Interviews: Mustard Plug

Angie Lalonde writes "I'm happy to say I recently got the chance to quickly catch up with the Mustard Plug men before their latest Ottawa performance. Being The Planet Smashers were late for their interview, I thought why not, instead of wasting my money and sobriety at the bar, it'd be better to use my time more productively and do a short interview with these legendary Ska boys who candidly participated..."
Click READ MORE for her interview with Mustard Plug's Dave, Colin, and Brandon and look out for that Planet Smashers interview soon.

ANGIE: So how has the tour been so far, cause I think this has been more of a Ska tour right?
DAVE: It’s been amazing! (All, the band agrees)
A: The fact there’s so much Ska, do you think it made it better?
COLIN: Yeah…
D: Them, kids really want the Ska bad right now.
A: And you guys just released a new L.P in September, Yellow #5. Has this tour been great for you guys on promoting it?
D: Think so…
A: Cause I’ve read some reviews that said it sounded better than some previous albums?
D: A lot, say it’s the best one since ‘Evildoers Beware’…
C: We’ve been playing our sets fairly heavy on the new album so… Nobody’s been complaining (laughing).
BRANDON: I noticed a lot of people know the words.
D: People, always complain so…
A: Oh, yes I’m aware of that, how do you guys take that criticism?
C: Just general criticism…?
A: Yes, people can be absolutely awful and they’ll say anything to you, be it you’re a sell out, you suck whatever, how do you take that or by now does it just go over you heads?
D: Yeah…
C: Yeah, I don’t know we’ve been doing what we do for so long that, there’s nothing we can do about it anyways, (laughing).
D: These days we get more ignored than criticized so… (laughing)
A: And I heard you guys are going to the U.K in January, is that all booked and set?
D: Yeah, it’s like 90% booked I think.
A: How many times have you gone?
D: Four times…
A: Do you have a huge following out there, how is the Ska scene?
D: It’s solid.
C: Yeah, England is awesome, the last time we were there it was really big.
B: The shows were packed every night, two solid weeks…
C: Actually we were planning on going south in January to get out of the snow but actually they kind of came to us and said we need you guys to come back, so…
A: Are you going to bring any other bands with you?
D: It’s just us and probably the two local bands, but I don’t remember, are agent picked up two bands cause we don’t really know the English scene that well.
A: You guys just finished a tour with Digger as well they’re great guys how did your two sounds go together.
D: Good, that was with Digger and Whippersnapper. They’re drunks like us so it was fun…
B: We’ve been playing shows with those guys for a while and we’ve taken them on other tours so…
A: When Mustard Plug started out, did you always have a set plan that you would be and stay a Ska band?
D: Yes…
A: Did you ever want to sway from that?
B: The Mustard Plug sound has been going on for quite awhile hasn’t really ever changed.
D: We’ll always try something here and there for a new song, we write it song by song…
A: And being that your band isn’t a conventional four-piece does it make touring that much harder, trying to get everyone around?
C: It makes it that much funner, you can get more people to drive the van, to go to the bar with…
A: And for your last question, I always love asking bands, who do you think will set the standard for retirement in the punk industry? Cause really everyone who started on Fat Wreck Chords is still playing and Bad Religion…
D: Who do you think will stay in the longest?
A: Yeah, I’m thinking NOFX maybe but Fat Mike’s still at it…
(Someone yells out Mustard Plug)
B: The Descendants have already kind of done that, they’re so self contained in all their stuff, but I mean they’re still doing things so. It’s hard to say…
D: It’s tough…
C: There’s a lot of old schoolers out there, I don’t know?
D: Bad Religion’s been going it for awhile too, maybe NOFX though, it’s true?
C: Motorhead…
D: Motorhead! You’re absolutely right, that man is absolutely right!
A: Well thank you so much guys for doing this quick interview and good luck on the rest of your tour.