EMQ’s with THE MAN FROM ALPHABET
EMQ’s with THE MAN FROM ALPHABET
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQ’s interview, this time with USA Punk Rockers, The Man From Alphabet. Huge thanks to their Bass player, Dustin Treinen, for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play, and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
Dustin Treinen – Bass
I have been wanting to cover “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” for several years, so I finally decided to spearhead this project with a few of my music friends. This whole lockdown thing felt like a good time to make it happen. I just hit up the guys I felt would be best for this song and then we made it happen. I view The Man From Alphabet more as a music collective than a band. The line-up on this latest single will be heavily involved, but the line-up for various singles and EP’s will vary.
How did you come up with your band name?
While reading Malcom Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point”, I learned of a Sesame Street character that was a focus group failure. This character was used in the very first advertisement for Sesame Street in the back of a Batman comic, but when this character was introduced to kids in a focus group, they found him strange and confusing. That character was named The Man From Alphabet. The name itself is even confusing, it’s a person from an intangible object.
What country are you from and what is the Metal/Rock scene like there?
USA – The rock and metal scene is pretty big here.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single or Video)
“Killer Klowns from Outer Space”- A cover song originally done by LA punk rock legends, The Dickies, as the theme song for the 80’s cult classic movie.
Who have been your greatest influences?
Primus, Nirvana, Metallica, Pantera, Mogwai, Alice in Chains, Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, Rage Against the Machine, and Norma Jean.
What first got you into music?
I began playing bass when I was 14. I had friends who played drums and guitar, and while I liked the idea of playing guitar, I realized there weren’t a lot of bass players out there, so I figured if I could get really good at bass, I would be in higher demand among bands. Hearing Primus for the first time around that time was really inspirational too, since the band is completely bass driven.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
Dave Grohl. He’s played in three of my favourite rock bands, has the best drumming style, and he seems like a great guy to hang with, so I’m confident we’d get along well and write some really cool music together.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Maybe the Reading & Leeds festival in England. I’ve always wanted to play in Europe and still haven’t had the opportunity to do so.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
A very bad drawing of myself!
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Find what makes you happy and do it.
If you could bring one Metal/Rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Nirvana – I’d love to see what they would have evolved into
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
I just love to play bass alongside other musicians. When I really gel with someone musically, I feel a connection to them.
I hate all the administrative work because it’s so consuming.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
That musicians could actually make good money from streaming.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
Smashing Pumpkins – “Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness”
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?
I’d love to get into collecting vinyl. I love the giant album artwork and the sound quality of vinyl records, but I’m a sucker for convenience so I’m a downloads/streaming guy.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
That’s a tough one. At this point in my career, I’ve played around a thousand shows. One of my most memorable and lifechanging shows was when I filled in for a band called Lonely Estates, when they opened for Blondie. This was back when I still lived in Nebraska. At that point I had never played in a band that I wasn’t a member of, but I played the biggest show of my life as a fill-in and it felt great. I played the songs perfectly and it inspired me to move to LA to give myself a chance to pursue music as a career.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
Voice acting for animation
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
Conan O’Brien, Weird Al, Dave Grohl, Larry David, and Les Claypool.
What’s next for the band?
We will be releasing some originals, as well as some more remakes of some of my nostalgic favourites, so stay tuned!
What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
Mostly Instagram, but also Facebook and TikTok
Jaffa Cakes? Are they a cake or a biscuit?
I had to Google this because I hadn’t heard of them. They don’t even look familiar to me so I’m guessing we don’t have them in the states. That being said, I don’t believe I have enough knowledge of Jaffa Cakes to be able to have an opinion on this.
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Our debut video has gained a great deal of traction on YouTube, so thank you all for enjoying it!
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