John: Okay, overall how`d the tour go?
Tony: Went well enough. It was hard losing a roadie and a drummer. In case you hadn�t heard, our roadie got sent home for getting meth sent to him via the mail to a venue we were playing, and our drummer just completely pussed out on us and went home [Johnnie from Kandi Coded and Bennie from Valient Thorr filled in on drums - ed]. Apart from that it was a blast. Funny, once we lost all of the bad baggage, the good times rolled. It was fun touring with these bands; they�re all bros.
John: I know Spin was doing a Valient Thorr diary � did you guys ever make it onto their entries?
Tony: No, I don�t think we were ever considered for any of that. Not sure why.
John: And if you did, do you think the Spin crowd would "get" Totimoshi?
Tony: Yeah, I like to maintain a degree of optimism, I think everyone given the chance would get us. If they don�t they�re nitwits � and I mean that in the kindest of ways.
John: One of the totally awesome questions I asked and lost thanks to an inability to fully understand technology was about the line-up of the shows. As a band that`s been out there for over a decade and with a strong back catalog of material, how did it feel often being given the opening or second slot on the bill?
Tony: I didn�t like it � to be honest with you. I felt a little slighted, but oh well, we�ve been handed a heavy card and things are getting better, so fuck it. I enjoyed playing with great bands every night and touring with good people.
John: As for the other line-up, with the almost constant changing of drummers, how difficult is it to maintain momentum as a band? And do the songs change when one drummer takes over from another?
Tony: The songs do change but only to a degree. I write without anyone in the room, then present the songs to Meg. They change a little after that as she kind of edits me. Then with whomever we happen to have on drums it changes again.
John: Speaking of which, who`s drumming for you now? And what number is he?
Tony: His name is Chris Fugitt, and we stopped counting. It no longer matters to us. Frankly, the band is me and Meg and whoever wants to go along for the ride. If someone works out for a while I�ll be happy to reconsider my stance.
John: Another topic of conversation we had was about CDs. You mentioned that by the Boston tour, while there was a constant favorable crowd reaction, you still weren`t really selling that many CDs. Did that ever improve?
Tony: Not really. The fact that Volcom was giving out lots and lots of free schwag didn�t help merch sales. But Volcom rules; we couldn�t be happier with a label, so we bore the circumstances of our situation.
John: If CDs are a dying medium, what`s an artist to do to get music out there? Does it seem right to just provide it for free and hope some kind soul will realize, "Gadzooks, this cost someone time and money to create. It`s worth compensating them for that," a la Radiohead? What about merchandise at shows and impulse buys?
Tony: I think people will always want music to touch their hearts. I�ve never been a marketing guy, so I�ll leave answers to those types. I just make it. If people want it they�ll figure out a way to get it one way or another.
John: I know there`s a new Totimoshi 7" out � tell me about that.
Tony: It�s called Viva Zapata and has one new song called � With Violent Hands.� �Viva� is on Ladron and the one new song we recorded with Kurt from Lucky Cat studios.
John: And are there any plans on releasing your full lengths on vinyl?
Tony: None spoken of, but I�d really like to do that someday.
John: Okay, back to the albums. Ladron seems to have had quite the history � produced by Page Hamilton, released by Crucial Blast, re-released by VolCom Entertainment. Let`s start at the beginning � what does Ladron mean and is there a central theme to the album?
Tony: �Ladron� is a Spanish word meaning thief and also the act of howling. Like a wolf howls. However, if you get called �Ladron� by someone, they�re calling you a thief. The basic theme of the album was the thief within you and the external. The ones that steal from your life experiences and the you who does the very same thing.
John: I know Page Hamilton has been a fan of the band for quite awhile � what did he bring to the table as a producer? Do you think you`ll work with him again?
Tony: We are working with him again. He�s doing the next record which will be called Milagrosa. He brings lots and lots to the table. The guy is a gifted musician and a gifted producer. He knows what he wants, and what I like the most about him is he never bullshits me.
John: What led to jumping from Crucial Blast to VolCom?
Tony: Money.
John: And how has VolCom been treating you guys?
Tony: Awesome! Good dudes.
John: Who else on that label are you digging?
Tony: I like Valient Thorr, I like the Birds of Avalon, I like ASG! I like Kandi Coded. My favorite band is probably Year Long Disaster. But it changes all the time.
John: In our 2004 interview, Meg had this to say about the upcoming elections:
"George Bush scares the beejesus out of us. His administration is exclusive, secretive, and downright fascist. I can`t begin to fathom another four years of that idiot running this country."
Here we are almost four years later. How have you seen the country change during the second term of Bush?
Tony: Only for the worst. The guy is a maniac.
John: What�s needed to get right these wrongs?
Tony: Real democracy.
John: Personally speaking, I think the current candidates are all shades of the same-old. Have any of them struck a chord with you?
Tony: No, I agree.
John: To wrap this up, what`s next for the band?
Tony: We�re hitting the road with Helmet in a few days, then recording the next record this Jan/Feb with Page in LA. Hopefully hit Europe next year and do the States a whole lot too.
