KEVIN
Lead Guitarist
of
The Living Wrecks
by Ginger Coyote  

I recently spoke with my pal Kevin who is the lead guitarist for the Baltimore based band The Living Wrecks. 

I think the outcome was very informative and most of all..........Fun!  Hope you enjoy it.

Punk Globe: Hi Kevin! Thanks for taking time out to do this interview. I had read on the Internet that you and Shane formed the band. How long ago was that??
 
We've been together for a little over a year now, but the band pretty much started when jack joined, that's when everything fell into place
 
Punk Globe: Is it true you were originally the drummer for the band? How long was it before you switched over to lead guitar?

Yup, I was the original drummer, and if you ever hear me play drums, you'll know why it didn't last long. the first four or five practices were pretty much shane and Igetting completely drunk and playing will it end for an hour or two, that was our first song we wrote, we had another one also that we played for one or two practices, but the drum part I had was a little too complex and I could never play it, because I was too drunk. after shane told me he found a drummer I picked up a guitar and shane started playing some pretty bullshit and I did a little number over it, Ididn't really know I could solo at all at that point I was kind of suprised. but it all worked out quite nicely

Punk Globe: How long did it take you to get the members you now have?
I guess jack took about a month, we picked up alex in jan 07, our friend vivian went to art school with him and told him about us and how we needed a bass player. so we tried him out and he was 100 times better than the one we had prior to him and about 200 times cooler, so he got the job

Punk Globe: How many instruments do you play?
Guitar, bass, drums, trombone, tuba, baritone, trumpet, bassoon, a little piano, I was a band geek in high school, but a cool band geek, but Igot kicked out of marching band my senior year cause I was an asshole, so I'm not a total loser.. right?
Punk Globe: Have you played in any other bands? Have they all been punk bands?
I've been in three other bands, none worth mentioning, i'll save myself the embarrassment. but yes they've all been punk bands

Punk Globe: You mentioned to me in conversation that, The Living Wrecks, are the first band that you really enjoyed playing in. What makes this band so special?
I enjoy everything about this band, the people, the creativity; we always seem to have a good time wherever we go. I think we've all grown as musicians being in this band also, before this band I never really picked up a guitar and played it for a couple years, I still listen to our songs and question if that?s even me playing. it's kinda weird. Idon't wanna sound like Ihave my head up my ass or anything but every new song we write just keeps getting better and better in my opinion

Punk Globe: As a band do you have any influences for writing your material?
I don't know if I can speak for the rest of the band about this, but when we write songs we always try to make it a point to not be redundant about them, every song has its own feel to it. alot of the songs we've written lately have come about more so because we like the way they sound, not because they sound like someone else.

Punk Globe: How about your own personal influences? What bands do you like?
DIO. If you look at my record player right now, it's cheap trick - dream police, the damned - machine gun etiquette, rolling stones - 12X5, cheap trick - heaven tonight, the hellacopters - high visibility, rolling stones - exile on main street. i'm changin that rotation tonight though i've been listening to that for about a month now. i'm gonna stick the unseen - anger and the truth, briefs - steal your heart, and whatever else Ihave in my room

Punk Globe: Who writes the music and lyrics for the band? Is it a collaborative effort or is it just certain members who write?
Shane writes all the lyrics, shane and Icome up with the riffs, alot of the newer songs will have the verse by me and chorus by shane or vice versa, jack chimes in every once in a while for intros or whatnot. a couple of our songs have been made up on the spot. that's another fun thing about this band, we can write a kick ass song in about 30-40 minutes. our newer one worst enemy. Ithink jack said lets write a song! half hour later it was pretty much done. that's a good song too.

Punk Globe: Do you have any releases out?
We currently have a 5 song ep out; we are hoping to record our full length in the next couple of months

Punk Globe: Are you on any compilations?
We're gonna be on the next pelado comp which is coming out in a few months, love you dead will be on that. and the drink, fight, fuck vol. 1 comp from zodiac records, which comes out early next year Ithink, will it end will be on that one.

Punk Globe: You mentioned that you want to get into the studio to record. How many songs do you plan on recording?
Well we were gonna go back to the same studio that we recorded our ep at, but the producer decided he didn't wanna do it anymore, so now we gotta look around for a new studio, my friend krazy al from corrupted youth might be helping us out with our full length, we're gonna rerecord love you dead and will it end, Ihate the way will it end turned out by the way, Ithink it sounds like shit, but then we have 9 or 10 other originals left, so we're probably gonna record them all, depending on how long it takes, how much money, etc..

Punk Globe: Do you have any dates booked yet for recording?
No not yet Istill have to get in touch with al about that, but recording will definitely be done by the end of the year

Punk Globe: You have a show booked with The Vibrators. Are you excited about that? The White Trash Debutantes recently played with them and I mentioned to Knox to be on the look out for you and the band..
Oh of course! it's only a week or two away, it should be an awesome show, i'm gonna try to make it a point to not drink too much so that Ican remember it! and stiff little fingers are coming to dc in november too! Ican't wait for that one either!

Punk Globe: What clubs do you play in the Baltimore/DC area? Which club is your favorite?
So far in balmore, we've played the sidebar and the ottobar. the sidebar is by far my favorite. It sounds good the stage is small and the beers cheap. we're playing the talking head in baltimore later this year, Iused to go there before it closed down every once in a while, i'm definitely looking forward to playing there. we've only played dc once and that was at the rock and roll hotel on easter. dc seems to have a little different taste in music from what i've seen, they like it faster and louder.

Punk Globe: Do you play in NYC often? What club do you enjoy playing at in NYC?
We've only played nyc once, and we got screwed over pretty good, but we went to coney island the next day so it wasn't a complete bust. we're playing at passout records in october, and then a show later the same night at a second bar, hopefully this time things will go a little better

Punk Globe: Has the band toured?

We had a tour set up in mid august that we were all really excited about, but unfortunately we had to cancel about a week before due to some shit that happened that was out of our control, we're all pretty bummed about not getting to go
 
Punk Globe: Any plans for upcoming tours?

We're hoping to set up a tour in the spring/early summer of 08, after we release our full length, probably a 10-12 day tour, maybe head south and midwest and then come back to maryland, kinda like our first tour was supposed to be

Punk Globe: Tell the readers about your favorite Living Wrecks show so far?
 
July 6th, the bill was packed with a ton of great bands, we had the five second cummings from indianapolis, our friends press black, the hydeouts, and the ripovs, all really great bands, and my buddy brandon from corrupted youth filled in on bass for us while alex was in the homeland making waffles. we all had alot of fun that night, the place was packed, the crowd went crazy, it was awesome

Punk Globe: If you could pick any band to tour with - who would it be?
 
Any band ever? i'd have to choose the damned, but they could only play stuff of of there first three records. or dio, but i'd have to make the set list. none of that crap he put out in the late 80's/90s.

Punk Globe: Who are some of your favorite local bands?

John hardy boys, type 53, nighttime dealers, the reticents, the ripovs, corrupted youth, blondsai!!, naked skanks, damn i'll feel like an asshole cause I can't remember many at the moment! the hydeouts are always good, press black, anti-wastoids, fishnet stalkers, action city blackout, the jadewalkers from nyc I can't wait to see them, there’s gotta be more but i'm drawin a blank..

 

Punk Globe: Give the readers The Living Wrecks My Space Profile address and your Website Address

Myspace Page

Living Wrecks Website

 

Punk Globe: Any words of wisdom for people who are thinking about forming a band?
 
Don't suck, there’s already enough shitty bands out there, we don't need any more!

Punk Globe: Thanks much for doing the interview Kevin. Any parting words you would like to add to this interview?
 
I wanna thank you so much for kicking ass ginger! you need to come back to balmore sometime soon, cause I don't think our broke asses are goin' to the west coast for a loong time!
 
Punk Globe would like to thank Kevin for the fun interview.. We also suggest you check out The Living Wrecks Website and My Space Profile..... They Rawk!
 

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