Skahumbug is a 7-piece band from Tampa, Florida. If you've picked up the Florida Ska compilation Closer Than You - Florida Ska Volume 1 from Moon Records you've already heard their fantastic track "Stressed Out." What you may NOT have heard yet is their full-length debut CD, "Forbidden Doughnut," on their own Nataska Records. Although it's short, it's a great disc with a tight sound, smooth female vocals, and a couple
of cool instrumentals as well. For the interview, I sat down with singer Callie Lawson, gutarist Davy Evanich, bassist Matt Sammons, and trumpet player Brian "B.A." Aulisio:
Julio Diaz: For those who may not be familiar with your music, describe your sound.
Matt Sammons: Shit.
Davy Evanich: We've been trying to describe it for a while.
MS: Depends on what song you're talking about. We've been called 2-toney....everything, really.
Brian Aulisio: We haven't been called trad...
ALL: Yet!
BA: We're working on that though.
MS: Eclectic...that's the word for it.
ALL: Yeah
JD: You've got some more comp tracks coming up, can you tell me a little about them?
Callie Lawson: For the Shanachie Records girl-ska comp we're doing "Cloven Metal" (despite the almost-sure-to-be changed name is a very traditional ska song). For Simmerdown Productions girl-ska comp we're doing "Robbie Coleman."(another new trad song.) And the Ink 19 comp...
JD: The one that's been talked about for over a year?
CL: Yeah, it's supposed to finally come out this summer....we did "Mad" (an older, third-wavey tune) for that.
JD: What are your influences?
DE: Metallica.
MS: Fishbone.
CL: The Go-Go's.
DE: Deidre (Meadows, the trombone player) is influenced by Slayer.
MS: Chris (Rodriguez, alto sax) likes Gloria Estefan.
BA: MAGADOG!
MS: Phil's (Ruperto, drummer) dick.
JD: Callie, I think your vocal style is influenced a lot by Belinda Carlisle and Natalie Merchant.
CL: Well, I don't know about Natalie Merchant...
MS: Natalie Merchant is WAAYY hot!
At this point, the entire band goes into an extended discussion of Matt's chances with Natalie Merchant, edited for brevity's sake.
DE: I'm not kidding about the Slayer influence, I can point out the songs!
What about the bands you've covered? You've done Tantra Monsters, Operation Ivy, the Specials, Propighandi...
CL: And who did "Brown Eyed Girl?"
ALL: Van Morrison
BA: Yeah, but we were really covering MagaDog covering Van Morrison. We did 2 OpIvy songs...but we screw around a lot onstage...
JD: Yeah, last time I saw you, you were doing "Rapper's Delight."
BA: Yeah, that's just playing around, we don't really have any influence from them, except MagaDog.
JD: What are some of your favorite bands you've played with?
MS & DE: (together) The Scofflaws!
CL: Mephiskapheles....the drummer kept grabbing my butt!
BA: MAGADOG!
CL: Dance Hall Crashers
Everyone else: NO!!!! They're bitches! They're all snotty!
MS: Meph was just the epitome of a great show though.
BA: Yeah, that was a great night.
DE: I liked playing with the Pink Lincolns.
CL: I really like playing with the Usuals.
JD: Weren't the Dance Hall Crashers giving you guys dirty looks when they played with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones?
ALL: Laughter
CL: Yeah, 'cause we were miming the horn parts.
BA: We shoulda just given all the skinheads kazoos.
CL: Well, we wrote "Stressed Out" after hearing DHC though.
BA: Yeah, but it's just in the same key as a DHC song....it's doesn't really SOUND like them.
JD: Are the Scofflaws asking for you guys at this point? You've played with them every time they've come through in the last 2 years.
MS: The trombone player was askin' for Deidre. Buford (O'Sullivan, Scofflaws trombone player) was all "man, that girl trombone player is HOT!" He was mackin' hardcore!
DE: It's just a coincidence though, they didn't ask for us. Oh yeah, and we played with the Bloodhound Gang!
CL: Yeah, they kept trying to get me to come "play Nintendo" in their van!
JD: If there was a movie being made about Skahumbug, what should be in it, and who'd play you?
CL: Slow, dripping blood.
MS: Phil's dick...
BA: Played by the Seattle Space Needle!
MS: Jackie Chan as Phil!
CL: Ricky Schroeder shold play Matt...
MS (getting up): I think I've just been insulted.....actually, he's kinda cute! (sitting back down)
CL: Claire Danes as me!
BA: Davy?
MS: Ian MacKaye!
BA: Deidre as her fly self....
ALL: NO!
BA: There's no one else fly enough...
MS: What about Chris?
BA: That's easy, Cheech!
CL: What about Deidre?
BA: Maybe Molly Ringwald?
JD: What about Brian?
MS: Pee Wee Herman!
CL: (still musing) Deidre...?
MS: Sandra Bullock!
JD: What's your favorite condiment?
DE: Barbeque sauce.
CL: McDonald's Hot Mustard
MS: Jerk sauce
BA: Mint condoms.
MS: Is that what they put on your pillow at La Quinta?
BA: Yeah! You know, I want the girl to have a good time....
JD: What is your opinion on "selling out?"
BA: What's selling out?
JD: You tell me!
BA: I think selling out is changing your sound for money.
CL: Selling out is dropping your horns for a contract, like DHC.
MS: If we ever sell out, I'm gonna wear a suit and tie like the Dead Kennedys did.
CL: It depends on the offer. Davy would sell out for a lifetime supply of Coca-Cola and a couple of full stacks.
BA: I think making money is OK.
CL: As long as you don't change your principles...
MS: Do we HAVE principles?
BA: The bottom line is, you can't say a band has sold out unless you know what they were thinking in the first place. People talk about the Dance Hall Crashers, about No Doubt....but how do you know that wasn't their plan all along? How do you know they weren't using ska as a stepping stone? Besides, Gwen Stefani is FLY!
At this point, BA enters into a long description of exactly how fly Gwen is....once more, edited for brevity.
CL: I don't think we'll have the opportunity to sell out anyway.
JD: What kind of opportunities have you had?
MS: We had an offer from an indie, but I don't remember which one...it wasn't all that great.
CL: Yeah, besides, we want the bitches!
BA: We want hos and money and jacuzzis...
MS: I just want Brian and Callie!
CL: And Davy wants his full stack!
MS: But you can't fuck it!
JD: What about Moon? Have they shown any interest after selling so many copies of your CD?
BA: Not really. There are other bands we'd like to see get signed to Moon before us, anyway.
JD: Like who?
CL: The Usuals, Pork Pie Tribe...
MS: Pork Pie Tribe has had so many line-up problems though...
BA: Who cares? They still rock, no matter who is in the band!
CL: I wanna have a video on BET though!
BA: That'd be cool!
JD: Speaking of videos, have you guys thought about doing one?
BA: Yeah
DE: Nooooooo!
BA: Davy is the hold-out. He's too DIY for a video.
CL: We'd like to, but it's expensive.
MS: MagaDog did one and it didn't get played.
JD: But a lot of other bands are...Let's Go Bowling's been getting a ton of play on M2. And the Toasters have done one and are doing another, Spring Heeled Jack's doing one, the Scofflaws, Skavoovie....
BA: And Meph got a lot of MTV play with theirs! We saw the world debut!
MS: At your house (gesturing to Callie)
CL: Yeah they came over and showed it to us after we played with them....we saw it the first time THEY did!
JD: The theme for the first issue of Rhubarb Pie is Advice...
CL: DON'T ask Davy!
JD: What kind of advice would you have for reading this?
MS: Keep your willy in your pants!
CL: Don't pee on electrical things.
MS: I haven't learned enough in my lifetime to impart wisdom on others.
DE: You can't win.
BA: DIY or die!
MS: (Reading a 'zine off the table) If you're all out of toilet paper, use some of these shitty fanzines!
BA: What kind of advice?
JD: Well the one question I was given was: "My rude girl won't wear a skirt. What should I do?"
CL: Cut off her legs!
BA: That's all the better, less to take off, bee-yatch! Skirt looks better on my bedroom floor anyway!
DE: You'd better change that movie thing from Phil's dick to Brian's horomones!
MS: Who comes up with questions like that?
BA: What's she wearing, no clothes?
JD: What household item would you like to make into a musical
instrument?
MS: Power drills!
BA: The happy sleeve! (A male vibrator)
DE: Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Skahumbug collective.
JD: When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
CL: A button pusher!
MS: I wanted to be a giraffe!
BA: The same horny, ho-lovin' bastard I am now!
DE: I dunno, I just did stuff...
JD: Do you have anything else upcoming planned, touring or anything?
MS: I don't know
DE: We'd LIKE to tour
BA: But it's not really affordable to get out of Florida...if we could get someone to fund it...
CL: Want me to call Moon and kiss Bucket's ass?
DE: I can't tell you what I want you to do...
CL: (putting on sexy voice) Hiii Bucket...
ALL: (laughter)
CL: I wanna be on the Simpsons, too!
DE: Awwww yeah!
CL: If they make a movie of us, they should just make us like the
Simpsons...
DE: Yeah, we could all be yellow!
CL: BA, you could be Otto!
BA: Naw, I should be played by Barney (launches into dead-on imperonation of Barney) Hey Homer!
If you'd like more information on Skahumbug, check out their World Wide Web Page at http://members.aol.com/Skahumbug6/skahumbug.html . If you're interested in getting the cd, it's available from Moon, or you can write to 1209 Fountain Square, Tampa, FL, 33612. CDs are $10 + $3.50 shipping, made payable to Julio Diaz by check or money order only. You can also e-mail Skahumbug at Skahumbug6@aol.com .