Hailing from Lincoln, Nebraska in the heart of the United States, hate9wicket, the brains and talent behind Blind Hobo Monkeys proves there is more than corn in the midwest. He brings his eclectic taste in music to his own creations and graces DMusic with the results. He not only contributes to DM with his music but he is an avid listener who leaves insightful and helpful comments on other's work as well.

The youngest of eight children, he comes from a musical family who all sang in the church choir when he was growing up. He played the french horn and mellophone in the band for the Marching Coyotes for two years. He was given his first guitar at the age of 12 and later, while digging around in the store room at school, he came across a hollow body electric bass. He convinced his teacher to fix it up and played it for the pep and jazz band all through high school.

Now 33 years old, he spends his days working in the recyclable and moving business. The rest of his time he makes some great music!He's played out live on a couple of occasions. First singing and playing guiter with a group of friends who called themselves The Dreaming ( after the Neil Gaiman stories in the Sandman series ) and then, he played bass with Prometheus Stole My Car. A sample of which can be heard here http://blindmonkeyhobos.dmusic.com/music/comments/319129

Currently, in addition to his music at Dmusic, he offers his sideman services to The Static Octopus, fronted by the man who runs the local Lincoln, NE music scene web page http://www.starcityscene.com/ and can
be heard accessing the evil empire at http://www.myspace.com/tsoctopus

He says his greatest influences are U2, especially the Edge, and to an extent Brian Eno, because "they both tend to endorse the "Studio as an Instrument" philosophy, and also get as much as they can out of so little".

His gear? "Ibanez Ergodyne 700 Bass, Epiphone J-200 Acoustic/electric, Line 6 Bass Pod (which I also use for "electric" guitar parts, an old falling apart, keys coming loose Kawai keyboard I never use. My only mic is a CAD M177 condensor....it all plugs into an M-Audio Firewire 410 interface connected to my Apple Macmini, and I get away with just using Garageband for primary software, I also use Reason Adapted to create drum parts, but I tend to edit them in GB."

You can listen to hate9wicket's music here on his band page: http://blindmonkeyhobos.dmusic.com/music/

The Interview:

Thanks for letting me interview you. I have to first tell you that I have been a fan of yours since I first heard you here at DM and so I'm really happy that you agreed to let me grill you a little bit! And, of course, I got a little help from some other curious DMers too!

All musicians face some challenges when it comes to making their music. What do you find most challenging when it comes to the creation of your music? What do you find the easiest?
Lyrics, I have a lot of stuff on my page I fully intended on adding vocals, It is my Achilles Heel and most major stumbling block. Also I have a heck of a time mixing at times and getting too attached to tracks I'd be better off trashing and starting over.

...but the easy parts are deciding on what loops to use, or the drum parts I create, and performing the basslines. I tend to use guitar as a sort of window dressing if you will...fill in gaps and give a bit of color. I find stepping up to the microphone a bit of a chore, then hearing myself sing and try to resist the urge to cringe.

All songwriters seem to have their own way of hitting that creative personal mark. How do you come up with your lyrics? Do you always write from a personal perspective or do you sometimes get ideas from outside of yourself?
I tend to write what I feel, I tend to use music as sort of an emotional purge, get out the ugly goo in a healthy way, whether it be a relationships not working out(See Harriet), a natural disaster,(see Regress) or the anxiety of asking the boss for a raise,(see Why Bother). As far as how I get lyrics done, not too many examples to list, but for Harriet, I had the entire song done in my head before I even picked up an instrument, I tracked everything, but when it came time for words, I had a rough idea, I had the basic melody worked out, so I basically fit the words to the melody by counting syllables as I scratched out on a pad of paper, which was done and recorded in about a half hour...I wish every song I did turned out like
that.

Out of everything you've created so far, do you have a favorite? If so, what song is it and why?
My favorite song of mine?Ummnnn...Regress I think...This song came out of me, the bass line was just
something I"d pluck around on, sitting round doing nothing, just something I'd come back to for several years, when Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and I was watching the news, I would pick up my bass and play that line and sort of use it as a comforting device or security blanket of sorts. And making the song was my way of dealing.

You said you've been greatly influenced by U2 and also Eno, what is it about them that inspires you
specifically?
As far as U2/Eno? The Joshua Tree was the first record I ever bought, and I would devour every single word written about that band, and led me focus on Eno and his travels...Remain in Light by Talking Heads, Heroes by David Bowie, all the Fripp records, and the collaborations w/ Jah Wobble. The phrase he would use to crystallize his process was "Using the studio AS an instrument." So I try to use effects to create an atmosphere as Eno would, as though you put on headphones and find yourself on a different planet, or at
least try to get there.

Other than the Edge and Eno, are there any artists out today that you find inspiring? If so, why?
A lot of people on here, most of them on my little wall of users on my page...specifically Halaka, the blacklodge (Alex), Israfel/leplume/Mary, Furiousball, Tim Sanders, Gene Hilbert, those Flying Apperatus boys.
As far as other people: Tony Levin, Mike Watt, Frank Black/Black Francis, Robert Fripp, Matthew Sweet, Elliot Smith....just musicians in general who aren't household names that should be.

You're a Garageband user, what do you like about that program and why?
Garageband: easy to use, I'm not too picky 'bout quality, as long as it gets across.

You've played out live. Tell us more about that experience.
YES, but a long time ago, I haven't been in a group since 2000, I do have some stuff from then here, Prometheous Stole my Car: me, my brother, one of his fraternity bros and his child hood friend, just 4 guys hanging out, hitting the woodshed and making up stuff in the basement...we played 4 or 6 times, it was fun. Recently have served in hired gun fashion for the Static Octopus, as bassman and back up vocal, currently experiencing lineup/practic space/schedule conflicts, kind of struggling w/ the sing/play thing. Hopefully get that back up to speed in '07.

As in independent musician, how has the internet helped you get your music to the masses and in particular tell us a bit about your experience here at DMusic.
DMusic is the only place I would even consider uploading to, simply because It Gives The Artist All Of The
Control, everyone I come in contact with has been very supportive and I consider many people here friends...

Thinking of all the musicians who have inspired or moved you in some way, if you could assemble your "dream band" who would in the line up? You can choose any one living or dead, independent or not.
Dream Band? Buddy Rich on drums, Charles Mingus on Bass, Jimi Hendrix on lead guitar, ummnn Gram Parsons and John Lennon on vox/rhythm guitar, keys by Nat King Cole, Miles on trumpet and Charlie Parker on Sax. composed by Frank Zappa.

One last question...this one's for DeadraveN, who is Harriet?
Harriet IS someone real, but not her name, someone I knew a very long time as a friend, who ceased to be a friend after I tried to make the conversion to being more than friends. Either that or just my allegory towards regret in general.

Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. I hope that it gives all the DMusic members a little more insight into you and your music. Everyone, please take the time to visit Blind Monkey Hobos and have a listen for yourselves!

Happy New Year DM!
Israfel

Oops! Just noticed a typo...that theblacklodge....not blackodge. Sheesh! There's a L missing there!

Great interview Very interesting to read about the background to a lot of your music

This is a wonderful slice of his life. And a great read! Except for that one typo, of course It's always nice to know where the music comes from.

Extremely fascinating to read this.
You know I really enjoy your work.
I can relate to cringing at the sound of one's own voice. haha.
You should definitely keep singing, man.

Great interview, guys.

Loved to hear the dream band lineup.

Nice to hear all your influences too.

The creative process as a means of interplanetary travel...

Thanks for having the courage to create!

great interview! you are amazing!