KEVIN APER

KEVIN APER

When did you begin writing your own songs? What style were you going for at that time? Were your earliest songs for the The Apers, or were their projects/bands before that?

In the early 90s i discovered rock music through bands like Guns N Roses and Nirvana. In the summer of '93 I started my first band with some friends and I wrote my first songs. We didn't really have a style in mind, we just wanted to see the other weirdo kids from our shittown do the pogo. At that time I was a sponge for music, everything with a guitar was pretty cool to me. But around 94/95 it became clear to me that Ramones, Queers and Weasel were really my thing and together with Marien Nicotine and Ivo Backbreaker we started The Apers.

Were you writing songs on the bass or guitar back then? What was your method for songwriting? Did you record home demos? Who were you showing songs to for feedback?

Well, in the beginning I thought Axl Rose was pretty cool, so I asked for a Casio for my birthday. But that didn't last very long. My first band was a 3-piece, and both guitar and drums were already taken, so I picked up the bass. I basically wrote all the songs for the early Apers records on bass. Nowadays I record ideas I have with my phone, but back then I would record them on tapes. Nothing fancy, just so I don't forget it. The Apers would practise 2 to 3 times a week back then, so I would just play them for the other guys. Today my girlfriend has to listen to a 40 y/o dude singing angry songs about pineapples and tofu teriyaki.

When did you begin to feel some recognition as a songwriter? Who are some of the songwriters who influenced your work for The Apers the most?

In '99 we played our first show in Germany, which is actually just 2 hours away from our hometown. But when I noticed people in the audience singing along to some of our songs, i realised it was probably not that horrible. This was before the whole Facespace / Bandcamp thing was puking out 20 new bands a day for you to enjoy. As for the early Apers days, I mainly took my inspiration from Screeching Weasel and The Queers and all that followed. Bands like Chixdiggit, NOFX, Nerf Herder and the Dwarves have influenced my lyrics writing too.

What was the scene like in Rotterdam when you started? Why did you decide to start Monster Zero records? How do you see your role in the European pop punk community?

When we started it pretty much sucked, but when The Apers and Stardumb got involved, it became the best scene ever. Rotterdam in the late 90s / early 2000s was a killer place for poppunk / ramonescore / whatever you wanna call it. Great bands, amazing parties, just a great atmosphere. At first I was involved with Stardumb Records, but I kinda sucked at everything at the time, so Stefan went on by himself. But a few years later I was more ready to do something active again, and I started Monster Zero to release the first Mugwumps album 'Banana Brain' on CD. That was 2008. And now we're 10 years further, and I have just released Monster Zero number 70, a reissue of Punk Rock Confidential by the Queers, which originally came out in '98! As for my role in the community, I don't really think about it, I just love being involved and doing my part. Right now things are great with labels like Brassneck, One Chord Wonder, Striped, Stardumb, Surfin Ki and Round Dog blasting out cool records and parties like Punk Rock Raduno, Rotterdam Riot, Puke Fest, This Is My Fest, Summer In October and The Funhouse offering all bands good audiences.

Do you think the European bands have an approach or style that differs significantly from the American bands? To me it seems that European bands go for a more pure and traditional style of pop songwriting compared to many US bands.

Hard to say, maybe it's a bit true, but if you look at bands like 7 Years Bad Luck or Maladroit, Midrake or Dorkatron that theory sorta doesn't make sense. The other side of poppunk has also reached Europe. On Monster Zero there is place for all good punkrock bands that dig the pop.

Who are your favorite European bands at the moment? What about favorites of all time? Who are the inspirational European songwriters who you've worked with or looked up to over the years?

I absolutely love The Priceduifkes. Without them I would have given up on the whole scene in Europe a long time ago. Their latest record 'Goathorse' is also really good. So they qualify as at the moment and of all time. Manges, Zatopeks and Sonic Dolls are legendary and have really influenced me alot. And as for 'newer' stuff, basically all the bands on Monster Zero, but Neon Bone deserves a special mentioning for being fantastic!

What were the circumstances of you joining Insanity Alert? Have you always been a fan of thrash and metal in general? Do you also contribute songwriting for that band? How does it differ from your role in The Apers?

Insanity Alert started as a joke. Three metal dudes and a punkrocker just hanging out and drinking beer. When I started listening to music, I also liked Pantera, Slayer, Bodycount and Sepultura alot, but until 2010 I didn't really get into the whole genre. That changed when I heard 'The Art Of Partying' by Municipal Waste. So much fun, so much energy. I write 90% of the lyrics for Insanity Alert and come up with an idea for a song or a riff here and there. Apers evolved from a teenage band from a shittown to a 22 y/o machine with over a 1000 shows played. Insanity Alert has been different from the start. Our approach, our scene, our expectations.

In the metal community, how were you received? Are your bandmates and fans aware of your previous band and involvement with the pop punk scene? Do find that metalheads generally appreciate pop punk? I have found that within the pop punk scene there are many who also love metal!

All good so far. Some people come to see us because of the Apers, but most have never heard of them. Simone from Riccobellis booked our first show, supporting Suicidal Tendencies. Ofcourse there's Google, so people that are interested find out about my other musical stuff ofcourse. The metal scene is huge and pretty diverse, but Ramones are appreciated everywhere. Just like Slayer. And Abba.

What is your favorite Municipal Waste album? (For me the choice is Hazardous Mutation - my favorite songs, cover art, and a great era for the band). Have you maintained any contact with Ryan Waste, a fellow songwriter? How has it been meeting and opening for some of the greats in thrash metal?

For me it's The Art Of Partying, Hazardous Mutation being a close second. But TAOP is the perfect crossover record for, only being outranked by S.O.D.'s Speak English Or Die. The vibe, the songs, the production, the lyrics, artwork, it all fits perfectly. It's their Dookie, their Don't Back Down. With Insanity Alert we had the pleasure of playing some shows with them and Iron Reagan, all super dudes. They work hard and tour alot. We have not really discussed songwriting though hahaha.

It seems that your experience in Insanity Alert has allowed you to play on bigger stages and to bigger audiences. Was that something you felt was missing when you toured with The Apers? How does it compare?

I never missed it with the Apers, to be honest. It's a really different world. And a really different scene. Both are great. I love playing with the Apers, cause there's always friends to hang out with or cool bands on the bill. But to see people drive hours and mosh shit up with Insanity Alert is amazing too. Playing a festival like Hellfest is unbelievable. We had a taste of it and we want more.

As a frontman in Insanity Alert, your performance goals must be very different than in The Apers. Do you ever miss getting to sing while playing an instrument? How do is your experience different on stage performing with Insanity Alert versus The Apers?

Playing with the Apers is a walk in the park compared to a 30 minute Insanity Alert set. Physically mainly. Thanks to bass guitar, i sorta remain in one place with the Apers. But to say I miss it, would be exaggerating. I really love both, and I'm lucky to be able to do both.

Jim Callahan aka Barf, who did artwork for the Moshburger album used to live in the same town as me (Charlottesville, Virginia). And of course he has worked with Municipal Waste in the past - how did you connect with him?

I googled him and wrote him, not really expecting anything. But he replied right away, said he liked our sound and wanted to work with us. Before he made the Moshburger cover, he also made a Pizza The Hutt design, which is really great. Super nice guy, with punk rock roots.

Do you feel that Insanity Alert fits into a larger community of "new" thrash bands paying homage to the classic sound? Do you have a lot of contact with current thrash bands, and is there a community similar to the pop punk world? Do you feel that there could be too many bands playing the same style of thrash?

I think we're most definitely part of the new wave of thrash or crossover. And yes, we do keep in mind where the genre started and who the originators are / were. We already played with bands like Nuclear Assault, DRI, Suicidal Tendencies, Sodom, Kreator and Death Angel, and it really works. We also play with many newer bands like Toxic Holocaust, Gama Bomb, Warbringer, Dust Bolt etc. Also get along with them. I recently started a small mailorder called Mosher Zero, cause I've been collecting records from bands we play with, most of them being from Europe. And too many bands, I don't think that will happen. There loads of them now, and it seems to be working fine.

What are you future goals for Monster Zero, The Apers, and Insanity Alert? It seems that you have stayed busy this whole time. What musical goals remain for you?

My main goal is to have fun. And I have fun playing music with friends, drinking beers, travelling and many more things. If I can combine that with making some money to pay the rent and don't starve, it's even better. At this point I'm happy with how things are going but who knows what happens? Maybe I start a jazz combo and get super famous!