Frank: I am great its a wonderful day!!
Micah: I have long hair and like to headbang
TheJudge: splendid
Luke: I'm hungry
VMU: Where are you from and who is the current line up?
Frank: Charlotte, Mi. .....Bass guitar
Micah: Charlotte, Mi. ... Drums
TheJudge: Ypsilanti MI, ... Guitar
Luke: I live around Detroit Mi, but that's not where I'm from. I'm the
guy that sings or walks in circles.. or both..
VMU: How many releases have you put out and who produced?
Frank: Ask Luke
Luke: What do you consider a release? We have a demo that is mainly
just
Frank and myself.. my vocals, the boss drum machine, and Frank playing
guitar and bass (not at the same time).. it's really poor quality.. but
you can hear a few of those songs on VM Underground on KrushRadio.com
anyone ever hear of it?
VMU: Were the recordings done digital or analog? (if comps what programs)
Frank: Digital/Acid.... I recorded the
music onto my digital recorder and
I am too lazy to figure out how to master a song on the digital so I went
the easy way and uploaded each track onto my laptop and mixed it with
Acid.
Luke: I'm still trying to figure if its live or Memorex..
VMU: How did the band form?
Frank: I lived in LA at the time and was
apart of the LA deathrock scene
and wanted a deathrock band so I talked to Mr. Luke and we decided to make
one.
Micah: I joined when Frank and Luke need a drummer and asked me
Luke: I guess you can say it's been Frank and myself.. and then we got
Micah before our first show when we realized he had a natural gift for
drumming.. and then just recently.. two weeks before our second show, The
Judge was like.. "want me to fill in?" and now he's permanent..
VMU: How did you get the name Red Lipstick Death?
Frank: I had a dream it wasn't quite like
Mr. Martin Luther King JR. but
pretty close. Basically I had a dream I started a band with the name and
woke up and decided that's what the name would be just because I felt like
it and I don't care what anyone thinks because it was my dream and they
were not there to experience it.
VMU: Do you prefer live or studio recording?
Frank: I like live because its more raw
but Studio is always fun.
Micah: I prefer Studio because I clean music
Luke: I really don't care, as long as we're recording.
VMU: How's the local music scene in your home town?
Frank: huh? I don't think there is such a
thing......
Micah: Metal!! But I like metal so that's ok
TheJudge: Its pretty scattered, but good. I mean RLD is from 3
different
regions of MI. It seems like every couple of shows I go to, there's a good
turnout, and
there's always a few people ya know, even if the shows are scattered all over
the state.
VMU: What do you express in your lyrics?
Frank: The one song I wrote was expressing
my pain of loosing a friend who
from the circumstances probably is in hell and how I should have been
there being what God wants me to be instead of dwelling on my pains of
loosing a girlfriend and how God is the only thing that matters in life
and we all need to focus on Him so that an opportunity to witness or be an
example to someone who is not Christian won't be missed. The song is a new
song that is called "He Is Dead (Overdose)"
Micah: I only drum
Luke: I write the majority of the songs, because I don't really do much
else. Everything I write comes as inspiration from God. I can't write
something of my own inspiration and feel it worthy to be put to music. my
main point is that the world is dying, everyone will be dead.. Christ
lives and will live on even after this world is gone.
there's a song we have called Christian holocaust, and I wrote that when I
read a website that spoke of killing Judeo Christian people. It was
rather disturbing.
I'm not going to preach, but I'm going to show
that I have a mind.. I have
a belief.. and we're not going to go with the flow when the flow is going
straight to hell.
VMU: How do you feel about other artists expressing their beliefs in
music? (Religious or political)
Frank: I think without expressing your
beliefs in music it kinda takes
away from the whole point in vocals :-)
Micah: I don't listen to the lyrics I just listen to how it all sounds
together
TheJudge: That's the point of music, I think some of the best music
ruffled
feathers and stood for the artist's beliefs. If you believe in something, then
I think that
gives you one heck of a good reason to write a song. The Rock Against Bush CD,
while
I don't fully go along with their agenda, I totally loved like most of those
songs
and I respect that they're trying to make a difference with the gifts and
blessing they have as artists and somewhat public figures.
...so in short, I think its good to write songs about what you stand for
and believe in.
Luke: I prefer cause music. No matter what the cause is.. well. I don't
listen to satanic music.. because.. yea I have limits.. but if someone
believes and puts thought into a certain stance, whether I agree or not..
they have my respect..
VMU: Could you explain in detail the gear you use?
Frank: I have a Washburn 5 string bass
with a Peavy half stack bass amp
Micah: Pearl Drum set hi hat, snare, floor tom, tom and tom, bass,
crash,
ride, and drum sticks... eventually I will get a throne... :-)
TheJudge: The cheapest Les Paul I could find, its the Epiphone Les Paul
special II. black with 2 beefy Humbuckers that kick out the jams... it
actually is pretty cool cuz I got it
on sale for like 170 and this guy from my church, Paul Murphy, works on
guitars and builds them, he like worked on it and like adjusted things I
didn't even
know could be adjusted, it wouldn't be half the guitar it is without the work
he
did on it. And a chop-shop fender stage 100 amp, it has been like
turbo-charged so
its like 2x as loud as a normal stage 100, I love it!
Luke: Vocal Chords.. I think I use a Shure microphone at practice.. and
whatever is supplied at the show.. I do drink olive oil at practice.. and
coffee... lotsa coffee..
VMU: Who are your musical influences?
Frank: Jesus has always been my influence
and I always go to Him before
writing anything, Adam Ant, and that's it.
Micah: Blaster The Rocketman and rap
TheJudge: Norma jean, avenged sevenfold, the cure, black flag, the dead
kennedys, MxPx, Blink 182 and Tom DeLonge in general, and like the list is
endless, I don't
actually listen to deathrock... I'll be honest, I still don't really know what
it
is...
Luke: Jesus Christ most of all.. He Created all music. Otto Bot.. for
his
wild antics on stage.. tho I can't copy/mimic him. I also like old skool
misfits, UK Dekay, The Deadlines, Dead Kennedys.. I have a wide range of
musical taste.. Johnny Cash is great..
VMU: Any tours in the works?
Frank: --- Mr. Luke's job to know
TheJudge: We're gonna hit up the strip club circuit I think... that
should
be cool, we're gonna pass our tracts
(above statement wildly sarcastic and inaccurate)
Luke: Oh yea.. tours.. well.. I don't know when, since I just started a
new job.. we're hoping to get down to Indiana for some shows.. and then
possibly an east coast tour.. if we can get the time off and whatnot..
VMU: How did you do the recording process live or 1 on 1?
Frank: Right now 1 on 1 but I would like
to get some live eventually....
Luke: We're gonna try to get a live recording done of a show this
July...
VMU: How do you feel about the mainstream music scene? (USA and overseas)
Frank: I don't feel it at all. I won't say
its bad music because musically
the majority are very talented but it just doesn't do it for me....
Micah: I like it but I am into a lot of music
TheJudge: I think its a joke, its sickening when someone who wins a TV
show contest has a CD on the charts at the same level as bands and singers who
actually worked
at getting where they were.. Its all one big joke, I don't pay attention to it
really... I think that its fine if a band has the opportunity to crossover
into the
mainstream, because that's what you want, is to get your music to as many
people as you
can. Especially RLD, we want to get our message out about God and about Love
and
all that goodness. But all my favorite bands are unknown to 90% of the
population
Luke: I don't think I can answer that...
"I'm not here to get rich. I'm here
because
there is something to be said.. and we're gonna say it." - Luke
VMU: Any deals in the works?
Frank: No we haven't gotten serious enough
in my opinion but we are
working on it....
TheJudge: Sellout Records, this indie Michigan/Ohio label has shown
some
interest.
Luke: I think I know the owners of Sellout Records...
VMU: New recordings in the works?
Frank: No as of now but I am getting a PA
system real soon here that I
would like to use to do some live recordings.
TheJudge: Hopefully I can get on some tracks, it would be a first for
me.
Luke: I kinda talked about it in an earlier question. sorry.. my bad.
VMU: Any advise to other indie bands?
Frank: Don't do things because you want
people to like you do what you
feel like doing because music is all about the heart and if your heart is
not in it its no fun.
Micah: no not really
TheJudge: rock your brains out and be yourself, and freakin be all you
can
be!
Luke: Don't ever compromise your integrity.. your principle.. or your
drive.
VMU: Do any of you own a home studio? (What gear)
Frank: I have a Boss864 and it works
enough but is not permanent that's for
sure, plus my lap top for editing and such.
VMU: Why do you do what you do in music?
Frank: I do it because I love God and I
love people. I want to help people
and music is something that can bring us up or down and I want to bring
the love of Christ to people who are alone and wanting...
Micah: I love music
TheJudge: Because I want to be a part of the thing that gave me, and
still
gives me such an amazing center of gravity and sense of acceptance and
community. I want to
hopefully be able to offer back to the community of music something new and
fresh to
people that they can relate to.
Luke: Who else will do it? I'm not here to get rich. I'm here because
there is something to be said.. and we're gonna say it.
VMU: Thank you so much for your time!! Any last words?
Frank: The only thing in life that matters
is Jesus Christ because without
Him it would be meaningless....
Micah: God Bless
TheJudge: Yeah, if you don't pay your exorcist, you might get
repossessed.
Luke: You're all gonna die. Every last person on this earth will be
dead.
We all have this in common. What lies in store beyond the grave? nothing?
then what was life about? reincarnation? then what will you be
reincarnated into once this earth is destroyed. Life is Short.. Eternity
is Long.. what can you do to stop it?
http://www.myspace.com/redlipstickdeath
http://www.redlipstickdeath.cjb.net/
VM UNDERGROUND
MARCH 31 2005