Paul: “Hi, if you could introduce yourself and what you do in the band that would be great!”
Patrick: “Hey, my name is patrick and i play guitar and sing a bit. There’s also robb who sings a lot and plays guitar as well, Matt plays the drums and percussion and Justin on the bass.”
Paul: “Can I please have a brief history of how Limbeck came to be a band? Has there been many line-up changes since the band formed?”
Patrick: “All of our dads played on the same softball team, and we found we all had an interest in rock music… so we got together to try this band thing out. No lineup changes since I joined the band, it’s been goin pretty smoothly.”
Paul: “Which bands influence your sound?”
Patrick: “There’s a ton and half of bands that influence our sound… a somewhat condensed list would include: the old 97’s, tom petty, bob dylan, superdrag, johnny cash, big star, john cougar…. that’s a good start.”
Paul: “I guess because of the nature of the lyrics and the subject matter, the band could be termed as ’emo’. Do you think being tagged as such is an albatross around your necks or do you like being tagged into such a broad genre?”
Patrick: “Actually, this is the first time we’ve been tagged “emo” after making this record. Call it what you will… we are what you say we are. a lot of people have described our record as roots-rock, alt-country, or just plain rock, which is great.”
Paul: “How would you describe ‘Hi, Everything’s Great’ to someone who hasn’t heard it?”
Patrick: “An honest, good-times rock record that won’t make you embarrassed to say you like country music. It’s a good road-trip record as well.”
Paul: “Are you pleased with the reaction it has got from fans and critics alike?”
Patrick: “We’re completely amazed with the reaction that it’s been getting from fans and critics. The feedback is always well-thought out from critics. It seems like they take the time to see where we’re comin from and they all have nice things to say. The feedback from the fans has been amazing as well. The people at shows clap along (when necessary), and seem to have a good time.”
Paul: “Who produced the record and what was the recording experience like compared to your previous releases?”
Patrick: “We worked with a producer named Ed Rose on this record.. he’s from Lawrence, Kansas. We’ve done most of our recent projects with him, so we’re pretty comfortable working in the studio with him. This time in the studio was incredible. He was always a step ahead of us getting a good guitar sound or a finding a cool snare drum. He just knows. It’s a good thing. Plus when we’re in the studio with him, we always find time to head to kansas city for some good barbeque, or a new amp. Ed’s the best.”
Paul: “The lyrics are almost like a story being told through song, there is so much description going on which really paints a picture. Is this something the band strives to do or is it something that comes naturally?”
Patrick: “I think it comes pretty naturally. Robb tends to be very truthful with his lyrics, he doesn’t like to blur facts or names out. We’ve been asked if the people that are named in the songs are offended by it, but the songs are a tribute to the person in the greatest way. Robb also takes a lot of inspiration out of his photography, so the lyrics are almost an audio compliment of the picture they relate to.”
Paul: “Which song is your favourite on the new album and why?”
Patrick: “That’s a rough question… i really like the way “honk& wave” came out. It’s pretty basic as far as instrumentation and arrangement go, but it came out very strong. it’s a good jam.”
Paul: “The artwork for the new record is amazing and the postcards are fantastic. What inspired you to design the booklet in this form?”
Patrick: “A lot of the pictures that are on the postcards are the true pictures that the songs were written about. We all were set on somehow using the pictures in the artwork so that the listener would have a better idea of where the songs are coming from, but the idea of the postcards seemed to be a bit more personal… as if you’re takin a look inside someones things, but not in a creepy way, in a “wow, i really like this”-kinda way.”
Paul: “What is your stance on majors, would you sign to one if a label showed an interest?”
Patrick: “Gosh, that’s a hard one, i mean, we could always use some new equipment, some new brakes for our van, and another month in the studio… BUT, our label in the States, Doghouse Records, has been amazing to us. They’re with us every step of the way, making sure everything is perfect, we love it. Sheffield from the label was just with us for the first week of our UK tour that we’re on right now, helping us out. they’re all amazing. Plus, Dirk let’s us raid his fridge when we sleep over at the Doghouse house. Defiance has been incredible to us as well, so we’re excited to be teamed up with them overseas.”
Paul: “You’re currently touring the UK, how have you found British audiences? How do they differ from American crowds? Have you been well received?”
Patrick: “The UK audiences are crazy. We love’em. They differ cuz they have different accents. We’ve had 110% warm audiences, they’ve been great to play for. They seem to really get into it… let loose and have a good time and we like that about audiences cuz that’s what you’re there to do, right?”
Paul: “Do you have any views on the UK alternative music scene at all?”
Patrick: “It’s kinda hard to tell what’s going on in the UK alternative music scene… i don’t know if it’s considered to be alternative, but we like the Darkness a lot. They’re a fun band. What else is big here? it seems that the UK is always a step ahead, which is pretty cool. Evan Dando just played in a church in London the other night for a gram parsons tribute show – that’s hot. Sorry i just rambled through that question.”
Paul: “What is it like being on tour with AAR and MCS? Any funny on tour anecdotes you can share?”
Patrick: “The tour is seriously mind-blowing. we’ve toured in the states with both bands on separate occasions, so we’ve gotten to be close with both of them. Being here, with both of them is the greatest time ever. It’s incredible to be able to watch both of them play every night, then go backstage and break tables and stuff. Andy (the merch guy for the rejects) is a good time. every time. every day. every night. last night he put gold-bond powder all over his face like he’d been doin cocaine, and wandered the streets talkin to fans. Needless to say, he freaked some people out. Good times.”
Paul: “What plans do you have for the rest of the year and for 2004?”
Patrick: “When we get back from the UK we’re gonna be playing some shows around California as well as spending some time at home. Then in the new year we’re gonna get back on the road and stay busy. Our record is getting released in the UK in early December on Defiance Records so that’ll be nice and we have plans to release a single for “Julia” early next year along with some b-sides. Somewhere in between all that we’ll be workin on new jams for our next record. Busy, that’s the word.”
Paul: “Thanks a lot Patrick.”
Patrick: “Thank you to the UK for being so courteous. It’s much much appreciated and PLEASE say hi to us at the gigs. We like to meet new people. And eat food. BYE. CHEERS.”