the Casket Lottery
Josh Nacho: How do you describe the sound of the Casket Lottery?
Nathan Ellis: If I'm talking to a grandmother or something, I say loud, but with a lot of melody. If I'm talking to someone who actively listens to rock music, I say a mix between Elvis Costello, and the Police with a modern take.
J.N.: Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
N.E.: Well the all time favorite of mine is the Cure, but I think for the Casket Lottery, and as a whole band it would be the Police, and Elvis Costello type of stuff. For a while there I was really getting into some Yes, but I don't know if that came out in the music or not.
J.N.: What is the short story version of how the Casket Lottery came together as a band?
N.E.: Junior (drums) took a friend of mine to homecoming, they went to a party that got broken up by the cops and I was down the street skating, and they came down and I met him then. I'd had tons of songs already written, but finding a drummer was the most difficult part. So when I ran into him and he said he played I didn't hesitate to set some sort of practice up then. I wrote a "test" song with some major curve time changes and he passed. So I then called Stacy up and he came out, and ever since then we've been writting music together.
J.N.: What are your top 5 CDs in your CD player right now?
N.E.: I got the WINGSPAN CD. The double disc set of Wings. Its great. I finally found that Fiona Apple "when the pawn" CD used, and that rules. I like the Dismembermant Plan/Juno split CDEP a lot. Jeff Buckley's "grace" has been a favorite lately, and probably Elvis Costello's "imperial bedroom".
J.N.: What do you do outside of music?
N.E.: I work at a small health food store here in Kansas City, and currently my wife and I are expecting a baby, so I've been preparing for that.
J.N.: What is the best part of being in a band for you?
N.E.: The creative release.
J.N.: Between Second Nature Recordings, Status Inc. and any other label you may have appeared on, do you have a dominate label?
N.E.: Yeah, we are definitly a Second Nature band. We haven't signed anything, but we don't need to. Thats a major reason why we work with him, his punk rock ethics are still intact, and he does one of the best independent labels there is. Very rarely does he release a record I don't like. Plus he's such a great friend.
J.N.: Who is a band that you see today that deserves more recognition than they are getting (besides yourself)?
N.E.: Sweep the Leg Johnny. They are the best band in the underground music scene, and they put on the best live show I've EVER seen. They are the freakin' best.
J.N.: With "Moving Mountains" being out for a while now, should we still choose bronze?
N.E.: Well, as far as what I meant by it when I wrote that line, yes of course, but as a record, naw.
J.N.: What does the future hold for the Casket Lottery?
N.E.: Well we are actually in the studio these days working on a new full length to be released on Second Nature. It will probably come out sometime the fall of 2001, and we're also doing a split 10"/CDEP with our buddies in Small Brown Bike. We've got a split 7" with SWEEP THE LEG JOHNNY coming out as well with them doing SYNCHRONICITY on side a, and us doing SYNCHRONICITY 2 on b. Sort of a POLICE tribute 7". We're appearing on the Quarters volume 2 7" as well, and a we have a SHudder toTHink cover on a European compilation entitled "Firework Anatomy" and I believe that just came out, but I haven't seen one yet. Thats about it. No touring for a while due to the baby, but hopefully we'll figure out how to do it so we can be out and about next spring.
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