John: You guys have had a considerably productive year. You�ve released a split with Solace, you�ve played SHoD, and you managed to get signed to one of the premier labels out there, Small Stone. With that in mind, how did the Solace deal come about?
Mike: Basically we just lucked out. A few weeks after releasing God Loves a Sinner, we headed down to Manhattan and did a show with Solace at the Pyramid Club. Greatdayforup had already wanted to get back into the studio because we had written God Loves a Sinner before adding our second guitarist, Jay Sunkes (formerly of Stigmata). As soon as we began working with Jay and writing new material, we wanted to get back in and start recording. So when we did that show with Solace, we thought that they were really great guys, in addition to being a fucking mammoth band, so I began talking to Tommy, and everyone just decided to go for it. From there, we just started working out the details, spoke with a few people, and Grant and Carlton of Underdogma Records dug the idea and helped the bands get the split out. We are really appreciative to everyone that put their time, effort, and talent into get the split out.
John: What was SHoD like for you guys?
Mike: SHoD was a great time. A few of us had just been to Nyabinghi for Emissions for the first time and really just had a blast. So we were really juiced up taking the trip to Youngstown. All the bands, Nyabinghi staff, and folks that went to SHoD are so fucking cool. There is really not much to say other then we had a great time.
John: How did the Small Stone deal come about?
Mike: We have all followed the label for a while and everything we had heard about Scott Hamilton and the bands on the label was positive so we just figured we would send something out. Small Stone was the band�s first choice for the goals that we have, so we decided to start there. I put together a package and got it over to Small Stone, and Scott got right back to me saying that he really dug the band and was interested in working with us. Our search for our next label was over just as we started it, just like that.
John: Let�s talk about the band � who�s in it, how did you get started, and how would you characterize your sound?
Mike: Michael Diaz � vox, Mike Vitali � guitars, Jay Sunkes � guitars, David Lahaie � bass, and Jared Krak � drums.
Mike and I started Greatdayforup back in �99. Even before that, I did some playing with Dave and various people around town, but nothing was really coming together, so Dave kind of did his own thing for a while, and Mike and I started putting together what became GDFU. All the guys in the current lineup (with the exception of Dave and Jay, fucking Albanian natives) had moved to Albany for different reasons and met through mutual friends. For the first few years we just had a goal to dick around and waste time, and that probably was because we had a bunch of lineup changes. Really the band did not really come together or start until the end of 2002, when we started playing with Jared. I think that Jay joined around April of 2003 just after we had recorded half of God Loves a Sinner, and it really was at that point that our sound started coming together. I think the best way that our sound has been characterized was in a Sleazegrinder review of the GDFU/ Solace split that used descriptive terms such as doom-groove acid eaters, who pour it on like syrup tapped from Satanic trees on three evil riff rockers. �August, 1979� is a psychedelic nail gun of �70�s burnout-metal, �More than Enough� has all the bloozy motorchug of latter day Roadsaw, and �Soul of a Motherfucker� is just a bludgeoning orgy of drug riffs and tortured moaning. Words like nail gun, burnout-metal, drug riffs, and comparisons to Helmet, Milligram, Roadsaw all kind of at least point people in the right direction if they are trying to grasp our sound without actually hearing it for themselves.
John: What would you say are your primary influences, both individually and as a whole?
Mike: Oh man� This is the kind of question that tears a band to pieces - �why did you say I liked so and so, I don�t like so and so,� etc. Dave is a big fan of Men at Work. When he auditioned for Greatdayforup, I think he played us a version of �Who Can It Be Now.� Everyone in the band has a wide variety of influences that are all over the map. I know for me, I have been influenced heavily by musicians like Bela Bartok, Eric Dolphy, Trilok Gurtu, and Coltrane, and as far as the band goes, everything from Zeppelin to Milligram.
John: Now, more specifically, the name. Who came up with it and why? And don�t you care that �Greatdayforup� plays hell with spell checkers?
Mike: The name is a pain in the ass. We had no name and on New Year�s Eve of �99, I was hanging with friends that were reading some Dr. Seuss books, and I just found Greatdayforup to be pretty fascinating. I also thought that having an unusually positive name would work well against the content of our lyrics, which by the way seem almost entirely about losing yourself and having your life fall to pieces. It all seemed to add up for some reason, and we named the band Greatdayforup or GDFU - whatever works. It is also the kind of name that really can be interpreted a few ways but I will save that for people to do on their own; the only thing that is important to remember is that the name and the band is all about striving for more, whatever that means for you personally.
John: The majority of the songs you write strike me as radio friendly rock (in a good way) - have you had any success with that, or do you need a team of marketing executives to crack that market nowadays?
Mike: Early on we pursued more radio with some pretty good success, nothing major - just a lot of college airplay. At this point, we just want to get our music directly to people, and we just figured that we would give the radio a break, because yes, do you need a team or someone with some pull to market a band. We probably would prefer to just stick with what we love, writing and playing music.
John: Albany doesn�t strike me as a hotbed of activity for a struggling rock band. Am I far off base here, and if not, what would you like to see changed? Overall, how�s the area�s scene?
Mike: Albany is like most cities, lots of folks go out drinking, but they are not at the bars that have real bands. You know, cover bands and dance clubs are where most of the kids are spending their time, but with that being said, there actually are a some really good clubs, bands, and fans in our area. It would be great if the area could gain some momentum, we have brought 150 - 200 people out to see GDFU on occasion, and if we could really bring more bands out our way we could possible have a thriving scene. That is what I would like to see happen, more bands supporting Albany and Albany developing a reputation as a hotbed of fans that support live music.
John: What have been some of your more memorable show experiences (as both a performer and as an audience member)?
Mike: I do remember that some girl jumped on stage to sing �Siempre� with Mike, and she kind of rocked out and did a stripper act all at the same, the only reason I remember this is cause it just happened a few months ago. Other than that it is all a blur, other than feeling pretty good about the Kennefit that just happened a few weeks back. Man, seriously everyone really pulled together, and I appreciated the opportunity to be a part of that. Kenny and those Solace guys are all the best.
John: You�re recording a Zeppelin cover for the upcoming Sucking the �70�s compilation. How true to the original will you stay, or are you going to do a new interpretation of it?
Mike: Well, we recorded �Kashmir� a few weeks ago and I think it was a pretty even split between original and our own interpretation. I know that the band is excited about our choice for the �70�s comp, and I really think people are going to dig it.
John: Let�s say you�ve got the opportunity to do a world tour. You�ve got your choice of two other bands to take with you. As realistically as you can be, who are they and why?
Mike: Clutch and Dozer, because they both rock, and I know that everyone in GDFU really enjoys both those bands; it is all about compromising and having a good time.
John: Tell me about the various side projects of GDFU.
Mike: As far as I know there are three. Dave has El Rojo Diablo, which I believe is on hold for the time being but I know that he has a lot of the material written and ready to go I think that time has been tight for him lately. So keep a look out for his side project. Jay has Dead Rabbits and they just finished their first record, and it is smoking. I am pretty certain that you guys will see the record in the next few months. And I am also playing in a band called Idols Never Die. This is a band made up of former members of The Clay People, and IND just finished their first record and is in the process of shopping it around. I am also guessing that this record will surface around the same time as the Dead Rabbits record. Thanks.
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