Samantha Gunz: Luke and Cate started playing together in high school in 2006. They found out that they both liked the same kind of music and liked to write songs, so they said, “Hey, let’s start a band.” Fizzy Pops had many different drummers, but finally found a permanent drummer, Jake in 2009. He saw Luke and Cate with a different drummer at Reggie’s Rock House when they were playing with the Beatnik Termites. He jammed with them and they all became friends. Then I came into the picture last year after my band broke up. We knew each other from playing shows and the style of music they played was what I really wanted to play and it just so happened that they were looking for a second guitarist when I came along. I left the band after a few months because things weren’t working with my schedule and I didn’t want to hold them back, and now I’m back and better prepared now.
CM: When I listen to the band, I hear so many different styles of music from straight up pop/punk to 60's girl group style. Who are some of your musical influences?
SG: We have many! But we’d say some main ones are Green Day, Teen Idols, The Muffs, The Ramones, The Queers, The Toy Dolls, Sloppy Seconds. We also take a lot of influence from the things that happen around us and interactions with people. I personally take a lot of influence from The Distillers.
CM : Is the self titled the bands only release? And is there any new material in the works?
SG: We’ve been on a few compilations like Brown Bag Propaganda’s Radio Riot CD, a cassette tape compilation called Acne and Machine Guns released on Nervous Laughter Records, another CD compilation called Dry Heaves Vol. 2 released on Throw Up Records, and recently we’ve been featured on a 12 inch vinyl compilation called Cancer Is A Punk released on Swamp Cabbage Records. Our second full length album Manic Motives and the Art of Faking will be released Dec/Jan on Throw Up Records and we're also going to be on another Swamp Cabbage Records compilation that will be released sometime in the Spring.
CM: Besides playing in The Fizzy Pops, you also run Samantha Gunz Booking. How did you get started booking gigs?
SG: Well when I was in my old band, The Regulars, we played with the same bands often. We would pretty much take turns setting up the shows, and at some point we played at a venue in Plainfield called Live59 and I loved it. I loved that it was an all ages place and I loved putting shows together so I asked the owner if I could book shows there and that became my second job. It was a lot of fun, and then I started going to school for Special Events Management. I eventually left the venue and now I’m a freelancer and taking it a bit slower to work on school.
CM: Are there any bands that you book on a regular basis?
SG: There are definitely bands I try to work with as much as possible. The Mammoth Squids are one, they’re from Plainfield and they’re young but they’ve come a super long way. They’re great. I love working with The Mustard Men as well, they bring a great crowd and their music is super catchy. Some others I dig are Circus and the Fog, The Shriekers, and of course The Fizzy Pops. I book them as well. I suggest looking into them all.
CM: Have you ever managed or considered managing a group or groups?
SG: I have considered it, but I feel like I don’t have what it takes to be a manager. I don’t have the money for it and I don’t feel like I have too much to offer bands to get them to the next level. On my booking Facebook, I offer advice and give bands the booking perspective, so they know how to be respectful, how to handle situations, etc. I let them know any shows that I’ll be at and the importance of going to local shows. I try to help local bands as much as possible with what I know, experience, hear, and read. I’m now even starting to sell used equipment.
CM: Is there a website you wanna plug for either The Fizzy Pops or Samantha Gunz-Booking?
SG: You can contact Fizzy Pops on our Facebook page or listen to us on our Bandcamp page.
To get in contact with me you can reach me at samanthagunzbooking@gmail.com or my Facebook page
CM: Thanks again for talking with Critical Mass, Samantha. I'm looking forward to hearing more from the Fizzy Pops in the near year. Thanks again.
I'd like to know who works on Samantha's guitars!
ReplyDeleteGearhead Guitar Repair, Inc. in Joliet?
ReplyDelete