Photography by Ash Crowe
Drunk Conversations with Scotty Sandwich
Nathan Gray (BOY SETS FIRE/ THE CASTING OUT)
Scotty: What was it like starting a band from scratch in your mid 30s?
Nathan: Interesting and exciting at the same time. I actually really like starting over again… it’s refreshing. I like having to fight for everything… makes me feel accomplished.
Scotty: You’re new self- titled record leaked about 2 months early, what are your thoughts on it? Do you find it helping draw people to the shows or is it discouraging for all the work you put into it?
Nathan: Doesn’t really matter. Knew it would happen, ‘cause we had to release it earlier in Europe, due to a tour. Honestly, anything that opens people up to our music is good for us. I’ll let labels worry about that shit.
Scotty: Ok, now on to the fun stuff since my whiskey kicked in.
Nathan: Haha.
Scotty: What was it like being label mates with CREED? Did they take you higher?
Nathan: Well they took us higher, but I was unsure as to whether they could take us high enough. But hell, they embraced us with arms wide Open… aaanndd… that’s all the CREED references I can think of… shit!
Scotty: I feel like I need to go delete all my pirated CASTING OUT songs since you actually know some lyrics by CREED.
Nathan: I feel like I need to go hit myself in the dick with a hammer for ever being on the same label. I win.
Scotty: Speaking of labels, do you have any funny Tony Brummel stories?
Nathan: Hahaha… I fucking wish. I never met him when we were on the label. Met him once after we left the label, and he wasn’t very talkative.
Scotty: Maybe he couldn’t find his anger and/or his fucking rage?
Nathan: Well, if he would have been paying attention to completely irrelevant hardcore that came out in 2000, he would have learned.
Scotty: Moving on, you guys were given the amazing opportunity to head to Europe with SAMIAM this fall. I was wondering, what kind of knee pads you used, or did ya just let the rug burn happen to get on a tour like that?
Nathan: Moving on? Geez dude. You suck at this. Fucking lobbed one up for you, and you struck out haha. As far as SAMIAM is concerned… you cannot imagine the amount of lube that was used. I gave them Pat (our drummer), and about 300 dollars worth of KY. Locked them in a room for three hours and by the end…we were on the tour.
Scotty: Let’s go back to irrelevant hardcore. THE CASTING OUT lacks the social/political punch that was prevalent in BOY SETS FIRE. It was a bit of departure to what people we expecting. Was the reasoning behind it because PROPAGANDHI didn’t release any new records from the break up of BOY SETS FIRE to the formation of THE CASTING OUT?
Nathan: Wait… Can you imagine… 300 dollars worth? That’s how many gallons again?
Scotty: I bare back my shit. Lube gives me a rash.
Nathan: Fair enough… I wouldn’t say we lack it. I’d say we avoid it. Although PROPAGANDHI obviously played a part in it, I think it had more to do with my involvement in midget goat porn. It really taught me that there are more important things in life then boring old politics.
Scotty: I agree completely. I wanted to be a politician once, but then I turned 21 and realized Ian Mckaye was no longer that important to me and I found this delicious beverage called beer. After that I don’t remember what happened, but last time I sobered up I realized I was 29. I recently watched a video shot by Wauz of the RED TAPE PARADE and the SANDWICHES, in which your guitarist serenades some German hipsters. What Euro country has the best hipsters?
Nathan: Are we at an AA meeeting? That was our drummer.
Scotty: No way dude, I just snuck into my neighbor’s house to steal more beer… Drummer, guitarist, same thing.
Nathan Whew… glad to see you’re not a quitter… hmmmm… hipsters in Europe… have to say Berlin.
Scotty: Typical.
Nathan: Yeah… I am.
Scotty: Austria is my favorite, though they need to lose the horse shit in the streets of Vienna.
Nathan: I didn’t understand that question (?) at all. Was that a statement, and question, or just a poorly put together sentence?
Scotty: Me fail English? That’s umpossible.
Nathan: Haha. So… We were talking about loose horses? Slutty horses…oh yeah.
Scotty: Horse poopies. Ok speaking of poopies, what is the beer of choice for THE CASTING OUT?
Nathan: Not as interesting as slutty horses… gotta be honest. Coors Original… hands down.
Scotty: Pssshh… Capitalist. What about mixed drinks?
Nathan: Oh I’m sorry… You know some good anarcho/socialist beers I can get down with? Gin and tonic is my drink of choice.
Scotty: You need to get on the Sandwich special train. Jay Nothington says it’s an orgasm of flavor. Actually he didn’t say that, but I bet he thinks it.
Nathan: I’ll get on any train you like man… It’s party time… Let’s do it. I like flavorful orgasms… That’s all I know.
Scotty: And finally, what are the chances that AMP actually prints this?
Nathan: Zero to nil. I’ve got my money on this interview getting passed up for a band that people like.
Scotty: I feel like the world needs more articles of bands that wear dayglo shirts. The first time I saw the word dayglo I thought it was a slur against tan Italians.
Nathan: Hahaha. I think that’s a fair assumption. We need more auto tune in this interview.
Scotty: We need more fun in the monitors. I told that to a sound guy once. He wasn’t very happy. I heard that MOTLEY CRUE brings out 8 auto tune racks on tour?
Nathan: Yeah they do… You know why? Cause they’re MOTLEY fucking CRUE!!! And don’t you forget it.
Scotty: Ok, one final question.
Nathan: Do it bitch.
Scotty: On your way to play in North Carolina will you stop in Baltimore and get me a case of Natty Boh? My friend Matt Ramone swears by it and I’ve yet to have some.
Nathan: Not a fucking chance… your “friend” Matt is trying to kill you. You will shit blood for days…
Check out Scotties label deathtofalsehoperecords.com for some rad free music!
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