Where are you from? And where do you live now?

I was born in Hawaii, however I was raised and lived most of my life in Southern California. I live in San Diego

Which instruments do you play?

I mainly stick to guitar and bass, but I have always been attracted to musical instruments so anything I can get my hands on I will try to learn and play. Thus far I play guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, accordion, and the washboard.

Describe your first instrument. Other instruments

My first guitar was an Epiphone SG special…pretty much the most basic and stripped down SG model. For a while i really got into SG guitars and ended playing a Guild S100 which i loved but got stolen. I started checking out Fenders, Jackson, BC Rich’s, Ibanez, actually I really don't know how many guitars I have, probably too many . Nowadays I’m really a big fan of Telecasters and ollowbodies. I have about 4 Teles and 2 Hollowbodies that I really love .

What was the first tune(s) you learned?

I remember really getting into music around 13 and Iwas listening to a lot of different stuff Beatles, Nirvana, Metallica, Santana, Jimi Hendrix I just remember trying to play all that stuff.

What past and current musical projects have you had?

Currently I'm playing in 4 or 5 different bands… I like to keep busy playing music.. I'm know as a band whore, there’s a few of us in San Diego that are always doing something. My main bands are NUTSTACHE I sing and play guitar and its a free for all. From song to song they can vary from ska-punk to thrash with lots of bluesy soul in there, I’m the singer in a band called SUBJECT TO CITATION we are are like an early SUICIDAL TENDANCIES meets CLUTCH, and CHICA DIABLA I play guitar and thrash about I really dig it, fun rock’n’roll. The first band I played in was back in high school was called A Plague On Both Your Houses, they needed a second guitar player so I learned 7 songs in 4 days and we just ended up playing one show. I played bass in a metal band called Amon Incarnate. then I played in some weird stuff, FFV(frenchfriedvagina), Violent Summer, then i did a solo acoustic thing for a bit called Eddie Fucken Patton.

:What do you do outside of the music scene?

I recently discovered(when you asked this question) that I don't do much outside of music…. I'm a sheet metal worker cause rockin' out don't pay the bills.. Its tough playing 5-6 nights a week and waking up at 5am for work everyday, but I am lucky to really enjoy the projects that I have going on. Otherwise, I would probably quit and just play the kazoo! I'm also a huge foodie, I love to eat and try new recipes with different ingredients I'll cook you up some gourmet shit.

How long have you been in the music scene?

I have been playing music for about 13 years but it wasn't until maybe 3 or 4 years ago that I started really getting into playing out live and checking out bands in town. I have found the more shows I go to the more cool people I meet, there is a lot to be said about human interaction. You can almost always tell the people you want to know from everyone else… here’s a hint, they are usually having a good time, and enjoying the show.

Is there anything you would re-do if you could go back in time?

I don't know, they say hindsight is always 20/20, but I can't say that i think about things like that… I guess I try to use those experiences as lessons of what not to do in the future..

Who are your heroes?

My mom for sure, shes one hell of a woman. She worked hard and did a lot for me to have the things I did growing up, and she didn't mind the horrible sounds that came out of that Guitar when I was first learning to play. In terms of music, I really dig bands that aren't afraid to experiment or change. there are always people that say…” their first album was great but everything after that sucked, they sold out” or “i don't like the way they write songs now that so and so is off drugs” Sometimes people feel a band has this responsibility to play music that all sounds the same for the fans or an outside entity. If a band wants to do that and can do it well the hell yeah, but I admire musicians and bands that do it for themselves and aren't afraid of the risks.

I know you go to a lot of shows who are your favorite local bands to see live?

There is a band called KODIAK here in San Diego that is Devastatingly awesome ! Subject to Citation played with them once, i thought we got wild… its a good thing the played after us they are a tough act to follow. they have stuff on bandcamp, check ‘em out. More on the metal side there’s a band called RED WIZARD they are on tour right now, super talented guys they remind me of BLACK SABBATH they've got a killer sound and a bad ass live show.

If you could pick a band to play a show with who would it be?

I don't know… I'm not too picky when it comes to that kind of stuff. If we haven't played with you and there is something unique about the band then we want to play with you. Be it killer tunes sticking out from the pack, weird instruments or you are cool peoples, I like left field.

How do you rate your live performance ability?

I’m no Pro, but I like to show up early and check out the stage, meet with the venue people and load in gear so that way all that's left to do is play. I used to get nervous and get really tense, but in the last two years with NUTSTACHE, CHICA DIABLA, & SUBJECT TO CITATION I've gotten really comfortable on stage. Mistakes still happen, they happen to everybody, but they don't really phase me anymore, we just move on, its usually when you stop and make a big deal out of it that the crowd notices something went wrong. when i play guitar our best shows are when we can hear each other and lock in, that doesn't always happen so you just make due with whatever PA you're using. In subject to citation its my job to get the crowd riled up and thrash out and eat beer cans, some nights are good and others aren't, however I do try to give the crowd something to watch, nothing says “its time to go out back for a smoke, or a beer” like a boring band . As a musician there are always ways to improve my performance, sometimes i really dig into playing a riff and I will miss a change or forget the next line of a newer song, or even a song we haven't played in a while. If I felt like this was the easiest thing to do I would probably get bored and find something else to do.

What are some of your pet peeves?

I have a short temper for bands that take too long to set up and break down their gear. Dude, no one needs or wants to see you fold up your cymbal stands and disassemble your drum kit on stage… take it off stage and get out of the next bands way, if you have a lot of stuff get help. Its a rookie mistake i try to be cool about it but it really chaps me. I can't stand dead air, i don't like to see band where the whole band is not ready, i want to see a band kill it, not “hold on our drummer isn't ready” or a song is announced and the person starting the song pauses like its gonna be some epic intro and its just them trying to remember the song… that kills the vibe for me.

Which famous musicians have you learned from?

learned a lot from Jimi Hendrix, he wasn't always perfect. I remember watching a live video of him and the song didn't sound the same as the record, but man did it still sound good. you can't be perfect all the time, so you have got to pull through having a cold or being out of tune.. for Hendrix it was because what he played was what felt right and what worked at that moment. I've broken strings on stage and just kept playing, if I needed to play on that broken string, then I just play the part somewhere else on the neck and it sounds different, but similar enough that it works and you can go on. Gene Simmons surprisingly taught me something, I guess he said something about rock music being dead… I am pretty far from a KISS fan but I get what he means, the days of rockstars and big money are over…. without opening a can of worms I'll say this, Gene Simmons taught me . Once the well runs dry you better be happy with what you have to show for it. Money and fame, fade. The only thing that stays is good music. Basically don't get lazy and write shit songs just because you can. I would hate to be looked at the way I look at that guy.

What are your immediate music career goals? (Next 1 to 3 years)

This upcoming year I would like to take at least one of the bands on tour. We have played out of town like a weekend in LA, Vegas or in Arizona, but that's like a small taste of touring. Playing in our home town is good fun, but nothing beats playing music to a brand new crowd, your friends and other bands show up to local shows. I really like meeting new people and exploring new cities. We have also been working on recordings for each of the bands, we have demos and what not but we have remained mostly a live band status. It feels like the time to move up to having something more substantial to get out to fans, more and more people ask “ do you have any CD’s ?” I notice people like that stuff way more then some downloaded demo.

Where can we find your bands info? and how would someone contact you?

The current bands all have Facebook and Reverbnation pages, I think Reverbnation is more of an index for bands whereas Facebook people are a bit more interactive, especially non-musicians, its easier for us to be reached through those pages. there is someone in all three bands that usually checks it once every day or two(usually me).
www.facebook.com/nutstache
www.facebook.com/chicadiabla.band
www.facebook.com/subjecttocitation

Anything you would like to include?Any shout outs?

Big thanks to all my band mates for being flexible with my stupid schedule, and the bands everywhere that play for the right reasons and stick to their convictions. Everyone who looks for and supports local bands, by going to shows, and being a part of the music community, you may not know it but YOU make the scene otherwise we would be playing in our garages.

Thanks for the interview see ya at a show!