10 Quick Ones with LATE NIGHT FIGHTS – May 2017

According to a recent press release: “Out of the bi-polar, seasonally depressed, alcohol-induced acid-reflux heart of the north emerges Minneapolis rockers Late Night Fights. Drawing influences from Grunge, Alternative, and Post-Hardcore, the debut album “Jousthouse”, co-produced by James Harley (Quietdrive, Prince) and vocalist/guitarist Ryan Guanzon (formerly of New Medicine), and mixed by Dan Korneff (Breaking Benjamin, Pierce the Veil), delivers angst and melody reminiscent of the Seattle Grunge era, but with a modern edge. The trio features Ryan Guanzon, Shane Peckham (In The Line of Duty/King Fish Crow) on bass, and Daniel Johnson (Devilinside/Blue Ox) on drums. Late Night Fights is the rock response to all the physical, psychological, and emotional battles that keep you up at night.” We get Guanz (along with some miscellaneous answers from Daniel and Shane) to answer our 10 Quick Ones about the upcoming release and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Our new album just dropped last week and we are rambunctiously stoked for it to be out there. There’s a lot of metaphoric content that was written from multiple perspectives. Also all of the interludes were real experiences and I’ll let you guess where they came from…

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

For me (Guanz) my dad was a touring musician from the Philippines and I grew up around his highly skilled voice and guitar playing. I got to travel with him and really got into the release in the form of music.  Daniel says watching Paul Simon’s Graceland and live in Zimbabwe specials, and Peter Gabriel’s album So did it for him.  Shane got his first bass when he was 14 for getting good grades and hasn’t quit since then.

3. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Queens of the Stone Age, Neurosis, Black Sabbath, Thrice, Ke$ha. Ok maybe not the first four.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be?

Wu Tang, Layne Staley, Marvin Gaye

5. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before?

Hard, dynamic, emotional, loud, hearty, familiar yet fresh, neat.

6. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

Traveling the world and delivering feeling to people by performing is the best job on the planet. Meeting new fans and becoming inspired by their stories, and being told that they can relate to our songs is jet fuel to the rock train. And drink tickets.

7. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

It seems like one of us always knows a good burrito joint or dive bar depending on where we are. Dan’s pun game is strong, which passes the time better than any singalong or drinking binge could ever do. It’s all about exploring- jumping off bridges, fucking with hillbilly homophobes.

8. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

I (Guanz) would pursue my lifelong alter-dream to be a comedian. Stand up and sketch comedy for sure.  Shane would be an astronaut, or QB for the Packers.

9. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”?

It’s always a learning process. Sometimes you hit a wrong note or say the wrong thing on stage but it is necessary to fuck up to get better.

10. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

2112 by Rush, Disco Volante by Mr. Bungle, The Shape of Punk to Come by Refused, Bitches Brew by Miles Davis. They covered so much ground and expanded music in new directions!

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Category: Interviews