Skumlove - interview (2010)
Updated by Draconina on 07/28/2010 14:15
2010-07-28| Katarzyna NINa Górnisiewicz and Marco Gariboldi | e-mail interview
NINa: Skumlove was founded in L.A., lives in L.A. and will probably die in L.A. ;) The thing is, if you are that well recognized in the United States, then how would you consider your following in Europe, Japan and the rest of Asia? I need to confess that I only heard about your band about 2 years ago, however, the band has been active for the last 10 years now. Do you get any signals from your overseas fans asking you to play live abroad in their countries?

Skum Love: Yes I am one of the very few people actually born here in Los Angeles. I do not see myself leaving anytime soon. Hehehehe.
As far as fans outside of the united states I have always corresponded with people out in Australia, Germany, Holland and Finland on a regular basis.
Actually I have a funny story… I was out in Europe touring with Danzig as a Bass Tech and Johnny Kelly was playing drums and we headed out to some bars in Amsterdam it seemed like every bar we hit they knew Johnny from Type O. But at like the 4th or 5th bar we went to a dark hole in the wall (and when I mean whole in the wall it looked like the entrance to a cave) called The Cave. Walking in they were playing Motorhead but the funny thing was the bartender recognized me and pulled out our old demo for me to sign. It was pretty funny and flattering.

Marco: Peter Steele, the Gothic-Metal icon best known for his band Type O Negative, has recently passed away. Did you ever meet him during the course of your career? Have you been inspired in any way by this talented and prematurely deceased artist?

Hell yea! He and Type O Negative were huge influences on who I am and what I do. I met him a few times had a couple laughs but I was way closer to Johnny and Kenny ‘cuz of Danzig. He was an Icon he had God-like status in my book!

NINa: L.A. it is a very specific place for music and film. It seems to be a very guitar driven music city too. If you go in the street on a Friday night, what famous faces do you most often see around town?

God, it all depends on where you go. You go towards Beverly Hills or Hollywood Blvd. you'll see more big time pop artists and Actors. Anyone that is in Fabryka Magazine is NOT hanging at the "cool" places with the Paparazzi and stuff.

NINa: It seems you've built a big circle of faithful fans. Do you offer any bonus materials to present and future fans for their long term support and interest in your music and products?

I always put extra things in when our fans order Shirts or CDs. We give out free Patches, guitar picks, candles, DVDs. I thinks I might make some of our live shows we have available for free download in the future along with older demo songs and stuff. We might release the first album with extra remixes and re-release our infamous 666 show shot live at The Whisky A GoGo on June 6th, 2006.

NINa: Do you prefer being in the studio and improving upon your music on a daily basis, or playing the songs live?

Playing live! It's magical is energizing and therapeutic. The studio always seems like work. Most of the songs we recorded in the studio were already staples in our live shows. This way I get to see the fans reaction to our music and know what they like.

NINa: What kind of guitar is it that were you playing that has the awesome looking red ribs painted on it? Do you have any preference towards a favorite music store in L.A. to get such stuff or perhaps was the sticker design customized?

That guitar was a Schecter Devil Spine guitar. They were last years model. We have been playing Schecter Guitars since we started. They are a great company that care for their bands. They wrapped our van last year when we did the Static-X tour and really believe in us. Everyone in the band plays Schecter. It's what makes our sound.

NINa: Recent live shows of Skumlove have also meant an accompaniment of known rock stars. Does this happen because living in L.A. provides such occasional opportunities, or do you choose the musicians very selectively and ask them to participate?

It does come from living here but not in the way of meeting these guys when they are rockstars. Like when Dino Cazares played with us for 2 years it was because we as teens played backyard parties together in death metal bands as well as with Tony Campos.
Bands like Korn, Coal Chamber, Orgy, Fear Factory Professional Murder Music were all local bands and we all helped each other along the way to get where we were going. I was more in the behind the scenes and that mid '90s era of Nu Metal and stuff was very pure and real and we had a brotherhood we as bands and fans helped each other. Now in L.A. everyone seems out for themselves it's a very dog eat dog community. We play more of the Industrial and Goth underground clubs which bring in a more diverse and family style fan base lately here in Hollywood. Places like Club Hell, Batcave and Fetish Nation. These people put these once a month parties on with multiple dance floors filled with Industrial, EBM and Goth music but always have a stage dedicated to live bands like us. And it is pretty cool.

Marco: You've been playing with great artists, but Dino Cazares is the most talented and famous of all of them in my opinion. Have you heard the last Fear Factory album "Mechanize"? Did you like it? What do you think about his latest reunion with Burton C. Bell?

I love the new album and I was there with Dino when they saw each other for the first time and talked in 10 years. It was my first time talking to Burton as well since then we all hugged drank shots of jager and talked. Dino & Burt continued to talk and it was live two best friends two brothers reuniting. I actually saw them live for the first time in 10+ years and and I will admit it was magical for me I fucking cried.

NINa: I find it extremely funny that one of your bandmates played a show dressed as Gumby on Halloween at the Slidebar! Who's idea was that, and who made that costume? Was the bassist still alive after performing a show in that thing for such a long time? Also, exactly how did he manage to play dressed as Gumby since the suit has no visible fingers?

Yep that was DB our Bass player. There were finger hole and I am sure he was sweating in there. He might've been naked hahahaha!

NINa: A follow up of your EP, a full studio album you've been working on for some time has been described as "Old Marylin Manson meeting new Ministry vibes". This sounds very promising to me. Are you going to feature any notable guest musicians on this album as you had Tommy Victor and Tony Campos in the studio the last time?

Well what actually happened is that last album Songs of Lust and Corrosion was released by Misfortune records in Canada. They promised to get it all over Europe and the U.S. but basically had it on order at HMV stores but not on shelves. Any U.S. stores or Euro stores that had it on shelves was because of me and the help of our fans. So when we began writing what was to be the new album Misfortune promised that this one would be on shelves and that they got a bigger and better distributer and they would pay for the new recording. So we entered PMM studios with our Producer Roman Marisak. Started recording and as we were I started imagining some of my friends from other bands playing certain parts. So I called on Tommy Victor and Tony Campos to record this one song called "Disease."

I also had recently at that time mended a friendship from 10 years ago with Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory. So he came in and sang on another track called "Infected." We basically finished recording but the Label still owed half the money and were constantly late on payments to the Producer. Long story short the guy was doing some unethical things to generate money and failed so the label was going under so I fired the label. We worked out a deal with Roman that he would release one or two songs every few months digitally and the digital sales would go straight to him to pay off the debt. The 4 songs on the EP were the first four he released for us.

We have 6 more songs from the full album still sitting and waiting to be released. I am not looking for a label as I have had shit experiences with them. But I do promise you all these tracks will be released within the year. And who knows who might stop by the studio and throw down for us you'll have to wait and see.

Marco: In our last interview, you mentioned the "31 flavors of Sin" that we must discover on our own. But until now, I've asked all the gurus of the world and no one has given me the answer yet. Please, can you enlighten me, oh grandmaster of the Church of the New Perversion? :)

All I can say is you will know them when you experience them hahahahah! Stay Evil my children!

NINa: In your new video, "New Perversion", I was given the impression that sanctity exists according to Christianity, however, reality is different. The reality is as though the church has been making millions of dollars selling so called "prayers" and not paying taxes for owning huge areas of expensive properties, cars, houses, and selling services like performing marriages and funerals; immaterial services for material money in the name of god. Coins mattered to them even 1000 years ago, yet in addition they keep bitching about Atheists calling them "materialists", but isn't their god what you would consider a perfect example of a "materialist"?

I was raised Catholic as a child and with that came a lot of scare tactics, guilt and horrible imagery to try and make us children conform.

My father lives in a small town in Mexico 80% poor. But there in the center of the town sits a huge church with a 50 foot gold crucifix. The whole inside is aligned in gold and other expensive statues and stuff. Yet there are poor children outside begging for change. What kind of message are they sending?
On top of that while I was there visiting for Xmas for 25 day prior to Christmas is a mass at the church to give praise to a different saint. Now I am Atheist but I know my bible. I know inside one of the commandments says, "do not bow down to any other and pray as I am a jealous God."
Yet for an hour or two the town went into the church bowed down on their knees and prayed to some Saint. Now for what I know any one of us can be named a Saint by the Catholic church for doing something extraordinary, but doesn't that go against what Exodus teaches Catholics about making yourself an Idol? It's all one big hypocritical mantra aimed at world domination.
I actually got into a huge fight with my father that Xmas when he tried to get me to go to this church to worship saints. I basically opened the bible in his house on his table and recited Exodus to him and I found myself packing my bags and going to my more liberal aunt's house.

Marco: Speaking of perversions and the church, have you read the news relating to the vileness committed by the pedophile priests in Italy, Belgium, Germany and elsewhere? The situation is critical also in the United States. Jeff Anderson (a lawyer from Oregon) wants to bring the Pope to be deposed in open court, as he is responsible for covering up these shameful actions, however, the Vatican claims that priests are not Vatican employees, so the Vatican claims to have nothing to do with this scandal! In your opinion, what forms of punishment do you believe these pederasts deserve if you could decide upon their fates? Your new video, "New Perversion", is as innocent as a lamb in comparison to these bastards! ;)

Well… I do not see myself as judge or jury of anyone but myself. And it just goes to show you the biggest mafia family and terrorist group in the world is the Catholic Church!

NINa: Why do you think the governments of many countries allow, as well as tolerate the church putting their manipulative hands into power and decision making, instead of supporting citizens and recognizing their personal lifestyles, rights and private secular institutions? Is there a subversive, unspoken interest on behalf of politicians that allows the religious sects to threaten and disrespect people for their personal life choices without regard to their belief in god or not? Are they afraid of something?

One word: MONEY!

Marco: In most Catholic/Christian Western countries, it isn't rare to find bands, like yours, poking fun at, or rather debasing the Catholic dogmas, and especially the Church. In your opinion, why doesn't it happen as frequently with other religions? It seems that people are primarily concerned with making fun of and criticizing Christianity and Catholicism rather than religions of competing faiths.

I think it's cuz older religions aren't based off money and huge churches and mafia style tactics. Christianity & Catholicism are newer religions that have adopted their teachings and faiths from true early religions. They lied and tried to tell you it's theirs and any stories that sound close to theirs no matter how old are false and the work of the devil. FUCK ALL RELIGIONS FUCK THE CATHOLICS, THE JEWS THE CHRISTIANS THE MUSLIMS... FUCK EM ALL! Its because of religion we have most of these wars. Have I made a statement have I offended? Good !

Marco: God and Satan invite you to a dinner on the same day and at the same time, but obviously you can only accept a single invitation. Whom would you choose to meet with, and why?

Considering they are both fictitious characters neither but for the sake of argument God. Sitting down alone for dinner would be lonely hahahaha! But I'd like to ask God for his resignation and say "good day… I said GOOD DAY SIR!"

Marco: Listening to your song "Anti American Idol" I can't help thinking about the reality show of the same name, "American Idol" and the abundance of reality shows that are plaguing the television around the world. The lyrics are explicit, but may have different interpretations. Does it represent what you think of reality shows and their idolization of people (as you brilliantly suggested with the "Exodus" quote), or am I misinterpreting your lyrics?

The song is really about how we as Americans idolize idiots. We put no talent loosers on a television screen and give them a bad script and say it is reality when it's fake and bullshit.
It's the same with music. It's so easy to have your own home studio and web site every idiot thinks they can make music and our dumb asses buy into it. It has turned the music industry into a flea market. Sure it's easier for all of us but I enjoyed working for what I do. It makes everything too accessible. Music is a joke no one does anything with soul or feeling.

Marco: Which "web social network" is the most useful to you, and why? 1) Facebook, 2) Youtube, 3) Youporn, 4) Myspace, 5) Twitter, 6) Wikipedia.

I would have to say all work well for free promotion. I use em all except for Twitter, I'm just not into it. I'm not a TWAT!

Marco: I didn't know that the beautiful Jessica Alba is one of your fans! :) Does she adamantly listen to your music, or is it only a random pic taken at a music festival?

HAHAHA ! I was at the scream awards with my now ex-wife and Jessica was sitting in front of us and kept looking back and asked if she could take a photo with us. The photo on our Myspace is the one she took.

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Pictures come from Skumlove archive, all copyrights reserved by © Nadia Guardado, X 1 Photography, Michelle Kelley and other respective owners. Questions proofreading: Scott M. Owens.