Quit Your Day Job: Torche
Unless you were born with one of those silver spoons, you likely work a day job, sneaking time for your own business when not taking care of someone else's. You're not alone. Brandon Stosuy finds out how our favorite indie artists make ends meet...
Torche's Meanderthal is definitely one of the best albums of the year. Accordingly, I listen to it more than I probably should (basically daily). We posted "Healer" some time ago. If that's all you've heard from the record, you should be blown away by the sludge-pop goodness of "Grenades" (ignore pun), which you'll find after my discussion with frontman Steve Brooks about his job in a pizza shop. (If you already know the song, listen again.) You'll also find dates for the band's tour with Boris, etc. But first, here's Steve, the guy in the center in the Jesu shirt, and the rest of Torche playing "Healer" in Fort Worth in early May.
Now he'll talk pizza.
STEREOGUM: Is the pizza shop the kind of place where folks come in and sit down to eat? Or mostly takeout? What's it called?
STEVE BROOKS: Sit down restaurant and take out. Fellini's Pizza. Definitely the best Pizza place in town. I work in Buckhead [GA], so most of the customers are rich and snooty and rarely tip. Fuckers.
STEREOGUM: What are your duties exactly? Are you making the pizza itself?
SB: Clean up messes, serve pizza and take money. I don't want any other responsibilities, which is why I didn't start making pizzas.
STEREOGUM: Hmm, any insight into what goes into the dough? Seems like that's where the different restaurants differentiate themselves.
SB: I'm clueless about the dough and ingredients. I usually cut lemons, make iced tea and small shit.
STEREOGUM: Too bad you don't make the dough. I was going to ask if there was some metaphor that extends to songwriting.
SB: Nah, I don't think too much on the job. I usually talk a bunch of shit with my coworkers.
STEREOGUM: It seems like deep-fried pizza is popular in Scotland and Italy. Do you see any crossover potential in the States?
SB: Anything deep fried would work in the States. We're fat fucks.
STEREOGUM: While on the job, have you ever invented your own signature pizza? A specific combo of toppings, or whatever.
SB: No, I eat the same shit every day. Experimenting ended up in disaster from experience.
STEREOGUM: What, for you, constitutes the perfect pizza?
SB: Ingredients that mix well.
STEREOGUM: What's the most ridiculous topping request you've had to field?
SB: Anchovies. I just don't get it.
STEREOGUM: Are your co-workers aware of Torche?
SB: A few of them.
STEREOGUM: You're in the midst of various tours. So your boss must be cool with you taking time off?
SB: Yeah, I can go back whenever I want. I probably won't if the band does me good for the rest of the year. Hehe...
STEREOGUM: When you tour do you eat pizza? Or do you get sick of the stuff?
SB: Not really. [But] I ate pizza mostly 'cause it was free and I'm poor.
STEREOGUM: In your experience, which towns have the best pizza?
SB: Miami has good pizza, but other than Atlanta and Miami, I rarely eat pizza. The pizza I had in Europe wasn't as good as I thought it would've been.
STEREOGUM: What other jobs did you have prior to this?
SB: Awe shit ... um .... UPS, Lawn Service, Retail, call center customer service, receptionist and random temp bullshit.
STEREOGUM: Can you imagine making music full-time without a day job?
SB: I can imagine it, but we'll see what happens. I live pretty simple, so it's a possibility.
///
Torche - Grenades" (MP3)
Meanderthal is out now via Hydra Head. You can hear more from it at the band's MySpace. You can stream the entire thing here. And, make sure to catch them live:
06/16 - Greenville, SC @ Gottrocks &
06/17 - Wilmington, NC @ The Soapbox Laudrolounge &
06/18 - Charlotte, NC @ Milestone Club *
06/19 - Louisville, KY @ Cahoots %
06/20 - Indianapolis, IN @ Dudefest 2008
06/21 - St. Louis, MO @ 2 Cent Plain $
06/22 - Tulsa, OK @ The Monolith
06/24 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah ^
06/25 - Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse ^
06/27 - Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves ^
06/28 - Austin, TX @ The Mohawk ^
06/29 - San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit ^
07/01 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon ^
07/02 - Gainesville, FL @ Common Grounds ^
07/03 - Orlando, FL @ The Social ^
07/05 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl ^
07/06 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle ^
07/08 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat ^
07/09 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church ^
07/10 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall ^
07/11 - Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East ^
07/12 - Montreal, Quebec @ La Sala Rosa #
07/13 - Ottawa, Ontario @ Barrymore #
07/14 - Toronto, Ontario @ Lee's Palace #
07/15 - Buffalo, NY @ Tralf #
07/16 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop #
07/17 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Diesel #
07/18 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall #
07/19 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall #
07/22 - Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room #
07/23 - Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theatre #
07/25 - Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater #
07/26 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge #
07/29 - Seattle, WA @ Neumo's #
07/30 - Vancouver, BC @ Richard's on Richards Cabaret #
07/31 - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre #
08/01 - Reno, NV @ Tonic Bar
08/02 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall #
08/03 - Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex #
08/31 - Orlando, FL @ The Back Booth
& w/ Howl, Shitstorm
* w/ Harvey Milk, Major Stars, Shitstorm
% w/ Coliseum, Howl, Shitstorm
$ w/ Clouds
^ w/ Boris, Clouds
# w/ Boris
[Photo by Jason Hellmann; left to right: Jonathan Nunez, Rick Smith, Juan Montoya, Steve Brooks]
Posted at 2:10 PM by brandon in MP3, Quit Your Day Job, Tour Dates, Video
Tags: Torche
Aw shucks, these guys deserve way better than to be cleaning up rich people's pizza crumbs. "Meanderthal" is definitely one of my favorite albums of the year, and I'm glad you keep giving them props, Stereogum. Torche is great live, and to think Clouds will be on before them makes it even more awesome.
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I got to speak with Rick (drummer) after their show in Birmingham. Meanderthal has owned my CD player for the last 2 months, and the band members couldn't possibly be any more down to earth and chill guys. Very deserving of all the praise and good pub they're getting imo...
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I got to speak with Rick (drummer) after their show in Birmingham. Meanderthal has owned my CD player for the last 2 months, and the band members couldn't possibly be any more down to earth and chill guys. Very deserving of all the praise and good pub they're getting imo...
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rick doesnt have a belly button. i shit you not.
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healer's intro sounds remarkably similar to sonic youth's mildred pierce. anyone noticing this? funny.
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Hey Calib, you're not hearing things. Over at Paper Thin Walls, the guitarist, Juan, calls the track a tribute to SY: "It’s kinda like my tribute to Sonic Youth. I love that band like crazy. Actually, I think there’s a Sonic Youth song out there that sounds exactly like it ... Not to the point where we’re gonna get a lawsuit, but it’s certainly an homage to them."
He also mentions Trans Am. Here: http://www.paperthinwalls.com/listeningparty/index?id=67
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Torche's Meandrathal: The best album of 08? Yes.
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this band > a lot of people's existences
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totally agree with you heymark, i was attached to them right after reading about their new cd here: http://www.fuzz.com/articles/article/Meanderthal-84
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Yeah, I frickin' love Torche. Haven't seen them live yet, hope to next time hey tour. Best of '08? I agree. Genuineness and awesomeness. I haven't bought a band T-shirt in ages, but Torche is the kind of band that makes me want to brand myself with the label. Meanderthal is awesome and they deserve all our continued props and praise.
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