{"id":2501,"date":"2018-06-28T06:51:13","date_gmt":"2018-06-28T10:51:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/?p=2501"},"modified":"2018-07-15T15:48:24","modified_gmt":"2018-07-15T19:48:24","slug":"interview-mustard-plug","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/2018\/06\/28\/interview-mustard-plug\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW: Mustard Plug"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"responsiveVideo responsive-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EuOcrNz0yZc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; encrypted-media\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">WTBU DJ Danya Trommer interviewed Rick Johnson and Jim Hofer of Mustard Plug. The Michigan ska punk band played Montebello Rockfest earlier this month with the likes of Weezer, Dropkick Murphys, and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Danya Trommer: You guys have been around 26 years, and this is your 1818 show. How do you guys keep it fresh?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rick Johnson: I mean, every show is different. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Jim Hofer: We do a different setlist every show, we don\u2019t say the same things every show.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: So you\u2019re not one of those bands that has a scripted routine?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JH: We just have fun up there.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: You both have been in the band since&#8211;<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: [Turns to Jim] You\u2019ve been in it way longer than me. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JH: I\u2019ve been in it since \u201896. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: Probably sometime early 2000\u2019s [for me]. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: What were you guys doing before this?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>JH: I played in a different ska punk band for six years before that.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: What band was that?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JH: It was called the Exceptions from Detroit. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: What made you come to Mustard Plug?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JH: They toured and the Exceptions didn\u2019t. [Laughs]<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: Speaking of touring, I know you guys did Back To the Beach in April. \u00a0Now, playing exclusively ska festivals like that, is the experience any different than playing rock festivals like this? Like the environment at all, the interactions with bands? <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JH: Well we were friends with almost every band there [laughs], so that was different. I don\u2019t think we know\u2013<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: We are friends with zero bands here. [Laughs]<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JH: I don\u2019t think we really know anyone here. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: So what\u2019re you guys doing for hanging out with other people? Have you met any of the other bands?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: Zero people. \u00a0[Laughs] Not because they\u2019re not friendly\u2013<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JH: Just we haven\u2019t really come across anyone. \u00a0Although I think our drummer gave bad directions to DJ Yella [of NWA] earlier. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: Oh no!<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JH: He sent him in the wrong direction. \u00a0I think that\u2019s the only person we\u2019ve met so far. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: However, two years ago, I gave <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">good <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">directions to DJ Yella.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: You had another interaction with DJ Yella?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: Yeah [Laughs]. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: Was it at this festival?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>RJ: It was at a different festival.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: Just completely randomly ran into DJ Yella again?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: Yeah, it was also very rainy, conditions much like today. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: Maybe he just appears when it rains. You summoned him.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>RJ: Like a rain fairy.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: I would believe it. So, I know that in 2014 you guys came out with <\/b><b><i>Can\u2019t Contain It, <\/i><\/b><b>which was crowdfunded, yeah?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JH: True, it was.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: What would you say is the biggest creative process differences between <\/b><b><i>Big Daddy Multitude <\/i><\/b><b>[debut album] and <\/b><b><i>Can\u2019t Contain It<\/i><\/b><b>? Because I know the band has evolved a lot over that span of time. \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: Well, the biggest difference is we\u2019re both in the band now [laughs]. I was 13 when that record came out. So lots of things have changed. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JH: Here\u2019s some trivia for you. My other band opened for Mustard Plug for the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Big Daddy Multitude <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">release show in Grand Rapids. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: Oh, dang! So it\u2019s kinda like fate a little bit. \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JH: Yeah, a little bit. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: So, can\u2019t exactly answer that question, but, while you guys have been in the band, have you felt like you guys have evolved at all in terms of your creative process?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JH: I think we\u2019re just better. I don\u2019t think we do anything differently. Just over the course of a million years, you get a little better. [Laughs] \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: Makes sense. That\u2019s alright, it\u2019s a super vague question for me to ask. \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: I introduced the minor chord. [Laughs]<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JH: We have a minor chord now. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: I know on <\/b><b><i>Can\u2019t Contain It <\/i><\/b><b>you guys collabed with people like Dan P of MU330 and I think you also collabed with Bill Stevenson of Black Flag?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>JH: He has produced four of our albums.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: Three.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JH: Well, and the greatest hits. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: That doesn\u2019t count. [Laughs] \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: So you\u2019re not new to mixing with other people?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: We\u2019re new to mixing with other people <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">playing <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on a record. That last record is the first record that outside people played on that weren\u2019t in the band. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: How did that feel?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: Truthfully, it was a placeholder. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JH: Rick is the one who recorded <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can\u2019t Contain It<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: It was your personal studio, right?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: Yeah.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JH: So he just called up his friends to play some stuff on it. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: The reason that happened too is because when we were writing those songs, we had placeholders for where something should happen and then it just never happened, so it was getting down to crunch time, and I was just like \u201cSomething needs to happen here, I\u2019m going to call friends and that\u2019s fine,\u201d and apparently it was. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: So basically just conveniently filling in?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: The only reasons that those people that are on that record are on that record is because they were able to record themselves then send it to me.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: So were you friends with everyone that contributed?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: Yeah.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: So it wasn\u2019t like a \u201cmakin\u2019 new connections\u201d thing?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: No, like everybody that\u2019s listed on that record is somebody who\u2019s either been friends with me or the band for years. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: Ok, one last question&#8230;So uh&#8230;nevermind not going to ask that question because it\u2019s about starting out in Grand Rapids and starting your own scene, but you guys weren\u2019t in the band.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: Nope. [Laughs]<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: Now I know that <\/b><b><i>Never Get Out of the Van<\/i><\/b><b>, your 2008 DVD, is the only DVD that you guys have right now. There\u2019s lots of bands with lots of DVDs; do you think you\u2019re ever gonna release another one?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: No.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JH: You know what, the thing is in the early days of the band, we had like a video camera and they taped like everything, but we haven\u2019t done that since then, so we have no footage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: Gotcha, so there\u2019s not really anything to put in. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: No, also that format is not viable anymore. The only people that buy DVDs are truckers at truck stops.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: But nothing for streaming ever or anything? A live DVD?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: No, that\u2019s a lot of work for not a lot of-<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>DT: Not a lot of payoff.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RJ: Well not even payoff, just like, when every ding-dong has a cellphone in their pocket and can film a show of dubious quality, it also devalues a professional shot thing. Because your live show is just gonna get lost in the millions of&#8211;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JH: That\u2019s true. You can go on YouTube and see a million crappy Mustard Plug videos.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WTBU DJ Danya Trommer interviewed Rick Johnson and Jim Hofer of Mustard Plug. The Michigan ska punk band played Montebello Rockfest earlier this month with the likes of Weezer, Dropkick Murphys, and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. &nbsp; Danya Trommer: You guys have been around 26 years, and this is your 1818 show. How do you [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13221,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16],"tags":[26,152,29,416,418,433,421,436,25],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2501"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13221"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2501"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2501\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2581,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2501\/revisions\/2581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}