Interviews

Interviews: Kill the Man Who Questions

Kill the Man Who Questions, a 5 piece hardcore (?) band out of Haver- town/Philadelphia, PA played at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC on August 12th. I talked to Nikki, Mike, Andrew and Jeremy before the show started, asked them a few questions, got a few answers and then enjoyed what part of the show that I could, seeing as how the mic cables died and halfway through KTMWQ's set, there were no more vocals.

Smother: First off, give your names, what you play and what your day jobs are.

Jeremy: My name's Jeremy, I play drums and by day I'm a human being and by night I'm also a human being, that's what I do.

Nikki: I'm Nikki, I sing and I have held many a job between tour. I work at photo/video stores, wherever.

Mike: My name's Mike, I sing, I don't currently have a day job, I'm a recently completed student (applause from all) and I think I might work as a rock journalist.

Andrew: I'm Andrew, I play bass and I book tours. Day job? I worked at a hardware store, yes I graduated from college and I still worked at a hardware store.

Smother: Were any of you in bands before KTMWQ?

Mike: Me and Jeremy used to be in a riot grrlie/queercore kind of thing called F80. We've both served tours of duty in The Boils.

Andrew: I used to play guitar in Dissucks also.

Smother: Have you guys put out a full length, because all I've seen is one 7"?

Mike: Funny you should ask, we just put out our full length on Coalition Records from Holland. It just came out while we were on tour.

Smother: Can you think of any people that have influenced you personally to start the band or also musically that have contributed to your sound or your style?

Mike: I was influenced to start the band because I was really bored in the other bands that I was in at the time. (not the boils) I think me and Jeremy were both kind of bored with what we were doing.

Jeremy: EXTREMELY BORED.

Mike: I also kind of missed a certain sound and missed seeing certain things at shows, so I tried to do in a band what I wanted to see.

Smother: I guess I've already found out about your schooling backgrounds and whatnot, so...

Mike: Actually, there is a story for that exact question...

Nikki: Two years ago, I dropped out of school and I got my GED and I'm supposed to start college in the fall, but we're going to Europe for a month, so in the spring, I'll start. I'm supposed to go to school for photography. We have a song all about looking for other means to educate yourself and alternatives and whatnot (Senior Portrait ).

Jeremy: I strongly support other means of education. If there isn't one way to learn something, going to school and listening to a prof. lecture you in 300+, 500+ rooms and spew crap at you that you could care less about...all I'm saying is that sitting in front of a class- room isn't the only way to learn. I learn better hands-on, but I just strongly support other means of education. That's what the song means to me.

Nikki: It has to deal with saying that school isn't the place for everybody and it's not the best place for people to learn or to inter- act with other people. At a lot of schools, it's not the best place for people to learn to interact with others.

Andrew: A lot of people don't do good with the instructors at schools and the environment and it's hard to find out what you really want to do, because at a high school, all they're trying to do is just turn you out and get you ready for college, not interest you in what you really want to do with your life or fulfilling your personal goals.

Mike: Even if you're college minded, there's no emphasis on why you'd want to go. It's just that "that's what you're supposed to do" and I know it seems like it's cliche to talk about it like that, but it's really true.

Smother: Would you think that Philly is a great place for a band to start out as opposed to a smaller place where the band would have to play out a lot more?

Mike: It's pretty easy for us though, because Andrew usually does the shows in Philly, one way or another. Not to make ourselves sound cool, but when we were new, we were lucky enough to be friends with the people who are the real movers and shakers who'd put on the good shows and stuff.

Nikki: It was really good because we'd be talking to someone and they'd say, "Oh, Drop Dead is playing a show soon, do you want to play with them?" and we'd have to say of course! So we've gotten to play with a lot of the really good bands.

Jeremy: I think a lot of it though is that I've seen a lot of bands in Philly that have played shows with these really good bands that haven't put forth a lot of effort into their set and their songs and the meaning behind their songs and I think a lot of that has to do with being able to play and continue to play shows in whatever area of the country you are. If you're in the middle of nowhere and put some effort into playing shows and organizing shows, write meaningful songs and play a set that's sincere, I think that's the best way to go about it. Just because you're in a larger scene with more kids and a steady venue, that isn't the whole way to go as far as making a successful band.

Mike: I have to say, a lot of our luck is based on Philly being a great scene and a really inclusive scene and I think that people who are new would feel really welcome walking into a show and there's just a really good environment.

Andrew: There are a lot of big cities and the people who live near big cities, the scene becomes horrible because there are so many bands that are all trying to get started.

Smother: What number tour is this for you all?

Mike: This is our second big one and we've done a few little weeks, like a summer tour and a week or so in Canada once or twice, but this one was everywhere.

Smother: Okay, last question. Are there any local bands that we should be keeping an ear out for?

Mike: Well, Kid Dynamite for one.
Andrew: Limpwrist.
Jeremy: Rambo.
Andrew: Me and the guitarist are both in Limpwrist.
Nikki: There's also Underprivileged Nation, but tomorrow is their last show ever. They were a really good band though.
Jeremy: I have another band...
Nikki: RAMBO!
Jeremy: My friend Tony and my friend Andy and my friend Jay, we'll sneak into your town later.