Feature by Andrew Faust - October, 2005
Enola Grey is a hardworking, traditional metalcore band from Minnesota. Their sound is certainly more mature than anything I have recently heard emanating from the Midwest. Although Enola Grey has only been around for no more than two years, they already have isolated Midwesterners buzzing about them. If you have never heard of Enola Grey, then get off your ass and be prepared to be enthralled. I got a chance to communicate via e-mail with lead guitarist Andy Keith, who unfolded the band’s tumultuous history and what the future will hold for this new Minneapolis metal monstrosity.
Andrew: We all know that Enola Grey started out as a band called Cabal. Can you give me a complete history of the band since the beginning?
Andy Keith: Actually, no, sorry. It would take way, way too long. I'll be as thorough as possible without being incredibly long winded. Mike and Chris were in Martyr A.D., they didn’t really get along with Joel and Tara. They got kicked out. After that their feeling was, "well, shit, let's play music that's really easy to play so we can just get shithammered at shows and not suck." They got a hold of Bill (the guitar player who recently quit), Rob (the guy I replaced), and Josh (who is now in Devilinside). They started playing shows as Cabal, time went on and Rob wasn’t really working out, so they got me to replace him seeing as my old band had just broken up. Sometime around then the whole "Let's play easy music" thing went the way of the spotted owl and we recorded an EP and Feeling Faint put it out. Oh, and just before Feeling Faint put it out we found out there're already 19 bands called Cabal so we changed our name to Enola (as in the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, except without the Gay). Shortly after that we found out that there was a band called that already, so we added the Grey to the end. Pretty fuckin' clever if you ask me.
Then we kind of got to the point where Josh's bass playing style wasn’t really working with the direction our music was going, so we got a bunch of new bass players and have finally settled on a dude we didn't know named Logan (formerly of Remnants of the Executed). Then our other guitar player Bill decided he didn't want to seriously pursue music anymore so he quit, and now we have the ridiculous Polish Nick (formerly of Anal Blast, Pentagoria, Teratism, etc., currently also slaying with The Body Beneath). Which brings us to last week, when we decided to go easy listening. For real, don't knock it 'til you rock it. Holy shit, that was both thorough and long winded. Sorry.
Andrew: What is the current line up of Enola Grey (I know you answered above, but in case you didn't)?
Andy: I think I covered that one. In case you skipped it due to its retardulous length, the current line up is:
Mike "the F is for fuck it" Fisketti (vocals)
Andy St. Jerk (axe)
Polish Nick (axe)
Logan (4-string axe)
Chris Doomcake (skins)
Andrew: How was the process of writing working for you when you were having line-up changes? How did you adapt to it more or less?
Andy: It really wasn't that big of a deal. Most of the writing gets done when nobody shows up to practice except for Mike, Chris and myself. So it didn't really slow us down any.
Andrew: How did you guys hook up with Feeling Faint?
Andy: This 17-year-old kid used to call my old cell phone and blow smoke up my ass about his "label" and how cool he thought our band was, and we were like, "Uhh, nah brah." Then he actually put something out and it turned out really well for the Feeling Faint guys and the band and then we changed our mind and they put out our record.
Andrew: What do you think of the label (Feeling Faint) now?
Andy: I think it's pretty sick what those two have accomplished in the two years that they have been a label. Everything they put out is good and has fucking sick artwork. Plus they are coming up on their 4th and 5th releases, and the only thing that they have put out so far that isn't selling like fuckin' hotcakes is our disc. Go figure.
Andrew: What are your plans for touring?
Andy: The minute, and I mean the exact fucking moment that we can afford to tour, we are going and we are never fucking coming back. None of us have shit holding us here except bills. Except for Chris who lives with his woman (see also: p-whipped). So hopefully we can hook up with a decent booking agent who can make it financially feasible for us to go, or maybe if Bill Gates decides he likes death metal or something. I don't know. We really need to get the fuck out though.
Andrew: I know you have more than half a dozen new songs written. What are your plans for those songs? Will you stay with Feeling Faint, or are you trying to go with a bigger label for your new stuff?
Andy: We are planning to go to a bigger label and put out a full-length that will basically filet your mind. Then hit the road FOREVER, either in a chariot pulled by white stallions, or maybe some other means of transport.
Andrew: Who as a band, do you guys look up to?
Andy: All the old bands that are still around and putting out sick records;, bands with staying power. I don't know, Cannibal Corpse, Darkane, Napalm Death, Meshuggah, Entombed, Strapping Young Lad. There's more, but I digress...
Andrew: You guys don't play as many all ages shows. Is there any reason for that (correct me if I am wrong)?
Andy: The reason is that nobody ever calls us and says, "Hey, I got this all ages show, you guys wanna play?" Wait, actually, that's a lie. People do that, but it's never on weekends and we all work during the week. We have never turned down any local show on a weekend -- ever -- all ages or otherwise. We would love to play more all ages shows. That's when all the kids show up and get all fuckin' crazy.
I guess another reason we don't play that many all ages shows is that we're all drunks.
Andrew: What would be Enola Grey's ideal tour (it can have you in it or not) and why?
Andy: Any tour we can go out on and pay our rent is ideal. As a tour just to watch, shit probably Meshuggah, Strapping Young Lad, Napalm Death and Darkane.
Andrew: What are your guys plans for 2006?
Andy: What was Arnold's only line from Conan? "To destroy your enemy, let others be driven before you, and the inundation of all the women." Well, maybe not the inundation of ALL women. We also plan to play a bunch of shows and write a bunch of sick jams that just might slay your balls COMPLETELY off.
Andrew: Anything else that you want to add?
Andy: Come see us on November 10th with Decapitated and Vader. Unless you're scared or some shit. And I'm pretty sure that our t-shirts are the coolest shit ever, so buy one. And keep checking our website(s) for new shows.
And one last thing: fight fat phobia.
Andrew: Thank you very much.
Andy: No, thank you.
|
|
|
|
