PRESS

Maximum Rock N Roll #309 - February 2009

Squalora Interview

Squalora is a vile creature from subzero temperatures deep in the abyss and is composed of three major life-stabilizing systems (Matt Svendsen, Tom Elston, & Dan Lawlor). In 1999 they formed a mutual weapon for their frustration and despair in Montana and called it Ass-End Offend. They released 4 EPs, 1 LP, and appeared on various compilations. AEO toured like mad all over the west coast and engaged in 3 full US tours, as well as a jaunt over to Eastern Europe before going into hibernation for a year. When they arose from their slumber they relocated to Portland, Oregon and became a mutated version of the prior endeavor. They have a new LP out on Wäntage/ Defector/ Repetitively Futile Records and are relentlessly unleashing full-on machete-core destruction!!!!
- Interview by Tina Trash

MRR: So guys, first of all… if you could be any other living thing, what would you be and why?
Dan: hmmm…probably some kind of ancient single celled organism like an amoeba or something in the protozoan family. Life would be simple and short and I wouldn’t even be aware of it, all while being a parasite.
Tom: A wolverine for sure; small and playful yet vicious and very protective.
Matt: A mermaid or a unicorn. Duh.

MRR: Now, how long have you all been playing music and what, if any, other bands have you been a part of? Also, what have you taken and learned from these bands?
Tom: I've been active with bands since I was 14 when I sang in a band called The Vagrants, and then a lot of years with AEO. I've also learned a lot through being in bands. Tolerance and how to work with others while writing music and just coordinating enough money and energy to tour and release records. It is an aspect of being a musician that is often overlooked and not understood. When people don't wanna pay to get into a show or pay for a record, I just wanna say, we're not even coming close to breaking even already, fuck you. But all in all it's worth it and carries its own rewards. These guys are my best friends and we have fun.
Matt: I have been irritating the people around me with obnoxious noise since I started playing guitar at age 11. I was in The Anti Difrancos (Anarcho-feminist hardcore), Venal i.v. (anarchist-communist youth crew!!), and we were all in Ass-End Offend together. Oh, and Dan and I played together in a band called Nazgul for a few months. I have learned so much about myself and have met a lot of awesome friends who I would have not met otherwise. Also, playing in a band, and especially touring in a band is a huge lesson in patience… (nudging band mates with elbow).
Dan: In the mid nineties my brother Matt started to play drums for what became Disgruntled Nation. At the time, back then, I was basically just a stoner hippie or something (yes, I will admit it). I was always frustrated with my group of friends and when I started to go to these shows Disgruntled Nation put on in our small ass town, I became instantly enamored with what was going on. I felt that there was something honest and officially original happening at these events. Something that you could do yourself and kind of say ”fuck you” to all the bullshit that comes with growing up in a small northwestern town off the radar. I ended up going on tour with them and I even filled in for my brother on drums for DN for two shows when he was MIA on tour in California in 1999. I guess I’m giving all the credit to those guys and the Missoula, MT bands like Humpy and Sputniks and other punk bands of that day. I was inspired by what I saw and I wanted to do it myself. So right around 1997 I started playing drums in a band called the Miscreants which lasted for a few years until Ass-End Offend formed from the ashes of all our previous musical endeavors…i.e. Disgruntled Nation, The Vagrants, The Miscreants. Noting that Disgruntled Nation continued on, somewhat, and is expected to play at this year’s Total Fest in Missoula, MT…..go there and see them. They haven’t played since 2002. Oh, and we are playing that as well.

MRR: Personally what inspires each of you to play the type of music that you do?
Matt: Playing punk rock is the most therapeutic thing for me. It is the best cure for all the frustration I have with this stupid fucking world. I love many different styles of music, everything from Patsy Cline to Poison Idea to Prince! If I believed everything is wonderful and the whole world is happy, then I would listen to the soundtrack of ignorance like most people in our society. But there is so much to take action against and get pissed off about that hardcore is the natural path. On the other hand, there is also so much hardcore that I can’t fucking stand. How did all this macho and nationalist bullshit end up in the same genre as us? We are supposed to be a counter culture, not a watered down subculture that caters to yuppies and bigots! Can we just start calling that shit “jock-core” instead!? If I had to make up a genre to describe us I would call it “machete-core”, and yes that’s a fucking threat!!
Tom: This is what still moves me. I like hearing our speakers bursting and watching Dan hit his shitty drums as hard as he can. This music is a projection of every thought and emotion and the energy that stems from it is what simply satisfies me.
Dan: Seriously, I don’t know what else I would be doing. I mean, maybe if we started playing top 40 radio hits then we could actually make some money and live excessive, over the top lives, but for now I’m happy just making the loudest noise I can with what equipment I have and meeting new friends in the process. I like a lot of different random music and forms of expression, but when it comes down to it I’m stuck in this punk d.i.y or d.i.t. (together) thing for life I suppose. There is no other way……man…

MRR: How do you think your lives have affected your music and how has punk affected your lives?
Tom: This music is our lives. Our anger is liberally added to each and every song. This kind of music saved me and transformed me into a more conscience person. You know growing up in small town Montana and already feeling extremely alienated from other adolescents, it was hard for me to find any niche. I didn't know what to do. Punk gave me a positive outlet and gave me some great relationships, of which I will forever treasure. I'm always learning and trying to share my experiences.
Matt: Life has a direct affect on the music one plays. I guess I have the same answer for this question as for the last one. As for how it has affected me, I am certainly more aware of the state of hopelessness that blankets us in a capitalist system that is hell-bent on it’s imperialist agenda, no matter what the cost. Punk has taught me how to fight back and how to keep what’s left of my sanity!
Dan: I come from a large family that lasted until about 1996 when the whole divorce thing happened, and from there it was a very intricate learning process for all of us. Music was something that my brothers and mom and dad and I could always share. My dad owned the house and he was always supportive of us having shows in the garage as long as we kept things somewhat in order. (really, he had to say yes, cause’ we would have done it anyway…..love you pops, I think we might still owe him for that smashed out window). Putting on our own shows and making our own fliers and walking around posting them wherever around town is something that makes my youth stand out so much to me. That is what we would do in our small town. That is what I want to continue to do because I know that there is a whole shit-load of people out there that understand and are supportive of this whole thing.

MRR: What does Squalora mean to each of you? In other words, what have you put into Squalora and what would you like to see happen in the future for the band?
Matt: Squalora is a culmination of everything we’ve been involved in for the past 8 years. It is everything I anticipated after Ass-End Offend, which really is pretty much the same band. I don’t know why we even think of it as a different entity. Squalora is considered a new band, but we’ve been playing together for 8 years. We’ve all been putting so much energy into this band for so long and it has given us so much in return. It is the ultimate release for me, to get on stage and scream in everyone’s faces for 30 minutes, and it reminds us that not all communication needs to be made through superficial computer screens! I plan to keep doing it as long as I can.
Dan: It’s the result of all these years of hard work and trying times we’ve been through as a group of friends. It’s relieving to know that I still have people to play music with when I think about all the other bullshit things in life that fucking get me down. I go to my job everyday but I know that it is not the only thing I have going for me. I assume that we will continue to play shows, tour, and put out records so long as we scrounge up all the necessary elements to make those things happen.
Tom: Like Matt said, this is a culmination of our past endeavors. I love being able to write any riff or sing anything I want and get positive feedback from the guys. We all respect each others ideas and talents. I want to put out records that we are 100% about. In the past we were always rushed in the studio or just trying to get a record out before tour, and now I wanna let things materialize at a bit slower pace and feel completely right.

MRR: And also, what is the meaning of Squalora exactly?
Matt: It means the epitome of squalor. It’s also the name of an Antarctic fish that scientists have so far only found the skeletal remains of. This describes us pretty well, being constantly overlooked and coming from the freezing and dismal state of Montana. It also sounds almost like “sirena”, which is Spanish for mermaid, and we just happen to love mermaids... a lot.

MRR: When did you move to Portland? How quickly was the bands formation after you all moved here and how has Portland affected each of you?
Tom: I've been in Portland for 2 years now and my life has never been better. I work at a fantastic non-profit, Squalora is a fucking blast, and I met my beautiful wife Christina here. (you rule babe!) Portland is a great city and is very lively for us. We've been playing good shows for about a year and a half now and continue to get blown away by great local bands.
Matt: I moved out two years ago. It has been sort of slow getting everything established here, meeting new friends and finding a place to practice. Portland is great though. There is so much more of a support system built into the punk scene here. It really is an autonomous scene. Everyone is actually nice to each other (for the most part) and there is a lot of camaraderie. I’ve lived in Montana for the past 27 years and I grew up on a farm out in the middle of nowhere, so living in a city is obviously a big change.
Dan: I came to Portland town in July of 2006, shortly after Tom and Matt. Squalora was sort of conceived (musically, name came later) in Missoula. We had a few songs down with Tom right before he moved, then Matt and I played for awhile with Dave Parsons of Humpy lore. So when I finally arrived in Ptown they saved me a spot on the drum stool. Everything was pretty smooth at first thanx to our good friend Woody who let us practice in his basement and all the support we got from friends we made in the past. Portland is really an incredible place as far as the “scene” is concerned. I’ve acclimated well I think because I told myself “move away from home or be discontent thinking about it for too long”. It was a great change for me.

MRR: Can you describe the sound of Squalora’s first album and what was the process like putting it together?
Dan: More doooomy hardcore from these three jackoffs who still pretend that someone actually gives a shit..he,he. Really though this was actually the most rewarding release I’ve ever been a part of. From the recording with Mike again to the construction of the layout, it was all very exciting to me. I think we all knew that we wanted to make something better than what we did in the past. I’m not saying I don’t like what we did, but that with Squalora I think we all had a more clear idea of what we were going for based on experience.
Tom: I think the recording came out being very natural and representing us accurately. Mike Lastra has a way recording whats there. I wish we would have spent more time on it, but it still sounds loud and heavy and it was a lot of fun having our friend Woody in there helping and making noise for us. I personally dread recording but love hearing the final mix. It was also fun sitting down and watching Matt design the cover and insert and seeing it all come together. I'm very proud of what we did in our first year as a band.
Matt: Well, we’ve recorded with Mike Lastra before as Ass-End Offend, so this was pretty much just another trip to the studio. But I think we were a lot more prepared and had a better idea of what we wanted to have happen. We did a lot of layering with guitar tracks and experimented with some different sounds. To describe our sound, I use the following summation: It is a cross between getting stabbed in the ear with a rusty sickle, having an aneurysm while being run over by a gravel truck, and all your favorite hits from the 80's played backwards, full of subliminal messages. We're talkin' spandex, hairspray and leg warmers drenched in fucking blood from stomping on the heads of riot cops in the streets of Portland!

MRR: What sets you aside from other bands in the Portland punk scene?
Tom: Good question. What sets us aside? We are just a component of a huge and diverse scene. Yes, we respect all of the big popular bands here, but there are so many great hidden talents in Portland and abroad for that matter.
Matt: We have less facial hair and prettier fingernails. The lyrics are more majestic and there are more unicorns and wizards in our message (childish giggles & chuckles). Seriously though, there is a common misconception about the Portland scene, that is that we all either sound like Tragedy or Discharge. The fact is there are just as many variations as well as similarities between bands as in any town. If anyone thinks all Portland bands sound the same, they should check out Adelitas, Upshit Creek, Deterrorformed, and Anon Remora. So with that said, we fit in pretty well because we have a pretty unique sound and perspective. Just because we’re in the same scene as His Hero Is Gone and Dystopia doesn’t mean that we are all trying to sound like them (Ahem, hipster fuckwads at Vice Magazine: suck it!). Oh, and one thing that really sets us aside though is that we didn’t move here from Baltimore! Haha, but really we moved here from a pretty isolated place with a really small scene. And I think there is a lot of originality in small scenes because there is such little substance for influence. Everything we’ve done, we’ve built ourselves. In Montana, DIY is not a choice, because there is no other choice.
Dan: I’d like to think we are part of it and not so much set aside. There are some things we have talked about musically that we wanted to kind of not fall into, but being in Portland you are kind of lumped in with it all. I really don’t care about that kind of shit though. I know what I like and that there is a lot of it in good ol’ Portland. I’m excited when people show us a good time when we come out and play shows...now about that tour thing........

MRR: Can you tell me your favorite memories of playing in Ass-End Offend?
Tom: My favorite memories are releasing our first 7" and reading the first good review. Sounds silly, but when you pour your heart into something, it's hard to gauge how people will respond. Touring was always fun as well. Our good friend Blimpie lighting his dick on fire and then later shooting bottle rockets out of his dick in Madison, WI on the 4th of July in 2004 is something that I will never forget. What a night!
Dan: Nope, I have successfully erased all of them from my memory thanks to the diligent work I have put into drinking...Ha. Oh gosh. There are lots. Getting to go to Eastern Europe was definitely the high point, but before that we went on a couple US and West coast tours. Let’s just say the show I booked in Salt Lake that was supposed to be Twin Falls was a learning experience (oh, and eight hours in the wrong direction). Fucking drummers.
Matt: Stepping off the plane in Warsaw and telling myself I would be a fool to return to the U.S.; Playing at Zabadaks in Kuldiga, Latvia was also a monumental event. Zabadaks is a youth center that also acts as sort of a free hostel and it is pretty much the venue that most punks dream about. Also, narrowly avoiding getting shot in the face when we were in Pocatello was pretty awesome. Hmm, what else, losing the transmission in the middle of nowhere in Tennessee is always a favorite.

MRR: As Squalora, what is the most memorable show for you guys and what bands would you like to play shows with/ tour with in the future?
Dan: Getting to play with Resist for their first time playing in 14 years was pretty cool. They are now officially back at it with a slightly new line up and still shredding like they do. I don’t know. We have talked about it with a few bands here, but an official plan of a tour is still something to discuss. Anyone interested? Give us a jingle.
Matt: We played in Arcata, CA last year and it was a blast. We were the only band that played, which was too bad. But it was at this house called the firehouse. We had a west coast tour planned, but it was the only show that didn’t fall through for us. We had car trouble and had to limp home from our 1 day tour. But the people at that house showed us a really awesome time. California knows how to fuckin’ party! Wooooo!
Tom: Playing back in Missoula was fun for our release party. It's always good to see old friends coming out and throwing pine combs at you. Really, Missoula is awesome in so many ways and still is really supportive of underground music. I want to play with any and all the bands that I can. I really like playing mixed shows (genres). It gets old playing with 3 crust/metal bands. I don't know, I like diversity and authentic DIY spirited music. I like hearing fresh ideas and getting blown away.

MRR: The lyrics in this album are as political as they were from Ass-End Offend, but to me they seem deeper now, a bit more personal… when do you most feel inspired to write? How do your songs come about?
Matt: Our songs are a direct result of a lifetime of panic attacks and depression. Most of this emotional trauma is caused by the politics of our environment: living far below the poverty line, living in a country based on vanity, the knowledge that our government is killing innocent people, being surrounded every day by ignorant selfish fucking jerks, the list goes on and on, and it is all both personal and political.
Tom: For me, the lyrics that I contribute are more dark and personal. I work in the social field and hear a lot of depressing stories and see a lot of corruption in people’s lives. It’s disheartening and I want to vent this by any means possible. I usually write lyrics late at night after dwelling on some specific incident for hours. Lately writing in this format has been slower, because it’s hard to continue writing about so much negativity. How many ways can we all say the same things?
Dan: It comes in spats, usually late at night or while I’m at work. Some days are better than others.

MRR: Are there any new songs in the works and what can we expect to hear?
Matt: Songs about killer dolphins (thanks to Dave Parsons!), transsexual mermaids, suicidal wizards, the usual stuff.
Dan: Right now we are beginning to play a couple new songs in our set and we have been busy little monkeys at practice so expect more all you adoring fans. We promise to make your ears ring with delightful signs of irreversible tinnitus.
Tom: Lots of slower and heavier material coming out lately. More build-ups and power. Yeah, and killer dolphins!

MRR: We all know that the only constant in life is change (whether for good or bad), so how have your lives changed and how have those changes affected your beliefs?
Matt: One huge change in my life happened 11 years ago when my daughter was born. This had a dramatic impact on me, and I mean she saved my fucking life. Having a child really makes you ponder the meaning of existence every second of the day. I was destined to be living in the gutter but she brought focus to my life. I had to grow up really fast and make better decisions. Every day since then has been a step in the right direction.
Dan: Well, I’ve gotten older, maybe wiser (still working on that one). I always see these people who get into punk for a few quick years and then decide for whatever reasons that they have “grown up” or “moved on” whatever you want to fucking call it. I just see that as people never being strong enough and confident enough in their own convictions to stick with something they truly find satisfaction in. I find that by getting older (shit 26 is not even that old) I just want to do more and that I’m never doing enough when I should be. Making a concerted effort to not become some jaded asshole who thinks they know how it all goes down is something I strive for. Everyday is a fucking challenge to keep our sanity in this crazy backwards world. When we see every bad situation as a reason to cave in then I think “they” have won (yes, the big undefined “they”). I guess I just want to “stay punk and stay pissed” to put it tritely.
Tom: Again, finding punk changed me immensely. I've changed a lot but still continue to find myself and recently getting married has changed my selfish scope. I care about myself more and want to contribute to this fucked up world. My beliefs are holding true and I appreciate nature more and more and want to be in the woods all of the time. I want to thank all of my friends and family for all of the support over the years and to new friends in Portland. Also the Community Warehouse for providing such support and inspiration, as well as employment and a practice space. Thanks for your time!!
Matt: Also thanks to Hell Mary and PDX Press for the photos in this interview and everyone who’s helped us set up shows and shown support.

Contact:
squalora@gmail.com
http://poisonedcandy.com/squalora.html
Squalora, c/o Matt Svendsen, 131 NE Buffalo, Portland, OR 97211