Interviews > Sweethead
Into The Dark Depths Of Moral Disrepair With Sweethead
By Skwerl
Monday, August 17, 2009
You may have caught Sweethead’s cameo in our coverage of the Love & Rockets tribute album release party last month; It featured just a minute or two of the night’s shenanigans, powered by an open bar.
Fortunately, we had a fair amount of mostly coherent conversation that night as well, and we’re pleased to present this more proper interview, featuring three fourths of Sweethead and Johnny, with me behind the camera.
In case you haven’t been following, Sweethead is the new band featuring Troy Van Leeuwen of Queens Of The Stone Age, Eddie Nappi of Handsome / Enemy, Norm Block of Plexi, and fronted by a vixen named Serrina Sims, who we first spotted onstage at the Natasha Shneider Memorial concert last year. They have an EP out called The Great Disruptors, and a full length is on the way.
Pardon the unsolicited meta, but it just so happens that Troy Van Leeuwen was Johnny’s very first artist interview. Troy was playing guitar with A Perfect Circle in 2001, and on one of my first trips out to California, I had my new aspiring journalist friend Johnny talk to Troy for the (now sadly defunct) fansite aperfectcircle.net. Serrina was present for that interview as well. So this was a full circle sort of moment for us personally. Pun by no means intended.
We discussed the whole “Los Angeles band” thing- a misconception, if you ask Troy, as well as the story behind the video for The Great Disruptors, which hit the internet last week. Check it out here:
As we get to talking about influences, we discuss some legendary, somewhat substantiated rumors surrounding Chuck Berry. Since wrapping the interview, I’ve personally done some independent research into Johnny & Troy’s allegations, and… honestly, it left me speechless. That man is a guitar God, but he was into some freaky freak shit. I’ve gotta read his autobiography.
Sweethead will be touring Europe in October with Eagles Of Death Metal, as well as elsewhere- with another cool band- soon enough. See their MySpace page for tour dates, as well as two tracks from their EP (available for $4 on iTunes), their cover of Life In Laralay from the Love & Rockets tribute, and a track from the forthcoming full-length, due in September last we checked.
F QOTSA. You might as well be listening to the everything RHCP wrote after BSSM. I hate them and everything generic rock represents
i hope you feel better now that that’s off your chest.
better in this sense is subjective. The article is good. I continue to read this site and it’s one of my favorites. You even have spell check included in the replies. Though on the other hand, I find it odd that everything these idiots do outside of QOTSA gets more attention than QOTSA or EODM
You know you’re on a great site when there’s spell check available in the replies.
Leave it to a total LA band to try to pretend not to be an LA band as they shoot a video on the most cliché street in America, and choose to talk about all the after hours dancing on tables that they did.
Wait, maybe they know they’re an LA band, but were just practicing their acting in case the whole music thing doesn’t work out.
Anyway, the first A Perfect Circle album was good.
Hey, someone got the joke. Awesome.
next time you guys talk to troy you have to ask about enemy. seeing as how sweethead is 2/3rds enemy, and that the band really never took off, it makes me think they might just forget the band, which would kinda blow, as hooray for dark matter is a killer record.
Jesus said:
August 17th, 2009 at 4:45 AM
You know you’re on a great site when there’s spell check available in the replies.
————-
Sarcasm aside, this is true. Especially when the bulk of your replies tend to be several sentences in length. Not only that but also when they are typed quickly and rarely when you are in a sober state.
Dude, we got it. You think you have “insider” info. Sweethead is gonna tour with Them Crooked Vultures. Woohoo. Are you the last to know or the first in line?
you need to get a life dude. go make some art or something. do something constructive. you’ll just never look back on a life of trolling on silly music blogs with any pride.
Thanks for the tip, pal. But I’m set. “Trolling on silly music blogs” isnt my life. But calling bullshit and outing hangers on whm everyone is starting to kinda get sick of? That helps even more. See you at the secret Them Crooked Vultures show in LA.
Oops, did no one call you?
you’re a weird creep, dude. what’s with the mocking and the ‘insider’ shit, and the ‘woohoo?’ we’re not over here talking shit about how we know everything or get into everything. we just do what we do. if you dig it, cool. if you don’t, we’re not trying to get up in your face. outing hangers on? what does that even mean? like we’re trying to hide the fact that we dig talking to musicians.
if you do see me at the show, please, by all means introduce yourself.
Wow, man, You’re soooo mellow. Dig it man?
As for the show, trust me. You wont be there.
haha… yikes, behold, the omnipotent troll. we’ll see dude. i haven’t ever not been able to get into any show i’ve ever tried to get into, but hey, i might be on house arrest or fucking your mother. i’ll catch them soon enough. yeah, i’m real mellow when jerkoffs are running to the website i created to talk shit about how much i suck. that shit just kinda makes me laugh. but if you really want to “call bullshit” or “out me,” i hope you get the opportunity to do it to my face someday. so i can “call bullshit” on a few of your teeth.
Hold on, how did he know there was going to be a “secret” show in L.A. He may be legit after all. I haven’t heard about any secret shows?
Wait, do think it’s because they are from that area AND are recording the album there? That couldn’t be it.
Haha I’m totally getting rid of my TV. This crazy batch of trollish nonsense is far more entertaining.
I think the word is “SNAP”
The song is total FAIL. Step it up, Troy.
I think I can stop chuckling long enough to say I’ve seen Sweethead twice and they have yet to upgrade from “meh” to me. Serrina’s got nice legs, though.
This song is ok, I liked that cover they did “Tired of Waiting” that’s the first song I heard of theirs and I loved it but this song (borrowing from tng/dharma69) is kinda “meh”. She’s very sexy, hope the album has better cuts on it cause I’m still interested and do like the combo of Troy and Serrina.
Already Kevin, hit pause on your “Almost Famous” dvd deluxe edition……..
One question: Did you or did you not attempt to solicit sex from a young lady at ‘The Office Bar’ via your self professed “tightness” with someone in Queens Of The Stone Age?
* Before you answer, heres a tidbit about the girl you may not have known at the time of your six degrees of bravado moment: She is the little sister of someone in QOTSA management. You got your wish though: You ARE famous now!
So how about it?
hahahaha… whaaaaaat? i’ve never been to the office bar in my life. and anyone who actually knows me would laugh their ass off at that story. i’m not even “tight” with anyone in qotsa. that’s beyond absurd. whoever gave you that ridiculous story has me mixed up with someone else. you’re out of your fucking mind.
This dude is reaching for some kind of award. That’s just the greatest batch of crazy bullshit I’ve seen in these parts in months. For real man, I’ve got an extra pass for the Epicenter festival on Saturday. Come on down, let’s have a beer and talk about secret shows and Skwerl seductions. I need to hear more of this shit – may have to collect a few teeth, but it’ll be great, I promise.
Wow. I put 20 down that 818 most likely won’t meet you guys cause he’s prolly a she and sits on her computer all day wanting to bone Josh Homme* this is getting weird…
I like the song. And I agree with lala…..
for the record, we were at the “secret” la show, graciously invited by the band. guess 818 couldn’t grow the balls to come say hi.
anyway, i like this interview. wish more were like it.
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F’in A…..a Europe tour with EofDM. I don’t see any of the Europe dates on EofDM’s site or Sweethead’s MySpace page so can you boys tell me if you know if they’re playing Paris at all?
Great interview!
Cheers!
D