Curl Up And Die Interview
The Gauntlet: Your first album, the Only Good Bug is a Dead Bug EP, consisted of six solid metalcore songs, yet the new album seems to have a much more experimental sound. Do you think Unfortunately We're Not Robots is the definitive Curl Up and Die sound?
Mike Minnick: Nah. I'd rather not think about getting boxed into a specific genre or sound, in fact that's like the monster in our closet. We're not striving toward developing a specific formula for the way we make music, rather our end goal is to reflect what we're feeling and where we might be at the time. So the approach has and will continue to vary. UWNR doesn't define Curl Up and Die as a whole, but it does define a time period for us, like a mile marker on a freeway... same freeway, lots of markers.
The Gauntlet: On a related note, on the new album it seems you went more for short and insane rather then the stretched out brutality of older material. Was there a reason behind this?
Mike: It felt right. We don't approach writing our songs like we're building the foundation for a skyscraper. In fact, we're not building towards anything. The music reflects what we are feeling, no more, no less.
The Gauntlet: Vegas is well-known as a tourist trap, so I would think there are a lot of music enthusiasts in the area as well. Does this relate to a healthy music scene?
Mike: If you're asking if we open a lot for Nancy Sinatra or the likes, then I offer you a "Negative." The music scenes are driven by specific goals, there are the career musicians working night clubs and casinos and then there's us, playing shows and bumming off our friends. Intermingling is typically kept to a minimum.
The Gauntlet: You worked with Kurt Ballou on the new record, do you feel he helped bring a side out of Curl Up and Die that few had seen before?
Mike: Kurt? Kurt's a peach, every good ship needs a good captain and he fit the bill. Clear sailing with that chap, lemme tell ya.
The Gauntlet: You have some very imaginative song titles. Are these something you spend a lot of time coming up with, or are they last minute thoughts?
Mike: I definitely can't say that a brain trust was needed to coax them out. They're mostly snippets from this and that, overheard conversations, film dialogue, what have you.
The Gauntlet: Curl Up and Die have a very intense, technical sound, is this hard to transfer to the live environment?
Mike: I don't think so, but we try.
The Gauntlet: You seem to have a running theme with robots and machines, is there any reasoning behind this? One could say that your music sounds very mechanical in nature..
Mike: Robots are the ultimate! Now give this some thought, robots have a particular task, the go about completion of this task without the hindrance of emotional baggage, hard luck, or any of the unsultry aspects of life we as humans have to deal with every day. Robots have it cut and dry, we have it whole and moist. Plus, conceptually, robotics provide all sorts of metaphorical potential.
The Gauntlet: Your hardcore style has drawn comparisons to Dillinger Escape Plan and Drowningman, to name a few. Does this bother you, to be slumped in the "technical metalcore" genre, or are you happy to be compared to these musicians?
Mike: People have all sorts of opinions, some are informed some aren't. We make music for people with opinions and for those without. I can't speak for Dillinger Escape Plan or Drowningman but I assume they have no opinion bias either, so in that regard we could be very similar.
The Gauntlet: Since you are based out of Las Vegas, does anyone in the band have a gambling or prostitute addiction?
Mike: Can't say that we do. But when and if we developing anything of the sort you'll be the second to know, Entertainment Tonight has rights to the "scoop." Gosh, Mary Hart is a fox.
The Gauntlet: You recently had the chance to support Coalesce on their reunion tour. Are you fans of the band, and what was it like having the chance to tour with one of hardcore's biggest names?
Mike: What young posse of hardcore chaps wouldn't love Coalesce. I can honestly compare it to what I imagine brunching with god would be like. They're swell fellas, full of spunk, and we enjoyed their company thoroughly.
The Gauntlet: You will be playing a couple dates of this year's Warped Tour, how do you feel you'll fit in on the primarily punk show? Any big plans for these shows?
Mike: We've mulled over including ponies and perhaps astro-physicist Stephen Hawking in our performance for these shows, but nothings certain yet. Rumor also has it that we may arrive to the show in a zeppelin.
The Gauntlet: What does the rest of '02 have in store for Curl Up and Die?
Mike: Touring, some more touring, scrounging up money for comic books and maybe some food, and continuing our never-ending quest for a moonbase by 2013.
The Gauntlet: Any final words for our readers before we wrap this interview up?
Mike: Ending on question #13, eh? The superstitious toddler in me is having a fit. ALSO: Everyone should listen to Underworld, they do wonders to quench misery and to free up love
Mike Minnick: Nah. I'd rather not think about getting boxed into a specific genre or sound, in fact that's like the monster in our closet. We're not striving toward developing a specific formula for the way we make music, rather our end goal is to reflect what we're feeling and where we might be at the time. So the approach has and will continue to vary. UWNR doesn't define Curl Up and Die as a whole, but it does define a time period for us, like a mile marker on a freeway... same freeway, lots of markers.
The Gauntlet: On a related note, on the new album it seems you went more for short and insane rather then the stretched out brutality of older material. Was there a reason behind this?
Mike: It felt right. We don't approach writing our songs like we're building the foundation for a skyscraper. In fact, we're not building towards anything. The music reflects what we are feeling, no more, no less.
The Gauntlet: Vegas is well-known as a tourist trap, so I would think there are a lot of music enthusiasts in the area as well. Does this relate to a healthy music scene?
Mike: If you're asking if we open a lot for Nancy Sinatra or the likes, then I offer you a "Negative." The music scenes are driven by specific goals, there are the career musicians working night clubs and casinos and then there's us, playing shows and bumming off our friends. Intermingling is typically kept to a minimum.
The Gauntlet: You worked with Kurt Ballou on the new record, do you feel he helped bring a side out of Curl Up and Die that few had seen before?
Mike: Kurt? Kurt's a peach, every good ship needs a good captain and he fit the bill. Clear sailing with that chap, lemme tell ya.
The Gauntlet: You have some very imaginative song titles. Are these something you spend a lot of time coming up with, or are they last minute thoughts?
Mike: I definitely can't say that a brain trust was needed to coax them out. They're mostly snippets from this and that, overheard conversations, film dialogue, what have you.
The Gauntlet: Curl Up and Die have a very intense, technical sound, is this hard to transfer to the live environment?
Mike: I don't think so, but we try.
The Gauntlet: You seem to have a running theme with robots and machines, is there any reasoning behind this? One could say that your music sounds very mechanical in nature..
Mike: Robots are the ultimate! Now give this some thought, robots have a particular task, the go about completion of this task without the hindrance of emotional baggage, hard luck, or any of the unsultry aspects of life we as humans have to deal with every day. Robots have it cut and dry, we have it whole and moist. Plus, conceptually, robotics provide all sorts of metaphorical potential.
The Gauntlet: Your hardcore style has drawn comparisons to Dillinger Escape Plan and Drowningman, to name a few. Does this bother you, to be slumped in the "technical metalcore" genre, or are you happy to be compared to these musicians?
Mike: People have all sorts of opinions, some are informed some aren't. We make music for people with opinions and for those without. I can't speak for Dillinger Escape Plan or Drowningman but I assume they have no opinion bias either, so in that regard we could be very similar.
The Gauntlet: Since you are based out of Las Vegas, does anyone in the band have a gambling or prostitute addiction?
Mike: Can't say that we do. But when and if we developing anything of the sort you'll be the second to know, Entertainment Tonight has rights to the "scoop." Gosh, Mary Hart is a fox.
The Gauntlet: You recently had the chance to support Coalesce on their reunion tour. Are you fans of the band, and what was it like having the chance to tour with one of hardcore's biggest names?
Mike: What young posse of hardcore chaps wouldn't love Coalesce. I can honestly compare it to what I imagine brunching with god would be like. They're swell fellas, full of spunk, and we enjoyed their company thoroughly.
The Gauntlet: You will be playing a couple dates of this year's Warped Tour, how do you feel you'll fit in on the primarily punk show? Any big plans for these shows?
Mike: We've mulled over including ponies and perhaps astro-physicist Stephen Hawking in our performance for these shows, but nothings certain yet. Rumor also has it that we may arrive to the show in a zeppelin.
The Gauntlet: What does the rest of '02 have in store for Curl Up and Die?
Mike: Touring, some more touring, scrounging up money for comic books and maybe some food, and continuing our never-ending quest for a moonbase by 2013.
The Gauntlet: Any final words for our readers before we wrap this interview up?
Mike: Ending on question #13, eh? The superstitious toddler in me is having a fit. ALSO: Everyone should listen to Underworld, they do wonders to quench misery and to free up love