an interview with the members of the lon chaney jr., by rush krakow,
staff writer at sleeper press.

SP:  How do you choose specific ideas, both lyrically and musically?

LC:  once, i had a problem coming up with things to write about,
musically. i learned that lyrically i can't really be bothered.  so i
wrote lyrics with the intent of generating a certain mood, not specific 
meaning or even vague, sentimental value.  my songs are written with a
specific idea or feeling in mind, and then taking what i know as a
musician and trying to get as close as possible to that idea.

PS:  the guitar is what i learned, and that's why it's so often the
primary instrument.  on that level lon and i are the same, because we only
use what we know to write our songs.  if i could play the trumpet, or the
oboe (and believe me i've tried) i'd use them in my songwriting.  i don't
agree with lon on the lyrical idea.  i think that by the time he joined
the band he had developed-  

LC:  hey.  this isn't fair.

BV:  it's no biggie lon.  all paul is trying to say is that you'd
developed a kind of muse, and you have a certain focus now.  we both love
the way the band has taken off since he's brought this muse to us.

SP:  what about you billy, what drives you musically.

BV:  i'd say it's the opposite of what drives lon, and to a certain extent
paul.  first of all, i think lon and i share this muse.  the thing is i
get, at least when i write my lyrics, a certain sense of anger at our
muse.  it's a strange dichotomy, because lon gets lovely songs out of our
muse, and i get some sad and angry ones.  

LC:  (in dreamlands of unknown kadath)

SP:  we seem to have lost lon.  paul, were you done with your answer.

PS:  no.  the one thing i neglected to mention was electronics.

BV:  oh boy.

SP:  your music is renowned for it's minimal, pared down approach.  

PS:  this is, in every essence of the idea, a new thing we're gonna try
out.  it kind of eliminates the whole idea of being "untrained" musically.
now, i don't have to play the oboe or the trumpet or a section of violins,
because i can generate them with a computer.  

LC:  it means we can get closer to our initial ideas.  it virtually
eliminates any technical boundary.  

SP:  does this mean that anyone can become a musician, and if so, what
does that mean?

BV:  i think so, definiely.  it's going to be weird, in the not to disant
future.  people with any intent or idea can make music.  i don't think i'd
like much of it, without the right kind of passion behind it, but there is
certaintly a place for six billion musicians.

PS:  i'm going to love this.  no one will have a preconcieved notion of
genre if everything falls right.  the music "industry" would fail because
people are becoming more involved in their own music than marketed music.
the idea of the local band would be magnified ten fold because it will be
so much more feasible.  not only will they be satisfied, they can be
satisfied and survive because more people support them.  i'm assuming that
shows will stop being a spectator event.  people invite people over to
hear some live music, and to hear others live music.  

LC:  the party will be replaced by the "rock" show party.  jesus
will return to the earth.