The Body Rampant just dropped a new EP, Transient Years. And prior to the EP’s drop, the experimental rock band took SXSW by storm. The group took the time during the festival to chat with PopWreckoning about how they formed, where they got equipped with their well-known paper mache mask accessories and more. You can check out the full interview with the band below:
PopWreckoning: How did you guys meet and form the Body Rampant?
J.M. Lopez, Vocals: I was playing an acoustic show back home and met our bass player, Dylan [Schleifstein]. He was playing in another band. I was in northern California at the time and moved down to LA with this kid, Dylan, and we just recruited basically all the members on different outlets. Me and Jacob [Nichols] had been in touring bands, previously in the past, like hardcore bands, stuff like that. We kind of knew each other–recruited him. Found Ryan [Sabouhi], our other guitar player. off Craigslist.
Ryan Sabouhi, Guitar: Yeah, Craigslist: a really good outlet for several different things – selling shit, etc.
JML: Then we found our drummer, Mike [Thomas]. He’s just a rockstar. We knew about him from basically everyone in town, you know what I mean?
Mike Thomas, Drums: Word of mouth
JML: Yeah, word of mouth. He’s a smoking drummer. We’ve got a good lineup. We’re pumped.
PW: How did the masks on stage thing come about?
MT: Basically,JM knows this guy, Duane Flatmo, who is just this incredible artist and he actually made all these masks out of paper mache. It just catches the eye with an alter-ego kind of thing.
JML: A lot of the breweries and local companies, he does art for them – murals. He’s a world famous artist – he’s been on the Tonight Show and shit. I just, well, he’s a local in northern California, where I’m from, so I’ve just always seen his stuff around. We just hit him up with our music and he liked it and was down to work with us.
PW: Did you draw any influence from other bands that use costumes/masks on stage?
Jake Nichols, Guitar: We don’t really use them on stage, so it’s not like we’re the KISS Army or something like that.
RS: We just use them to basically get our name out there and have this kind of huge thing going.
Dylan Schleifstein, Bass: I think we use them because it enables us – when we put the mask on it gives us the freedom to go out and do what we want and not worry about what else is going on
JML: Our bodies are basically rampant when we have the masks on – we can do what we want. We can get nuts. When we’re on stage, we still get nuts, but we’re a little more ourselves.
PW: What can people expect from your live show?
RS: Energy. Energy for days. We’re like a pop band, alternative rock band, but we like to rock.
JML: We hate when bands just stand there and they’re not loud. We like to be really loud and move around a lot.
MT: A lot of involvement. You want to get the crowd as involved as possible: best way to bring them on.
JN: We just try to have fun with our live show.
PW: Sounds great. Now you have a new EP, Transient Years. Tell me about that and how you came up with the album title?
JML: The album title is kind of loosely based around the masks as well because they’re transient – and it’s like when you’re stuck in time in one place and you’re doing nothing for so long – it sounded cool too. The album comes out April 5. We’re pretty stoked on it.
PW: Who would you say are some of your influences on the album?
DS: So many.
RS: We have varied, but similar musical styles. Casey Bates–we got to work with on a lot of the songs. Definitely working with a producer who had that much input and had worked with so many other big bands that could coach us to be as on point as possible. Musical styles? Could go for days. Anybody’s who’s good.
DS: We listen to hip hop, oldies, metal, grind – everything.
RS: You’d never know that by listening to the CD. A lot of different artists we listen to have to do with our style.
PW: So who are some of the people you’ve been checking out at SXSW? Have you had much time?
MT: That’s the problem when you’re a band at southby, you don’t have time to see your favorite artists. We tried a couple times.
JN: Saw Wiz Kalifa – that was awesome.
JML: Saw The Limousines – they were sick. Mike, did you see anyone? Mike was the drunkest, haha.
MT: Dude. I probably did, but I don’t remember. The Stroke s- I wanted to see the Strokes really bad.
DS: Saw the singer and drummer walking around. He was so dirty. haha.
MT: He gets paid basically to be that way.
DS: If i was him, I’d get that dirty.
JML: Girls love that.
PW: So what’s after South by for you?
JML: We are during a lot of online, commercial stuff.
PW: What’s your favorite social media outlet to reach out to your fans?
JML: Facebook.
DS: Facebook’s where’s it’s at.
JN: There’s been a lot of cool things we’ve seen popping up at SXSW and a lot of people approacing you about it. Everyone’s trying to build the new Twitter.
MT: The new iPhone app.
JN: We usually use Twitter and that goes to everything else. we like to keep it simple. post to Twitter.
You can follow the Body Rampant on Twitter here and find out more from them on Facebook here.
