INTERVIEW MONSTRE : BOTTLECAP MOUNTAIN "Creating something with other people, fighting for it, making sure it is right, should be what life is all about, shouldn't it?"

 

 

Certaines villes des Etats-Unis possèdent une âme rock particulère. Austin fait partie de celles-ci. Bottlecap Mountain est des dignes représentants de cette scène toujours vivante. Nous sommes fiers qu'ils aient accepté de répondre à nos questions. Nous les en remercions.

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Taste question: Which artists have influenced you the most, and can you tell us examples about this influence? Who is the artist you dislike and why will he/she never influence you?

The Beatles, R.E.M., Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, Prince, The Clash, The Kinks, Pretenders, Bob Dylan, Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac, Wilco - there’s lots more but those cover a lot of ground! In terms of songwriting, storytelling, band-interplay, the art of album making and just artistic integrity, hard to beat that group there! As far as artists we don’t like: that’s hard to say cause it’s all a matter of preference but can’t say we particularly like people like Ted Nugent or Kid Rock, both musically and politically. 

 

Intellectual question: Which non-musical artist (filmmaker, writer, painter...) played an important role in the way the band evolved…

Camus, Nabokov, Kafka, Rimbaud, Vonnegut, all made a huge impact! Hitchcock, Kubrick, The Coen bros, Tarantino, Jarmusch, so many films mean so much! Cézanne, Gauguin, Seurat, Rivera, Kahlo, Kandinsky, so many! 

History question: Can you sum up the life of your group?

The best band you’ve never heard! 

Champollion question: What is the meaning of the band's name?

There’s no meaning really but I think of it more as a place than say a mountain of bottle caps, someplace mysterious, somewhat abstract - the name is based on a band my dad was in, in the late 60’s called the Bottle Cap Mountain Boys. 

 

 

 
Buddy question: Who has helped you most in your band's adventure and without whom you wouldn't have had the same evolution?

There are lots of people but the two that come to mind mostly are my wife Beth & our dear friend Steve Walsh. Beth is my compass and has helped enormously from running various social media platforms and putting tours together! Our buddy Steve is a talented poet and has even co-written several songs with me over the years. 

 

Spinal Tap question: What's the most stupid thing that's ever happened to you?

We played a show once where the opening act was a taco eating contest. This might seem like something that happens in Texas a lot but it doesn't! 
 
 Question Happy Few: What's the biggest benefit you've derived from your band, and can you tell us about it?

We take great pride in making our music, in making records, in playing shows. Creating something with other people, fighting for it, making sure it is right, should be what life is all about, shouldn't it?  
 
Art question: What book, film, record and current band do you really like?

Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell is a great read! One Battle After Another by Paul Thomas Anderson is just spectacular! The War On Drugs are probably our favorite current band but there’s a singer/songwriter that was based out of Austin for a while named Carson McHone that’s just terrific!  
 
Funny question. What's the funniest thing that's ever happened to you?

The funniest thing that’s happened is kinda mean but we were playing in Michigan, watching one of the other bands play and a guy tried to jump on stage to save the bass players bass from falling over, lost his footing and pulled the mic stands down and knocked the monitors over !

 

  
 

Camembert question: What's France to you, apart from the land of wine and cheese? (you're allowed to Google it, the theme is rock and underground culture).

I've been lucky enough to spend a few weeks in France and on top of everything else I really appreciate that the French provide space and time for good things. So you take enough time to enjoy a meal and it is a meal worth enjoying, and the staff at the restaurant care that it is a good meal not because of a looming financial reckoning, but because it is the right way to do it. Multiply that philosophy out and you have the room and the time and the opportunity to have the conversations that hopefully lead to great art. Wine and cheese are not beside the point - caring about and taking pride in creating and enjoying fine, subtle things leads to more fine subtle things. 
 
Sponsorship question: Who can you sponsor for Les Monstres Sacrés, and how can you convince us to talk about them?

There are a couple of people you guys should check out! Jeremy Porter & The Tucos from Detroit and Phil Yates & The Affiliates from Chicago! Both are top notch songwriters with razor sharp bands! We had the pleasure of playing with both of them on tour and they couldn’t be greater people! 

 

 

Patriotic question: Make the list (between 5 & 10) of the top records made par artists of our country.

Some great music has come out of France but the albums that come to mind are that first Françoise Hardy album, that Serge Gainsbourg / Jane Birkin record, Histoire de Melody Nelson, Moon Safari by AIR and I know they aren’t all French but Emperor Tomato Ketchup by Stereolab is huge for us! 

 

Patriotic question 2 : Make the list (between 5 & 10) of the top records made by artists of your country.

The albums that come to mind when thinking of American artists are probably: Blonde On Blonde by Dylan, Axis: Bold as Love by Hendrix, The self-titled VU record, There’s A Riot Going On by Sly & The Family Stone, Innervisions by Stevie Wonder, Darkness on the Edge of Town by Springsteen, Sign O The Times by Prince, Murmur by R.E.M., 

 

Wildflowers by Tom Petty, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco, Paul’s Boutique by Beastie Boys, 3 Feet High & Rising by De La Soul   

Merci Bottlecap Moutain !