Riddlin' Kids Interview
11/24/01
We spent some time with drummer, Dave Keel and bassist Mark Johnson of Riddlin' Kids-- Austin, TX,
newest buzz band at the House of Blues in Los Angeles and got the 411 on their sound, influences and
preferences...
Before the interview, we got to see first-hand, Riddlin' Kids live. They blew threw an energetic
set filled with melodic pop-punk songs that made you glad you came for an early Monday night show. Songs like "I Feel
Fine," "See the Light" and the cover of REM's, "It's the End of the World" are sure to jump start them into the
forefront of the punk-pop scene.
Noize Addict: How did you get the name? Is it true the
band was originally called Ritalin?
Riddlin' Kids:
Since we received a "cease & assist" from the drug company the manufacturers Ritalin, we
had to change the name. So we tweaked it a little.
NA: For the Noize Addict/Noize Pollution reps
out there that haven't heard of you-How would you describe your sound to them?
RK: Mall-Core. Pop-Punk, but heavier.
NA: How long have you been together
RK: This line up--two years.
NA: Who are your influences?
RK: From Motown to hip-hop. From Sinead O'Conner
to Slayer to They Might Be Giants. So, it's quite a mix.
NA: When did you get signed?
RK: August 4th, 2000. Wow, that's one day I'll
never forget!
NA: When will the full-length album be out?
RK: March 2002. The name is still
undecided...it may be self-titled, we're not sure.
NA: So do you know what the single will be?
RK: We think it may be "Here We Go Again" or
"I Feel Fine."
NA: How long have you been tour? When does it wind down?
What are your plans after the tour ends?
RK: We have been on tour since June 28th. We have Christmas
off and then we have plans to go on the Warped Tour and then maybe going to London in August.
NA: You've toured with some great acts including New Found Glory and
Fenix TX. Who have you enjoyed sharing the bill with most?
RK: River City High. Those guys are dope, they just
got sponsored by Jim Beam! It's too bad your missing them right now! Also,
we had a good
time with No Motive and Movielife who are on Drive-Thru Records.
NA: You hail from Austin, Texas, which is known for the South By Southwest
Music Conference as well as having great local music scene. How was it starting out there?
What's the scene like...a lot of competition?
RK: They don't help out. It's all
about who you know. There are groups of struggling bands that help each other
out. A lot of the bars there want you to play every week or not at all, which can be hard
to maintain a draw. So we would play shows, instead of every Wednesday night, it would be every other Wednesday
night. Then, finally, it ended up being one Wednesday night a month, but with a bigger draw.
NA: Any advice to bands trying to make it?
RK: Stick to it. Don't give up. We have
been playing since we were 7 and 15 years old.
NA: What are you listening to now?
RK: Marvin Gaye, River City High, Bela Fleck
and Jimmy Eat World.
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MARK
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DAVE
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INSTRUMENT
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Bass
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Drums
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AGE
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22
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27
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BORN
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Trenton, NJ
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Texas
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INFLUENCE
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Decendants
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KISS-Peter Criss
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FAVORITE ALBUM
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Decendants
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Master of Puppets
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FAVORITE CITY
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NYC, LA, Chicago
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NYC & Chicago
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GRUB
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Stuffed Shells-Any Italian
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Wienerschnitzel
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SHOP
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Hot Topic--Mall Core!
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Toys-R-US
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BLONDES OR BRUNETTES?
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Brunettes
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50-50...as long as they don't have a dick!
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On a personal note...we would like to apologize to Mark & Dave for our broken voice recorder...
we hope we got it all right, it was a blast anyway!
Interview by: Suzy & Mindy
To view past Interviews and Favorites click HERE.
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