interview Archive
30 Dec 2009
Juke Joint: Hookers, Batwings, Pigs’ Feet and Hair Tonic
This story has been MOVED to Billkopp.com
17 Dec 2009
Interview: Jamie & Steve (Jamie Hoover & Steve Stoeckel)
Formed in Charlotte NC in the early 1980s, the Spongetones have long charted a rather unique path in pop music. Beginning with their debut LP (1982’s Beat Music), the quartet […]
20 Nov 2009
Interview: Gentle Giant on Barrett, bootlegs, Badfinger, Back catalog and the biz
The career of Gentle Giant spanned the whole of the 1970s, and their modest commercial fortunes closely paralleled that of their chosen (or assigned) genre. Beginning with their self-titled debut […]
09 Nov 2009
Interview: Dennis Diken – Ear Candy That Matters
“Ear candy that matters.” That’s one of the succinct labels drummer/vocalist Dennis Diken uses to describe the songs on his album Late Music (Cryptovision). The Smithereens drummer stepped out for […]
04 Nov 2009
RIP: Bill Bartolin of Blue Ash
Blue Ash were one of the 70s great powerpop bands, though they enjoyed even less commercial success than Big Star. Several years ago I corresponded at great length with Blue […]
17 Oct 2009
The Ian Anderson Interview
In April 2008 I spoke by transatlantic phone (what a quaint expression, that) with Ian Anderson, founder and leader of Jethro Tull. Our talk covered a lot of ground, including […]
14 Oct 2009
Ask Gentle Giant! No Kidding!
UK-based Gentle Giant was one of the most consistently fascinating progressive rock groups of the 1970s. Like — but not part of — the Canterbury Scene (Soft Machine, Caravan et. […]
12 Oct 2009
Question Mark & the Mysterians: Dissin’ and Dishin’
In April 2008 I was fortunate to score an in-depth, in-person interview with Question Mark, leader of ? and the Mysterians. I wrote a long piece based on that interview; […]
12 Oct 2009
Question Mark & the Mysterians: Is This Guy for Real?
UPDATE 2025: This piece first appeared in the Sep/Oct ’09 issue of Shindig! Magazine. It’s an account of the strangest interview I’ve ever conducted. To date I’ve written three books, […]
09 Oct 2009
Happy Birthday Sean Lennon!
Here’s one from the archives. In fall 2006 — not that long ago — I interviewed the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono for Skope Magazine, a (now-defunct) national […]