Mystic Knights | Interview with Lyndsey Parker (LPTV)

Hi, I'm Lindsay Barker here at Licorice Pizza Records for LPTV with rock supergroup. I'm going to call you supergroup, Mystic Knights, formerly Mystic Knights of Amnesia.

Correct.

And um I guess I'll just introduce this is Chris Cester. I just realized I've been pronouncing your last name, your surname, wrong for 20 years. Apologies for that. Aaron Eisenberg and Manny Castro.

Yes.

Um I know you from Jet, interviewed you many years ago. I know you from the Soft White Sixties. I'm not sure of Manny's pedigree. Um what bands have you been in?

I was just a

He's He's a roadie.

All right.

Behind the scenes.

Obviously I I consider this a supergroup cuz you all bring stuff to the table and you're here to celebrate, among other things, your new single Count. If I don't look at the artwork real closely, it looks like it might say something else.

does it look like?

What what what is the word that it looks like?

Use your imagination.

No, say it. Use yours.

Well, you know, it's interesting. I wasn't going to go down this road, but that word, the C-word, in Australia and England is not actually a bad word. Like people say it like a term of endearment in the UK. In fact, Jarvis Cocker had a song with that word in the title. He had to change it when he sang it.

Jarvis Cocker is a count.

But you say that with love.

Yeah. I mean I don't really know him, but I don't know He's great.

I've never met him. I think he'd probably appreciate that.

He probably would. I I I love his music. I'm just I'm [ __ ] around, but I'm

But it's a different

to say [ __ ]

You're allowed to say whatever

I mean it's

And count.

You've said it all, all right. We've been talking for 30 seconds. Just keep going.

Run down the FCC list right now, Chris.

What I was going to say is that um that that years ago when I was like probably right when I met you, years ago, um we were on tour and it was my birthday, actually. It was in like Kentucky. Um for my birthday, which is December 16th.

Yep. There you go. Bam. Well done.

There's an inside story how I know that. Fellow Virgos.

Uh-huh.

Well, anyway, I was I was the the big radio station in Australia. It's like the big community radio. It's called Triple J. It's like a big, you know, it's the it's it's kind of like Hmm, I don't know how to explain it. It's like um almost like a combine of almost like K Rock and like um NPR. It's like it's government owned, but it's the biggest thing. Whatever. So, they called me on my birthday and we were on tour with the Kings of Leon. And um and I had we had all become really close friends actually. Like we all we all got along really well.

We were super tight and um they called me up because it was my birthday. That's that the time that's how like how well the band was doing. Like they were like, "Oh, it's Chris's birthday." So, it was like So, they called me up and I was in Kentucky and I had been telling Caleb that the word [ __ ] was like a term of endearment, just like you said. And so, he So, so they called me up and it was like, "Happy birthday, Chris. We're live on radio in Australia." And I was like, "Oh, I was like, "Yeah." Then they go, "How's it go How's it going?" Like blah blah, you know, we talked about and they were like going on tour with the Kings of Leon.

And I went, "Yeah, they're right here right now." And I'd been convincing Caleb that the word was a term of endearment. And so, I just said, "Here he is. He's He's right next to me. Do you want to talk to him?" And they were like, "Yeah, great. Throw him on the phone." And he picks up the phone and goes, "How's it going, cunts?"

How did that go over?

Yeah, well, it went over in about 8 seconds. They were like It was live.

Oh my god.

Like national radio, so

You can say it here, though. We got no We got no

[ __ ] [ __ ] No delay.

Here we go. The song is called [ __ ] though.

Yes.

Clever artwork, which I met Aaron, did you do that artwork? Cuz I know you do a lot of artwork for this band and lots of others.

Yeah, yeah, I did do I did um I did do that art. That is correct, yeah.

So, how did you guys all get together? Like I said, supergroup, you all come, you know, you're all based in LA, but you come from different places, different backgrounds. How this supergroup form? What's the elevator pitch?

Chris started it. Manny brought me in.

Yeah, I knew I knew Aaron from before. Chris I met out one night and we I gave him a ride home from somewhere and we were talking and he's and he's like he's like, "Dude, your your girl is older than you. You must have a big dick." And I was like and I was like, "This guy's my new best friend." And we like we became best friends at we're just like, "That's it."

Is that Is that the going theory that if a guy is with a an older

in this Well, hang on.

I'm just curious. It is the theory if a guy is with a much like taller woman sometimes that he either probably has money or some other thing he brings to the table so to speak.

I don't know if these are true. I'm just saying these are stereotypes people believe.

Yeah. This is going well.

Yeah, your words not mine.

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. This is all documented.

I I think it did but there was some layer to that cuz from what I I remember kind of how it started though too was we all kind of hung out at one of Jason's parties. From kind of how I remember Manny and I had met years ago in San Francisco through music and mutual friend of ours Jason Hill from band Louis the 14th. He had a big like birthday party at his studio one year. We all were there. Sean was there too. Who's Sean Payne who's also on some of the earlier recordings yet to be released but we were all there. It was kind of like a big hang. Everyone playing music, having a good time. Manny and I kind of reconnected.

We didn't really meet. We were we were there but we didn't really you know, whatever. But and then and then like weeks later I feel like you called me and you and Sean had hung out and we're like

Yeah. Sean was like, "That guy looks cool. We should get him in the band."

It's important.

Yeah, so Chris sized Manny up. Manny sized me up. Like I was saying

That's the band.

So to speak.

It's important. All of this is important.

It's very important. So, I know you've probably been asked this in all interviews you did, but obviously you're known for being a drummer. You're going to be playing here tonight at Lucky's Pizza. I did see you you do have some percussive stuff going on. You're playing the world's smallest tambourine.

But other than that, you are a frontman now and you did you're not doing the Phil Collins thing. You're not singing behind the drums or the Jellyfish Andy Sturmer thing.

No.

I don't know if that was ever consideration, but in a nutshell, I'm sure you've been asked about what made you decide to be a frontman when you know, you've always been behind the kit as far as I know.

It's a good question. I I am honestly I I've I a lot of people in the past a lot of people have said he like he leads from the he's like a he leads from the back, you know, kind of thing. And the truth is, you know, I'm a little bit like I'm I'm pretty vain like I I go I I always enjoyed like you know, the show the show part of the show like really like selling the show and and going for it.

And so leading from the back is what they used to say. And um yeah, I used to I used to enjoy that and and and it used to bother me. It often bothered me. They never really said this before. It often bothered me when cuz I'm a songwriter and I it would bother me that I'd write these songs and then I would go and play them in front of thousands of people and I um and uh and and not and and and it would be my brother singing and not me. Which is fine. Like I have no qualms with that now. Like I you know, it is what it it was what it was is what it is.

But now now I get to perform all the songs that that I write myself and so it's like been a long time coming, but yeah, I enjoy it.

Do you think there was a misunderstanding that people maybe didn't assume you wrote or songs?

Good question, too. Yeah, probably Um, when I was you know, in my mid-20s, yeah, I I probably selfishly thought like nobody even knows it's me kind of thing all the time. Um that faded after a while, you know. But, um, yeah, probably for a little while it was like a little bit frustrating to to have done the work and not get the um, rewards rewards I the recognition, I should say.

But, yeah, um Jacob knows you wrote Move On.

Hey, wait a second. You mean Chris Hester?

Yeah.

You talking about Chris Hester from Jet?

Oh, damn.

All right. Yeah, he did. He wrote Move On.

Oh my god. So, I did I also read but

Jacob's Jacob's favorite song.

Jacob's our bass Jacob's our bass player. We just

He loves and he loves he loves Move On.

When, um, I I don't know if you played any other instruments besides drums. I think I read that you are a relative latecomer to guitar.

Yeah, I play, um, I I play guitar probably better than any of these two dudes. No, I'm joking. No, no, I like I play rhythm guitar pretty good because if you play the drums like, you know, you can you can do that stuff. But, um, no, not really. Like I can I can do the rude I rudimentary like that can do the the basic things pretty well and that's about it and that's all I really want or need. I don't, um I don't really I'm not after anything more than that to be honest. Like if I can just if I can write if I can play chords, then I'm I'm happy with that.

So.

How come you aren't doing the Phil Collins Andy Sturmer thing? Andy Sturmer from Jellyfish you would like stand up and

We might still get him a headset. No, he doesn't.

I mean, it's very rare. Singing drummers are such a rare thing. I can count on like one hand

Cuz cuz can you can talk and and sing? No.

I can't, but I'm not a professional.

That's why it's rare. Cuz it's hard. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Singing,

talking, singing, talking. It ain't easy. That's why it's rare. But Phil Collins with the thing that the the thing I don't know. I mean I'm kind of into it right now cuz I'm thinking like

It'd be cool to get you the headset and not play drums. And just still be up you know.

Just singing, just standing there like

Ted Talk.

It's kind of a Janet Jackson Britney Spears thing to do that.

Yeah.

But no dancing though either.

Just standing

I'm actually really feeling this. This is like a This is really funny. Imagine like I just rolled up to my like to Licorice Pizza.

And just just with this hooker right here.

With like one of the the skin tone ones too like the countryman's.

So so I'm like trying to hide it. But not really.

Yeah.

I mean I think I already know the answer to this question but I was going to ask you was it daunting for you to come out behind the kit and be in the front but you don't seem like the shiest person so

No, I'm not very shy.

probably no I assume.

The answer is no. I wasn't really

no learning curve or anything.

No actually sorry no. No, it is a good question like to be honest our first show that we ever played um I was

Mystic Knights ever played?

Yeah, the Mystic Knights sorry the Mystic Knights ever played um I was really nervous and I um I remember I know I'm not very shy but I'm going to just hold back here for a second but I remember going to extreme lengths to overcome my shyness that night. Let's just put it that way.

I understand what you're saying.

I think you do.

Where was that? Where was the show? Where was it?

It was um

I feel like we've had like four first shows at this point cuz it's

Oh that one. Oh yeah yeah yeah.

It was Black Rabbit Rose here in Hollywood and it was it was mad it was really

I almost said magic.

We did a We had a magician open.

Yeah.

So it was literally magic.

It was and it but it was packed and it was about like what a week or two before the COVID shut down.

It was like February 2020 or something. Yeah.

It was insane.

That's why that's why I said it feels like we've had a few first shows cuz we had that one and then like just had some different lineup changes.

crazy. How did COVID I mean did it I'm going to assume it like you had all these plans and then want want.

Yeah, we just stacked a bunch of songs now we just and then we're slowly just trickling them out.

We live close to each other so we were just at each other's houses every day. Just writing

songs have you put out that are available for streaming or just two? So how many more when's an album coming

400 So

It's going to be a double album.

He'll develop a dictionary. So what's that? We've got two out of 400 out.

Yeah, yeah, what do you want to look at?

I'm just literally 400.

there's there's there's a lot of lot of songs.

Maybe not 400 maybe more like 250. But it's 280

Chris has an old G3 tower computer full of unreleased

And they're all the songs are labeled Tuesday and there's like 100 songs labeled Tuesday and then 100 more labeled Wednesday and 100 more labeled Thursday uh [ __ ] or something like that. It's you see it's hard to find them. It's really

Shawn or Thursday Aaron or Matty or sub whatever. Yeah, I know.

So when did the band form? It was I guess I thought it was maybe a bit newer cuz I discovered you I think last year but this is going back to like

was our first release. The three of us have been writing music together for like six or seven years at this point and then our rhythm section Jacob and Sebastian they were in a band called The Shelters. I've known them for a long time and Yeah, yeah, great band.

Like I said super group. The Mystic Knights is a super group.

guys. Um but yeah, so they this lineup at least we've been playing shows together for about a year and a half or so.

So why did you take the of Amnesia off the name?

I can't remember.

Uh yeah, the official story is cuz we say blood sucking lawyers, but

Well, see, I was wondering, I don't know if anyone's asked you this, but I Are you aware that Oingo Boingo, Danny Elfman's band, was called the Mystic Knights of Oingo Oingo Boingo before they shortened it?

well, I I Yeah, I Not until afterwards, but yes. Yeah, I did know that. And then we

There's also like a British uh like fantasy TV show like the Mystic Knights of It's like some some like medieval fantasy show. This is I've also seen somebody send send that before online, but

So, I didn't I didn't think it would be some kind of Oingo Boingo reference cuz I do know that Noel Gallagher actually came up with the name.

it's British, where I'm like, was Noel just kind of taking the piss on that one?

where I was going cuz he he was just I didn't know that, but but because it all came about because when Jet toured with Oasis years ago, Noel and I became friends, and and then when Jet like sort of went on hiatus, um I texted Noel cuz I was hanging out with my buddy at the time, Louie, and we were making some, you know, making some music, and and I texted Noel, and I was like, "Hey, I've got a new band. You Any ideas for a name?" And straight away Like and I hadn't texted him for a long time. Like it'd been It'd been a while.

And he went He just went, "Yeah, Mystic Knights of Amnesia." straight away, and and we both were like, "That's That's awesome." But then we sort of chickened out. After a little bit, then a year went by. We put out a record under a different name, whatever.

What was the name?

Well, the name The other name was Damn Dogs. That was another one of his ideas. Actually, no, he was like, "Call it Diamond Dogs." I think cuz of the David Bowie reference. But anyway, um and then, you know, and years later, like, a year later, we were like uh the band was a different format again.

This band's going to have had like 150,000 members by the end of it. No. I mean, just up until up until now. Now now it's like Now the the structure in the band is in and we're like we're actual band now for the first time. Which feels really good. Um but anyway, so we were like, "Oh, what um I just texted him one night. I was like, "Hey, Mystic Knights of Amnesia?" {question mark} And he was like, before I even put my phone down on the table, he was like, "That's a [ __ ] awesome name. Where did you get that name?" Smart ass. But I think so what Aaron's saying is like, yeah, it's probably a bit of a like a British model of like Mystic Knights of Oingo Boingo and like, you know, that whole thing that you were talking about.

times in the zeitgeist.

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. In the abyss.

Pulled it out of

I keep saying using the word

yeah.

I keep using the word supergroup.

Yeah.

So, I want to talk a little bit about Jaded Hearts Jaded Hearts Club Jaded Hearts Club. I saw them once at South by Southwest.

Dr. Pepper's. They called They called Dr. What?

They were called something else and they I think

Pepper's Jaded Hearts Club band.

They had to change their name, too.

Well, they didn't have They didn't have to. They just did cuz they didn't want to.

was a supergroup that I I know South by Southwest was going on right now. Several South by Southwest ago, I saw Jaded Hearts Club or whatever they were called at the time, play Rachel Ray's barbecue at Stubb's, as one does. And I don't know if you were in the lineup cuz it was a rotating thing, but I know you were cuz it was For people who don't know, I'm just going to read the names. Your your brother was sometimes in them.

No, not at that time.

Miles Kane.

It was Buck Yeah, I was just Yeah, so at that time that you you were talking about. Yeah.

A roster like Graham Coxon's been in it. Graham Coxon, Matt Bellamy, Sean Payne from the Zutons. Who am I forgetting? Oh, Ilan Rubin from Nine Inch Nails, Matt Bellamy, did I not say Matt Bellamy and and Mars Volta, like you said. Yeah, I think so that's pretty much it and then my brother came later.

Okay.

He joined afterwards.

So it you don't do just Beatles songs, just like I guess songs I guess from maybe that era, Northern Soul, 60s stuff.

and it started off as Beatles songs and then and and then pretty and then pretty quickly we we went we started doing like yeah, 60s like almost I would say hard rock like because because before the 70s like hard rock was like the Sonics and stuff like that. So more I suppose garage rock and and Stooges and things like that.

And that was a good day at Stubb's Barbecue.

It was a fun show.

Rachel Ray's food, you guys playing, it was a good day.

We had a bet of who could keep their leather jacket on for the longest.

Who won?

I won of course I won. I always win.

Do you remember the ranking?

Um

of who shed their jackets first until we got to the final jacket.

Yeah, I I I I'm not I'm not going to shame anybody on this

really hot, I do remember.

It was very hot.

vaguely remember thinking why are they still wearing leather jackets? It's like yeah, it's like 105° in Austin, Texas outside. You were playing at like 1 p.m.

or something.

It was the bright Yeah.

But that was a fun day and I think you the I don't know if you were There were some recordings that came out as well. I think an album came out. Um but how did that in any way affect this project particularly you being a frontman and all that?

That's a good question. Yeah, um it was it's a really good question cuz um like I was saying with the first show I was so nervous like I I I'd never felt nerves like that before. I'd been so lucky in my career up until that point to be able to be in the back.

And actually gave me a lot of respect for what my brother does for a living, you know, being the frontman. And I always just sort of took it for granted. And you go on stage every night. And we had a pretty lucky quick road to success with Jet. Um and um it gave me a lot of respect for him because I I went on stage that one that first show and I was like, "Oh, damn. This This is a whole different ballgame. This is not You don't just get to sit back there and like hide behind your drums and like play your you know, beats and have your fans and stuff there. Like it was really hard. And but something happened after that um and that was probably the the the Jaded Hearts um thing where I was suddenly it was just fun. We we got together because it was a friend's birthday party. And uh and it was just like, "Let's just do some Beatles covers for a for my friend's party like friend's birthday party." And we just had such a good time. And but everyone who was in the band was doing something different than they normally do. Like Ilan Rubin is a brilliant drummer. And he's you know, he he wasn't playing the drums.

He's playing the guitar. And Matt Bellamy, you know, he's he's playing um the bass.

And he got to be singing very differently from how he normally would sing.

even know if he was singing to be honest. I think everyone was literally like not not doing just doing the opposite of what they would normally do. So, including me, of course, back to your question. Um being the singer. And I and and because there was all these famous dudes around and the people who are interested in seeing us play, I got to go on stage and like and sort of really learn how to um perform like that.

And you're hanging out with Paul McCartney at some point. As one does.

Yeah, he just kind of walked up on stage one night cuz we were playing at Stella McCartney's like um her launch of her a line that she'd put out that year. And um we kind of had a feeling he was going to he he might be there. So, we were like, "Oh god, like Paul might be here." So, we knew that there was a possibility, but then we just like halfway through you know, it was like she was just 17. And then he just like just it was a like a a foot just like high stage, and he just stepped on there and I looked over to my right and I was just saw Paul McCartney and I was like

Your gum fell out of your mouth.

Yeah, it was pretty it was in it was intense and like yeah, because you don't there's fame and then there's Beatles. So, kind of it was it was pretty intense. So, I don't know how I got through it, but in the end I went out into the car park and just like my [ __ ] it's amazing. Like cuz I know a few famous people, but like it's a different kind of level when it's someone like him because I got off stage and there was like 48 missed text messages and caught like every the like everyone knew about it within like 20 minutes, you know, my mom had called me three times.

Now she knew you'd really made it.

Yeah, for for the first time she was like, "I knew you could do it."

So, you talked about how Jet, speaking of making it, your your gum is under there.

I'm not taking them out again. Okay.

We'll get you a fresh pack of gum. We'll step to you like Beck says.

Where's my gum guy?

Your gum valet. Uh you mentioned that Jet had a pretty quick rise, easy ride. That's not really the case for most bands coming out of Australia at all. I mean, obviously some of that's just purely geographical, like not coming over to tour, but I mean, obviously, you know, there's a lot of big Australian bands, but it's still kind of not the norm for a band to break over here like the way Jet did in the beginning. What was Did you guys tour here a lot or do you think there was something about your music that just sounded like kind of quintessentially appealing to American listeners?

it's got mostly to do with my face. Um

Yeah.

It's the way that I play the drums. Uh no. No, it's a good question, too. Um I am back then, like, you know, there was kind of it was slight just before the big break in social media, like, you know, I feel like Arctic Monkeys were maybe the first band who really busted that bubble, like, who had I I don't know. I mean, it was my

The Strokes were before that, though, weren't they?

No, yeah. For sure, but like but but what I'm saying is like I feel I feel as though they were maybe the first band who who broke on social media. Like

I also I kind of feel like that was like the first era where it was like people were stoked to hear bands that you could tell what the influences were.

Like up until then, it's like every decade it was kind of like a different thing, and that was kind of the first time where people were like, "Oh, I like this thing because it like reminds me of something that now is so far in the past, like

No, I mean, The Strokes were early on that

Yeah, same same time.

But every review they had

though.

often times being wrong, like comparing them to the Velvet Underground. Like The Strokes don't sound like the Velvet Underground at all, but they're from Whatever, people started to name-check things. So, yeah.

Yeah, I think there's a good point, and and I and I think that also to your point, like, I I think that's true that I think in Australia that at that time, you got to remember, so like 2003 when KKB 1 came out, right? I think so. Or maybe late 2002, I can't remember. Uh yeah, it doesn't matter.

Somewhere in the early 2000s. Um

You get your whole life to make your first record, and then you get it like that's what they say, right? And then you get 6 months or whatever to make every record after that or something. Um But but, you know, so so in the like in 1999 or like the year 2000, we were just hustling, and we were we were able to be out of the We didn't we were kind of were able to develop and do what we wanted to do without any everybody watching and I feel bad for bands now. And what's what's the Youngblood Youngblood's the the bad the rock the rock band?

around for a minute though.

Yeah, I don't know how long I don't really know I don't know that much about them, you know, to be honest with you, but um

It's a guy.

It's one guy?

Yeah, Dominic

you [ __ ] play a rock and roll band with one dude?

Well, there aren't a lot of bands that are big He's

Like to your point

Is he like Is he got like

Yeah, he you know, he's a solo artist, but he's a rock artist, but to your point, there aren't a lot of rock bands. He's the You brought him up because he's the kind of the one right now.

was at the Grammys a couple weeks ago, yeah.

he won a Grammy.

Yeah.

Congrats, yeah.

But he's not even that He's newish, but he's on his like fourth album. And I'm trying to think of a new band, like they're on their first album that's getting that kind of hype that's a rock band, my mind is drawing a blank.

Well, I was going to say whoever it is, like whether it's Youngblood or whether it's um I don't know, any anyone in the last like 5 years even or 10 years even. Like you have to develop now in front of everybody and that's to get back to your question, you know, Jet we didn't have to do that and we we had the luxury of like being able to like it wasn't as fast back then, so we could kind of just we knew what we wanted to do and we were able to kind of just sort of um develop and go at our pace and like do what we wanted to do and I think that's always been a thing again to get back to your question for Australian artists, you know,

They got to prove themselves live, especially.

They got to prove themselves live and they and they get to do it in the shadows. And if you think about like Luke Steele or Empire of the Sun or um

There's a band I want to talk about with you specifically. The reason I'm

INXS, I hope, no?

I will talk about you INXS with you all day because they just finally got up for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

First time.

Good.

But no, I was reading a uh I think it might have been Spin, I'm not sure, but you had five albums you can't live without and you mentioned one of my favorite bands of all time, You Am I,

Oh.

who should have been big in America. I get so salty about it because they should have been big. They toured here a lot and they had a lot of opportunities. They toured with Oasis, they toured with Soundgarden, Goo Goo Dolls. They had records produced by George Drakoulias. They played here a lot. They were on major labels. It's just they didn't get on the radio and it didn't happen and I'm still mad about it. So I was so happy to see Hi-Fi Way on your list cuz I love that band. And they're big there. They just got like the ARIA Award Lifetime Achievement Award there, but no one in America really knows who they are.

Yeah, they No, I was I was feeling that. I was like, "Yeah, yeah."

mean, and it's it's like in America, if you meet someone who knows who You Am I are, it's like you're best friends cuz they're really not known here, but you know, I know it's different in Australia, but I was really happy to see that on your

They're they're every day I was

to pick by INXS on that list as well.

I did. I did indeed. And I couldn't do without either of them. You Am I and Tim Tim Rogers is the frontman. Tim's uh We have an interesting relationship, him and I. It's pretty funny. Um because he because that guy he's responsible for the careers of all of the big Australian bands from the last 20 years like

Silverchair named themselves after

Silverchair. There you go. Yep.

Silverchair and Jet, we grew up just idolizing them. In fact, my um 16th birthday, I went to a You Am I show and I bought my demo tape of my band, not Jet, and I put it on this a cassette tape and I put it on stage and he picked it off and and booted it into the into

the audience in front of like 2,000 people and my my it just cracked me and it cracked me in half, but like now we know each other now. I was 16 at the time. He was he He everything to us and he was everything to Daniel, and he was everything to Luke. But but he's also pissed off, and he should be because all of these bands who worshipped him

I'm there.

made it massive in America, and he did it. And and I'd be [ __ ] furious, too.

I think radio you were talking about like social media and stuff. The the good side of that is maybe you don't need radio as much. At least you still need it, but not as much. But in America at least, if you didn't get on the radio, it didn't matter. It didn't matter if you were touring with Soundgarden, it didn't matter if you were touring with the Goo Goo Dolls, it didn't matter if you had a record produced by George Drakoulias at Ocean Way. Like it was you need to be on the radio, and they didn't get on the radio.

Yeah, they didn't get on the radio.

Um and also don't forget like what's the guy? Um Is it Th- not Thurston Moore. Um who's the Sonic Youth guy? Oh, Lee Ranaldo. He did He He made it He made the High/Low He He made the High/Low Way record.

George Drakoulias did the one after that.

We don't necessarily I won't necessarily have to tell this for the interview. I I know Tim, and I was with Tim hanging out with You Am I. We'll put it in the interview. I know Tim Rogers cuz I used to work at the record label that put out their first Sound Is Ever in America. And I was hanging out with them at Ocean Way Studios where they were recording probably number four record at the time.

Yeah, the George Drakoulias one? Or okay. Yeah.

When someone said, "Hey, Michael Hutchence died." I was with You Am I when that happened, which is crazy cuz we're talking about like these two bands. And also obviously, I think I think probably INXS is the biggest Australian band ever here.

so.

Yeah, so it's interesting. But um since we're talking about like records we can't live without, what are the two records you can't live without? You can each pick one.

We each pick one?

Or you can pick more than one if you have more than one off the top of your One INXS

What All right, one one uh just cuz I was listening to the vinyl the other day that Dennis Wilson record Pacific Ocean Blue. That's kind of one that I've like in the last maybe four or five years has been like a little bit of a desert island record for me, I would say.

Interesting choice.

You know that album?

I do. I wouldn't I can't tell you I've listened to it recently, but I'm going to check it out.

Very cool. A lot of a lot of just like

reissued recently or something?

I don't know. I actually I ended up buying the like discovered Discogs very late stoned and thought I was buying the vinyl and a CD showed up. So I have a CD and a vinyl of it just because I ordered it twice. But yeah, it's awesome. He it's like almost kind of sounds like a lost like Yeah, his voice is like so like [ __ ] up and rad and like kind of like almost like a Nelson-esque character to it and yeah, just the whole record's like I think I think it's about like There's like a lot of stuff about like nature and like Pacific the Pacific Ocean Blue and you know, yeah, just great beautiful record.

It is a beautiful record.

Interesting choice.

What about you, Manny?

Mine would be one that nobody really knows, I don't think.

Try me.

Shock Troops by [ __ ] Spar.

I did not I Yeah,

Yeah, it's it's a punk band from the '70s. I when I was 16, I was like massively into punk like spiky hair, all that stuff. And I flew to England cuz they said it was their last ever show. I flew to England to see them play. And then they they realized how big they were and they've been playing the last you know, since then.

Because you came, you they realized that.

But they're just like a like a Oi punk band and I just I love Whenever put put that I saw them they played in LA recently their last ever LA show. I was like crying at the at the hotel.

And and and and there you go. So Mystic Knights of the Valley

A lot of influences here.

Dennis Wilson

[ __ ] Spar

U M Y

And then I just

That's the vibe.

Yeah, there you go.

I should probably I would love to talk more about Within Excess with you, but perhaps I should let you guys get ready for for your big show. There is one super random thing I wanted to ask you though.

It's so it's so random, but I've always wanted to talk to someone from Jet about this. There's a music I'm very into music videos. You made a music video from your third album. I don't know how much it got shown anywhere cuz it was bonkers. K.I.A. The supermarket murder video. It is on YouTube. I did find it. Like basically people murdering themselves in the supermarket. You're not even in it.

Nothing.

It's like I remember when it came out like I worked at where where I worked at the time we had music videos and I'm like I don't We were like can we put this up? Like this is it's intense.

All right, what's the question?

How did you come up with this concept where people are killing each other? It's very It's like a horror movie in a supermarket.

Well, K K K.I.A. I'm sorry. I don't know I'm sure you you know, but for all you other less like intelligent people out there it's K.I.A. means killed in action. So, it's kind of this I wrote the song and the song's about um yeah, just kind of going missing really. Like M.I.A. K.I.A. M.I.A. K.I.A. Whatever, just kind of going like getting blown out or whatever by what's happening in your life or whatever. So, killed in action. So, that's what it is. It's K.I.A. in the supermarket. K.I.A. in this this scenario, this scenario, that scenario.

And so, um it wasn't our idea for the music video. It was

I mean the meat slicer scene was abs- it still haunts my dreams.

Um yeah, so

one.

No, it's pretty funny.

It's hilarious, but it's like I remember when I watched it I'm like oh my god.

The one with the guy the guy I think the girl puts the freezer bag over the dude's head and he he's like mouth explodes or something and it's just blood everywhere. Yeah, it's just I like I love the song I really like the song and I I remember about the song that um we had a what are they called? The longhorns like the Texas longhorns like cuz we made that record in Austin Texas and so we had their drum line on that track. So they were in the studio like with their with their with their snares and stuff. It was pretty sick. I really like that song. We we never really played it live that much because it just never had that explosive nature once you took that element out of it. But the video was pretty crazy.

It was insane. If you guys anyone watching this you watch the video just like you have been warned. Um I know that Jet I guess it was maybe last year or in '24 you reunited and you had a couple really big shows at the Troubadour sold out in like 2 minutes. Um I obviously want to know about the plans for your 250 songs with the Mystic Knights to come out but is are there plans for a new Jet album? It would have It's been a while.

What if you were Jet and like the the the drummer in Jet had 250 songs on the on the boil, what would you do?

Probably focus on this for a minute.

Yeah.

All right.

Yeah, I think so.

So what's going to happen with an album for the Mystic Knights?

Well, it's it's all it's underway. Why don't you take that one, Manny?

Me? Oh, yeah, we're we're making a record.

Will be out this year?

It's going to be out this year, yeah.

Any more details you can

Uh we we went to East West the other day. We finished recording the whole thing and now we're just in the final mixing and getting all the final vocals and overdubs done.

Amazing.

be out this year. And it's going to have songs the two songs we've already put out. It's going to be like a compilation of that and other songs.

Are you doing the Kasabian cover on that or is that just a live video?

Funny you should say that. Yeah, it was it was a It was a weird

briefly discussed but no, it's a live exclusive.

We almost got in a fist fight in the studio. We did We did record it and we almost

No, no.

Yeah, it's it'll Hey guys, let's do the cover it cover. Why?

I don't want you guys to fight.

No, no, but that one has it has been fun doing that one at the shows cuz like nobody it's like you kind of tell in the crowd who knows it and and like the half the crowd is like just thinks it's kind of one of our songs.

I mean it's a great but obviously you have many great songs of your own, at least 250, possibly 400.

Possibly. See, between 250 and 400.

It's a It's a wide range, but I look forward to hearing more and I look forward to seeing you play outside in the other room at Liars' Pizza. Thank you so much for coming here. This has been a lot of fun.

Thank you.

And the fun is going to continue. Thanks everyone for watching. See you later.