Rob: So Earth is going to be playing soon? First time in years...
Dylan: yeah...were playing Boston on the 16th, New York on the 17th, Philly the 18th and DC the 19th...
Rob: So you are doing 4 shows...
Dylan: ...yeah...
Rob: and that`s you and...who else is playing in the band?
Dylan: This girl Adrianne Davies is playing drums...
Rob: She play with anybody else?
Dylan: smaller bands a while ago...
Rob: When did you start up Earth and what was the whole idea behind it.
Dylan: Let`s see...it started in late `89-90 I guess...I guess it`s just mostly...I`d been in a couple bad bands before that and kind of stopped playing for 2 years...just sorta practiced a lot and studied music.
Rob: Where was this at? Where were you living?
Dylan: I was living in Olympia originally...when I started it, I had lived in Olympia and moved to Seattle, then back to Olympia...when I started it it was in Olympia. Started it with a couple of friends, although they both left rapidly...
Rob: That was before the first recording for Sub Pop?
Dylan: Yeah...after they left I moved back to Seattle and that`s where I met Dave Harwell and Joe Preston...that`s where it got kind of more serious I guess...then we went to Portland and paid to do our own recording...
Rob: Where did you record at?
Dylan: It`s called Smegma Studios...
Rob: with Mike?
Dylan: yeah...Lastra...we just recorded it to record...and then we opened for L7...that`s when the Sub Pop guys saw us and asked if we wanted to put anything out.
Rob: Was that in `90?
Dylan: it came out in `91 so yeah, it must of been `90 when they saw us.
Rob: How long did you play with Joe and Dave...
Dylan: Joe left fairly early...I don`t even remember if he was with us when played or not...I think he was, he left shortly after to play with The Melvins...and then it was just me and Dave for Earth 2.
Rob: You guys did Earth 2 and then what`s next...Pentastar?
Dylan: No, Phase 3, I was pretty much by myself...there was a couple of friends that I got to play on a couple of things on that, although that one the recording was...there was a long delay in it because...during that period of time I was not in the best of shape or whatever...frame of mind...so there was a year between sessions on that one...almost didn`t come out. That one was weird it got really really good reviews. The songs on Thrones and Dominions is my favorite song I ever did...that song...the seventh song on that one...then we went to England and did the live thing for Blast first which was one of our worst shows ever, so of course it was immortalized. hahahaha...
Rob: hahahaha..That was in England? London?
Dylan: yeah...this place called the Garage.
Rob: So that was recorded live, was that a Euro release?
Dylan: Yeah it was Blast First, I think it was limited edition of 500...and then Pentastar...then when we came back we signed for another 3 records with Sub Pop and the only one we did was Pentastar.
Rob: That was quite a different direction than the previous releases...
Dylan: Yeah, that one was more like a rock band...my friend Sean played lead guitar and then he worked for Sub Pop and then he was also kind of like my manager too I guess in a weird way because I was not...hahaha...capable of taking care of myself at that point...and so yeah he was on that...and he played in this top 40 band and their drummer was this R&B session guy who played drums on the record. Big black dude named Mike...
Rob: What year did that one come out?
Dylan: umm, 1996 and then we went to Vienna, that was me and Ian...and that was recorded and just came out...these friends of mine, this guy Russell...Russell Haskell he`s a DJ over in England...he put that out...2 years ago...only came out on vinyl...the Austrian show and that was a really good show.
Rob: Was that limited too?
Dylan: yeah it was only 500 as well...we had talked about putting it out on CD a bigger pressing, but I haven`t heard back from them for a while...and the thing that just came out recently, the thing that came out recently Mike Quinn (No Quarter Records) put out was a re-issue of the London show with tracks from the first recording sessions that were never released.
Rob: Mike Quinn, he isn`t the guy from Monqui is he? La Luna here in Portland?
Dylan: No, he`s from Philly...actually our second to the last show was at La Luna...
Rob: When was that?
Dylan: hmm, when was that, it was `96, we played with Caustic Resin...
Rob: That was your second to last show?
Dylan: Yeah, our last show was opening for Imperial Teen...Roddy Bottom from Faith No More, Dicks...
Rob: was that around the same time?
Dylan: yeah...that was right after that...that was the only live show that we did with uh...with the 4 piece off of Pentastar...
Rob: All the same guys? How was that?
Dylan: It was OK, it was pretty good...I mean Sean and Mike are both incredible musicians so it`s like they totally...I played really well with Mike. It`s hard to do a bad show with those guys.
Rob: So are you planning on doing any more recordings?
Dylan: yeah, we hope too...their supposed to record the New York show on this tour, we are playing at the Knitting Factory...there`s this guy who wants to put it out, the New York show, so we`ll see how that goes and then...I don`t know if anyone is interested in it or not...I would definitely like to start doing it again...it`s been 5 or 6 years since I have really done anything...
Rob: like regular thing...
Dylan: Yeah...
Rob: What have you been doing? Working?
Dylan: Um yeah...first I went through a bunch of rehabillitation programs...recently the last couple of years...just getting my shit back together and stuff...
Rob: That`s good...
Dylan: and I work...I do custom framing and stuff, so I do that, and this (tour) came up...so I started doing music again.
Rob: So you needed a little head space and stuff?
Dylan: Kind of like I had the opportunity do nothing but music, and I kind of fucked it off...so now I am having to do other stuff as well...Kind of like more balanced...appreciate it more.
Rob: Sometimes you have to go through that to truly understand what you have...How old are you?
Dylan: I`m 34...I`ll be 35 in March...getting up there...heheehe...
Rob: I feel your pain...hahahaha...
Dylan: 25-30 is a total blur...
Rob: I can relate to that! Hopefully you will get to record some stuff...
Dylan: Yeah, I want to...
Rob: Have you been writing?
Dylan: Um, yeah I`ve gotten some...I mean it`s like I sort of like in a more...I listen to more improvisitory stuff so...defintitley more of where I am headed...I`d like to do more of the improv stuff...I get better and better at that...
Rob: umm...like...
Dylan: I mean, I`m still into like volume and drums...
Rob: good...you listen to a lot of Jazz and stuff then?
Dylan: yeah...
Rob: Your still into the drone and massive volume...kind of what Earth is all about right?
Dylan: yeah I`m not going to do swing or anything! hahahaha...
Rob: hahahhaa...
Dylan: trying to take that and do something with it...but it`s not...I don`t know...I have always considered myself a musical tard so no matter what I do there`s always going to be certain things that are the same because I can`t help myself...
Rob: right...
Dylan: I`ve always been into the minimalist drums, so that`s always going to be there...no matter what.
Rob: What inspired you to do the Pentastar record the way it was...because it`s totally different...I mean there all kind of actual songs...I mean all the stuff are actual songs but they are more structured and...not improved drones...
Dylan: yeah, I guess it was kind of like...Phase 3 was a start in that direction...Thrones and Dominion was all...I was being a fuck up, So Ian came down and locked me in an isolation room and said `you`re not getting out of here until you put in 12 hours in the studio`..you know...which was good because that came out of it...alot of the other stuff was little songs...you know, they weren`t big pieces like I`d been doing, but none of them weren`t really completed because the recordings got cut short and so Pentastar was sort of more a continuation of that...`cause I had done the Earth 2 thing and like you know...that seeems to be the thing that most people respond to...
Rob: Low Frequency Version...
Dylan: yeah...the long thing...everyone wanted me to do that again.
Rob: I think that it`s kind of everyones favorite album that you have done...
Dylan: yeah...and almost everyone I know that says they like Earth say it`s their favorite...
Rob: I know that a lot of people are happy that you are doing some shows along the East Coast...
Dylan: Hopefully I can do some back here too...I feel better able to do it...more appreciative and what not.
Rob: What kind of stuff did you listen to growing up? Where did you grow up?
Dylan: I was born in Seattle and then my Dad worked for the Department of Defense so I moved around a lot...first I lived in Philly when I was a little kid...and then New Mexico...and then Texas and then New Jersey and then Washington...so...
Rob: Little Gypsy...
Dylan: yeah....heheheh...Where I first got into music I was in Texas in Jr. High...
Rob: Where abouts?
Dylan: San Antonio...
Rob: There was kind of a metal scene there?
Dylan: My first rock concert was Molly Hatchet...back then...I was a total rocker kid into AC/DC and stuff...then when I was 15 it was like Black Sabbath, all I listened to was Black Sabbath and then...moved back to Seattle...that was when I started getting into Punk Rock and stuff...When I was in Jr high...I was into music, but didn`t think that I could play it...so when I got into Punk rock it was like I can do that...alot of people you know...oh you can do that, I don`t have to be somebody else...My first band was a cross between Flipper and Cinderella...I wanted to be hair metal but couldn`t play.
Rob: What are some of your favorite punk bands? Were you into hardcore or...
Dylan: Early X, first three X records...that was the first guitar player I idolized I guess...and then um...I went to punk shows and stuff...I had a brother that got into punk so I couldn`t like it anymore you know? So, even though I went to the shows and stuff...I got into like prog stuff...First King Crimson...Fripp is my favorite guitar player ever...and I`ve always liked all kinds of different music, I have never just liked one thing...obviously when I was going to shows early on...The Melvins...I was really into them...they definitley had a huge influence on me...I always liked the slow stuff...St. Vitus...side 2 of My War...
Rob: Right on...I love that album.
