Tsunami Bomb Interview - 12.05.2004
Interview with Agent M (vocals), Matt McKenzie (bass), Gabriel Lindeman (drums), and Jay Northington (guitar)Interview by Rob Todd & Nate Frusti | 12.05.2004 | Detroit, MI | St. Andrew's Hall
Our first Tsunami Bomb interview was with Dominique [Davi]. Even though he told us about founding the band and always trying to do his best to keep the band together and going strong, he's not here anymore. Can you tell us what caused him to leave the band and has anything changed in your relationship with him? Agent M: (Laughter) We actually kicked him out of the band ‘cause it just wasn’t working out with him in the band. Pretty much your basic personality clashes and musical disagreements and stuff like that and we pretty much haven’t talked since. He tried to spit on Gabe a few times (Laughter)!
To Gabe: Any comment about that?
Gabe: I see it as an honest way of saying, ‘Hey man, I really miss you.’ (Laughter) I’m done making music with you and I’m sorry that I was such an asshole.
So moving on to Mike. What’s his story?
Agent M: He quit the band a few months ago. Dom, we kicked him out over a year and half ago, Matt’s a solid member now. But Mike —
Matt: Mike just didn’t want to tour anymore. Everything’s on good terms, we still talk to him. He just got to the point where he was tired of sleeping in hotels and never being home. He still likes playing music and crap, he just kinda wanted to do something different.
Agent M: He wanted to be able to get up in the morning and read the daily paper and drink coffee.
Matt: That’s what he’s doing now, he’s very happy!
Is Jay looking like a permanent replacement or will you look elsewhere when the tour is over?
Agent M: He’s the temp-for-hire right now. We’re checkin’ him out.
Matt: The tour is one big audition.
To Jay: How do you feel about bein’ in the band?
Jay: The way I look at it is as long as I don’t get fired. (laughter) It works out. I’m havin’ a great time so far and I think I’m pullin’ my weight. I don’t see any reason to dislike anybody, haven’t gone to jail, haven’t got really wasted and started cursing at people. Anyway, I think so far so good. I hadn’t really heard much of the old stuff before the new album came out. It’s been fun back pedaling and learning old songs, a couple favorites.
Have you received a solid answer yet as to why the new album was delayed?
Agent M: Not really, actually we haven’t, we never really did get an answer why. We had some disagreements with Kung-Fu [Records] just like with any other band.
Matt: Kung-Fu’s owner
Agent M: Yeah, with Kung-Fu’s owner—
Matt: Not the people who work at Kung-Fu!
Agent M: Right! Not the people who work there—the owner—but it’s all cleared up now.
Are you still thinking about looking for a different label after your contract with Kung-Fu runs out?
Matt: We haven’t thought that far.
Agent M: We still have one record left with them so after the contract’s up we’re just gonna see what happens, see what labels give us what offers.
Matt: There was a lot of communication barriers between the band and the label and it seems like everything pretty much cleared up now.
This one’s just for M. I'm sure some of your male fans, especially the younger ones, claim to be "in love" with you.
Agent M: (Laughter) Yeah, you’re right (Laughter)
How do you usually deal with that?
Agent M: Usually I just laugh (Laughter). Sometimes they propose to me and I just say no then I laugh. There’s not really much I can do about it.
Do you ever think, ‘Well he’s a little bit older than most of ‘em?’
Agent M: (Laughter) Um, no.
What’s the strangest thing someone’s every done?
Agent M: You know, it’s really hard to think of a standout actually. People aren’t very creative when they come up with things.
Matt: I can think of one, this isn’t really for you it’s for Gabe. That guy that stole your clothes off stage then he’s in the front row on the DVD wearing one of your shirts.
Gabe: Yeah, he ran up on stage between our last song and our encore. At some point when no body was looking he ran up on stage and grabbed by shirt and my drum sticks and took off. Apparently he was hanging out at the show after that for a while but I couldn’t find him. And it was my favorite shirt as well. Then he shows up to our next show down there—
Matt: We went down to do the DVD to do commentary on it and we’re watchin’ it and we’re all talkin’ and we’d all forgotten about it. That guy’s right in the front row, he’s in like 20 shots ‘cause the camera kept panning on him. We’re like, ‘That’s the guy that stole your clothes!’
M, What would it take for you to reveal your real name?
Agent M: Hmmmm, well I’m definitely gonna reveal it now.
Right, I know that. No, we’re from…Rolling Stone…(Laughter). They’re gonna fire me if you don’t tell me.
Agent M: Yeah, I don’t know.
Matt: Food.
Agent M: Food, food’s good. I like cake and fruit punch.
Matt: Someone could take you back to that fudge store we went to. Dude, she went crazy…(laughter). We went into the store and it was like a grocery store but it was all fudge, all candy. We walked in there and we were like, ‘M’s gonna flip out!’
Do ever think that Tsunami Bomb has gained some its popularity because female-fronted bands tend to stand out?
Agent M: I think it’s possible. I think there’s a plus side and a negative side to being in a female-fronted band. As far as fans goes, I think when people hear that it’s a female-fronted band they don’t even give it a chance. Jay was talkin’ to some girl last night, right?
Jay: New guy sitting in the room, they had no idea I played. They were like, ‘That band sucks.’ One of the girls was like, ‘Yeah, I just hate female-fronted bands.’ I was just like, ‘Hey, you want my crowbar to pull your foot out of your mouth?’ (Laughter) Yeah, it was pretty cool though, I mean, I appreciate the honesty. It was funny, it was just weird hearing it from a girl who was just like, ‘I just hate female-fronted bands.’
Agent M: I think for people that can handle a female-fronted punk band I think it is a plus. Otherwise, I don’t know.
What about girl-fronted bands in general. Do you think their impact, if they ever even get the chance to take-off, can be overlooked because they have a female lead singer?
Agent M: Well, there’s just less females in punk-rock so everything is on such a smaller scale. It’s like there’s five major female rockers and that’s it.
Matt: When you have a female in a band they have a tendency to generalize you in that category, ‘Oh, they sound like a mix between No Doubt and the Coors.’
Agent M: (Laughter) What kind of cross is that?
I understand you’re against testing products on animals. Are you also a vegetarian/vegan? Is it because you’re against mistreatment of animals, health, or both?
Agent M: I did the interview with PETA and they basically wanted me to talk about—I’m not vegetarian but they still wanted to interview me—things like fur and stuff like that. I think animal testing is really crappy, it just seems like torture.
As you’re wearing the fur replica scarf (Laughter).
Agent M: (Laughter) It’s fake, I got it at Wal-Mart. (Laughter) Yeah, this is Siberian Tiger by the way. But no, I don’t get fully involved in the whole vegan thing.
What’s the deal with the The Show Must Go Off DVD, any idea about what all is going to be included in that and when it’s going to be released?
Agent M: It’s pretty much just our live show, just one show. There might be a few extras. I think we only sent in one tape. We did a skit, we made our own commercial, but I don’t think it’s gonna be on there. We did do “Hell Ride” though.
Matt: “Hell Ride” is the bonus.
Agent M: You’ll have to wait and see what it is. I think it’s supposed to come out some time in March but there’s not a set date yet.
Anything else?
Matt: You guys should all eat at Nicky’s Pizza around the corner!
