Tell us about your tour vehicle.
We have a Ford E 350 ( the extended one), it has right about 100.000 miles. No major repairs or breakdowns yet ( and i just jinxed it!)
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
Well, the healthy part is not always on the forefront … If we do it’s cause of vanity… Example, if I eat that burger AND the fries, i’ll look weird with a tight shirt on stage tonight…hahahaha. Sometimes we force ourselves to eat an apple instead of sweets and stuff like that ( our singer is one of the few people in the world who doesn’t like sweets/ I don’t even know how that is possible, so he doesn’t encourage the abuse of cookies and such…)
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
I don’t really break too many strings (I am the guitar player). I do change them often though,before every other shows or before every bigger gig. Same with the drummer, he’s somehow well behaved on that front. The fact that he uses also electronic pads and all kinds of devices helps the actual drum kit to survive through more shows than average.
Where do you rehearse?
We have a great rehearsal space that we don’t share with other bands. It’s all set up so we can record at any moment. Nice couch, small fridge, dark red fabric (I think it’s some kind of velvet) on the walls. It looks rather victorian. Well…yeah… personally speaking, the experiences I have had there (besides playing music) are connected to…entertain a female friend after a show or so… Maybe that’s for a different website…
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
“Sirens” (sample… I thought you would be there to untie this madness)
Describe your first gig.
As far as first gig ever, for me it was when I was 16 I think. We absolutely had no idea what we were doing, we played, let me rephrase, we tried to play some of those obvious covers that you learn when you pick up an instrument. An unexpectedly high number of friends and family members showed up, this little club was actually packed. After the show (and I use the term generously) I had the distinct feeling that I killed it, that I was phenomenally great. I remember actually having specific requests afterwards, in my mind I was an established and spoiled superstar…hahahaha.
As far as New Diplomat, we waited until we felt ready. Too many bands go out there without enough practice. Our first show was opening for the band called Biffy Clyro (they are quite popular in the UK) at this rather large venue here in San Francisco. It did go really well.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
As day jobs we all tend to do part-time things like bartending or computer related stuff. We don’t necessarily love them but for now it works.
How has your music-related income changed over the past 5-10 years? What do you expect it to look like 5-10 years from now?
Well, we haven’t really been together 5 years yet… but, as of recent we are definitely playing way better gigs, financially speaking. A couple of corporate things here and there.. Yeah, it’s not bad.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
To resist the temptation of immediate reward. Practice and practice. If you think you have a good song, write five more cause very likely that song is not as good as you think.