WEST SEATTLE, Washington, January 12, 2010 (WSFB) –  When The West Seattle Funblog recently had the opportunity to interview Brad Baker, bass player for the California based trio Toward Distant Suns, as well as drummer for his other band Gort, I jumped at the opportunity.  Baker, a former West Seattleite, was gracious enough to remotely catch up with me from his residence in Long Beach, CA using the latest and greatest in technology (something you may not have heard of, it’s called email). Having known Baker for a while it was a chance to catch up with an old friend and find out about his new band, Toward Distant Suns – ezb.

WSFB:  How did you form Toward Distant Suns and who makes up the band?

Brad Baker:  Toward Distant Suns was a project that basically consisted of myself on drums and some bass, with tracks that I wrote that I was going to loop through a Sony cassette deck and play along with, not to be completely self absorbed.  My inspiration for this was from Mr. Wrong (Rob Wright) from Nomeansno who played bass and sang these dark, intense, radical songs and did them solo, and it was very inspiring.  Then it never came to be, and I forgot about the whole T.D.S idea.  So one day my band mate from ”Gort”, Frank ,was at my place sipping some Newcastle and I was noodling around on the bass and played a couple of cuts and he said “Man, we should play some of these songs you have,” and then it happened.  We got a drummer named Edgar from “The Most Powerful Hand” and hit the ground running.  Our first practice was like we had been a band for years, it was just flat out great chemistry, which there is something to be said for.  So to answer the question, Brad (bass/vocals), Frank (guitar) and Edgar (drums).

WSFB:  On your band page you list steam bending, planetary science, celestial mechanics and T.A. Heppenheimer, who wrote about space colonization, as influences, but the sound reminds me of early 80’s punk with each of your songs clocking in at just around 2 minutes each.  It’s like Henry Rollins on board the Starship Enterprise. Talk about what drives your music.

Baker: Steam bending just for the sake that I am a woodworker and it is an art form, the other stuff I simply stole off of T.A. Heppenheimer’s Wikapedia to sound intelligent.  ”Rollins on board the Starship Enterprise”, that is a major compliment because you know I am a huge Black Flag fan and find that they were at the top of their game with the introduction of Rollins.  Black Flag transformed their sound completely when he entered the band, and that has always been an inspiration to me, also the whole SST catalog; Hüsker Dü, Sonic Youth, Descendents, Dinosaur Jr, Bad Brains and of course The Minutemen.  Also the Alternative Tentacles lineup was equal if not more inspiring to me with acts such as Dead Kennedys, Victims Family, D.O.A., Lard and the whole reason why i play music: Nomeansno. The Wright brothers have tapped into elements I never new existed with their music, and I am sure any true Nomenasno fan will konkerr…with two Wrights, you can’t go WRONG! Inspiration is the bottom line for me, whether it be music, art or the way the sun sets on a certain day…that’s what drives me to keep playing.

WSFB: You used to live in West Seattle but where is everyone in the band from and are you planning on touring?  What about coming back to the Northwest?

Baker: Frank is from East El Monte, and lives in Temple City.  Edgar lives in Los Feliz and used to live in Pasadena and Long Beach.  I have lived in too many places to mention and currently reside in beautiful Long Beach.   Touring is to be expected, little stints here and there.  We haven’t talked much about it only being together for a few months but the Northwest is definitely expected and is always a treat.

WSFB: Come to the Northwest, we’ll show you guys how the WSFB gets down.  You listed out quite a few bands as influences, but anyone who knows you knows your musical tastes are varied.  Who are some of your other favorite musicians, and if you could see any of them in their prime who would it be?

Baker: The toughest question of all…and there are too many to be mentioned, so I bow by saying to all who are my favorite I would have nothing more than to see them in their prime.

WSFB: The West Seattle Funblog appreciates high levels of drinkmanship and funmanship, do you guys appreciate alcohol and if so in what form do you prefer?  What do you guys do for fun outside of the band?

Baker: How many times have we been intoxicated together???? Yes alcohol is also a major inspiration, Newcastle and Stella Artois.  Riding BMX’s, tennis, friends, beer (as mentioned), vintage hi-fi, playing tune in tokyo.  Frank and Edgar i would imagine much of the same.

WSFB: Ha! You’re right, dumb question considering you usually can, and always did, seem to drink us under the table.  And on a side note I can’t believe you just threw tune in Tokyo out there.  Let’s get back to it, which part of California are you using as your base of operations and what are the ins and outs of being a band in LA?  Have you met Dre or Snoop yet?

Baker: We practice in Garden Grove, but live in separate places all over Los Angeles.  Basically we are out and not an in band in Los Angeles.  Living in Long Beach I know Snoop travels here to attend Crip meetings still, but i haven’t met either and besides, you know you would be the first to know.

WSFB: Thug life!  Living in the LA area must be intriguing because there are so many historic locations and areas.  Have you guys ever tried to find the places they filmed the Karate Kid at, like the apartments Daniel Larusso moved to in Reseda or that kick ass back yard that Mr. Miyagi had?  Or perhaps ride your bmx to his high school with some dark aviators on while listening to “Cruel Summer” by Bananarama?

Baker: Los Angeles is a great time capsule.  I enjoy the architecture, beaches and even enjoy a quick jaunt to the Palm Springs to get my desert fix and spread the wings.  Haven’t been to Reseda, or even looked for Daniel Larusso because the Karate Kid is my band mate.  Tell me Frank isn’t a spitting image of Ralph Macchio, just a Mexican version.  I would love to have Mr. Miyagi’s backyard without a doubt.  I loved that mongoose “Kos Kruiser” that Daniel had, that bike was the cuts man, that bike was way to cool for him, and I can still kick the Karate Kid’s ass FYI.  Were those aviators?

WSFB: You know those were aviators, but I still don’t think you could kick the Karate Kid’s ass.  In Gort you play drums and sing on a few tracks, but you switched over to bass and a heavier vocal load for TDS.  Was that a challenge?  How is it to take the front man role while someone else keeps the beat?

Baker: The vocal load isn’t too demanding, in fact I feel that there should be more vocals and I am striving to do so.  When listening to music the vocals are the last thing that would draw me to a particular artist, although I think it is a major asset I would never not listen to a band based strictly on their vocal talent.  Now having said that when there is a certain vocal line or chorus that gets stuck in your head from an artist that is just a bonus, and a great one at that.  So in a nutshell over the last year or so I have been focusing on vocal arrangements because I almost have a new found respect for those who have stellar vocals.  As far as playing bass and singing, or a front man if you will, that has been a challenge for sure, but if it isn’t a challenge than why do it at all…that’s always been my theory.  Being a drummer myself I do have the advantage of prediction.  I almost know what Edgar is going to do prior to him doing it, which gives me a leg up to those who strictly play string instruments.  Also Edgar is a rippin’ drummer and I don’t necessarily have to worry too much, he has a different style than i do as a drummer, but nonetheless he has a great style and i never have to tell him what to play, in fact I let him fly his freak flag as a man behind the skins, and that’s how it should be.

WSFB:  Are you guys going to put out an album anytime soon?  Can we get a shout out?  That’s West Seattle Funblog, capital F no space between fun and blog.

Baker: Yes, would love to put out a full length, or perhaps a split with Gort or combine the two into a double record.  I would like to many things with this project, most important thing to me is I love playing the bass.  It is most liberating to get out from behind the drums and write tunes and lyrics to match and make it come to life, it’s a beautiful thing.  Finally a huge, huge shout out to West Seattle and the West Seattle Funblog capitol F and no space between FUNANDBLOG…and especially ezb.  Cheers amigo!

Check out Toward Distant Suns:  http://www.myspace.com/bradbakerstowarddistantsuns

Check out Gort:  http://www.myspace.com/gortmusic