California’s Moldy Roses are making a go of it, releasing music throughout the pandemic, this band is refusing to be held down. They’ve recently released their second EP Friends via Wiretap Records on 10 Jan 2022. We had a chat with guitar/vocalist Quin Manchester (with one answer by Drummer Nick Jr.) and, for this interview, we rolled a TWELVE.
1) So, uhh… we rolled a 12 on the dice for you. That’s a lot of questions. (laughter) How, uhh… how are you doin’?
Hahahah! What kinda fuckin die are you rolling over there?!?! anyways, in that case Let the MOLDY ROSES Dissertation begin!!
2) OK, seriously, congratulations on your new Friends EP (10 Jan 2022, Wiretap Records)! This is your second EP released since this whole pandemic started. Did Moldy Roses form before (waves hands around) this all started, or could you be called a proper “pandemic band”?
Thanks! really love how this new one sounds. We are about as proper a “Pandemic band” as it gets. We played our first show Feb 2020. Then we all went into lock down for few months before hopping into the studio early that summer to record a few songs and music videos (BLEACH, MILLENNIAL FALCONS, IHIFDS). Can’t get too much more Corona-esque than that right??
3) Previous acts some of you have been in include FireBurn, Time to Kill, and Deadbeat. How would you say Moldy Roses differs from these acts? In what ways are you the same?
We are a lot more focused on writing catchy hooks that make you want to hum along interlaced with somewhat morbid but relatable lyrics. One thing that is the same is the driving hardcore drum influence keeping the self deprecation afloat.
4) On a similar note, what’s the internal dynamics in Moldy Roses like as opposed to those? Harkening back a bit to the whole pandemic thing, is there a big difference in your experience of forming and growing a band compared to before when things weren’t as nutty?
It was definitely tough for us with the pandemic at first just because we had all these songs but couldn’t go out and play them for people. This band is very special to all of us for our own reasons and we’ve all learned valuable lessons in patience because of this shit show. i tell people every show how Stoked and lucky we feel to be back out on the road and playing gigs again!
5) Your first, self-titled EP was released in Nov 2020. Were you hoping to kick that can down the road in hopes that you could release it when things would get better earlier, or was that part of the schedule all along?
That EP was suppose to come out in probably April 2020 but due to pressing plant issues and scheduling so even November seemed too late at the time to be honest. We just want as many people to hear our songs as we can.
6) How do you feel now about releasing albums knowing some of the limitations such as limited gigs or touring to support the release?7) The whole EP is great, but I agree with the editorial decision to put title track “Friends” first. It’s an awesome song, and something that myself, and I’m sure a lot of our readers, can relate to. Is every example in the song based on a true story?
It was tough but we tried to curb the lack of gigs by doing livestreams and multiple music videos. The few gigs that we have got to play since then have been a blast and all the bands have welcomed us with open arms.
7) The whole EP is great, but I agree with the editorial decision to put title track “Friends” first. It’s an awesome song, and something that myself, and I’m sure a lot of our readers, can relate to. Is every example in the song based on a true story?
Every line of that one is completely true. Andrew really threw his wine glass at the widow while he was getting a stick n poke on the kitchen table because someone fish hooked him. Brandon really yelled up to the sky talking to aliens. Mitchell really had poloroids taped to his bedroom wall. Ders really left early to go home and left us to clean the apartment (never got that security deposit back either). GOOD TIMES!!!
8) Friends continues your work with Kyle McAuley (Spanish Love Songs) producing, and Nick Townsend mastering, which has been the case for all of your releases thus far. You seem to be pretty happy with their work (which I’ll say sounds good) to go back to that well. What’s it like working with them?
Dude Kyle is the best. i’ve been friends with Kyle since SLS put out Giant and was still playing shows at PROGRAMME skate and sound in Fullerton. they put me and Kevans old band on a few gigs back in the day and when it came to record it was a no brainer who we wanted to do it. Towsend is a master at his craft, him and those guys at Infrasonic are really crushing it with every single release.
9) Can you name a musician/band or two that may not be on our readers’ radars, but should be (except for your own)?
If you have never listened to TOWNES VAN ZANDT you are seriously blowing it BIG TIME. Hands down the greatest song writer who ever walked the face of this earth. FIGHT ME.
10) Favorite food?
BURRITOS (DUH)
11) Describe the best gig you’ve ever been to that you weren’t performing at (strictly an attendee, but guest list counts).
(Nick Jr. – aka Nick Viterelli) The best gig I ever saw, by far, was Una Bèstia Incontrolable at Munoz Gym in Bakersfield, CA. The only reason I even went to the show in the first place was because Iron Lung was headlining. I had never heard of Una Bèstia, or basically any punk band from Barcelona for that matter, but I just wanted to see Iron Lung so I really didn’t care much about anything else. I was 18. I wanted to drink beer behind a gas station and see my favorite drummer play blast beats. But before Iron Lung even went on, I became obsessed with Una Bèstia from the moment they started playing.
12) Without giving too much away (or maybe give it all away), what’s next for Moldy Roses?
Next up for Moldy Roses we’ve got 4 songs to go record. Well be hitting the road up and down the west coast and southwest US through out the year trying to spread the good word Kerouac style! Hahah
Roll of the Dice is a short interview format with a variable amount of questions. A Pair of dice is rolled and the total, between 2 and 12, is the amount of questions we can ask. All questions are given to the interviewee(s) at once, and no follow-ups are allowed.
the white drew carey (aka – Jeff Sorley) is the founder and head editor of TGEFM. He’s lived (outside of) Chicago, Madison WI, (ugh) Penn State, Lyon FR, Oxford UK, central New Jersey, and now within earshot of SFO in the Bay Area. When not scouring the web for more great bands and labels to post about, he also spends time drawing (mostly) silly sci-fi and anime stuff under the name Asplenia Studios.
