The roots of CATERPILLARMEN, currently a four-piece Icelandic rock project that have positioned monkeys as something of a recurring theme in their music, got started, surprisingly, as a blues band. Ísak Örn GUÐMUNDSSON (guitar), Ingimundur GUÐMUNDSSON (keyboards), and Andri ÞÓRHALLSON (drums) had worked with the former blues-based bass player, but they had been fed up with the simplicity and tried to find a new bassist, for their progressive intention.
I got in touch with the band and Isak answered my questions.
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Your biography has been covered in your
ProgArchives profile so let's bypass the biography details. But which
bands were you influenced by and why did you choose that name ?
King
crimson elp yes. We chose the name because it's much better than god.
How is the music scene in Iceland these
days and how is it to run a band there now ?
Music
in iceland is diverse. It's fun to run a band so we do it. We get
beer most of the time. But no money honey.
Over to your albums. Your debut album
was Adopt A Monkey from last year. Please tell us more about this
album.
Adopt
a monkey was recorded in Þykkvibær, a very small settlement which
is famous for its potatoes. There we recorded and watched movies and
had very much fun. It was very much fun. Our very good friend and
pedophile Leó Ingi recorded the album. He is much better than god.
Your second and most recent album is
Caterpillarmen from earlier this year. Please tell us more about this
album.
The
self titled album was recorded with our audio go-to-guy Friðrik
Helgason at his studio in Hafnarfjörður. We wanted to create
something more, and this was it.
What inspires you to create new music
and what is your recording technics ?
What
inspires me to create music is having sex.
Just to give those of us who are
unknown with your music a bit of a reference point or two: How would
you describe your music ?
It's
proggy, but raw.
Both your albums is free downloads or
streaming if I am not mistaken. Why are you giving your music away
for free ?
I
look at it this way, with the internet anyone wanting to listen to
our music, or any music, can do so without much effort. That just
leaves, money-making wise, touring and merch and selling your own
handmade cd's (and one day vinyl hopefully :))
What is your plans for the rest of this
year and beyond ?
Record
our...fourth? fourth studio album, and release the third record which
is just about ready any...day now...
and record a jam record with
our friends in Bob, and a live record. It's gonna be awesome! and,
tour iceland in our new van which we'll buy this june! OH MY GOD I'M
SO FKN EXCITED
While
i'm on the subject, check Bob out. They should just as easily be
applicable for being in the progarchives.
To wrap up this interview, is there
anything you want to add to this interview ?
Legalize
it! (Isak is probably referring to the banned import of Icelandic rams testicles to USA - tf)
Thank you to Isak for this interview
Their PA profile is here and their homepage is here