Interview with Kevin Wells Guitarist & Vocalist for the band Emmer Effer. Questions by @SteveSievers
Where did you passion for punk rock come from? Was there a certain album or live show you saw that made you want to start/join a band?
Suffer from Bad Religion, the self titled blue Pennywise album, and Walk Among Us by the Misfits were the three that got me hooked. I joined my first punk band, NoBigDeal, in 1994 when I was a sophomore in high school. The feeling I get playing live is a certain rush that can’t really be replicated by any other means. Once you feel that rush, you’re hooked, or at least I was. So now I play in two bands with a few other smaller side projects. I can’t quit. My other band is called Stand Up and Fight.
Emmer Effer has been around since 2012. For those who don’t know about you, briefly tell us the band’s history. Also who have you toured with in the past?
I went to high school with our singer Jimmy starting back in 1993. I met Adam our bass player when I was a freshman and he was in eighth grade, also back in 1993. So the three of us have known each other since then. Jake met Jimmy at college in 1997 and I have known Jake since then. Jake had previously been in bands, most recently a band called The Moon, which ended in 2009, but no longer had a drum kit. Jimmy had no experience singing other than with the CD playing in his van. Adam played bass for a few years in high school and college, but had since sold his bass and stopped playing. When we had our first practice, we went to a rehearsal studio that had drums and amps already set up, and Adam just used my second guitar as a bass. Eventually Adam and Jake purchased instruments, and Jimmy has even recently purchased a microphone!!!
We recorded our first EP in 2013 in Justin Thirsk’s garage/shed. He played drums in 98 Mute and Chaos Delivery Machine. We pooled together our money in 2015 to record another EP at Screaming Leopard, which Felony Records heard and released on a 7″ vinyl, called The People Are The Answer, back in 2016.
As for touring, we’ve never toured before. Felony Records is planning a spring East Coast tour, which we will be a part of, so you can look forward to that.
Your new album From The Bottom Down will be out on October 6th on Felony Records. You guys recorded the album in only 4 days and will total 19 tracks. Did you guys record yourself performing live in the studio? You also got to work with Ian Peterson on the album. who has previously worked with Pennywise and Chaos Delivery Machine. How was it working with him?
We recorded drums, bass, and the first guitar tracks together and then I went back and doubled all the guitars. Vocals were done afterwards. Our songs are not very long or complex. We were able to run through them pretty quick. And no click track was used, mainly because we aren’t talented enough to know how to practice to one…heh heh…
As for working with Ian Peterson, he was great. I’ve been in the studio with a few different people, and Ian is by far the best. There seems to be two types engineers. You have the kind that says after each take, “Do you guys like that? Yeah? Alright, next song.” We are not talented enough as a band or individual musicians to know whether we should like something or not. We need that outside ear. And then you have guys like Ian who say, “Do you like that? Yeah? Well, I think it was good too, but let’s do another take where you sing that note a little higher.” Or he would suggest an alternative way to play an intro or something. He didn’t make any major changes, but there are certain things he suggests that just make the songs better. We will always use Ian for recording from now on, or for as long as he is willing to work with us.
Future plans for the band and where can our readers follow you on social media?
We just want to keep making albums and playing shows. None of us are really on social media much these days, but we force Adam to post Emmer Effer stuff. There is an Emmer Effer Facebook page, and then on Instagram it is @emmer.effer. You can also check the Felony Records pages as they also will post updates on our behalf.
