Sunday, August 9, 2009

Columbus rock band PEN15: trying to take over the world




PEN15 is a three-piece band from Columbus, Ohio. Guitarist Dustin Rouan discusses what is essential to every song his band writes, bands he would like to share the stage with, and what he'd be doing if he weren't making music.


If you are filing your music in a record store, where do you file it?

I would definitely file it under ROCK! I'm all for blazing a new trail and making your own sonic dent in history but there is something to be said for tradition.

What is essential to every PEN15 song?

Energy. Whether it's positive, negative, sad, or happy, we try to bring that energy to the forefront.

If I'm at your show, what is your pitch to get me to buy your album?

I'm honestly not much of a salesman. If I was any good at retail I wouldn't be doing the music thing. We mention that we have cds for sale while we are on stage but we let the music sell itself. If we get you to a show then we've already won the battle.

What are some bands you enjoy playing with?

I've enjoyed playing with a lot of bands over the years but my favorite is playing with Lemming. I guess I'm a little biased though because it is the band of my friend of fifteen years. I enjoyed playing with them so much that I have recently drummed for them on their latest CD, "dandelions", on my down time.

Name three bands (active or defunct) you would like to perform with.

It's hard to pick just three bands over time but off the top of my head:

Nirvana. To share the stage with such an amazing artist would be amazing. Dave Grohl isn't too shabby on the drums either.

Mudhoney. Over time their sound has changed but they haven't hit a bad chord yet. They don't hit the road as much as they used to but I still keep my fingers crossed that one day I'll be able to make a show with them happen.

Burning Brides. These guys put on a great show and are an inspiration in the way that they run their band. They take time off when they need it, record and produce their own albums that are always amazing and even have a van made to run on vegetable oil to get from show to show.

What would you be doing if you weren't making music?

Trying to take over the world. If that didn’t work, I also enjoy recording music, graphic design, and making/editing video.

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