Lambgoat.com's West Coast correspondent, Mark Keraly (email), spent a few minutes with the band before a show on September 22nd in California.
[Oddly enough, bassist Geoff announced his departure from the group a week after this interview took place.]


Could you all say your name and what you do for CUAD?

Geoff: I'm Geoff and I play bass.
Matt: I play guitar.
Mike: Mike, vocals.
Jesse: Jesse, I play drums.
Ryan: Guitar.

I heard there was a pretty funny story about how you guys came up with your band's name. What was that about?

Matt: At first we were trying to start just like this fake, funny band. Stupid spooky grind-core stuff, we saw a hair place called Curl Up and Dye, like D Y E. We thought that was a pretty funny name and we changed it to D I E, and left it the way it was. (laughing)

(laughing) That's great! Ok, could you briefly describe CUAD?

Matt: Briefly describe CUAD... ok, Mike you do it.
Mike: Ok, stop me if I'm going in the wrong direction. Just a hardcore metal band, I guess. I don't really know how to describe it. Music that's fun. Something to keep us busy, to occupy us since it's boring as hell in Vegas. (laughing) Just living in a desert.

Well, do you have any distinctive characteristics, things that would set you apart?

Mike: I don't know, I think the cool thing about our band... I don't know if this answers that question, but to describe us, seeing most bands are more like in a band together. We all grew up together, call each other, hang out with each other. Not as much as we used to, but more than most other bands.

How would you describe "hardcore" in Las Vegas?

Ryan: It's changing I think.
Geoff: It's getting big.
Matt: Every kid I know that ever went to the record store and got their orders in, and every kid is getting, like, metal. Death metal bands and stuff.

Are there a lot of bands out there right now?

Mike: Nah.
Matt: Kind of, a few were just like born after our tour. We came back and there were bands just popping up.
Geoff: After high school, school's out and bands are coming out.
Matt: School's out, bands are breaking loose!

Could you give us an update on your upcoming full-length?

Ryan: All the music's pretty much done, we just have to record it.
Geoff: Do the layout and stuff.

photo by Mark Keraly

When will it be out?

Geoff: If we meet our deadline, it will be out in March.

Any ideas on what it will be called?

Geoff: Yeah, it will be called Unfortunately We Aren't Robots.

How will it be different than your previous album?

Matt: Our last one, some of the parts are really long and boring. So this one's got like, most of the songs are two minutes long and like a lot of the parts belong maybe one or two times.
Geoff: A little more complex.
Matt: More tech. (laughing)

You're now on Revelation Records, what are some of the benefits of being on the Rev roster?

Mike: We don't know yet. (laughing)
Geoff: They do a lot of advertising, push the record really good, which is something a lot of labels do not do. They just have the means to let everyone know that your record's out.

How are they different then someone like Status?

Geoff: Just, more people working for them. More resources.
Mike: More than one guy.
Geoff: Seth's a great guy, good to work with and everything. He just doesn't have fifteen people working for him.

Lambgoat recently had a contest for a CUAD 7" where people were asked to replace C U A D with something of their own. What do you think of these?

Castrated Unicorns Avenge De-Balling
All: (much laughter)
Carnivorous Underlord At Denny's
All: (laughing)
Cows Unite After Downpour
All: (laughing)
Cowboy Undergarments Assault Denver
All: (laughing)
Mike: I like the Castrated Unicorn one.
Matt: Yeah, that's the best one!
Mike: Maybe we should associate that more in the band, more animal influences.
All: (laughing)

Ok, so we have a winner?

All: Yeah.

So what's the most frightening thing you have seen as a band?

Mike: Naked people moshing.

Oh man, where was that?

Mike: Florida.
Matt: At Hellfest there was some, and then one of them came up to us at CBGB's in New York once and said, 'My friends got naked at your show once, so I'm going to do it too!' We never did see him.
Matt: When Jesse's stick broke. This was like a LONG time ago; we were playing at this comic store in Vegas, and everyone hated us after this in Vegas. His stick broke, and he threw it and his stick bounced off the ground and hit her in the face. It hit her right above the eyeball. Everyone said her eyeball was hanging out.
Geoff: They all thought he did that on purpose or were just looking for a reason to hate us.
Matt: Everyone was all like, 'You guys are jerks! I cant believe you!'
Mike: Everyone said her eye popped out and she went to the hospital. She just went home cleaned it up and she was fine.
Geoff: You know how head wounds are, they bleed forever.

photo courtesy of Curl Up And Die

Right... I'll just watch from the back.

All: (laughing)

What are we to expect from CUAD in the near future?

Mike: A record, some covers.

What songs are you covering?

Mike: We were going to do a cover song CD. So far we were going to do Propaghandi song. A Josie and the Pussycats song. (laughing) A Minor Threat song.

How cool. Any other songs?

Matt: I want to do a Lifetime song.
Geoff: I want to do a Slayer song.

Great! Any final thoughts?

Matt: Anything else going on that we should say real quick?
Geoff: I go to Lambgoat way too much.

Nice!

Mike: We always go Lambgoat, we love the polls. The CUAD poll. What was it, best upcoming band or something? We were up against these huge bands and somehow we were winning. Then I would go on line and these people would IM me and say, 'Dude, I've been voting for you all day!' (laughing)
All: (laughing)
Geoff: We didn't really win that, it was a sham. (laughing) So thanks to those kids, and thanks to you guys for doing the giveaway, and wanting to do an interview.
All: Yeah, thanks.

Ok, thank you all very much.