band and their music?

We don't fuck around. We like to get right down to the heart of raw rock 'n' roll spirit. Energectic live shows and songs that are fun to sing along to. We've been called power-pop and punk-pop, etc. We don't like to be labeled because it's too confining and limiting. I'd like to think our songs are universal enough that anyone into intense, passionate music will dig it. You don't have to be a hardcore band to kick ass live and you don't have to be a boring grown-up rock band to play catchy rock songs.

2) I think you´ve got a lot of 80´s-Influences (Bandname, CD-Cover, Elvis

Costello-Song). What does this decade mean to you now?

Well rock 'n' roll is a relatively young art form. We've really only got the last four decades to draw from and the nineties were basically a "greatest hits" decade. Re-viving 80's indie rock into "alternative" and 70's metal into "grunge". We love all kinds of music, but one thing we can all agree on is that bands like Cheap Trick, The Ramones, The Replacements, Elvis Costello, Nirvana, Buzzcocks, The Clash, etc are timeless and great. And just cool as fuck! We hope to update our late-seventies and early 80's influences, but the last thing we want to do is be a retro act. This is totally modern.

3) What´s your favorite 80´s-Highschool-Movie or your dearest 80´s-Song?

We all came of age in the 80's and early 90's. So all those songs like them or not bring back fond memories of teenage years. My favorite movie to watch with a girl is "Valley Girl", where Nicholas Cage plays a punker who falls for a girl from the valley. I also love "Fast Times At Ridgemont High" and its even better follow up movie "Wild Times" with Sean Penn's brother Chris Penn and Lee Ving from Fear. I was a metal freak in the 80's, so I love Motley Crue, Guns n' Roses, etc. Ultimate 80's songs are also "867-5309" (Jenny) from Tommy Tutone, "Jessie's Girl" by Rick Springfield and of course The Descendents!!!

4) There´s a new Sugarcult-Record coming out soon. On which Label are you now

and will it be available in Europe? (If not, why don´t you make a deal with

Honest Dons or My Records?)

I'm currently trying to get Fat Mike or Joey Cape drunk enough to put our record out in Europe. But they'd have to be pretty wasted to do it! Our record is called "Start Static". which is an american street term for starting a confrontation. We also like the imagery of static, radio noise, television, etc. The record comes out August 21 in the U.S. on Ultimatum Music, a new label out of California. I hope it will be available in Europe, because I love Europe and want a good excuse to tour there. I toured Europe in 1997 as a fill-in bassist for my friends, Swingin' Utters - it was a blast!

5) There were always great Punkrock-Bands from Santa Barbara (RKL, NoFX, Lag

Wagon, Nerf Herder, Mad Caddies...). How is the scene today?

I was lucky enough to grow up right in the middle of it all. My first band when I was just a kid was called illiterate. Our bassist was Derrick - who later switched to drums and we started another band called Section 8 that later turned into Lagwagon. Actually now Derrick, Joey and me have a side band called, Bad Astronaut on Honest Don's so it's like a big family in Santa Barbara. The scene is always thriving - though it's very tight knit and small. There's only one all ages club and a few bars to play. The Ataris just opened up a record store called "Down on Haley", named after Nerf Herder's song about the bad part of town.

6) How is it to play on the Vans Warped Tour? (Can you write some first impressions.)

On our first day of the tour we had the entire band Rancid standing on stage while we played our set. They were filming us with thier video cameras and totally rocking out. They complimented us and that was very cool and encouraging, cause I have to admit we were a bit intimidated to be on a bill with such heavyweights as Pennywise, etc. Everyone on the tour is very nice and down to earth. We've become friends with The Distillers, AFI, 311, Rancid, Less Than Jake, Fenix TX, H20, The Misfits, so many great bands - too many to name. They treat the bands well, because it's hard loading in first thing in the morning after driving all night. The food is great. They give us free beer. No one has "rock star" attitudes.

7) Are there plans to come to Europe somewhere soon?

I will do anything I have to do to get Sugarcult over to Europe - I promise!

8) At last, please name your favorite Star Wars-Character.

It's a toss between Han Solo and R2-D2. Lando Calrissian is a bad motherfucker too!

Stay in touch. Cheers!!
Marko 72
Sugarcult