Interviews: Asian Man Records Tour

The Asian Man Records tour is currently in full effect. The troupe of bands, which features The Queers, Bomb the Music Industry!, Lemuria, Andrew Jackson Jihad and Kepi Ghouli recently swung through St. Louis where our own Michael Dauphin took it all in and put some questions to the bands.

You can click Read More for the interview.

Explain how your relationship with Asian Man Records started.

Kepi Ghoulie: I don’t even really know. I just started talking to Mike Park. I wanted to make records and I knew he had all the Queers and Screeching Weasel reissues -- and I knew they were happy. A couple of my friends said what a great guy [Mike] was and they were right.

Jeff (Bomb the Music Industry!): Chris, who plays in our band and with Chotto Ghetto, kinda helped out. He had known Mike for a while. And I just kinda said, "Hey, you think Mike Park would want to put out our album?" He was like "I don’t know -- you might as well ask him." So I emailed him and asked and then he called me a month later while I was walking to the store and said he was interested. We talked for a while and then I bit my tongue real hard and said, "We’re still gonna release it for free. Is that alright?" He said yeah and that was that.

Alexander (Lemuria): I run a record label called Art of the Underground and Asian Man had contacted me about doing a record trade. We had just finished Get Better a few days before so I sent the CD over to them. They wrote back and said, "Yeah, we’ll put this out if you want." And we were, like, "Hell yeah!" They’re one of the most respected labels, as far as I’m concerned. They actually give us a better deal than the label I run.

Sean (Andrew Jackson Jihad): Skylar had come out to see us play a show in Oakland a couple years ago. He liked us but didn’t want to pay for records so he saw a Toys That Kill record in our merch and was like, "We put out a 7" of theirs." I asked who "we" was and he said he worked with Asian Man. Then he gave me that slick look and I was like, "Oh, well take these then." Later, I spoke with him on the phone and he offered to put a song of ours on the Plea for Peace comp and I mentioned that we were actually about to go and record a new album. He then offered to put the album out on Asian Man.

Joe Queer (The Queers): I had met Mike years ago when the Queers were touring with Rancid and Skankin’ Pickle also played a few shows on the tour. Then Ben took all the Weasel stuff off Lookout and released it with Mike and I thought that I’d like to leave the Queers stuff where Ben’s stuff is. So Mike and I kinda reignited our friendship and he stuck with us, as it was a pain in the ass because we went and re-mastered everything.

I love it. He’s totally punk rock, he works out of his garage and it’s awesome. I didn’t get into this shit to be a rock star and if I did, I’d be doing festivals and shit, which I could’ve done.

What city has been your favorite night of the tour so far?

Kepi Ghoulie: Here’s the thing: honestly, we have not had a bad set. And I am just giving thanks for that. Every night I say that and every night I get scared that the next night is gonna be screwed and it’s always awesome. So, tonight was the best night because I hope tomorrow’s the best night.

Jeff (Bomb the Music Industry!): I’d say Denver because after the show we splurged and went to the Rock’n’Roll Hotel where the Breeders were staying. We didn’t get there until 4:00 a.m. so instead of trying to find Kim Deal, we just kinda stayed in our room making up stories about how met Kim Deal that we were gonna tell Tom, who went and hung with his friends that day.

That morning we went swimming in the pool and we saw Joe Queer in the hallway and he looked pretty distraught over the fact that it was 10:00 a.m. and we were shirtless in bathing suits, ready to hit the pool. We invited him and he was like, "Jesus Christ! Did you guys go to sleep?" San Jose may have been the best actual show though.

Jason (Lemuria): Chicago was the best night for me. It was the first night Andrew Jackson Jihad played with all of us and they’re my favorite band on the tour. It was a huge sold out show at Reggie’s Rock Club and a bunch of our friends were there. Plus, it was the first night of everyone being together and it was just great.

Sheena (Lemuria): Mine was actually San Jose, which ruled because we played a birthday party room in an arcade and it was awesome.

Sean (Andrew Jackson Jihad): I got Portland. We’ve played there a few times now and we felt like hometown heroes. It was the first night we had Bomb the Music Industry come up on stage and join us. It was also the first night I got to pretend I’m the singer of a hardcore band when I joined Bomb for the "Holland, 1945" cover. I did vocals and then crowd surfed.

Joe Queer (The Queers): I think the best show of the tour was probably San Diego. It was a small club and totally packed on a Monday night. The kids were just in our face and it reminded me of an old CBGB show.

What’s your favorite Asian Man album?

Kepi Ghoulie: I’d have to say it’s my new double gatefold vinyl that comes out in a month because I get to make double gatefold vinyl and I’m very extremely happy about that. Here’s how fucking cool Asian Man is: When I asked to make double gatefold records, they actually thought that I wanted it to open twice; into four parts. Like, a four foot-long record cover, and they actually researched the pricing. They were actually willing to do that? Fuck yeah, thank you Mike Park and Skylar. Rock’n’roll!

Jeff (Bomb the Music Industry!): Shinobu - Worstward Ho!. They’re one of very few bands that can take the indie rock influences and approach it in an absolute non-pretentious way.

Sheena (Lemuria): I think the Alkaline Trio stuff, obviously, but everyone might say that because it’s the biggest. That’s how I actually got into Asian Man, just like a bunch of people. But I really like that band.

Ben (Andrew Jackson Jihad): My favorite wasn’t actually originally released on Asian Man: Sing Along With Skankin’ Pickle. It was the first time I had ever heard of that crazy music called ska. My friend introduced me to it and I was like, "what the fuck was this?" It kinda started my progression into ska and punk. I also really liked the Link 80 stuff.

Sean (Andrew Jackson Jihad): Mine’s a tie. The first is by Ten In the Swear Jar. =That’s an incredible, innovative album. The other is Get Better by Lemuria. I’ve listened to it so many times and it doesn’t ever get old. It just gets richer and richer.

Joe Queer (The Queers): I haven’t heard a ton of stuff, honestly. I heard one band I really like: the Hot Toddies.