ULTRA INTERVIEW:
Dmitri and John from SKUNK!!
My top three albums from 2017 were all their respective artists' first full-length albums, and at the top of my list sat Skunk's mind-blowing "Doubleblind", an old-school hard rock tour de force. One of my favorite releases of the decade so far, never mind the year. Needless to say, I was extremely excited to score an interview with a couple of these guys: Dimitri (guitar) and John (vocals). Here is how it went down:
First of all, thanks for taking the time to answer some questions. I found your album “Doubleblind” two days after it was released, through a Bandcamp e-mail. I was tired and planning to go to bed, and told myself I’d just click on a tune to see if I would want to check it out the next day. As soon as I heard “Forest Nymph” I had to hear the whole album, and stayed up to post a review, knowing in my heart that Doubleblind would end up as my pick for #1 album of the year. Every few weeks it still makes its way into my commuting playlist; I haven’t gotten tired of any of the tunes yet. It feels like you all must have had the same favorite songs as me growing up.
Along those lines, I am curious if you remember what was the first rock album you ever bought?
Dmitri: Thanks for diggin our tunes! Yeah, I remember my first album clearly. My dad had store credit at the local record shop. He told me I could pick whatever I wanted. I looked around and saw Kiss “Destroyer” (which had just come out). I remember that I couldn’t even say anything, I just pointed at it! That was 3rd grade. I was a Kiss fanatic until I discovered Rush a few years later.
John: When I was probably 9, I bought a Beach Boys album (probably Best Of) with my own money. I listened to it constantly and fell in love with their harmonies. A little later in life, at probably age 14, I remember buying the cassette of Ramones Mania and played it for literally years and years, until all the words faded off. They both seem like important album purchases in my life.
How about the first band you were ever in? Assuming you started with cover tunes, what tunes did you play?
Dmitri: I was in a band that played psychedelic lounge music. I had only been playing guitar for a year or so, so I pretty much learned on the job.
John: By mid highschool I was a lover of all things rock, southern rock and metal. I remember playing AC/DC, Lynyrd Skynard and Tom Petty songs a lot early on. But then later on, basically all bands I was ever in after high school were all original.
What was your first concert, and how old were you?
Dmitri: Rush “Grace Under Pressure Tour” mid-80s. I didn’t see any other arena concerts because I got into punk right after that and spent high school going to run down VFW halls in Detroit to see Black Flag and such.
John: Rolling Stones, Steel Wheels Tour was my first real stadium concert. 17 years old.
What is the best concert you’ve ever been at?
Dmitri: Butthole Surfers, Ornette Coleman, Fela, Hermeto Pascoal, The Romantics (really!).
John: Motorhead, Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Willy Nelson, Tool, Rage Against The Machine.. so many to name
If for some reason you could only listen to five albums for the next six months, which five would you pick?
Dmitri: Impossible! But “Monk’s Dream” and Captain Beefheart’s “Clear Spot” would probably be on the list.
(I love the fact that I got called out on the impossibility of this situation)
John: Ramones (First Album), Lynyrd Skynyrd (Second Helping), ACDC (Highway To Hell), Stanley Brothers (The Complete Columbia Collection), Vern Williams (Bluegrass From the Gold Country). The last two are bluegrass albums. Besides a rock and metal lover, I'm kind of a bluegrass and old country freak.
I grew up in a time when rock music was king of popular music. If you went to a traveling carnival, a roller skating rink, or were near somebody with a radio at the beach, you would hear rock music being played, and most likely hard rock. Times have changed in this regard, yet I feel like rock music today is the best it’s ever been if you know where to look (not on the radio). Quite possibly due to a decrease in the profitability of playing rock, the bands that still dedicate themselves to this art today are the ones that are most sincere. What are your thoughts on rock of today versus years past?
Dmitri: I agree that it’s a labor of love. I’m not sure if the music better now, I mean, how can you compare anyone to Sabbath, Zeppelin, Hendrix, etc? Current musicians have the luxury of looking back over six decades of rock music and learning from the masters. There are definitely a ton of cool bands and great players, but it’s all built on the foundation of the originators.
John: I think there are always really great bands out there, no matter what decade you're in. If you're lucky they stick around for a while. Doom metal, sledge, stoner rock.. all are brimming and boiling over with great bands every where you look. It's definitely a great time for heavy music right now.
Any music you are currently listening to that you’d like to recommend to our readers?
Dmitri: I try to check the new bands I hear about, but when it comes to rock I mainly listen to the old stuff. I can never get enough Sir Lord Baltimore! The Bay Area is blessed with a lot of cool bands that I dig; War Cloud, Zed, Blackwulf, Older Sun, Banquet. Our buddies from Chicago, Thee Arthur Layne, rock somethin’ fierce. Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell is great. The guy who runs Mothervan Records in Sweden has a cool band called Burning Saviours. Mothervan released the vinyl edition of our album, Doubleblind.
I love the art you have on your Facebook page. I noted in my original review of Doubleblind that you’ve got a spin-off of a black light poster of a chopper that I had on my bedroom wall growing up, and I love it. I also love the Skunk logo with the cow bell, and of course the Doubleblind album art. I see these are done by you Dimitri, and have to point out that your talent for art is as elite as your talent for music. Have there been any albums you’ve ever bought, just because you were attracted to the album art?
Dmitri: Thanks! I’m a graphic designer for a living. I can definitely get hooked in by album art or book covers. I bought my first Mastodon album because of Skinner’s insane artwork. Just this week I bought a cd of heavy sludge doom just because of the cover (Dismal Planet by Coffin Torture). I usually don’t listen to that kind of thing, but the cover hooked me and it’s awesome!
What are some of your favorite album covers of all time?
Dmitri: Houses of the Holy is a favorite, Motorhead’s first album, the red Grand Funk, first album by Toad. I like the trippy ones too, Roger Dean and such. There are a lot of great designers and artists working now, and it’s nice to see these cool designs that get past the typical cliches of a succubus holding a skull. The Elder albums all been amazing artwork. Clouds Taste Satanic have great design. Adam Burke’s work is epic. Really, there are tons of great covers in the underground rock scene. Even the cliches are usually cool as hell!
Well because of your art, when the day ever comes that you play in Massachusetts, I’m buying the ticket and the t-shirt.
Thanks again for the interview. I can’t wait to hear the next Skunk album, and wish you the all the best in 2018.
Dmitri: We’ve been putting the finishing touches on our new material and we’re planning to start laying down tracks for the next album this spring.
Many thanks to Dmitri and John, and I can't wait to hear what comes next. If you have not given Skunk a listen, do yourself a favor and click on any track you see here. If you like 1970's style hard rock, you will most likely feel the need to own this gem of an album.
PS: Dimitri, I have to thank you for the Thee Arthur Layne referral: great music! Also, Hermeto Pascoal is fascinating. John, Tool is on my best concerts list too; They are truly special live.
That's all for now, catch you next weekend, if not sooner. Until then, stay heavy
-ULTRA
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