Because I'm lazy and hate transcribing interview tapes, I decided the best approach to interviewing Alta May would be through Internet correspondence. Erik Roper and Marcus Pina agreed to take part in a "chat" interview on the morning after a drunken Alta May show a few weeks ago.

Swizzle-Stick: So I looked up "Alta May" on some search engine and found a concert review of a show you did with Mudhoney. The reviewer called you "Alta Nova", in obvious reference to the *phenomenal* '80s rock hero Aldo Nova.

Marcus: "Life is just a fantasy"

Swizzle-Stick: That would be quite a bill, huh? Mudhoney and Aldo Nova.

Erik: "Can you live this fantasy life?" Very profound.

Marcus: That guy is about 3 foot tall

Swizzle-Stick: I'm frightened that you know that!

Erik: I think one of Mudhoney's main influences was Aldo Nova .... Who wasn't influenced by them?

Marcus: Wicked keyboard bit in that song - he ripped it off Jefferson Starship - "Jane."

Swizzle-Stick: How does a punk band from Seattle wind up releasing a CD on a small Columbus label?

Marcus: They're the only ones that caved in to our cooing

Erik: Well, I guess how it happened is that we were looking for a cool label we could work with after we had a few songs recorded.... we used it as a demo. We were shopping it around to be used as an EP. Bill Litfin from Glazed was one of the first people to respond, and we got along with him on the phone.

Swizzle-Stick: Maybe I'm not part of the "Columbus" scene, but Glazed records is a bit of enigma to me (and maybe to Columbus as a whole).

Marcus: What do you mean?

Swizzle-Stick: Well, there are a few labels around town that you hear about and that put out lots of stuff by local bands. When I first got an e-mail from Glazed I was completely surprised to learn they were based in Columbus. I know they've put out a New Bomb Turks 7" but it doesn't seem like they have deep roots in the scene and if they do, I certainly don't know about the label.

Erik: He was going to do a seven-inch for us initially and then it just kind of turned into a full length. I was surprised to learn they were from Columbus, but I liked the bands/7 inches and EPs on their roster.

Marcus: I like Columbus - been there a few times to visit an artist - Rick Borg - strange mix of the south and Midwest - I saw Blair Witch at a drive-in just south of town - I hadn't been to a drive in since I was a lil boy - the snack bar was surreal - frozen in time, it was 1975 - a guy came up to our car with a box of puppies.

Swizzle-Stick: They just closed the drive in down. Going to build a housing development there.

Marcus: I like "Glazed" donuts - Krispy Kreme - that did it for me - and the six-figure advance. Drag about the drive in - they are all disappearing. So would you say Glazed is a breath of fresh air? Just an Ethernet entity?

Swizzle-Stick: I guess I don't know enough about Glazed to make that call. I don't just say this to kiss your ass, but I think your CD may really put Glazed on the musical map

Marcus: Thanks - glad you like the disc - I was impressed that he had stuff by Rocket from the Crypt and Murder City Devils.

Swizzle-Stick: You guys all live in Seattle, right?

Marcus: Yep - I've been here nearly 10 years (holy crap!) and Garret and Erik are transplants from Denver - I knew Erik in Deutschland many years ago - we go way back.

Erik: Yeah, I've known Marcus for about 14 years and Garrett for about 8 or 9.... they're really good friends.

Swizzle-Stick: How long have the 3 of you been working together?

Marcus: Erik is a cock

Swizzle-Stick: Uh-oh, the gloves come off. It's a virtual fight.

Erik: We've been working together for about 2 and half year.... oh yeah, Marcus is a total asshead

Swizzle-Stick: So that leads to an obvious question -- why so long before something was released?

Erik: We wanted to take our time developing our sound instead of pigeon holing ourselves or coming up with bullshit just to have something out.... we took a lot of time editing ourselves and figuring out who we are as a band

Marcus: It took us awhile to get it together - we were all in bands where there was another songwriter or similar overpowering sort - we wanted to be loose and be a band - we all write the songs, all in bits, and often pitch in on lyrics and stuff - we take time to arrange and get it right - we've been in too many bands where it was wrong so...

Erik: We like writing songs together, and in this band there is no super Ass dictator going off on people and breaking down others' confidence...we encourage each other to try different things and shoot from the true self. It's like therapy.

Swizzle-Stick: Glad you said that, that kind of leads to another question I had. Who are you as a band? While the CD retains a similar sound throughout, there is definitely a variety of sounds. Which song really represents the "true" vision of Alta May?

Marcus: True vision of the first LP would have to be "We As In Us" - great heavy riff and great melody - rock. The newest songs are "Last Call" and "Moving Target" - and we've got ideas piled up that we're working on that will be much different.

Swizzle-Stick: Is it fair to lump you into the "stoner rock" category? I say that because some of the songs remind me of Queens of the Stone Age and they are often called a "stoner rock" band

Marcus: No - we're too spastic to be stoners

Swizzle-Stick: I hear a lot of different sounds in the CD, everything from QOTSA to Rocket from the Crypt to Nirvana

Erik: Stoner rock is kind of a generic term or maybe cliché, but we really do like Queens of the Stone Age.... I'd say they're cool groove rock.... good and heavy...and moving. We like all sorts of music.... I think a couple of bands we really like together as a band are Guided by Voices, Black Sabbath, and Queens of the Stone Age.... Sonic Youth...actually a lot of bands, but we seem to always talk about GBV

Marcus: We all come from different places musically but meet up nicely - Garrett is from the L.A. punk scene of the 80's - I'm influenced by the Beatles, Sabbath and Maiden, and some of that Brit-pop - Erik's into Captain and Tenille and Tony Orlando.

Swizzle-Stick: I can hear the Tony Orlando influence in Erik's vocals but I think you're off the mark with the Captain and Tenille reference.

Swizzle-Stick: It's more of a Leif Garrett thing

Marcus: You haven't seen his silly hat

Erik: I'm glad that you like the album .... we've got some stuff that we're working on right now, that I think is gonna be really good .....we're looking forward to working on those starting next week.

Swizzle-Stick: In the song "We As In Us" is Garrett singing "we never had a great war"? If so, how weird is that that we're about to have our own great war?

Marcus: Garrett is a prophet

Erik: We thought about that, too....it's weird how some of the subject matter applies to what's going on now, even though the album was done before the attacks. The planes on the back of the CD, songs about the airline industry, "Crown Yourself" about America being omnipresent in world affairs and the bombings in Kosovo....

Swizzle-Stick: Was it a conscious decision to have 3 lead singers? Ii think it adds a lot of variety to the album

Marcus: Yes - we figure 3 crappy singers might make one good one

Swizzle-Stick: No way, you guys sound good. Was everybody a singer in previous bands.

Marcus: We had trouble with that at the beginning but I think we've figured out what works without confusing people - are you confused by it at all?

Swizzle-Stick: I think I could tell that there were 3 singers, but it wasn't blatantly obvious. I had to check out the CD jacket.

Marcus: That's good

Swizzle-Stick: I don't remember if Garrett sang in the Fluid and I'm not familiar with the Spell's music

Marcus: Garrett did the most singing - Erik did a little singing - I was backup harmony guy in my last two bands

Erik: Garrett sang some in Spell, but he didn't sing in the Fluid...just back ups.

Swizzle-Stick: Do you think there are Fluid fans out there that you can reach with this CD?

Marcus: I think Fluid fans would dig it - it's got the rock. And Garret is still one of the best drummers on the planet

Swizzle-Stick: No doubt.

Erik: I think the name helps.... the Fluid was an amazing live band.... totally rocked - fun shows. I think Fluid fans would like it...it's driving.

Swizzle-Stick: There are some great "instrumental" moments on the CD. I'm not a musician so pardon my ignorance with terms, but the "breakdown" part of "We As In Us" sounds phenomenal

Marcus: Towards the end or the solo?

Swizzle-Stick: Oh crap ... I'm sorry ... wrong song. I meant "last call"

Marcus: Erik and I spent a lot of time with tones in the studio -- wanted the record to sound big and crushing - and the drums sound huge - Garrett does his drumming in one take - he blows me away

Swizzle-Stick: When you play live, do you ever headline? If so, do you have "extra" songs that you add to the set list? Or does the album represent all the Alta May songs to date?

Marcus: We "headlined" last night - we don't do any covers but we will be soon

Erik: We've got new songs we've been working on, but haven't yet played them out...When we play out, we do about 9 songs of the 11 on the cd.... We rotate a couple in and out depending on the show.

Marcus: The album is all the GOOD ones - we have a junkyard full of stuff that we may revisit or dust off

Erik: Yeah, we recorded more songs, but did some self editing and threw them in the junkyard.... some songs had good parts or a good feel, but just weren't right for us.... We figured out our sound and what we want to do by chucking out some things that just didn't fit.

Swizzle-Stick: When you mention adding covers, does that mean "Wanted: Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi?

Erik: Definitely...that song rules

Marcus: No more like "Ready to Strike" by King Kobra

Marcus: "L.O.V.E. Machine"

Erik: King Kobra rules...we're gonna put pink streaks in our hair like those guys did.... they were fine.

Marcus: I'm wearing my snakeskin undies

Erik: I'm sporting a leopard thong

Swizzle-Stick: Holy shit, a King Kobra reference. Excellent. You know the lead singer had a sex change operation and is now a woman. Mark Free = Marcy Free. Don't mess with my '80s metal trivia. You shall lose

Erik: Who was the singer for Warlock?

Swizzle-Stick: Doro Pesch?

Erik: Wow...you do know your shit.

Marcus: Who did Bruce Dickinson play with and what was the drummers name in that band?

Swizzle-Stick: Maiden, Nico McBain. Come on, too easy.

Marcus: No - before Maiden

Swizzle-Stick: Uh-oh ... you might have me on that one.

Marcus: The band was Samson (Paul Samson) - Bruce called himself Bruce Bruce - drummer wore and s&m mask and called himself Thunderstick

Swizzle-Stick: Oh, I knew that one. Damn, you got me. So what bands do you like now . . . besides Maiden of course

Erik: Queens, Nebula, Fu Manchu, Guided by Voices...I think you mean as of recent cause the list of all time faves would be too long. I still listen to the Beatles and Black Sabbath on a regular basis.... I love Sonic Youth, the Fall, Unwound.... a whole pile of bands. I love music.

Swizzle-Stick: Killer Dwarfs? Keel?

Marcus: Spiritualized, GBV, Swervedriver, Supergrass, QOTSA - listening to a lot of early gospel recordings - super raw, raises the hair on the back of you neck - Lupine Howl, blokes that got the boot from Spiritualized - guilty pleasure - Oasis - those guys crap me up. Zebra. Beatles of course - I listened to Wings when I was a kid and then found out that Macca (Paul McCartney) was in another band before that

Erik: My sister and I got a chance to hang out a couple of weeks ago.... were all singing to Bridge Over Troubled Water - it felt familiar and really sad with everything that happened a couple of weeks ago. A friend of ours was blaring some new Slayer yesterday in his car.... God Hates Us All.... I actually really liked it...might have to get that one

Swizzle-Stick: I dig the new System of a Down single. That singer scares the shit out of me.

Marcus: I downloaded some MP3s - it's serious shit - they are very angry

Swizzle-Stick: He's creepy in a Charles Manson way

Marcus: I enjoyed that last PJ Harvey record - and Doves

Erik: You know what album I really like from the past year is PJ Harvey's Stories from the City Stories from the Sea.... I think that's what it's called.... it stays in my CD player

Swizzle-Stick: The Doves record I like, as well as the Travis and Coldplay CDs.

Marcus: I'm a sucker for some good pop - GBV rocks and pops

Swizzle-Stick: So Erik has anybody ever confused you with Art from Everclear?

Marcus: Rod Stewart me mum says

Erik: Yeah, that shit used to happen all the time.... I'm growing my hair out right now and it's brownish...oh yeah, the Rod Stewart thing, too.... fucking hell.

Swizzle-Stick: Last questions --- whose grandmother/mother is Alta May?

Marcus: Alta may was Erik's neighbor - cranky feisty old lady that Erik and his girl helped out for awhile - I loved that name and so did Garrett so it stuck


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