Bakelite

By Chuck Ansbacher

Friday February 4, 2005

Two pints of Guiness and it’s all over

Things are shaping up for Bakelite. They just got a drummer, did a spot for Zed-TV, and seem to have a bit of extra cash floating around. We sat down to talk some shit over a few pints.

Only: You’ve been going since ‘99?

Jim: Well yeah, but not really. It started out really bizarrely, like a totally different idea. And then Cam joined on, and it took a totally different route again. Lots of vocoder, and geekyness. And then we scrapped all that and started all over again. Just started fresh, and we’ve probably been going at it a yearwith this new incarnation.

Cam: And this is proper. It’s actually more like the stuff you were first doing. I think we just went off on some fucked up tangent, for which I apologize. We just went too Hi-Fi and it was fucked.

Only: Do you think having a drummer will contribute a lot more to the live show?

Cam: Oh definitely.

Only: Allow for more improv…

Jim: Exactly. I mean, before if we wanted to switch it up a bit, the most we could do was choose between drum track A or drum track B.

Only: I’ve noticed a few bands that are switching from backing tracks to drummers.

Cam: It’s cause there’s only so far you can take it when it’s so set in stone like that. You know, we would get people coming up to us after shows telling us they dug it, but thought we could do so much more with it.

Jim: Yeah now that we’ve played a bit, it feels like the logical next step. And Brad’s the fucking fastest learner in town.

Only: When did you start playing drums? A few weeks ago?

Brad: (laughs) With these guys I started playing drums just a week ago. Last Sunday was our first practice. Jim literally called me up — Jim’s helped me out with a bunch of mixing, so we knew each other, and Cam’s always drinking somewhere.

Only: Have the three of you recorded anything together yet?

Cam: We recorded this week. We’re already recording.

Jim: Yeah there’s a split twelve-inch with Primes coming out in March, and Brad recorded one of the songs on it. We just did it two days ago, and just sorta rushed it in there to try to get it on the album.

Only: A new track?

Jim: No an old track, but redone with drums, and there’s one more new track on the split as well.

Cam: In one week he’s learned four Bakelite songs, recorded one of them, and appeared on Zed-TV playing two of them.

Only: Wow you’re like a shooting star.

Jim: Yeah. Insert hand clapping.

Cam: You should plug your other bands.

Brad: Nah we don’t need to.

Jim: Yeah why not? Brad’s in Radio Berlin and Pink Mountaintops.

Only: So you’re making the rounds for sure.

Brad: Yup.

Only: That’s a tough life.

Cam: He’s got his finger in all the pies just in case.

Brad: Well as I was saying today, I never seem to get any better. I just seem to stay in these indie bands that just keep touring the west coast. Like, the same bar every couple months. I love it. I didn’t go to school this year so I could play drums for Pink Mountaintops, and now because of these guys.

Only: School for…

Brad: Oh I was just gonna go learn photography or something. You know, just not do the band thing. Gain some ageless wisdom.

Cam: Yeah, alright, we know it’s a big fucking sacrifice being in the band. There’s the door.

Brad: (laughs) Oh man.

Cam: I just feel like I’m gonna be touring the west coast forever. Fucking downward spiral. Just fucking hate it.

Brad: Dude!

Jim: You’re on to something here: the breakup of Bakelite.

Brad: It lasted two weeks. It was a two week affair.

Jim: One week.

Only: Two pints of Guiness and it was over.

Bakelite are playing at the Brickyard on Friday, Feb. 4th, 2005