No Friends 2 (Winter 2015)

2015·52.8 MB·English

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Staring
Problem

Intro and interview by Ray Martinez. Group
photo by Dorian Byrd. Others by Patrick
Houdek. Title image by Anna Marlatt.
Staring Problem is:
Lauren Owen – Vocals/Guitar
Alix Carl – Drums
Cole Mason - Bass/Synth
I once went to a show in the base- does it for themselves. Not for
ment of Carbondale, IL’s infa- fame, or even infamy. Not for
mous punk house Lost Cross that social popularity, and not because
was filled, and solely lit by about they feel any kind of obligation to
100 tea lights. Where nearly ev- anyone. Not even their fans. This
eryone in the crowd had crosses band exists because they want to
on their forehead in some kind of do exactly what they want, how
perverse gothpunk Ash Wednes- they want, when they want. Bridg-
day cosplay. Passages from the ing the blackclad and angular post-
Bible were read between songs, punk of Joy Division and post-Pink
and photocopied mockups of Flag Wire with the simplistic, ca-
pre-Reformation Catholic indul- sual aloofness of bands like Swell
gences were handed out to every- Maps and Television Personal-
one in attendance – replete with ities - all while being very firmly to understand. I
cheeky fill-in-the-blank spaces planted in their beginnings within can only imagine
for the sins to be absolved. I can the kind of small town culture that people will soon be
recall tales of another show in the makes them not unaware of current witnessing a bold, new
basement of the Skihaus where trends in punk, but completely im- era of Staring Problem -
the scent of incense was so thick pervious to them. all claiming to have seen
that the less observant left for the In their six years they them way back when they
open air outside. Yet another time, have released an utterly brilliant were playing to no almost one
in another basement, projections full length cassette album (on in odd corners of rooms in
of damaged and diseased mouths, Modern Tapes in 2010), a near per- Chicago.
dumpstered from behind a dental fect 7” (on BLVD in 2012) and a Let those people
office, and woodcuts of disem- self-released cassette long player, lie to themselves and eventu-
bowlings were shown behind the Long Winter (2015). To my knowl- ally move on to the next band.
same band while they performed. edge they have had about five bass- Those of us who are here now
I also once saw a poster, for a ists (including myself for about won’t have to prove anything
performance by this same band, half a year) throughout this time, to anyone. We’ll know.
where everyone was posed at the proving their tenacity and lack of This interview was
beach, replete with floaty rings, concern for worrying about what conducted at the No Friends
dark sunglasses, and a “fuck you, an ex-member may think about the HQ over a box of wine and
of course this is silly” attitude. group after the fact – no one has pared down from what ended
For the past half-decade ever been kicked out of Staring up being a much longer con-
Staring Problem has mixed their Problem. versation that couldn’t, and
religious tinged, gothic/post-punk For about four years shouldn’t, be printed in its en-
aesthetic and music with their tru- the band lived on opposite ends of tirely. 90 minutes of talking is
ly care-free and ridiculous sense Illinois, until Alix moved to South far too long to read, trust me.
of humor. Founded in Carbondale, America and the band had a qua- After finally sitting
IL in 2009, this has been the long si-temporary lineup based in Chi- down with everyone, only to
term project of Lauren Owen and cago. In the Summer of 2014 Alix listen to the band continue their
Alix Carl, along with a long caval- moved back and the whole band conversation/argument from
cade of revolving bassists – which finally found themselves all living their ride over to our house for
has finally settled with the addition in the same city again, which is about 10 minutes, I decided to
of Cole Mason. exciting in a way that people who surreptitiously hit the record
Staring Problem is one weren’t around in the band’s Car- button in the middleof it. This
of those unique bands that truly bondale infancy cannot even begin is where we begin…
Alix: Who says? Cole: Alright! Here we go… “The common Ray: Cole, when did you join the band?
Cole: Science. And doctors. features of psychopathic and sociopathic Cole: Two years ago.
Alix: Which science? You need to be more people lie in their shared diagnostics which Lauren: Wow!
specific. I’m quoting the New York Times. they have—which is Antisocial Personality Cole: Alix was studying in South America
Ray: Citation needed! Disorder. Traits of a psychopath—if people and I weaseled my way in to play drums
Cole: The Journal of Psycho… I’ll just make were born that way, it’s a genetic predispo- while she was gone.
something up. sition, when you’re a sociopath the result is Lauren: Because Rogelio was annoyed that
All: [laughter] environmental factors.” we were writing songs but not able to play.
Cole: The thing about psychopaths is that Alix: There’s a stupid ad picture right there. Ray: Who’s that?
you can actually study their brains, and Cole: Of course there is. They’re trying to Cole: The old bassist.
there is a measurable difference in their sell this. They’re trying to sell ad space. Lauren: Rogelio Zamudio. He’s a great
brain matter. And certain parts of their Alix: Who’s “they?” What site is this? guy and a talented man. I moved up here,
brain that aren’t adapted physically and bi- Cole: Psychcentral [.com]. It’s written by and after Jacklyn quit we were looking for
ologically lack empathy due to problems of a psychologist. a new bassist—as per a conversation I had
the brain. Sociopaths have those things but Lauren: So the difference is if it’s learned or with Alix where we decided, “Let’s keep doing
they’re… a predisposition? this!” So we got Alix’s blessing from over-
Alix: They’re the same thing! Cole: Learned, like, either being abused seas to get a drummer. So we played a couple
Cole: No. Because they’re “psycho” and “so- or… shows, and that’s how Cole got in.
cio”—the same way that psychology and so- Lauren: That makes sense to me. Ray: So how did you end up moving to bass
ciology are different. Cole: Cause psychology is the way that you then?
Alix: No, it’s not. That’s not a thing. are in your own brain and sociology deals Cole: When Alix moved back I offered to
Cole: Look it up! with the way you work with other people. play keyboards.
Alix: You look it up! Alix: They just use them the same. Lauren: Because we had done some record-
Cole: I will! I will look it up right now. Cole: People just use them interchangeably. ings with keyboards… and he didn’t want to
[Pulls out his phone and actually does begin to Lauren: Anyway! Thanks for having us quit the band!
look it up] over! Cole: I didn’t! And then Rogelio quit and I
Lauren: I read an article recently about All: [laughter] played bass… and I feel way more comfort-
a family that had been all murdered from Ray: No problem. I’ve actually been record- able playing bass than keyboards.
within… by stabbings. ing for a little bit. Alix: And it was magical because we went
Ray: Oh. I thought you meant like in Alien. All: [laughter] five minutes without a bass player and Cole
Lauren: No, not like anything birthing Alix: Well, this is what it sounds like in our just said, “Naw… I can just do it. I can learn
out—like a knife busting in. van. all these songs on bass.” Then at our next
Alix: Was it an adopted child? Ray: I’m going to start with a boring ques- band practice he had learned every single song
Ray: Was it someone that was in the house tion that would have been a good way to of our entire catalog—including songs we
all along? start, but now it’s terrible way to start… did not remember—and he was like, “Yeah,
Lauren: Yeah! It was a homeschooled family When did Staring Problem begin as a band? I’m really anal so I just learned all of them.”
with, like, six kids and a couple teens. Lauren: Well, you would know, you were [laughter] So we didn’t miss a practice,
Alix: Was this recently? there. even.
Lauren: Yeah. And they only found out Ray: Pretend I have no idea about anything, Ray: So you two have been in the group with
about this because they responded to a 911 cause no one else that reads this zine is gon- a long list of dude bassists...
call that was empty. Silence. There were no na be me. Lauren: They’ve all been dudes!
words. Alix: 2009… or ’10? Ray: What do you think the reason is that
Alix: I remember this. It was like the Lauren: Foggy times for me. you’ve had so many different #3’s in the
12-year-old daughter that tried to call them Alix: I was about to turn 22 and now I’m band?
but couldn’t say anything. Yeah! So fucking about to turn 28. Lauren: They’ve all been individual.
eerie. Cole: You put out the demo—sorry—the Alix: We didn’t kick anyone out, everyone
Lauren: I kept having nightmares! It’s so tape came out in 2010, right? quit!
scary! They had withdrawn from the world. Alix: Yeah. So 2010. Lauren: And we love the band still, so we