Underminded's new EP, The Task of the Modern Educator, is being released Saturday June 7th at Soma. Go out to see Underminded play with Avenged Sevenfold, Swindle, The Dekoys, The Center of Five, and more. The show is all ages. Underminded interview by Katie Knoche.

Katie Knoche: Okay names and what you do in the band.
Nick Martin: Nick, play guitar… Sing.
Brandon: Brandon, I play bass.
Yabbs: Matt, I play guitar
Mike: Mike, I play percussions.

Katie: Tell me about the new CD.
Nick: The new CD involved a lot of time and stress, but it's being self-
released by us and is titled The Task of the Modern Educator. It just feels good to finally have a fully-pressed CD coming out for everyone to check out. The CD consists of 6 songs that have been written in a time span of over two years. Some songs like "Excommunication" and "(Song For) Battle Cry" were written two years ago, and the others were written after that. "Am I Persistent?" was the latest song we had written before we went into the studio. The CD itself looks amazing. The artwork was done so well by Ryan over at the Halo Industries (www.thehaloindustries.com). We hope that kids will enjoy the CD and learn those lyrics. That's the one thing we're so excited about, is now kids can know our whole fuckin' set, and not just old songs we don't even know how to play anymore... Our next step is just to promote the CD, tour as much as we can on it, and hopefully find a label that will wanna pick it up. I mean, we have so many new songs already, we're ready to start recording again

Katie: Who did you guys work with?
Nick: we worked with this guy named Sergio Chavez, and he's done work with Death by Stereo, he even did work on that one Evanescence band that sounds like Linkin Park. We give him shit for it, but he's just doing his job, but we gave him more shit because he's working on the new Limp Bizkit CD and says Fred Durst really is an asshole. But anyway, he did the whole recording at For the Record up in Orange County. Death By Stereo, Ignite, Thrice, and a bunch of other bands have recorded up there, so it was just fun recording at a studio like that. Then we went and did the mixing at NRG Studios where a bunch of huge label bands have gone like Incubus, Linkin Park, Sugar Ray, all those types of schlock bands. But the place is amazing and made our CD sound pretty good. Then we had Paul Miner from Death By Stereo master our CD at his home studio. He does such an amazing job with all the pro tools shit and whatnot. So, we got lucky to work with some professional people.

Katie: Tell me about the CD release show and upcoming tours...
Nick: Our CD release is set for June 7 at Soma with Avenged Sevenfold, Swindle, and some other local bands. We're hoping that everyone will come and support. We play the next night up in Hemet, and you get hooked up on the ticket price if you bring your ticket stub from the night before. Then we're playing the San Diego warped tour date. We might be heading out to Texas for a week or so, and hitting places on the way there and back. We just wanna play out of town as much as possible and start promoting this CD.

Katie: What kind of sound were you guys going for on the new CD?
Nick: We weren’t going for any particular sound.
Yabbs: Yeah I think you will just kind of have to see kind of deal (laughing), you can't really describe the sound it's changing.

Katie: Okay okay fine I am gonna just start asking random question…
Mike: Ask questions like who has the best hair.. And the best clothes… (laughing)
Katie: Do you want serious questions?
Yabbs: as serious as you can get 'em.
Katie: I could ask you what is the meaning of life…
All: Nooooooo hahaha!
Nick: Don’t do that one Yabbs could go on for hours.
Katie: I could ask you so many questions it just matters where you want to take this, umm... Good shows you’ve seen recently?
Nick: Good shows we’ve seen recently…
Mike: Good Charlotte I mean…
Nick: As I Lay Dying.
Mike: Hopesfall.
Nick: What other shows?
Everyone: umm
Mike: Pretty Girls Make Graves.
Everyone: Yeah that was a good show.

Katie: Okay ummm.
Everyone: umm...
Yabbs: Heyyyy Underminded has a CD.
Everyone: (laughing).
Nick: How about you? What good shows have you seen?
Katie: I really thought the Used put on a good show
Nick: They played with Vaux
Katie: Oh, we didn’t see them we were being harassed by the security cars
Mike: Yeah they came into the car.
Nick: Yeah, I haven’t even heard of them
Ashley (a friend at the interview): Where is this interview going…
Everyone: laughing
Katie: I’ll edit some of this out..
Nick: Don’t edit it!
Mike: Yeah, don’t edit it.
Yabbs: This interview needs to be this whole conversation.
Mike: I hate it when they edit it.. Soo lame.
Ashley: I like your sweatshirt..

Katie: Okay okay I have some really weird questions…
Nick: That’s fine, we don’t care.
Yabbs: Can't be that weird.
Nick: Give us the weirdest question you’ve got.
Katie: Okay, if you spilled cranberry juice on your carpet what cleaner would you use to clean it up?
Nick: I’ve seen Yabbs spray Windex on everything.
Yabbs: Soak it up with club soda…
(laughing)
Yabbs: One time I used a Coors light … some bacardi..
Nick: That’s connecting to our music.. I don’t know how it is, but.. I dunno …

Katie: Oh Jesus. Wow okay. If you were a food what would you be?
Mike: Food?
Ashley: This is the weirdest interview.
Nick: Mashed potatoes and gravy.
Mike: I would probably be broccoli, something that not too many people would eat.
Nick: I eat broccoli, broccoli is good
(Mike cuts in): Not many people eat broccoli.. I am talking broccoli with no cheese either… Just straight up broccoli.
Nick: No you gotta have some cheese. Cheese is key.
Mike to Yabbs: What about you Yabbs?
Yabbs: I dunno.
(Laughter)
Katie: Yabbs is chillin'.
Yabbs: Three tacos and three beers down in TJ.. How much does that cost? About three bucks.
(Laughter)
Mike: Such a deal!!
Nick to Brandon: What about you Brandon?
Brandon: A carne asada burrito… Maybe with some rice and beans.

Yabbs: What's up with your jacket (reference to Katie's warm-ups).
Katie: Ughh this is my soccer warm-up.. I quit playing last year..
Yabbs: Why did ya do that?
Katie: I dunno I didn’t really like soccer.. I broke my hand.
Yabbs: Oh that’s a reason to quit soccer..
(Laughing)
Katie: No, no, I was goalie haha.
Yabbs: Ohhh.
Mike: One time I got a red card cause I used my hands and I wasn’t the goalie, but I saved a goal and won the came.
Katie: Because you used your hands?
Mike: Yeah cause it was a corner kick and the other team did a header and the goalie was at the front post and the header was to the back post..
Katie: Did you try to catch it?
Mike: Yeah I was like BAM and hit it off and they did a free kick and they missed… We won the game.
(Laughter)
Yabbs: Yup.. Got that word for word.

Katie: Who do you think is sexier: Richard Simmons-
Mike: Already Richard Simons! No one is sexier than that man.
Yabbs: I say Jonah from One Line Drawing.
Katie: Or DJ from Full House..
Nick: She got pretty hot..
Katie: Or Loli from the busy world of Richard scary.
Nick: I’d probably go with Simmons..
Mike: A lot of hair..
Katie: Eww…
Nick: I met Richard Simmons once actually.
Mike: Did you really? Just like Yabbs knows the girl from Willow…
Katie: Jesus.
(Laughing)
Yabbs: Yep I know the girl from Willow.
Katie: How do you know the girl from Willow…..
Mike: “Willows coming.”
Yabbs: She was a staff leader at a youth thing I go to..
(Nick cuts him off): Alrighhhhht next question.
Yabbs: Her name is Lisa.
Mike: He looks like someone from Willow (in reference to an innocent passerby).

Katie: Okay, okay let's see… Where do you guys want to take this band?
Mike: Take it homme babayyyy!
Yabbs: Existentially?
(laughing)
Nick: Well now that Mike is out of high school we can focus more and not only have to play on the weekends.. Mike can now go out on weeknights.
Yabbs: Haha no more school nighhttts.
Katie: Aww how cute.
Mike: We want to play more out of San Diego.

Katie: If you could play anywhere in the world where would you play?
Mike: Wow.
Nick: Here..
Yabbs: San Diego.. But it depends, cause we could play anywhere we want, but there would be only like five people there haha.
Mike: Hah Jeeeeesus.
Nick: I wanna go to Japan.
Mike: Yeah I wanna go to Japan too.. I don’t care who you are.
(Laughing)
Nick: Yeah that would be sick

Katie: What's the best quality of your live show?
Mike: Stage presence.
Nick: I think everything.
Mike: Now thinking about it, I’d probably say the crowd.
Yabbs: Yeah the crowd, the kids.
Nick: The crowd has always been my favorite part besides playing.
Katie: What does the crowd do that has such an impact?
Nick: They make you feel like you matter for once.
(Everyone agrees on this point).
Nick: They actually care about what you have to say.
Mike: Yup breakin’ shiet, breakin’ elbows, messin’ up their faces, using their bodies.
(Laughing)
Nick: Yeah I have more fun watching the kids go crazy.. That’s what gets me going.

Katie: If you could ask yourself one question what would it be and how would you answer it?
Nick: Myself?
Katie: yeah, if you could ask yourself any question…
Yabbs: I could answer it or I can answer it? (Laughter) In the pacific time zone..
(No one really answering).
Mike: Am I going to get over this cold?
Nick: This is pretty hardcore..
Yabbs: I’d say let's go back to the cereal one.
(Laughing)
Katie: Finnnne then what cereal?
Yabbs: I’m more of a bagel guy…
Nick: Yeah everything bagel with cream cheese.. Toasted..
Nick to Yabbs: What is the best place for bagels Yabbs?
Yabbs: Brueggers.
Brandon: Brueggers is good.
Nick to me: What about you, what's your favorite food?
Katie: Ugh favorite food…

Mike (out of nowhere): Those look like good dancing shoes (in reference to my running shoes. I was about to go to the gym) Yeah she's got the new balances on.
Nick: Gotta pick some up these up Yabbooo.
(Laughing)
Katie: Um okay my favorite Cereal is ummm, Cinnamon Life.
Nick: Cinnamon Life!? Whaat?
Yabbs: If you’re going cinnamon why not Cinnamon Toast Crunch?
Mike: Yeah that’s dirty/
Everyone: Dirty.
Yabbs: This interview is over

Katie: So how is the parental support?
Nick: financially?
Katie: Anyway.
Mike: Well we should start that off with we practice in my house.
Katie: Jesus.. Yeah in your room?
Mike: And we’re still doing that.. For how many years?
Nick: Financially we don’t try to hit them up with money unless it’s something huge

Katie: Speaking of money.. How was your show in Vegas?
Nick: Ohhhh Las Vegas…
Yabbs: Las Vegas… next question haha.
Mike: Two kids drove up from San Diego, Poway.
Nick: That was the gnarliest thing.
Mike: Yeah.. Shout out to them!
Nick: Yes, thank you to those kids.. That was the best thing bout Vegas.. People from San Diego… Something about that region.. They were a little behind.
Katie: Oh what were they listening to?
Everyone: WE DON’T KNOW.
Nick: Yeah more corporate shit.. That’s all you really get out there, it's not their fault.
Katie: Well they live in the desert in the middle of nowhere.
Yabbs: Yeah we hope they have water.
Mike: Annnnd Yabbs and Brandon got to that show 30 minutes before we played..
Yabbs: Who?
Mike: You!
Yabbs: Oh it was fine.
Nick: What happened? Oh haha after drinking.
(Laughing)
Yabbs: Oh Jesus.. White Russians, mudslides, and Irish car bombs..
Yabbs: Have you ever had an Irish car bomb?
Katie: No I have not.
Yabbs: It’s a pint of Guinness and a shot of whiskey.. Mix 'em together and put that baby down.. Supposedly you can only do three but …(chaotic laughter)
Katie: Oh God..
Nick: I’ve seen Joel from San Diego Punk put down his liquor.. If anyone wants to hear some stories about Joel from San Diego Punk, you know where to come.
Yabbs: He’s been on the road haha.
Mike: And in the bathroom for a couple hours
Yabbs: Yep we have it all on tape.
Nick: Yeah.. We know Joel.

Katie: Okay let's wrap this up, any opportunities where kids can get involved, street team, flyering?
Nick: We do have a fully functioning street team that we encourage everyone to join. I mean, seriously, it's just a way for you to get a bunch of free shit from us, so why not?

Katie: Plans for the future...
Nick: Our plans for the future are to continue what we're doing. Just having fun and taking things as they come. We never would've thought that we would get to experience some of the things we have, so we're always grateful for that. Some of my personal favorite memories the past couple years have been with the band, so I can't complain. Obviously, our goal is trying to succeed in music somehow, someway. Whether it be in a band or not, it's just what we are aiming at as individuals, but our first goal ultimately is to just have fun. If you take things too seriously you'll stress yourself out or just not have fun at what you're doing anymore. We've all had the same drive and aspirations for music since the first day we all came together, so that's always a plus as a band. I've run into local bands that aren't even friends with each other, or just are on different levels of commitment. I could never see myself or even any of the other guys wanting to pursue anything else.

http://www.underminded.com

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