Interview — San Deviants

Skratch Magazine

Hardcore punk band, San Deviants have been on the San Diego music scene for six months making music that they like. As it turns out, other people liked their music too. Matt Gerken (singer), Bry2k (guitar), Derek Andersen (guitar), Preston Calhoun (bass) and Nick Barron (drummer) spoke to Skratch Magazine about said music their touring experience and their quest for Shakira. Read on.

Skratch: How did you become interested in music?

Matt: I have been into punk rock for the last 16 years of my life. I’m 26 years old now and have been going to shows since I was like 10. I’d be lying if I said that the music has not made a major impact on my life.

Skratch: What is your song writing process like?
Matt: One of us will come up with a riff or a bass line and then we’ll all come together and make it all work. So far I have written all the lyrics for our songs.

Skratch: What artists or musicians inspire you?
Matt: There’s not a whole lot of new music that inspires me these days, except for The Krum Bums from Austin, TX, of course, those guys are amazing, Tragedy from Portland, Born Dead, from San Francisco, Behind Enemy Lines, from Pittsburgh, and one of my personal favorites, The Criminals. I pretty much think everything Jesse Luscious touches, turns to gold. I draw my influences from all aspects of punk, whether it’s 77, Oi!, hardcore, Japanese Hardcore, anarcho, uk 82, 90’s street punk, or 90’s east bay punk rock.
Skratch: Where do you take musical inspiration from? Your environment? People? Explain.
Preston: Going to shows, hearing new bands and life in general.

Skratch: What is your musical background?
Matt: My musical background is mostly punk and rock & roll.
Preston: All music but mainly rock & roll.

Skratch: Tell us about how you got started as a band.
Matt: Nick and I were in a really shitty crust punk band together about 4 years back. I don’t even think we had a name. I was on bass and Nick was drummer. And I actually met Derek through Nick, Preston through his older brother, Korey, but Bry2k and I go way back. He used to come into my work drunk and high all the time and I used to buy him and his friends beer before we ever started hanging out. But the San Deviants started sometime around May 2009. Bry2k, however, has played in some really good local punk bands over the years, The Burns, The Human Killers, The Two Tens, The Pullouts, Sayaka, and now Die Sabotage, San Deviants, and Zombie Surf Camp.

Skratch: What is the most rewarding part of playing in a band?
Matt: Making music that doesn’t suck.
Preston: Making music that we like for us, our friends, and whoever else is interested.

Skratch: What challenges have you faced as musicians?
Matt: Trying to fit 5 large cocks into one room.
Preston: Conflicting work and school schedules.

Skratch: What would you say is your best song to date? Why?
Matt: That all depends on who you ask. Preston and I both like Sick Revenge because of its high energy and Nick likes Fuck Straight-Edge. Others like Youthful Rebellion because of its catchiness.

Skratch: Do you remember the first album you ever bought? What was it?
Matt: The first album I ever bought was MC Hammer. The first punk album I ever bought was probably Green Day, Dookie. I’m not gonna lie.

Skratch: Where do you see your band in five years? Matt: Hopefully still having fun and rocking out. Preston: In 5 years, San Deviants need touring, staying active, and building on our name.

Skratch: Would you say your goals as a band are long term, or short term? What do you ultimately hope to achieve? Explain.
Matt: Definitely Long Term. We ultimately hope to achieve to be able to tour Europe, because that would be fucking rad. Most of us have only been to Mexico. And of course, to one day bang Shakira.

Skratch: How has your band evolved since when you first formed?
Matt: In the beginning we had quite a few songs that I and some of the other guys felt were a little under par, and we have gotten to a point now where if everyone doesn’t agree on a song, we trash it.

Skratch: How often do you practice? What is your rehearsal time like?
Matt: We try and practice at least 1-2 times a week, for 2 hours at a time.

Skratch: What would you say is your band’s motto? Explain.
Matt: Definitely hard work, and a lot of beer.

Skratch: What shows/album releases/plans do you currently have set up? Tell us about them.
Matt: We have some upcoming shows in the San Diego and LA area but one show we’re really stoked on is our January 29th show, opening for New York Hardcore Legends, Agnostic Front, for their 25th Anniversary show, at Brick By Brick, in San Diego. Seeing as how I have been listening to them for like ten years, I am really stoked. The first time I saw them live was in Salt Lake City with Mob 47 and No Innocent Victim. I was like 13 years old, then.

Skratch: Where have your performed? Tell us about the experience.
Matt: So far we have only played one show and that was at the Metaphor Café in Escondido, CA. We totally killed it. The best is yet to come.

Skratch: What sets your stage show a part from all the other bands making the rounds at venues?
Matt: I feel like we can capture our sound live as well as on recording and we always rock out and have a goodtime, no matter how many people we’re playing for.
Skratch: Anything else you think we should know about the band?
Matt: We’re only getting better. Oh, and we’re totally clean. No STD’s.

For more on the San Deviants go to www.myspace.com/sandeviants.

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