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Interview with Brian Cook of Roy
By: Patrick Steven Patterson
 Hey, whom am I typing to? Are you even in the band or are these questions gonna be answered by some shady PR company?
You're talking to Brian, one of the singer/guitar player dudes. I don't let any of the other guys in the band because they might say something bad about me.
As you guys are expecting Rolling Stone or Spin or maybe even Blender, so you're probably wondering what the hell a "NowOnTour" is, huh?
Yeah. I'm a bit out of the loop on everything. I tend to blame my ignorance on living in the geographically isolated Pacific Northwest. I'm still living in the Grunge era…
Could I get a bit of history…you guys are in a bunch of different bands, right? Which are the 'day jobs' and which are the 'side-projects'?
The band theoretically started back in 2000 as Dave and Ben doing this weird two piece. Dave was playing drums and Ben was playing guitar, singing, and playing a Moog Taurus with his feet to fill in the bass. Me and Dave were still playing in Botch. Early in 2002 I kinda bullied my way into the band because I wanted to try and play some four-track recordings I had done with a live band. Eventually Ben got tired of doing three things at once and we asked our friend Mike to play bass. Botch broke up, I started playing in These Arms Are Snakes, Ben continues to play in Harkonen, Mike does some solo stuff, and Dave is a fireman. That just about covers things.
I don't think any of us has a project they consider "a side project." These Arms Are Snakes and Roy are both pretty busy but we tend to juggle them pretty well.
You're from the Seattle area, right? It seems like a lot of musicians play in multiple groups up there (I know of Waxwing/Blood Brothers connections, for one). Do folks up there have commitment issues or is it just diverse interests?
We're just bored. The whole scene is so incestuous that everyone tends to have a couple of things going on at once. It rains half of the year, so what the hell else are you gonna do? For me, there's a huge gap between the kind of music that I like in the live setting and the kind of music that I like to listen to at home. I think Ben is sort of the same way. So we have our loud obnoxious Hardcore bands that tend to thrive in the live setting, and our sad Pop band that we can get drunk and cry to when we hang out alone on Friday nights. I kinda like the two being separate; otherwise you fall into that sucky Screamo formula where you have the moshy Metal verses and the melodic chorus. That shit sucks. I either want straight up sappy Pop or full-blown Rock. Don't mix the two. It's just like Rap Rock. Keep your two genres separate or you wind up with a big stinky pile of garbage.
So what's up with the band name? Possibly in tribute to Jaws actor Roy Schieder or the great Western crooner Roy Rogers? Or is it the city I think just about every state has a Roy? Now that I think about it, the best hockey goalie of all time is Patrick Roy. Is your name supposed to be pronounced in French, like "waaa"?
If we wanted to get all French we would name the band Le Roy. Now that would be somethin' else. The name is a tribute to Roy, Washington. It's a tiny town just outside of Tacoma with a big methamphetamine problem. It's a pretty sad little place. We just found it amusing to name ourselves after such a tragic place. Of course, had we known that we'd ever actually record something we might have thought of something a little catchier. It's funny how some things just kinda stick…
You had a White EP and a Red EP, then put out the Tacomatose EP. What happened to the Chartreuse EP?
Did you notice that the white EP has a cowboy on it and the red EP has a Native American? Oops. Thank goodness I have both Caucasian and Native American blood in me. They were originally supposed to be color coordinated but we kinda got into the Cowboys and Indians theme considering the occasional country influence on the records. We figured we should probably change the themes for upcoming releases before we piss someone off and get a boycott against us.
You're working with a few different labels (Initial, Crash, Lonesome Corner). What gives?
We can't say no to anyone. Lonesome Corner is actually our label. We figured we'd put out a record because no one else would. Then Crash showed interest, so we split the songs in half and put out two EPs instead of an LP. We've been friends with the Initial guys for awhile so we were stoked when they wanted to work with us.
Were you just in the studio? What are future releases/projects that Roy fans have to look forward to?
Yeah, we just finished an LP for Fueled By Ramen. Yet another label. People are gonna think we're hard to work with. But yeah, it's a great record. It's gonna make everyone want to get drunk and cry.
What is your favorite root vegetable?
The potato.
A lot of our readers are in touring bands. As Roy seem to be quite the road warriors, are there any restaurants that are 'not to be missed' or to be 'avoided at all costs'...just of the top of your head?
In London, hit up Wagamama's in Camden Town. When in California, eat grilled cheese animal-style from In-N-Out Burger for every meal. In the South, eat at Waffle House and play Darryl Worley's "Have You Forgotten" on the jukebox on repeat. They all have it. Savor the irony.
I present for you pictures by two artists, Valerie Roy and Roya. Any comments?
I was an art major in college, so I feel I can go on record as saying they are both terrible paintings.
Roya, Valerie Roy
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