GRAVE MAKER (interview w/ Bailey)
Grave Maker
Jon – Vocals
Bailey – Bass
Wayne – Drums
“Grave Maker is made up of three of the greatest friends anyone could ask for. We’re here to write the music we love, and to play shows across the world.”
*courtesy of Grave Maker’s myspace page: www.myspace.com/gravemaker
They are signed to an indie label called Think Fast! Records (www.thinkfastrecords.com) and have not only toured in the US and Canada, but all across the world.
Bailey, bass
I got the chance to interview Grave Maker’s bass player, Bailey, and ask some of my awesome interview questions.
Me: How long have you all been together? Are these the original members?
Bailey: The bands first show was January 12th, 2008. The band practiced for a while with different members before the first show though. Originally it was Andy Rice on vocals, Wayne on drums, Jon on bass, Chris and Brian on guitar. Andy got a job at Deathwish so he moved to Boston, and Chris wanted to move to Regina so Jon took over vocals and I was just about to move back to Vancouver right around that time. I had actually just called Jon about starting a band together and he asked me to come practice with them. Everything ended up working out awesome and we went from there.
As of right now, we only have three members, of guitar player Brian just quit about a week ago, we haven’t found anyone to join yet but in good time we will 🙂
Me: Is it a totally different experience touring in countries like Germany and Greece, than in the US and Canada?
Bailey: Well, we toured threw Mexico twice, it gets a little crazy there sometimes. We got robbed by the cops three times in one day which was quite a bit. Worst case scenario you’ll get robbed once in North America, like by the two truck drives who robbed us in BC! It’s quite a different lifestyle there, all throughout Central America, almost every street corner there were dudes (probably 5 – 10 yrs younger then me) with bullet proof vest and assault rifles just standing there all day. I was told they shoot first and dont bother with the questions so we were on our best behavior 🙂 At one of our shows the about 30 dudes from the military fully armed to the tits came into one of our shows, I thought for sure one of us were getting dragged off and held for ransom or at least robbed, but they just search a few kids for drugs and were on the way.
I’m really excited for our upcoming tours overseas, we’re playing some really cool places like Russia, Turkey, Romania, Ukraine and so on, I haven’t heard of too many bands playing those places so I’m not to sure what to expect but I’m sure it will be a time to remember.
Me: What’s been your favorite tour to be a part of so far?
Bailey: My favorite part of tour for me has been able to travel to a few places and play shows in places I never thought I’d even ever get to go to. I was told we were the first band from North America to play El Salvador which is pretty amazing. Making so many new friends over the last year has been really awesome and definitely makes touring the amazing thing it is.
Me: What’s the last CD you listened to?
Bailey: I havent listened to a CD in forever, but, the last few bands we jammed on the Ipod were, Michael Jackson, Dead Kennedys, Her Nightmare, The Carrier, Horizons, and Pressvre.
Me: If your band was stuck on a deserted island, who would get on your nerves the most?
Bailey: I dont think that either Wayne or Jon would get on my nerves, it would actually pretty a pretty cool vacation, right now were on about day 86 of tour and were getting along great. We’ve tour about 10 months of the year this year, and for the summer time we all worked with each other at the same job, so at this point I think we know how to not annoy each other 🙂
Me: What do you like to do, besides music? Video games? Sports..?
Bailey: I used to play poker a lot, that was my last job when I wasn’t on tour but I haven’t really been doing that too much. I have my own little booking agency – Great Escape Booking so that takes up a bit of spare time. Pretty much whenever we aren’t on tour we try and spend out time hanging out with family and friends.
Me: Do you have any backup careers in mind? Doctor? Producer? Sex worker?
Bailey: I used to work on the oil rigs, so I will probably go back to that for a little bit. I can work there for about ten years and then retire in El Salvador and live out the rest of my life on the black sandy beaches!
Me: What’s your favorite part of being in this band?
Bailey: I get to hang out and play music were all really stoked on with my best friends everyday, see all my old friends, make new friends, travel to new cities, and we all love not working a real job!
Me: So you’re Canadian.. is rowing really as popular up there as I’m led to believe? I was on the rowing team in college and we had a lot of Canadian recruits.
Bailey: Humm, I’m not sure about rowing, but I do know curling is quite the sport up here along with bottlecap darts which none one ever knows what that is in the States.
Me: Tell me something about yourself that you don’t think any of your fans know.
Bailey: I pick my nose and eat it, I can speak 9 languages and I have a Matt Damon portrait tattooed on my ass.
Me: Last but not least.. where do you see yourself in ten years?
Bailey: A sunny beach in Thailand.
*******
These guys are real, and if you havent’ heard them yet, I highly recommend you check them out. They’re one of those refreshing bands that are doing what they do because they truly love it. I have actually interviewed bands in the past that have told me they saw themselves as a business- their music is the product and they do what’s in demand (this was Brian from the band From Autumn to Ashes, at Warped Tour a few years back). This made me sick, I mean really, I just wanted to puke. It’s given me a deep appreciation for musicians that are really in it for the music. Meeting guys like Bailey, like I said, is simply refreshing. Thank you for existing!! ha ha
*If you are interested in setting up a show with Grave Maker, please send an email to greatescapebooking@gmail.com*
To check out where they’re headed next, visit their MySpace page: www.myspace.com/gravemaker
About the Author
Denise Borders 39, Los Angeles. Denise founded PWV in 2008 and remains the primary manager and photographer/videographer. She is not secretly obsessed with Joey Cape.
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