March 31, 2005
Interview with Anton Newcombe
By: David Mansdorf
Losingtoday.com
[David Mansdorf]:
What are you working on at the moment?
[Anton Newcombe]: Our next album "We Are The
Radio". I like it. I'm working with this great female singer, Sarabeth Tuceck.
She has a great voice so I'm pretty excited.
[David Mansdorf]: What ever happened to the live
album, the album of re-recordings of old songs, and the BJM tribute album you
were talking about on your website a while back?
[Anton Newcombe]: The covers project became
a website. I started posting live shows on our MP3 page and umm...Greg Shaw
died.
[David Mansdorf]: Out of all the projects that
ex-BJM band members have done (Outcrowd, BRMC, Smallstone, Daydream
Nation....etc) has anything really impressed or disappointed you?
[Anton Newcombe]: You missed the
Warlocks...just kidding. I had fun touring with BRMC. I don't know, I'm kind of
into my own work. It's like I only have so much free time, I can listen to what
other people are up to or I can work on my own art.
[David Mansdorf]: Are there any unknown/unsigned
bands that you're into at the moment?
[Anton Newcombe]: A Place To Bury Strangers.
[David Mansdorf]: Who holds the record for the
shortest membership in BJM, and why was it so short?
[Anton Newcombe]: People have played "a
show". Just because we play music together doesn't mean you are in my band.
People like to name drop it like it's going to change the fact that their music
is weak.
[David Mansdorf]: The last time I saw you guys
live in New York, Sune Rose Wagner from The Raveonettes was playing bass. How
did that happen?
[Anton Newcombe]: I love him and we like
each others' work. He said he wanted to play with us and so he did. They are a
great band. Great people and I wish the best for them.
[David Mansdorf]: Do you think you could ever be
a sideman in someone else's band?
[Anton Newcombe]: I sit in or play on a lot
of projects. I'm playing drums on the first warlocks album. I'm on 13 tales, so
you know.
[David Mansdorf]: Sitars were a big part of your
sound for a while but you haven't used them on recent records. Is there any
reason why? Have you ever played live with sitars?
[Anton Newcombe]: Well, I'm not into
gimmicks. I just work in different mediums. And yes we have played them live.
[David Mansdorf]: When you recorded Thank God
For Mental Illness for $17.36, what was it that you spent $17.36 on?
[Anton Newcombe]: A beer and the tape.
[David Mansdorf]: You've seem to have a knack
for being able to play a lot of different instruments. Have there been any
instruments that you've tried to learn but just suck at?
[Anton Newcombe]: I have a hard time with
the violin.
[David Mansdorf]: How's your beat-boxing?
[Anton Newcombe]: I could make the Fat Boys
skinny. Just kidding.
[David Mansdorf]: Lately you've been doing a lot
of DJ'ing. How did you get into that and what are some of your favorite records
to play?
[Anton Newcombe]: I hate how pretentious
people are with music. I wanted to start a trend in DJ culture where you have
four or five DJ's going song for song and feeding into it. We play all kinds of
junk.
[David Mansdorf]: After your experiences on TVT
are you still interested in being signed to a large record company?
[Anton Newcombe]: If the fit was right why
not?
[David Mansdorf]: Beatles or Stones? MBV or
Ride?
[Anton Newcombe]: All of them.
[David Mansdorf]: Is there anything you want to
talk about or get off your chest?
[Anton Newcombe]: Just that Leo Strauss was
a fucking evil devil and our government and the people that support it are human
vomit.