Meet – Twin Guns



Photo by Violet Shuraka



from “THE LAST PICTURE SHOW” coming out in September on http://www.houndgawd.com/shop/en/artists-releases/Twin-Guns/

Before I get started on how cool Twin Guns are, I would like to thank our friends at Hound Gawd Records for putting us in touch with Twin Guns. Their new Album “The Last Picture Show” comes out on Hound Gawd Records in September. Now it’s time to talk about Twin Guns.

If you are looking for a new band to fill the void left by The Cramps , you found them. I was reading other reviews, words like bad ass, cool, Nick Cave, VU , Jesus and Mary Chain and reverb get used a lot. For me it all centers on the primitive beat just driving it all. They have that sinister we’re not fucking around vibe, you can tell that the music is who they are and that was the core of The Cramps as well. If anybody out there knows someone who knows someone who knows Quentin Tarantino, you need to tell him about Twin Guns because they would write the perfect soundtrack. I could go on, but hopefully you get the message…. Listen to Twin Guns , turn it up and understand that many bands try to act cool only a few are. I can’t wait to listen to the new album!!



Hi our name is….

TWIN GUNS

Our sound is……

Garage Noir… a reverberating sonic tornado that sucks up and spits out elements of ’60s punk, biker instrumentals, surf-rock and psychedelia.

We are…

Andrea, Jungle Jim, and Kristin

We are from…….

Brooklyn, New York



Who are some that have an influence on you

A: The Cramps “Bad Music For Bad People” started it all for me. But, let’s see.. Early rock and roll unknowns, sixties garage-punk, Link Wray, The Velvet Underground & Nico, The Doors, Suicide, Scott Walker, early Nick Cave, Ramones, Mink DeVille, early Neil Young, Television, and a few others… Also, some italian songwriter artists from the ’60s and ’70s.

J: The Chocolate Watchband, Love, Q65, etc.

K: The Damned, The Verve, Kyuss, Sisters of Mercy

How old were all of you when you started to play and who plays what in the band

A: I sing and play electric guitar. I had a garage band as a teenager, called The White Shirts. I was 17.

J: I started playing drums when I was 14.

K: Not until well into adulthood. (In musicians’ years, that’s about 65?) I play bass.

Can you tell us about the process you use, from writing the songs all the way through getting the songs out

A: I write random thoughts, lyrics, phrases, and song titles on post-it notes… pretty much all the time, anywhere. These thoughts often come in the shape of fully formed songs, or concepts for songs. I then pick and choose from the post-it notes to create something more or less coherent, or sometimes abstract.. it depends where you wanna go with it, and sometimes there’s a real story to tell. I get inspired by a lot of things in and around me, and it feeds my creativity in many ways. There is an anger, and an urge to let something out, which isn’t always defined… but it’s like a great burning mass of energy. Twin Guns has become the main vehicle to let it happen, and with the contribution of my bandmates we put this thing to life… our own sexy, swamp-soaked Frankenstein monster!

What are some of the challenges you face as musicians and how have you overcome those challenges

A: It’s a well-known fact that music doesn’t (often) pay the bills enough to survive (especially in New York). Nevertheless, it’s something that musicians can’t live without, so we carry on… one way or another… I keep a graphic design job just so I can support myself, but the compromises I have to make on a daily basis are eating me inside out each day… so, music is always where I go.. It’s where I am, and will stay until I die, come what may. I believe in the “less is more” ethic, and that has helped me in getting through some rough times (mostly of a financial nature, but also emotional), so it doesn’t really shock me that what I do or invest my time in isn’t going to make me “rich,” but at least I feel like I’m in a good place with my creativity, and it’s great to see some of the fruits of this endeavor… I don’t think Twin Guns is for everybody (we aren’t too easy to classify either…) but it’s great when someone gets affected by our music… that, is a big payoff, and that feeling of connection is the wealth I’m looking to build. Also, it’s great therapy (especially for anger).

J: Yeah…getting compensated enough monetarily to just be able to keep on going is one of the biggest challenges.

K: Keeping a balance between working full time and being present enough when playing music to really be your best is a challenge. It may sound like a cliche, but if you love what you’re doing, then the energy to do it will always come. So whenever I feel stressed or like I’m flagging, I just try to remember why I’m doing this and that usually helps a lot. I want to say that I also get plenty of sleep and eat balanced meals, but…

1st concert you went to and age….

A: (I think) it was John Denver (!), at age 16… but before that, I remember going to shows by local bands in and around my hometown. However, the first “great” concert I did see was B.B. King, at age 17.

J: Metallica in 1989.

K: Something classical when I was a child.

coolest band t-shirt you ever bought…

A: Having a problem choosing just one… but maybe I have to go with a white THE WHO T-shirt bought in London when I was a teen; it’s got great portraits of them, accented with fluorescent “punk” colors, with notes, and the word “My Generation”.. It’s aging nicely. Also, a black Cramps t-shirt (also bought in London) which is nice ‘n’ soft.

J: I’ve got a great Hawkwind shirt. It’s a black shirt that’s silkscreened with silver ink.

K: A really cool black-and-white Ministry t-shirt that I bought at a concert and wore until it disintegrated.

some albums that you listen to the most….

A: Back From The Grave (volumes 9 and 10), Kinks “Something Else by The Kinks”, Yardbirds “Having a Rave Up”, Roxy Music “For Your Pleasure”, Lee “Scratch” Perry greatest hits, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins greatest hits, John Fahey’s first three albums, Del Shannon greatest hits, Alan Vega “Jukebox Baby”, The Jesus & Mary Chain “Psychocandy”, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds “Kicking Against the Pricks”, Lou Reed “Transformer”, The Stooges 1st album, Neil Young 1st album, The Beasts of Bourbon “Sour Mash”, T-Rex “Electric Warrior”, Joe Meek anthologies, Kraftwerk “Trans-Europe Express”, and many others.

J: “Love it to Death” by Alice Cooper, “Forever Changes” by Love and “Wildlife” by Mott the Hoople.

K: “Love” by The Cult; “First and Last and Always” by The Sisters of Mercy; “I Against I” by Bad Brains; anything by The Damned; anything by Led Zeppelin, “The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society” by The Kinks; “Loveless” by My Bloody Valentine; “A Storm in Heaven” by The Verve.

If you could open for any Band right now who would that be …

A: I’ll give you three (out of a few)… Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, and A Place to Bury Strangers (from Brooklyn)

J: The Who

K: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club; Jesus and Mary Chain

My youngest son is 13 and in a Band, what advice would you offer him…

A: Go with it, and stay away from drugs.

J: Go for it with all you’ve got. If you treat is as a hobby, it will remain just a hobby.

K: Practice! Listen to as many different types of music as possible. If you can learn more than one instrument, then do it. Music is a craft, so know your tools.



Your thoughts on the state of music in 2015…..

A: I don’t follow much of what’s happening out there, mainstream music often depresses me… but let’s say I’m glad when a band like The Sonics (garage-punk pioneers, and still unknown to many) are still around, and can put on a great and inspiring show. Same goes for other bands of the past. There are also lots of unknown bands and artists that could deserve more attention, and often I stumble upon accidentally; some of them we happen to be playing with… So I think that there is still a lot of good stuff around, one just have to find it. Give them a chance.. Go to live shows, check them out. Only problem is, chances are most of them won’t be as good as Twin Guns!

J: As far as ‘popular’ music is concerned, it makes me sick to my stomach! I just can’t stand the digital, computerized, auto-tuned sounds that I’m bombarded with everywhere I go. Luckily, there are still a handful of people that have good taste out there and are still making great, real music..

K: I try not to think about the current “state of music” — if I did I’d be completely discouraged almost immediately! I try to just surround myself with really talented, really positive people who do this because they love it.



Our plans for the rest of 2015…..

A: We are planning a tour of Europe in the fall, but it’s still at the planning stages. This will follow the release of our new album, “The Last Picture Show” coming out on Hound Gawd! Records (a German label that distributes worldwide) in early September. There are also two more records that will be released this year: a single on Rockin’ Records, and a split-EP with The Pow Wows on Boppa Do Down… all on glorious vinyl. We are also planning on shooting some new videos to promote the album. Lastly, we have started writing some new songs, so let’s see what will come out of those!

Until the new album arrives from Hound Gawd Records..



Sweet Dreams (2012) by TWIN GUNS

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