FP Interviews I have on my Computer (some never sent)
1.How have the band started?
Please introduce your band.
Finally Punk started as a fun side project of the Carrots which three out of four of us were/are apart of.
2. we love your sound（especially Manatee on myspace is brilliant!!!).
How come inspirations of songs?
Are there any bands or artists influenced your sound??
Thannnnk you. When I write music I find myself being inspired by anything from books that I might be reading to personal situations that may be occurring in my life and which affect my thinking. These things apply more to my words than sounds though. As far as sound goes, I just pick up an instrument and riff around until I hear something that I like and think might be catchy. I don’t really consider myself to be much of a musician. I enjoy playing with sounds.
I also think that we can’t help but be inspired by whatever it is we listen to. My musical tastes are all over the place and I think this shows in Finally Punk’s sound.
3.You know Austin is famous for SXSW. So we think Austin has good music culture.
What do you think your local culture?
Are there good music movement in your city?
There have been some random good bands to come out of Austin and that make me proud to be a part of it: The thirteenth floor elevators, butthole surfers, big boys, etc. But in a city where there is so much live music there is also a lot of crap. Walking down Sixth Street on a normal day you will hear lots of shitty rock or blues cover bands. I’m not sure if there are any movements now. All of the current Austin bands I like sound completely different from one another.
4. we twee grrrls
club love real DIY sound...not like major bands.And
we love your sound very much.
Do you have any special mind for being "indie"?
Thanks. It is satisfying to release a record that you put a lot of work and effort into. I’ve never been a fan of doing what other people tell me to do so it is nice to be in full control of your own creative project. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
5.The band has all girls members,right? Do you have any girls band you
wanted to be like or favourite?
Do you think it's much difficult for girls to start the band than boys??
Yes, all girls. I never thought about gender when going into this band. Playing music is just something that I wanted to do. I also didn’t go into this band with a particular sound in mind. We kind of let things take their own course and our sound just sort of happened.
I feel as though many girls are insecure and they get intimidated about starting a band. However, post riot girl I think that many women are starting to not really care as much. It is all about confidence really.
6. We alwaysjuyuj set term for each issue.
This issue gonna be "COVER (art)"
Do you have any favourite cover of record???
The ultimate album cover of all time is The Rolling Stones’ Their Satanic Majesties Request
7.We really love your sleeve artworks!!(screen print is the coolest!!)
Who make those images? Do you make them by yourselves?
Stephanie drew up the gorilla for the first 100 copies of our first 7” Then our friend Matt Lock gave us some drawings for the rest. Veronica designed the “Primary Colors” cover and a lad named Mario worked on our “Hypertension” release. Veronica has been doing a lot of our artwork lately; she has a good eye and we all trust her taste.
6.And other special term is Chocolate.
Can I ask you what is your favourite chocolate bar??lol
(sorry for bad question...)
Lately I’ve been eating a lot of chocolate hazelnut spread both on bread or straight out of the jar. I also really like bitter chocolate or chocolate that doesn’t have much sugar in it. I’m a weirdo!
7.thanks for answering!!!
Please give message for japanese fans!
We want to tour your country!
1. Describe your sound to the uninitiated. What is Finally Punk all about? Introduce yourselves, your music, and how you came together.
Finally Punk is a sound collage of everything you’ve always wanted to hear. Just kidding, I have no idea how to describe our sound!
Finally punk is first and foremost about friendship. We are all best friends and we stick together because it is fun making music with one another. I think that we have the perfect mixture of personalities and our creative chemistry is well balanced.
2. What are your influences? What bands do you like to listen to? Do you find yourself emulating other artists or mostly doing your own thing?
My musical tastes are all over the place. I usually go through phases where I’m obsessed with a few bands or a certain genre and then I get sick of it and move on. For instance, in 2006 I was really into the Rolling Stones and garage rock. Now I’m not listening to music at all. I think that emulation is inevitable because one is going to be directly influenced by whatever they are listening to/reading/watching at the time. Books have inspired me to make music and so has the sky. There really is no originality in rock music; it has all been done before.
3. With the musical landscape changing everyday, what’s it like being in a true underground band? How do you support your artform? What's your dayjob or do you consider Finally Punk your main breadwinner?
A few generations ago underground pioneers set the foundation of an incredible DIY circuit. We’re lucky to be living in a time where it is relatively easy to go on tour, make records, and expose our music. Our sound is totally niche, but with the power of word of mouth and the internet we’ve been able to accumulate a good number of fans. It never ceases to amaze me that we actually have fans outside of Austin.
Currently I am a full time student, but in the past I’ve worked a ton of shit food service jobs to pay the bills. Finally Punk does not generate enough money for us to live off of, but it does help us out with paying for travel expenses and what not.
4. Finally Punk has long since been championed by influential punk zines and communities such as Maximum Rock and Roll and Z GUN - how has this positive press affected you and how has it affected your fanbase?
Being apart of MRR has been a punk rock dream come true. When I was in my early teens I found out about various 80s hardcore bands and as a result started reading MRR. In those days I never thought that I would ever be a musician. So, it was thrilling when Layla Gibbon was stoked on us and suggested that we do an interview for the zine. I feel that the press we’ve gotten has definitely boosted and widened our fan base.
5. Do you consider Finally Punk a fundamentally scene band? Can your brand of music fit into any other genre besides your namesake, and how do you feel about expanding a band's musical palette?
I don’t think we necessarily fit into a specific scene. Our shows are usually quite diverse with a variety of bands that don’t particularly sound like us. I think that even as individuals none of us really fit into any specific clique or scene. Our sound has matured over the years since we’ve learned more about playing music but we’re still not expert musicians by any means. We play what we play and if the sound changes then so be it. Our sound will continue to expand and mature as long as we are still playing.
6. You're also championed by indie superstars like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, making you the cool band for bands who are trying to look cool to like (if that makes sense, haha) - does your popularity amongst these acts translate into wider sales or recognition? What is most important in developing your fanbase?
After Karen O talked about us in a British Magazine, we definitely got a lot of friend requests on myspace from UK users.
7. Speaking of fanbase, what's the general makeup of a Finally Punk show? Mostly girls or guys? Young or old? What's your favorite kind of venue to play? Best town to tour through?
I’d say that the typical audience for a FP show is varied. We’ve had children, middle aged people, teenagers, young adults, etc. at our shows. The only show I can remember that was mostly girls was in a basement in Minneapolis; it ruled. I like playing house parties as well as atypical venues like warehouse spaces and art galleries. I don’t think that I can choose a best town to tour through because everywhere has its perks and downfalls. I like traveling through the west coast because the weather is nice and the scenery is beautiful. The south is fun because it is crazy and about 10 years behind everywhere else. The east coast is cool because all of the cities are really close together. The Midwest is awesome because of cheese curds.
8. What is it for a band to 'make it' in today's music scene? Does it mean to only make a living playing music? When can Finally Punk say they've made it?
By my standards we ‘made it’ whenever our first 7” was released. FP has accomplished more than my wildest dreams could ever imagine and I am happy that we have been so lucky. Although I would not be opposed to making a living off playing music, I know that this isn’t a very realistic goal and that it is a lot of hard work. This is why I have other dreams and why I go to college.
9. You'll be playing quite a bit of shows during SXSW '09, what do you hope to achieve by playing with much talked about acts like the Vivian Girls and Aids Wolf? Describe to us the SXSW experience, and maybe some highs (and lows) of the festival.
SXSW is the craziest week of the year as well as my favorite holiday. My only goals are to have fun and to not drink too much (which can be hard since free booze is everywhere.) I’ve always been in multiple bands, so it is sometimes hard coordinating my schedule between shows I have to play in and shows I want to see. Highs of the festival are the shows that SXSW officials don’t know about or would like to have shut down. Lows are trying to see the headlining acts: there are usually way too many people and I’m typically stuck behind people who are much larger than myself and as a result, I cannot see anything.
10. What does the future hold for Finally Punk? Any new releases coming our way? Full length or otherwise?
We will be releasing a new 7” in the UK for our summer tour as well as a limited CDR of various live recordings. We also plan to release an LP of our first 3 records combined both on CD and vinyl. There has also been talk of recording a 12” of entirely new material, but this won’t be ready until the distant future.
bonus: Craziest touring experience? Wildest mosh pit? Most furious dance party? Any interesting stories from your last tour?
Craziest tour experience: Summer of ’07 - Mobile, Alabama; We all went bat shit insane, broke into a public pool and everyone made out with someone. On this same tour we went skinny dipping in the redwood forest and bonded in our birthday suits.
Most furious dance party: Summer of ’07 - Los Angeles, California; Part time punks is a weekly dance night that we played. It was just all around good times. Also summer of ’06 - some club with a light-up dance floor in Portland, Oregon. I spent $30 at the bar, lost my digital camera, fought over some dude with another girl, and woke up with said dude in our tour van in a very confused manner. I still don’t remember most of that night…
Our most recent tour was extremely tame. Our wildest night was when we spent a lot of money at a fancy sushi restaurant. We also became obsessed with this astrology book that Elizabeth brought on tour.
Please introduce your band.
Finally Punk started as a fun side project of the Carrots which three out of four of us were/are apart of.
2. we love your sound（especially Manatee on myspace is brilliant!!!).
How come inspirations of songs?
Are there any bands or artists influenced your sound??
Thannnnk you. When I write music I find myself being inspired by anything from books that I might be reading to personal situations that may be occurring in my life and which affect my thinking. These things apply more to my words than sounds though. As far as sound goes, I just pick up an instrument and riff around until I hear something that I like and think might be catchy. I don’t really consider myself to be much of a musician. I enjoy playing with sounds.
I also think that we can’t help but be inspired by whatever it is we listen to. My musical tastes are all over the place and I think this shows in Finally Punk’s sound.
3.You know Austin is famous for SXSW. So we think Austin has good music culture.
What do you think your local culture?
Are there good music movement in your city?
There have been some random good bands to come out of Austin and that make me proud to be a part of it: The thirteenth floor elevators, butthole surfers, big boys, etc. But in a city where there is so much live music there is also a lot of crap. Walking down Sixth Street on a normal day you will hear lots of shitty rock or blues cover bands. I’m not sure if there are any movements now. All of the current Austin bands I like sound completely different from one another.
4. we twee grrrls
club love real DIY sound...not like major bands.And
we love your sound very much.
Do you have any special mind for being "indie"?
Thanks. It is satisfying to release a record that you put a lot of work and effort into. I’ve never been a fan of doing what other people tell me to do so it is nice to be in full control of your own creative project. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
5.The band has all girls members,right? Do you have any girls band you
wanted to be like or favourite?
Do you think it's much difficult for girls to start the band than boys??
Yes, all girls. I never thought about gender when going into this band. Playing music is just something that I wanted to do. I also didn’t go into this band with a particular sound in mind. We kind of let things take their own course and our sound just sort of happened.
I feel as though many girls are insecure and they get intimidated about starting a band. However, post riot girl I think that many women are starting to not really care as much. It is all about confidence really.
6. We alwaysjuyuj set term for each issue.
This issue gonna be "COVER (art)"
Do you have any favourite cover of record???
The ultimate album cover of all time is The Rolling Stones’ Their Satanic Majesties Request
7.We really love your sleeve artworks!!(screen print is the coolest!!)
Who make those images? Do you make them by yourselves?
Stephanie drew up the gorilla for the first 100 copies of our first 7” Then our friend Matt Lock gave us some drawings for the rest. Veronica designed the “Primary Colors” cover and a lad named Mario worked on our “Hypertension” release. Veronica has been doing a lot of our artwork lately; she has a good eye and we all trust her taste.
6.And other special term is Chocolate.
Can I ask you what is your favourite chocolate bar??lol
(sorry for bad question...)
Lately I’ve been eating a lot of chocolate hazelnut spread both on bread or straight out of the jar. I also really like bitter chocolate or chocolate that doesn’t have much sugar in it. I’m a weirdo!
7.thanks for answering!!!
Please give message for japanese fans!
We want to tour your country!
1. Describe your sound to the uninitiated. What is Finally Punk all about? Introduce yourselves, your music, and how you came together.
Finally Punk is a sound collage of everything you’ve always wanted to hear. Just kidding, I have no idea how to describe our sound!
Finally punk is first and foremost about friendship. We are all best friends and we stick together because it is fun making music with one another. I think that we have the perfect mixture of personalities and our creative chemistry is well balanced.
2. What are your influences? What bands do you like to listen to? Do you find yourself emulating other artists or mostly doing your own thing?
My musical tastes are all over the place. I usually go through phases where I’m obsessed with a few bands or a certain genre and then I get sick of it and move on. For instance, in 2006 I was really into the Rolling Stones and garage rock. Now I’m not listening to music at all. I think that emulation is inevitable because one is going to be directly influenced by whatever they are listening to/reading/watching at the time. Books have inspired me to make music and so has the sky. There really is no originality in rock music; it has all been done before.
3. With the musical landscape changing everyday, what’s it like being in a true underground band? How do you support your artform? What's your dayjob or do you consider Finally Punk your main breadwinner?
A few generations ago underground pioneers set the foundation of an incredible DIY circuit. We’re lucky to be living in a time where it is relatively easy to go on tour, make records, and expose our music. Our sound is totally niche, but with the power of word of mouth and the internet we’ve been able to accumulate a good number of fans. It never ceases to amaze me that we actually have fans outside of Austin.
Currently I am a full time student, but in the past I’ve worked a ton of shit food service jobs to pay the bills. Finally Punk does not generate enough money for us to live off of, but it does help us out with paying for travel expenses and what not.
4. Finally Punk has long since been championed by influential punk zines and communities such as Maximum Rock and Roll and Z GUN - how has this positive press affected you and how has it affected your fanbase?
Being apart of MRR has been a punk rock dream come true. When I was in my early teens I found out about various 80s hardcore bands and as a result started reading MRR. In those days I never thought that I would ever be a musician. So, it was thrilling when Layla Gibbon was stoked on us and suggested that we do an interview for the zine. I feel that the press we’ve gotten has definitely boosted and widened our fan base.
5. Do you consider Finally Punk a fundamentally scene band? Can your brand of music fit into any other genre besides your namesake, and how do you feel about expanding a band's musical palette?
I don’t think we necessarily fit into a specific scene. Our shows are usually quite diverse with a variety of bands that don’t particularly sound like us. I think that even as individuals none of us really fit into any specific clique or scene. Our sound has matured over the years since we’ve learned more about playing music but we’re still not expert musicians by any means. We play what we play and if the sound changes then so be it. Our sound will continue to expand and mature as long as we are still playing.
6. You're also championed by indie superstars like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, making you the cool band for bands who are trying to look cool to like (if that makes sense, haha) - does your popularity amongst these acts translate into wider sales or recognition? What is most important in developing your fanbase?
After Karen O talked about us in a British Magazine, we definitely got a lot of friend requests on myspace from UK users.
7. Speaking of fanbase, what's the general makeup of a Finally Punk show? Mostly girls or guys? Young or old? What's your favorite kind of venue to play? Best town to tour through?
I’d say that the typical audience for a FP show is varied. We’ve had children, middle aged people, teenagers, young adults, etc. at our shows. The only show I can remember that was mostly girls was in a basement in Minneapolis; it ruled. I like playing house parties as well as atypical venues like warehouse spaces and art galleries. I don’t think that I can choose a best town to tour through because everywhere has its perks and downfalls. I like traveling through the west coast because the weather is nice and the scenery is beautiful. The south is fun because it is crazy and about 10 years behind everywhere else. The east coast is cool because all of the cities are really close together. The Midwest is awesome because of cheese curds.
8. What is it for a band to 'make it' in today's music scene? Does it mean to only make a living playing music? When can Finally Punk say they've made it?
By my standards we ‘made it’ whenever our first 7” was released. FP has accomplished more than my wildest dreams could ever imagine and I am happy that we have been so lucky. Although I would not be opposed to making a living off playing music, I know that this isn’t a very realistic goal and that it is a lot of hard work. This is why I have other dreams and why I go to college.
9. You'll be playing quite a bit of shows during SXSW '09, what do you hope to achieve by playing with much talked about acts like the Vivian Girls and Aids Wolf? Describe to us the SXSW experience, and maybe some highs (and lows) of the festival.
SXSW is the craziest week of the year as well as my favorite holiday. My only goals are to have fun and to not drink too much (which can be hard since free booze is everywhere.) I’ve always been in multiple bands, so it is sometimes hard coordinating my schedule between shows I have to play in and shows I want to see. Highs of the festival are the shows that SXSW officials don’t know about or would like to have shut down. Lows are trying to see the headlining acts: there are usually way too many people and I’m typically stuck behind people who are much larger than myself and as a result, I cannot see anything.
10. What does the future hold for Finally Punk? Any new releases coming our way? Full length or otherwise?
We will be releasing a new 7” in the UK for our summer tour as well as a limited CDR of various live recordings. We also plan to release an LP of our first 3 records combined both on CD and vinyl. There has also been talk of recording a 12” of entirely new material, but this won’t be ready until the distant future.
bonus: Craziest touring experience? Wildest mosh pit? Most furious dance party? Any interesting stories from your last tour?
Craziest tour experience: Summer of ’07 - Mobile, Alabama; We all went bat shit insane, broke into a public pool and everyone made out with someone. On this same tour we went skinny dipping in the redwood forest and bonded in our birthday suits.
Most furious dance party: Summer of ’07 - Los Angeles, California; Part time punks is a weekly dance night that we played. It was just all around good times. Also summer of ’06 - some club with a light-up dance floor in Portland, Oregon. I spent $30 at the bar, lost my digital camera, fought over some dude with another girl, and woke up with said dude in our tour van in a very confused manner. I still don’t remember most of that night…
Our most recent tour was extremely tame. Our wildest night was when we spent a lot of money at a fancy sushi restaurant. We also became obsessed with this astrology book that Elizabeth brought on tour.