the No-Fi "Magazine" interview
with

Interview and photos conducted October, 2004 by Quin

EKUK is a fine group of gentlemen made up of four guys who have been around in the South Bay music scene for awhile. I've been saying all along that this town has great things coming out of it, and this band is certainly no exception. I caught up with them after a show they played to raise voter awareness. They're a good band, and spreading a good message. YAY!!

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Q: It's the EKUK interview by the dumpster. Talk about how EKUK got started?
J: Basically I started a band with a good friend of mine. We jammed a lot and when it came down to doing a show (laughs) the friendship ended. So we had to like scramble and get a band together real quick and it became this band.
S: Our first show, we had like one or two practices beforehand. It was bad. But, there were only three of us at the time. Joe...ooooh The Kinks...(laughter)...Joe, John and I. That's how it was for the first couple months of our existence. We'd practice once a month and play a show like twice a month.
Q: You've all been in other bands before right? So I was wondering how the experience of being in this band differ from being in other bands?
J: Well, i like just playing music live just like um...I play drums in my other band Rock Goggle Fantasy, but it's nice to play guitar, my first love, and that's all i have to say about that.
S: It's different. I'm in another band called Vaudeville...
Q: But, aren't you in like 18 bands?
S: No, just two. Three actually. Um, but anyway, Vaudeville is a lot different than this and so is my last band From...this is just like, I get to rock out and play really loud...play fast. That's what differentiates this band from other bands that i've been in, for sure.
Q: Now, Raymond is in another band too, and the CD will be reviewed soon I SWEAR TO GOD!!! on like the grave of every dead person I have ever known. But do you have anything to say on this topic?
R: In my other band Maxwell Demon i was more of the front man type of guy. In this band i enjoy just the technical aspect of just being a rhythm player as opposed to lead. John and I feed off of each other in terms of our energy of playing live. I think it compliments.
J: And Joe plays off the audience and whatever groove he's got in his head and whatever colors are swirling around us.
Q: What are you eating, Joe?
JO: It's half a Fat Burger.
Q: So it's like not quite as fat.
JO: Half the calories.
Q: A slightly overweight burger. (To Joe) are you in any other bands?
JO: No, this is my first project.
Q: How does it compare to not being in a band at all?
JO: Oh this is great. Playing music's a great past time.
Q: SInce it's October and Halloween is coming up, do you guys have any ghost stories of something that happened to you personally?
J: I have to think about that.
S: I have to think about that too.
R: I actually have one. My grandfather would tell me stories about him walking alone in Mexico. I think it was past midnight and he hears this dog's footsteps behind him. He turns around and there's this pitch black pitbull with red glowing eyes. I guess he personified that as Satan. One night I was walking home late from my girlfriend's house and I hear the same paws...a little click clack behind me...I turn around and there was this pitbull. Not like the one my grandfather saw, but i started picking up my pace and so did the dog. When i turned around the dog had vanished, and i'm pretty sure he took an alley or something, but i remembered my grandfather's story and it just really freaked the hell out of me.
Q: Did you ever see Devil Dog: The Hound From Hell? which
Richard Crenna from the Rambo movies. I highly recommend it.
R: I gotta check that out.
S: Zoltan, the Hound of Dracula?
Q: No, that's a different one. This was a made for TV movie.
J: I've heard the same stories about ghost dogs at the Vanderbilt Mansion (in Palos Verdes, CA) I plan on going down there someday.

(Editor's note by Chris Beyond: Been there. While I actually DID find a pet cemetery and was scared by a flying peacock, there were no ghosts nor any ghost dogs... Well, there were REAL dogs... They ran...fast.)

S: You've never been?
J: No.
S: We'll take a band trip. Oh I have a story...before i was born, my sister had a Speak and Say or whatever...
Q: Speak and Spell
S: So, she turned it off and her and our parents were watching a movie
and they heard "Spell bear"...but it was off. So they took the batteries
out, go back, finish the movie, the movie is playing and it's quiet and they hear "Spell bear"...my parents flip out and they throw it outside.
Q: And that Speak and Spell still haunts this very neighborhood today.
JO: My friend had his house exercised. no, not exercised. what's it called? Exorcism. Yeah, Exorcised.
J: His house was ghost busted.
JO: The thing lived in the walls or something.
Q: Do you guys have any favorite horror movies?
S: Oh, Jesus Christ, you're asking me that. I'm big into horror movies.
Q: Are you? I never knew that about you.
S: I could go on forever. I go to Fangoria conventions and read that thing religiously ..I have to say that Night of the Living Dead is
pretty amazing. I'm a huge Freddy Krueger collector. I have everything Freddy...bubblegum trading cards
Q: Do you have the mask?
S: Yeah. I have the mask. I have a sweater, yeah. I've been doing it my whole life. In fact the first movie I ever remember seeing when i was two was Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge.
Q: "You have the body and I have the brain".
S: I could go on forever about horror movies, but I love them.
R: I think for me, Sam Raimi's Evil Dead movies. They really combined horror and comedy...
S: And the almighty chin.
R: Yeah, Bruce Campbell's delivery is perfect.
JO: The first one for me was probably It, about the clown.
S: John Ritter was in that.
Q: He did the DVD commentary for it too. Do you guys have any Halloween
plans this year?
S: Well, since you asked that question...Sacred Grounds (in San Pedro, CA) is closing down on November 1st and on October 30th we are going to be playing there, the very last show ever, halloween themed, costume party...it's gonna be awesome. This is my third year doing Halloween shows and I plan on doing it for many many years. I like to get kids to dress up and get in the spirit.
Q: What's your favorite kind of candy or Halloween treat?
S: John likes the candy corn.
J: Candy corn is the most wonderful candy in the world.
R: It's sick!! It's all chemicals.
J: How can you deny the candy corn? Also, I saw this new candy, it's a tube of chocolate covered coffee beans and I just want to down a whole tube of that stuff.
S: It's called like BUZZZZ!
J: It's called SHOCK!
R: I'd say Pixie Stix.
J: It's sugar, man.
R: yeah, but it's colored.
JO: I really hate bubblegum.
Q: What is the craziest trick that anyone has ever played on you?
J: Nobody's ever really pulled anything crazy on me...
S: Oh I have one! To a girl walking by: Hey, Ruby!! Do you want to tell Quin about the trick you pulled on me the other day.
(she runs away)
S: She's a good friend of mine and I care about her dearly. Her friend calls me at work and says in a really serious voice, "Ruby's in the hospital. She was really sick last night and we took her to the emergency room. She's in intensive care and no one's allowed to see her." My hearts pounding and i'm really scared and I tell her to call me when she finds out what's going on. Five minutes later, I get another call and she's like "worst joke ever!" I'm never gonna forgive her. I mean, I forgive her, but that sucks!! So when she's really in the hospital...hospital my ass.
R: I'm pretty prank free.
S: Lucky you!
Q: Here's where i say the name of a band and you say the first thing that comes to mind.

Q: The Who

S: Best thing ever.
R: Doughnuts.
J: Keith Moon.
JO: Sean Johnson.
J: Child pornography
Q: "Pictures of Billy" (laughter)

Q: dios malos

S: malos
J: So many things come to mind.
Q: yeah, you were on stage at their very first show at Yesterdays. I have a photograph of that, you're just sitting in a chair on stage.
JO: Hawthorne

Q: The Beach Boys

S: dios
J: Smile
R: Endless Summer
JO: Pet Sounds

Q: Willie Nelson

S: "On the Road Again"
J: Braids

Q: Sugar Hill Gang

S: Oh!
J: Something about movies
R: We got the funk.
JO: I agree with funk.

Q: Bikini Kill

S: Didn't they do a Kinks song? No, that was Sleater-Kinney.
J: Kathleen Hannah
R: Riot Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl.
JO: RRRRRRR!

Q: Any last words of advice for the No-FI "readers"?
J: Start a band.
S: Listen to lots of music, it's the best way to support your scene. Love yourself and become...nevermind.
R: I would say if you're going to pick up a guitar just play along with your favorite records. Put on your favorite punk rock records and play. it's all about three chords and the truth.
JO: Just start a band and play music.
S: And read No-FI!

You check up on EKUK's latest adventures on their own website at www.ekukmusic.com.