Old Interview pt. 1

Flip The Switch is a band out of Elk Grove, CA. The members include Robert (guitar/vocals), Wil: Daniel (trombone/vocals), Josh Goodman (bass/vocals), Big Red: Matt (sax), Bucky: Mike Koons (drums), Big Daddy(dancer, MC Roadie), and Andy (trumpet). 
Band Members interviewed: Rob, Wil, Josh, Big Red, and Bucky. 
How did Flip the Switch get started? 
Rob: I started it back in like summer of 2002. I had some songs saved up and I knew this dude who played drums and he was bugging me to get together and jam. 
Wil: Rob started it with me and our old drummer Justin. 
Rob: so we did, he liked the stuff and I got Wil on the trombone because it was a ska band. Originally it was a 3-piece band. 
How did the name come along? 
Wil: The first name was not another face in the crowd. Then we realized it was too long and we already had a bad rep for some reason that I don’t remember. Justin came up with the name off of a shirt I have. Then we changed it to Flip the Switch. 
How did everyone else come to be in the band? 
Rob: Wil is in the jazz band at school and Big Daddy is a friend of mine from high school. 
Wil: Big Red joined on sax and then 4 months later Mark and Josh joined. Mark was our old drummer. Then we had Adam on trumpet. Right before the summer of 03 Jacob joined on sax. So in 2003 the developing band was: Rob, Josh, Mark, Jacob, Adam, Big Red, and Me. In 04 after a run of screw ups with Mark we were forced to kick him out of the band and fortunately we found Bucky the same day. So in the summer of 04 the band was set with Bucky, Josh, Rob, Big Red, Jacob, Big Daddy and Me. Andy joined at the beginning of summer on trumpet. So the band has been a whole since the summer of 04. 
What made you guys decide to start a ska band? 
Rob: Well, ska is the greatest music ever. I saw Reel Big Fish for the first time in 97 or 98 and since then I wanted to start my own ska band. No one was doing it and the scene was sort of dead so, I’m doing whatever I can to keep the scene alive which is why I’m working on my own ska zine and I also do that ska radio show at my local college live online. 
Wil: I’ve always liked ska but never knew what it was and I’ve loved Bob Marley since I was 9. 
Josh: I’ve always loved ska music and I enjoy being in a ska band. 
What is the funniest thing that has ever happened with the band? 
Josh: Edwoodstock? 
Rob: The duck getting stolen? And girls always trying to steal him? 
Josh: I shaved my head with a bald mans cut and used a cane at a show with IV4K. 
Wil: Big Daddy running across the street to the gas station on the way back from the Phoenix Theatre was pretty funny. 
Bucky: I’m going to have to say seeing Big Red and Wil dress up all scenester like tight pants, make up, eyeliner, and all, and me trying to fit into Wil’s girlfriend’s pants so I could be all scenester with them. 
Bucky: Edwoodstock was cool but I thought it was scary….I don’t dig the whole movie cult thing I think its bad. 
What’s the best thing that’s ever happened at a show? 
Big Red: I think it was really cool when I think it was Matt from TRSR got on stage and asked his now girlfriend out at the boardwalk. 
Bucky: Meeting Aaron Barrett from RBF and Justin Ferria from FOE was cool. 
Rob: Doing the ska is dead show was an honor. 
Josh: Hands down on Edwoodstock. 
Wil: I can tell you the best venue hands down the West Sacramento Teen Center. 
Josh: Playing with Mustard Plug, Catch 22, and Big D and the Kids Table. 
What’s your favorite song to play live? 
Rob: I like playing the new song ‘100 bucks down’. I guess all of them though because we wouldn’t play them if we didn’t like them. 
Josh: Tough with all the new songs, I like playing them all. As far as old songs go I’d say ‘Miss Cleo’. I love our new songs ‘Fair of Fashion’ and ‘I’m so over it’. We should play them back-to-back. 
Wil: New song is going to definitely going to be ‘Fair of Fashion’ because I get to do my flow. 
Bucky: hmmm I like a few of them…’Miss Cleo’ it’s fast punk rock and live I can improvise a lot, ‘Ska baby’ because it’s a nice little fast punk/ska thing, ‘Girl or Friend’ because it’s a great song to open with and it’s full of sound and it’s crazy………. 
Big Red: I really like ‘Too Damn Cute’ and ‘Light Switch’…Wow good thorough answer Bucky…. 
Bucky: ‘Luckiest guy in the world’, ‘Light Switch’ because its so energetic, ‘100 bucks down’ because its fun to play, and ‘Last Call’ because it’s another go crazy song to play your heart out on. 
Big Red: ok that’s almost all our songs. 
Bucky: I don’t really have one favorite to me there’s something about each song that is totally awesome and fun to play and the only one I hate playing is the pirate song because its bad. 
Big Red: yeah that one sucks but Rob likes it. 
What band(s) would you love to play with and why? 
Rob: RBF! Why? Why not? The greatest band alive! 
Josh: The Madd Caddies. I love how they blend their styles and the energy at their shows its awesome. 
Wil: The Specials or Madness. 
Josh: I love al music. 
Bucky: I’d love to play with The Aquabats and Blink 182 and RBF and Catch 22 again. I want to play with Blink 182 because I’ve listened to them since Buddha came out and I would love to share a stage with Travis Barker and I want to play with The Aquabats because they are The Aquabats. 
Big Red: RBF would be so awesome and The Planet Smashers again. 
Bucky: Most of all I would love to play with this one band called Steve Curtis Chapman….it’s a Christian band and I’ve listened to them for as long as I can remember their music is probably the most influential in my musical career. 
Who is your biggest influence? 
Bucky: Drumming wise I’d have to go back to the old guys like Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa they always look like they’re having a good time and they play their whole kit and use the most comical showmanship I’ve ever seen. 
Big Red: My influence as a saxophonist I listen to and study John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Charlie Parker. 
Who is your personal hero? 
Wil: Bob Marley and Kurt Cobain. 
Rob: It was Aaron Barrett but I don’t know anymore….MacGyver. 
Josh: Mine would be my dad he’s an awesome musician and a really great man. 
Besides taking down equipment what do you guys do after a show? 
Josh: I run to the merch table I like to talk to the fans. 
Wil: Air, water, and a good towel. 
Rob: usually we hang out….hopefully talk to some fans. 
What makes you guys more unique than any other ska band? 
Rob: the mascot?
Josh: have you seen another ska band as ridiculously good-looking as we are? 
Big Red: We’re from Elk Grove; I think we’re unique because we are so diverse in age. I’m the youngest at 16 and Josh is the oldest at 23 so the gap in age kind of makes for interesting and fun times and can sometimes influence our music because we have fun. 
Bucky: Well I think we all come from different backgrounds and different influences…we all bring something awesome to the table and when we join together we create something that I think will make a difference in the way people view us and ska and hopefully start to appreciate it again. 
Rob: We aren’t assholes and we love to talk to our fans. 
What’s with the duck as a mascot? 
Rob: everyone asks that. 
Josh: That’s Rob’s thing he loves that duck. 
Wil: I love him what about you? 
Josh: I don’t love the duck the way you love the duck. 
Rob: I found him at a flea market a few years back and my bro and me thought it was the greatest thing. 
Bucky: Rob and his brother Christian found him at a flea market and thought it would be a good mascot for a band so they bought him and he’s graced FTS’s presence ever since the first day the band was formed. 
What’s the one thing everyone should know about the band? 
Josh: everyone should know we’re out to spread ska and we will be known, we have fun, you have fun, we all have fun. 
Wil: We will rock you.


Check out Flip the Switch at: www.Fliptheswitchska.com and www.myspace.com/fliptheswitch 
Interview done by April Marie Gilbert Contact her at: April@scuffedculture.net 


National Product is a band originally from Oahu, HI and is now currently residing in Huntington Beach, CA. Band members include: Danny C(vocals), Joey K(Bass), Jeff F(guitar), Stan M(guitar), and Robbie C(drums). Band Members interviewed: Danny and Jeff. 
How did the band form? 
Jeff: danny, why dont you get this one, since Im still technically the new guy 
Danny: the band formed in hawaii when a group of best friends decided to take up playing music and learning instruments as a hobby Danny: we all loved live shows 
Danny: but we didnt know how to play anything 
Danny: any more 
What year did the band form? 
Danny: welp i would say the band National Product officially became a band when jeff joined, so 2002 
And how did yall decide on jeff joining? 
Danny: welp we were like, we need a super hot babe, so me and napoleon (stan) went searching online and found this hot sweet babe in santa barabara 
Danny: he pretty much rips all the other hot babes 
Jeff: haha 
Jeff: but they were a little bit PO'd because I didnt send them a full body shot. 
Danny: um jeff 
Danny: im sorry 
Danny: but its 
Danny: TO'ed 
Right........ 
Jeff: I actually joined NP after I parted ways with my old band, Sick Shift. I thought that National Product had their act together, and I thought I could add a lot to their sound. 
How was the name picked? 
Danny: the name was picked before Jeff joined 
Danny: altho jeff embodies the meaning of the words 
Danny: it basically is statement of thinking for yourself, it means being true to who you are, not really giving a shit about what other people think of you and speaking your mind along with helping eachother and everyone else become better people 
Who decided on the name? 
Danny: National Product is a term used for things like oil 
Danny: gas 
Danny: money 
Danny: but when you think about it 
Danny: music is a national but international product 
Jeff: you are your own product, you are what you create in yourself 
Danny: and thats kinda what we consider ourselves, the opposite of something fake and mass consumerized, we are our own 
Jeff: we want people to think in those terms about their life and their potential 
Jeff: that is a lot of what our music is about 
Jeff: yeah, what danny said means that on another level, there is a bit of irony involved. 
Who exactly thought of it originally? 
Danny: it was a group decision, we were going over names 
What music genre would yall classify the band? 
Danny: i wouldnt 
Danny: as we have all said before 
But if you had to classify it as something? 
Danny: We are influenced by everything around us. Music is a great way to guide your creative side although events that have unfolded in our lives are what inspire the writing. Whether it be the loss of someone close to you, or the birth of a niece or nephew, life is always throwing new things at us and we love to write from those experiences 
Danny: We sound like whatever you want to say we sound like. A lot of bands like to say they're "original" but being original nowadays is hard to come by since its pretty much all been done. We don't try to follow trends, rather we set standards for who we want our fans to see us as. The beauty and passion just make it fresh again. On the Music Player or PureVolume you will hear the demo tracks, but if you come to a live show - you will see how passionate we are about music and the people who support it. Enjoy the songs, dont worry about the labels or categories they should fit in. Music wasnt meant to be classified, it was meant to define a classification. 
Whats the frst thing yall do after a show after all the equipment has been taken down? 
Jeff: We have a bunch of new stuff that you can hear on our full length album coming out soon, as well. 
Danny: compliment one another and ask if there was anything that could have been done better and then hug, make out, and all that fun stuff 
Jeff: We like to hang out at the merch booth and chill with fans and stuff. 
Whats the funniest thing thats ever happened at a show? 
Jeff: danny hit some girl in the head with his mic while he was swinging it. It was an accident, but it was kinda funny. 
Jeff: oh, and one time these girls threw a bunch of HUGE sized panties on stage at us. I was laughing so hard it was hard to play guitar. 
Danny: haha that was funny 
Danny: im trying to think 
Danny: haha one time stan threw his guitar and it came off the straps and just went flying and his guitar snapped 
Danny: and he also did some rad back peddle move when i was screaming on the groud and he backed over me and ate shit 
That would suck 
Danny: it was almost like when you get behind someone and push them over 
Yeah, whats the most embarrassing thing thats ever happened? 
Jeff: danny once tried to step on a monitor and ate shit. 
Danny: one time, i was standing on the monitor and chris from saosin was in the back and i was trying to get high enough to like say word up and stuff, and i went toppling down cutting my shin open and shit 
Danny: haha 
Danny: ahh you beat me jeff 
Danny: but the cool part 
Danny: was that i kept singing all the way to the floor and didnt stop once, not even on impact 
Danny: the mic is like my 3rd appendage 
I see, whats the best thing thats ever happened at a show? 
Danny: um, anytime im on stage with the guys is my favorite moment 
Danny: i dont have just one Jeff: the best thing is when you get that response from people where they're just feeling the music, and feeding all their energy back to you Jeff: it can get me so amped. 
What is your favorite song to play live? 
Danny: i like seans song, or the newer stuff 
I love seans song, which ive told you i don't know how many times 
Danny: yeah 
Jeff: we have two new songs that dont really have names yet, but those two and seans song are my faves to play live. 
Why are they your favorite songs to play? 
Jeff: well I like the intensity of seans song, and the other two songs just have a good vibe and energy to them also. 
Danny: yeah i feel the same 
What band(s) would you love to play with? 
Danny: wow 
Danny: so many 
Jeff: metallica 
Jeff: haha Ive just loved them since I was a kid 
Jeff: motley crue 
Danny: afi, thrice, refused (i wish), at the drive in (another wish), avenged, jimmy eat world, story fo the year, saosin again, over it again, yellowcard and new found glory again, rise against again, journey, Jay Z 
Danny: hehe dude i wanna play with Weslie Willis 
Why? 
Danny: damn dude i could go all day 
Danny: cus they rock period 
Who is your biggest influence? 
Jeff: rock over london, rock on chicago, polaroid, see what develops 
Danny: um, influences for me arent mainly musicians, i get influenced by outside sources. everything and all the events in life influence me and my personal writing and growth 
Who is your personal hero? 
Jeff: Im influenced by all kinds of things, all kinds of music. Danny Elfman, who used to be the singer of Oingo Boingo and now composes film music (mainly for Tim Burton) is a huge musical inspiration to me. 
Danny: my brother, dad and stepdad, they are in iraq right now as private contractors, so people like them who are fighting to ensure our freedom are my personal heros, even tho i am totally against the war, but i dont have a choice when it comes to family, i support and love them 
What makes yall different from other bands? 
Jeff: were not trying to sound like everyone else, yet we are influenced by all kinds of music. we tend to have our own collective thing going. 
What should everyone who listens to you guys know about yall? 
Danny: i dont know really but i would like to assume that it has nothing to do with our music and everything to do with who we are, which is 5 individuals who are egoless to our fans, we donate to charity, we throw parties and invite everyone, we accept everyone regardless of race, sex, creed, or fashion sense, we are just people. 
What was the exact order that everyone joined the group? 
Jeff: we saved the best for last, thats for sure 
Jeff: haha Im kidding 
Danny: like i said 
Danny: the band wasnt complete 
Danny: until jeff, the hot babe from the internet joined 
Mmmm i c 
Jeff: thats what Im talking about. 
Jeff: sorry, weve been watching too much napoleon dynamite lately 
I saw it on new years and thought it was stupid 
Danny: to each their own =) 
Yeah, well thank you very much for the interview i appreciate it 
Danny: hey thanks for doing it