By Andrew Gordon
AG-Andrew (interviewer)
M-Manny (Drums)
N-Neshawn (Guitar)
S-Steve (Guitar)
B-Brian-(Bass)
A- Alex (Lead Vocals)
AG: When did you guys start playing your instruments, and who influenced you when you started?
B: I started playing guitar when I was twelve, and I didn’t start playing bass until I was in the band, so about 4 or 5 years. I listened to any thing, and tried to play it, like Guns ‘N Roses, That’s pretty much how I started.
M: I’ve been playing drums for 7years. I guess I was influenced most by like Nirvana.
S. (I’ve been playing for) like 7 years, [and with out hesitation] Kurt Cobain.
N. I’ve been playing for 9 or 10 years. The first song I ever learned was Pennywise’s Bro Hymn. I was into those hard bands like Metallica and Slayer, but those guys are too good at guitar, to even mess around with that, but then I got into Nirvana, so…
AG: When you were children did you dream of being musicians, or did you have other plans for the future?
B: I wanted to do it. So I started playing guitar, but I never thought it would happen. It’s kinda like a dream you want to do it, but realistically it is like being a major league baseball player, not pretty, the odds aren’t in your favor, so I feel very fortunate.
AG: How did you meet each other, and were you friends before you started the band?
M: Alex and Neshawn started the band, and they needed a new drummer and they recruited me [Manny] from San Diego.
A: Both these guys are from San Diego [Manny and Brian], and I knew them, I had previously lived there, and I went to high school with them, and he played drums (Manny), and he played guitar (Brian) and I thought well if you can play guitar, then you can play bass, so he doesn’t play guitar any more cause we made him play bass. Steve we knew, and we needed someone to fill in for this tour so...
AG: What made you want to form a band?
A: It’s just fun to write songs, ya know like, me and Neshawn just started writing just a bunch of corny songs at the beginning, just having fun, and then all of the sudden it got serious, like whoa, we started getting a response from where we are from, like it was all good, and then it became from fun to fun and serious.
N: Yea it didn’t get real serious until about a year ago, yea but if it’s too serious it’s not fun.
AG: How long had you been a band when Epitaph signed you?
N: Well, as this line up, since ’98, so 4 years, but Alex and I were messing around since ‘95
AG: What was the hardest thing about starting the band?
M: It’s real hard when you’re like struggling and unsigned, and you’re doin all this work, and getting little benefits, it’ hard to keep on going you know, your not sure if it’s going to pan out at all, if its going to work, you know.
AG: And once you signed to Epitaph what is the hardest thing?
M: Actually they make it a lot easier, cause they get your record out there, and you don’t have to distribute your record by yourself.
N: Probably the hardest part is that you have to give up the rest of your life.
M: Yea, cause you have to pretty much dedicate it everything. Everything you can imagine, it’s more of a commitment.
AG: How often do you guys practice when not on tour?
M: We practice pretty frequently, about 4 or 5 times a week.
AG: When you were invited to play at the Warped Tour, and Punk O’ Rama Tour what were you feeling, were you excited about it?
M: Whenever we have a chance to get out of our home town, and go out, of course we are going to be excited.
B: Some of us handle it better than others.
AG: Do you guys have a tour planned where you can headline, and if not, when do you plan on scheduling such a tour?
M: Not any time soon.
A: We are taking it one step at a time, and are lucky to be where we’re at right now.
B: yea, (jokingly) we are working on the 2005 1208 tour.
A: It’s more beneficial now playing and opening for bigger bands, and pretty much no one knows who we are, so we are working on getting our name out there, you start out small and work your way to the top.
AG: At Warped Tour it looked like very few people saw you. How did you feel about that?
M: We didn’t expect a huge crowd, you know.
N: Like as long as we get to at least one person, it’s all good.
AG: What major goals do you wish to accomplish next as a band?
B: To go on tour with Gob [laughs, sarcastically]
[Note: 1208 is on tour with Gob at the time of the interview]
M: Touring, and promotion
N: Work as hard as possible to get new material.
1208 was the first band to play at this years’ Punk O Rama Tour. Sadly, the metro was more than half empty for this bands’ powerful and energetic set. Some of the highlights of the set were their new “single” called “Scared Away”, and the powerful yet melodic “Jimmy.” For those of you that haven’t heard of 1208 don’t feel left out, they are still an up and coming band, just remember to check them out.
For more 1208 info you can go to http://www.1208music.com
For 2 free mp3s go to http://www.epitaph.com/bands/index.php?id=262