Interview by Chad Hillje
Editor - Kyle Hillje
Photographer - Mark Franzen
We’re sitting backstage trying to make out the faces through a cloud of smoke with local party boys and dub rock sensations, SlaughterHouse Rootz. The band just got off of the stage and warmed up the crowd for Pacific Dub and the rest of the evening. I was only able to sit down with three of the four guys as vocalist, Wyatt was said to be wondering around with his guitar and his weed, making new friends and quite possibly ex-girlfriends.
DRS-How you guys doin’?
SHR-Fine man. How you doin’?
DRS-Happy to be here guys! Who’s playing right now? Is it Pacific Dub?
SHR-No man, it’s Iration.
DRS-Ah shit, that’s right! We need to quit drinking before the interviews.
SHR-No, no, we like it like that! We need to party more often! You should hit this weed though.
DRS-Thanks man but I can’t. We’re working and have to keep our head straight (laughs). That’s why we have our assistant here.
DRS-First question. Barbie dolls or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?
SHR-Both!
DRS-Gentlemen, it’s good to see you guys on the same bill as Iration, Through the Roots and Pacific Dub. You guys are one of our hometown hero’s as far as dub rock is concerned. Colorado has embraced your sound and we want to know, do you guys feel the same love on the road in other places like your recent show in Austin, TX for the SXSW?
SHR-It was even more kind of love. Before SXSW we were in Iowa and got busted by the cops. They took all of our weed, but when we got down to Austin, not only was the show awesome but Austin Normal gave us an ounce of weed and said “hey man, we heard about your sorrows and here you guys go”.
DRS-That’s love right there!
SHR-It was like being home man. Just like here in Denver. People would do the same thing here. Ruta Maya really hooked us up down there. It really felt like home. Big shout out to Austin Normal! Those guys are our homies.
DRS-As far as the venues you guys have played locally, which one is your favorite?
SHR-(Dana) Right here at the Fox man! The Fox has the best sound and the best sound guys. They are real professional about it. They bring their shit man. (Kyle) I’m going with the Bluebird man. The Bluebird is my favorite. When you hit that bass drum, the bass tickles your rectum. (Byrd) Definitely the Fox man. Like Dana said, they are real professional about what they are doing. It’s refreshing to see a venue not only take their national act seriously but taking the local acts seriously as well.
DRS-You guys have a really good punk rock/reggae sound. We would like to know who your influences are as far as your sound is concerned?
SHR-(Dana) I’d have to say Tim Armstrong on his own and Tim Armstrong with Rancid. That’s my influence as far as the punk shit goes.
DRS-What about the reggae?
SHR-(Dana) The kings are Sublime! Then there is Slightly Stoopid.
SHR-(Byrd) I’d definitely have to say that Stoopid is doing it. They have a Grateful Dead following you know. Much respect to those guys and obviously Sublime. On the other side of that, I like a lot of 70’s rock like Clapton and Zeppelin of course. (Kyle) I’m going straight up with Miley Cirus! (Screaming) “PARTY IN THE U.S.A”!!! If you can’t rock a Miley Cirus song then get the fuck out of America!
DRS-Kyle, if you’re a Miley Cirus fan then did you see her dance on the stripper pole?
SHR-Oh yeah and Nickelodeon has never been better!
DRS-How do you feel about her daddy, Billy Ray Cirus?
SHR-We should totally cover that song Achy Breaky Heart.
DRS-We heard you guys play some Garth Brooks earlier. Do you have any Country influences?
SHR-(Byrd) I’m from the Midwest, from Iowa and I can’t say that I have any country influences but I’m very familiar with country music. I think we all get a kick out of it you know. We don’t try to play normal covers. We want to play obscure stuff you know. We are a reggae rock band to play a fucking country song you know. Not to mention fucking killing it. Big ups to D for getting on the mic and killing it.
DRS-You guys know what happens when you play a country song backwards right?
SHR-You get your dog back, your girlfriend back and you also get your truck back right? Oh yeah and you get circumcised unless you are Jewish. Its like, “you’re never getting this back”.
DRS-(Laughing) Alright guys back on track. Your previous two albums, Balls, Sacks and Bass and your Gloryhole sampler have a very good dub and punk vibe to them. Where do you guys see your sound moving towards in the future?
SHR-(Dana) Considering the last two albums we recorded stoned and drunk entirely, we think we might add in some tweak on the next one and get really fucking metal on this shit! (Laughs) I’m kidding. (Byrd) I think this summer is going to push us all. We are all working out different game plans as far as the dub side of it. Other than that we will be coming up with good material over the summer and marinate and have a good album and hopefully have something ready by the winter time.
DRS-By the way, there is a great metal band from Colorado playing tonight at the Marquis Theatre.
SHR-Big ups to Come Forth By Day!
DRS-Does all four of you guys contribute to writing your music?
SHR-(Byrd) A lot of our bread and butter is our live sound. Our adlib stuff you know, and a lot of our song writing comes from that. A lot of times Dana will have a bass line and we will be in the room and write a song around his bass line. Sometimes I’ll be in the room and have a hook in my head and we will all write a song around that. Wyatt will sit down and write a lot of songs you know. He will bring his ideas to us and we all just jam you know. (Dana) Basically what we do is drink some brews, get high as fuck and write songs and that’s just the way it is.
DRS-Ha ha. Big ups to lady Mary Jane. We know Iration is playing right now and you guys want to go and party so we’re going to wrap this interview up with one last question. Who would you guys like to share the stage with someday as you continue on your road to success?
SHR-(Byrd) Miley Cirus is definitely on the top of the list! Um, I can’t personally speak for the band but Slightly Stoopid is obviously killing the scene right now. Fortunately we are actually playing with those guys on August 8th in Minneapolis. We actually just heard that today and that news is so good. So that is kind of an ironic question to ask. You can ask the other guys their opinion and I’m pretty sure they are going to say Slightly Stoopid and maybe Rancid. (Dana) Boys II Men dude! (Kyle) I want to go on tour with Miley Cirus first but after that, Matisyahu would be kind of cool. Kind of a different crowd you know.
DRS-What about Bobby Brown and New Edition?
SHR-(Kyle) I don’t have enough money to buy Bobby Brown all that coke!
SHR-(Dana) One last thing I want to talk about is to say that the Colorado scene is coming up hard and I really appreciate all the fans in Colorado. This is where it’s at man. We want to spread the love! That’s the dream. (Byrd) If anybody wants to come and party then call up the SlaughterHouse Rootz cause we are always fucking down 24-7 and even on Monday’s.
DRS-Thanks for your time gentlemen, we love you guys!
SHR-Party on buddy.
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