Fast
& furious. Two words that can best describe the run Lemuria have
had since bursting onto the scene in the autumn of 2004. Relentless
touring, a slew of 7 inch records, a full length LP and another just
around the corner; Lemuria are one of the hardest working bands going
today and all their hard work is paying off. I had the pleasure of
interviewing drummer, singer, songwriter, record label founder and
all around good guy, Alex Kerns about the whirlwind that has been
Lemuria's 2010.
Chautauqua
County from 7" Single
1.As
2010 draws to a close, it's been quite the road the three of you have
traveled since getting together in '04. Looking at the past year alone
you've been touring practically non-stop, you've been putting out
7"s, you signed to Bridge 9 Records, you wrote, recorded and
have many eagerly awaiting your next full length record which is scheduled
to drop in January, and to top it all off you've worked tirelessly
within the punk/DIY community particularly with Art of the Underground.
There's no end in sight. Looking back on the past year how are you
feeling about everything you've accomplished?
Alex: Expelled from reality. I remember when I was young and I would
fantasize about being in a band. Before I was into punk. I would slowly
be exposed to new music as my older brother would bring home new tapes,
and then CD's. I would rap in front of mirrors, which turned into
me begging my mom to let me grow my hair out so I could look like
the guys on the inlay of a Megadeth CD. Eventually, I was able to
dig deeper into things slightly more obscure, getting into bands like
They Might Be Giants, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, etc. Then I found
Operation Ivy. Inside that CD was a little catalog to Lookout! Records,
I started mailordering records to get what I really loved. The past
year has been pretty surreal. Jesse Michaels from Operation Ivy wrote
me a personal message saying he's a fan of my band, and further on
I've released a record for his new band Classics of Love on my label
Art of the Underground. Screeching Weasel was another band that really
influenced me into being in a band, and now we're regularly opening
up for them at shows. Things just don't really seem real. We are now
on Bridge 9 Records, and it's great that a label that genre-wise is
so out of our element can appreciate something that we are doing.
We recorded our sophomore album "Pebble" and it's definitely
the best thing I've ever been a part of artistically. I'm very excited
and just as much overwhelmed about the things that have happened this
past year.
2.You
raise a good point about the Bridge 9 Records signing. I think it
left more than a few people scratching their heads at first just because
when you think of B9 the bands that immediately come to mind are more
on the hardcore side of things. But when you look more closely you
can start to see things you share with each other as well; work ethic,
attitude, even right down to your personal ethics and commitment to
what you believe in. Though you may believe in and fight for different
things you do seem to share a mutual drive. Would you please elaborate
on your thoughts about the signing?
Alex: Everything just made sense. We had talked with a few friends
who have worked with Bridge 9 before and they told us that they were
a great label to work with. We did the same thing when we decided
to release Get Better on Asian Man. We had a couple offers from a
few labels that people had mentioned have screwed over bands a great
deal. As a band we really try to not jump the gun on anything and
we make sure to discuss everything, and research our options so that
we don't get tied to anything that'll be unhealthy for the band. Both
Bridge 9 and Asian Man are incredible labels because they treat their
roster like a family. Both labels aren't releasing records because
they think it's going to sell well, they release what they want to
support.
3.In
a past interview you mentioned your love of traveling, and how the
band really serves as a catalyst for getting you out and about all
over the map. Touring of course can have its ups and downs. To steal
a page from Plan-It-X's Chris Clavin, I'm going to ask you to share
a memorable experience you had on the negative extreme of tour. What
was a memorable moment when you just found yourself saying "Tour
Sucks" and how did you bounce back?
Alex: One of the worst experiences I had was being trapped in Norman,
Oklahoma in the middle of summer with a broken down van, no money,
and the only sanctuary for air conditioning was a college library.
We had contacted a "crash pad" through the Book Your Own
Fucking Life zine, and it was great to have people open up their home
to us. Although, the home had about 5 dogs, no AC, smelled like puke,
and had people shooting heroine on the couch next to where we were
sleeping. We didn't really feel very safe, we were exhausted, and
we weren't sure how we were going to get home. We eventually got a
show set up in Tulsa and used a AAA membership card to keep towing
us there. They would tow us 100 miles at a time. Luckily we sold some
records, got a little money from the door and we got the van fixed
up. It died again, I don't remember where. But we eventually made
it home. This was my first tour ever. It was 12 years ago and I was
only 15. I was very worried because I didn't think my parents were
ever going to let me do this again. Maybe they shouldn't have in the
first place. Luckily, that moment didn't eclipse all the other good
moments of the tour that motivated me to keep doing this.
4.I
have to ask who the Twin Peaks fan is in the band. I've been eyeing
that log lady shirt for way too long.
Alex: Max is a big fan of the show, as well as I am. Although, my
true TV passion leans toward Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
5.Thanks
again for the interview. We'll be eagerly awaiting the release of
Pebble in the new year. Be sure to make your way to our neck of the
woods before too long. Final question: In 2008 you released The First
Collection which documented the early years of Lemuria's existence.
Looking forward a little bit where do you want to find yourselves
as a band and what kind of imprint would you like to leave?
Alex: I'm the only person in the band who doesn't have tattoos. So
I sort of look at Lemuria records as tattoos. They are time capsules
that I can return to as I get older and see who I was, how I was feeling,
and how I dealt with everything. I don't ever want to stop doing this
band. I'd love to have a dozen albums someday. I feel like we're just
getting started. Thanks Matt!
