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By Semone
Maksimovic
September 1st, 2003
Semone Maksimovic spends a lot of time badgering various rock groups
for acid logic interviews, but sometimes
she needs to look no further than her backyard (Australia) to find
some exciting bands. Take Spod, for instance - a highly demented
mix of drum machines, guitars and Ebonics combine for an eclectic
live performance and music. some of which can be download off the
Spod site. For more info, read on..
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Who was Spod started with, what was their role?
Twas myself and Peejay when I was the
Lord Redfive. We used to hang out in my rumpus room and instead of playing
pool, we thought we'd stand on it and play guitars, and record it onto
old cassette tapes. We didn't have rolez as such, but I always ended up
doing the programming of my yamaha keytar and drum machine, and Peejay
rocked the guitar coz he could solo mad hot. We shared all vocal duties
and basically made every song up on the spot. We were too lazy, drunk
& excited to ever go back and learn how we played the trax coz making
a new one was so much radder. Over time, land mass seperated Peejay &
I, and I merged into Spod and have continued the fight with both the spirits
of Peejay and Lord Redfive in my hizzeart.
How did it evolve from it's humble beginnings
to the introduction of Dannyvan Halen?
Dannyvan was the little brother of Peejays girlfriend and he just
got with wanting to play drums. So he came over, we played and recorded
"Live @ the House of Deth" and we luved him and he luved us.
Then when Peejay moved away, Dannyvan hung around and we played as a two
piece live like twice a year, still rocking the Spod solo set in the middle,
and we also shared a house near the beach where we co-wrote some shizzle
like "country of sweden". He got up for an impromptu version
of "country of sweden" @ the single launch in July at the Hopetoun
which was rad. We haven't played that together with him on guitar for
3 years or so. Luv!!!
When did you start wearing the SPOD uniform?
Spodz always had uniforms of some sort, the current pink thing has
hung around for ages. We started wearing it early 2001 I think maybe?
Me and Peejay used to wear pink jumpers with knitted designs of our faces
on them and white shorts in our initial shows, so we've luved to rock
out in Pink from the start, but it takes a bit of courage to unleash such
radness. Now pink is like black, so i've gotta move on I think. Too many
dudes in pink makes the luvship sink, yo.
How did you come across the scorpion dance team?
I was @ the Ashfield youth centre freestyling over Nelly beats and
they were teaching teenage dance classes. They forgot their dance tape
one day and asked if they could dance to my orsum beatz. I dropped in
an early version of 2131, and they cold blacked out. When they came to,
they were part of the S.P.O.D. Crew 4 loife.
Who designs the uniforms we see on stage today?
The Scorpion Danse Team design and construct all their uniforms, mine
are from Kmart, Lowes & Converse (open to shoe sponsorship yo). Reprahzehnt!
But we're stepping it up a level. There are some other acts in Australia
now realising that dancers are rad and are trying to get with, so we've
gotta step up and stay ahead of the gizame yo.
Did it come as a shock being added to high rotation on JJJ recently?
Yeah, it did. It's mindblowing but it's taken 10 years or so, but
Spod is definitely something that I imagined would just dissappizear into
the night, inside my adoring heart n shiznit. So now anything that hizappens
is a bonus, i'm just very happy with Spizod's positioning right now with
people digging it n stuff. Once the album gets released, then bizzam!
I've acheived more than I ever dreamt and can retire happy, but fizuck
that, i'm gonna soldier on into world domination and start my own supermarket.
Have you noticed new fans at your shows since the rotation?
Kind of. Every show i've played, someone who's seen the show comes
back and brings a friend to get with the radness. It seems about 75% luv
the Spod, 20% don't get it, and 5% are haters. The single launch felt
more like a party with friendz coz it was mainly people who have been
coming to my shows for ages, but yeah, there were alot of new faces, it
sold out pretty quick.
Your debut record Taste The Radness is out soon? When can we expect
that in stores?
I'm hoping mid september, but there's always something else to push
it back... But yeah, it's coined for mid September 2003, which is exactly
10 years since Spod first wrote their first song. Beautiful shiznit!
What should fans that haven't yet witnessed the spod live experience
expect from a spod show?
Luv, power, flowerz, glitter, bubblez, freedom, dancing, hotness,
radness and beatz that'll snizap yo nizeck!
Tell us about your embarassing stage experience while supporting Warped
in Melbourne recently... (does that have anything to do with the demise
of the white shorts?)
Ahh, that was with the Night Terrors, Solaris & Season @ the Rob
Roy. Basically, they were an old pair of shorts that have done more than
their fair share of duty, and I hit the floor a bit hard, felt them tear,
looked down and saw that my shorts had turned into a miniskirt. I just
ignored it and solidered on to the delight/dismay of the crowd, especially
the two girls sitting @ the front of the stage. They know me quite well
now in a physical sense. I now wear black shorts in mourning for the white
shortz.
What are your plans for the next two months?
Well, theres a Decoder Ring remix i've done coming out early August,
but is only a radio release for now. It's of "Alsace Lorraine"
which is now called "Born 2 Luv". It's like that Jason Nevins
v Run DMC thing, y'know all like Decoder Ring v Spod, but instead of just
ruining a great song like Nevins, I reinvented the song, then ruined it.
I ripped the track apart and Spodified it, lyricised it and layered on
some radness for good measure. It's one of my fav D-Ring traxxx and i'm
honoured they chose me to work with them. It's got this massive U-Boat/foghorn
bassline in the intro of the track & these string bursts, so I shaped
my song around that and drove it down Justin Timberlake avenue via Marilyn
Manson's hottub in which Tatu were pashing off. They gave me full freedom
and we're all super-happy with the result. It's got Krylon (Scorpion)
& Lottie (rad decoder kid) backing me up on the massive glory chorus
n stuff, it's the freedom that the heart yearns for!!!c Asides from that,
i'm releasing "Taste the Radness" in Sept, playing some more
shows and then working on the live show, new songs and doing the album
launch in October, playing as nationally as we can muster. There may even
be some festival action...
The "Letz Dance!" single is out now,
featuring the rare b-side from way back "Squidgeman" -exclusive
to this release. The single in super-limited quantity on Architecture/Spod
Recordings which is only available from Spod shows or his website: www.spod.com.au
for a bargain at $5!
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