| 1.
Introduce yourselves and state what instrument(s) you play in the band.
Josh:: Atkinson, Josh = guitar, vocals
Ryan:: My name is Ryan Johnson and I play the drums
John:: John Eastland = bass guitar...and apparently hair too. That’s
what the CD says. Not my doing.
Jeff:: Jeff Eaton plays guitar and can't sing right.
2. How long have you guys been playing together?
Ryan:: a year?
John:: umm...over a year
Josh:: um, for about a year and some months
Jeff:: since like august of 2001?
John:: a year January
Ryan:: No, we didn't start in August.
Josh:: humm... seem to have some conflicting ideas.
Josh:: We started in September.
Ryan:: Just say a little over a year
Jeff:: Okay, I thought it was like the beginning of the school year.
3. You just released your first EP a couple months ago, was that the
first recording experience for any of you? What was the process like?
Jeff:: I think all of us had recorded previously.
Josh:: It was my second time in an actual studio... the process was
long but enjoyable. We worked with a young man named Aaron Crawford
who has been recording for a while. We recorded the album in June and
late 2002
John:: I’ve had several recording experiences before that but
they had all been lo-fi basement stuff.
Ryan:: Yeah, my old band Guilty by Ignorance recorded once at Ashlund
studios.
Josh:: Lo-fi, like only having one mic for an entire drum kit... I like
that stuff.
John:: That’s what Led Zeppelin did. For the first 2 albums.
4. What is the song writing process like for your band? Do you
write together or separately?
Ryan:: I think both. What do you think Josh?
Josh:: I think that it is usually a combination... I will come in with
an idea, or someone else will, and we'll just talk it out and scream...but
for the most part, one person lays down a structure and the band as
a whole builds upon that... doing their own particular thing...
Ryan:: One time we got out my metronome and counted the song out while
humming our parts and clapping.
Josh:: I suppose that I enjoy writing songs.
{John was temporarily unavailable at this time}
5. Why are your song titles all numbered?
Ryan:: Josh?
Josh:: Because when we first started playing we just started calling
them things like, "Yeah, that first one... let's play that..."
and so on. Then it just stuck and I felt like names were just not appropriate
for them. I felt as if they stood fine on their own without names...
then maybe whoever is listening can call it what they want, but for
us, they will just be 1-5.
Ryan:: Yes, because when we started this band we had no idea it would
stay like this. When we started it was almost unreal. Just us playing
music together and that was about it. We didn't really think about song
titles or other stuff like that at least I didn't
6. I've heard that your songs are getting a lot of airplay on
kjhk, which is really awesome, are there any other radio stations in
the area that have your record? What do you guys think about radio these
days?
Ryan:: 88.9 KCOU in Columbia MU's station is playing us some what regularly
thanks to Dylan Little.
Josh:: I heard us once on the radio and I didn't realize it was me until
the end of the song because I had the volume down... but I was tapping
my foot against my car.
Ryan:: That’s awesome
Josh:: I don't listen to much radio these days except kjhk.
Ryan:: I like Snoop Dogg's new song "beautiful" you should
check it out.
Jeff:: Ya, I think that the scene out here doesn’t have much radio
stuff going for it, but I think that other scene's have rocking radio
stuff going on.
Ryan:: I tried to get Jeff to listen to it today but he didn't want
to.
7. Besides Snoop Dogg, what else have you guys been listening
to lately?
Ryan:: Copeland, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, and Aloha
Josh:: The Postal Service, Cursive, Nico, Beulah.
Jeff:: Sharks Keep Moving, Owls, Joan of Arc
Ryan:: John would say AC/DC
8. I was going to try to avoid the whole genres and labeling
question but I’ve heard a lot of people compare your sound to
The Get Up Kids and/or Mineral. Would you agree/disagree with that?
Josh:: Get Up Kids? I guess I really don't hear that and I don't know
much about Mineral. So I don’t know what to say.
Jeff:: My brother said he’s heard people compare us to American
Football. Ya, I’m in the same boat as josh though.
Josh:: Yeah, we have heard things like American Football and two kids
once said Sunny Day Real Estate. I don't know, maybe we just sound like
Kansas City stuff.
9. How did you come up with the name Laredo? Is it true that
another band somewhere else has that name and you guys were going to
change yours?
Josh:: Ryan came up with the name... and there is some band out there
with the same name.... www.mp3.com/laredo
Ryan:: Yes, another band has the same name and they are from Texas.
We plan to stick to it until they sue us, but I don't care, I will punch
them.
{Josh left the interview at this point but later answered the questions
he missed, and John returned}
10. I think you guys have a really amazing stage presence do
you think there is a big difference between your sound recorded and
your live sound?
Ryan:: Yeah I think there is a difference between the record and live.
John:: Yes, very much so
Jeff:: There's definitely little things like how we added piano/keys/synth
and extra guitar and vocal tracks on the recording.
John:: Even in just the sound of my bass, I used entirely different
amplification in the studio than I do live. I like the grittier, more
distorted sound for live performances to better accompany the live show.
Josh:: I would have to say that I do believe there is a difference between
our live show and our record. For me, there are great things about both.
Our live show seems to have much more energy than what came off in the
record, but the record also has some things that can't be done live
for us at the moment. I guess that I almost like it that way because
then it's not always just the same thing.
11. What is your favorite song to play live and why?
Ryan:: Mine is the new one called "What Once Was" and "Song
5"
John:: I love playing the new song
Jeff:: I like the new song “What Once Was”
Josh:: At the moment, my favorite song to play is one we just finished
called “What Once Was.” It has not been recorded yet, but
we have plans to record that and another song soon. I suppose that it
is my favorite because it is new to me, and I like singing it.
12. What is your
favorite article of clothing to wear while playing a show and why?
Jeff:: My nerd strap, so my glasses aren’t flying off my face.
Ryan:: Not my pants. I actually recorded half the drum tracks with no
pants on.
Jeff:: I bet josh would say his white Birkenstocks.
John:: I think the way I perform, depends on the shoes I’m wearing
Ryan:: Yeah, I bet he would we can speak for him put that in there
John:: boots= not moving so much, flat shoes = able to not trip over
things and myself
Josh:: humm... That's quite a different question. I have never been
one for much fashion. I suppose that I don't really think about it too
much, and as far as getting on stage and playing a show, I just go up
with whatever is on me at the moment. (Maybe that would have been a
good question for our bassist, john. He’s into that kind of stuff...
ha!)
13. You guys play
a lot around the KC/Lawrence area, are there any out of town gigs in
the future or any touring plans to come?
Ryan:: We plan to tour this August with Kelpie and Salt The Earth.
Jeff:: I think we will be begin to play outside KC, more often now as
well. Omaha, St. Louis, etc. Just like weekend shows and whatnot.
John:: word
Ryan:: We had a date in St. Louis but it fell through.
John:: That was lame.
Ryan:: I know.
Josh:: We are thinking about doing a small tour in the late summer with
Kelpie and Salt The Earth, but I’m not really sure if this is
going to happen. With school starting up and everything, it might be
that we just won't be able to pull it off.
{John disappeared again}
14. Have you already started working on the next album? When
can we expect another one?
Jeff:: We are planning on putting out a 7" the 2 new songs- “What
Once Was” and “Song 6”.
Ryan:: Yes. Defiantly we plan to release a 7" by mid-spring and
we are still writing new material.
Jeff:: almost like a single
Ryan:: We might do a split 7" but we aren’t sure we are still
looking for possible bands we are open for suggestions.
Josh:: A new album always sounds good to me. But first, we need enough
songs. At current, we have only two songs with a third on the way this
month. Given the time that it took us to get our first EP out, I wouldn't
want to say anything about a new record coming out soon. We do have
some recording time and have though about putting out a 7-inch with
our two latest songs, but who knows when that will be done.
15. Do you have any
upcoming shows around here that you want to promote?
Jeff:: Not really, hahah
Ryan:: Not really. We have a show close to Topeka on April 5th with
The Anchor is the End, Mail Order Midgets and Gametime. Thats all I
know about it so far.
Josh:: No, just practice at the moment. I think we are playing on April
4th at the brick with Ultimate Fakebook and then the 5th somewhere in
Lawrence with Mail Order Midgets and Gametime.
16. Is there anything
else that you want people to know about Laredo that I haven't covered?
Ryan:: Just go buy our record.
Jeff:: Yup.
Ryan:: And get the Mp3s www.mp3.com/the_Laredo_band
Josh:: Well, I guess I hope that people enjoy our music and continue
to support the local Lawrence/KC scene. And I want to say thanks for
all the support we have gotten so far. People can contact us at:
laredoandme@yahoo.com
www.mp3.com/the_laredo_band
913-432-5740 (Ryan)
17. Where can you
buy the record?
Ryan:: Streetside in Westport and since the one on Metcalf is closed
not there.
Jeff:: Love Garden
Ryan:: Recycled Sounds and at a show.
Jeff:: and your house
Ryan:: and on the militia group's mail order. Yeah, at my house come
over any time my parents will cook you dinner.
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