Rob: How did it all start? Background history...Jeff: Abdullah began about 2 years ago when things went sour with another band I was playing in. I got the feeling that I wasn`t wanted orappreciated and decided that it`d be best to strike out on my own. Unfortunately, the original incarnation of Abdullah didn`t really live up to the expectations I had when I formed the band and found myself back at square one. So this time I wrote some tunes by myself, demo-ed them out, and tried to find other people to share the vision. I lucked upon Alan through a flier I hung up in a local record store citing influences that only the truly dedicated would know of. We then recorded "Snake Lore" in my living room and the rest is history.
Alan: I was in a band called Martian John. We had these goofy stage costumes and we played a classic metal/semi-stoner kind of music with equally goofy lyrics. We had this stage show with lots of fog and lights and Judas Priest guitar moves but nobody seemed to "get" what we were trying to do. Some people loved it but most of the (few) who came out to see us probably thought we were idiots. Anyway, we were going nowhere and I decided I better look for something else if I wanted to continue playing music. Almost immediately after I made that decision I saw Jeff`s flier in a local cd store and called him. He gave me a copy of his demo and I knew right away I better take the opportunity of working with him. And here we are.
Rob: What are some of your favorite bands that you have played with and like...
Jeff: Seeing as how Abdullah has never hit the stage yet, I can`t quite comment on that. I can, however, tell you the bands we`d like to play with once we round out the line-up: how `bout Tummler, Boulder, Penance, Solace, Slow Horse, Super Glide, and maybe somewhere down the line bands like Spirit Caravan, Paradise Lost, and any band that Dax Riggs is playing in. As far as what I`m listening to at the moment, I`ve been spinning stuff by Cream, the Animals, Neil Young, EyeHateGod, Irma Thomas, T. Rex, Electric Eels, Pere Ubu, Pavement, Sisters of Mercy and alot of old blues.
Alan: The only band I`ve been on a bill with that anyone will know of was Speeddealer. They were R.E.O. Speeddealer at that point. Lately I`ve been listening to Boulder, Morbid Angel, Goblin, Church of Misery, Ratt, the new Steely Dan, Dim Mak, and old Destruction.
Rob: Stonerrock...
Jeff: This is one incredible scene that we`ve got going here in that not only is great music being produced but the interaction between the fans, bands, and labels is beyond just cooperative... it`s almost like a well-adjusted family. Everyone`s equal. There`s no back-biting amongst bands, no huge egos... everyone is totally supportive of each other. I`v been involved in a lot of different scenes in my day - both casually and actively - and the stoner/doom community is definitely the most positive bunch of people I`ve ever come in contact with.
Alan: I first got into stonerrock through Monster Magnet. I had to buy Superjudge because they did a cover of Hawkwind`s "Brainstorm" and I`m a huge Hawkwind fan. It quickly became one of my favorite genres and I`m constantly amazed at how varied but cooperative the scene is.
Rob: Any new stuff coming out ?
Jeff: Our debut album with MeteorCity will be released this coming Halloween. It was recorded at the amazing Suma Studios where Boulder has been recording a lot of their recent stuff and such greats as Grand Funk Railroad, Bloodrock, James Gang and Pere Ubu laid down all of their masterpieces. Aside from some stressful and tense moments, it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I finally got to try my hand at production which besides making a record has always been a dream of mine... so I accomplished two of my life`s goals in one fell swoop. I make a solemn vow that I will never record anywhere but Suma and with it`s engineer Paul Hamann. I think the record sounds fantastic and couldn`t be happier with the outcome.
Alan: While we were doing the album we recorded songs for a Pink Floyd tribute and a Saint Vitus tribute. They both came out great and I think we succeeded in Abdullah-izing them. The Pink Floyd tribute is coming out on The Music Cartel and the Saint Vitus one is on Dreamfire Records.
Rob: Give me the low down on Guitars, Amplification and Drums...
Jeff: Um... this is going to be pretty embarrassing on my part. I`ve been playing on the same 5-piece no name kit that I started out on after acquiring it for $200 from a cocaine addict. I`ll probably be playing that kit forever. I am a gearhead’s worst nightmare.
Alan: I`m with Jeff on this one. Nobody will ever call me a gearhead. I`ve still got the same guitar I started on when I was about 14, it`s a Guild Nova. Try finding one of those now! I have a Carvin half stack and I`ve been using a BOSS Metal Zone pedal, a Crybaby wah, and an MXR phaser that I rarely pull out although I love it. I just bought a couple more pedals and I`m going to be putting a board together soon. With the album we just did we were pretty rushed in the studio so we didn`t have time to mess around much with sounds. I just got a distortion I was happy with, the engineer slapped a mic in front of the cab, and off we went straight through the album. The "clean" guitars were done either with my electric sans distortion or with a mic`ed steel bodied acoustic. I`m definitely happy with the way things came out, but hopefully next time we`ll have some more time to play around with different sounds.
Rob: Songwriting... How`s it done, collectively or is there one song writer...just how it`s done...
Jeff: I write the majority of the tunes. It`s a very personal and private process for me... sort of a means of exorcising the demons that pervade the daily routine of work, life and humanity in general and to deal with my own personal insecurities. This was the main reason behind starting the band... I needed an outlet to deal with the turmoil of reality. Aside from those emotional aspects, I usually get an idea for a main riff or a general feel for a song then write around that. The process can either last a few hours or stretch out for weeks and is never easy. The final part is coming up with a vocal melody and then lyrics... which for me is the hardest part. On the new record, me and Alan finally collaborated on a tune. He had these 2 killer riffs that totally fit in with an idea I had and the mating of the 2 ideas spawned `Awakening the Colossus`.
Alan: I throw away 90 percent of the things I come up with. I`m probably way too hard on myself but I always think, "ah, that sounds like -fill in the blank-, toss it!" Not that the stuff I keep is groundbreaking at all, but I hope it sounds somewhat original. Hopefully for the next album we`ll do some more collaborating. I usually come up with two or three riffs fo a song but have trouble fitting them all together and coming up with the last bit or two to finish it out. Jeff`s good at that, the tune he mentioned ended up being one of my favorites on the new disc. Since Jeff does the vocal melodies and lyrics it`s always a surprise to hear the songs I wrote the music for when he`s done with them. We usually demo out the music and then he locks himself away and adds the vocals and I hear the finished tune when he`s ready. I work about half of the guitar solos out ahead of time and I improvise the rest in the studio.
Rob: Upcoming Tours...
Jeff: Uhhh... unless someone can provide enough cash that I could survive on, I`ll probably be punching that time clock every morning. I`d really like to tour... I`m not sure how I`d deal with being away from home and living on the road ... but it`s always been a dream of mine. If a good enough offer came up you can bet I`d do it. I want to live out the lyrics to `Road Crew.`
Alan: I love playing live but I also love owning a house and having some money to buy cds and do what I want. At this point in time it`s real hard for a musician to have both. At least musicians into this type of music, and we`re not going to turn into a "boy band" anytime soon! I`ve thought a lot about this and I just don`t see how I could tour for any length of time and be able to pay my mortgage, etc... I only get a couple weeks off per year and my ass would be fired if I tried to take a leave of absence every year. That being said, we both would love to do it, so if it`s possible I`m sure it will happen. At the least, we should be able to do some short regional tours in the future.
Rob: You guys beer drinkers...pot smokers...
Jeff: Definitely a beer drinker. Pot and other drugs make me too paranoid. I like things that turn off the voices in my head... not amplify them.
Alan: I like voices. I like to have a couple beers now and then but can`t deal with hangovers. I`m much more effective sober.
Rob: Anything you would like to say to the community members @StonerRock.com???
Jeff: Yeah... you folks are the life`s blood of the stoner/doom scene and give bands like us a reason to exist. Thank you!!!! Keep an open mind and always give the underdog a chance.
Alan: I would just like to give the `devil horn` hand salute to everyone. Hopefully you`ll all be able to visualize that.
Rob: How would you describe your sound...you don`t have to say it`s like a cross between this, or anything...just how you would describe it you know???
Jeff: To me it`s a way of bringing beauty to the ugliness of reality. Is that pretentious enough for ya?
Alan: I would describe it as the sum of our experiences, digested in our brains and spewed back out through our hands and throats.
