Curl Up And Die Interview

Curl Up And Die have decided to, well, curl up and die, but not before releasing one of the most interesting records of the year, "The One Above All, The End Of All That Is." Highly creative songwriting is the impetus behind the album and the band's obvious talent really shines through on tracks like the (as always) curiously-named "Ultra Carb Diet Carpooling Stupid Fucking Life" and "Blood Mosh Hips Hair Lips Pills Fuck Death." Listeners that expect a lot from an album will no doubt be pleased with the compelling album, and true fans have a short while to still catch the band in action as they wrap up their commitments. Vocalist Mike Minnick fills us in on the band's decision to call it quits.

The Gauntlet: Why did you choose to disband after making such a great record?

Mike Minnick: We basically just couldn't all agree on how much of a priority the band was. Things were starting to go really well, but we had to cancel
another tour and a member was unsure about the band. It's been almost 7 years now and a lot of that time has been wasted with starting and stopping and that was just getting old.

The Gauntlet: What are the band members future plans?

Mike Minnick: Well, we have three upcoming last shows. One at the Chain Reaction in Anaheim this weekend (Nov 12th) and then next month on the 11th we have a show in December with (the reunion?) of Countervail!! Pretty
cool right? And then we will be setting up a Vegas show for sometime in January of next year.

The Gauntlet: Tell us about the making of the new record...

Mike Minnick: It was a rushed experience. It was good working and we knew what we wanted and are ultimately pretty happy with the way it came out, given the amount of time we had. If only we could have been given a little more money. We weren't asking for much at all.

The Gauntlet: What was most difficult about making the album?

Mike Minnick: Writing the song titles.

The Gauntlet: Is there anything that you would have done differently with the group?

Mike Minnick: A lot of things. But the band was about growing up and learning experiences as much as it was about expression and art. We been in the band since high school.

The Gauntlet: What is your best memory of CUAD?

Mike Minnick: Hmm... that is a hard one. My favorite thing was whenever we had a really good show and everything seemed to click. People singing the
songs with me was a high unlike anything else. That made my body and head feel good for a long time after each show.

The Gauntlet: Are you inspired to continue making music?

Mike Minnick: Yes, definitely. Nothing immediately though. I'm currently busy campaigning for Pepsi. How about this one? Pepsi: Better Than Water. What do you think?

The Gauntlet: How do you think the fans will feel about the circumstances surrounding the group?

Mike Minnick: I have been getting a lot of mail and reading things here and there. I feel bad for some people who write me and want us to continue depsite
the bands disagreements. I would want nothing more for this to be working out and going well, but it can't be forced or faked.

The Gauntlet: Can fans expect any additional material to be released by the band in the future?

Mike Minnick: Probably not. We had someone really cool planning to release this last record on vinyl, but they backed out after we broke up, which is
completely understandable. but it's still unfortunate cause it was going to look really cool and be limited and on colored vinyl and all that.

The Gauntlet: Please tell us how the band has affected you on a personal level...

Mike Minnick: It has been my life for the past 7 years. Look at the lyrics or listen to the songs. I think that gives a better idea than anything i could
write here on how deeply it personally affected me.

The Gauntlet: Do you see your life taking a new direction at this point?

Mike Minnick: Yeah. I have closed this chapter in my life. On to new things, you know?

The Gauntlet: Are you satisfied with what you have accomplished?

Mike Minnick: Yes, very much so. This last record helped me feel satisfied a great deal. It's still like a punch in the stomach when I hear it. It's honest and like this little piece of life uncovered. I don't know. It makes me smile though.

The Gauntlet: What is one thing that you would like people to remember about CUAD?

Mike Minnick: Nothing! I hope you are all mindwiped! No, I'm just kidding. Anything they feel is
personally worth remembering about us. It's not for me to decide... Oh yeah! Song titles. Forget the songs all you want, but don't you dare forget the song titles!! That is most important. Whew.