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 interview may be lightly edited for content and clarity.
Texas rockers Megafauna have been growing their neo-prog fanbase over the last 15 years, and are set to see that base grow exponentially with the release of Olympico on 28 April (pre-order). As the math-rockers prepare for the album release, they’ve sat down with TGEFM for a quick entry in our Roll of the Dice series.
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Congrats on the upcoming release of “Olympico.” What should TGEFM readers know about Megafauna and the process of fleshing out this record?
Dani Neff (vocals/guitars): You’re welcome! Everyone should know that Charles Godrey is the man! He engineered this album and is a total badass, a complete joy to work with. This record took a little longer than our past ones. In 2020, we set up a little studio at my house. Winston, Will and I were all quarantined together and spent a lot of time recording demos. The writing process took one to two years and we recorded with Charles over the course the following year. I also incidentally had my son during this time, so that’s wild!
Standing up to the patriarchy is a major theme of the record which is terribly timely to what’s going on around us. The world has seen some serious shit over the last few years and, if we’re being honest, as a father of two young girls concerned with the future they grow up in, a lot of what has been happening scares the piss out of me. What advice or learning avenues does Megafauna embrace to help society progress beyond this open proliferation of toxic douchebaggery?
Dani: I know it’s so disturbing. Oh man, definitely vote! And volunteer and donate to places like Planned Parenthood, ACLU, Aid Access, and fight the good fight. Also I’d tell your girls to always remember that no matter what ridiculous laws pass they should never feel lesser than anyone else and should know that they deserve full autonomy of their bodies and lives.
What stood out most to you with this recording compared to your previous trips to the studio?
Dani: Charles is just really fun and easy to work with. He allowed us a lot of personal creativity and freedom. I think he got great vocal takes out of me because I was so relaxed.
Zack Humphrey (drums): Charles is one of the few engineers who just lets me play how I want to play in the studio. He’s a drummer so he gets it!
One of our obligatory questions in these interviews also tends to be the one I have found most important on a personal level. Who are some bands on your radar that TGEFM readers may not know about, but you think they should know about?
Winston Barrett (Guitars/Keys): Astrud Gilberto, Dorothy Ashpy
Dani: Kikagaku Moyo, Dream Eater, Muchos Backflips!, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard– but your readers probably already know about King Gizz!
Zack: Opposite Day,
Will Krause (bass): Magic City Hippies
Beyond the release of “Olympico,” what’s next for the members of Megafauna?
We’re playing some festivals, touring in Boise and Seattle now and then planning to hit the East Coast this summer. We’ve already got some new songs brewing. Stay tuned!
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
