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Interview with Vaux

Vaux - Photo Credit: Felicia Michaels Becky
Vaux – Photo Credit: Felicia Michaels Becky

Ryder, bass player for the band Vaux (one of UnEarthed’s featured bands for the month of April) took some time out of his busy touring schedule to correspond to this email interview. Read on to find out more about this interesting and talented band…

I hear you guys have been touring extensively, how long have you been out on the road?
We started touring full time last May and we took a break in September to finish writing the album that we recorded in December. Then we hit the road again in January and that brings us to today March 12th and we’re still out… so for a while now.

What do you miss most when you are away touring?
I really don’t miss too much. I keep in touch with friends and family and they’re all very supportive. The other guys miss their girls, but we all love being on the road and causing a ruckus.

What is the most interesting or memorable thing that has happened to you while touring?
Goddamn, we’ve got a ton of stories. One that comes to mind was when we played Orlando on warped tour and we were having a horrible time dealing with a ton of bullshit, so we handled it by playing a two song set in the rain naked. Yep, all I had on was a belt. Pretty hot.

What places are the most frequent food stops when you are touring?
Strip club buffets and four star steakhouses. And also sushi when the label’s buyin’.

What is it like traveling with and being around one another so much? Do you guys ever want to kill each other?
Not so much. We’ve dealt with enough crap individually and as a band that nothing phases us. ” We don’t give a fuck about shit.”-That’s our motto.

Are you looking forward to this summer’s Warped Tour? Anything special planned?
We’re very excited about warped tour this year. We’re sharing a bus with our dudes in Vendetta Red and it’s gonna’ be completely out of hand. We’ll do something similar to the girlie pool we had last year, maybe along the lines of ‘crocodile mile’ or somethin’. Just be on the lookout for the dudes in the cutoff jean shorts, the poop towel, and the naked-boner-stagediver…

What bands are you looking forward to seeing on the Warped Tour?
Vendetta Red, Arkham, Places to Park, the Used… the ones that rock (and they know who they are).

You’ve said you can barley remember last summer’s Warped Tour due to a massive lack of sleep. Are you planning on doing anything differently this time around to enjoy the experience a little more?
Yeah the bus should help an immense amount, the girls fanning us with giant palm leaves and feeding us grapes should assist too.

Are you hoping to get a little more exposure than usual out of the upcoming tour with The Used because they get so much airplay right now?
Most definitely. That tour should do wonders for us. The guys in The Used kick ass for bringing us on the tour and we’re sure to rock the face off everyone of those li’l bastards…

What is the first thing you do when you get off stage?
There have been a number of times where I’ve vomited due to exhaustion… We don’t fuck around when we play. Usually though we go sunbathing, followed by a round of high fives while listening to Shat.

Is there anything you absolutely have to do before you play?
Playing live has become second nature to us, so we don’t get nervous or anything before we go on. Prob’ly stretching though.

How did you get together with Volcom?
I knew someone that knew someone that was like, “whoa this is it!” and then he was all, “dude! Yer right!” then they high fived and slammed a ‘Do while gleaming the cube.

Tell me about the skate shop in Denver and how you guys came together.
To keep a long story short, in 1997 Adam (guitar) ran a skate shop on Capitol Hill in downtown Denver. He and Joe (drums) used to be in a band together when Joe approached Quentin (vocals) and I (bass) about starting something new since the three of us were in art school together. Then came Chris (guitar) and Greg (guitar/keys/lights) whom had been in another Denver based band. We all started practicing in the basement of that skate shop, and here we are today…

Besides touring, is there anything else you’ve been doing to prepare yourselves for the release of The Must Be Some Way to Stop Them?
There’s an awful lot we’re working on right now, including a video, that we’re doing to insure this album gets the attention it deserves.

How would you describe your sound to someone who had never heard you?
We’ve been labeled as a prog-rock band, a prog-hardcore band, hard rock… it really doesn’t matter how you label us. Come see us yourself and make the call from there.

Who are some of your inspirations, lyrically and musically?
With there being six members the influences range from, classic rock to grunge to black metal to hip-hop to brit rock, the list goes on and on… As for the lyrics, Q gets inspired shooting people with paintball guns.

What song are you doing a video for and when will it be released?
“Switched On” which is the fourth track on the record and it should be out when the record hits on April 15th. Just be sure to bug MTV so that they play it versus all the other garbage they have on there.

Have you found your “laser-hot chick” yet?
Ha! Yeah we got her. I’m still accepting submissions however.

How do you feel about the state of popular, radio-friendly music?
It’s fucking terrible. There are a few bands that are starting to make a difference thankfully… but it’s all run by the man. And the man’s always tryin’ to keep us down. 90 something percent of the music that’s out in that area has no balls, no intensity, no heart. Damn it, not even any talent. It’s all one big commercial that I want to shut the fuck off.

What would you rather have someone who had never heard of you hear first, your cd or a live performance?
Well, now we have a CD that represents our live performance perfectly, so I’m fine either way. But come to the shows, you won’t be disappointed…see you soon.

RYDER

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