Guitarist. Pancake ninja!? Hair metal enthusiast. Author. This round of questions goes out to Edward of Negative Thirteen.
What is your full name?
Edward Banchs
Do you have any aliases?
Nope!
What bands are you actively involved with?
Negative 13. I play guitar.
What was the first instrument that you played?
Guitar. I always wanted to play drums, but my mother would not let me get a drum set when I was in grade school. Too loud! Thus, I began strumming the six string.
Tell me about one of your first musical memories?
I have plenty. But mostly it was listening to the radio with my younger sister. We would record songs from a little Casio voice recorder from MTV so we could make mixtapes. I fell in love with 80s pop and hair metal at the same time. I truly love metal, but my desire to chase a melody is never far away.
What was the name of the first band you were in?
NoiseDriver
Tell me about the genesis of Negative Thirteen.
The 4 of us, then, as much as now with Mary, all have different musical influences that we bring to the table. It’s about truly expressing who we are as musicians, not necessarily trying to fit into a box, or what we think audiences would love. We do what we want to musically. Our only rule was to be a heavy band. Melody, sludge, doom, hardcore, post-punk are all a part of it.
I always enjoyed a riff that could move someone, get that gas pedal down a little harder, or get someone’s head going back and forth. That’s what has always motivated me as a songwriter. And when we all first met (Mary joined in 2022), we all had a similar vision. It worked out well for us.
What inspired the name Negative Thirteen?
This was the name Scott and Chip had for the band in the mid-90s before we all met up. They held onto it for years. I don’t know what motivated it for either of the two, but it works. I love it.
How long did it take you to write and record Recover What You Can?
Not too long to be honest.
I started writing songs for this alongside our second album, Mourning Asteri. Some of these ideas could have ended up on our second record but we decided to leave the finished songs alone (and record them for MA) and keep building on the ones we felt could still open up. Casket Trail, Vulture Circles and Horizon Divides are those songs.
The others came after just playing out the ideas I brought into the practice space and allowing everyone to add their bits and pieces to them, make mistakes, and start them all over again. We work best from our mistakes. Sometimes, if need be, we dismantle the whole idea, and start again with the one riff that we felt was the strongest. That’s how Horizon Divides, and the song Recover What You Can came about.
This unit is pretty good at this point at knowing how we play and what to expect from each other. So it helps when it comes time to push each other too. Songwriting with this band, for me particularly, is a dream. Things are fairly easy for us.
All in all in less than one year it was all written and recorded.
If you could insert yourself into any one band what band would it be and why?
Probably something non-metal related. The Get Up Kids come to mind.
Have you ever heard a song and immediately wished you had written it? If so… What was the song and artist?
Too many to list.
“Just Like Heaven” from The Cure is probably the top one.
Jimmy Eat World has some songs I absolutely adore.
Anything by Helmet.
From the world of doom, the last few Pallbearer albums I’m blown away by and kind of wish I would have written.
A lot of Baroness, Cave In and Converge songs I absolutely enjoy as well. At this point, I wish any of those three bands would just call and ask me to join their band already.
Do you have any non-metal musical inspirations?
I’ve listed a few by this point, but the era of the New Romantics British new wave, Grunge and some late 80s pop had some excellent song writers. Mary, our bassist, turned me on to Steely Dan and The Romantic and I’ve grown to really enjoy those records. What gems in those catalogues.
What’s a non-metal song that you'd like to do a cover of?
New Order’s “Regret.”
What band have you played with that has really impressed you with their live show?
A local Pittsburgh band, Greywalker. Holy shit do they rip live.
Do you have a favorite venue to play at?
As long as I’m on stage with Negative 13, that’s the place for me.
Do you have a pre-show ritual?
I like warming up a little by playing some jazz. It helps me stretch my fingers. And talking to my band a bit also helps.
What is your favorite thing about touring?
We don’t tour much to be honest. But getting to see new places is always an excellent experience.
What is your least favorite thing about touring?
I love my home too much.
Is there a city that you love to hit while on tour?
At this point in our lives–all of them!
What’s the weirdest experience you’ve had on the road?
Years ago, Negative played at some dive bar in West Virginia that showed, let’s say “dirty films” on all of the televisions (which were everywhere) while bands played. Odd.
The year is 2006. Where are you at and what are you listening to?
I was in college as a 26 year old freshman (Florida Atlantic University). Between The Buried & Me and God Forbid come to mind as records I listened to a lot back then.
What advice would you give young musicians that are just starting out in the music business?
Do your best to be as honest to yourself as you possibly could. Nothing is worse than losing sight of who you are and what you want to accomplish.
What is an absolute killer band?
Cult of Luna.
Have you ever recorded a song that you really didn’t like, but somebody else in the band really did?
Not sure I could point to one song, but on the first album there is a song called “Leach” that always stood out as a sore thumb. But it always went over well live so we kept playing it out a lot. Chip really liked that one.
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?
On Deaf Ears
Black Sabbath (c’mon, who wouldn’t want to see them headline)
Helmet
Deftones
If I think about it any longer this list would be about 120 bands long….
What’s the longest time you’ve gone without bathing?
Lol, probably three or four days while visiting Madagascar.
What’s one thing that most people don’t know about you?
I am an ethnomusicologist and have written two books that involved me traveling throughout the African continent in order to document rock and heavy metal scenes.
The books are called Heavy Metal Africa and Scream For Me Africa!
Is the Fistful of DOOM show in the top 10 of your favorite music podcasts?
It is now!
Do unicorns sleep standing up?
I think they sleep while flying! That explains the rainbow colored poo in my yard.
Give me three albums that I should listen to immediately, if not sooner.
The latest from Unto Others, Undeath, and Opeth.
You’re driving cross-country and you can only listen to one album the whole time. What album will it be?
Probably anything by Cult of Luna
You are writing a book about your life thus far. What is the title of that book?
“It’s All Made of Cheese.”
What is your favorite song by Taylor Swift?
Pass!
SLEEP or High On Fire (if you had to choose)?
Sleep
Doobies or Boobies (if you had to pick one)?
I’m sober….so…..
Waffles or Pancakes (if you had to pick one)?
My pancakes are the best! Trust me. You are welcome to come over anytime and try them.
Star Wars or Star Trek (if you had to choose)?
Star Wars obviously.
Favorite band t-shirt you own?
My OG Helmet “Meantime” shirt.
Favorite meal?
Mexican food
Favorite book?
Too many to answer. But a recent novel I read “The World And Everything That It Holds” by Jonathon Hemon was a delight.
Favorite movie?
Shawshank Redemption.
Favorite album?
I hate this question, but let’s just Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and move on before I change my mind.
Favorite video game?
Don’t play, sorry.
Favorite Professional Wrestler?
Rosemary from TNA/Impact. She is a fan of ours, and we are fans of hers!
Massive thanks to Edward for taking the time to answer these questions. I appreciate you doing so. As for the rest of you, click on the link so generously provided below and wrap your ears around Negative Thirteen’s latest offering Recover What You Can. You will not be disappointed.
~El Pedo Caliente (aka Uncle Jameson from the Fistful of DOOM show)
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