Indian
Interview - Dylan O'Toole, (gtr, vox) and Ron DeFries, (bass)
1/30/08
An e-mail interview with 2/3rds of Chicago's Indian

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Sam: Who would you say your influences are?
Dylan: "Too many to list so we'll just pick five each, At The Gates, Buzzoven, Godflesh, Today Is The Day, Murder City Devils.
Ron: "Melvins, Thrones, Matt Pike, the first, and only, 3 Metallica records, King Crimson."
Sam: When did the band lineup become solid?
Ron: "We had two years with our first drummer, and we're moving in on two years with our current drummer, (bill bumgardner). See a pattern?? Anyone want to try out for the job?"
Dylan: "Jokes aside, hopefully this will be the last line-up anyone sees. He's almost 10 years younger than us but we have all the money, so it works out. He rips it and we feed him."
Sam: Where do you draw inspiration for the lyrics?
Dylan: "As a backdrop, all the themes ultimately are directed toward interpretation of religion. Beyond fractured cultures, the desperate communal suffering of the unknown, man-made devices such as faith, and the hemmorraging arrogance of the divine. The theological flu-like spread of meaninglessness."
Sam: What do you guys have for a setup/gear?
Ron: "I run a SVT 4 pro through a SVT 2x15 along with a late model svt 2pro through an SVT 8x10. Both rigs run off a furman voltage regulator, patched to a radial tonebone active a/b box. My bass is a custom 35" Lakland 4 string made in Chicago and tuned B,E,A,D. low to high."
Dylan: "I run a Sunn concert lead through a Sunn 2x15, and choose between a 72, 73, (no mid selector) or 76 red face Sunn model T through an Emperor full stack. Pedals include vintage MXR micro amp, Fulltone overdrive, MXR compression. My guitar is a Les Paul studio with custom wiring and pickups by Nathan Weathers of Chicago. Tuned B,F#,B,E,G#,C#. low to high.
Sam: Tell us about the guy who did the album artwork
Dylan: "Scott Fricke. You don't really want to know the master of the macabre. "
Ron: "He's a really good friend of ours who is an artist/tattooist here in Chicago. Basically after we track we give him the ruff cuts along with the lyrics and his twisted mind does the rest. You can see his tattoo work on us and just about every other heavy band hitting the road from Chicago, ie: Yakuza, Minsk, etc. Check him out at insightstudiosonline.com
Sam: Any upcoming vinyl releases?
"The Sycophant vinyl will be out Feb. 14th. limited to 500 copies, 100 of which will be blood and gold splatter vinyl. Slights and Abuse vinyl was released back in October, limited to 500 with 100 clear. Also The Unquiet Sky was released on double lp for the first time late last year. All artwork from the twisted Mr. Fricke"
Sam: What's it like in the Chicago metal scene right now?
Dylan: "I like to think Chicago is on the short list of the cities that have a viable scene, per say, 10 or so bands that have been around and are going to be around for a while."
Ron: "You've got two recording studios here that bands from around the country travel to . ie, Steve Albini at Electrical and Sanford Parker at Volume. We're lucky enough to have them in our backyard. There's also no shortage of great bands: Yakuza, Minsk, Sweet Cobra, Lair Of The Minotaur, Pelican, Russian Circles, Plague Bringer, Raise The Red Lantern, Hewhocorrupts."
Sam: Any tour plans?
"Indian will be out in March on a West Coast tour with our bros Middian, dates are posted at www.indiandoom.com, or www.myspace.com/indiandoom. See you out there, Indian."