Rob: This time I asked all the community members if they had any questions for you?
Brant: O.K....
Rob: What happened with the whole Fu situation, and how did you hook up with the Queens?
Brant: Well, first of all, I`m not in the Queens of the Stone Age...
Rob: ...are you kinda fillin` in...or...
Brant: ...no, well first of all it was talked about, and we were jamming just messing around having fun...and I`ve since decided to just concentrate on my new band...and, you know- nothing really came of it.
Rob: So that was all sly rumours...like somebody saw you with them and then...
Brant: exactly...
Rob: OK-- that`s good...what about Che~ do you have any plans to do anything more with that project?
Brant: No, no plans as of right now...Alfredo`s busy doing a couple other bands...and Dave, he moved back up to Santa Cruz about a year ago, he`s playing in another band up there...Yeah, we just kind of got together that year and had a good time...you know, that was about it...
Rob: What about the Operators, you got an album coming out April 1st...(The Music Cartel)
Brant: yeah...
Rob: Are you going to be touring to support it?
Brant: Ummm...I think we might...might definitely scoot around for a little while...we might get some shows...umm...haven`t really decided yet though...haven`t talked to any of my booking agents or anything...just kinda like working with the band, jamming right now and tightening things up...so...
Rob: Who`s in the group? Is there anyone that I might know of?
Brant: No, I am jamming with a couple of friends of mine that I grew up with out in the desert that are...
Rob: What`s that Palm Desert...
Brant: yeah...that are pretty much unknown outside of the desert...cool...
Rob: ...you guys might tour...so your like...do you jam on a regular basis then?
Brant: Yeah, yeah...we just played a gig last weekend...
Rob: oh yeah? Where did you play at?
Brant: yeah, we played out in the desert...this place called the Old Prospector...
Rob: So you guys are a fully active band then...
Brant: yeah...but there`s an agenda that were working on that includes recording a new record and just tightening up the band, and we are looking to add a couple of people to the mix...horns and keyboards...so you know, we are just taking our time, we are in no rush to get out there and you know start "effecting the marketplace"...
Rob: I get it...it seemed like you had a lot on your plate, so your are basically backing off and not doing any kind of solo stuff...
Brant: yeah...the Operators is a band that`s more...uh...it`s a, it`s a...it`s hard to explain I guess...I am able to express myself way more in a band like The Operators...you know- obviously writing a majority of the songs, being able to produce and all that stuff...so, I am pretty good you know?
Rob: So it`s like an extension of your solo stuff...
Brant: pretty much...
Rob: kind of like what you`ve been doing, but more of a solidified band situation though...
Brant: exactly.
Rob: You produced this recording? The new album?
Brant: Yeah, this one that is coming out...was a production of mine...co-produced with an engineer (says name but cannot make it out on the tape! doh!)
Rob: How was that...is this something fairly new to you?
Brant: Producing?
Rob: ...yeah...
Brant: ...no...actually I`ve produced before...um...it`s fun you know? I just do it almost out of necessity at this point...I can`t go find someone to produce my stuff right now...it`s fun...
Rob: So you ever consider producing other bands?
Brant: Sure, sure! If I heard a band that I really liked...I`d be into it...
Rob: Somebody wrote on here...this is just kind of funny...he wanted me to ask you if Ray Philips of Budgie is your father...
Brant: Ha Ha Ha!...
Rob: hehehe...he said "look at the back of the first Budgie album...it`s a dead ringer"...hahaha...
Brant: you know! hahaha...alot of people man...that`s so funny man...I`ve looked at that picture before and it`s pretty creepy man...yeah we do look very similar...hahaha...that`s a very...tell him that`s very funny...and um...I`ve thought so myself and...good for him for listening to some Budgie...
Rob: What was the last album you bought?
Brant: The last album I`ve bought?
Rob: yeah...maybe something old or new...
Brant: The last CD I bought would have been "Ole" by John Coltrane...
Rob: So you listen to older Jazz and...
Brant: yeah, I probably listen to Jazz and Reggae more than anything...
Rob: ...what kind of Reggae stuff...
Brant: I like mostly like 60`s Rock Steady and alot of 70`s roots...
Rob: that`s what you listen to when you sit down and pull out an album...
Brant: yeah...
Rob: Are there any newer bands that you really dig?
Brant: lets see...man, I can`t really think of any...I mean I know that there is lots of good music out there...and um...but to be honest with you I haven`t really kept up...you know- I listened to that Strokes record...I thought that was pretty cool...as far as all the hype and stuff I don`t really care about that you know...if music is good to me I like it...
Rob: right...
Brant: I thought that it was pretty cool...I like Joey Ramones new solo record too...of course...
Rob: So you said you had an agenda with The Operators...does that mean you are going to be taking the music also in a different direction? I know you are fairly...well, how long have you guys been jamming?
Brant: Well, I have been jamming with Mike for about a year and half now...but Mike and I used to play in a band 5-6 years ago [Melodious Pigmies?]...we were just a band jamming out in the desert...and uh...so the music will definitely be going in a different direction...on a grand scale I know most people probably recognize me as a drummer in these hard rock bands...but you know...I think that once they hear...and become more familiar with what I do...
Rob: When I was 15, I was playing a different kind of music then now...people change over the years...how do you feel that you have changed over the years? I mean was that kind of like your raw aggression 15 year old skater thing to do? or...
Brant: yeah...absolutely man...you know, I have kind of gone full circle. I grew up with a lot of like... you know...I liked the Ramones, and the Romantics...Jimmy Marinos is one of my favorite all time drummers. I loved...uh...the Bad Brains...Ska stuff, I love the Specials a lot...and then I got into my teens...and I was kinda getting bored with Punk Rock...we started breaking out, you know- the Hendrix and the Black Sabbath...and that`s kind of where Kyuss...that was about the time you know...when you are about 14-15 starting to smoke weed and shit...and that`s kind of how Kyuss would develop...and then we were young, chips on our shoulder, bitter, dissolusioned kids out of the middle of nowhere...you know...of course the anger and the frustration filters through the music as well...but, you know...you just kind of like get that shit out of your system you know...I left Kyuss when I was 19, I`m 29 now so that`s exactly 10 years ago...I have kind of gone full circle and started listening to stuff that I liked when I was younger...swingin` stuff you know...poppy stuff...some Reggae of course...some funk...breaking out the old Clash records...so it`s I`m just kind of gone full circle...
Rob: Let me just change the subject and go back to Che` because you worked with Alfredo...
Brant: yeah...
Rob: how was that working with him? I mean you guys played one after another in Kyuss and now your on guitar and...
Brant: Well, what most people probably don`t realize is that we`ve been friends for many years, `cause I`ve known Alfredo since I was 13 years old...so when he took my place in Kyuss, I was very honoured that he would take my place in Kyuss...he has always been one of my favorite drummers to watch as a kid...I grew up watching Alfredo play drums...you know, and we were buddies and so it was a natural thing...I was in the desert, I didn`t have a gig and I had some songs...Alfredo had just left the Queens...and our buddy Dave who I was living with at the time he just left Unida...so we just got together and jammed, and that turned into the CD.
Rob: So getting back to earlier...you are not playing with Fu anymore then?
Brant: yeah, I have left Fu Manchu...
Rob: One of the guys here want to know some of the drum gear that you use...
Brant: I use Ludwig drums...and um...I use 2b sticks...sometimes I`ll use something smaller on jazzier stuff...it depends...I use a couple of Paiste cymbals...a couple of Sabain cymbals...I don`t have any endorsements so I just play whatever I get my fucking hands on hahaha...I`m not really the "equipment dude"...
Rob: Do you have any memorable stories from the Kyuss days? You went on a couple of big tours right?
Brant: yeah...
Rob: ...any kind of stories for us? Something funny or wild...hehehe...
Brant: well...hmm...
Rob: any good memories from touring with those guys?
Brant: ...well, yeah! it was all great memories...
Rob: or is just a big blur now because it`s been so long...
Brant: yeah...we had a lot of fun back in those days...we were young kids and we were just partying and rocking out...we all used to pile into this big motor home...that`s what we toured around in...I remember one tour we were in New Orleans with Faith No More...and after our show we brought our smoke machine and our lights and hooked them up in the motor home...
Rob: hahahaha...
Brant: ... we like filled up the entire motorhome with smoke...and we had the lights going on and we had you know...like 15 people in the motor home...we were burning doobies...and dancing to some disco music...we had a disco in our motorhome...that was pretty funny.
Rob: You think that you will ever work with some other people again like Mario from Fatso Jetson, or maybe someone that you aren`t in the Operators with?
Brant: concerning my friends like Mario...again this is a person I have known my whole life and we jam all the time...and um,,,I would love to do a record with him...and Nick and I have talked about doing a record together...he wants to do a solo record...I`d love to help him out with that...
Rob: So do you still live out in the desert?
Brant: actually I live in LA, and so does Nick and Josh...I go out there about every other week...
Rob: so you keep in contact with all of those people...
Brant: oh yeah...
Rob: It seems like you guys just rotate...you know...hahaha...
Brant: We just to love to jam you know...
