First of all whos in the band for those who have not heard of Pipedown?
JamesK.: JamesK., Ean Elliot, Jason Omundsen, Jack Jeffries, Doug Wellmon
Where is it you guys are based?
JamesK.: We all generally live in the Sacramento, CA area. More specifically...JamesK. - Auburn, CA, Ean Elliot - Auburn, CA, Jason Omundsen - Sacramento, CA, Jack Jeffries - Roseville, CA, Doug Wellmon - Grass Valley, CA.
How old is everyone are there any big age gaps?
JamesK.: Jason Omundsen - 29, JamesK. - 26, Ean Elliot - 25, Jack Jeffries - 21, Doug Wellmon - 20
EanE: We are all in our twenties, 20-29; so, yes there are some big age gaps.
The name Pipedown was it chosen for any specific reasons? Is there any story being the name at all?
JamesK.: Not Really. We were getting ready to play our first show and still didn't have a name. Everyone was trying to come up with something, but nothing was really sounding that great. Our friend Matt came up with "Pipedown", we thought it was a decent name and it just kind of stuck. Not too exciting...
Ean: I had two pages of names no one liked, every one else had their ideas as well, and no one could agree on anything for a multitude of reasons. Thats when the fistfight broke out, and when the dust settled in the floor the word "Pipedown" was etched into the dirt. It was a sign from GOD!
How did Pipedown begin?
JamesK.: We started Pipedown in the summer of 1997 in Grass Valley, CA. It initially consisted of myself, JamesK., Jason Omundsen, and Josh White. Jason and I played guitar while Josh filled in on drums. After a month or so of working through various parts we found a bass player by the name of Shahn Riley. After about another month of playing the word got around that we were need of a singer, so our friend Adam Kline referred us to Ean Elliot, who had recently moved back to the area after living in Pismo Beach for a few years. This lineup worked on original material for a couple of months until Shahn left the band to pursue interests in school. We found another bass player named Jonah Nishihira, however after our short stint with him we found another bassist, Ryan Pfannenstein. After a year and a half of playing local shows and recording/distributing our first couple demos, Josh left the band and was replaced by our current drummer Jack Jeffries. During the summer of 2000 Ryan left the band and was replaced by Doug Wellmon. In January of 2001 we recorded our first full-length album, "Enemies of Progress", at the Art of Ears studio with Andy Ernst (AFI, Rancid, Green Day, Swingin' Utters, Nerve Agents). Shortly after the completion of this recording we entered into a recording contract with A-F Records (run by the members of Anti-Flag) with plans to release "Enemies of Progress", as well as future recordings. The album was released in November of 2001 and a US tour with Anti-Flag, Against All Authority, Thrice and Virus Nine shortly followed.
Did you all know each other before Pipedown was formed?
JamesK.: As you can see above, really only JamesK., Jason Omundsen and the original drummer, Josh White knew each other. Everyone else kind of fell into place through word of mouth.
How would you all describe the bands sound and lyrical content?
Ean: A lot of people would say we fit into that- "getthekidspumpedtosmashthemorallybankruptmassivecorporatefundedgovermentstothesoundtrackofamixofsoundsdescribedasAFIandAntiFlagmeetsnewerRefusedplusextraammo" kind of thing. I think they really over rate us...
Besides the band what is everyone into?
JamesK.: I work full time, do a lot of photography, graphic design, & web page design.
EanE: I enjoy studying History and Political Science at the college, petting my beautiful black cat Cereal, walks on the beach with my girlfriend Heather, sharing, caring, and loving.
Would you all consider yourselves political activists the reason being on the sleeve of the album there is a section devoted to political links?
JamesK.: For myself, the "activist role" that I take part in is trying to, (through the band), educate people on the issues that are important to us. As you can see by the sleeve of the album, most of the information is educating based. We are firm believers that, (to quote Ean Elliot), "Knowledge Is The Deadliest of Weapons".
EanE: like James, I only really have enough time these days to try and reach people on stage and through our recordings. Every time I take the stage I try to get across at least one message about the truth of our world. I feel it is important especially for the younger crew who, like me once, didn't have much access to the ideas and philosophy that can lead to real changes in our mental movements. When the opportunities arise, I do take to the streets and protest in order to help the drones wake up from their dream world. The WTO protests were a real triumph for me, as few friends and I shut down evening traffic in our state capital for a time while we infiltrated the commuters minds with our signs defacing the integrity of the WTO!
What political persuasion would you tend to associate yourselves with (obviously the left) but would you go so far as saying you consider yourselves Communist or Marxists as a lot of your lyrics (correct me if im wrong) are to do with proletariat uprisings?
EanE: Well, I would have to agree with the leftist nod you've given to our philosophy. I would definitely be considered one of those dirty, dangerous leftists for sure. However, I don't think we can pan our ideas far enough down the line to bleed into the communist or Marxist ideal. I do give a lot of credit to that ideology, but I think that notions like this often work better on paper than in the real world. Unfortunately, until we further ourselves into some more morally positive evolutions of the mind and soul, I don't think that the humans of today are capable of willing down those urges to subjugate others. Our philosophy has a lot to do with pro-environmental ethics and social justice. I do favor proletariat uprisings, the lowest classes are always the ones who take on the burdens and suffering for the rest of the more economically privileged, fuck the rich!
Were you guys involved in bands previous to Pipedown?
JamesK.: JamesK. - Eightfold, Jack Jeffries - Mangina
EanE: Pipedown is my 11th band, but Ive been with them the longest. The last real significant band I was in was a band called Silage. Who was signed to low and behold, the dreadful Jive records. Paid to stand with acts such as Britney Spears and NSYNC and hopefully make them bazillions of dollars. However, I quit before the deal was in effect.
How would you all describe being on tour? Has it ever got too much?
JamesK.: I love it! For me it's a lot like traveling in general. I go through a few days of being really excited to be on tour, then I'll get homesick for a few, then it's awesome from then on out. I get to a point where I really don't want to come home and kind of forget what it's like to get up in the morning, goto work, etc....
EanE: Being on tour makes you schizophrenic. Im either Mr. Imreallydoingthis!, or Mr. Justfuckingdothis! Mr. Imreallydoingthis loves to rock for the crowds and make some great friends with the people hes on tour with! Mr. Justfuckingdothis spends a lot of the time trying to not die from some new strain of the flu, misses his girlfriend, (and cat) and tries to deal with all the other stupid shit that goes along with being in a band. Dont get me wrong though, its still pretty cool.
What is the longest tour youve been on?
JamesK.: As far as being on the road, about a month.
Wheres the furthest from home you guys have played?
JamesK.: Detroit, MI
Whats the most interesting gig or line-up youve been involved with and why?
JamesK.: For me its a toss up for two different reasons. The first would be the lineup on the Mobilize For Peace Tour with Anti-Flag, Against All Authority, Thrice, & Virus Nine. That tour was so amazing. I made some friends, that I truly believe I will have for the rest of my life. Of course all the guys in Anti-Flag are amazing people, and everyone in Thrice ended up being really good friends with us. What's funny is that we didn't even know those guys (thrice) when the tour began and they turned out to be really cool. The second lineup that was great to be involved with was a show in Chico, CA with The (International) Noise Conspiracy, Rival Schools, & The Hives. Refused is one of our (pipedown's) favorite bands, so getting to play with someone from that band was really great. What was also great about that lineup was that each of those three bands are so amazing. For me it's pretty rare that we get to play with bands that I seriously love and listen to on a daily basis so that's what made that show so great.
What bands have you toured with?
JamesK.: Anti-Flag, Against All Authority, Thrice, Virus Nine, AFI (one show), (I)NC (one show), The Hives (one show), Rival Schools (one show), Red Tape, Hoods, Kill Your Idols, Powerhouse, Lonely Kings, Missing 23rd, Enemy You, Nerve Agents.
Whos the most interesting band youve toured with - why?
JamesK.: Anti-Flag & Thrice for reasons mentioned above.
Have you played many festivals? Are there any real differences between playing supposed to a normal club sized gig?
JamesK.: The largest show we've played is for about 1,400 people in Minneapolis, MN. It was in a club type atmosphere. There really arn't that many "festivals" in the U.S. Really only The Warped Tour, Ozzfest, etc.
How do you all generally find promoters, have you got any horror stories to tell? (every band has at least one!)
JamesK.: For shows that we book ourselves, the trouble is trying to get all the details taken care of and everything in line for a specific date. Once its all set and we show up to a venue it usually goes really smooth. One particular venue does seem to stick out in my mind and that's The Boardwalk in Orangevale, CA. I personally hate that place. The owner is very difficult and it just doesn't make for a good atmosphere.
EanE: This one time when we were playing the Beatles reunion show at the RilyBiggPhake auditorium, this promoter named Boss Hogg only gave us red M&Ms instead of Green. So like, we cancelled the show man but besides that the other promoters are pretty cool.
Are there any recording plans lined up or are you at the moment focusing on the touring aspect of being in the band?
JamesK.: Right now we are focussing on supporting "Enemies of Progress". We want to play as much as we can and get into the cities that we have yet to reach. We are trying to focus in on hitting the West coast as much as possible, then branching out to the rest of the country. We are alway working on new material and hope to record our second full length in the next year.
EanE: Yeah.
For those who are interested in the band and would like to get a hold of your music what is the Pipedown discography?
Enemies of Progress (A-F Records), Demonstration 2001 (self distributed) (out of print), Positivity - Mind, Body, & Spirit (self distributed) (out of print), Demo 1998 - (self distributed) (out of print)
EanE: so, like, you cant buy those, and stuff. So, like, try to download them for free and everything like that.
Well Thanks alot lads for doing the interview it is greatly appreciated, anyone incidently who has not heard the band most shops stock Enimies of Progress so go and check it out, cheers Phil.
JamesK.: JamesK., Ean Elliot, Jason Omundsen, Jack Jeffries, Doug Wellmon
Where is it you guys are based?
JamesK.: We all generally live in the Sacramento, CA area. More specifically...JamesK. - Auburn, CA, Ean Elliot - Auburn, CA, Jason Omundsen - Sacramento, CA, Jack Jeffries - Roseville, CA, Doug Wellmon - Grass Valley, CA.
How old is everyone are there any big age gaps?
JamesK.: Jason Omundsen - 29, JamesK. - 26, Ean Elliot - 25, Jack Jeffries - 21, Doug Wellmon - 20
EanE: We are all in our twenties, 20-29; so, yes there are some big age gaps.
The name Pipedown was it chosen for any specific reasons? Is there any story being the name at all?
JamesK.: Not Really. We were getting ready to play our first show and still didn't have a name. Everyone was trying to come up with something, but nothing was really sounding that great. Our friend Matt came up with "Pipedown", we thought it was a decent name and it just kind of stuck. Not too exciting...
Ean: I had two pages of names no one liked, every one else had their ideas as well, and no one could agree on anything for a multitude of reasons. Thats when the fistfight broke out, and when the dust settled in the floor the word "Pipedown" was etched into the dirt. It was a sign from GOD!
How did Pipedown begin?
JamesK.: We started Pipedown in the summer of 1997 in Grass Valley, CA. It initially consisted of myself, JamesK., Jason Omundsen, and Josh White. Jason and I played guitar while Josh filled in on drums. After a month or so of working through various parts we found a bass player by the name of Shahn Riley. After about another month of playing the word got around that we were need of a singer, so our friend Adam Kline referred us to Ean Elliot, who had recently moved back to the area after living in Pismo Beach for a few years. This lineup worked on original material for a couple of months until Shahn left the band to pursue interests in school. We found another bass player named Jonah Nishihira, however after our short stint with him we found another bassist, Ryan Pfannenstein. After a year and a half of playing local shows and recording/distributing our first couple demos, Josh left the band and was replaced by our current drummer Jack Jeffries. During the summer of 2000 Ryan left the band and was replaced by Doug Wellmon. In January of 2001 we recorded our first full-length album, "Enemies of Progress", at the Art of Ears studio with Andy Ernst (AFI, Rancid, Green Day, Swingin' Utters, Nerve Agents). Shortly after the completion of this recording we entered into a recording contract with A-F Records (run by the members of Anti-Flag) with plans to release "Enemies of Progress", as well as future recordings. The album was released in November of 2001 and a US tour with Anti-Flag, Against All Authority, Thrice and Virus Nine shortly followed.
Did you all know each other before Pipedown was formed?
JamesK.: As you can see above, really only JamesK., Jason Omundsen and the original drummer, Josh White knew each other. Everyone else kind of fell into place through word of mouth.
How would you all describe the bands sound and lyrical content?
Ean: A lot of people would say we fit into that- "getthekidspumpedtosmashthemorallybankruptmassivecorporatefundedgovermentstothesoundtrackofamixofsoundsdescribedasAFIandAntiFlagmeetsnewerRefusedplusextraammo" kind of thing. I think they really over rate us...
Besides the band what is everyone into?
JamesK.: I work full time, do a lot of photography, graphic design, & web page design.
EanE: I enjoy studying History and Political Science at the college, petting my beautiful black cat Cereal, walks on the beach with my girlfriend Heather, sharing, caring, and loving.
Would you all consider yourselves political activists the reason being on the sleeve of the album there is a section devoted to political links?
JamesK.: For myself, the "activist role" that I take part in is trying to, (through the band), educate people on the issues that are important to us. As you can see by the sleeve of the album, most of the information is educating based. We are firm believers that, (to quote Ean Elliot), "Knowledge Is The Deadliest of Weapons".
EanE: like James, I only really have enough time these days to try and reach people on stage and through our recordings. Every time I take the stage I try to get across at least one message about the truth of our world. I feel it is important especially for the younger crew who, like me once, didn't have much access to the ideas and philosophy that can lead to real changes in our mental movements. When the opportunities arise, I do take to the streets and protest in order to help the drones wake up from their dream world. The WTO protests were a real triumph for me, as few friends and I shut down evening traffic in our state capital for a time while we infiltrated the commuters minds with our signs defacing the integrity of the WTO!
What political persuasion would you tend to associate yourselves with (obviously the left) but would you go so far as saying you consider yourselves Communist or Marxists as a lot of your lyrics (correct me if im wrong) are to do with proletariat uprisings?
EanE: Well, I would have to agree with the leftist nod you've given to our philosophy. I would definitely be considered one of those dirty, dangerous leftists for sure. However, I don't think we can pan our ideas far enough down the line to bleed into the communist or Marxist ideal. I do give a lot of credit to that ideology, but I think that notions like this often work better on paper than in the real world. Unfortunately, until we further ourselves into some more morally positive evolutions of the mind and soul, I don't think that the humans of today are capable of willing down those urges to subjugate others. Our philosophy has a lot to do with pro-environmental ethics and social justice. I do favor proletariat uprisings, the lowest classes are always the ones who take on the burdens and suffering for the rest of the more economically privileged, fuck the rich!
Were you guys involved in bands previous to Pipedown?
JamesK.: JamesK. - Eightfold, Jack Jeffries - Mangina
EanE: Pipedown is my 11th band, but Ive been with them the longest. The last real significant band I was in was a band called Silage. Who was signed to low and behold, the dreadful Jive records. Paid to stand with acts such as Britney Spears and NSYNC and hopefully make them bazillions of dollars. However, I quit before the deal was in effect.
How would you all describe being on tour? Has it ever got too much?
JamesK.: I love it! For me it's a lot like traveling in general. I go through a few days of being really excited to be on tour, then I'll get homesick for a few, then it's awesome from then on out. I get to a point where I really don't want to come home and kind of forget what it's like to get up in the morning, goto work, etc....
EanE: Being on tour makes you schizophrenic. Im either Mr. Imreallydoingthis!, or Mr. Justfuckingdothis! Mr. Imreallydoingthis loves to rock for the crowds and make some great friends with the people hes on tour with! Mr. Justfuckingdothis spends a lot of the time trying to not die from some new strain of the flu, misses his girlfriend, (and cat) and tries to deal with all the other stupid shit that goes along with being in a band. Dont get me wrong though, its still pretty cool.
What is the longest tour youve been on?
JamesK.: As far as being on the road, about a month.
Wheres the furthest from home you guys have played?
JamesK.: Detroit, MI
Whats the most interesting gig or line-up youve been involved with and why?
JamesK.: For me its a toss up for two different reasons. The first would be the lineup on the Mobilize For Peace Tour with Anti-Flag, Against All Authority, Thrice, & Virus Nine. That tour was so amazing. I made some friends, that I truly believe I will have for the rest of my life. Of course all the guys in Anti-Flag are amazing people, and everyone in Thrice ended up being really good friends with us. What's funny is that we didn't even know those guys (thrice) when the tour began and they turned out to be really cool. The second lineup that was great to be involved with was a show in Chico, CA with The (International) Noise Conspiracy, Rival Schools, & The Hives. Refused is one of our (pipedown's) favorite bands, so getting to play with someone from that band was really great. What was also great about that lineup was that each of those three bands are so amazing. For me it's pretty rare that we get to play with bands that I seriously love and listen to on a daily basis so that's what made that show so great.
What bands have you toured with?
JamesK.: Anti-Flag, Against All Authority, Thrice, Virus Nine, AFI (one show), (I)NC (one show), The Hives (one show), Rival Schools (one show), Red Tape, Hoods, Kill Your Idols, Powerhouse, Lonely Kings, Missing 23rd, Enemy You, Nerve Agents.
Whos the most interesting band youve toured with - why?
JamesK.: Anti-Flag & Thrice for reasons mentioned above.
Have you played many festivals? Are there any real differences between playing supposed to a normal club sized gig?
JamesK.: The largest show we've played is for about 1,400 people in Minneapolis, MN. It was in a club type atmosphere. There really arn't that many "festivals" in the U.S. Really only The Warped Tour, Ozzfest, etc.
How do you all generally find promoters, have you got any horror stories to tell? (every band has at least one!)
JamesK.: For shows that we book ourselves, the trouble is trying to get all the details taken care of and everything in line for a specific date. Once its all set and we show up to a venue it usually goes really smooth. One particular venue does seem to stick out in my mind and that's The Boardwalk in Orangevale, CA. I personally hate that place. The owner is very difficult and it just doesn't make for a good atmosphere.
EanE: This one time when we were playing the Beatles reunion show at the RilyBiggPhake auditorium, this promoter named Boss Hogg only gave us red M&Ms instead of Green. So like, we cancelled the show man but besides that the other promoters are pretty cool.
Are there any recording plans lined up or are you at the moment focusing on the touring aspect of being in the band?
JamesK.: Right now we are focussing on supporting "Enemies of Progress". We want to play as much as we can and get into the cities that we have yet to reach. We are trying to focus in on hitting the West coast as much as possible, then branching out to the rest of the country. We are alway working on new material and hope to record our second full length in the next year.
EanE: Yeah.
For those who are interested in the band and would like to get a hold of your music what is the Pipedown discography?
Enemies of Progress (A-F Records), Demonstration 2001 (self distributed) (out of print), Positivity - Mind, Body, & Spirit (self distributed) (out of print), Demo 1998 - (self distributed) (out of print)
EanE: so, like, you cant buy those, and stuff. So, like, try to download them for free and everything like that.
Well Thanks alot lads for doing the interview it is greatly appreciated, anyone incidently who has not heard the band most shops stock Enimies of Progress so go and check it out, cheers Phil.
