Exclusive: Moonshine Bandits Interview

 

 

 

 

 

"More than just music and kind of like a lifestyle..."

 

 

 

Recently you guys were added to the line up for Insane Clown Posse's "The Mighty Death Pop" tour. How has it been going out there?

 

It's been awesome man, at first when you know, Insane Clown Posse reached out to us we were kind of shocked because our music is so different than theirs but we went on a tour with Twiztid maybe about 5 years ago? I don't even know, but that tour went pretty good for us. We figured yeah, definitely  It's an honor to be asked by ICP to go on tour. So of course we said yeah and every show has been getting better and better for us. We're having a blast out here. It's been a great time. ICP aren't only good business guys but they're very very cool dudes. They are very good to us so its fortunate.

 

So how are the Juggalos responding to the Moonshine Bandits every night?

 

Wild! They're lovin it! We have a lot of fans coming out too, but of course there are a lot more juggalos. At first when we get on stage our DJ tears it up with an intro then immediately they are engaged with our set. It's just been awesome, I mean the videos out there, the feedback, and our Facebook had been going off. Sales have increased by 13%. We can't be any happier. It's just been awesome every show.

 

What I think is cool is that the two support groups, you guys and Kung Fu Vampire are from the same area. How does it feel to be out there repping for Northern California and the Bay?

 

We were just talking about that the other day. It's just a trip because ICP is not from the West Coast, and here we are two groups from the West Coast going out on the tour. I think its pretty bad ass. Kung Fu and his whole crew have been awesome to hang out with. Trading storys on the road, you cant even put a price on that. Two groups from California on the road together. Thats bad ass. They got a good set too. 

 

Not many people realize how deep your roots go in the Bay Area rap scene. I remember first meeting Moonshine Bandits at Taydatay And Black C's Prime Factorz album release party, Bay Area Rap Talk BBQ... Even your artwork is done by Photo Doctors. How did it come to be that you guys are the biggest thing on the Country Music channel right now?

 

It's really a trip how we started off. Our music content has always been the same since day one, as far as what we talk about. The first tour that we ever even went on that nobody even knows is with RBL Posse. We've done a song with E-40. We've done a lot of Bay Area events when we were first starting off. As our music evolved we started tapping into the country crowd. Then the biker scene. Then now we are tapping into the Juggalo scene. It's been kind of a wild ride for us. 

 

Where in the Bay are you actually from? I noticed you have a huge fanbase in Modesto so a lot of people think your from out there...

 

Me and my partner are from Los Banos. Our DJ is from Modesto. A lot of people think we're from Modesto because thats kind of the city that really broke us. It's a lot bigger city than Los Banos so it was when we started getting a fan base, and Modesto really helped start spreading the word like a wild fire. I think thats why most people think we're from Modesto. We got nothing but love for Modesto. We play X Fest every year for like 15,000 to 20,000 people. 

 

Speaking of Modesto, I was recently with my girlfriend at a XXX Adult store so she could get lingerie and behind the counter the owner had a Moonshine Bandits autographed 8 x 10. No more than a few minutes after I noticed, she opened her laptop and started playing one of your songs. She was an older white like like 40 years old. It was crazy.

 

Thats crazy! Ha! I might have to go check it out and buy some toys. Well at least the picture wasn't next to a video booth and a tissue box....

Actually...

 

Oh shit! Well, I guess we'll take the publicity where ever we can get it. 

 

You know the stigma of the country music scene and rap music. Do you feel like you guys are breaking barriers with such success in crossing over in the two genres of music?

 

I think so. I think that our style of music, how we're blended with elements of hip-hop, country elements with rock. It's starting to get more accepted. Theres guys like Colt Ford, he mixed hip-hop with country and he's from Georgia. He was the number one country artist and was also at the same time in the Billboard top 10 for rap. So its definitely getting more accepted. So breaking barriers? I guess you can ay that yeah.

 

Because of the cross over you guys were able to market an entire line of new products. What all do you guys have out?

 

When our fans started forming kind of like an alliance like a family called the Shiner Nation, we saw strength in it and thought it could be more than just music and kind of like a lifestyle. So what we were thinking is, lets bring our fans, the Shiners, all the stuff that we think they are going to like. The beef jerky, the BBQ seasoning, a bar, moonshine, an energy drink... Anything thats relatable to that. We thought that it would be bad ass to brand it out where its not just about our music. Its about other shit that we think is cool. Stuff we thought that you guys would like. MOre lifestyle stuff. Thats kind of what we did. Obviously theres guys like ICP that do it obviously 10 times bigger than what we can. Those guys are inspiring what we're trying to do.

 

So your publicist has been inviting me to come hang out with you guys and check out to The Shiner Bar & Grill and I haven't just found the time lately with you guys on tour and all, but I recently came across a photo of somebody sitting in front of a giant hamburger. I instantly made it a priority to come by when you guys get back. Whats the deal with that thing?

 

What that is is we have a food challenge. It's the Moonshine Bandits Burger Challenge. 3 pounds of beef. 8 pieces of cheese, onion rings, and chili on there. You got to finish it all in 30 minutes and you get your meal for free. You get a shot of moonshine if your still standing. You get a free CD and a free shirt and bragging rights. It's pretty cool. It's a real challenge. Theres been maybe like 11 or 12 people that have tried it. One guy has done it, and I don't know how he did it. It doesn't even look humanly possible. He was a little guy too. 

 

One of the tings we wanted to ask is about the current beef happening within the groups and executives on your label Suburban Noize Records. Some artists are leaving, some are staying, some are staying out of it, some are going at each other. Moonshine Bandits chose to stay at Sub Noize. So you guys must be happy with your situation there right?

 

You know, I'm just going to be honest. The label has paid us, and has been very good to us. Suburban Noize signed us as a country act. Theres nobody on their label like us. So for them to push us, and for us to become one of their top sellers we have nothing but good things to say about everything they have done for us. They paid us and everything has been great. On the other side of things we also have buddys that have taken us out on tour. Kottonmouth Kings have been awesome to us. That was one of our first tours. SRH the clothing company is somebody who sponsors us and recently has given us boxes and boxes of product to sell on tour and keep the money on the road. Theres all these entities and it would be stupid of us to choose a side. We're staying out of anything going on and we have too much going on ourselves to worry about anything else. We're about to wrap up this new album. It's just business man. We mind our own business and thats just how we've always been.