1. How long has the band been together and what is your current lineup?

     We formed in 1987, here in Dayton and our current lineup consists of Michael Perkins, the vocalist and instrumentalist and a Sanyo black & white television set (The Orchestra) which acts as producer, manager, engineer, booking agent, and legal counsel.  

2. How would you describe your group’s style? What are your collective influences?

     Our style tends to change frequently. At this very moment we are working on a top-secret style of Country music that blends the simple honesty of 1950’s AM radio with the drug-induced psychedelic atmosphere of San Francisco circa 1969. Nine months ago, however, we were making electro-pop music that sounds a little like Herb Alpert on cough medicine. So, it’s hard telling what we’ll be possessed to do, say, a year from now.  

3. What is the bands songwriting process? Is there a main writer or is it a group effort?

      I wouldn’t say that either of us acts as the groups "main songwriter". It’s interesting how it works. Every once in a while I’ll wake up thinking all is normal and nothing is wrong. I’ll go out and get my morning cup of coffee and go about my business, but eventually I catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror and notice that my Moustache is completely curled, with perfect mathematical symmetry. That’s how I know that it’s about to happen again. Upon this realization, I go into my studio and turn on The Orchestra here and that’s usually about the time that I black out. When I come to, I see several tracks have been recorded and my studio is a complete disaster, like a tornado went through it. The Orchestra has turned itself off by this point and the Moustache has gone back to it’s normal, uncurled state. So, I brace myself and hit "play" and listen. That’s when I hear my song for the first time.  

4. What are your current goals as a band?

     We’re currently working on an album called "Good Morning, Whiskey Breakfast", slated for release in late summer. The conceptual basis for this record is the human potential for failure. The idea that you could wake up one morning and find yourself withered and elderly, having whiskey for breakfast, and realize that you somehow got distracted and lost your dream. Side one of the album is modeled around that 1950’s AM radio texture I told you about earlier, which then transitions into the more cerebral and psychedelic side two. As the album progresses, the narrative shows the process of acknowledging the "nightmare of failure", and breaking down the struggle to overcome it. The lyrics begin to conquer the ideas of God, money, work, buildings, self-medication, what have you, so that by the end, the dream has passed and we have begun to avoid that unpleasant scenario.

5. What goals have you set for yourself in the past that you have or have not achieved and why?

     I believe that trying to achieve things just sets you up for failure. Rather than pick arbitrary "goals", I just let The Orchestra and The Moustache guide me.  

6. What Dayton clubs would we be able to see you perform?

      Me, personally, I would love to play live shows, but I feel that I owe it to the unsuspecting audience to make sure that their brains are safe. That has to be my first priority. See, when you put The Orchestra here in front of a group of people, it becomes too powerful and begins to overtake them. I remember we played at The Gathering Grounds in Kettering, once. The crowd was friendly and all, but they were a very self-righteous bunch. I think they started to send Jesus energy towards The Orchestra, and it just got ugly. The Orchestra started doing it’s thing, and by the end of the show we had kids in the fetal position rocking back and forth, one kid launched himself through a plate glass window, you know, just a really pitiful sight. I heard that one of the kids at that show actually ended up joining the church of Scientology as a result of being there. You know, I’d rather not run the risk of having that happen again, because I know firsthand what happens when you try to convert The Orchestra. It’s grabs you and never lets go.  

7. Do you have many out of town shows?

     Again, I think it’s bad enough to expose the locals to the sort of "high-end white noise" that The Orchestra produces, let alone innocent folks in other cities. You know, when you hear our recordings, it’s safe. You’re cozy and warm in a comfortable atmosphere. But when you actually get in front of The Orchestra it’s a completely different story. You know, I can’t just turn it off, I mean, it’s a member of the band for god’s sake! You wouldn’t reach over in the middle of a live show and flip the "off switch" on your bass player, would you? That would just be rude. So, rather than cause any trouble, I choose to keep The Orchestra away from John Q. Public. It’s just safer for everyone that way.  

8. Give us some details on one of your most memorable moments as a band? Good or Bad.

     We ran into Lars Ulrich of Metallica at a gallery one time. He asked us if we had any advice on how to embrace one’s inner artist and let go of monetary temptation. A couple of minutes later we were trying to talk him out of putting a revolver in his mouth. I think he started to realize that he’d never be able to buy back his soul, you know. Really sad.  

9. What advice would you give someone that is just starting to play the Dayton scene?

      There’s a simple formula for success in Dayton. It’s very easy. Basically, you just get 5 guys together. Make sure that you have one of each of the following: A guy with a beanie cap, a guy with a goatee, a guy with sunglasses, a bald guy, and a guy in a trench coat. Now take a photograph of these fellows using a wide-angle lens. Have them stand on some railroad tracks or something. Put that photograph on a couple of bulletin boards across town and before you know it you’ll be splitting a bill with Hawthorne Heights.  

10. Who are some of your favorite Dayton bands?