www.hell-cat.com/artists/artist/215
The Mercy Killers are:
Craig Fairbaugh - Vocals/Guitar
Sam Soto - Bass/Vocals
Colin Berrill - Drums
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photo: kimmy cash
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2005 marked the completion of the creative trio titled the Mercy Killers. Dark on the outside, creamy center filled with punk, Hellcat Record's Mercy Killers bring original, ever changing music. Lust for Hope is all you need when listening to them... and their sounds will wash over you like Bloodlove.
Check out their new album, add them to your myspace friends (www.myspace.com/mercykillers), and become a fan of this awesome band. Oh, and check out GodsGirls.com to read a sweet ass interview with a cool bitch. Wait! YOU ARE!
Here's what Craig had to say to us:
Veronica: When did you guys start? What sparked the formation of the Mercy Killers?
Craig: The idea of the band started when I left my old band, The Forgotten. I played guitar and did some backing vocals with them. I wanted to sing more and be able to sing the songs that I write, songwriting is an extremely personal experience for me, so I set out to start a new band. Around the same time I was on the road playing guitar with Transplants, and Tim mentioned I should start my own band and sing, he was a fan of my voice, a complete coincidence that he mentioned me starting another band. He offered to put it out on Hellcat, and that being one of my favorite labels ever, I jumped at the opportunity. Later while on tour in New Orleans, Tim mentioned I should talk to this guy he knew named Sam Soto. Sam played with a band called Original Sinners before (with Exene from X) so I knew he was a badass musician. I called him when I was walking around the French Quarter and we talked for hours, pretty much deciding at that moment we would start a band together. He had been wanting to start a band and name them Mercy Killers, so we went with that. He played guitar in Original Sinners, but made the move to bass for MK so that we could be a 3 piece. We existed as a two piece for a while, looking for the perfect drummer. We jammed with Branden from the Used, Todd from Death by Stereo, but they were already occupied with their respective bands. We wanted a phenomenal drummer, you're only as good as your drummer, so he had to be the best musician in the band. After almost two years, I was on tour in Ireland playing guitar with Lars Frederiksen and The Bastards. It was there that I met Colin Berrill. He gave me a demo of his band in Ireland, I listened to it a few days later, and hired him instantly. I heard one song and knew he was the one. He did this one fill at the end of the song that blew my mind. Colin came out and we started practicing and writing together and that was when Mercy Killers were finally formed. That was spring of 2005.
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photo: lyndsey
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Veronica: Your full length album "Bloodlove" has just been released this past August. What are you most proud of about it? What were your anticipations prior to the record release?
Craig: I think we're most proud that our sound is hard to define, we think. Each song is different enough from the next, but it still sounds like one band. And we wanted to incorporate our love for the 'darker' more melancholy side of life, the bittersweet, the occult, without sounding contrived. A lot of bands implicate that with image and fashion, mixing 'goth' and punk... but we wanted to literally fuse our life's aesthetic and influences we had in the music itself. In short, we wanted to make an honest record, and I think we achieved that. I don't think we really had any expectations. We expected people to not really get it, for punk kids to not like it because it was different, but we've been pleasantly surprised by the reaction, a lot of people understand what we were trying to do and that's refreshing. Other than that, we were just happy to put our music out into the world, maybe people would like it as much as we do. So far, so good.
Veronica: What is different about the Mercy Killers, in comparison to most music being produced today?
Craig: That's kind of a broad question... we don't really compare ourselves to other bands. We just like to make music.
Veronica: If one hadn't heard your band, how would you describe it?
Craig: I would describe it as a darker sounding punk band. But I think it's hard to describe us as having one sound.
Veronica: What are some of your biggest influences?
Craig: Personally I draw from all kinds of music as influences, from oldies and motown and soul, bands like The Crystals, The Ronnetes, I love Sam Cooke a lot... to some gothier things like Nick Cave, Depeche Mode or Christian Death, a lot of singer songwriter stuff like Johnny Cash's Unearthed box set. But I grew up listening to a lot of UK punk and oi, Generation X, Menace, Stiff Little Fingers, I love Leatherface and the Jam a lot too. Sam grew up listening to more goth bands, so the combination of when we write together is really different. We never say we want to sound like a certain band, we just write whatever comes out.
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photo: kimmy cash
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Veronica: What are some of the perks to being on Hellcat Records?
Craig: I'd say all the great bands that are on that label, that's the biggest perk, being in such great company; Joe Strummer (R.I.P.), Rancid, Dropkick Murphys, Horrorpops, Nekromantix... so many amazing bands and people.
Veronica: Are there any future tour plans in the works?
Craig: No future tour plans right now. I'm playing with another band at the moment too, called Plus 44, and that's keeping me more than busy at the moment. And while I'm doing that Sam has a band he's going to start playing with... that'll be out of the bag once this interview is read... but it's on the dl now!
Veronica: Do you feel in your opinion you are a better band to see live?
Craig: That's just two different things to me, two completely different animals. In the studio, you get to create more atmosphere, really make things sound exactly how you want them. Where as live, it's just raw energy, playing really hard and pouring all of our everything into the songs.
Veronica: Who are some of the bands you hope to eventually be able to play with?
Craig: I'd have to say I'd love to play with Heavens, I'm a big fan of their record. Bauhaus would be interesting. We already played with Social Distortion and TSOL, two more that would for sure be on that list. Personally I'm not a fan of much new music though.
Veronica: What emotions/thoughts/movements do you get to express through your music, that maybe you couldn't do without it?
Craig: I don't think there's any emotions, thoughts, or movements that I get to express through music, that I don't express in everyday life. I write about things that are going on, real events and emotions in my life. It's just different. Music gives you the medium of instruments and different sounds to express what's in one's head, so it's just a more complete thought, more intense emotion.
Veronica: Is there any message in particular you want people to hear through your music?
Craig: There's no one message, no. If anything I've always thought punk rock and rock music was a really good way of spreading the message for people to think for themselves. Be open and create your own message. All music does that I think, it lets you hear other peoples thoughts and ideas and emotions. If I had to pick a message I wanted people to take from us? I would hope it gives someone solace by relating to a certain song, makes them think, or makes them create something of their own. That's what I would hope for. I hope our music makes people feel.
Veronica: What song in particular on your new album are you most proud of? Is there any song you are super happy to have people hear for any certain reason?
Craig: Songs are like children to me. I love them all equally. "End Transmission" is pretty wild, I like the string/synth intro, the different beats and feel to it. That song really embodies our sound well I think. It's completely all over the place and sounds like nothing I've ever heard. That song is exciting to me. "Bloodlove," the title track is fun to play, I sing in a really different register, it's more of a love song... well, about blood, but it's really poppy with an almost do-wop sound at the same time.
Veronica: What are some things that are important to you, that you wish people knew more about, or paid more attention to? Educate us on this.
Craig: Wow, I could go on for days. Really basic things that are important to me? I wish people were less selfish, and more selfless. More compassion. I think the root of most problems and "evils" in the world stem from a lack of selflessness and empathy. I wish people paid more attention to each other, and making the world a better place. Especially this country. We set a horrible example for the rest of the world, and spread this capitalistic greedy mentality. We consume 80% of the world goods, but only supply 20%. The rest of the world is our slaves so we can have bigger and better everything. We waste so much. Our message is soul crushing, work 12 hours a day so you can buy a really giant car that destroys the ozone and will kill our children, and spend ridiculous amounts of money on things you don't need. Then you can enjoy the status of driving an all terrain vehicle in downtown cities, all the while driving right by someone dying in the street with no clothes or food. So many aspects of life really blow my mind. Just the fact that there are people suffering and dying of hunger, while people live in mansions complaining about taxes, blows my mind. And the irony of the "Moral Majority" of the right wing, raping young boys and starting oil wars? I'm so glad the right wings hold on government is on the way out. I just hope people open their eyes and make this country a respectable place to live, and this world a respectable world to live in. At this point? To call myself a human is embarrassing. That sucks.
Veronica: Tell me about "The Burrito Project".
Craig: Burrito Project is something my friends started to feed the homeless. It's simple, they make a ton of bean and rice burritos, throw them in a messenger bag and ride their bikes through skid row in downtown Los Angeles and give burritos to homeless people that are hungry. For 40 dollars you can make hundreds of burritos, and it takes an hour or two to make them and hand them out. But the difference that makes on people is tremendous. I can't imagine being down and out, and someone just gave me some food because they cared and wanted me to eat. It provides food AND hope, I think. It's a great cause because ANYBODY can do it. It shows how easy it is to make a difference. Go to www.myspace.com/burritoproject to learn more or donate a buck or two. Pretty soon there will be a DIY page to help people start their own. And the best thing about it? It's not a church affiliated group, there is no agenda, there's not even a face of the organization, it's fairly anonymous. It's simply just to help others.
Veronica: What do you guys do when you're not together doing this?
Craig: Like I said, I play in another band, Plus 44. You can learn more about us at www.plusfortyfour.com, or visit us on myspace at www.myspace.com/plus44. There's a entertaining fansite too, www.plus44online.com. Sam will be playing with another band soon, keep your eyes out for that. Colin plays with various different bands in Ireland, from traditional irish bands, to various punk bands he fills in on drums for. We all keep busy musically when not doing MK.
Veronica: Is there anything you wanna let people know to check out?
Craig: Stop by the Mercy Killers myspace page and add us. You can listen and download mp3's, read reviews of "Bloodlove," links to buy the record online, read other interviews, and more. www.myspace.com/mercykillers. Thanks so much for the interview!!
