Usnea Interviews Bell Witch
What bands (if any) do you think influence your style?
Adrian – Neurosis, Mournful Congregation, Thergothon, Black Sabbath, and the mighty Usnea.
Dylan – Skepticism, Worship, Michael Hedges, Rachel’s, Mournful Congregation and Usnea.
Your music has a spiritual/transcendental element to it. What are your thoughts on spirituality or religion?
Adrian – I was raised in a very strict catholic religious family, which I do not practice, but do respect them for their beliefs. When I play, I feel that music is my religion, or a self ritual practice. Let me just say when we die, we will not go to heaven. Maybe another world, universe, or just die. Who knows.
Dylan – As a child under supervision of various relatives, there were a few times I attended Sunday Mass. Everyone else in the room got bread and wine. I sat in the back, alone and hungry, waiting to feast on their souls…
Dylan, your playing style on the bass is very innovative and original. How did your style evolve and are there any bassists or other musicians in particular who you were influenced by in this respect?
Dylan – Michael Hedges. If he had six hands with seventeen fingers on each nobody would be able to tell the difference. I’ve always wanted to mimic his playing style. Of course, he’s a whole different level than anybody. That man was born to change the way humans understand strings.
Ghostface Killah recently released his “Top 10 Softest Rappers in the Game” list… Who are your top ten softest Hessians in the game? Be honest, we’re trying to stir up some shit here.
Adrian – Hmm, lets think about this. Maybe the awesome band that takes time to paint their face’s and use fake blood. Don’t get me wrong, but I do not understand it. Why not use real human blood? I’m not going to name any bands because some of the painted faces I do like. Hail Lucifer!
Dylan – I’ll just say I don’t understand why anyone wants to wear all the face paint and fake blood. Is underground heavy metal taking back Halloween? Maybe we should pay cover with candy corn and lollipops? Oh!! In between sets, show promoters can herd the audience together to bob for apples! Maybe I’m close-minded. I do, however, respect musicians and performers who can create an emotional reaction in an audience with their music and performance. I hear people saying it’s all about the ritual. In my small-minded view of heavy metal, the ritual is best conducted with the human heart. Maybe some people access their heart through plastic tubes of crap they buy at Walmart? That’s fucking soft. Heavy metal, as with anything honest, needs real blood, real sweat and real tears. I suppose it’s possible that my view of honesty is different from others. But they’re fucking liars.
It’s no secret that we’re really into Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine as well as several other corny sounding 80’s pop stars. What are your favorite shitty pop groups from the 80’s?
Adrian – Van Hagar, Roxette, J Geils Band, & Def Leppard.
Dylan – Metallica (does that count as “stirring up shit?”), Journey, Bad Company.
We were following your European tour via your photographs and I thoroughly enjoyed the photos of Adrian and Joe Grindo (of Samothrace) levitating… is there a problem with the Earth’s gravitational pull in Europe? Or are you two just enlightened doom drummers who have cast away your Earthly ties?
Adrian – We ran through a hot spring somewhere in Switzerland that gave us the ability to put our minds together and levitate. Or maybe is it was the hallucinogenic drugs. Either way I can still levitate.
Dylan – Neither. We bought a jar of really good acid in Copenhagen and the rest of us were too scared to stand in front of the camera.
Best pre- and post-show grub to fuel the doom?
Dylan – We have food themed tours. For example, one was a taco truck tour. All meals had to be bought at a taco truck (we cheated when there was no taco truck around). Another tour was sandwich tour. We only shopped at grocery stores and made sandwiches in the van (we cheated when there were taco trucks around). Our least successful effort was the salad bar tour. In three weeks I think we only ate at one salad bar. But I went back for seconds. When we go out to eat, we usually search on Yelp.com for the place with the worst reviews. Usually they’re something of “when I asked for my money back the server was a TOTAL D-BAG!” or “Ummmmm I ordered the garbanzo beans and they gave me chickpeas.” Generally the food’s pretty good and the staff are working really hard.
Adrian – We try to eat healthy, and that rarely happens. We tried to do a salad bar tour, and we only ate at one in 3 weeks. I am a very picky eater, and I usually hate it when the restaurant staff can’t wrap a fucking burrito (Chipotle …COUGH..). Or when the only edible fast food restaurants are Taco Bell, or Del Taco. I hate them both. The taco truck tour was the best, and also making our own tofu sandwiches in the van was fine with me. Food-themed tours are generally a good idea, but a bummer when you can’t find what you are looking for. The salad bar tour was also suppose to be a 24hr fitness tour. We only found one 24hr fitness.
What’s your favorite stop on tour (not just venue-wise, but truck stops, friends houses, etc)?
Adrian – I am a big fan of Love’s, and Pilot Flying J gas stations. I like to watch people and creep them out. I love to see Dylan’s face when they ask him “WOW SHIT BALLS, how long have you been growing your hair?” Plus they have the best coffee known to man! Zeke, Jamie, and Devan’s pad in Portland is pretty rad! Sean and Annette’s in the bay is always a great time. They like to party!
Dylan – Well, that salad bar at the Boise co-op is pretty sweet. Also, any vegan restaurant anywhere is alright in my book. Bars are pretty cool. Sean and Annette’s place in Oakland is always a fun time. Zeke, Jamie and Devan’s place in Portland is always fun, although I never remember getting there. Likewise, John (beach metal) from Spectral Tombs (Portland) knows how to have fun. However, he has terrible jokes and drinks Smirnoff Ice.
If you had to kick out one member of the band, who would it be?
Adrian – Dylan.
Dylan – Adrian.
I hear rumors that you guys might do a tour with Usnea… AHEM. Will Bell Witch marry Usnea now that the Supreme Court struck down DOMA?
Adrian – It depends. Depends on if we can pick the location of where our honeymoon will be.
Dylan – DOMA Aregato, Mr Robato? Deal. We get to pick the food theme. I’m leaning towards casserole. And I call, right now, no Gloria Estefan when we’re sober.
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