Matthew Gibbs lives in Brooklyn where he is a member of Evolfo, a band he started as Evolfo Doofeht in Northern California back in 2009, with the current iteration of Evolfo taking form in 2011. Last month, Evolfo released their debut LP Last Of The Acid Cowboys on Royal Potato Family. Matt is, or has been been, a member of Benjamin and the Dreamdancers, Holiday Mountain, Cherry Coals, and Kids Having Kids. We spoke to Matt in his living room on April 6th on the eve of the records’ release.

Mike with Take The L: All right, a normal day for you, Matt, what’s a day in the life of your life like when a record release is not imminent?

Matt Gibbs: Typically, I’ve been super fortunate to spend a good chunk of the year on tour with Evolfo and playing with different bands. I tour manage a band called the Easy Star All-Stars. They’re like a reggae band and that’s a couple months out of the year.

But when I’m home I think my typical day begins when I wake up and I drink enough coffee to open my eyeballs and then I work. I send Evolfo related emails and if I have any freelance music work I’ll do that. Tuning, mixing, stuff like that that I can do from home. So yeah, I pretty much spend the whole day, once I’m done with official work, just trying to send emails related to the band because we don’t have a manager or anything like that. I don’t think we really need one [laughs].

M: You eat, too?

MG: Yeah, totally.

M: What’s like a basic first meal for you?

MG: Okay we can talk meals.

M: Let’s talk some food!

MG: I’m a cereal man myself, like last week I had this great cereal, but I’m gluten-free so that’s a problem.

M: That’s tricky with cereal.

MG: It’s tricky with cereal AND beer. I had this great cereal that was kind of like Kix but it was gluten-free and it was like berry Kix which was always my favorite when I was a kid so that’s what I’ve eaten for the last two weeks [laughs].

M: So what’re Matt Gibbs’ Top Five Gluten-Free Cereals?

MG: Okay, let’s do this. [1] Chex, [2] whatever that Kix-like cereal was that I had, [3] Panda Puffs, umm let’s think here. [4] Masa Sunrise, it’s like a Nature Valley cereal, and then after that I’d have to go [5] Gorilla Crunch [laughs]. I highly recommend Chex. [Yes, we butchered the names of a few of these, but life goes on.]

M: So besides eatin’ cereal do you do much cooking?

MG: If I didn’t have a girlfriend I wouldn’t do any cooking and I wouldn’t do anything constructive.

[Matt’s brother Sam walks in, we exchange pleasantries.]

Yeah I wouldn’t do any cooking at all if it wasn’t for my girlfriend, Amanda. I’d probably eat gluten-free mac and cheese and gluten-free microwave pizzas like every night. So yeah, she’s like a real good cook. I’ve gotten into making massive amounts of pasta and stuff with crazy vegetables mixed in so that I can just eat that all week. Microwaved food and then back to my dungeon. [Referring to his office/studio in the basement.]

M: There’s gluten-free pasta and rice-based pasta, what’s your preference? One time I tried rice pasta and it all kind of melted, so I did it wrong.

MG: Yeah that happens to me like every time. I really like corn pasta, it’s kind of sweeter, but it can get a little grainy. Quinoa pasta is real tasty too. Best gluten-free pizza, how bout that?

M: Let’s do it.

MG: Against The Grain. That’s my recommendation. It’s pizza and beer that I really hate passing on. I love beer and I love pizza.

M: I’m thankful that I can stomach those. But I feel for your pain. So where’d the name Evolfo come from?

MG: Evolfo. There’s a long story and a short story.

M: Medium?

MG: Okay, I’ll try to mediumize it. I started the band in high school, we were part of this play, Twelfth Night by Shakespeare. The director wanted us to be called “The Food of Love” and I was a little shit so I was like, “we’ll be Evolfo Doofeht” cause that’s “the food of love” backwards, and I thought “doofeht” was a super funny word and then eventually we decided that no one could spell “doofeht” so we just chopped that off. So we’re just Evolfo which is “of love” backwards.

M: Got it. That means Evolfo’s been around for a while?

MG: Yeah I mean, I just say it’s because I’m too lazy to pick a new band name. So it’s been my band for ever and ever, but this group of guys has been together for the longest and we all contribute, almost equally, to most songs. I mean I guess Rafferty and I still write most of the songs but we all contribute creatively. It’s fairly democratic.

M: So more or less Evolfo has been the project you’ve taken throughout the years. It has evolved.

MG: Which is funny because “evolve” is the word that Google tries to turn Evolfo into when you Google search it. “Did you mean evolve?” [This may no longer be the case or our cookies makes Google know I want Evolfo.]

M: I think it’s always good to have a unique name, because it’s not a typical word, that’s very helpful compared to having a band name such as Operators or this band COUNTRY…

MG: [Laughing.] That’s impossible!

M: Yes it is. Anyway, with the record out tomorrow do you have any night before jitters?

MG: Not really. I just want to get honest feedback from people. That’s all I want, like people are either gonna be like “amazing” or “I don’t like this.” You know, I know that the “I don’t like this” feedback is candid but I really want some in-depth honest feedback at this point. Cause I think it’s gonna do what it’s gonna do. I want reviews! Stuff like that. I’m super grateful to Royal Potato Family for putting out the record for us.

M: And have you been doing much press in preparation, besides this little blog?

MG: Yeah, yeah. Absolutely. We’ve done a few I mean there will definitely be some reviews circulating, doing some live sessions and we’re doing a whole tour starting on Saturday. I’m excited. I’m excited for it to come out and I just want to move on to the next album and start writing. Super super psyched this happened the way it did. I think the artwork makes getting the album worth it.

M: Yeah it looks great. [I had already looked over a copy laying around.] Where does this fit into the overall arc of Evolfo discography?

MG: This is our first full length LP. It’s the fourth proper release we’ve done. Well I guess it’s the first proper release, but it’s the fourth thing we’ve released. It’s our first full-length. We released an EP and then a bunch of singles over the years, in 2012 and onward. And we started releasing music from this record last fall. And now the record’s finally coming out! Last Of The Acid Cowboys.

M: What was the EP called?

MG: Also Last Of The Acid Cowboys.

M: Are those tracks on the record?

MG: Yeah. It was meant to be a ramp up to the record. Like a sort of excitement building thing. In retrospect we wouldn’t’ve put five songs on the EP, but we thought maybe we were gonna do two EPs and then a full length with all the songs, but then we realized how difficult that would be, like if the ten songs were already out then there wouldn’t really be a point. So yeah, we just ended up putting out the full length record and the songs are all meant to be together on one album.

M: Where’s that name come from?

MG: Last of the acid cowboys? It was the name of one of the songs that Rafferty wrote. It’s a song on the album as well and it’s sort of a tribute to Acid Western style. Movies like Dead Man or Alejandro Jodorowsky movies, stuff like that. Yeah so it’s kind of like an LSD tripped out vision quest thing. There’s a bit of a story. It’s definitely not like a rock opera or something like that. But it’s definitely a concept that I think flows from song one through song ten.

M: And the recording process. Was it all recorded here or elsewhere? What’s the songwriting process with a decently large band?

MG: Yeah the songwriting process is nuts. But anyway, what was the first half of the question again?

M: Much less important but where?

MG: Oh yeah we recorded it all in Brooklyn. And then we sort of, we got the basics and tracked it on a tape machine in our friend’s studio, Black Lodge Recording in Bushwick. So we did that and then we had these really nice sounding basics and sort of popped into peoples’ houses and other studios to record horns and vocals, overdubs, yeah, basically we just did as much as we could, analog, and then added other stuff in. The songwriting process goes like this: Rafferty and I or any other member of the band can bring in a song that’s usually pretty arranged with a melody, chords, stuff like that. Then we work on it all together as a group. For Last Of The Acid Cowboys we wrote like thirty songs, and then we like booshed like axed it down.

M: Did any of them get combined or anything?

MG: Yeah I think some ideas worked their way together. I think that Ronnie’s here to drop off some gear.

M: Go for it. Need a hand? [Put pause on the chat.] The songs that you bring to the band, like how do you wind up at something that’s ready to be brought to them? Or how do your ideas come to exist?

MG: I usually, it’s pretty complicated because I don’t normally bring a fully developed idea and tell everyone exactly what they’re playing. But I do try and do these little demos that will get the vibe across. But it can get contentious, like “I wanted you to do this trashy sloppy bass part that’s not what you’re doing. Didn’t you listen to the demo?” But anyway, it’s better to leave it open and I think that’s how you get a more interesting song when you have other people’s impressions.

M: And it’s a more cohesive process which I think just leads to better chemistry and everyone feeling good about everything. But like an idea, where do those begin for you?

MG: Usually I get an idea like with words then a little hook thing, and then I start to feel it out on the guitar. And I know if it’s a good song if I finish it in like ten minutes. [Chuckles.] Like I know exactly how the parts are gonna lock together. I mean I don’t know it’s a good song. I know it’s a song that will satisfy me if I can finish it quickly.

M: Does that include words or just the music?

MG: Just like the form of where it should go, the melody.

M: Like the arc of it.

MG: Yeah exactly. How and what verse should go and follow a chorus. Should it stay the same or should there be a fundamental change, like usually those options, I want them to present themselves rather than try a hundred different things, which I also do sometimes when I’m writing. But I feel like my favorite stuff that I’ve written I really like [snaps his fingers] and feels like it’s there to be taken or like, not forced out, just comes out.

M: And the words come later?

MG: Yeah sometimes it all comes together and I’ll scribble it down really quickly, or I’ll get the idea of what the words are supposed to sound like, but I don’t exactly know what word it should be. You get that when you’re writing, it’s like alliteration or some crazy shit, that you know. Like a sound of what each one is supposed to be and that’ll help me pick words later. Right now I’m doing okay writing lyrics but sometimes I just feel like shit about every lyric I’m writing. At the moment what I’m writing feels like it’s flowing pretty well. Words are hard cause I feel like I don’t actually want to say what a song is about. But you also don’t want to get too vague and flowery and poetic and stuff. Yeah.

M: So when someone else brings an idea to the table, you end up still putting lyrics on that. Or does someone show up saying “I’ve got a melody and words already” kind of deal?

MG: Yeah often that will happen but I feel like whoever’s gonna sing it, either myself or Rafferty, will tweak the lyrics and whatnot. We share the singing duties, but we usually sing our own songs.

M: I’m trying to picture your setup. You’re on guitar but what does Rafferty play?

MG: Rafferty plays organ and sings maybe a quarter of the live set at the moment but he sings half of the album.

M: Do you alternate back and forth on the album?

MG: We just kind of picked the right order for the songs. So sometimes it’ll be like two of mine in a row. I think the album even ends with two of his and then one of mine at the end. It’s hard though. Sometimes it feels weird to sing other people’s lyrics and melodies. It could feel totally natural and genuine to them and then it can feel really cheesy in my mouth you know. And it can really not feel quite right when I try and sing what they wrote so usually we have to work on it together. But I’m open to anything, just whatever’s right.

M: And I think that’s kind of a feeling that’s really important that I’ve tried to understand better and I end up getting really abstract. [Laughs.]

MG: Yeah sometimes I struggle with music as a pure art form especially in the way that we’re doing it or whatever. Trying to get people to listen and stuff. Cause I want people to listen so badly, so I realize that people listening is definitely part of the formula for me because I love to write music but there’s absolutely no way that I’m writing music to entertain myself or even really to just pull out my guitar and entertain the people around me. Like I want to record music and now part of the equation is getting it to other people too. You know, I think that alters the creative process a little bit also, you know, it’s more like a medium of your creativity, like a medium of yourself that you’re like trying to broadcast to a whole lot of people.

M: But then live…

MG: …That alters the landscape as well.

M: And live, cause with you guys there’s a lot going on, every show’s going to be different.

MG: Yeah.

M: And that’s good. Something I really like is that it’s all done live, every little bit. And that means the tempo is truly set by whoever’s on drums and that makes each show and each song something new and different every single time even if the backbone’s the same, and for me in a live show I find it’s more fun and that’s something that I definitely look at and appreciate as a good thing.

MG: I like that [laughs] I mean I’ve been sad cause we’ve taken some of the improvisational aspects of the music out recently, you know. It used to be a little bit groovier and jammier, it’s cool when you go up there and you don’t exactly know how you’re gonna play. And all I want is for the band to bring as much unbridled energy as possible.

M: Well you all do bring the energy.

MG: Yeah. [Chuckles.] I like, I love the feeling of being on stage and I want to freak out, you know. It drives me nuts. Nothing depresses me more than getting off stage and knowing that I was self-conscious and I hate that so much [stomps his foot] cause it’s such a waste of the thing, like I 100 percent almost only want to play shows. That’s the only place I feel like I enjoy myself sometimes. You know, cause I’m kind of a workaholic or whatever that’s really my zone-out space and just playing, so if I come off-stage and realize I was like thinking the whole time it drives me fucking nuts. So I’m always trying to let the energy fly off the handle.

M: I’m glad you said that as opposed to what I thought you were gonna say: “I hate when I get off stage and realize the crowd didn’t give back any energy.”

MG: I get that too.

M: But if that’s second to just wanting to be sure that you’re in your element for the set, then that’s…

MG: …That’s almost the explanation for the speedo thing. Like it feels very liberating and I don’t do it every show, cause usually I wait until I know the audience wants a little more.

M: But you’re ready for it every show?

MG: Oh yeah! Secretly. [Laughs.] So you gotta give me somethin’ but at Baby’s [All Right, November 27th] I was forcing it a little bit because it was a kinda sedate crowd.

M: I think New York’s just kind of like that.

MG: Yeah that’s why it feels good to do it in New York sometimes. It’s like “F A H H H ” but I still do it and once I know that I’m doing it I’m definitely in my element, feelin’ just like “this is happening” and this crowd is getting this, despite what they might or might not want. But it does require like a certain crowd level and yeah it does bum me out when the crowd doesn’t feel it but as long as you know, it’s weird, I have the argument that I have the selfish point and oh wait I have a selfless point of view like the crowd has to enjoy it for me to enjoy it myself but then in the end I just want to enjoy myself you know. [Laughs.]

M: I do have to defend the showgoer a little as I can be at a show, greatly enjoying it, but for whatever reason I can be self conscious or someone who just doesn’t move around as much or it takes a lot to get into that element, and maybe on a Tuesday night when stuff’s going on the next day but the overall point of being there is the show.

MG: Yo I totally feel that 100 percent and I’m like, I’m not the dude who goes to any given friends’ show and is way supportive and cheerleading in the front, I wish I was and I would get there and go up front and act crazy, but yeah, I think it’s unfair to expect the audience to exude energy in order to show their appreciation.

M: But then, and I don’t play shows, but the most frustrating thing must be a shitty crowd where people are talking because being there and being supportive is something, but it’s also so easy to just be respectful. Cheering if you’re enjoying yourself but not like taking away from the vibe by talking the whole time.

MG: Yeah we’ve never been heckled or anything.

M: If someone’s aggressively requesting a song that you do play, is that heckling or is that fun?

MG: It’s annoying now because some people want us to play like the funky-funk stuff that we used to play like “You Light Me Up” and stuff and we still play that song but yeah some people like call out the old songs and I think we lost like half our audience when the first song from this new record came out. That’s okay. We weren’t about to like not change so [laughs] yeah so some people like to heckle for the funk which is okay, we’re still a little funky.

M: Has anyone ever requested the speedo before you broke it out?

MG: No, I don’t think people have ever wanted it. [Laughs extra hard.]

M: Okay, and one or two speedo logistics questions. Is it underneath whatever you’re wearing? Do you have pants you rip off or do you take a second to pull your pants off?

MG: I like to disappear backstage. That’s how you know. Now I’m gonna shake it up and disappear backstage and reappear even more clothed than I was before. [More laughs.]

M: You’ve gotta keep us on our toes. So going back to Twelfth Night and when you started Evolfo Doofeht, or started using that moniker for your music. Where’d you grow up?

MG: San Francisco Bay Area.

M: Where?

MG: So like north in Marin County. San Rafael.

M: Okay. Cool. What were you listening to when you were in high school and Evolfo got started?

MG: Really like, it’s weird, we used to do Iggy Pop covers but I would want them to be funkier you know. And Iggy Pop’s got this reckless funk thing going on. He was like my muse back then or whatever. Yeah, so I thought of us as this Velvet Underground Iggy Pop thing and then we started to play like hard funk so what I was listening to I think was throwback early punk. But I did also really love funk music back then. The Meters and James Brown. James Brown’s a huge influence. For sure.

M: My dad loves James Brown.

MG: Really? Sick.

M: I mean I like James Brown but my dad loves James Brown. He’s pumped when he comes on on his Pandora. Did you like growing up in the Bay Area?

MG: Yeah. I loved growing up in Northern California, I mean the scenery is so awesome. I loved it for the outdoors. But to be honest I wasn’t so in on the local music scene until I was finishing high school. I was always a music dude, I always had my bands and we played around high school talent shows. But yeah I didn’t like go to Bottom Of The Hill and stuff or whatever until I was graduating in 2009. Yeah, once I had my own band we just hit up everyone to play Evolfo Doofeht shows.

M: Do you have a favorite redwood?

MG: Redwood?

M: Yeah like one tree that’s your favorite?

MG: That’s such a great question. Let me think.

M: As you think, I went to San Francisco for the first time in December for a quick visit and before my three o’clock flight we went up to Muir Woods and it was my first time seeing a redwood. And as we were driving down the windy roads there were lots of big trees and I kept on asking my friends if they were redwoods and they kept telling me “No, you’ll know when you see one” and they were very much right. It was awesome.

MG: Yeah, that’s awesome! I’m so glad you’ve been and seen the redwoods there. Muir Woods is kickass, definitely some good redwoods in there. My favorite one is probably in Roy’s Redwoods. There’s a big burnt out one. In fact, the first Evolfo Doofeht photoshoot was like in that tree.

M: Oh, pretty cool! It’s still there?

MG: Yeah. Yeah it’s awesome. I think they filmed like part of Star Wars there.

M: Oh! Return of the Jedi?

MG: Yeah like the Ewok scenes…

M: …And when they’re racing out?

MG: They’re supposed to have filmed it in Roy’s but they’re also supposed to have done shit in Muir Woods.

M: Did you ever name that tree or was it just like the tree?

MG: No but it probably has a name, I think it’s a really well known tree. There’re some great redwoods in there, there’re some big ones. Man, we went up to like the Lost Coast this last fall.

M: On that West Coast tour?

MG: Yeah but just me and Amanda went up there after the tour ended and saw some crazy redwoods. They are even bigger up there with the old growth redwoods, and it’s nuts. Yeah. The tour was awesome. Lots of good redwoods on the tour in Ashland and the Bay Area.

M: Sweet. And in your days, especially when you were younger, were there any shows where you ended up opening for someone that made you think “HOLY SHIT I’m opening for x, y, or z” or did that never quite come together?

MG: We had some opening spots that I was proud of but no, never anyone I was like a super fan of. Like we opened for Delicate Steve once and that was really sick, I mean I love his music but I don’t think I’m starstruck over him.

M: No offense to him but with a name like that [both laughing], like I haven’t listened too much to his music but, it’s a very, I guess maybe it’s a good name but far from an intimidating name.

MG: Yeah I think it’s very endearing. That was a good opening slot. The first opening slot we got that I was like “AWESOME” was at The Sinclair in Boston when we opened for Red Baraat so that felt really good. The Sinclair was sold out and stuff and that felt like a great achievement to me. Um, one time we opened for the Counting Crows during CMJ at the Bowery Electric — that was fucking weird.

M: Wait, that place is tiny.

MG: Yeah. They performed under like a fake name and invited a few people from their fan club and there were a bunch of bands playing. Not a fan of the Counting Crows but it was fun. Our resume had that on it for a while. [Both laugh.] When we had a resume like a dingus band.

M: And then, after high school did you come east?

MG: Yeah I moved immediately to Boston?

M: You went to Berklee right?

MG: Yeah. I did. It was a mistake. Kidding. Whatever.

M: Okay did you get much out of Berklee College of Music or was that worthwhile?

MG: I wouldn’t say I got anything out of it. But at least I was able to, like if I had gone to school for something else I wouldn’t’ve gotten to spend so much time playing. So I think I definitely got the liberty to get my hands on my instrument every day. That’s great.

[Tangent about a mutual acquaintance at Berklee.]

M: Did you all go to Berklee?

MG: [Hesitantly.] Umm we did.

M: All of you?

MG: We did, yeah.

M: So you’re all well trained musicians.

MG: Yeah. Well trained musicians.

[Another omitted tangent about using the term “well trained” in reference to things besides musicians. Lots of laughing.]

Sounds like a sticky situation. The Berklee thing, I’d say, Berklee’s so weird. Like some of the guys there studied music business and it could not have been less helpful for understanding the music industry. Like I don’t want to discourage anyone who’s stoked on going to Berklee but I think you’ve gotta like make sure, definitely make sure you experience the real world like ASAP during your summers or your breaks or just hang out in Boston and check out local record labels or whatever. You gotta see how it’s really working cause like all these dudes are talking about fucking ridiculous contracts showing us example contracts like “when we signed the band Boston back in 1982” like this could not be less applicable to indie rock bands today.

M: Is that program similar to the NYU music program.

MG: I don’t know much about that program, the Clive Davis one?

M: I just know that it turns out that so many bands around New York are just NYU kids.

MG: I know. And they give us shit about being Berklee kids.

M: You guys should have a battle of the bands sometime.

MG: Sounds like Berklee all over again. Back to the battle of the bands that were put on by like BU kids, we spent all our time hanging out with BU kids living in Allston or whatever and playing lots of like Allston basement parties and stuff.

M: Boston’s I think built a lot better for house shows.

MG: Yeah. You’re from Boston?

M: Near Boston, but I’ve spent a lot more time in New York. I’m from Martha’s Vineyard to be exact, so off the coast south.

MG: Oh I went out there when I was tour managing the Easy Star All-Stars once.

M: Where’d they play?

MG: Nectars.

M: Okay, yeah that’s THE venue.

MG: Yeah, THE venue.

M: But I guess there are little ones. There’s a group called the Grateful Dread that’s a reggae Grateful Dead cover band. They’re fun.

MG: The Easy Star All-Stars are also a reggae cover band. Their claim to fame is covering Dark Side Of The Moon as Dub Side Of The Moon and Radiodread.

M: Nice. I know other reggae groups tend to come to the Vineyard. Like Collie Buddz has played has which is funny. The Wailers and Toots and the Maytals have too.

MG: That’s sick.

M: I’m trying to think of the right transition here. Do you read much?

MG: Yeah right now I’m reading a Haruki Murakami book called A Wild Sheep Chase. It’s awesome. I’ve also been on a Philip K Dick kick. Are you familiar with his books?

M: I think so. They’re often sold in airports right? He wrote a lot of books?

MG: He wrote a lot, it’s all sci-fi and he wrote Minority Report and stuff so whenever a book of his is made into a movie, like Minority Report and Total Recall and Blade Runner, those were all Philip K Dick books and I’m like big into sci-fi. What about you?

M: I’m about to start Treasure Island which I’ve never read.

MG: Yes! Sweet!

M: I just finished Black Sails which is a Starz series that’s supposed to bridge into the world of Treasure Island with Captain Flint and Long John Silver. I’ve really enjoyed the show and now it’s over so I’m gonna read the book. I also just read this book about the subway called 722 Miles by Clifton Hood. It was a page-turner.

MG: Sounds great.

M: A nonfiction page-turner. It was really awesome.

MG: Did it talk about subway people at all living down there and stuff?

M: Not really, it was about what went into the political, economic, and physical challenges to building the subways, and that was really good. I don’t read as much as I’d like to but I’ve been in a groove the last few months.

MG: Yeah I’m big into reading. We’re also listening to Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy on tape.

M: Sweet I never read those but I should.

MG: It’s great and the movie was pretty good too.

M: What are you listenin’ to right now or is it Last Of The Acid Cowboys on repeat? [Both laugh.]

MG: No way. I can’t listen to that album anymore [laughing]. I’m really proud of what we made but I’m really tired of it. Umm, what am I listening to? I’ve been trying to listen to new music every morning, and one album that stood out was this crazy, I’ve got to find it on Spotify, wait I remember, House In The Tall Grass and it’s by Kikagaku Moyo and they’re playing at Rough Trade soon and I bought a ticket cause I found the album so fucking cool. I’m still kind of in this garage rockin’ phase, Ty Segall and things like that and Thee Oh Sees’ album is pretty damned good too.

M: Do you like Lemon Twigs?

MG: I haven’t listened to Lemon Twigs yet but should I check it out?

M: Umm, I don’t know but I have a friend who loves them and that whole Ty Segall scene.

MG: Okay that makes sense. I like that stuff. I like that stuff a lot. I saw this band at SXSW that totally blew our minds, called Wand. They were amazing. Okay this is the album [having found it on Spotify], House In The Tall Grass by Kikagaku Moyo. I want to say they’re like a Japanese band.

M: There is a nice feeling when you find something totally random and new that you like.

MG: Well it came up on this YouTube channel where this guy posts psychedelic albums that I’ve been digging. The channel is called Captain Bee Fart and this one came up and I thought it must be from the sixties cause everything is usually from the sixties and this one came out in 2016 and they’re like a young Japanese psych rock band. Really good stuff.

M: Okay a few more questions. Have you used Last.fm?

MG: I haven’t but I think we’re on there.

M: But you’ve never used it as a listener signing up to track your music?

MG: No I’ve never used it. You like it?

M: Yeah I still use it cause I live in mp3s and it has tracked just about everything I’ve listened to the last eleven years so it’s cool to see how things have changed and how they really haven’t. Okay, you know those stranded on an island scenarios?

MG: Yeah, oh yeah.

M: Okay you’re stranded on an island and you can only have apples, bananas, or oranges, forever. What would you go with? And they’re all gluten free.

MG: [Laughs]. Good they’re not dipped in breadcrumbs. Let me think. [Sigh.] Is there a variety of apples?

M: Yeah a variety of oranges and bananas too or you can pick just one.

MG: And none of them ever get rotten?

M: No they’re all perfectly ripe when you want ‘em.

MG: Okay. [Thinking for three seconds.] Apples. But it’s admittedly just like a nutritional choice. They’ve got a lot of, they’re more nutritious. An apple a day kind of thing.

M: Okay and you’re still on this island and you want something to do so books are important. You can have all the books ever by JRR Tolkien, JK Rowling, or JD Salinger, and if more things are found or written they’ll get delivered too. But you’re gonna live with these forever.

MG: Holy shit. Umm, there’s always the prospect that JK Rowling’s going to write more.

M: Or that they’ll find something that JD Salinger wrote.

MG: I’m gonna go with Tolkien. I’m a huge Lord Of The Rings fan.

M: And you wouldn’t get too scared that the orcs are going to take over?

MG: Or that Gollum’s gonna crawl out of the ocean and destroy me? I don’t know I’d probably freak out at night if I didn’t have any light and thinking about that stuff.

M: Finally, musically, which do you prefer. A minor or D minor?

MG: Ohh. [A pensive eight second pause.] D minor.

M: Cool, my first two interviewees said A minor.

MG: Really? I’ve been there with A minor. Me and A minor go way back.

M: I’m a D minor guy myself. I think that’s it.

MG: All right!