Nelson: I had a mother who was musically inclined that exposed myself and my brother to music early on. I had some piano lessons when I was eight or so but it didn’t stick. When I was a freshman in high school in ’91- Nirvana broke and that was the main reason I bought a guitar and the “Nevermind” tab book and I kind of went from there. My first band Munkey Juice started in 1995 and was on and off till 2006. I played in a punk band called Jackass from 1996-2002, an art rock band called The Giddyup Jesus in 1999. The Heise Bros. came around in 2006 and we still put out records. The Hit & Mrs. is the reincarnation of the original Munkey Juice line-up but aged like fine wine. I have been blessed on my journey of life to run into musicians and band mates that have expanded my musical abilities, knowledge and styles. At some point all these exposures and influences find there way onto the disc I make with my various bands.

 

Nelson: Hell-noise pop rock, alt-country, jazz fusion, post-modern hip-hop, or something like that. Actually, we are just a rock band and I suppose it is indie rock in the sense that we are just a couple guys with a studio that pump out an album or two a year. We try real hard to put out albums that have different vibes but I think they would all just get labeled under indie or alternative rock. I would like to think our music has progressed through the years like The Beatles or Tom Waits and one could describe it by the phases/stage we were/are in. But that may be wishful thinking.

 

 

Nelson: We sell more songs and records via the internet, so for me and the bands I’m in, it has been a good thing. Stacie (drummer for The Giddyup Jesus, Munkey Juice & The Hit & Mrs,) is a graphic designer and he makes really cool websites for the bands and has won some awards, so I think it helps with exposure. We don’t play out a lot, so we need the internet as a way for people to hear us. I believe that visual art is part of music and I love album covers and reading liner notes, but things change and the art format of music has changed. Now instead of buying LPs or CDs, you download an album and go to the bands website for the art. There are pros and cons. I have a big LP and CD collection and technology has allowed me to convert them to mp3s and carry the whole collection around in an iPod and I think that is very cool and convenient.

 

If the technology question refers to the music industry and CD sale declines and the availability for anybody to build their own basement studio, I’m very much in support of it. It allows for more music and more accessibility. Major record labels genuinely just promote fast food music (not good, but edible crap) instead of creative musical forces, so if they fade- no major loss. Music will always exist.

 

 

Nelson: Positive thing- Never take things too serious- from shows, reviews, even inter-turmoil amongst band members. Life is too short, just rock out and have fun- that’s what it is about. Negative thing- I think of the saying “Opinions are like assholes, we all have one and they all stink”. I think people from club owners, record labels, and reviewers forget that their opinions can stink too and music is a matter of taste and perception. I know a lot people in those arenas that allow their ego to dictate decisions and hurt people for their own self-indulgence.