By Ramon Castillo
Since 2008, Mines has been honing their set throughout the Chicago underground music scene, letting loose their memorable experimental noisiness everywhere, from dirty, dank basement shows to the small club circuit. Their debut LP on Lake Paradise Records, Just Another Thing That Got Ruined, showcases a polished act with brilliant, catchy songs you’d swear you’d heard before.
The buzz for Mines is at its strongest these days with rave reviews for the record, a record release party, and countless local shows throughout Chicago. East coast and west coast tours are also currently in the works. This past summer, I sat down and had a few drinks with guitarist/singer/songwriter Bill Satek at Simone’s in Pilsen to discuss the new record and the upcoming tour.
HT: Let’s first talk about the album. How long did it take to record?
Bill: I would say it took, like actual recording, took, I guess, five days. Two days of tracking. One day of overdubbing and two days for vocals. Every song on it was recorded live, like live-band style. Some songs had no overdubs and some had a lot of overdubs. After that was mixing. That took awhile. Overall, a few weeks to mix. I was with Brian Sulpizio (recording engineer), explaining to him how I wanted it to sound. It was lovely bickering. There was some push and pull with him and me.
HT: Now that you mention Brian, let’s talk about him.
Bill: The scoundrel? The scoundrel or the gentleman? Because there’s two of him (laughs).
HT: In a previous interview, you mentioned you still owed Brian for his services. I heard through the grapevine both of you went to TV judge, Judge Mathis, to settle this. How did that go?
Bill: Yeah, he sued me on Judge Mathis ‘cause I owed him some money for the recording. I would suggest if you owe money to a friend, sue each other on Judge Mathis. It’s a great time. He called me up one day and said, ‘“Is it ok if I sue you? How do you feel about that?” I was kind of relieved about that. I said, “That’s probably the only way to get your money back.” He dragged me tooth and nail through the mud to that show.
HT: You guys are still friends?
Bill: Yeah, we’re still cool. He’s all right.
HT: Your old band Lechugillas was on Judge Pirro fighting over money as well. Do you think Brian was partly inspired by them to do this?
Bill: Absolutely. Lechugillas on Judge Pirro is basically the Holy Grail of any court TV I’ve ever seen. You take those two scumbags like Hart and Camacho, two total degenerates, people with no hope in life, they have nothing to grasp onto, they’re just empty shells walking around with no hope, and to have them get on Judge Pirro and perform like they did, stunning and cunning. They were cunning, calculating, cutthroat businessmen on that show. I practiced with them that night when they came home. I was waiting for them. I was standing in the Mopery with my bass on, fooling around, and they came storming in screaming about how they got tons of money, saying, “Yeah, we got three hundred dollars! Yeah!” I don’t even know if we practiced that day. It was more like score three hundred dollars from Judge Pirro day. But good for them. They’re good kids.
HT: Are you prepared for Internet fame?
Bill: Doesn’t internet fame last ten seconds? I think I already had it. I wasn’t even awake when it happened. No, but, I’m basically prepared for anything.
HT: I still haven’t found a Mines website. Is that in the works?
Bill: Yeah, it’s being talked about. If I have to do it myself, it won’t be a website. It’ll be one of those error 404 pages.
HT: How do you feel about using the Internet as a tool to promote your music?
Bill: I feel it’s almost the same as doing it in person. I don’t like to socialize my music. I don’t tell people when we have shows. I feel uncomfortable saying things like, “Hey I’m in this band! Wanna check out my band? Check out this great song I wrote!” So I try to get Jeff to do things like that. “Hey Jeff, can you tell people about the show, I’m not telling anyone.” I figure someone will be there, that’ll be good enough. Other bands will be there, they always listen to music.
HT: Now that you mention other band members, let’s talk about the band. There’s been a steady stream of different bassists coming and going since the inception of Mines. Has working with different bassists helped or hindered the band?
Bill: Michael Hilger was the first bassist. He helped the band, not hindered. Then Andrew Scott Young came along and he changed the band with his vibe. He’s an intense person when he plays music. He’s a really chill, nice guy when we’re hanging out. But when he’s playing he’s intense and has a masterful control of his instrument. I was writing all the music and I had it all laid out and I didn’t say anything. I just saw how he responded. He would play and make a solid, indelible part. After he moved to Seattle, Jeff Host played for a while, but he couldn’t continue long enough to make an impact. Then it was Brian Sulpizio, and he also has masterful control of his instrument. He knew what to do. I guess he was hanging on for a thread though. But those are his words. And now it’s Joe Starita, and he’s another guy who has control over his instrument. We just started but I have full faith in that guy. He knows what’s up.
HT: You and drummer Jeff Milam have been the most consistent members so far. What’s the chemistry like between the two of you?
Bill: Probably, it’s like husband and wife (laughs). He’s a very intelligent guy. We work well together because he’s open for interpretation, which is a paradox, because he also thinks he knows better (laughs). Usually we have to fight for him to play certain things, but in the end he always says, “Bill, you were right.” But it’s fun to have someone constantly bickering with you to get you going and motivated. He’s a motivational force. And a snappy dresser. You hear that Jeff!
HT: I’ve never heard any origin stories on the name of the band. How did the name come about?
Bill: I moved from the South Side to Logan Square in 2008 and decided to make a record with a new identity, new name, and new people to play with. I was living with Joe Starita at the time, making music. I didn’t know what to call the band, so I wrote down four names. Mines was the first one on the top. I asked Joe if he wanted to be in the band and he said yes and I showed him the list, asking him what name we should use and he was like “Mines, definitely.”
HT: Let’s talk about the music. Mines is definitely eclectic. There are lots of different influences stirred into the pot. Mostly you find shoegaze with occasional dashes of noise and punk, and even exotic Afro-Caribbean rhythms. Did you ever have a source of inspiration to mix genres, or did it all happen by accident?
Bill: It didn’t happen by accident. I wanted to make a record that was all over the place, to basically span a huge spectrum and keep it all cohesive and consistent. I mean, I’ve always liked all kinds of music, and it sounds like a stock phrase, because so many people say that, but I wonder how many people who say that can sit and listen to an hour of Rhys Chatham’s Two Gongs, just two guys on gongs for like an hour. That’s one of my favorite records ever. It’s just two guys playing gongs, and that’s all it is! Just hearing that for an hour is like the best thing.
HT: There are plenty of catchy melodies on the record, like on “Bad is the Old Better.” Are you a Beatles or a Beach Boys fan?
Bill: Listen to that question? How come I can’t say both? You mean which one do I prefer?
HT: You can say both.
Bill: Yeah, both. Of course both. Both are fucking amazing! I’m not one of those assholes who says The Beatles suck! Are you that depressed? Was your life that hard that The Beatles suck? I like them both. Yeah.
HT: Your shows have a bit of raw energy, but not too much. I think it’s safe to say you can bring your girlfriend out to a Mines show, yes?
Bill: (laughs) It depends on what you mean by raw energy. You mean we’re not playing enough power chords?
HT: I mean, it’s not full abrasive, rock your face off music is all.
Bill: Oh, yes, I get you. Well, it’s been something I’ve been wanting to change. I want there to be an energetic live show thing happening. There needs to be raw energy. We need more Lechugillas songs! (laughs) But to answer the other part of your question, you can totally bring your girlfriend.
HT: You guys are embarking on some tours in the near future. How excited are you?
Bill: (laughs) I’d say right now, not that excited. Pretty not excited, just regular. But once we get in that vehicle and start driving six thousand miles, I’ll be a hundred times excited. I’m gonna be freaking out the whole time.
HT: What do you expect going to places where no one’s heard your music before?
Bill: I expect the same thing that happens here. Some people love it, some people don’t. The music isn’t that outlandish, like Motorhead playing a folk festival or something like that.
HT: When and where are the tours?
Bill: The first one is in late August, a few mid-west venues and some west coast dates. The next one is all east coast dates, probably sometime early 2014.
Stream Mines’ debut album, Just Another Thing That Got Ruined, on Lake Paradise Records: http://lakeparadiserecords.bandcamp.com/album/just-another-thing-that-got-ruined
Ramon Castillo hails from the humble El Paso, TX. Ramon has been living in Chicago for the past four years. He passes the time binging on comics, B sci-fi movies, and avant-garde music. He lives on the Southwest Side of Chicago with his wife and soon to be born son.