(Feb. 22, 2008) PCM's intern, Scott got the opportunity to speak with Nathan Vasquez, bassist for Be Your Own Pet, a garage rock group from Nashville, Tennessee. For more information about the band, be sure to visit its MySpace page and Official Site!

Scott: Hi Nathan! What are you up to today?

Nathan: Not much. Just about to go get some bagels in Brooklyn.

S: I like me some bagels, too. I guess you are heading out to your next gig at Maxwell in New Jersey soon, no?

N: Yep, we sure are.

S: How did you start the band Be Your Own Pet?

N: The original drummer Jamin and Jonas have known each other since they were thirteen. They went to middle school together. They met Jemina when they were fourteen and decided to start a rock and roll band together and they met me a year later in high school. I was like fourteen and we just started jamming.

S: You all went to the Nashville School of the Arts. How was life attending an Arts School opposed to a regular high school?

N: It was pretty crazy. They really let you get away with everything, like with skipping and what not.

S: Was the school focused more on furthering your musical development or did they hold a strong academic regiment?

N: Most of the teacher's taught both academics and music. They really just couldn't wait to teach their lessons and their music classes.

S: Were all of you in attendance for music or were you concentrating in other art forms?

N: Jemina went there for acting and cinematography. I went there for guitar playing and cinematography. Jamin was there for cinematography too. Jonas was there for guitar and music theory. Our new drummer went there for cinematography.

S: That sounds very similar to my high school. I went to North Carolina School of the Arts. Does Nashville have a really punk rock scene, because I know when I think of Nashville that is probably the furthest thing from my mind?

N: Yeah, actually there has always been a pretty hardcore scene in Nashville. There is a lot of counter-culture to all the blatant in-your-face country music. There is a lot of metal scene as well.

S: Have you played with a lot of the Nashville bands?

N: Yeah. We played with a couple of the bands.

N: I am always listening to Brian Eno

S: What kind of music does Brian Eno play? I have never heard of him before.

N: Brian Eno predated new wave almost an entire decade. His stuff is very synth. He really brought synths and crazy technology to the forefront with his music. You should definitely check it out.

S: Definitely.

N: If you like the Velvet Underground you will like Brian Eno.

S: My friend Krystin listens to The Velvet Underground, don't you?

Kristyn: Yes, I do!

N: I also like a lot of Lou Reed.

K: Have you checked out his book of poetry?

N: No, I haven't.

K: You should definately try and get your hands on a copy of it.

S: I read that you're going to do a mini tour with the Ravonettes. Have you guys ever played with them before?

N: We have played with them like three times before.

S: How do you like playing with them?

N: Yeah, we both love each other.

S: How long have you known them? How did touring with them come about?

N: We have the same booking agent and we played a couple of shows with them in South by Southwest in L.A. They have been pretty nice to us.

S: I was looking at some of the venues that you are playing at. Do you have any venues or locations that you like and are excited to play?

N: I like to play the Troubadour in L.A. I like playing at the Knitting Factory in New York.

S: I heard that you are playing in Philadelphia on the 23 at some secret house party?

N: Yeah, this really nice guy, Sean, has been booking us in Philadelphia. He used to do book shows in the basement of his church, but I guess he found a new place.

S: We are thirty minutes from Philadelphia. We might stop by and check it out. I was reading up on your Myspace and saw that you have a really big following in Europe and that you are going back very soon. When you first went over there were you surprised that you already had a major fan base?

N: Yeah, it was really weird. There is nothing that can describe that sort of feeling, but it can be a little overwhelming. People over there show their wild eyed excitement and are very enthusiastic. It's probably, because they get way more drunk then people do over here in America.

S: I was watching some of your videos and reading a lot of the reviews, especially from your European fans. Be You Own Pet is very keen on putting on a strong and entertaining live performance. A lot of bands and acts do not seem to really take the time to develop their own performing style. Most artists work really hard in the studio and their tour is an exact replica of their album. Your band seems to really care about entertaining the audience.

N: It is not that much work. I think it would actually be much more work to try and replicate the album on stage. We just go onstage and have fun and get excited.

S: Your videos on MySpace are definitely wild and entertaining. I have had to recently go see some concerts and interview some bands and they just seem to produce their album on stage. When the band is having a good time the audience is going to have fun.

N: True.

S: So having a dad in the biz must have been cool growing up.

N: Well, he stayed local and makes a lot of money off what he does. He plays a lot of guitar and jazz. It's not really a lucrative career. I make more money then he does.

S: That's definitely something to brag about when you come home!

N: Yeah, it was nice being able to jam with my father and talk to him about music.

S: Do you play any other instruments besides the bass?

N: I play guitar and drums.

S: I was listening to your new album "Lets Get Awkward". What kind of message are you trying to send out on this album?

N: We don't really think too much about the songs we write or what we want to achieve. Every single song will come about, because Jonas or I will have come up with a riff or bass line we think sounds cool and we put a drum beat on it. If it sucks we don't play it anymore. There is a huge gap between the songs on our first album and the songs on our second album. We changed a lot as people, as we played through gigs and festivals.

S: I read in another interview that you guys were figuring out what being a band meant and how it works. Are there any lessons that you have learned with your band?

N: There are a lot of eye-opening things. Compromising is a big necessity.

S: Everyone in the band seems to also have other gigs outside the band. I heard that you have another band that you're in?

N: Yeah. Well, I don't really play with them much anymore, but it was called Deluxin. It was a punk band I had with our new drummer John. That is how John and I started playing together. This was like three years ago.

S: How did you come up with the name BYOP?

N: Our original drummer's father suggested it and we hated it, but the more we heard it the more it sounded like a good name.

S: Does it mean anything or is it just a name?

N: He just kind of made it up.

S: So, how do you feel about the music industry moving more towards an electronic medium to promote their bands and other artists?

N: I think it is pretty sweet.

S: Really, why is that?

N: If a person really likes a band, they can just pay them directly on the Internet instead of like the music industry getting in the way. It is pretty revolutionary.

N: We spend a long time developing each song.

S. Do you guys maintain your own MySpace page?

N: Our manager does.

S: Do you have your own personal MySpace pages?

N: I know I do and John and Jermina does.

S: Do you have anything fun or a secret about yourself to tell our readers.

N: We all really live off pizza and hot dogs. We have a pretty limited diet.

S: On stage you guys seem like a crazy bunch, but talking to you I get the feeling that you are a very level-headed guy.

N: Yeah. It changes. There is one time in Seattle on stage that I yelled "Seattle F***ing Sucks!" because it's fresh and a getaway from being the usual Nathan.

K: Haha! What kind of rise did that get out of the crowd? I can't imagine it was positive.

N: There are always those couple of kids that are like " Why does Washington suck?" and I'm like I don't know man, I just said it to say it. Well, I don't know. I just kinda hate the place. No one really takes it seriously.

K: You better watch those Philadelphia fans. They are crazy!

S: Yeah! They'll cut you, if you say s*** like that! (laughs)

N: Philadelphia fans are really crazy. One time this dude came up to me and was like trying to fight me because I spat on him, but it was all good.

K: If you could share the stage with anybody who would it be?

N: The reunion line-up of The Talking Heads. They are the best band ever!

S: Do you have a message that you want to send out to our readers?

N: Music was better in the seventies.

S: Rockin'. Well, it was nice talking to you and we wish you all luck.

N: Thanks!

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