Interview
Who are the members of your band and what are their musical backgrounds?
1.Current Member: Geoff – Guitar, bass, vocals, drum and synth programming
2.Past members: George – bass, backing vocals (2004 – 2009); Cila – vocals (2007 – 2009); Jason – lead guitar (2005- 2007); Doc – drums (2008 – 2009); Jamie – bass, drum and synth programming (2002 – 2004); Jannine – vocals (2003 - 2004)
How long have you been in the music industry?
1.Performing since 1995, recording since 1997
How long have you been performing under your present name?
1 The Raygun Girls have been performing since 2004
What genre would you call your music?
Hard Rock encompasses all the genres The Raygun Girls crosses. It's Metal riffs with Punk attitude and Goth melodies... sometimes even delving into Industrial.
Who are your major influences?
Killing Joke, Rammstein, Ramones, Motorhead
How old were you when you started following a musician’s path?
1. If a “musician's path” is playing music? Then that started when I was given my first guitar about 33 years ago. If a “musician's path” is quitting your job and solely concentrating on writing, playing, and touring? That was about 15 years ago.
Tell me a funny story that has happened to you as you have traveled to play.
Unfortunately, because I stopped playing live in 2009, I don't remember much. Our biggest tour, down to Florida, was stressful because there was a lot of tension between me and the lead female singer at the time.
Is it a funny story? Maybe – I was playing bass in a New Jersey Goth Rock band, Datura, and I was heading to a gig in South Jersey. My wife was having her bachelorette party. On the highway, just over the bridge, I got a flat and I couldn't turn the lug nuts. I desperately called her, knowing that she's much stronger than me, and she came out and finally got the lug nuts to turn.
Where would you like to be in five years?
I would like to be making enough money from making music or producing other people's music, that I don't have to work part-time, as I do now.
What inspires you to write?
My emotions, situations in the world, hearing a riff or drum beat from another band.
What is your philosophy of life and how does it affect your music?
Everyone is dealing with something... it's okay to feel depressed, it's okay to feel angry sometimes. Accepting that makes it so much easier and quicker to come out on the other side.
Please add the names of the places you have played and the city they are in.
Due to my memory, I can't remember places. I know we've played in Manhattan, Queens, Long Island, Rochester, New Jersey, Connecticut, Toronto, Virginia, Florida.
Do you have any causes that tug at your heartstrings, or that you support? Abused pets, world peace organization, save the whales, etc…
I have Marfan Syndrome, so I guess I support the Marfan Foundation ( Marfan.org ) I also believe in freedom of speech and have always supported the ACLU, which, I know has supported some questionable causes.... but I believe even the KKK has a right to march -I mean, how will we know who the Nazis are if we don't let them show themselves?
Do you have any new releases coming out? The 8th full-length Raygun Girls album, Orphan was just released. The Raygun Girls is my darker project. I also do a one-man Metal band – Titanosaur. I'm now working on finalizing the songs for a new Titanosaur album, which I hope to have out before the end of 2020.
Social links:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/theraygungirls
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/theraygungirls
Instagram: http://instagram.com/raygungirls
facebook: http://facebook.com/theraygungirls
Bandcamp: http://music.raygungirls.com michael's music blog
