Interview by Ed Stuart
Who’s answering the questions?
Tuk, aka the artificial kid
Where is the band from?
Atlanta ‘where everybody can be somebody’
Who is in the band and what instrument do they play?
Tuk - guitar, voice
Travis - bass, voice
Matt aka "AL''- guitar, beer
Joey Boloney aka "Chuck"- drums, weed, black outs
How did the band start?
Tuk, aka the artificial kid
Where is the band from?
Atlanta ‘where everybody can be somebody’
Who is in the band and what instrument do they play?
Tuk - guitar, voice
Travis - bass, voice
Matt aka "AL''- guitar, beer
Joey Boloney aka "Chuck"- drums, weed, black outs
How did the band start?
I was in a previous band
called Poison Arrows and a few idiots
kept overdosing, going to jail, going to rehab, relapsing etc…so I got away
from them and started a new band.
BrokenBeard.com wrote, “[If] the Biters weren’t the biggest band in the world real soon [that] we’d all be doomed, and I believe that now more than ever.” How does it make you guys feel when reading this kind of review? Does it add any pressure to the songwriting, live performance, etc.?
I think that’s a great statement, and hope it comes true. I work my ass off either way.
When you’re in a band like ours and barely scrape by, a quote like that gives you a little hope and energy too keep going for a little while longer.
I have seen younger bands and new labels releasing cassette only releases, but I hadn’t seen the 8-track release since the 70’s. What was the big idea behind the 8-track release of All Chewed Up?
BrokenBeard.com wrote, “[If] the Biters weren’t the biggest band in the world real soon [that] we’d all be doomed, and I believe that now more than ever.” How does it make you guys feel when reading this kind of review? Does it add any pressure to the songwriting, live performance, etc.?
I think that’s a great statement, and hope it comes true. I work my ass off either way.
When you’re in a band like ours and barely scrape by, a quote like that gives you a little hope and energy too keep going for a little while longer.
I have seen younger bands and new labels releasing cassette only releases, but I hadn’t seen the 8-track release since the 70’s. What was the big idea behind the 8-track release of All Chewed Up?
The 8-track is a "kiss
my ass" to the whole garage rock tape revival trend. Tapes are one of the
shittiest formats for music but some how they're popular again.
We thought we'd put out something even shittier than cassette tape, an 8-track.
How did you guys hook up with Social Distortion? I see Biters is touring with them this fall.
We submitted the band and they liked us. They picked us to open. It’s pretty awesome.
Last year you played shows with D Generation. How did those shows go?
Those shows were bad to the bone. They’re one of my favorite bands, always a dream of mine to play with them.
Why now, the desire to add a permanent keyboard player?
The new stuff that isn't released yet has a lot more backing vocals and harmonies. We can’t achieve what we've recorded with the current line up. Also, we have piano/synth in previous recordings. I've always wanted one and can’t find ANYONE!
50 years ago people use buy music and get their water for free, now people pay for water and get their music for free. Do you think this affects music in any way?
Since people don't pay for music any more artists cant survive like they used too. They can’t concentrate on being a musician because there’s no income. This has allowed for terrible quality of song writing and musicianship to flood the market. It also has taken the budget out from under record labels. The labels are too scared to take a chance on signing a band or artist that isn't a sure thing for fear of losing money. Henceforth you get a million copycats. You have music made strictly for money. Any art made specifically for money isn't art. The direct reaction to the artificial, robotic mainstream music is an underground scene filled with talentless turkeys, apathy, shitty recordings, poor songwriting, and entire movement based off irony and ignorance.
Since Biters has been compared to Cheap Trick, T. Rex, Thin Lizzy and The Boys (just to name a few) in reviews, can you name a few influential LP’s that have had an effect on both the band members individually and the overall songwriting process?
For me personally:
Bon Scott era AC/DC
Tom Petty - 1st album all the way to Wild Flowers
Nick Gilder - City Nights
Slaughter and The Dogs - Do It Dog Style
Sweet - Desolation Blvd.
Alice Cooper - Love It To Death, Killers, Billion Dollar Babies
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars
Since I see the band is described as Electric Playboys in the Disposable Age. Do you think music can still be a vital force in such a disposable age?
At this point, not really. I’m waiting for a few anti-establishment demi gods to grace our presence once again.
Where can people hear the band?
On tour this fall with Social
Distortion!We thought we'd put out something even shittier than cassette tape, an 8-track.
How did you guys hook up with Social Distortion? I see Biters is touring with them this fall.
We submitted the band and they liked us. They picked us to open. It’s pretty awesome.
Last year you played shows with D Generation. How did those shows go?
Those shows were bad to the bone. They’re one of my favorite bands, always a dream of mine to play with them.
Why now, the desire to add a permanent keyboard player?
The new stuff that isn't released yet has a lot more backing vocals and harmonies. We can’t achieve what we've recorded with the current line up. Also, we have piano/synth in previous recordings. I've always wanted one and can’t find ANYONE!
50 years ago people use buy music and get their water for free, now people pay for water and get their music for free. Do you think this affects music in any way?
Since people don't pay for music any more artists cant survive like they used too. They can’t concentrate on being a musician because there’s no income. This has allowed for terrible quality of song writing and musicianship to flood the market. It also has taken the budget out from under record labels. The labels are too scared to take a chance on signing a band or artist that isn't a sure thing for fear of losing money. Henceforth you get a million copycats. You have music made strictly for money. Any art made specifically for money isn't art. The direct reaction to the artificial, robotic mainstream music is an underground scene filled with talentless turkeys, apathy, shitty recordings, poor songwriting, and entire movement based off irony and ignorance.
Since Biters has been compared to Cheap Trick, T. Rex, Thin Lizzy and The Boys (just to name a few) in reviews, can you name a few influential LP’s that have had an effect on both the band members individually and the overall songwriting process?
For me personally:
Bon Scott era AC/DC
Tom Petty - 1st album all the way to Wild Flowers
Nick Gilder - City Nights
Slaughter and The Dogs - Do It Dog Style
Sweet - Desolation Blvd.
Alice Cooper - Love It To Death, Killers, Billion Dollar Babies
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars
Since I see the band is described as Electric Playboys in the Disposable Age. Do you think music can still be a vital force in such a disposable age?
At this point, not really. I’m waiting for a few anti-establishment demi gods to grace our presence once again.
Where can people hear the band?
What’s next for Biters?
Hopefully finding someone to put out our new record and a lot of touring!
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