.

G: So do I.

Kyle: I mean John (Nuzzo), Skunk and I, we like some of the same things but outside of our common interests, we have so many weird things that we like that I dunno how we get what we get when we’re playin’ cause we all have different musical [tastes] but when we come together it’s awesome.

G: If it’s a good thing, go play with them.

Skunk: If they’re good people, that’s very important also.

Nuzzo: I’d rather be cool and suck, than be dicks and be good.

Skunk: I mean, other bands that support us are true and cool people. Whether we like their music or not is one thing you know, but if the people are cool that’s all that matters to me. Like the Virgin Spring (One of the opening bands from the show), cool people.

Nuzzo: Awesome!

Skunk: But their music made my dick go up my own ass.

Nuzzo: Wow!    

Skunk: I dunno if I’ll be able to catch it. (laughs)

Nuzzo: (laughs)

Sharita: (laughs) Oh wow! Do you guys have day jobs and if so what are they?

Nuzzo: Oh, I don’t have a job, this is my job.

G: His lady takes care of him.

Kyle: I work in retail, I been doin’ the same job for the last 13 years.

Sharita: Are you happy with it?

Kyle: I’m still there! (laughter erupts from everyone)

Skunk: That’s the words of a casual male. (laughs) I’m a brick layer but I’m retired now.

G: I work at a grocery store, that’s it!

Skunk: He sells cucumbers to fat women, nuns. (everyone laughs)

Nuzzo: Cucumbers and Vaseline. (laughs)

Sharita: What would you guys like to see change in the music industry?

Skunk: Wha, I don’t care!

Nuzzo: (laughs) Well, what are we gonna say about changes.

Skunk: You know, the industry can stay where it’s at, whatever.

Kyle: Until we have more of a key role in it, it’s hard to say what we’d like to see changing.

Nuzzo: We haven’t put up with the bullshit yet so until then, we’re not at that step.

Sharita: Well I asked this question like from an outsiders point of view because even though you’re an unsigned band and I’m a journalist and fan, we still have opinions.

Nuzzo: When we get more experience dealing with the corporate assholes than we’ll have more complaints! (laughs)

Sharita: Well one of my complaints is that when there is a band that breaks every label wants to replicate that same band 50 times, one to suit each major label.

Skunk: True.

Nuzzo: Yeah.

Sharita: Other is that metal has too many sub genres like death metal, metal core, grind core. It’s kind of ridiculous.

Kyle: It can’t just be one type of music. Everything has to have it’s own name or label, you can’t be just a rock band.

Sharita: You can’t be just a metal band!

Nuzzo: Exactly!

Skunk: Right.

Sharita: I’ve always figured that if your music kicked my ass, then it’s metal. Period!

Kyle: I think that everyone has a different interpretation of what metal is, I mean if it’s metal it’s gotta be like Iron Maiden with a guy that’s singing 18 octaves above everyone else…(laughs)

Skunk: (laughs) Metal is like Metal Church to me.

G: So many different genres of metal.

Skunk: (laughs) But, did you just say somethin’ about lickin’ your own ass?

Sharita: No, I said kickin’ my ass. (laughs)

Skunk: Oh.

Nuzzo: (laughs)

Skunk: I’m sorry, stop with the ass play.

Sharita: Ok, and with that I have some speed round questions for you guys. Skunk, you answered these already but I want to hear their answers.

Kyle: Uh-oh.

Nuzzo: I was bad at quizzes!

Sharita: If you were stranded on a desert island, who would you take with you?

Nuzzo: It has to be one of us?

Sharita: No.

Skunk: (laughs)

Nuzzo: Only one person?

Sharita: Yeah.

Nuzzo: I guess I’d take my wife, but what about my girlfriend? I’d take my wife I guess but I dunno what to do with the kid. (laughs) Maybe I’ll hide her in the suitcase, I dunno.

Kyle: Well I don’t have a significant other at the moment so uh…

Sharita: Do you have like a dream girlfriend?

Nuzzo: Who doesn’t.

Skunk: Yeah, one with her mouth duck taped. (laughs)

Nuzzo: Wow.

Skunk: Na, I’m kiddin!

Nuzzo: Can I have that?

Kyle: Go on to Mike then come back to me!

G: I’d take my girlfriend. Only one person? Yeah I’d take her, I wish I could bring all my friends but, yeah I’d probably take her.

Sharita: Skunk, you told me Rosanne Barr. (Everyone laughs)

Skunk: You know why?

Nuzzo: Why is that?

Skunk: Cause, well…read what I said.

Sharita: He said I’d take her because c’mon face it, when she died I’d have enough to eat for a decade. (everyone laughs)

Nuzzo: Oh wow. I didn’t think that, I didn’t know there wouldn’t be food on the island, I’ll have to change my answer.

G: We’ll in that case you can’t take Calista Flockart. (laughs)

Nuzzo: Unless you have somethin’ stuck in your tooth.

Skunk: Yeah. (everyone laughs)

Sharita: Ok, you have 3 CD’s to take on this island, what would they be?

Nuzzo: Oh wow. Pantera Far Beyond Driven, Alice in Chains Dirt,. Oh geez.

Skunk: Speed round. How long does it take ya? (laughs)

Nuzzo: I’d take Zeppelin 3; (everyone yells out 3) for the mellow CD.

G: I’d take Snot’s only release, Pantera Vulgar Display of Power,

Nuzzo: You have to pick something mellow.

Skunk: So what, you’re gonna make love to a cantaloupe over there? (laughs)

G: Well I’d take Barry White's Greatest Hits then. (laughs)

Sharita: One more.

G: Machine Head Burn My Eyes.

Nuzzo: Good one.

Sharita: Great one! Now Skunk said Snot, Johnny Thunders and Dead Boys.

Skunk: No, I would leave that.

G: Oh no, geez. I can’t answer that. (At this point all the other members are yelling at him.)

Skunk: C’mon. Speed Round.

G: You know how many CD's I have? Ok well, End of All Things Come by Mudvayne, one or another Sublime album, a Jane’s Addiction. That’s a hard question.

Sharita: Yeah, it is. If stranded which band member would you eat first.

Nuzzo: Who would I eat first?

Kyle: Yeah sure, pick that with the fat guy standin’ here! (points to himself)

Nuzzo: It’s gotta be me or Kyle. That’s easy, I’d probably eat myself if I could. I’ll eat your ass! Mike and Skunk are out. Kyle I’ll eat your ass! (points to Kyle)

Kyle: Whoa! (laughs)

Nuzzo: Hey whatever! That’s where most of the meat is right on the ass! (laughs)

Sharita: What’s your mantra?

Nuzzo: Be yourself, absolutely! That’s my code and it’s so easy [to live by]. That’s how I get along with others. You don’t like me, fuck you!

Kyle: Leave each day like it’s your last.

Nuzzo: One day you’ll be right. (laughs)

Skunk: (laughs) He who sleeps with itchy butt, wakes up with stinky fingers. (everyone laughs)

Nuzzo: Confucius, Dude! (laughs)

G: Mine? It’s pretty much a combination of the two be yourself and live your life like it was your last.

Sharita: Ok, Spiritual or religious.

Nuzzo: Neither.

Kyle: Spiritual.

Skunk: How about superstitious? What about that one? (laughs)

Nuzzo: You know what I’d go with superstitious over anything. If I walk under a ladder, I won’t leave my house for a week. (laughs)

Skunk: You don’t anyway. (laughs)

G: I worship Satan. (laughs)

Skunk: You are so full of shit! (laughs)

Nuzzo: He is so full of shit.

G: I’m not religious at all. Religion is what you make it!

Sharita: Who’s your favorite cartoon character?

Nuzzo: Oh, who is it? I love Tom and Jerry, especially Jerry. He’s a little shit man!

Kyle: The Family Guy.

Skunk: Uh, Underdog is like my all-time favorite. Something about Sweet Polly…

Nuzzo: Yeah, Sweet Polly (laughs)

G: I was gonna say the Smurfs but…

Skunk: Oh really, which one? Smurfette?

Nuzzo: Vanity Smurf?

G: No, Transformers.

Nuzzo: Oh yeah, that’s a good one!

Sharita: Ok last question guys. Give me a guilty pleasure band or CD?

Nuzzo: Oh my God, Chicago!!!  I swear to God, those love songs. If anyone ever heard me listen to it they’d probably kick my radio. (laughs)

Kyle: I’ve got a little house and techno side to me. I wouldn’t play it around these guys, they might laugh at me.  (laughs)

Skunk: I’d have to say my guilty pleasure is Faster Pussycat!

Nuzzo: (laughs)

G: I don’t have one.

Skunk: Bullshit.

G: No really I like all the stuff I listen to. I don’t feel guilty about it!

Skunk: Pick one.

G: Something I love? I like Duran Duran.

Nuzzo: Oh God, I didn’t expect that!

Skunk: Blame it on Rio!

Kyle: We all have an eighties fetish except for John (Nuzzo). When we’re ready to do a cover he’s like naw, don’t wanna do that.

Sharita: I think most cover tunes are good, have you done any during the show?
(Kyle and Skunk mention a couple but they are inaudible)

Skunk: What did you think of our set?

Sharita: I thought it was an awesome show, I’m very impressed with you guys and hope you get signed soon.

Skunk: Were you expecting less than what you saw?

Sharita: Of course not, I thought you guys were great, you really kick ass and I wish you nothing but the best!

Skunk: Thanks very much!

Sharita: This has been a fun interview.

Skunk: It has been, thanks a lot!

Nuzzo: Thanks Sharita.

Kyle and G: Thanks.

Thanks to the guys in Skank for being an awesome interview!!!