Blow the Scene’s Spotlight Interview Series returns with Austin’s post-hardcore rockers, We’ll Go Machete. The band has a brand new LP, Strong Drunk Hands, streaming below in its entirety and available for purchase at the band’s official website. We caught up with We’ll Go Machete guitarist/vocalist Paul Warner, for a quick Q & A with the skinny on the new LP and life as an up-and-coming band in Austin, TX. Enjoy.
Joshua BTS: Greetings! Thank you for taking time to answer a few questions for Blow The Scene readers around the World! Let’s begin by having you introduce yourself and declare your onstage weapons of choice with Austin’s clever noise-rockers, We’ll Go Machete.
Hello there, my name is Paul and I do some yelping and guitaring. John also plays guitar and drops a fine layer of noodles and cavity fillings on top of everything. Chris plays bass and keeps our silly little guitars from getting lost. Rachel plays drums like she wants to stab them in the face, but she always apologizes to them after and it’s 100% sincere.
Joshua BTS: Your latest LP, Strong Drunk Hands, was recently released through Cedar Fever Records and is currently available digitally through Bandcamp and iTunes. Give us the 411 on this record. Where, when and whom did you record with?
Paul: Well, we had the songs pretty much ready to go and planned to record in September of 2010, but then our drummer quit. Luckily we got Rachel shortly after that, but we all had commitments with other bands, so it took awhile to get everything ready. Finally in May of 2011, we went into EAR studio in Austin to record with Matt Smith. Carl Saff is a busy man and it took a while before he could get to mastering it, but well worth the wait.
Joshua BTS: What does the writing process look like for We’ll Go Machete? Is there a captain at the helm or is it a collective effort?
Paul: It’s collaborative. I usually come in with some riffs and a piss poor attitude and we go from there.
Joshua BTS: Any tour plans in the works?
Paul: Not yet, we’ve pretty much stayed local but would like to change that and are thinking to take a jaunt up to Chicago next year and who knows where else.
Joshua BTS: What are some of the lyrical focuses listeners will find throughout Strong Drunk Hands?
Paul: All the songs are about my hatred of Matt and Kim. Let the war begin!
Joshua BTS: Always like to throw one in for the gear nerds. Are there any special pieces of equipment that you use to capture the band’s overall sound when recording and playing live?
Paul: None of us are really gear heads. In my previous band, I used a Peavey solid state head… yes that’s right and I’m not afraid to admit it. I now use a Super-Sonic and John plays a JCM 800. Chris has a Mesa Boogie bass head and Rachel has a few different sets but is currently working out a pretty sweet endorsement deal.
Joshua BTS: What is the story behind the band name?
Paul: The phrase stuck out when I read Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung (Lester Bangs) and it pretty much fit our agitated yelly guitar music.
Joshua BTS: What are you favorite aspects of being in a band based out of Austin?
Paul: Lots of places to play and way less indie snobbery than where I came from ( San Francisco bay area )… basically way less arms crossed and pensive looks in the audience.
Joshua BTS: Least favorite aspects of being in a band based out of Austin?
Paul: Too many bands and too many shows… it’s hard to get a good crowd together with so much going on all the time. Oh yeah, and the heat… summer shows can be brutal and it really sucks when your AC doesn’t work in the practice room for a whole month.
Joshua BTS: Who did the cover art for Strong Drunk Hands, and how did you settle on this theme?
Paul: The image is from a World War I poster I found online. It perfectly encapsulates the rage I feel towards Matt and Kim.
Joshua BTS: What does the rest of 2011 look like for We’ll Go Machete?
Paul: Rachel is pretty busy touring with Ume right now, but we have a few local shows booked before the end of the year. I foresee much more activity in 2012… y’know, get in all that we can before the world ends.
Listen to We’ll Go Machete’s Strong Drunk Hands LP with Links to Purchase at their Official Website.
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