Interview with Protestant

Interview with Protestant

1.      Who's in the band, and what do they do?  How did you come up with the name?  Are you anti-Catholicism?

Brian - drums / vocals; Chris - guitar / vocals; Cory - vocals / guitar; Jesse - bass / vocals.
We needed a simple, one word name.  We like Rorschach. Protestants built (ruined) this country.  Whatever that implies, no, we don’t, though it’s one of the sillier versions of western religion/ Christianity.

2.      You've put out CDs, cassettes, and vinyl records.  What's your preferred medium and why?

Yep- vinyl.  Though we all probably listen to music digitally the most, we all grew up on records, and buy them first and foremost.  Vinyl is by far the best physical format, hands down.  Artwork, tactile experience involved, etc.

3.      What's Milwaukee (and Wisconsin as a whole) like, scene-wise? Community-wise?  Is Wisconsin as plagued with cheese and Scott Walker as the media makes it seem?

It’s pretty active for how few people we have; I mean, Milwaukee has 600,000 people or less and there are countless bands, and in the summer, like a show every day.
The 'scenes' are pretty split up to some extent, but overall, everyone seems to find people to play to.  The other big(ish) cities do their own thing for the most part, but Appleton and Madison have their slew of bands/ shows and such as well and people make the rounds, especially in the summer.
Plagued by cheese?  I like cheese! (The vegans in my band don’t).  Are we a mostly rural/ suburban republican state?  Yes.  The difference in a few miles ideologically once you leave the cities is pretty insane.  Scott Walker is a weasel.  So much of the state only cares about how high their taxes are while kids in Milwaukee can barely read and have nothing to eat.  People who support him and the rest of his union busting cronies the nation over are garbage, pure and simple.

4.      What are some of your influences?  You play a newer style of hardcore that's a lot darker and moodier than most punk; was this deliberate or a result of unplanned evolution?

Hmm- we like stuff from all over the place, to be honest.  We all agree on a basic genre of hardcore/ punk, I suppose, though again we probably each hate the other guys’ favorite band.
Nothing is deliberate per se.  We just write what we do, I guess.  If it’s 'too Pennywise' it gets tossed, but you'll find weird melodies beneath the stuff we do if you listen close.

5.      How often do touring acts hit Milwaukee?  Have you opened for anyone notable?  If you did, do you have any special stories about your encounter(s), good or bad?  If so, please divulge them.

All the time; I mean, some big tours and some awesome bands alike skip us, but we (see above) have shows all the time here.  Bands from everywhere play here, as the multitude of bands from here have connections the country/ world over, since many tour or have.
 Hmm… notable?  You’d have to be more precise, but I guess TRAGEDY, MODERN LIFE IS WAR, THOU, WITCHCRAFT are notable.  We’ve played a lot of shows over the years, and we've liked most of the bands we've met/played with, I guess.  There have been assholes, sure, but mostly due to the fact that they were playing with us, a hardcore punk band, and we had nothing in common with them.  Then again, lots of punks are shitheads too.  AMAROK from California are the nicest people on earth. There ya go.

6.      What is it like running a label (Halo of Flies)?  Does it aid in promoting your music, or is it more of a drag on the band than it is a benefit?  What's your favorite record that you've pressed, and why?

It’s insanely time consuming and non-stop. I work on the label about 35hrs a week; still, it’s fun and I love it.
Yes, of course. I’m already talking to people about bands/ records all the time, so promoting Protestant comes with the territory, as it does any band/any release. Though of course, I do all the same stuff for the band as well, so it’s hard to separate them sometimes, as far as telling people to get stoked on it.  A drag?  Not sure what you mean, but I think the label benefits the band for the most part.
God, I have no idea. I really like a lot of them, even after a few years.  Recent stuff has been especially rewarding, but I don’t have a hands down favorite.

7.      How is the Midwest different from the rest of the United States, from your observations and experiences, in punk and in regular life?  Why should a touring group play around here?

It’s better.  More open minded to some degree, a bit more lost and desperate.  I like certain pockets of the coasts I have seen, but I like it here.  Look, America is a vacant wasteland for the most part.  Gas stations and bullshit as far as the eye can see.  At least here we have a little space and actual seasons.
Why?  Kids are usually into shit; they’re less jaded, or so it seems.

8.      What local bands are your favorites?  Have you played with any of them?  What are a few places to play in the greater Milwaukee area for bands in need of a place to play in Wisconsin?

NORTHLESS, GET RAD, ENABLER, HOLY SHIT!, NO BRAINER, MOON CURSE, IRON CAGES, CALL ME LIGHTNING, the list really goes on.  Yes, we've played with all of them.
Houses: (Ground Zero, the Paper Trail, etc), the Borg Ward, Quarters (21+), the CCC, etc.

9.      How do you feel Protestant fits into this Milwaukee scene?

Well, I guess we fit in; we play somewhat rarely here, maybe every month or two.  But we are friends with most everyone to some degree.  On the other hand, we are all older and make fewer shows than we used to due to jobs, houses, etc.  We’re kinda grumpy old men to some here, I would imagine.

10.  Anything you wish to add?

We have records and shit. www.protestantmilwaukee.com.  We have a split 6" coming out in like 2 weeks (with SUFFERING MIND from Poland), and plan on touring this fall.  New LP out in 2013, I guess.

10.5.     Come to Detroit/ MI soon!  You'd be most welcome!
Ok, maybe in October. ;)