Interview with Drastic Down, Back From October of 2019.
Note**
This Interview was conducted in October of 2019, I just had a big cleanout of three of my email accounts and I've been finding all kinds of stuff that got lost, so enjoy!
Drastic Down is the creation of guitarist Enrico Mariuzzo. Enrico moved to Seattle from his homeland of Italy in 2017. Enrico quickly jumped into the Seattle scene playing with various heavy rocking bands. A chance meeting on Craigslist brought Enrico together with vocalist Andy Brodigan. Craig Raphael was enlisted soon after as drummer of the band. Jordan Miles was added on bass as a recommendation from Craig. The band released their first EP in June 2019 and have played shows all over the NW, opening for acts such as LA Guns, Michale Graves and more!
1 Let's start out with you giving your name and socials. Plug them below.
Enrico Mariuzzo = guitar
Andy Brodigan = Vocals
Jordan Miles = Bass and back up vocals
Craig Raphael = drums
http://www.drasticdown.com
http://facebook.com/drasticdown
https://music.apple.com/us/album/drastic-down-ep/1469991223?mt=1&app=itunes
https://open.spotify.com/album/3heBwrSnKPt6CvCLcL8M7x
https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Drastic_Down_Drastic_Down?id=Bmmui4cwqmfmgyzpyjtqdaq72f4&hl=en
https://www.amazon.com/Drastic-Down/dp/B07TGH9QV9/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=drastic+down&qid=1561609366&s=dmusic&sr=1-1
https://drasticdown.bandcamp.com/releases
2 Where are you from/Where are you based out of?
Enrico hails from Milan, Italy. He was touring and landed in the US and started to form an American band. Andy answered a Craig's list ad to meet up with Enrico. Craig followed joining on drums and Craig brought Jordan with him eventually after playing in a band previous band together. The band currently is based out of Seattle, Washington.
3 Name at least one weird habit that you have that you regularly do, and has anyone ever noticed you doing it?
Craig (drummer) regularly pounds on any/all surfaces as a drummer. Most notice and dislike it publicly.
4 What do you think about Heavy Vibe? Or media in general, if you could say something to let all people working in media know, what would it be?
Heavy Vibe and media in general is a love/hate relationship. It is a must obviously and can be used in great ways for exposure and collaborations and such. However, sometimes media is one-sided and routed in promoting only those things that make money or have mass appeal. The mass media tends to focus on celebrities only and cover very uninteresting or unnecessary topics like who someone is dating or who they broke up with. None of that stuff matters in the whole spec of things to me or most. I would prefer to know what Zakk Wylde or Tommy Aldridge does for warming up over who they are sleeping with. On a local level, as a band, it is difficult to get exposure without things like Heavy Vibe and things that actually wish to help. Most bands are willing to help each other and it's great to find platforms that will help local unheard of bands.
5 What do you like most about working in the music industry and what do you like least about it?
Without a doubt, performing is what we like most. Interacting with fans and getting feedback from them is always great. We have been blessed with opening up for some great well-known bands and that is always a great experience as well. Our least favorite thing about the music industry is that it has changed so much. Nowadays, your downloads and platforms are important and readily available to potential fans, which is great but on the flip side, there is no reason for them to have an urgency about anything. They may not come to see you because they can watch you on video easily and free. They may not purchase your album because they can hear it for free on youtube or Spotify, etc. They just don't seem to care like it was in the old days. It used to be that a band could announce a release and people would camp out at the record store to get it, having 0 prior knowledge of the songs. They couldn't wait to hear it! We miss that atmosphere.
6 Do you have a mentor?
Not really. There are some musicians that we strive to be like or follow in terms of business and abilities but no real mentors. Most potential prospects have passed on.
7 If you could meet one celebrity, who would you meet? (dead or alive)
Gene Simmons because I would want to pick his head about all the music questions I have and also either confirm or deny that he is a stuck up asshole. :)
8 What was your dream job when you were you were younger?
Playing music for a band for sure! Maybe even being a roadie for a touring band.
9 Name something that makes you uncomfortable, pet peeve, phobia, etc. and explain why.
As a drummer, one of my biggest pet peeves is to watch other drummers that seem to focus more on twirling sticks than learning their instrument to the best of their abilities. I know many drummers that are great but in my opinion, they have overlooked their meters or timing in order to twirl a stick and look cool. I don't feel like it should be that way. You should always be concerned about your abilities over looking cool. The best can do both :)
10 Who is the best cook in the band?
By far, Enrico because he is from Italy. He and his wife Kelly could feed us all and put us to shame on what they cook.
11 Where was or would be your favorite place to perform?
I would like to perform at a great outdoor venue like an Amphitheatre or hall of some kind, particularly in one of our home towns in front of our friends and families. It really wouldn't matter where to me but just that we can all get excited about playing a great show in a great venue that is packed full of our hometown crowds!
12 Name one time you have broken the rules.
When I was in 3rd grade, I, along with the other kids on the block, refused to obey the police and we rode our bikes on the police property and ruined their lawn. They ended up catching us and contacting parents and we all got in trouble for it. My dad did nothing to me about it but the cops were definitely pissed off about it.
13 Who is your biggest musical influence?
For me personally, as a drummer, Tommy Lee changed how I play. He showed me power and looking cool all at the same time. Then, it was Neil Peart and Scott Rockenfeld to focus on for me. Bonham, of course, played a part in there but it wasn't until I saw and heard Tommy Lee that changed things for me. I wanted to be him.
14 If you could go on tour with any band or artist, who would you go with? (You can list more than one)
I would want to tour with Tesla because I have seen them so many times, I already feel like I know them and what they are all about. I also have respect for them all as musicians. I also would love to play with Dave Grohl. He seems like such an easy-going guy for being such a major celebrity. He seems legitimately grateful for his experiences and success and I feel like he would promote a band that he digs, regardless of their stature.
15 Do you like spicy food? Why?
No, because it equates to gut bombs for me. Great at the time but regretful very quickly. There better be a bathroom close.
16 Are you usually late, early, or on time?
I am very punctual. On-time for me means to be 15 minutes early. As a band, we are always early and prepared as well.
17 How often do you use the internet?
Every day. We are always on the lookout online for opportunities and communicate with many for business relations. It would be tough in today's world to not use the internet daily in my opinion.
18 What scares you the most, and why does it scare you so much?
The current generation that is under the age of 25 or so. Many are so spoiled and unwilling to work for what they want and expect handouts. They are not respectful, talkative, and they don't seem to have manners in general. Their parents are the same way so it is pretty scary to see how things progress/regress as a result of the dumbed-down society we live in today.
19 What is your favorite kind of animal and why?
Dogs by far. They are literally the only living thing that loves humans more than their own. We can all learn a lot from dogs about love and compassion and loyalty. The worst dog is many times better than any human on this planet.
20 What is the nastiest thing a fan has ever done to you, and what is the best thing a fan has ever done?
The nastiest thing a fan has ever done is an attempt to steal equipment and/or sabotage us. I had a show where we set up our equipment on the side and when it came time to play, someone had loosened all of my drum heads, cymbal stands, and foot pedals. The best thing a fan has ever done was to offer gas money, food, or buy a drink and make it obvious that they cared and wanted to help.
21 What is your favorite song by your band, and what is your favorite song to perform at shows?
Favorite song for me is "Get A Grip" because it is groovy and open for a lot of improv if I wish. My favorite song to perform live at shows is probably "Get It Live" because it is a great audience participation song and we usually get the crowd into it big time!
22 What is one song or band that whenever you listen to it/them you can’t stand to listen to it?
I'm gonna get a lot of hate from this statement but I can't stand listening to Tool. I love Carey's drumming but the lengthy songs and his voice just drive me crazy. I feel like all of the songs sound just like all of the other songs as well. I just lose interest very quickly. Bring it on you haters! :)
23 Make me a playlist, put some songs that you have been listening too lately here.
Listing some bands is much easier: Evan's Blue, Against All Will, Saphire, Daybreak Embrace, Art Of Dying
24 Back to the Nasty. What’s the nastiest thing that’s happened to you before a show, recording, traveling, anything related to your work.
My worst accident on stage was when I went to choke a cymbal and missed, causing the cymbal to push back my cuticle about an inch. I was gushing blood and hurting really bad but kept going until we were done with the song.
25 Tell me about your recent Album.
Enrico and Andy had the tunes written long before we recorded them. Enrico actually recorded them on his own at one point while in Italy but we decided to re-record them with the current line up and really attempt to promote it heavily. We feel like current line up and the recording is really solid and makes a great statement but we are looking forward to the next. We actually recorded this album in strange way. I recorded the drum tracks first in a studio but without our bass player. After my drums were done, Andy and Enrico recorded their parts at Andy's home and Jordan recorded the bass parts at his home. Andy mixed and mastered the whole thing and did a great job! We were all pleasantly surprised and excited!
26 Where do you think your music direction is heading? Have you felt you have changed a lot? Elaborate.
We all feel like we are creating a movement a little ahead of the game in bringing back styles of the 80's and 90's. Great guitar solo's, straight up rock and roll and having catchy hooks. We don't use any keyboards or drum machines or anything of the sort so we can pull off everything live that we did in the studio. No offense or disrespect to other bands that operate differently but we really pride ourselves on sounding great live without any affects or assistance in doing so. Many bands with a single guitarist have trouble doing this, but Enrico is so good that we got it down pretty good!
27 What are your future plans, this isn’t just music-related.
We intend to write and record a follow up full length album and push to get management, labels, etc. interest so that ultimately, we can bring our music to the masses and knock it out of the park live, virtually forcing others to take note of Drastic Down.
This Interview was conducted in October of 2019, I just had a big cleanout of three of my email accounts and I've been finding all kinds of stuff that got lost, so enjoy!
Drastic Down is the creation of guitarist Enrico Mariuzzo. Enrico moved to Seattle from his homeland of Italy in 2017. Enrico quickly jumped into the Seattle scene playing with various heavy rocking bands. A chance meeting on Craigslist brought Enrico together with vocalist Andy Brodigan. Craig Raphael was enlisted soon after as drummer of the band. Jordan Miles was added on bass as a recommendation from Craig. The band released their first EP in June 2019 and have played shows all over the NW, opening for acts such as LA Guns, Michale Graves and more!
1 Let's start out with you giving your name and socials. Plug them below.
Enrico Mariuzzo = guitar
Andy Brodigan = Vocals
Jordan Miles = Bass and back up vocals
Craig Raphael = drums
http://www.drasticdown.com
http://facebook.com/drasticdown
https://music.apple.com/us/album/drastic-down-ep/1469991223?mt=1&app=itunes
https://open.spotify.com/album/3heBwrSnKPt6CvCLcL8M7x
https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Drastic_Down_Drastic_Down?id=Bmmui4cwqmfmgyzpyjtqdaq72f4&hl=en
https://www.amazon.com/Drastic-Down/dp/B07TGH9QV9/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=drastic+down&qid=1561609366&s=dmusic&sr=1-1
https://drasticdown.bandcamp.com/releases
2 Where are you from/Where are you based out of?
Enrico hails from Milan, Italy. He was touring and landed in the US and started to form an American band. Andy answered a Craig's list ad to meet up with Enrico. Craig followed joining on drums and Craig brought Jordan with him eventually after playing in a band previous band together. The band currently is based out of Seattle, Washington.
3 Name at least one weird habit that you have that you regularly do, and has anyone ever noticed you doing it?
Craig (drummer) regularly pounds on any/all surfaces as a drummer. Most notice and dislike it publicly.
4 What do you think about Heavy Vibe? Or media in general, if you could say something to let all people working in media know, what would it be?
Heavy Vibe and media in general is a love/hate relationship. It is a must obviously and can be used in great ways for exposure and collaborations and such. However, sometimes media is one-sided and routed in promoting only those things that make money or have mass appeal. The mass media tends to focus on celebrities only and cover very uninteresting or unnecessary topics like who someone is dating or who they broke up with. None of that stuff matters in the whole spec of things to me or most. I would prefer to know what Zakk Wylde or Tommy Aldridge does for warming up over who they are sleeping with. On a local level, as a band, it is difficult to get exposure without things like Heavy Vibe and things that actually wish to help. Most bands are willing to help each other and it's great to find platforms that will help local unheard of bands.
5 What do you like most about working in the music industry and what do you like least about it?
Without a doubt, performing is what we like most. Interacting with fans and getting feedback from them is always great. We have been blessed with opening up for some great well-known bands and that is always a great experience as well. Our least favorite thing about the music industry is that it has changed so much. Nowadays, your downloads and platforms are important and readily available to potential fans, which is great but on the flip side, there is no reason for them to have an urgency about anything. They may not come to see you because they can watch you on video easily and free. They may not purchase your album because they can hear it for free on youtube or Spotify, etc. They just don't seem to care like it was in the old days. It used to be that a band could announce a release and people would camp out at the record store to get it, having 0 prior knowledge of the songs. They couldn't wait to hear it! We miss that atmosphere.
6 Do you have a mentor?
Not really. There are some musicians that we strive to be like or follow in terms of business and abilities but no real mentors. Most potential prospects have passed on.
7 If you could meet one celebrity, who would you meet? (dead or alive)
Gene Simmons because I would want to pick his head about all the music questions I have and also either confirm or deny that he is a stuck up asshole. :)
8 What was your dream job when you were you were younger?
Playing music for a band for sure! Maybe even being a roadie for a touring band.
9 Name something that makes you uncomfortable, pet peeve, phobia, etc. and explain why.
As a drummer, one of my biggest pet peeves is to watch other drummers that seem to focus more on twirling sticks than learning their instrument to the best of their abilities. I know many drummers that are great but in my opinion, they have overlooked their meters or timing in order to twirl a stick and look cool. I don't feel like it should be that way. You should always be concerned about your abilities over looking cool. The best can do both :)
10 Who is the best cook in the band?
By far, Enrico because he is from Italy. He and his wife Kelly could feed us all and put us to shame on what they cook.
11 Where was or would be your favorite place to perform?
I would like to perform at a great outdoor venue like an Amphitheatre or hall of some kind, particularly in one of our home towns in front of our friends and families. It really wouldn't matter where to me but just that we can all get excited about playing a great show in a great venue that is packed full of our hometown crowds!
12 Name one time you have broken the rules.
When I was in 3rd grade, I, along with the other kids on the block, refused to obey the police and we rode our bikes on the police property and ruined their lawn. They ended up catching us and contacting parents and we all got in trouble for it. My dad did nothing to me about it but the cops were definitely pissed off about it.
13 Who is your biggest musical influence?
For me personally, as a drummer, Tommy Lee changed how I play. He showed me power and looking cool all at the same time. Then, it was Neil Peart and Scott Rockenfeld to focus on for me. Bonham, of course, played a part in there but it wasn't until I saw and heard Tommy Lee that changed things for me. I wanted to be him.
14 If you could go on tour with any band or artist, who would you go with? (You can list more than one)
I would want to tour with Tesla because I have seen them so many times, I already feel like I know them and what they are all about. I also have respect for them all as musicians. I also would love to play with Dave Grohl. He seems like such an easy-going guy for being such a major celebrity. He seems legitimately grateful for his experiences and success and I feel like he would promote a band that he digs, regardless of their stature.
15 Do you like spicy food? Why?
No, because it equates to gut bombs for me. Great at the time but regretful very quickly. There better be a bathroom close.
16 Are you usually late, early, or on time?
I am very punctual. On-time for me means to be 15 minutes early. As a band, we are always early and prepared as well.
17 How often do you use the internet?
Every day. We are always on the lookout online for opportunities and communicate with many for business relations. It would be tough in today's world to not use the internet daily in my opinion.
18 What scares you the most, and why does it scare you so much?
The current generation that is under the age of 25 or so. Many are so spoiled and unwilling to work for what they want and expect handouts. They are not respectful, talkative, and they don't seem to have manners in general. Their parents are the same way so it is pretty scary to see how things progress/regress as a result of the dumbed-down society we live in today.
19 What is your favorite kind of animal and why?
Dogs by far. They are literally the only living thing that loves humans more than their own. We can all learn a lot from dogs about love and compassion and loyalty. The worst dog is many times better than any human on this planet.
20 What is the nastiest thing a fan has ever done to you, and what is the best thing a fan has ever done?
The nastiest thing a fan has ever done is an attempt to steal equipment and/or sabotage us. I had a show where we set up our equipment on the side and when it came time to play, someone had loosened all of my drum heads, cymbal stands, and foot pedals. The best thing a fan has ever done was to offer gas money, food, or buy a drink and make it obvious that they cared and wanted to help.
21 What is your favorite song by your band, and what is your favorite song to perform at shows?
Favorite song for me is "Get A Grip" because it is groovy and open for a lot of improv if I wish. My favorite song to perform live at shows is probably "Get It Live" because it is a great audience participation song and we usually get the crowd into it big time!
22 What is one song or band that whenever you listen to it/them you can’t stand to listen to it?
I'm gonna get a lot of hate from this statement but I can't stand listening to Tool. I love Carey's drumming but the lengthy songs and his voice just drive me crazy. I feel like all of the songs sound just like all of the other songs as well. I just lose interest very quickly. Bring it on you haters! :)
23 Make me a playlist, put some songs that you have been listening too lately here.
Listing some bands is much easier: Evan's Blue, Against All Will, Saphire, Daybreak Embrace, Art Of Dying
24 Back to the Nasty. What’s the nastiest thing that’s happened to you before a show, recording, traveling, anything related to your work.
My worst accident on stage was when I went to choke a cymbal and missed, causing the cymbal to push back my cuticle about an inch. I was gushing blood and hurting really bad but kept going until we were done with the song.
25 Tell me about your recent Album.
Enrico and Andy had the tunes written long before we recorded them. Enrico actually recorded them on his own at one point while in Italy but we decided to re-record them with the current line up and really attempt to promote it heavily. We feel like current line up and the recording is really solid and makes a great statement but we are looking forward to the next. We actually recorded this album in strange way. I recorded the drum tracks first in a studio but without our bass player. After my drums were done, Andy and Enrico recorded their parts at Andy's home and Jordan recorded the bass parts at his home. Andy mixed and mastered the whole thing and did a great job! We were all pleasantly surprised and excited!
26 Where do you think your music direction is heading? Have you felt you have changed a lot? Elaborate.
We all feel like we are creating a movement a little ahead of the game in bringing back styles of the 80's and 90's. Great guitar solo's, straight up rock and roll and having catchy hooks. We don't use any keyboards or drum machines or anything of the sort so we can pull off everything live that we did in the studio. No offense or disrespect to other bands that operate differently but we really pride ourselves on sounding great live without any affects or assistance in doing so. Many bands with a single guitarist have trouble doing this, but Enrico is so good that we got it down pretty good!
27 What are your future plans, this isn’t just music-related.
We intend to write and record a follow up full length album and push to get management, labels, etc. interest so that ultimately, we can bring our music to the masses and knock it out of the park live, virtually forcing others to take note of Drastic Down.
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