Psychedelic Currents, Modern Fires

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The storm outside was real, but the conversation turned into shelter. We sat down with John Treanor of Tombstones in Their Eyes to trace the long arc from childhood piano lessons and punk’s fearless ethic to the fully realized pulse of Asylum Harbor. What emerged is a candid look at how modern psychedelic rock, shoegaze, and dream pop can still feel dangerous, beautiful, and cohesive—an album you play all the way through, not a playlist fragment.

John walks us through the band’s origin story, from Dropbox demos with James Cooper to the steady climb through EPs and albums that shaped their sound. We unpack the contrast between Sea of Sorrow’s heaviness and Asylum Harbor’s unified mood, why he writes fast instead of chasing perfection, and how that urgency translated into organic college radio momentum well beyond the typical promo cycle. Along the way, we swap scene notes on Spacemen 3, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Dandy Warhols, The Black Angels, and other psych staples, plus overlooked gems like Guitaro and Jesus On Heroin that deserve fresh ears.

Visual identity matters here too: the recurring ship‑in‑a‑storm artwork, a metaphor for getting through life, created by different artists each release, with Asylum Harbor’s striking cover from South Africa’s One Horse Town. We also talk discovery in 2020s rock—how Europe, Australia, and New Zealand are feeding a healthy underground—and why album flow, deep harmonies, and longer tracks still build a deeper bond than instant singles ever could. John closes with news of a bigger live lineup featuring dual female vocalists, a focus on becoming a powerful stage act, and smart, targeted touring on the West Coast with an eye toward the East.

If you care about psychedelic rock, shoegaze, and the art of making records that hold together like a film, this one’s for you. Hit play, share it with a friend who lives for deep cuts, and if it moved you, subscribe and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Attention all you fishes in the sea, welcome to
the Fish Bowl, hosted by me, SamFish.
Today's guest is John Trennerfrom the band Tombstones in
Their Eyes.
I'll be talking with John abouthis latest album, Asylum Harbor,
available on all musicplatforms.
Check it out and enjoy.
Here is Tombstones in Their Eyesfourth track off of Asylum

(00:25):
Harbor.
I like to feel good.
Hope you enjoy.

SPEAKER_06 (04:33):
In Ireland they probably pronounce it very
differently.

SPEAKER_00 (04:44):
John Trainer on the fishbowl.
Welcome.

SPEAKER_06 (04:48):
Thank you very much, Sam, for having me.

SPEAKER_00 (04:51):
Absolutely.
Thank you for taking the time toswim in the bowl with me.

SPEAKER_06 (04:58):
We're swimming a lot.

SPEAKER_00 (05:00):
Right.
I hope the temperature is justright.
It is.
It's very good.
Awesome.
Well, first off, I I know you'rein la we just spoke and I know
that you're you're in LosAngeles, so I just want to
first, you know, wish you, Ihope everything is safe with the
fires and all that going on.

(05:20):
I hope it hasn't affected anystuff in your area or music
stuff.
So I don't want to really gettoo much into that because I try

(05:42):
to stay uh neutral as far aspolitics go, even though I have
my own opinions.
But it's just a real uh tragedy,really fucked up situation.
And I I wish you and everyone inthat's in the Los Angeles area
and people who have you knowlost homes and uh those who are

(06:04):
fortunate that still have them.
Just you know, safe safety andwell-being, and my condolences
for anyone you may know.
I know a lot of people Iinterview like celebrities and
stuff like that, and you know, alot of it's out of the LA area.
So I just want to, you know,stay safe.

(06:26):
And my condolences and bestwishes to everyone in California
right now dealing with thatmess.

SPEAKER_03 (06:35):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 (06:36):
Yeah.
I'll just you know, tell you aquick thing or two, but uh yeah,
I you know, for me looking at itand barring politics as well,
it's kind of a one-in-a-once-in-a-lifetime kind of
firestorm, you know, like it'sbigger than anything in a
hundred years at least, and andyou know, driven by a couple

(07:00):
seasons of a lot of rain,creating a lot of dry
underbrush, and then hundredmile an hour winds, and you put
the fire and that together, andyou know, it's just insane,
insane how fast it went.

SPEAKER_00 (07:12):
I mean, no one prepared for that, right?
And and I mean, I I don't knowif this is true or not, but I've
heard possible arsonistsinvolved.

SPEAKER_03 (07:22):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (07:23):
I mean, I I I don't I don't want to like say that,
you know, because I don't knowhow true and not true it is, but
I've heard I've seen stuff onthe news about possible
arsonists involved.
And you know, I I do dwell in,delve into uh conspiracy theory
stuff, especially when it comesto aliens and Bigfoot and all

(07:48):
that stuff.
So I definitely have my uhconspiracy theories when it
comes to stuff like this, whichI won't uh really go into too
much because it's it's on thepolitical realm, but I just I I
think you know it it's it almostmakes you I mean it everyone's
been talking about it on otherpodcasts and and just in the

(08:10):
news in general, and it's likeit may it makes you think, you
know, was it intentional?
And if it wasn't intentional andthere weren't any arsonists, you
know, it's like it just seemslike you know, pretty like qu

(08:31):
coincidental circumstances forfor it to get as bad as it as it
got.
And I'm just gonna leave it atat at that.
But it's just it's unfortunateis is what it is.

SPEAKER_06 (08:47):
Yeah, it's a disaster, and you know, just so
I'll go into how personally itaffected me.
But didn't you know personally,like our house didn't burn down,
we weren't evacuated, but I Iknow I live in a place called
Glassell Park, which is fairlyclose to Pasadena where I work a
lot.
And if you if you work in youknow, or know a lot of people in

(09:08):
Pasadena in work situations,they almost all live in
Altadina, right?
You know, so I know a lot ofpeople whose houses were spared.
But even spared it it's like onehouse on a block without any
utilities, right?
And they have to do all kinds ofstuff to sanitize it.
So it's all you know, whatever.

(09:29):
You still have your stuff, butit's a long way to go.
And you know, yeah, so yeah,it's just whatever.
I I won't dwell on it either,but it was actually my birthday
that Wednesday, January 8th, andthat's the day like the city was
burning down, right?
So that was not an enjoyablenight.

(09:51):
Right.
So uh anyways, that's the deal.
So uh yeah, thanks for your uhyou know, wishes, best wishes.

SPEAKER_00 (09:59):
Absolutely.
I'm I'm glad, you know, thankGod you know you're you're
alright, and uh, you know, wemay still have functioning
everything from what it lookslike, and I hope you know it
doesn't spread to your area andjust best best wishes again and
condolences for everyone who'sin in the Los Angeles area and

(10:25):
has you know either suffered oris dealing with ramifications of
the aftermath.
Absolutely.
I don't want to dwell on toodepressing stuff.

SPEAKER_06 (10:38):
Yeah, let's go into music.

SPEAKER_00 (10:40):
Yeah, let's let's get into music.
First off, what a phenomenalgroup you have, tombstones in
their eyes.
I am really, really big onpsychedelic rock and uh you know
contrast kind of likeSabbathian, old school

(11:02):
Sabbathian heavy metal.
And when I say psychedelic rock,I like all different like
subgenres of psychedelic rock.
So there's like you know, shoegaze, there's dream pop, there's
space rock, there's buzz rock,there's stoner rock, there's
stoner metal, you know, and thelist is the list can literally

(11:28):
you know go on and on, but youknow, the the reason I think I
like psychedelic rock the bestis because uh, you know, whether
you're you know you're smokingsome herb or whatever, it it
really just resonates with me.
And you know, I I just thinkthat there's certain you know

(11:52):
genres of music and albums andstuff where I mean as much as
I'm a Led Zeppelin fan, youknow, they clearly have some
filler music.
And as much as I'm like aRolling Stones fan, they clearly
have some filler music inbetween, you know, the songs on
their albums.
And I've found that pretty muchwith like specifically

(12:17):
psychedelic rock and even morespecifically, like the shoe
gaze, Dream Pop, like all thatthat those like subgenres, uh
it's like you can listen to theentire album and not have to
like switch a song, it all kindof flows, you know, together,

(12:39):
you know, equally.
And uh, you know, some parts areyou know a little higher and a
little lower than others, but itall it's like dark side of the
moon, you know, like like talkabout one of the founders of you
know what that genre became wasPink Floyd.
But if you listen to like PinkFloyd, you know, there I would

(13:02):
say more the Gilmore and RogerWaters versus like the Sid
Barrett and post uh Roger Watersstuff at Gilmore on, but like
everything from like Wish YouWere Here, Dark Side, Metal,
Animals, Out of Mother Heart,you know, it's you can listen to

(13:23):
like the whole thing.
And and I even just read like anarticle how you know Dark Side
of the Moon is like one of thealbums that came out like you
know, like it's pretty much likewhat like 50 years ago now, and
and it still sounds like it's itit could have like come out

(13:44):
today, you know, and and youwouldn't no one would be the
wiser.
And with Tombstones in theireyes and a lot of other bands,
but your band in particular,everything since the debut album
up till the most current album,Asylum Harbor.
I'll plug it for you rightthere.

(14:04):
Uh it is it is like just not itdoesn't just like you know flow
together really well.
I'm talking about like it'sespecially Asylum Harbor is like
a phenomenal, phenomenalpsychedelic rock album as a
whole.
And I also really like that, youknow, I I mean for me to like

(14:28):
invest time in a band, one, Ilook for, you know, longer
tracks, and two, I look for, youknow, the album has to basically
you know be, you know, like youknow basically 38 minutes or
longer for me to like really youknow invest time in in

(14:52):
researching the band and gettingto know if they have any prior
stuff or even considering likelistening to them further.
And I know some of your albumsare shorter than others, but
they're all really, really good.
But you also have like threealbums that are like almost like
an hour long, which is like whatwhat I really you know when I

(15:16):
see a band that you know likethe album is like 50 minutes or
longer, you know, that's gonnalike the these are like real
musicians, these are like guyswho know about music and you
know know how to really play themusic and you know make some
great tracks and also the factthat you know some of your

(15:38):
albums are 15 minutes or longerto have the whole album just
like you know be uh onesequential you know piece with
you know multiple tracks and thewhole thing be like as good as
it is is really you know hard todo.

(16:00):
And I have my top three favoritealbums of yours here.
Okay Asylum Harbor is one ofthem, Sea of Sorrow, and Maybe
Someday top top three favorites,and then I'll also plug the rest
just so it's it's plugged.

(16:20):
Looking for a light collectionand sleep forever, your debut
album.
Thank you.
Uh all all phenomenal music.
Those three albums, I knowthey're also the longer ones,
which is part of why uh, youknow, I they're a little more
partial to me.
But you know, every time there'scertain bands I look forward to,

(16:42):
you know, seeing when they havea new album come out, and
Tombstones in their eyes is isone of them.
And you know, it's it's alsolike hard for a band to kind of
like you know keep a trackrecord and have like each album
be like, you know, as good ifnot better than the one prior.

(17:04):
And you somehow as a group havehave been able to produce like
continuously really, really goodpsychedelic rock albums.

SPEAKER_06 (17:17):
Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 (17:18):
You know, so I just I just want to say that first
off as a fan, and that leads meto uh my first official
question, which is what got youinterested in music?

SPEAKER_06 (17:32):
Oh wow.
That goes way back.
Well when I was a kid firstthing I remember about music is
my parents making me take pianolessons, right?
So I took them for from likefour to about fifteen where I
could finally tell my parents Ididn't want to do it.
So you know, because pianowasn't the instrument I wanted

(17:55):
to play really.
I wanted to play guitar, youknow, and uh so yeah, but so
that's as far as the playingside goes.
But then uh you know what got meinto music is my dad was a big
music fan.
He um so he he's from LosAngeles and and when he was
growing up in college he wouldgo to the uh the jazz and blues

(18:16):
club in South Central LA, whichwere pretty well known.
You know, a lot of great peoplecame came through there or came
out of there, whatever, and uhyou know, he'd be like, you
know, one of the only white kidsin there and and you know, it's
that kind of scene.
But yeah, so he was really intothat style of music.
Sort of mostly the blues andthen sort of piano boogie stuff

(18:38):
like Fats Domino and but he alsotook me to my first concert at
age ten, which was the RollingStones.
Uh I'm gonna age myself righthere, but it was 1975.
And that was a good you know, Imean I wish it was
seventy-two, 'cause that was youknow, sort of my tour, but
seventy-five was pretty awesometoo.

(18:58):
You know.
So but then around the house,you know, I mean I started
getting into like Elton John,the Beach Boys, the Stones, you
know, then it went into likeKiss and Aerosmith and stuff
like that, and then uh and thenPunk Rocket, and that's shit
changed everything.
You know, I got into like germsand Debo and the cramps and from

(19:21):
there it just you know a lot ofpunks, you know, like those you
know, aren't your traditionallike hardcore punk bands, which
that wasn't what it was backthen, right?
It was like it was like gunclub, you know, all these
different kinds of bands, andthen then it became codified,
and then it became in like auniform, and that's when I was

(19:42):
already uh off into differentkinds of other kinds of music,
like the post punk stuff orbuttole surfers or the pussy
galore, you know, there was allkinds of stuff still happening.
It was a very fertile time thesedays, you know, and so yeah, so
I mean that's kind of my pathright there, you know.
So as far as playing after that.

(20:03):
So I after I put down piano, I sI started to play a little
guitar with a friend of mine,this guy James Cooper, and and
uh we kind of wrote a couplesongs, we did write a couple
songs, and then I just kind ofdrifted off into something else,
you know, punk rock and doingdrugs and all that kind of
stuff, and uh he kept going withthat and they had a little band,

(20:25):
you know, and so I you know, Ireally didn't come back to
playing until like I wastwenty-seven.
But in the meantime I did dosome tours with my friend's
band.
I was their manager in the lateeighties, and uh we went to
re-Europe and all that stuff,which is an awesome time because
they loved American bands in1988 and that was pretty nirvana

(20:47):
and right, right.
But yeah, that is uh I hope thatanswers your question without
going too far.

SPEAKER_00 (20:58):
Yeah, yeah.
What was the band that that youmanaged?
Because I know you were we werestarting to talk about that uh
before we we hit record.

SPEAKER_06 (21:06):
They were called the leaving trains, they were Los
Angeles kind of I don't know, Ialternative sort of a little bit
of psychedelia, a little bit ofyou know rock and roll, you
know, what i I don't know,somewhere in the area of like a
little replacements maybe, youknow what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 (21:26):
Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 (21:27):
Yeah, so you know, early solo side and that you
know, whatever.
And uh so yeah, but they were onSST Records, which is at the
time was a pretty happeninglabel, you know, with the Me
Puppets and Husker Doo and Flagand you know I mean so So I you
know we do these US we did acouple US tours, all right.

(21:50):
I did one with them actually,and you know, it was fun
twenty-two years old, right?
Then we went over to Europe, youknow what I mean?
And it was great.
So yeah, so that was that was agood experience.

SPEAKER_00 (22:07):
Awesome, awesome.
I mean, I know that Europe ingeneral, pretty much since like
the British invasion, has kindof been ahead of the game.
Yes, it's based off of Americaninfluences, but like especially
in in the the the psychedelicrock genre, I mean like two two

(22:30):
major American bands that can tothis day get get more airpl, you
know, airplay and fan base inEurope is is one of the
fundamentals uh that I considerof like the two biggies of kind
of what shoe gays of like todayis, which is the dandy warholes
and the Brian Jonestownmassacre.

SPEAKER_06 (22:53):
Oh yeah, two linchpins for me.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (22:57):
I mean they they I mean I I watched I have the
documentary uh dig on on the twoof them.
I I've watched that numeroustimes.
I had the pleasure of havingPeter G.
Homstrom on my show a coupleweeks ago or month ago, actually
guitarist for the Dandy Warhols.

(23:18):
Um and that was like a wholetrip interview because you know,
but my first time seeing themwas literally on my 28th
birthday.
And they came to a venue here inPittsburgh called Mr.
Small's Theater during their uhthe Stortland tour.

(23:40):
And I I got VIP tickets, I gotto meet them, and you know, they
uh performed, and then I dreamtof yes for my birthday,
specifically for my birthday.
And I I said this to Peter inthe interview when we first
started talking, but it was oneof those like magical, you know,

(24:02):
instances, rare opportunitieswhere it's like, you know, it's
like a scene out of a movie, youknow, where like a band's a big
band is playing and they do likeone song that like the the crowd
just like becomes silent, youknow, dead silent, you know, and

(24:22):
as soon as they finish, it'slike the biggest eruption, you
know, of like, you know, wenever thought we'd hear that
song live, you know.
And he even told me that it'shard on Courtney's lungs to do
it live.
So it was like a special, youknow, experience that you know I

(24:42):
was like only I and my friend,you know, who are in like the
VIP balcony area knew that thatsong was for me, and they
wouldn't have played it unlessit was because I recorded the
request.
It's called And Then I Dreamt ofYes.

SPEAKER_06 (24:59):
Okay, okay, it's looked that one up.

SPEAKER_00 (25:03):
I think it's off of Auditorium and Warlords of Mars.

SPEAKER_06 (25:08):
Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 (25:09):
I think it's off that one.
Right.
I might I might I might be wrongbecause I always get it confused
for the album, but it's a it's athree-song lineup that literally
when I asked, they were like,that's the smoking part of the
album.

SPEAKER_03 (25:25):
Right.

SPEAKER_00 (25:27):
Yeah.
But it's like three songs in arow, and and then I dreamt of
yes, is like the middle song.
And it's like a just an awesomethree-track lineup that is like
you know, uh awesome, justtripping out music.

SPEAKER_04 (25:44):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (25:44):
But you know, it's it's part of like why I love
listening to your stuff, youknow, because it's like it's you
know, I really believe this.
There's been studies andeverything too.
How you know, if you listen ifyou smoke cannabis and whatever,
and and like you listen topsychedelic rock and stuff like

(26:06):
that, it you know opens likecertain whatever neural pathways
in the mind that you know leansmore towards like creativity and
you know motion, stuff likethat.
It allows like whateverendorphins or whatever you want
to call it.
I'm not sure the exact exactlingo there, but basically it's

(26:31):
like Quado saying toSchwarzenegger and Toto Rico,
open your mind, you know, andthat's that's what it does, you
know, especially withpsychedelic rock and shoe gaze
and all that, and music thatreally just when it comes down
to it makes you you know feelemotion, you know, it moves you,

(26:54):
you know.
And I forget who said this.
I mean it was in a recentinterview with a musician.
I forget who it was, but theywere talking about how you know
music, especially like you know,the old stuff, like you know,
the the classic, classic rockera, like you when you grew up

(27:16):
with with like the stones andthe Beatles and you know Jimi
Hendricks and just all the theplethora of music that came out
then.
It's like and even stuff in the90s and 80s too, in the 70s
throughout the 70s, really upuntil like the 2000s.
I'm I want to say it became alot harder to find like you know

(27:39):
a song that you know you couldliterally you know listen to the
song or or and it would strike amemory, you know, or it would
make you feel like a certainemotion, you know.
And you know, with your musicit's in psychedelic rock, but

(27:59):
not all psychedelic rock, likeit has to be particular, you
know, stuff, but I thinkespecially with your music, it's
like you can feel kind of likeemotion, you know, with with
listening to the album in itsentirety, and it can you know
open your mind to kind of feellike well you know I should

(28:22):
maybe be thinking about this orthat, you know, or it ends up
making you think of this orthat, you know.
But I think it's it's you knowreally like hard to find bands
today that you know have songsthat make you feel just emotion,
you know.

(28:42):
And it's it's really cool to tohear you know your albums and
especially Asylum Harbor.
There's a lot on there that isvery resonating to me, and I'm
sure a lot of other peoplebecause I've been you know
noticing all the theaccomplishments the album has
been doing and college chartsand magazines and stuff.

(29:04):
So I'm happy to to get a chanceto talk to you and talk about
the album and past albums andstuff like that.

SPEAKER_06 (29:12):
Um I'm gonna give you my quick Brian Jones sound
master story.

SPEAKER_02 (29:19):
Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 (29:20):
Just just how I got into them.
Like it was kind of a odd just achance thing because I I'm into
a band called the SpacemanThree, you've heard of them,
right?
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (29:30):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 (29:31):
So on that leaving trains tour, we were lucky
enough to play with them in inGermany, you know, which is cool
because they never made it tothe US.
So that's just a side story.
I I read an interview with uhSonic Boom from that band, and
he mentioned the Brian Jonesafter said something about them.
And so I was up in San Franciscoand I saw they were playing this

(29:53):
place called the Bottom of theHill, and I went over there uh
with my friend and I've beenhooked ever since, man.
It was uh you know, I was I waslike ninety five, six, something
like that.
And yeah, I mean, really for mysongwriting, like one of my
goals was to someday write asong as good as one of Anton's
songs.
You know?

SPEAKER_00 (30:15):
Definitely I I I I think you've accomplished that.

SPEAKER_06 (30:18):
Yeah.
I feel like it.
But yeah, that's it that's myquick little story about that.

SPEAKER_00 (30:24):
Awesome.
I mean I mean I I'm a bigSpaceman 3 fan.
I mean that that's that's likethat's like the the the band I
kind of was listening to beforeI even like heard of the Dandy
Warhols and the Brian Jonestownmassacre.
And it was really my my uh I waslistening to the Dandy Warhols

(30:48):
because I'm a big like movieguy.
And I went actually went toschool for screenwriting and you
know there's a few stuffpublished on Amazon but you know
I was listen watching you knowsome movies and I heard like you
know their music in it and I waslike I gotta check this band
out.
This is this is like some realyou know uh some real good shit.

(31:13):
And then you know my my friendwho was a little more into you
know the the obscure stuff toldme about if you like uh the
dandy warholes you gotta checkout like their like com comrade
band the Brian Jones sonmassacre and that was also right
around the time Boardwalk Empirelike like premiered and I was

(31:38):
like you know I was like myfriend said you know the the the
opening to the that show and I'mlike yeah it's like that's that
band and I'm like wait a minutethat's that's the Brian
Jonestown massacre you know sothat it was straight up and down
is the song oh yeah great songgreat great I forget what album
it's off of but I know that thatlike there's the the regular

(32:02):
version and then there's likethe what do they call it like
the reprise okay and the repriseis like I think it's like on the
studio version like between Ithink it's around like 10 12
minutes long and the look thatup yeah it's it's the the reason

(32:23):
I want to say say especially thereprise version is like the just
the I mean it goes to reiteratewhy they're called the Brian
Jones yeah town massacre yeah uhbecause like like the there's a
part there's like a chorus partin in the the the reprise

(32:46):
version where it they're clearlylike taking stuff from sympathy
for the devil and and and someother stone stuff but it's it's
with the whole like you know howyou know in sympathy for the
devil there's like whoo who ohyeah I've heard them do that
yeah yeah yeah and I I I've seenthe Danny Warhols the last I

(33:11):
think it was clear my first timelike three times they've two or
three times they've been hereand I've seen the massacre the
last two times they've been hereand Jesus what what a sh what a
show I mean they I I don't knowif it's if it's like this in in
LA but they have this role thisis this law it's not really a

(33:34):
role it's a law here inPennsylvania where you have to
stop playing by 11 and it's likeunion rule stuff where you know
if you if you play past 11 likeyou get a major fine and it's
like something involved withbreaking down all the equipment
and when they have to you knowbe out of there and have

(33:57):
everything packed up and allthat but the first time the
dandy warhauls came it wasbefore that law was enforced and
they played till like midnightand the when the massacre came
they had already enforced thatlaw so Anton started at like

(34:17):
eight o'clock and then they theyhad a band that I actually had
on the show that's from theCalifornia area the Stevenson
Ranch Dividians.

SPEAKER_06 (34:27):
Dividians yeah yeah they uh they they opened for uh
the massacre the first time okayyeah they came and antard played
from like eight to a likestopped at exactly you know
eleven o'clock so at least heplayed for like three hours non
wow that's a lot yeah yeahthat's um but uh I mean th those

(34:52):
guys are great too the StevensonRance uh Dividians yeah yeah I
haven't I have never seen thembut I see them playing around a
lot and I actually thought aboutreaching out to them to play a
show together.
I'm just gonna make sure becausethere's like two bands with very
similar names.
Oh okay that's the one yeah okayI got it there's another one

(35:14):
that's has a similar name Idon't think it's that name but
it reminds me whatever I getconfused no worries yeah if
please do reach out to them andif you do tell them Samfish the
fishbull recommended okay so youyou reach out to them and play
play with them.

SPEAKER_00 (35:33):
Sure we really I mean their their their stuff is
awesome very like remnant of themassacre and uh and you know
would be a great show for as asan opener for your band as well.

SPEAKER_06 (35:48):
Well they've been playing around a lot more so
we'd probably have to open forthem this time.

SPEAKER_00 (35:52):
Okay.
Okay well still you know viceversa still yeah hello hello
hello all my fishes in the seathank you for taking the time to
listen to my interview with JohnTrenner of the band Tombstones
in their eyes here is the secondto last track off their latest
album Asylum Harbor called SetMe Free.

(36:15):
Hope you enjoy and pleasesubscribe I mean I I know we've

(39:42):
been talking about some bandsand stuff and some music but I I
was wondering like who who weresome of your like I mean I guess
for it's obviously Spacemanthree and tombstones in their
eyes but like who would you sayare you know some of your like
musical influences if you had tolike draw from specific specific

(40:06):
bands?

SPEAKER_06 (40:08):
Well as I told I sort of told you a little bit
about about my musical journeyright so what I think is just an
amalgamation of everything everysort of stop on that journey
right so you have you know Ilove some of the Elton John
stuff that some of that's inthere beach voice this new

(40:29):
record in particular has a lotof pretty deep harmonies you
know like them and you know Kissis just for the rock and roll
part of it and the punk rock ismore the just do it like you
know even if you're not a youknow like fucking the best
guitar player in the world justdo it you know and and then you

(40:50):
get into like you know the thedirtier stuff like if I
mentioned Pussy Galore, youmight want to check them out.
They're pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00 (40:57):
They're not really they're more like garage rock
you know but they're they're I'mactually familiar with them.
Oh yeah yeah yeah I love themback in the 80s and spaceman
three fuzz tones you know what Imean like you know so it's a you
know and even more than thatprobably but you know that's the
general kind of it's more yeahthere's definitely bands you

(41:21):
know and I mentioned some ofthem but uh did I mention the
butthole servers again becausethey were kind of important you
know like also in terms of beingsort of fucked up and
psychedelic and right right yeahyeah so I I I'm uh I I I I
actually wanted to I'm glad youbrought them up again because I
was I was in the top of my headwhen we were when I just asked

(41:43):
the the last question I was likethat's right I wanted to bring
that band up again as well asthe cramps and black flag but
the butthole surfers in myopinion were the closest like
reiteration of like Frank Zabaand the mothers I I think in

(42:06):
terms of like just like thestyle and weirdness and and
especially what you know I'venever unfortunately I'm I never
have seen that band live as muchas much as the stories I have
heard um especially from the 80syou know it's it's one of my

(42:27):
dreams is like if I had docbrown's time machine you know
I'd I one of the things I'd dois go back and see like you know
the one of the earlier shows ofof the butthole surfers.

SPEAKER_06 (42:37):
Oh yeah I was lucky to see them a few times.

SPEAKER_00 (42:40):
Awesome awesome you know they and just like uh the
Chili Peppers who was alsoreally you know an 80s band and
in my opinion I I lean moretowards the 80s chili pepper
stuff than than than the 90s andkind of on I would say that it

(43:02):
but it's like just like theChili Peppers didn't really get
like you know have their youknow built billboard you know
chart mate major hits until likeI guess with like under the
bridge and the album that it'son top of my head but has like
give it away and all the allthat on it.

(43:23):
Is it Untrigar Sex yes that's itthat's it that album basically
like you know everybody knew whothe Chili Peppers were a after
that.

SPEAKER_06 (43:34):
And that bridge is about a mile and a half from my
house.

SPEAKER_00 (43:38):
Oh wow awesome awesome yeah I I was just saying
uh it's like uh the the buttholesurfers didn't have like
commercial success until whatwas the album with the song uh
pepper yeah but for anindependent band they were

(43:59):
making a shit ton of money manbecause they sort of did
everything themselves and theywere in LA they were playing
places like pretty big placesafter their first couple times
here and uh you know they weremaking like ten thousand dollars
a show or something which for acrazy independent band like them
you know pretty good money rightso yeah so yeah no as far as

(44:22):
commercially to the rest of thecountry but in underground wise
they were super well known rightso yeah yeah and my my dad uh
saw the chili peppers as a barband in uh DC uh when he was in
college which he was luckyenough i i I still haven't seen
the chili peppers you know tothis date I've seen most of the

(44:47):
like the 90s alternative bandsI've seen I've seen Jane's
addiction quite a probably themost they they're they're
they're like one of my all-timefavorite uh favorite you know uh
you can't even really saythey're like grunge they're in
that like in-between stage anduh I mean I'm a big porno

(45:11):
propyros fan and just I mean Iwas lucky enough my favorite
album from them is nothingshocking and I was there here in
Pittsburgh at a venue calledStage AE to see them do the
nothing whatever the anniversaryof the nothing shocking album
and I didn't know that was likewhat they were touring doing I I

(45:36):
just like my James addiction'scoming let's go you know and I
started to hear like the orderof of the songs on on the album
and I was and then it wasn'tuntil they did Ted just admit it
that that I that I was like ohshit yeah doing the the whole
album and I'm like you know Inever thought I'd hear that song

(45:57):
live so that that's that's likemy my number one song that's
like that's like the funky youknow yeah yeah I used to listen
to that on repeat like Iremember in like 89 or you know
whatever it was you know it'slike great yeah that and the
Pixies do a little I listen toit constantly yeah the Pixies

(46:21):
are another great band I haven'tseen them but they have come to
Pittsburgh since since you knowwhere I could have seen them I
just found out about it afterthe fact I I've seen the Foo
Fighters which is the closestI'm gonna get to Nirvana I've
seen definitely not the originalAlice and Chains but the the

(46:46):
Reiteration which was still agreat show and some of the other
bands in from from that era aswell but like I grew up in the
90s so you know like that's thatwas like I I remember but even
growing up in the 90s it's likeit wasn't until I was like in my

(47:07):
college years that like you knowI started like re-listening to
every band that I could think ofthat I liked from that era you
know I was like a little kid.
I was born in 88 so you know itwas literally like I was growing
up you know it was all going onI mean I do remember you know

(47:28):
hearing when Kirk O'Bain diedyou know what what happened
because when I was little likeNirvana was like my uh my number
one favorite right you know bandfrom there and then as I got you
know older and listened to otherstuff I I I'd say like my
probably my top two like youknow if you want to say like

(47:50):
grunge grudge bands it would beSoundgarden and Alice and Chains
and then if you want to you knowdelve into like some of the
subgenres Rage Against theMachine who I saw a couple
summers ago when they were doingthat that reunion tour before

(48:11):
Zach uh injured himself and bigRage Against the Machine fan but
I like I'm just like you knowlike the 90s and the 80s too
were like a plethora of musicjust like the 60s and the 70s
were you know with everythingthat was coming out and I also

(48:36):
wanted to bring up the crampsand black black flag the cramps
I only got into like in the lastcouple years and started like
delving into like the the punkrock scene of the 80s because
the only bands I really knewwere like you know Iggy pop and
blondie and the Sex Pistols youknow like the the big names you

(49:01):
know and my god the the crampsare were such a phenomenal band
and I'm also like a really bighorror fan and I did not realize
you know how much of their musicin the 80s was was played and

(49:23):
like so many of so many you knowcult classic and famous horror
films.
You know it's it's really likeif you if you go back and watch
there's a ton that they're thattheir music is played in.
Oh wow one of them is the TexasChains Fan Massacre part two

(49:44):
there there's the big song dothey play it it's I I think it's
off their the album with feveroh that's uh Songs the Lord
taught us yes yes okay one ofthe it's one of the s I I don't
think it's garbage man I it'sit's one of the other more like

(50:06):
rockabilly more like straightlike punk horror like like
rockabilly songs.

SPEAKER_06 (50:13):
I can't remember the exact name but was it ju juju no
that's on their second record uhsecond record psychedelic jungle
okay yes yeah it's it's Ibelieve it's the the what is it
the juju I can't remember thesong name but if yeah I think

(50:33):
something like that was on thesecond record.

SPEAKER_00 (50:36):
Yeah it's it's I want to say it's that song I
can't remember the exact songbut uh and and fever was played
in Near Dark.
Oh yeah Bill Paxton and LanceHenderson famous scene too it
was like the the bar scene wherethey they kill everyone in the

(50:56):
in the bar and it's like a it'sa major sequence that song is
played and then I've heardgarbage man played in a few
other stuff great song greatsong and then black flag and
Henry Rollins in general one ofmy all-time favorite musicians

(51:17):
and cult actors you know the onemovie that if I if I get a
chance to interview HenryRollins the one movie I want to
talk to him about is JohnnyMnemonic.
Okay I don't know if I rememberhim in that or you know it's
been a long time since I saw itprobably but uh yeah yeah that's

(51:37):
cool yeah they were intense Imean you know so I was able to
catch them fairly early nottotally early where I saw the
other singers but still I meanwhen they were still like black
flag hardcore fast you know Imean right right that was cool

(51:57):
that was great yeah our producerour producer is a guy named Paul
Rossler and his sister KiraRossler played bass in Black
Flag for many years actually ohwow that's awesome yeah yeah so
anyways that's uh you knowthey've been around yeah yeah uh

(52:19):
uh like I say uh I I love tointerview Henry Rollins he he's
he seems like I I mean I knowI've watched interviews with him
and he has his like radio showand yeah you know just like Iggy
Pop has his radio show and youknow you hear some great music
and just great you know storiesabout the business and also how

(52:43):
much has changed from you knowthe I mean not just the 80s but
like going back to like you knowlike the Stones and Pink Floyd
and all those bands and what youknow music is today which you
know in some cases it's very sadand in other cases it's like if

(53:09):
you know what music to look foryou know and you know like like
you know even in the 80s likelike we just talked about you
know like the mainstream musicwas like hair metal you know but
like there were all these otheryeah the underground was super
accurate yeah yeah yeah and it'sthe same thing today I think you

(53:32):
know I it's it's I think thatthat's one thing that hasn't
changed is is the theunderground is there's always
you know something you knowgoing on yeah and you know like
music genres that I see for allthose people who say like rock

(53:52):
is dead you know and all that Imean I see so many different
like musical movements going onspecifically with rock you know
on the subject of grunge I meanthere's this whole you know
resurgence now of like a newgenre called what was it uh like

(54:13):
like neo grunge or something newnew wave grunge new wave grunge
and it's like you have thesethese kids that are like in
their you know mid late 20s andand they've grown up you know
post listening to everythingthat you know you live through i

(54:35):
i grew up with as a kid you knowand they've you know just like
you know with music you knowthey they fuse everything
together and you come with theselike great bands you know that
that are rising bands that youknow may just you know if
mainstream allows it you know tobe like the next the resurgence

(54:58):
of grunge you know right at theat the same time there's there's
you know the shoe gaze movementthere's you know that I think
just as the years progress itjust keeps getting better and
better and then you also have Iuh speaking of Europe you know I
see a big like Prague rock andright that's like resurgence of

(55:20):
like classic rock sounding youknow bands I want to name these
these two big ones blues pillswho are from Berlin amazing
amazing classic rock soundingit's a female vocalist backed by
all dudes and it's like shedresses up in like those like

(55:41):
70s kind of sequence you knowjumpsuits and very like bowie
bowie esque and I think theythey her and another female
vocalist backed by all dudes ina band called uh spiders also
from Berlin I think they're fromSweden yeah they're really good
I saw them play actually at MrSmalls they opened for uh

(56:04):
Graveyard which was a great showyeah yeah and they I think uh
her the singer from spiders andthe singer from Blues Pills did
a cover of uh Moonage Daydreamwhich was really good and
another one I want to twoartists I want to throw out
there Rosalie Cunningham andBobby Dazzle I read about Bobby

(56:31):
Dazzle haven't heard of RosalieI would recommend listening to
her debut album ASAP okay herand Rosalie Cunningham who's
kind of like more of the I guessyou want to say veteran at this
point with like that type ofprog rock Bobby Dazzle had a

(56:52):
date her debut album come out latowards the end of last year and
boy like the two of them soundlike like they each sound
uniquely different on their ownbut it's it's like it's it's
also very similar in like thetype of you know prog rock that

(57:13):
it's very like you know likerenaissancey you know okay like
like like like how old schoollike like yes and King Crimson
and stuff like that with soundwith like flutes and organs and
you know all these differentinstruments which is really like
it's it's both albums andartists like their albums are

(57:36):
very like it's like meticulouslywell like like it's it's how do
I phrase it it's very like Iguess mathematical if that makes
sense like everything the theprogressions and chords and
different instruments andeverything it's very like

(57:57):
technical sounding so literallythe phrase like blood sweat and
tears that that go into makingtheir albums are like really
it's like I I can only imaginelike the the amount of time and
effort that goes into makingthat type of music.
But those are those are someartists that re recent artists

(58:18):
that I'm big fans of and alsothat are in Europe UK area worth
listening to that sounds good.
Definitely so here's a questionhow how did how did how did
Spaceman three and how didtombstones in your and their

(58:39):
eyes form Oh wait so how didSpaceman three form?
Yeah first how did Spacemanthree and then how did
Tombstones in their eyes form?

SPEAKER_06 (58:54):
Both separate you know entities but both how did
how did like they they they cometo be not me right so we're I
mean we're good on you knowbecause I don't know how they
formed Okay okay.
Right yeah I mean I know theythey're from rugby England and

(59:15):
you know two two guys butSimpsons formed so in my so in
my little musical history Imentioned a guy named James
Cooper who I was friends with atlike fourteen years old and uh
then like we kind of both wentour separate ways.
He went he was in some bandslike sort of punk bands and then

(59:37):
he was in sort of a not really ahair metal but you know one of
those Hollywood bands in theGuns N'Roses kind of vein.
And and then um I was doing mything and eventually like I
talked to his sister and shesaid hey you know he's cool he's
into baseball and he's cleanedup his act and you know so I

(59:57):
thought oh maybe I can talk tothe guy and we ended up talking
And became fast friends rightaway again.
And yeah, we started doingmusic.
He's in New York, I'm here, butwe started uh in songs via
Dropbox and using Garage Band tostart these songs, and he was
very encouraging of me of mysongwriting.

(01:00:18):
So that's kind of how the youknow how it got started, and
then you know, we would work ondemos together, and finally we
had enough good stuff that wedecided to record it.
I got a couple local guys, andthat's where it sort of took
off.
But I will go into that becausethat first record what the hell

(01:00:39):
is it called again?

SPEAKER_02 (01:00:41):
Um uh sleep forever.

SPEAKER_06 (01:00:43):
Yeah, sleep forever.
Sorry.
Uh you know, so that was uh wehaven't really found our sound
yet, but elements of it arethere, right?
There's a song called um SleepForever, and there's a song
called Happy, and you know,there's another piano song I did
with Paul that's pretty good.
It's called It's Always Nothing.
There's about five or six songsthat are, like I said, heading

(01:01:07):
in the direction we ended upgoing in.
And we took a this band liketook an opposite, I think an
opposite path than a lot ofyoung bands do, where their
their first record or two isfantastic, then they kind of go
downhill, right?
We're going uphill, you know,and uh you know, so we sort of
you know, then we did a an EPand that further came into our

(01:01:30):
uh you know, we did an EP, asingle, and another EP, and
that's kind of where we startedto hit our stride.
Then we did Maybe Sunday, whichyou know have some great stuff,
and uh and then what was next?
Uh the collection was just acollection of all the some of
the early record and uh all theEPs and singles, and then what

(01:01:52):
was next?

SPEAKER_02 (01:01:53):
Looking for a few looking for a light, and then
yeah, that was cool.

SPEAKER_06 (01:01:57):
I like that it's a pretty different um it's a
little like I don't like thefirst song, Quarantine Blues,
because I I knew that would betoo topical and I just don't dig
it, right?
And that's one thing about me isI have tried not to be too
precious about this stuff.
I I I work fast, I want to getit out.

(01:02:18):
I don't really care if like twoyears later I think that song
sucks or whatever, you know whatI mean?
Like just I've seen people likenot put records out for five
years, like that's five years oflike creativity loss, basically.
You know what I mean?
Like uh you know, who cares?
You know, like life is short,you know, that's my attitude,

(01:02:38):
you know.
So so on all these records,there's you know, uh there's a
song or two that I think, whythe fuck did I put that on there
or whatever?
And uh you know, so what?
But so yeah, looking for a lie,it was pretty different.
It was more sparse than ourother records.
And we did an EP called A HigherPlace, which is really pretty
good, actually.

(01:02:59):
Uh I think.
And but then okay, so we'll getinto the last two, and I'll uh
I'll shut up.
But Sea of Sorrow was a reallykind of down record.
I was going through some stuff,and you know, there's a pretty
blatant like drug song on it,and you know, stuff like that,
you know, but but I think like Imean that's got like some really

(01:03:20):
of my favorite songs, like thesong Numb, the song Heart, what
else, uh No One to Blame.
There's a bunch of good stuff onthere.
And yeah, but then we get tothis record, and so you know,
the deal is like I've hadtwenty-five to thirty almost,
you know, pretty much finishedsongs over at the studio ready

(01:03:42):
to go, but I keep writing newstuff, and so like the last
record was eight new songs andwait, no, this record was eight
new songs and two old ones, youknow.
So and I'm doing the same forthe next record, but so we don't
haven't delved into the archivetoo much.

(01:04:03):
And the last year was one of theworst years of my life, right?
So, you know, suicidal and allkinds of stuff going on, and and
it it it it really doesn't soundlike it in the record so much,
you know what I mean?
Because it's not as down as likethe CFSR record was.
And the thing I like about thisrecord most is that like it's

(01:04:24):
very cohesive.
I don't so far I don't hear anysongs that I think why the fuck
did I put that on there?
You know what I mean?
They're all like uh you know,and I think that's why it's sort
of doing better.
Or plus I think people have justgotten to know our name a little
bit, so they're willing to checkit out.
You know?
And so that's why, you know,we're doing good on radio,

(01:04:45):
college radio.
So that that starts, and I'lljust get into that for one sec.
So you you know, you pay a guyto send out CDs to various
college radio stations and plugyou a little bit, you know, and
that's something I've learned isa good good move, right?
You know, right, right there,and uh and then the thing is, so

(01:05:06):
then we would usually get on thechart for a minute, you know,
and drop off you know fairlyquickly.
But this time we've been on thechart since like you know late
November and we went down tolike 182 and then we jumped up
to 111, and now we jumped up to74.
So that's like the plugger isnot involved anymore, right?

(01:05:26):
He's right, right.
So that's sort of organicgrowth, which is really cool.
Yeah, so anyways, that's a quickrundown on some of the stuff
that you didn't ask about.

SPEAKER_00 (01:05:40):
Awesome, awesome.
I'm glad you filled me in onthat.
You know, I know the questionshave conversations been all over
the place, which is part of partof uh my show.

SPEAKER_06 (01:05:51):
Yeah, yeah, it's all good.
I like talking music.

SPEAKER_00 (01:05:54):
You know, just talking, you know, really
relatable, you know.
But yeah, it's it's awesome tohear.
I actually did college radiowhen I was in college and would
have been doing a lot of exactlywhat's been working for you with
your latest album and justorganic growth and everything.

(01:06:16):
So I'm really happy to hearthat.
I also I I have the email fromShauna with with like the press
kit and stuff, but I definitelywanted to see if I could use a
couple, like one or two tracksto put like in between the
interview.

SPEAKER_06 (01:06:36):
Just go for it.

SPEAKER_00 (01:06:37):
Awesome, awesome.
That's like a new thing I wantto start doing.
Is I've interviewed you know alot of bands at this point, you
know.
Now I want to try and like youknow, insert you know, some of
their tracks and into theinterviews so you know people
can not only listen to theinterview, but you know, get a
sample, you know, of essentiallythe the bands that I you know I

(01:07:01):
love having on my show andtalking about the types of music
and music in general, whetherit's you know, shoe gaze, dream
pop, or you know, doom metal oryou know, new wave grunge or you
know what whatever.

SPEAKER_03 (01:07:15):
Right.

SPEAKER_00 (01:07:16):
You know, any way I can really you know help you and
help those people, whetherthey're you know, musicians or
indie filmmakers, you know, oreven you know, established
celebrities or whatever inwhatever set, you know, if if I
can help, you know, push aproject or an album or a tour,

(01:07:40):
you know, that's that's myultimate goal and making uh
great connections along the way.
You know, so I was really happyto uh connect with Shauna.
That was purely because ofpromotional thing I was doing
with Peter G.
Helmstrom.
And oh yeah, I'm I'm I've beengetting her emails on a weekly,

(01:08:04):
sometimes uh daily basis.
So I'm trying to really keep up.
It's it's hard, you know.
Of course.
But trying to keep up with allthe bands that she sends me,
because some, you know, Ihaven't heard of for whatever
reason, and that requires liketime to to like listen to their

(01:08:25):
their stuff with they have youknow how many you know prior
albums that's you know before uhwhatever new single or album is
being released.
So, you know, it's a lot ofhours you gotta put it to like
listen listening to music.
But I I am I am fully watchingout for those emails.

(01:08:47):
And one band that I want to givea shout out so Shauna can hear
when this comes out, andhopefully by then I will have
interviewed them, but that's theYet.
They have a new album.
I think they're can't rememberif it's their debut album or

(01:09:07):
like a new album, but I listenedto it through the press kit that
Shauna sent me, and I if I'm youknow the name of the album is
escaping me right now, but it'sa phenomenal album.

SPEAKER_06 (01:09:22):
Check it out.

SPEAKER_00 (01:09:24):
It comes out, I think, sometime this month, and
really there's there's a lot ofa lot of like not just like 90s
alternative, but classic rockstuff.
Like like one song I had to askmy mom what the name of the song

(01:09:44):
was because she used to sing itto me when I was a little kid.
Okay and and I had to like belike, what was that song you
sing?
Because I knew who one of the itwas one of these artists, I
didn't know which one, and itturns out it was the song was
the circle game.
That one of their songs on thealbum like immediately reminded

(01:10:05):
me of.
But there's a lot of lot of goodtracks on there, it's a
phenomenal album.
So they're uh on the list.
Shauna, uh I I will get to them,I promise.

SPEAKER_06 (01:10:19):
Yeah, I love having the same publishers as Peter.
Yeah, it's great, you know.

SPEAKER_00 (01:10:24):
So yeah, yeah.
I mean, she she is awesome.
You know, the press kits thatI've been getting with you know
the albums available, you know,sometimes, you know, pre pre
before they're released, and youknow, tracks and samples.
I'm like, this is this is likeuh, you know, music podcasters

(01:10:44):
and music aficionado and andlover in general's dream come
true, you know, to basically getyou know press releases to do
stuff with you know big bandsand smaller bands and stuff of
like you know all differentareas.
But I'm like, you know, I reallylove talking to musicians and

(01:11:05):
especially, you know, stuff onthe underground because you know
it's not always the case, butyou know, a lot of the time it
is where stuff on theunderground is just like it's
it's you know sometimes betterthan what's on the mainstream.
And I kind of feel like if youlisten to the underground, like

(01:11:29):
like you're like like you said,like that's punk.
You know that's that's like thelast, like, you know, one of the
last major you know remnants ofpunk, you know, is is like you
know, not being part of uh, youknow the mainstream.
The mainstream, exactly, youknow.

(01:11:50):
Because you know, the the likethe 90s the mainstream was good,
you know, the sixties andseventies.
I I watch it say mid-60s tomid-70s, right?
What was really good.
Late 70s, not so much.

SPEAKER_06 (01:12:06):
No, and no, the 80s uh mainstream to me was
horrible.
I mean even uh some you know newwavy stuff got up there, like
even Devo, but that wasn't likethe Devo song I liked so much,
you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 (01:12:20):
Right, right.

SPEAKER_06 (01:12:21):
So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (01:12:23):
You know, but like like I was just gonna say in
this late 70s into the early youknow mid-80s, you had the
formation of the whole whatbecame the the major punk rock
movement of of the eighties, andthen you had band the whole you
know grunge movement, like youknow, it that was underground

(01:12:43):
and then became mainstream inthe 90s.
Right.
So, you know, there there's thatfor the record, you know, grunge
was the underground, and ohyeah, it just be it just by
chance, you know, became themainstream and along with just
the plethora again, we'll usethat word of music in the in the

(01:13:06):
90s and 80s too.
But really like the 90s was whenlike I think when yeah, I would
consider that like the last, youknow, musical movement, you
know, and I would also I wouldalso relate it to very much like
the 60s, 70s movement, becauseall the heroes died, you know,

(01:13:31):
uh a lot of them from heroin,just just like you know, in the
the the major hippie, you know,era people, you know, and then
the people sold out or bandsbroke up, band members died, and
you know, they just didn't wantto move forward.
You know, there's still somemajor artists from that era that

(01:13:55):
have continued to make uh greatmusic, like I want to definitely
throw Jerry Kinterell and there,you know, because he he pretty
much was the the real you knowlyricist and you know second but
main voice of Allison Chains.

(01:14:16):
And you know, the Foo Fighters,you know, I could say they
they've made some stuff has beenbetter than others.
Uh say that, but I could throwthem in there and Primus,
another phenomenal band.
They they've been continuallymaking some great music and you

(01:14:37):
know a few other big ones.

SPEAKER_06 (01:14:40):
One thing about Foo Fighters, you know, I don't
listen really to their music.
I you know appreciate whatthey've done.
And the coolest thing about themis that they continue to employ
Pat Smear, originally from theGerms.

SPEAKER_00 (01:14:57):
Right, right.

SPEAKER_06 (01:14:58):
Later from Nirvana.
That's pretty cool.
He's a cool guy.

SPEAKER_00 (01:15:02):
Yeah, yeah.
And I I just heard out in yourarea when speaking of the the
fires again that there was thebenefit benefits concert or
whatever, and they they just allreunited to to perform to help
raise money for you know what'sbeen happening and continuing to

(01:15:22):
go on.
But um, you know, that wasreally cool to see.
You know, the breeder is anothergreat band spin-off from the
Pixies.

SPEAKER_03 (01:15:32):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (01:15:32):
You know, and there's just I mean, great music
is out there, you know, but likelike we just said, a lot all the
really good stuff is on theunderground.
And you know, it's it's it's init's I want to say like another
another two uh areas that I seereally good music coming out of

(01:15:55):
besides like Europe and and theUK and Glasgow and all that is
Australia and New Zealand.
I've seen a lot of a lot ofreally good bands come out of
there.
Some are in like the shoe gaysand some are like in the
alternative rock scene.

(01:16:16):
One band I want to throw again,uh throw their name out a lot
recently because I'm tryinghonestly trying to get them on
my show.
They're they're blowing up huge.
They're like one of the biggestnew bands in uh Australia right
now.
They're called Full Flower MoonBand.
Um yeah, they're really good.

(01:16:40):
Iggy Pop played uh one of theirsongs on his radio show, and
they're like real, they just putout their second album, I think
last summer or towards the endof last year.
Really good, really good.
It's again, it's a femalevocalist backed by all dudes,

(01:17:01):
and uh they have a very uh funnyuh social media presence.
They like like I could just tellthat like these are people if if
like I lived in Australia orlike near where this band, you
know, would be living, I'd belike, I want to hang out with
these these people because theyseem they seem like they they

(01:17:24):
like they're they're if they'rethey're laid back and they also
have like a sense of humor, youknow.
So so it's like you know, theythey have a good social media
presence, like they know how toyou know market themselves.

SPEAKER_03 (01:17:38):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (01:17:39):
But you know, that that's that's another band uh
worth checking out.
Definitely worth checking outfrom Australia, New Zealand.
There's a great band called uhthe Holy Drug Couple.

SPEAKER_06 (01:17:52):
Oh yeah, I've heard them.

SPEAKER_00 (01:17:54):
Yeah, they're really good.

SPEAKER_06 (01:17:56):
I have them in a couple playlists.
Yeah.
I keep a like a psych rock typeplaylist and yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, that'd be pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00 (01:18:08):
Awesome, awesome.
Well, here's a question for you.
Who does the cover art for youralbums?

SPEAKER_06 (01:18:18):
For each record, I've been able to find a
different artist.
So this record was done by acompany called One Horse Town.
I can't remember the guy's name.
I think it's Simon maybe, buthe's uh over in uh South Africa,
I believe.
So I just saw him on Instagramdoing uh cool posters, you know,
for you know that caught my eye,and uh yeah, I just asked him

(01:18:40):
and he did it.
He was very professional, reallygood, and it's probably the best
cover we've had so far.
You know.
Yeah, the last record, Sea ofSorrow.
That was actually a friend ofmine, old friend of mine, and
she's an artist and she's beendoing some wood cuts or lino
cuts, and so I had her do one,and I think it's really cool as
well.
And that's the same thing withevery every record except for uh

(01:19:03):
sleep forever.
I've you know found some artistsout there who can do it.
You know, and we've had thistheme of putting ships at sea in
a storm on all the covers.
And I was thinking aboutdropping it, but people have
convinced me to keep it up, souh that'll keep going.
So, you know, just uh you know,obvious metaphor for getting

(01:19:28):
through life, right?
You know what I mean?
Like making it through.
So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (01:19:33):
Right.
Well, there like there's onething that like a formula I want
to get like patent patent or petYeah, I get it.
Whatever that word is, I'mhaving trouble saying right now
on a t-shirt because it's like amath equation that I think is

(01:19:56):
the key to finding great music.
And and that is awesome albumcover, longer tracks equals
great music.
That's my equation.

SPEAKER_06 (01:20:15):
Pretty good, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (01:20:16):
You know, uh hasn't failed me yet, and it's one of
the key things that like if I'mdoing music searching on like
Spotify and seeing like I likethis band what's related, you
know, a lot of times it's like Isee the album cover and I'm
like, who is this?
Yeah, you know, for sure.

(01:20:37):
Um I think it's it's just asimportant as like a movie
poster, you know, for for afilm, you know, to like if you
have if you can capture withlike an image, you know, what
encompasses the album and themusic and the you know the band,
you know, I think you haveyourself a uh winning scenario

(01:21:01):
to basically uh keep currentlisteners listening and
attracting new listeners youknow to get into into the music.

SPEAKER_06 (01:21:11):
Agreed.

SPEAKER_00 (01:21:12):
But yeah, that that's that's one thing I always
find.
I always like asking who doesthe album covers because I like
to promote the their stuff aswell, because I think it's just
as important as you know the themusician and you know the music.
So I like to plug that stuff andI have town.
Right, right.

(01:21:33):
Definitely.
I have three closer questionsfor you.

SPEAKER_03 (01:21:37):
Okay.

SPEAKER_00 (01:21:39):
Again, I know we've been talking about music a lot.
So the first one is who are someof your favorite bands in
general?
This the second question is Iknow we've been talking about
music and a little bit aboutmentioning film, but what are
some of your favorite films?

(01:21:59):
And then any uh upcomingprojects and and or uh and tour
dates.

SPEAKER_06 (01:22:08):
Okay, let's start with the favorite bands.
I mean, that's that's superhard, of course, but definitely
Brian Jonathan Masker.
I mean, I listen, I what I do isI put together playlists, and
I'm a real song-oriented person,you know, so you know, I put my
favorite songs on this list andlisten to it and burn them out.
But you know, obviously, youknow, like I said, Brian

(01:22:30):
Jonathan Masker, Danny Warholz.
There's a band called BlackMarket Karma who are great.

SPEAKER_01 (01:22:36):
I've I've interviewed them.
Great bands.

SPEAKER_06 (01:22:38):
Yeah, yeah.
Cat Power, uh Black Angels.

SPEAKER_01 (01:22:42):
Great, great band.

SPEAKER_06 (01:22:43):
I'm just looking through my list here SC.
Some real favorites, but uh holdon, let's see.
Oh, one of the underappreciatedbands of the 90s was Love
Battery from Seattle.
Yes, great band, great band.
Uh Bauhaus.
Uh you know, let's see.
I'm just looking through this.

(01:23:04):
Uh Spaceman 3, obviously.
Elliot Smith, I really like alot.
Love.
Um, you know, Black RebelMotorcycle Club.

SPEAKER_00 (01:23:14):
Great band.
I saw them live.
Great show.

SPEAKER_06 (01:23:17):
Yeah, yeah.
Sonic Jesus, they're a cool bandfrom over in Europe, I think
Italy.
What else?

SPEAKER_00 (01:23:24):
I'm familiar with them as well.
Great band.

SPEAKER_06 (01:23:26):
Uh, there's another one that many people haven't
heard of.
There's two actually they shouldcheck them out.
Is uh Jesus on heroin with an Eafter the heroin, you know.

SPEAKER_02 (01:23:37):
And I'm familiar with them.
They're a great band.

SPEAKER_06 (01:23:39):
One brilliant record, yeah.
And then the other one is calledGuitaro, G-U-I-T-A-R-O.
They have like just two recordsfrom maybe 10 or 20 years ago
that are just fantastic, youknow.
I don't know how they gotoverlooked, but but anyways, you
know, and there's tons more, ofcourse, but you get the idea.
Oh, yeah.

(01:24:00):
Well, I have to go back to likethe Melbourne's, Pussy Glore,
Butthole Surfers, Springs, youknow, it all still in the mix,
you know.
So, yeah, so anyways, okay, wegot it.

SPEAKER_00 (01:24:10):
What's the next question I forgot?
What are some of your favoritefilms?

SPEAKER_06 (01:24:16):
Okay, my memory is poor, but I you know, the ones
that really stick out in my lifewere like the Clockwork Orange,
Apocalypse Now for sure.

SPEAKER_00 (01:24:28):
I j I just met uh Martin Sheen.

SPEAKER_06 (01:24:31):
Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 (01:24:32):
That's uh uh December.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 (01:24:35):
Yeah.
That one I I thought I wouldlike the Redux version because
hey, it's more stuff, butactually I didn't.
You know what I mean?
Like I like the original, youknow, sort of cut.
What else?
Um god.
Uh what's that one about bowlingthat's filthy?

SPEAKER_00 (01:24:53):
Uh the big Lebowski?

SPEAKER_06 (01:24:55):
No, no, it's by the Fairly Brothers.

SPEAKER_00 (01:24:58):
Um, Kingpin.

SPEAKER_06 (01:24:59):
Fucking great.
You know what I mean?
Underrated classic.

SPEAKER_00 (01:25:03):
Yeah.
And uh I would I would saythat's their dirtiest uh yeah.
The most underrated, dirtiestfilm.

SPEAKER_06 (01:25:11):
Yeah, super funny too.
Yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 (01:25:15):
That that movie's especially funny to me because
it's it takes place.
We're supposed to be inPennsylvania.

SPEAKER_06 (01:25:22):
Um yeah, with the Amish and stuff.

SPEAKER_00 (01:25:24):
With the Amish Country, which I've been to
Amish Country before.
So it's like that that moviealways really was like, you
know, I I you know Dumb andDumber was pushing, you know,
boundaries.
But like I I think I thinkKingpin definitely with the
subject matter in the area theygo to is a lot dirtier and

(01:25:50):
rauncher than than any otherstuff, then dumb and dumber than
me, myself, and Irene, andeverything they've done since.

SPEAKER_06 (01:25:58):
Yeah, agreed.
And yeah, I'm having troublethinking.
There's a ton, but uh a coupleWorld War II movies I really
like.
Uh what was the uh Tom Hanksone?

SPEAKER_01 (01:26:11):
I mean Saving Pride Orion.

SPEAKER_06 (01:26:13):
Yeah, that was you know, just the sound of those
tanks going through the town.
Right, right.
You know, I gotta move roomsreal quick, but uh so uh yeah, I
think I I have to leave it therefor now because I can't think
great.

SPEAKER_00 (01:26:30):
No problem.

SPEAKER_06 (01:26:31):
But yeah, I like a lot of spy stuff too.

SPEAKER_00 (01:26:34):
Yeah, spy stuff's great.
Yeah, big uh like the JasonBourne movies.

SPEAKER_06 (01:26:39):
Oh yeah, those first two were just fantastic, man.

SPEAKER_00 (01:26:42):
Yeah, yeah.
I mean the I think the DanielCraig uh James Bond stuff was
was I think that's the firstBond the first Bond like series
that I can re-watch and kind oflike well some stuff is
definitely still dated, it'sit's it feels like you can

(01:27:05):
re-watch these versus like eventhe the Pierce Brosnan ones.
Oh man, and everything before.
It just is like there's like theoriginal Bond formula that like
they pretty much stuck with fromlike Connery up till Pierce
Brosnan.

(01:27:26):
And then Craig was like the newlike the new era of of Bond.

SPEAKER_06 (01:27:31):
Yeah, it was closer to realistic, you know, but not
really fair, you know.
But uh yeah, for sure.
I mean I loved those as a kid.
Right, you know, once I got intoreal spy stuff, I was like uh
you know, okay, yeah, I I wantedrealism.
So yeah, I can tell you a couplehere.

(01:27:52):
Let me just take this uh no, no.
Okay, never mind.
So it's a you know, a site whereyou got a bunch of stuff.
Okay, never mind.
It's too far.
Oh, Munich was great, yeah.
You know, there's there's a lotof good ones.
Spy Who Came In From the Cold isfantastic, that's an old one.

(01:28:12):
But uh Oh yeah, and the one thatuh yeah, that's also uh what's
the guy uh who wrote TickerTaylor Soldier Spy?
But that's a fantastic movie.

SPEAKER_02 (01:28:22):
Oh yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 (01:28:23):
Yeah, uh James Lacari, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (01:28:25):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, he's a good filmmaker.

SPEAKER_06 (01:28:30):
Yeah, so that's kind of where I'm at right now.
But I, you know, I like a lot ofdifferent stuff.

SPEAKER_00 (01:28:35):
Awesome, awesome.
I think the one of the biggestuh filmmakers he just passed
away that music was a huge partof his movies was uh David
Lynch.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (01:28:46):
Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 (01:28:47):
Yeah.
Yeah, I mean I know that uhTrent Reznor worked with him on
uh Wild at Heart.
It's the one with Bill Palmanand Patricia Arquette.

SPEAKER_06 (01:29:01):
Yeah, I remember that one.

SPEAKER_00 (01:29:02):
Uh the it didn't it didn't do well in theaters, but
like it became like a cult, acult classic like most of his
other movies.
Right.
Um but I remember Trend Reznorwas like big and on on doing the
score to that.
Another movie I have to say, bigon music, the crow.

SPEAKER_06 (01:29:24):
Okay, yeah, yeah.
Tragic ending there, but uhyeah, yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 (01:29:31):
Yeah, definitely, but definitely you you know I
refuse to watch the the theblasphemy uh re remake or
whatever it was.

SPEAKER_06 (01:29:42):
But uh yeah, uh no, I agree, but I thought of one
more that's huge.
Spinal tap.

SPEAKER_00 (01:29:49):
Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_06 (01:29:51):
One of the best movies ever made.

SPEAKER_00 (01:29:54):
Exactly, exactly.
What's his name?
Uh Michael uh McKean.
Um, he he is very underrated uhas as as a comedic actor and
just actor in general.
I I I I remember he he's in oneof my one of me and my dad's

(01:30:18):
favorite two-parter episode ofuh or yeah storyline from uh the
X-Miles.

SPEAKER_03 (01:30:26):
Right.

SPEAKER_00 (01:30:26):
He plays the character, I think his name is
Morris, and like the the episodeis like Motor and Scully go to
like what is supposed to be likeArea 51.
Oh yeah, and like a experimentalcraft flies over, and Mulder and
Michael McKean's characterswitch bodies.

(01:30:49):
So Motor is in is in MichaelMcKean's body.
And Michael McKean is in Motor'sbody, and like they look in the
mirror, and it's like it's it'sMichael McKean looking like he's
Motor, and Motor is looking likeMichael McKean, and it's it's a
very like funny episode becauseMorris, Michael McKean's

(01:31:12):
character, is like very like youknow, a sexual fiend and kind of
pervert, you know, is goingcheating on his wife and you
know, trying to hit on Scully,you know.

SPEAKER_06 (01:31:24):
Right, that's great.

SPEAKER_00 (01:31:25):
It's it's just very it's very uh it's classic.

SPEAKER_06 (01:31:28):
No, I love him.
He's very cool and sort of dry,you know, like right, right.

SPEAKER_00 (01:31:33):
He was also really good in uh the first uh Brady
Bunch movie.
Um he was the the next theneighbor next to the the Brady's
yeah uh and I I've recentlywatched watched you know both of
those the uh you know the BradyBunch movie and a very Brady

(01:31:53):
sequel.
You know, it's been on one ofthe movie channels or streaming
services.
Right.
And uh, you know, I there's alot of stuff I did not get as a
kid when I saw those thosemovies, and it's all like you
know, coming like I I understandall the the the stuff that's in

(01:32:14):
that movie.
And one of the things I think ishysterical is Michael McKean's w
wife in in the movie, who's likeyou know, the neighbors to the
Brady's is trying to like likeclassic, you know, porno
scenario, like the the the thethe neighbors, you know, wife

(01:32:35):
wants to get with the young uhBrady man.

SPEAKER_06 (01:32:40):
Right.
That's funny.

SPEAKER_00 (01:32:42):
You know, but yeah, classic stuff.
But uh oh all more for next.
Yep.
Last question for ya I know youwere starting to talk about a
possible next album and any tourdates going on and any chance of

(01:33:02):
you coming to Pittsburgh againas as tombstones in your in
their eyes.

SPEAKER_06 (01:33:08):
Yeah, okay, I can answer that.
So we're probably about 60% donewith uh the next record
musically.
We did a show a couple weeks, afew weeks ago.
It's our first show in like uhover a year, and with the new
lineup, we have now two singerswith me, two girls that are you

(01:33:30):
know, or women that you know areare have joined the band.
You know, they'll probably playsome instruments too, but right
now we're just trying to get thesinging worked out, you know.
So it's you know it's gonna beseven people on stage.
Um yeah, so yeah, the plan forme is like I I want to be a good
live band, that's my thing thisyear, is just to make as a good

(01:33:53):
live band as we are.
And then go to like San Diego,go to San Francisco, go to
Portland, Seattle, andVancouver.
Because we all, you know, we'reI can you know have
responsibilities we're older,we're not I'm not twenty-two
where I can couches anymore.
But you know, but I one of mynext plans after that would be

(01:34:13):
to like apply to New York, youknow, and do you know a few
shows out there, you know, andobviously we could hit
Pittsburgh while we're there,you know.

SPEAKER_00 (01:34:22):
That would be awesome.

SPEAKER_06 (01:34:23):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (01:34:24):
And any any venues you need a list of when that
time comes, shoot me a message.
I will give you full listrundown of all the best possible
venues to play in Pittsburgh.

SPEAKER_06 (01:34:41):
Sure.

SPEAKER_00 (01:34:41):
And any way I can help out in that area, and uh,
you know, I'd l I'd love to meetyou and the rest of the band in
person.
That'd be great.
You know, that that everhappens.
Come out of my way uh again,that'd be awesome.

SPEAKER_06 (01:34:55):
That's a dream to get out there again, yeah.
And do it in a different way,you know.

SPEAKER_00 (01:34:59):
So Yeah.
I'll uh I'll have to w when thattime eventually comes, I'll have
to get a a list of the thefamous Pittsburgh food places to
to give you the the one that Ican think of that's a a
Pittsburgh landmark is uhMinnios Pizza.

(01:35:21):
Okay two locations, one rightnear where I live is the
original location, and thenwalking distance is like people
they apparently like ship likefrozen versions of their pizza
out for like Super Bowl andstuff like that.
Like that's that's how peoplecrave many of those pizza.

SPEAKER_06 (01:35:45):
That's great.

SPEAKER_00 (01:35:46):
But a lot of other stuff, but you know, whenever
whenever that time comes, youknow, I'd love to help out in
any way I can and meet all youguys in person.

SPEAKER_06 (01:35:57):
Yeah, I doubt that.
And thank you, you know, againfor talking to you today.
It's uh Absolutely, you know.
We got a lot in common as far asmusical taste, I think, and uh
good stuff.

SPEAKER_00 (01:36:11):
Definitely, definitely.
It's it's been uh it's been mypleasure having you on and
getting to talk to you and youknow, just make some great
connections and uh you knowYeah, anytime you're out this
way, you know, just check in andI'll show you something out here
that we can, you know.
Oh that that'll be awesome.

(01:36:31):
I I yeah the la the last time Iwas out in LA was was twenty
eighteen and that was for a filmfestival right next to the
Hollywood area.
I had I had a script it's it'sbased on a uh HP Lovecraft
story, short story that made itas a uh a finalist in a uh film

(01:36:55):
festival out there, a big onecalled uh Shriekfest.

SPEAKER_03 (01:37:00):
Okay, cool.

SPEAKER_00 (01:37:01):
Yeah.
I was uh my first trip out thereas an adult.
I loved it.
California is pretty prettycool.
Of course, that was all pre uhCOVID and Right, of course.
That kind of changed big amount,but I did I did like California

(01:37:23):
a lot.
And you know I would definitelylove to take another trip out
there.
So uh whenever that happens,I'll definitely keep you posted.
I have a lot of other you knowcelebrity friends I keep in
touch with on Facebook that uhI've had on the show that you
know live out there.
I hope everything's you knowagain okay with them.

(01:37:46):
And again, my best wishes,condolences, and concerns stay
safe out there and everythingwith all that crazy shit going
on.
But yeah, I mean it's it was apleasure talking with you.
I uh I'll s l I'll shoot you amessage, let you know which
which attracts I used for uh theinterview.

(01:38:08):
And yeah, it's it's it's reallybeen a pleasure and uh great
great talking with you.
All right.
Thank you so much for taking thetime to swim in the bowl with
me.

SPEAKER_06 (01:38:20):
Well, I'm gonna climb out of the bowl and get
dried up, but thanks again, Sam.

SPEAKER_00 (01:38:25):
Absolutely, absolutely.
Uh have you on again anytime.

SPEAKER_06 (01:38:29):
Cool.
I'd love to do that.

SPEAKER_00 (01:38:31):
Definitely.

SPEAKER_06 (01:38:32):
Talk to you soon.

SPEAKER_00 (01:38:33):
Talk to you soon.
What's up, all my fishes in thesea?
Thanks for listening to myinterview with John Trenner of
Tombstones in Their Eyes.
Here is the fifth track off ofAsylum Harbor.
I'm not like that.