Post Break Tragedy
Interview with drummer Joe and guitarist Dave
Issue 2, Summer/Fall 2003
Picture this: You're sitting on a bench with two attractive men, overlooking the rolling waves crashing upon the beach. The air is somewhat sweet, and there are smiles all around. No, you're not dreaming. You're in Keansburg, New Jersey with Joe and Dave of Post Break Tragedy. At least I was...
S&S: First off, can you give me a little history about how and when the band formed?
Joe: Dave's taking that one.
Dave: Ok. Me and Joe were in an old band and we sucked. It wasn't going anywhere. So, me and this other kid Jeff were playing guitar together, so we decided that we wanted to start a band. Our old band broke up and we asked Joe to play drums with us. So, there was the three of us. Then, Jeff's friend played bass, so we had four people. No singer, though. So, we put out a flyer. That's how we got Paul. Some heavy metal guy with long hair called and he wanted to sing for us. He sang in a church choir, but that wasn't going to work. He was too old. There was a fifteen year old girl, too. That wasn't going to work. Then Paul, and he was twenty-two and he looked seventeen. But he was good, so we kept him. He was cool; it was funny.
Joe: We never actually told him he was in the band. He just kept coming to practice because we kept saying "See you next week". So, Paul's there now.
S&S: How is your new EP coming along? Is it finished?
Joe: Yeah. It's being put together right now, because it's good. We are a very modest, humble band, but unfortunately, for this cd, we can't be modest anymore. It just sounds so amazingly good.
S&S: Would you say the new songs are similar to the ones on your demo?
Dave: Totally different. We've progressed massively. We're a lot more technical. We're a lot better as musicians than we were when we first started, and we know our style better now. Plus, Paul got a lot better as a singer. Nate added a ton of more back-ups and harmonies. The producer was a hundred thousand times better than any other producer we've ever had, so it's a lot better.
S&S: How long did it take you to do it?
Dave: Well, we originally planned to have fifty-eight hours of recording and it ended up turning into like a hundred. So, it was the whole month of May.
S&S: Are you going on tour to promote the new cd?
Joe: Yes. We're leaving on the thirteenth [of July] after Jeff gets out of work and we're heading out to Pennsylvania, Ohio or Kentucky, we're not sure yet. Then, Chicago, Indiana, Detroit, Toledo, and then coming home. There are going to be various weekend things throughout the whole month of August. Because unfortunately, we're not on a major label yet, so we still have to have jobs, and unfortunately, we can only take so much time off from our jobs. Which eats ass, but we're not going to discuss that. We can't wait to go back on tour. We went out in April and met a lot of great people. It's amazingly fun. It's what we want to do.
S&S: What's the craziest thing that ever happened at one of your shows? (silence) What's the craziest thing that ever happened during an interview?
Joe: During an interview? Jeff got trashed once. He was bouncing around the house when we were trying to do an interview and he was really annoying.
Dave: Yeah. We did the whole interview and we had to re-do it again because it was so bad.
Joe: Me and Dave always end up doing all the interviews, because we're the only ones who actually get together and make sense. Jeff doesn't talk. Nate's never around. Paul's usually with his girlfriend or at work.
Dave: Nothing crazy ever really happened at a show though.
Joe: There were a lot of boobies being seen in Ohio though. Jeff got to see six girls' boobies.
S&S: This question is for you, Joe, and this is a question I've always wondered. It's kind of personal. Do you ever feel somewhat isolated on stage, being the drummer, when all of the other members of the band are closer to the crowd?
Joe: No. For some reason, once I get on stage, it's just music. I rock the hell out. I try to get a sweaty as I can, because I like to be sweaty sometimes. No, not really, but still. I just don't care. I'm back there and I'm just rocking the f out. I see them rocking out, and I long as I can see people enjoying the music, then I can enjoy it and I just don't care.
S&S: Besides playing music, what do you like to do in your spare time?
Dave: I like photography. I do photography, graphic design, web design, and computer programing at Rutgers. Masturbating cats is my all time favorite past time.
S&S: How about you, Joe?
Joe: I don't really do anything. Seriously, I'm lazy. Sometimes, I'll get an urge to do something and usually when I get that urge to do something, no one else wants to do anything. That really sucks.
Dave: As a band, we like to play wiffle ball.
Joe: Yeah, band wiffle ball is the bomb. Dave's team always wins though for some reason.
Dave: I hit all the home runs.
Joe: Bastard. I don't know. We're really just boring. We like to have fun, like when we go out to shows and stuff, we're cool and we talk to people. We're always having fun and joking around.
Dave: We go crazy, seriously. We're wacky guys. Jeff might be this chillin' guy, but when you get him in the mood, he's a wacky guy. Me too. I'm probably the wackiest.
S&S: This is the last serious question, but I guess you don't have to be serious about it, because you could say you're going to be pimps or something. Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Dave: Oh man. If the band doesn't work out, I'll probably be a computer programer or a graphic artist.
Joe: I'll just kill myself. I seriously don't have any idea. Right now, I'm just living for the moment in this band, and that's what has to work.
Dave: Joe's going to own his own massage center. He's going to school for that, actually.
Joe: Could we not talk about that? John calls it Rubbing School.
Dave: What about the other guys?
Joe: Paul will be a sales associate at Print Tech. Nate will be living in our closet.
Dave: Jeff's going to be this guitar god who teaches everybody all the shit. He's really good at guitar.
S&S: Ok. You really have to think about this one. When you sip through a straw, do you sip through the center of your mouth, left, or right side?
Dave: I think the left. Yeah, the left side.
Joe: I go through the center.
Dave: Really? If I'm really thirsty, I go through the center because you need to quench that shit.
Joe: I'm a center man myself.
S&S: Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, or neither? Dave: Starbucks is one of the main contributors to the cutting down of the rainforests in South America. I do not believe in Starbucks.
Joe: Listen to that environmentalist over there.
Dave: It's corporate bullshit.
Joe: I'll go to Dunkin' Donuts if anything. One time we went there, and I got seventeen sugars in my coffee.
Dave: I made the guy pour it out.
S&S: Do you prefer blondes, brunettes, redheads or old women with grey hair?
Joe: Can we not talk about old women with grey hair? (laughter)
Dave: Joe's a little bit on the kinky side. Let's just say he is in the process of thinking of having an affair with an older woman who's married with kids.
Joe: I don't think I'm going to do it though. I'm a brunette man myself.
Dave: Yeah. My girlfriend is brunette.
S&S: Well, this was originally what's your favorite letter of the Greek alphabet, but it could be the regular alphabet.
Dave: Alpha, because I don't know any other ones. Beta, maybe. Gamma might be good because it's like rays that come off of something. Some things give off gamma rays, I guess, like the tv maybe? Or the microwave possibly.
Joe: I guess p.
S&S: Why?
Joe: Pee and poo. I don't know. It's like that Snoop Dogg song, "Sippin' on Pee and Poop". Laid back, with my mind on my bunion and my bunion on my mind. (laughter)
S&S: Have you ever split your pants on stage, or any other items of clothing?
Dave: No.
Joe: I sweat really bad. You don't want to discuss my sweat.
S&S: I didn't bring up your sweat. (laughter)
Joe: I get everywhere sweat. I'm all gross. I hate being the drummer sometimes.
Dave: Nate's always got some ripped pants going on. It doesn't really count for ripping them on stage, but he's got these pants that he bought from Abercrombie with a hole right here (points to knee).
Joe: Didn't Paul fart on stage once? He was screaming so hard, I guess he was pushing it out.
S&S: Here's an IQ question, and I'm timing you on this. What is 5+11-2?
Dave: 14
Joe: Wait what? 5-11+2? Oh, 5+11-2. I suck at math.
S&S: I have one more question. Are you the life of the party or a party pooper?
Joe: We're both the life of the party, because I get drunk, and then I'm really funny. When people are drunk and Dave's around, forget it. Dave just goes off. He has to act drunk to make up for not drinking.
Dave: I don't drink and if people are new to the party and they never saw me there, they would just assume that I was drunk. I don't drink at all, but I go crazy and it's fun. One time I explained that if you're in China and you believe in God, and you're in America and you believe in God, you point upward for both. It doesn't really make sense. You're kinda pointing both ways [up and down]. But purgatory is in the middle, so you can both point down. It's something we can all agree on, purgatory.
S&S: That does make sense.
Dave: We're all pretty much the life of the party, sometimes.
Joe: We're all weird. Dave's like strange humor. He busts out with the weird comments.
Dave: Nothing I ever say makes sense.
Joe: I'm dumb funny. Paul's witty. He's really quick; he can cut anyone down to size.
Dave: Nate's a ladies man.
Joe: We call him Pimp Daddy Nate sometimes.
Dave: Jeff is just the man.
Joe: Jeff's really quiet unless he's friends with you, and then he's just funny. He flips out. He's great.
S&S: Any closing statements?
Dave: Thank you to Genco Records. Anthony is the man. He paid for our album.
Joe: Thank you.
Dave: Thank you.