Scrit: What prompted the significant relocation to Spain from Southern California?
Brant: I moved to Spain because I’m not too stoked on the States these days. I’m just not feeling it. Barcelona, where I live, has good energy and it’s where I want to be right now.
Scrit: What ever became of that “New Jersey Sessions” album and will that content (some or all of it) ever see the light of day?
Brant: The untitled “New Jersey Sessions” are two separate recordings. The first one was a session with The Bros that took place while on tour in 2004 and the second is a solo recording from the winter of 2005. Both recordings are still on the shelf with no plans of release, although one track from the solo session was put to video for internet viewing. The song is called “Born to Rock” and the video was created by Cale Bunker while on tour in Italy. We shot it on a day off in Rome right outside our room.
Scrit: Are the rumors true of some Southern California dates coming up?
Brant: There has been some talk about doing some west coast dates before the end of the year but nothing has been decided.
Scrit: Can you talk a bit about Michael Peffer leaving the band and when exactly that happened?
Brant: Musically I felt the band with Mike was very good, but off the stage we just couldn’t seem to keep positive energy flowing. When you tour as much as we do it’s important that the time spent off stage is happenin’ too. Touring isn’t easy and bad vibes just makes something I enjoy a drag. We decided to let Mike go after our summer dates last year. It’s hard to change drummers after four years but we knew Fredo was the man. He was the first person I thought of and the only person I called. It has been a positive transition for us and I hope the same for Mike.
Scrit: There`s also some word about a live DVD - can you tell us a bit about that?
Brant: We are in the process of documenting live footage. Cale Bunker has been on the road with us for specific tours and a lot of great footage is in the can. We will release something on DVD in the future. Exactly what and when has not been decided.
Scrit: There’s a few songs I’ve always wanted to hear live and I don’t think you’ve ever played them - “Defender of The Oleander,” “Prey For Rock,” “Moda,” and “Joey’s Radio.” Do you think we may ever hear the likes of some of these?
Brant: I’ve got a lot of songs these days. Some we’ve played and others we haven’t. I realized when I started the band that some of my solo material was gonna have to sit on the records cause I just can’t play everything. I don’t ask The Bros to learn my catalogue. It’s not that kind of band. We like to jam and we are always looking to the future with the music. I got to keep me as an artist inspired as well as the band. Fresh tunes is always best. I do want to keep my supporters stoked too. You know... find the middle ground or whatever. Having said this I most likely won’t be playing any of those particular songs any time soon. Sorry.
Scrit: Have Dylan, Cortez, or Fredo moved to Spain too? How does touring work out if they’re still living in the States?
Brant: Dylan and Fredo still live in the desert. Cortez lives in Belgium. So we are all over the place. It’s not easy but we somehow work it out. We tour a lot so this is where the band feels at home.
Scrit: Tell us a bit about the first run at Local Angel. I know you completely re-recorded the album.
Brant: The original Local Angel material was recorded on a four-track cassette in my apartment in Los Angeles in 2001. In 2003 I finally decided to record the songs at the Rancho in Joshua Tree with Molly McGuire on bass and Dave Catching on guitar. The recording came out great but I felt that a lot of the intimacy of the original demos were lost. I shelved the session tapes and re-recorded the record by myself to insure that these songs were heard first with my original vibe. I will release the Molly/Dave session someday. We called the band "On" and I think the recording is great.
Scrit: Can we expect any new artists (or at least, new to the label) to be coming on board the Duna roster?
Brant: Unfortunately Duna as a working label is no longer. In a strange way it failed because it was a success. We never really had a game plan for the label, we just started doing shit and it kind of snowballed. It became a financial beast demanding a lot of time and energy. Denise (DeVito) and I have gone separate ways and as of now I don’t know what is going to happen with Duna and the back catalogue. I’m super proud of all that we accomplished. None of us were business people and I say this with the utmost respect. We really just love rock music and we all worked our asses off for five years to contribute to it. I have not one single regret. But I am excited to get back to my music full-time. That’s what I should be doing.
Scrit: I know you’re an Augustus Pablo fan… do you listen to King Tubby? What other dub artists do it for you?
Brant: I’ve been into dub music for years. King Tubby Meets the Rockers Uptown is rad. I dig Prince Far-I a lot too. There is a lot of great dub from the mid to late `70s, of course, but I highly recommend a dub record called Dub-Fire from the English band Aswad. It’s not roots but it’s insane. Came out in the early `80s.
Scrit: You credit Yawning Man as heavily inspiring your own music. Was Ten East your first time working with Gary Arce?
Brant: I’ve known Gary Arce for over 20 years now. We have jammed many times over the years and he contributed some guitar to Jalamanta. He’s one of my favorite guitar players. Total soul-genius. And yes, as I’ve said many times, Yawning Man was the greatest band I ever saw in my life. Ten East is Gary´s trip. He asked me to come down and play some bass. We recorded the whole thing in about three or four hours. It was rad. Gracias, Gary.
Scrit: Thanks so much Brant, and cheers.
