What is your full name?
Patrick Henry Brink - Moonzero 2 Commander
Do you have any aliases?
Not that I’m aware of
If you had an alias what might it be?
JP
What bands are you actively involved with?
Just VOLUME. I used to pull double shifts singing in other bands while I did VOLUME, but nowadays I'm giving VOLUME all the attention. I really want to focus on doing it right this time.
What was the first instrument that you played?
Guitar
Tell me about one of your first musical memories?
Listening to Rubber Ducky by Bert while I took baths when I was a kid. Believe it or not it really motivated me to want to be a singer.
What was the name of the first band you were in?
It was a punk band - Cold War. The name quickly changed to PG-13 then became Crisis, but not the metal Crisis that the awesome Karyn Crisis fronted.
Tell me about the genesis of VOLUME.
I started VOLUME back in 1994 with a friend from college. After a couple of years of jamming and writing songs we started playing and a little bit more before we put out our first demo back in 1997. I started VOLUME as a means to an end. Prior to VOLUME I used to just be the singer in various bands with limited input. In fact, back in 1991 I used to sing for Fu Manchu. I met those guys through Mark Abshire who had a punk band called stupidhead that I was in the process of trying out to be their singer. At the same time Mark was asked to jam with Fu Manchu and they were also looking for a singer. Their first singer had recently left. Anyways, Mark dug my vocals so he mentioned me to them and I ended up trying out for Fu Manchu instead of Stupidhead. We ended up playing a handful of shows but Scott had a different vision of Fu than I did. I was coming from a more aggressive approach and Scott wanted me to sing more laid back. We were coming from two different mindsets. They didn’t have text back in the day so I actually got the call- LOL. He said that they had a label who wanted to put out something from Fu Manchu and they wanted Scott to sing. And that was that. Scott had a vision for Fu and you got to give him props for that. He stuck with it and it paid off. 30 plus years and they are still rocking! Getting the call pushed me to start focusing on learning to play guitar so that I could write songs and have more input in the direction of the band. And that's how VOLUME was born. It was a vehicle for me to sing but this time I had the driver's seat and could steer the band into the direction I wanted to go in. I had a vision of a bad acid trip driving through the back desert highways on a freakout trip to vegas kind of sound. Something that was in your face, psychedelic, and rocking.
What inspired the name VOLUME?
I was trying to come up with names and they ended up being taken or I changed my mind because they just didn’t fit. One day I was pretty high looking at my box of cassettes and this band off of SST records SWA’s album name jumped out at me. It was VOLUME in all caps and that was that. And that's why I write it in all caps too. It just looked and sounded awesome.
How long did it take you to write and record the new album?
Requesting Permission To Land? Colossal Freak was a few years old. It was on our demos but Habit and Headswim were fairly new. The other two were covers. Make Believe was from my first band when it was Crisis and Don’t Look Around is a Mountain cover. We were in between drummers and bass players so I got some people to record with me and Jayson on the EP. Scott Reeder (Drums) from Fu Manchu and James Scoggins (Bass) from Final Conflict. We rehearsed a couple of times and went into the studio and jammed it out in 1-2 takes plus overdubbing and mixing over two weekends.
If you could insert yourself into any one band what band would it be and why?
Wow, that's a tough one. All the bands I would mention wouldn’t be who they are with other people in them. Their singer and/or guitarist are so iconic. Like the Stooges or MC5. If pressed I would say Black Flag, because they have had so many different singers, it wouldn’t kill the band. I actually almost ended up singing for one of Greg’s post Black Flag bands, but that's a different story for another time.
Have you ever heard a song and immediately wished you had written it? If so… What was the song and artist?
Sympathy for the Devil - The Rolling Stones and Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd for some of the same reasons.
Sympathy has so much vibe and storytelling. I love how the tension builds up musically and lyrically to almost a frenzy at the end and it's such a release emotionally. Great music, great lyrics, great production. Totally wish I could write something like that.
Do you have any non-metal musical inspirations?
Sure, lots of non-metal bands I draw from. I have always said this but Love and Rockets first three albums are killer. They are one of the main influences on me, especially the psychedelic aspect.
60’s garage/proto punk bands eg The Stooges, MC5, Sonics, Pink Fairies and the bands they inspired like Mudhoney, SWA, DC3. Zen Guerilla, Monster Magnet (early)
What’s a non-metal song that you'd like to do a cover of?
We actually recorded No New Tale to Tell by Love & Rockets, but never released it. I would like to redo that sometime or another one by them. Always wanted to cover Nervous Breakdown by Black Flag- that’s going to happen sooner than later.
What band have you played with that has really impressed you with their live show?
That's a tough one, but I'll have to say Nebula. They have always impressed me live!
Do you have a favorite venue to play at?
I took nearly a 20 year hiatus so It's been a long time since I have played out. That is all changing now that we have a full band. Our first show is for our record release at the end of this month. But I would have to say Club Mesa (The Wayfayer now) back in the day. I knew the promoter and he always treated the bands well. The shows were always packed and the beer was good. Plus they had free popcorn!!
Do you have a pre-show ritual?
Yeah, drink a beer and try to harness the sensory overload
What is your favorite thing about touring?
Back in the day we didn’t do much. We did weekend jaunts and did do a US tour. Hoping this time that all changes and we can even make it to Europe. But I dug seeing new people and new scenery every day. It was very cool.
What is your least favorite thing about touring?
You can get on each other’s nerves if you're not watching other people’s space - spatially and mentally and that is why we imploded on our US tour. We didn't understand each other's boundaries and some of us had trouble thinking beyond ourselves for an extended period of time. Myself included.
Is there a city that you love to hit while on tour?
Chicago was great!
What’s the weirdest experience you’ve had on the road?
Getting in a fist fight in our RV going 65 down the freeway at 2:30 in the morning after a killer gig with Solace, The Rubes, and Tummler.
The year is 1987. Where are you at and what are you listening to?
I'm definitely partying in the desert listening to St Vitus, Black Flag, SWA, Love & Rockets, and more…
What advice would you give young musicians that are just starting out in the music business?
It's all the stuff that's been said before, but you have to work on writing good songs way before you think about getting trendy gear. Without the hooks and riffs no Fuzz pedal or amp is going to hide lame song writing. Don’t settle for something generic. Get people who are close to you that can be brutally honest to give some feedback. Don’t be a prick, and make friends with other bands
What is an absolute band killer?
Girlfriend/wife issues and being unemployed. We are all good, in fact my wife was the one to suggest I get back out there and restart VOLUME. She is 100% behind me on this.
Have you ever recorded a song that you really didn’t like, but somebody else in the band really did?
Not in VOLUME
If you were to start your own music festival what would be the name of that festival and who would be the three headlining bands?
Iggy Pop
Monster Magnet
Ecstatic Vision
All three bring it live!!
What’s the longest time you’ve gone without bathing?
A week, maybe- lol
What’s one thing that most people don’t know about you?
That I love to read History, Theology, and Philosophy books
Do unicorns sleep standing up?
I thought they slept on clouds
Give me three albums that I should listen to immediately, if not sooner.
Halo Noose- Magical Flight EP/The Druid EP
Orange Sunshine - Live at Freak Valley 2013
The Lords of Altamont - Tune in, Turn on, Electrify
You’re driving cross-country and you can only listen to one album the whole time. What album will it be?
Monster Magnet - Spine of God
You are writing a book about your life thus far. What is the title of that book?
The Voyage Continues
What is your favorite song by Taylor Swift?
Don’t know if this is a trick question - lol, but that’s easy- Highway Don’t Care
Mastodon or Queens of the Stone Age (if you had to choose)?
QOTSA - I like big hooks
Waffles or Pancakes (if you had to pick one)?
Neither- omelets all the way
Star Wars or Star Trek (if you had to choose)?
Star Wars first 3 movies but as far as TV shows old Star Trek
Favorite band t-shirt you own?
I don’t have much… but I would say Fever Dog. They Rock!
Favorite meal?
Ribeye steak
Favorite book?
The Bible
Favorite movie?
Nacho Libre. Seen that at least 20 times and it's just as funny as when I first watched it
Favorite album?
Spine Of God/ High Time/ Funhouse
Favorite Professional Wrestler?
Conor Mcgregor
Derek Lewis
Massive thanks to Patrick for taking the time to answer my questions. I appreciate you. VOLUME’S Requesting Permission To Land is the best album that you didn’t know you needed to hear. So click on that link so generously provided below and feast your ears upon it!
~El Pedo Caliente (aka Uncle Jameson from the Fistful of DOOM show)
https://volume-rocks.bandcamp.com/album/requesting-permission-to-land
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