Delusions of Adequacy: Ok, whats your story? What's the current As Friends Rust line-up?

Damien Moyal: Currently, and hopefully permanently, we are as follows: Me (vocals), Tom (bass), Joe and Floyd (guitars), and Zachary (drums). We don't have much of a story, we're just a band trying to be a good band in a world overrun by bad bands.

DOA: Yeah, I have noticed a lot of changes. The band sounds better then ever, but it seems the releases are sometimes few and far between.

DM: They really have been. We had a pretty steady line-up for a while, but unfortunately that line-up was really unproductive as far as amassing new material went. In a three-year period with those members, we were only able to release seven songs. With the new AFR, we wrote and recorded the new album (our first "full-length" album) in only a four-month period.

DOA: Have you ever thought of changing the name? I personally think it is awesome that you hold As Friends Rust together.

DM: Upon finding the new members, we briefly considered simplifying the name to The Rust, to show some slight distinction between this incarnation of AFR and the last. The idea never stuck because a) it sucks, and b) we'd always be tagged "formerly As Friends Rust" anyway.

DOA: I like it how it is, I always liked that name. Where did it come about?

DM: At the time that the band was originally formed, in 1996, I was also in a band called Bird of Ill Omen. BOIO had a song called "Now Ruin Is" with a line that read "As friends rust from exposure to exposure." The band, which was then temporarily known as Wayside, liked that three-word chunk of lyrics, so we named the band As Friends Rust. Ironically, Joe and Tom, who were in BOIO at the time, are both now in AFR.

DOA: I have heard rumor of the old Shai Hulud songs you did originally coming out. Do you think that will ever happen, or do many people know about those songs?

DM: Not many people know about those at all. We recorded six of them in early 1996, and I have always loved them. They will definitely be released, though the date is undetermined. Matt Fox, the last original member of Shai Hulud, will be releasing the CD on his own label, Ides of March. I've been asked to write liner notes, but they have been rejected multiple times by Matt because they are "too bitter" and because I "seem to not be remembering all the good times we had." It will also feature some live stuff, some unreleased songs with Chad (guy after me) singing, some with Geert (new guy) singing, and other weird goodies.

DOA: How do you usually describe your sound, and who writes the majority of the songs?

DM: My descriptions have changed with each release. I guess if I had to sum it up, I'd simply call it rock-hardcore. We place a strong emphasis on melody, but also on aggression. We can't stand the whiny aspects of "emo," the tuff qualities of a lot of "hardcore," or the cheesiness of "rock," but we really wanted to integrate the better elements of each genre. On our new record, Joe wrote the majority of the material, but Tom and Floyd also contributed a couple songs each. We all suggest, reshape, and modify every song, so no song is ever one person's absolute doing.

DOA: Yeah it seems to change from when the self-titled EP was more aimed at aggression. I remember it being well-suited for it's time though. I know there is always going to be room to complain about the state of music, but it seems to be slowly changing back to a positive effort again. Is AFR ever affected by or compared to shitty music coming out over the last few years?

DM: Yes. Two gripes here, if I may. 1) WE SOUND NOTHING LIKE HOT WATER MUSIC. This is a comparison drawn too often, and I really think that the only reason is that we are both from Gainesville. They are a great band and have almost single-handedly put Gainesville on the map, which is amazing. But we really, reeaallly don't sound at all alike. I'm sure they agree. The only similarity is that both bands play a blend of this genre's different sub-genres' styles. It's that melodic-but-aggressive thing. But for god's sake, we have fast, and I mean FAST, old-school-ish hardcore parts. We have no dueling vocals (just a lot of layering), no raspy vocals... I just don't get it. It's gotta be the Gainesville thing. And 2) What the fuck is "emo," anyway? We got one review where the guy was like, "AFR is another emo band lamenting about how their girlfriends left them." Like we're the fucking Get Up Kids or something. Like we're fucking Mineral. It's just so weird how, unless your songs are totally aggressive from start to finish, you are an "emo" band. The general feel of our songs is still full and dark and rock and upset. Not sad. Pissed. Does the attitude count for nothing? No sweater-vests here, only pissed-ness. What?

DOA: I think it is because they always thanked you in their albums and the label (Doghouse) similarity. That emo description sounds nothing like you, but didn't you play a huge fest in Europe with Slayer once!?

DM: We played a fest with Motorhead in Belgium last summer, but on a separate stage. Fishbone also played that stage. We shared the stage with Earth Crisis and The Buzzcocks.

DOA: That's right! So you have a good following over there? It seems like you guys have always been touring Europe, I remember getting jealous when I was living in California.

DM: Yeah, we definitely have a better following there. It's really because our early releases were on Goodlife Recordings, which is a force to be reckoned with in Europe as far as labels go. Immediately, we had great promotion and distribution, and also the ex-members of Culture and Morning Again pitch (which also doesn't help much in the US, haha) to fall back on. We are jokingly referred to as a Belgian hardcore band from time to time.

DOA: Like you mentioned, there seems to be a lot of positive influence on music in Gainesville too over the last few years...

DM: Yeah.

DOA: I see a huge influence from Sev Burner (Bridgeburner). Did you hear a lot of that band growing up?

DM: Yeah, actually they were one of the first punk/hardcore bands that I really got into. I was really into a lot of the early Texan punk bands at the time. My vocals get compared to Sev's a lot, but I don't really hear it.

DOA: Their sound can sneak in there. Where do you see the next album going, or can you see that far already?

DM: As a matter of fact, last night I received a tape of five new songs that the dudes have written. It's not for a new album, but for an EP to be released on Equal Vision Records. The songs are still along the lines of the songs from Won, but there aren't really any fast ones.

DOA: Wow, so you already have a release in the works. Does it feel good to be in an excited band and put more shit out?

DM: Yeah, it's nice to actually have these thing lined up in advance, rather than the old "Uh, guys... we have a bunch of songs. Should we record them soon? Who's gonna put them out?" thing.

DOA: It almost sounds like someone else sings a lot on Won.

DM: No, that's me layered on top of me, with some me overdubs. There are a few parts where Floyd does back-ups, and a couple other assorted guest background vocal parts, but mostly just a yelled word or two here and there. I just tried to be a little more versatile vocally, and in the studio we had the time and the means to experiment more. James Wisner, who produced the record, pushed me a lot with my voice and the risks I was willing to take with it, and I had also taken five months of vocal lessons before recording.

DOA: Yeah, I think your voice sounds amazing in comparison. I wasn't sure if you had done something or just never utilized it on that level for it to be noticeable. Are you guys touring a lot for this album?

DM: We have been, yes. We thought that the US touring we did in August and September was going to be in support of the new album, but it came out later than we expected, and we ended up touring without it. The tour still served a great purpose. We had not been out in a while, and we needed to let people know that we were still alive and kickin' and that a new record was on the way. The European tour was also for the new record, and we actually had it on time, for the tour.

DOA: Ok, what's on in the van, anything you think we should listen to lately?

DM: Spoon's Girls Can Tell album, Randy Newman, Turin Brakes, Led Zeppelin, De La Soul, The Herbaliser, Edith Frost, Vincent Gallo, Tricky Woo, Radio Birdman.

DOA: So how come the hams of As Friends Rust are so reluctant to have photographs of their asses taken?

DM: If you saw Joe's ass you'd know why. Nobody wants to look at three buns.

DOA: haha. I'll leave that one alone.

Interview by Jessika
Read more about As Friends Rust at their website.