What is Spitfish?
Jim:
Spitfish is a musical form of energy. Yeah, that sounds pretty new-agey, but really it is pretty amorphous --- even songs we've played 1,000 times come out differently each time. Each experience is unique -- and I'd like to think that each show is unique... because the place is different, the people are different, the time is different, etc. I am a very different person now than I was 20 years ago, or even 3 years ago and I think that shows in the way I approach our music and music in general.
Dan:
The greatest band that never was.
Ted:
Spitfish is a collection of sounds. One of has a sound or a riff in their head, they start playing it, the other two join in. This goes on for several or many minutes, we stop look teach other and say,"what was that?". If the first answer heard is "crap" it gets ditched if "that was cool" is heard, it becomes our next song. Being brothers we don't really talk about what we intend to do or even want to do. We just play and follow each other's leads. What comes out is Spitfish
What is your favorite Spitfish song - and why?
Jim:
Damn, that's tough. I have 3 main favorites that I have very different feelings toward. Groovin' was the first time I really sat down and "wrote" a song from beginning to end - and it has remained essentially unchanged since then, and it is a lot of fun to play. I also like how Dead Knife Drag feels sonically - I think Dan's bass line on that is just perfect. But, when it comes down to it, I have never once gotten tired of playing Spot. That song defines us as a band in a lot of ways, I think. The beginning, the middle and the end all come from three different "songs" we did in the very early days - so it is kind of a mosaic - and it makes absolutely no sense other than the fact that it is a journey. The music and the lyrics both connote that simultaneously. It was chemistry.
Dan:
My favorite is the one where I go doon doon doon doon doon deeba deeba doon doon doon and then Jim goes chunchunchunchunchungawreaoooooooorrrwwwwchunchunzreeeeeeeeefff and Ted goes BAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMDUBBITADUBBITADUBBITADUBBITABAMBAMBAMBAM
and then me and Jim stop and look at each other and Ted keeps on going DUBBITADUBBITADUBBITADUBBITADUBBITABAMBAMBAMBAMCRANGGGGGGG
and then we get all pissed off at each other.
Ted:
I love Spot because it is the only song I feel like I started. I just had this beat in my head I started thumping on the drums and would not stop. Jim got irritated by my interruptive playing and started angrily making some crazy sounds with his guitar. Dan of course found a wave and played it, he can find a bass line in the sound of two cats fighting. The anger and noise just came out so explosive it was the greatest "music" we had made to that point. I think Jim's lyrics are magnificent too. That song is different every time we play it ad I love every version of it that comes out. That's how I remember it anyway.
If Spitfish made it big, what would you do?
Jim:
My dream would be, not to become uber-rich rock stars and move to California or anything like that, I'd just like to have enough success (and money) to send my kids to college and then I want to buy our old house back and tear down all of the crap construction they've done to it and the surrounding area.
Dan:
Your mom.
Ted:
I thought we did make it big? What are you trying to say?
What would you like for Spitfish to do next?
Jim:
I would love to have the opportunity to have a big, fat do-over on the Devou Park show. To right the wrongs we committed against humanity. Seriously, that may be the worst concert tragedy since Altamont. Somewhere there is tribunal looking for us.
Dan:
Get me a beer.
Ted:
I think a Spitfish theme park is in order. The Spot roller coaster, New Frontier wilderness safari complete with corporate raiders hacking down trees, Dead Knife Drag haunted walk through Clifton, some fun stuff for the kids.
