Something about this interview from the soft furry buttons at
netxnews.net cracks me up--it reads very abruptly and herky-jerky, which is likely how the actual conversation transpired:
A conversation with Ima Robot
by Doug Allen
January 28, 2004
I was always taught that internal combustion was physically impossible, which it very well might be. However on July 20th, I witnessed five men come
as close as anyone ever has. Playing songs from their self-titled debut, which I consider to be one of the best albums of 2003, ImaRobot exploded into
their opening song "Here come the Bombs", and the hysteria never stopped until the final note was played.
As I walked into the dressing room after the show to interview the band, Alex Ebert (lead vocalist), was slumped into a leather sofa, yellow-faced
with a blood red circle beneath one eye and a horse voice. I realized then how much energy some bands really do put into their performances. The
interview I had with the band was interesting and very unique.
Doug Allen: What did you think of the crowd tonight?
Alex: I thought they were very special people, um, yeah.
Doug: You guys have one of the most unique sounds I've heard in years. What influences do you think contribute?
Tim: Well, uh, you know, we inspire ourselves as, you know, five odd forward thinking people tend to do when they all hang out together in close
quarters. But uh, you know, were all fans of different stuff, from the beginning of music, 'til stuff that basically hasn't been made yet.
Alex: Also, the beginning of time.
Justin: I'm a real big fan of the beginning of time actually, that's a cool era dude.
Tim: There's a sound that actually came, actually harked, it was right around the Mesozoic period. There was this frog; he crawled out of the
ocean...
Alex: (interrupting Tim) His name was Kirby!
Tim: ...and he sprouted horns, (pointing at his head and making a circling motion with his fingers), which then you know...
Justin: (interrupting Tim) He said whuzuuup!
Alex: What I think Timmy's trying to say is that it's not just music that we get inspired by it's, ah, events, or things in history, or
ideas, and ah, everything takes a musical form once we get our hands on it, you know.
Tim: Exactly!
Justin: We got an agenda man, we want to do righteous things and do righteous stuff.
Doug: I know you're touring all the time, what keeps you going, keeps you energized, and 100%? Which Alex isn't right now.
Justin: We're all never 100%, I was so sick during our last tour with the Ravonettes in December. We all get sick every now and then, and it just
can't be helped, we just have to keep on truckin'. But the thing that inspires us so much, keeps us going, relatively speaking this is all
really new for us. And what we've found is, in a relatively short order, we have a really incredibly dedicated fan base that um, knows ah, a
surprising amount of the influence about our whole aesthetic and sense of humor and everything. They're really clued into our whole shtick, which
is really nice. And as the days go on and on and we play a new show in a new town and we meet more and more people who are just down with it, what
we're doing, and um, that really blows our minds. It's so euphoric and so exciting it's hard to imagine stopping.
Doug: I see you're confirmed for the Warped Tour for this summer, are you going to be coming to Utah for that.
Alex: (clears his voice) I hope so!
Doug: I have a final question for you, and since Oliver just walked into the room, I'll ask him. What is your favorite album of all time and what
are you currently listening to?
Oliver: Favorite album of all time, probably Headhunters. That's like, definitely like, at times my favorite...
Tim: (interrupting Oliver) Why don't you explain more about what Headhunters is.
Oliver: Headhunters is by Herbie Hancock, it's 1972. Kind of an early Jazz record, but it's not fusion or anything, just really heavy. Okay,
what am I listening to know, is a band called the Superheroes, from Denmark. I don't think they're together anymore...
Alex: (interrupts Oliver) They're not together anymore.
Oliver: ...but they make great music, and that's what I'm listening to now. That and a band called Can from Germany, and then all the
classic stuff that you guys already have.