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Life During Wartime interviews: Bi-Marks

  • Published July 28, 2011 By Life During Wartime
  • Categories Interviews

Hey, it’s been a while but we’re back with another exciting Life During Wartime interview! Portland punk rockers the BI-MARKS played live on KBOO on June 6, 2011 and had this fascinatin’ on-air conversation with LDW’s Colin. Hear their killer performance here!

Calvin: Wuzzuuuup? Wuzzuuuuup?

LDW: Alright, so we should just get this out. So what sort of what have I done?/what burns? Would you like to say?

Calvin: I’d like to say oh my god to biggy dude

Eric: Don’t forget to say hello to burno to a millionaire.

Calvin: What am I? Who are you? Who am I?

Eric: Don’t forget to tell a man where the plums at. H3 is in place!

Calvin: (moaning)

LDW: OK, backing up to the questions — who are you guys and what do you do in the band? Let’s start with you, Evan.

Evan: My name is Eric, I play guitar.

(all laugh)

Eric: I’m Evan, I do nothing.

Calvin: I’m Kevin. I’m bored and I play guitar.

Kevin: I’m Calvin. I’m really really really bored.

Ian: I’m Ian and I slappa da bass.

Calvin: Oh, he slappa da bass alright. I tell ya that much.

LDW: What else do you do in the punk scene? What other—

Kevin: Nothing!

LDW: —bands do you do or… OK, nothing from Kevin. What other bands do you guys do outside of this?

Eric: Me and Ian are in this band Death Machine, and Calvin is in Athetic or whatever it’s supposed to be.

Calvin: It’s a new band.

LDW: Is it called Fnordgasm?

Calvin: No, no.

Eric: That’s what it should be.

Calvin: It’s called Oh My God.

LDW: And does the new post-Nerveskade band have a name yet?

Ian: No, but we’re playing next month, hopefully.

LDW: Awesome. And how did you get the name Bi-Marks?

Ian: It’s kinda like Bi-Mart but different.

Calvin: You know what I mean?

LDW: What made you think that’d be a good band name?

Eric: Marijuana.

Ian: Russell Slayton.

Calvin: Total boredom.

LDW: Alright, and how did this band start?

Ian: Evan and I lived in Seattle. And…

Eric: They told me I had to do it.

Ian: Yeah.

Eric: So I did.

Ian: So we flew him out here and he started playing. And played one show in Seattle and moved down here. Calvin started playing drums. This guy Justin was in it for a while. And then Adam Becker. And then now Kevin plays guitar.

Calvin: That’s just what we’ve done.

Eric: And dude guyman. He’s the guy.

Calvin: Dude guyman does the dirt.

Eric: Chasing boys in NYC.

LDW: OK, so you guys have a song called “Fear the Animals.” How did that song title come about?

Ian: Uh, there’s a line in the song which is, “We gotta get outta here if it’s the last thing that we ever do,” and that’s also a line in a Fear song.

Eric: And the Animals.

Ian: And a line in an Animals song.

Calvin: (earnestly) Really???

Ian: That song’s about buying weed.

Calvin: Word. Word. That’s straight straight.

LDW: Did you guys just record an LP?

Ian: Yes.

Kevin: Yeah.

LDW: And is it done with the mixing stage?

Ian: No, we still gotta mix, but all the tracking’s done. It’s called The Golden Years.

LDW: And do you know who’s gonna be releasing it or how soon it’s gonna come out?

Eric: Gus from Mundo Muerto is doing it, but… I don’t know the name of his label.

Ian: Mata la Musica Discos.

Calvin: Mata la Musica, what have I done?

LDW: Do you think the fact that you have an LP coming out and you’ve written a lot of new songs will ruin your reputation as the laziest band in Portland?

Evan: No.

Ian: Hopefully not.

Eric: We still need to borrow a van at some point in time. As soon as humanly possible.

Calvin: And we need 25 bucks each.

Eric: We need to borrow a van to get to Hunting Parties in July ’cause we don’t have a van and we’re supposed to play that. So if anyone wants to help, that’d be tiiight.

Calvin: I mean, real tight.

LDW: Just call 1-800-BIMARKS.

Ian: No e-mail us at bimarksusa@gmail.com

Evan: (gives out phone number)

Calvin: 420 420 69/11 420 4 twenty-four seven

LDW: A question from Maus — Why is Adam Becker?

Ian: It is what it is.

Calvin: Duh duh duh dee?

LDW: Alright, and what future plans do you have for the band? Just the LP?

Ian: I think we’ll book a tour after that. If some people can help us or something, ’cause we’re not gonna do it ourselves.

Eric: We need a lot of help.

Calvin: We need a lot of 25 bucks.

Kevin: Someone else would have to do all of it for us. (all laugh) But we’ll have a good time so, you know.

Ian: Dump, dump, dump.

LDW: Anything else you guys wanna say that doesn’t involve cuss words?

Calvin: Who am I?

Ian: Is it cool to snack in here?

LDW: Big time.

Calvin: (makes weird cartoon sounds)

Ian: (crunching loudly into mic)

LDW: And that was Bi-Marks, ladies and germs. Now you’re gonna hear more punk rock music…

Life During Wartime can be heard on Portland, OR’s KBOO 90.7 FM Wednesday nights from 11 p.m. — 1 a.m. They can be reached at lifeduringwartimepdx@gmail.com, and you can send them records at PO Box 1113, Portland OR 97207-1113. Get their podcast here.