Cake 92

Interviewed by transatlantic call (L.A. to London) on September 19, 1992 at 3:00 a.m. Interview by Cake.

CAKE: Hi, Nick how are you doing?

NICK: Ok...

CAKE: I wart to thank you for agreeing to do this interview and, as I understand, you've never done an interview before. Is that correct?

NICK: That's right, yeah.

CAKE: What's been happening with Rudimentary PENI since "Cacophony" was released (in early 1989)?

NICK: Well, I've been a bit ill since then and we haven't managed to get it together.

CAKE: I see... I also heard that Grant and Jon sent Steve Albini some tapes of them playing bass and drums for project. Do you [know] the status of that project?

NICK: Um... It's still with Steve Albini at the moment, I think. Whether or not he he's done anything with it I don't know.

CAKE: So, it's pretty much "up in the air" still then?

NICK: Yeah, quite a while while ago now actually.

CAKE: I've been in touch with John (Loder, the producer) for a while and was wondering what caused you to start working on a third album? Is there any motivation in particular?

NICK: Ah, yes... there's my illness, see... some experiences that I've had to do.

CAKE: Anything in particular? Is there a theme?

NICK: Delusions.

CAKE: Delusions?

NICK: Yes, I suffer these delusions and I thought that I could proffit artistically from it you know?

CAKE: I see... almost like the big poster from "Death Church" or something like that?

NICK: No, delusions.

CAKE: In your mind, you mean?

NICK: Yeah

CAKE: So, it's going to be based on delusions. Grant was the motivating force behind the early Rudimentary PENI material (two e.p.'s and "Death Church"). What caused you. to take over as the lyricist for "Cacophony"?

NICK: Well, I thought that Grant felt that his lyrics weren't relevant anymore or something. But I think they are. I think people relate to his lyrics.

CAKE: I think that's true because I really enjoy the early material, as well. Your last album was really great... the way that it was put together and produced. It's a pretty incredible piece of work. I heard from John that it was all done in one take.

NICK: Yeah.

CAKE: That's pretty amazing. You must have done a lot of practicing to do it that well. Basically. the album was based on H.P. Lovecraft as I understand it. Any couple of novels in particular that it's based on?

NICK: It's just this sort of thing where, this kind of cult where you get into H.P. Lovecraft and you buy as many books on him as you can and I think I found out more about him than I've known about anybody else before since I've read so much about him. So, I felt that it would be a good idea to put that to use.

CAKE: I see. And the voices voices that you use on the album, the different voices... how did you learn to do that? I mean, that's really good mimicking you do there on "Cacophony"?

NICK: Um...

CAKE: Watching TV?

NICK: Yeah, I guess so.

CAKE:: I really I like the way that you poke fun at host shows ("An anarchist/ a gun/ an athlete, etc")

NICK: Right

CAKE: That's just totally brilliant. If you ever needed a job working as a voiceover in commercials, I'm sure that they'd give it to you.

NICK: Yeah, I can't do that anymore. It's like Jon... he says that he can't play to the first e.p. as fast as he could , but I'll try and coax him to do it.

CAKE: Well, you goys aren't that old, are you?

NICK: Thirtysomething!

CAKE: Oh! That's still young, though.

NICK: Yeah.

CAKE: Did you write any of the songs from 1980 to 1983?

NICK: Did I write 'em?

CAKE: Yeah.

NICK: "Media Person' and "Hearse".

CAKE: Those are pretty great songs, You know the stuff isn't on cassette and I always find myself making tapes and blasting it out of my car's stereo. I like the annoying look on people's faces when they're playing BON JOVI and all of a sudden.... BLLAGGGGGG !

NICK: Haa!! Haa!!

CAKE It's quite a change of pace. What caused you to form RUDIMETARY PENI? What bands tickled your fancy? The SEX PISTOLS and CLASH were mentioned before in interviews...

NICK: I'm not so much into the CLASH though I saw the PISTOLS once and they are obviously the most recent influence on me. A lot of old bands as well...