Web Counter
Web Counter Graham Tyler Interview.Mooney Suzuki Interview.Alive & Amplified. New York Bands

Graham..Here at Sohostrut we have called you the Coolest Man in Rock n Roll, a nice gesture we think,who do you rate as personal Cool Man of Rock n Roll ?

Iggy Pop, because he is Iggy fucking Pop !

Tell us about the image change, last time looked you were all laden in Black, with short (ish) neat hair, we blinked and in came this new and can >we say very Retro look!

With the birth of our new album Alive & Amplified, it was time for us to hatch out of our smelly black cucoons and explode into smelly technicolored water.

With the Image Direction move..came also a newer, although not that different sound, what was the reason behind the slight direction change in sound.

With this record, we had the luxury of 4 months in multiple recording studios with every type of amazing musical gear at our fingertips. Every record we had made before this one was recorded in 3-4 days with one guitar, one fuzz box and one amp. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages, but we took our time on this record because we could.


Alive and Amplified, throws some very different moods at the listener, from the raunchy Shake that Bush to Naked lady, if you had to pick only 3 stand out songs for a special one off CD what 3 tracks from A & A would you choose.

I would pick:1. Alive & Amplified 2. Shake That Bush Again 3. Sometimes Somethin'

Tours in the past to the UK seem to have been hit and miss affairs for you guys,but the last time you

were over in Sep 200, you seemed to pick up more people at the gigs and better reviews, why do you think the UK is now coming round to the MS way of thinking, are they as fed up being force fed rubbish as those people in the States do you think.

Historically, the music loving population of the UK has always been way ahead of the rest of the world with their superior tastes. The Mooney Suzuki has always been way ahead of the rest of the world with the music we create.
It has taken a little time, but the UK is now officially coming around to the "Mooney Mindset". The US is not fed up with being force fed rubbish, the US loves consuming musical logs of feces

That takes us to the best gig you played on the last UK and why,and the best gig you have played else where, it must be nice to play home town etc


Manchester was particularly good, and the gigs in London have Best in the US? Austin Texas, Bellingham Washington, Chicago and LA are all really good towns for us.


It's been well documented that the time recording the A & A album with The Matrix, not everything ither party thought it would be, with that in mind, when we see the next MS Album any ideas on producers and where you want the next Album to be heading.

The Matrix experience was a positive experience for us overall. I think we may produce the next record ourselves, using a lot of the new knowledge and tricks we learned from our last recording experience.

You've played some pretty big festivals and small clubs as well, what is the better for you,how do you feel you go done better with a crowd that is already thinking the MS way or do you like to win over masses of new fans

I love the challenge of winning over somebody else's fans. I love blindsiding an innocent and unsuspecting crowd with our arsenal of finely tuned musical entertainment. There is nothing better than seeing a person in the crowd with their arms folded and a "show me what you got" look on their face at the beginning of the set - and then seeing them again at the end of the set with an uncontrollable smile on their face and their finger thrusting wildly in the air.

Building up, you have had to support as well as headline who is the best >band or the band you Dig the most that you have played with.

My favorite bands that we have been lucky enough to play with have been The Go, The Hives, The Strokes, Young Heart Attack, and The Kings of Leon

What makes a really good MS gig.

A crowd that doesn't take themselves too seriously. And Space Cakes.

New York has produced some fine bands over the past few years,what is about NY that seems to give birth to all these really cool sounding Garage bands.

NY is an incredibly diverse cornucopia of filth. A lot of cool shit has to come from that.

Do you know much about a band called The Headquarters, I read a review where they site British bands with a heavy dose of MS thrown in for good measure makes their sound.

I am not familiar with this band, but I would like to hear them. Many bands have ripped us off over the years, it's refreshing that they have the balls to admit it. I like them already.



Are you happy with the way the MS web site and the community is going, do you think its worth while for you to be so easy to communicate with.

The Mooney Web Community is the best thing ever. "Worth while" is an understatement - I think keeping in touch with fans on a personal level is crucial to the longevity of your career in music.

Your energy on record seems to come across just as well live, years of practice or Rock Geniuses?

You have it reversed: we started as a "live band". The fact that even an ounce of the "live energy" is harnessed on the recording is because of hard work and sheer willpower. Like they say: "The harder you work, the luckier you get. And they also say: "The smoker you drink, the player you get".


You seem to enjoy every moment on stage, do you prefer to be out there than in the Studio, even when making great Albums ?

I prefer to be on tour.

How about a haiku for each:

A&A: California sun, In 'n" Out burgers and fries,Manicure at Five!

Electric Sweat: Detroit Ghetto Jim, Three days in a sweaty mess,Maureen "Blackwell" rules!

If the MS split up and we hope that's not on the cards just yet), would you be sad for the things that you will never accomplish or pleased with what the MS have done already.

I will be pleased with all we had accomplished, knowing that we always "bet it all" with zero regrets.

Say Goodnight.

We Bid You Goodnight...


"Converting today's youth may sound like a big task, Tyler said, but the band is up for it. "Sometimes they're completely unmotivated and completely incorrect in every way," he said. "We want to shape these kids and steer them into getting music back into an exciting realm."

Return To Menu page for more exciting Sohostrut Goodies

All Photos thanks to Peter Hill

Web Counter