No Friends Interviews
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1. Whats your name and how long have you been involved with Catharsis? I'm Matt... I've been with Catharsis since the late summer (July or August) of '96.
2. What is Catharsis to you? ie: a band, a means to spread a message...ect Catharsis is several things to me... it's, well, a catharsis for one. The rigors of everyday life (job, capitalism, etc...) get me down. Playing music gives me a chance to vent my frustrations. Catharsis is also a way to spread a message of community and co-operation. By working together, and supporting each other, maybe we can overcome the pressures of the motherfuckers (as Brian calls them) and actually be happy and make our world fun, exciting, and honest. The band also gives me a chance to travel to places I would have never been and meet some awesome people. With Catharsis, I've been to places like Seattle, Juarez Mexico, London, and Bosnia! We're going to begin a tour of South America an a few days. I now have friends from all over the United States and Europe. It's a great thing!
3. I have noticed in Catharsis' music you seem to take on many broad issues such as religon and government to name a few. When was it that you first became interested in these topics and what was it that first made you interested in them? For me, it was punk rock that got me interested in things like religion and government. Until I was around 13 years old, I pretty much accepted what was fed to me. Then I heard the Dead Kennedys... songs like Moral Majority, California Uber Alles, and Holiday in Cambodia got me thinking about and questioning things I was told.
4. With governmental beliefs where would you consider yourself ie: socialist,anarchist, decomcrat...ect I'm definitely an anarchist. Government is best which governs least.
5. I noticed a quote by Karl Marx in your first cd. Are you a fan of marxism and if so what are your favorite works of his? The first CD was out before I joined the band. I will say this, Brian (our singer) has read a lot of Marx and friends have noticed that he talks in a Marxist vocabulary. I don't think he's a Marxist but I do know that Brian likes some of his ideas. Personally, I havent read any of Marx's works.
6. For you what are the downfalls of capitalism? Capitalism pits us against each other. Instead of working together to get stuff done, we're all trying to get what's "ours" and keep up with the Joneses. For me, it means being in debt to have things like a computer, a camera, and a cd player. It means working a shitty job between tours to pay rent. It means paying too much money for organic food because I don't want to eat pesticides. It also means we have to do stuff like sell CD's and T-shirts, rather than give them away, which is something we'd love to do.
7. Where do you stand on the topic of war? In the United States, war is used to protect and enforce our country's imperialistic and capitalistic desires, so naturally I'm against it. Also, the people who decide to go to war aren't the ones who end up doing the actual fighting. You can bet that the interests of the decision makers (staying in power, protecting capitalism and "democracy") aren't the same interests (things like being alive, having fun, falling in love...) of those that are affected by their decisions. This contradiction is one of the downfalls of our world today.
8. Do you feel a revolution will or needs to occurein the U.S.A to stop the growing difference in the social classes? Maybe not a revolution, but definitely something. As it stands now, we're headed towards a world that is part Orwell's 1984, part Huxley's Brave New World. I'm begining to think that nothing short of a catastrophic event (total revolution, a nuclear holocaust, or something of that nature) will change anything. Unfortunately I don't think a revolution is in the foreseeable future. People are just too complacent.
9. No for a broad question, maybe too broad for this interview but if you were to construct a "perfect" world or society, what would it consist of? ( if this is too broad of a question maybe you could list a few points you consider important to acheiving a better world....) Hmmm.... that's a toughie. People have written books on this subject. I would say that a sense of community is very important. Also that people should realise the consequences of their actions, every thing from the food you eat to the music you listen to affects others in some way. Realise what those effects are, and make sure your choices are the correct ones. Obviously getting over petty differences like sexism and racism are big things... I dunno, I think the other questions all help to answer this one, so I'm going to leave it at that.
10. What is your opinion of straight edge, the sxe movement, and are you or Catharsis sxe.. if so why? There are members of our band that are straight edge, and some that are not. Brian says that I drink a beer once every six months so I can say that I'm not straight edge. Personally I think the movement these days is full of shit. It's an elitist click that hold their "innocence" above the heads of those of us who aren't straight edge. Kids get assaulted for not being straight edge or for loosing the edge or whatever. Plus I think there are bigger and better things to worry about, rather than this person drinks beer, this person doesn't. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter. What does matter is working together towards our mutual interests and goals.
11. Who's idea was crimethinc. and how do you guys fit in to the picture? I assume that CrimethInc is Brian's brainchild. We fit into the picture by being a band on the label (obviously) and by attempting to live the life that CrimethInc advocates. As a band we are probably the most accessable mouthpiece for the CrimethInc philosophy. Not only does Brian speak extensively between songs at our shows, we also pass out free reading material. Basically, we distribute ideas and motivation.
12. What is your favorite release done as Catharsis and for what reasons do you choose that one? I would have to say that "Passion" is my favorite Catharsis release. For one thing, it's the newest, freshest, and most relavent to our lives right now. Also I was around when the whole album was written. With the first cd and Samsara, some of the material was alreaeady written when I joined the band. Being part of the creative process is alot more satisfying than taking what others have already created and trying to make it your own.
13. On the first cd whos idea was it to play the cd backwards after the tracks went thru foward, and was there a meaning behind it or was it just an inside joke of some sort? I'm not sure who's idea it was but Brian gave me this explaination when I inquired about this a few years ago: The idea is that the cd builds up this thing (whatever it is) and the backwards part tears it apart, destroying whatever we have made.
14. What would you want someone who just went to a catharsis show to take away from the experience? I would want them to have the feeling of empowerment, that they can take back their lives from the motherfuckers and do what they want to do. Every so often we get a letter that says something like "I saw you guys play in such and such place. The next day I quit my job and went hitchhiking to California to meet and old lover." Letters like that make everything we do worth doing. If people would realize that they can take their lives into their own hands, instead of slaving away on a timeclock, the world would be so much more beautiful, interesting, and exciting!
15. What are a few of your favorite books? "Diet for a New America" by Pete Singer "Seize the Time" by Bobby Seal "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card anything by Glen E. Friedman "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac
16. What do you do other than the band? I do lots of things... work a shitty job (haha), read, skateboard, ride my bike, hang out with friends, watch movies, and way too much email. I also try and lend a hand with political and activist causes such as Food Not Bombs, Reclaim the Streets, political prisoners like Mumia Abu Jamal and Leonard Peltier, and other things like that. Honestly though, I've gotten selfish about me free time lately and would often rather spend it by myself reading or writing to friends.
17. If you could acomplish just one thing with Catharsis what would it be? hmmm... I think that giving people the motivation to take back their lives and follow their heart's desires is what I like most about being in this band. We also have little dumb goals like playing a show in every US state (we have about 40 of 'em). Personally I'd like to go to Japan and play there.
18. Any advice to young bands starting out? Practice, practice, practice. Also, give a shit about what you do. Question why you are in a band in the first place. Then try your fucking hardest to rock. I don't care if a band is political or not, I just want to see some emotion from them. So many times we play with bands that just stand there looking bored while they play. Why are they even in a band if it bores them? At the very least, it should be fun. Jump around, act silly, fucking SMILE... do SOMETHING, anything but stand there acting bored. Show me that you care.
19. Any last coments or themes youd like to express? Thanks for the thought provoking questions.
