100 Monkeys Interview, June 14, 2009

Now with player/link that should work. See below.

Pel and Be My Escape (Laura and Jen) were able to interview 100 Monkeys after their CD signing at the Barnes and Noble located at the Promenade Shops in Center Valley, PA.

The band was great. They had signed over 300 CDs in just over an hour. If you’ve ever been to a signing you know how impressive that rate is because usually things take longer than that. So we caught up with them in the store room at B&N which had been converted into an interview space.

Throughout the interview Jackson would randomly pick up a ukulele that was Spencer Bell’s and he’d strum along a bit. Jackson and Jerad are probably the most naturally talkative, but the two Ben’s had great things to say when they did speak up. They area really relaxed bunch, that was completely gracious to everyone they encountered whether it was tongue-tied 13-year-old girls, or a B&N employee asking for a photo because her shift was ending and she was going home.

You can tell that the guys just feed off each others energy in an interview, just as they do when performing on stage. They are constantly laughing and goading each other during the interview in a good-natured way. Whether it’s miming dying of the heat at Khyber, joking about their long-distance driving skills, or  Ben G teasing Jackson that his love of banjo comes from Southern inbreeding that  in turn caused Jackson to fling a black sharpie right at Ben, you can tell how much they enjoy each others company.

Rather then type out an entire transcript, we’ve put a few key notes under the cut so you can tell who’s taking when. Other than  the first minute when the guys were all chiming in at once, it’s pretty clear who is who.

Pel: Asks questions

All band members: Khyber experience, secret club dates, new songs

Jackson: Talks about the songs titles

Playing Trumpet: Ben G

Jackson: Spencer Bell Story

Jared: master on all instruments

Ben J: Comfortable on drums

Jackson: Drums & Banjo (inbred joke happens here)

Uncle: percussion oboe

Ben G: Whatever I most recently picked up

Jerad: Voice is an instrument

Ben J: Lyrics vs. music

Jackson: Multiple lyrics

Jerad/Ben G on changing lyrics

Jerad: On the road good and bad parts

Ben G: Loves road trips (with commentary by Jerad)

Jerad: Commercial for BK, and talks about upcoming movie

Jerad/Jackson/Ben J./Ben G. Bands they like

Jackson: Wrap up check out SpencerBell.com