Jacuzzi Boys have been quietly making loud, quality music for the better part of the last decade.
This Monday the Miami-based band will be posting up at The Frequency, and are hoping to sample some of the raucous crowd energy Madison.
The Badger Herald was able to chat with bassist Danny Gonzales about the group’s new music, independent publishing and their most famous fan, Iggy Pop.
This interview has been edited for style and clarity.
The Badger Herald: What pushed the decision to start publishing your music independently?
Danny Gonzales: It seemed like we [were] no longer working with the label, and there were some labels we actually could’ve worked with, but it didn’t seem that different from what we could do by ourselves. [And then] we wouldn’t have to answer to anyone or wait around to get it done.
Happy Damage was rougher because we didn’t have any distribution. We just kind of recorded it and sold it at shows. But this new record Ping Pong will be more proper because we had more time get distribution. It’s kind of a little more legit now.
Coversation Starter: Matt Smith of Thompson Springs, The Sharrows
BH: There are big differences between your most recent EP Happy Damage, and your 2013 self-titled album. What happened in the past few years to inspire those changes?
DG: With Happy Damage it could’ve been a few things. On the last record we had a lot more experimental stuff going on, but on this one we were much more straightforward. These songs felt like they were more so from a three-piece band.
Also, the guy that recorded it Jonathan Nuñez from the band Torche is from a heavy band. This time these songs were built from his style of recording, with big guitar sounds. It seemed a little like ’90s [style rock music] to us.
It was kind of heavy, but it definitely still sounds like us.
BH: Is that something you wish to continue onto your next record?
DG: I think the new record is a bit of a continuation of Happy Damage in that it’s mostly straightforward. There’s a little bit more of weirder stuff, for lack of a better word, going on. We’re still approaching it with that sort of [straightforward] mentality.
BH: Out of curiosity, what is the story behind Iggy Pop being a fan of you all? Are there any good stories surrounding that?
DG: It came about because he saw us playing live at a a [charity] event he was invited to a few years ago. He kind of really dug the band, and now he shouts us out any chance he gets if he’s asked about Miami or things he might currently be into.
We got to open up for him a few months back, and that was really special. Like a year ago we were invited to go to his house for a mutual interview type of thing. He’s just the nicest man, and warm, funny and smart. It’s always a treat to see him or talk to him, even just for a little bit.
We went to his house and he was waiting for us in the back with his shirt off. It was just perfect.
