Different from most of what you will hear in scene today, thejohnbenders came onto the scene just a few years ago. Though they are still considered new for many people, the band has logged many hours on-stage as well as in the studio. Recently, I was able to chat with Otis, the band’s bass player, about all the little things you could ever want to know about thejohnbenders.
Where did the name "thejohnbenders" come from?
We are all children of the 1980s that are obsessed with John Hughes movies such as Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, and especially The Breakfast Club. Judd Nelson's character John Bender just happened to be our favorite. We all wanted to be him when we were kids. This is the closest that we'll get.
Where does the inspiration for your unique songs come from?
[Our inspirations come] from everyday life. We write about the stuff that happens to us in our relationships; in the crazy, messed up world we live in; the mistakes we make; the chances we take; our failures and successes. But, as far as writing the music goes, we generally start with one of us bringing a simple idea to the table and expanding on it as a group. We pretty much all contribute equally to the songwriting process, although Mark and Nate handle most of the lyrics.
How did the band get hooked up with the infamous Tony Dallas Reed?
Infamous? We didn't know he was infamous! We met Tony Reed a couple of years ago when our previous bands would play over in Bremerton. Then Nate's former band, Duckie's Dilemma recorded, their CD with him. When we found out that Tony had played in Treepeople and Goodbye Harry, we knew that we wanted to work with him. So, we recorded our first single, "Four-Count Phil", with him about a month after forming the band. We were just so impressed with his way of producing. He really integrates himself into the band as though he were a sixth member. He can totally hang, that's for sure. It only took him like five minutes to feel comfortable enough around us to tell us that we were stupid or that we sucked or whatever. Anyway, we were lucky to hook up with him before he started getting really popular and producing up-and-coming bands like Kane Hodder and Schoolyard Heroes.
What are your goals with the band?
I think we have the same goals that any band has: we want to better hone our songwriting skills and get more proficient at playing our instruments. Touring is definitely a priority for us. We are going to try and play SXSW, CMJ and NXNW next year. We want to quit our lame day jobs!
Is the band a full-time gig, or does everyone have day jobs?
The band is a full-time gig yet somehow we all manage to maintain some type of shitty day job. Mark and Nate work for the same electrical supply company, [I work] in the basement of a local software company, Ronnie hauls bathroom tile around and Joe has multiple part-time jobs including making jewelry. We hate our day jobs. We love our band.
Are you guys interested in getting with a major record label, or do you prefer the local scene?
We are definitely interested in signing to a label, [but] it doesn't have to be a major label. A decent indie label would definitely suffice. We're just now starting to send our new CD to labels, radio stations, and [the] press in the hope that maybe some indie label out there might take a chance and pay for us to record a full length CD. We can't really afford to keep paying for our own recordings and pressings forever, you know? We'd love to be able to get tour support, management, and paid-for recording time & we're only going to get that from a label.
What is your favorite part about the Seattle music scene?
The cool bands that we get to play shows with like The Ruby Doe, Idiot Pilot, Leuko, The Senate Arcade, etc. I don't think that there really is a thriving Seattle music scene right now. There certainly doesn't seem to be one for bands like us. But, it's where we live so we make the best of it. There just aren't really enough cool all ages venues in this town & we definitely like playing for the kids better than playing in bars.
Who would your dream collaboration be?
We would love to work with producer Jerry Finn. He has made some amazing records in the past few years for bands like Alkaline Trio, AFI, Morrissey, At the Drive-In and more. He just really seems to get a feel for what's best for each project that he takes on.
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