Photo by Joel Barhamand
Oliver Ackermann is a man of many talents. Not only is he the primary singer/songwriter of one of the loudest and visually mind bending bands in recent history, a Place to Bury Strangers, but he is also the founder of Death by Audio, a company that has provided one of a kind effect pedals to everyone from Jeff Tweedy and The Edge, but also Trent Reznor and Kevin Shields. I had the chance to sit down with him and find out what makes this sleep deprived work-a-holic tick.
So first off, in terms of your guys’ effects and whatnot that you’ll be using on this tour, is there any new Death by Audio gear that you’ll be using?
There’s a couple new things…we re-wired the amps, so there’s a new amp set up, there’s this new filter/delay that I’ll be using, and there’s this new wah type pedal –
Like a wah/fuzz combo or –
No, it’s actually this filter, which is switchable between high pass, medium pass and low pass, but it uses this chip that was used in some old medical equipment, for like, really precise calculations.
King Kong or Godzilla?
Godzilla; he would kick the shit out of King Kong. Even though King Kong is pretty cool, gotta go with Godzilla. He trampled on cities and shit.
Well yeah, I mean he DID tear the shit out of Japan more than once.
Yeah, and he fought MOTHRA, you know?
Growing up, what did your parents listen to?
The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Donovan, and…yeah.
It’s so funny how we almost grew up in two different eras or something, because my parents were total new wave kids, so I grew up with Oingo Boingo, The Talking Heads, that sort of thing.
Oh no way, that’s cool! Yeah, I like The Talking Heads…didn’t know who Oingo Boingo were till I was a bit older.
What’s your favorite zombie movie?
My favorite zombie movie is…God I wish I could remember the title. It was one of those Night of the Living Dead types…I was just looking those up the other day and I was like, “Shit that’s the one I like!” It’s almost Night of the Living Dead, not quite sure.
I just saw Planet Terror the other night.
Yeah, that was wicked, right?
Dude, seriously!
Oh yeah, it’s awesome, with people getting injected with needles and stuff…yeah that one was really good.
Alright, so if a guy likes anal but isn’t in to dudes, is he gay?
(Laughs) Wow man, I don’t know. I think people should just open their minds, you know? No gay, yes gay, whatever. Just be free, I don’t know. I think being gay would be based on like….
More like, social/emotional interaction?
It’s not just about sex. Don’t just simplify everything down to sex, man. It’s about more than that. There’s love and caring and all that stuff, right?
Gotta have that hand holding in there somewhere.
Exactly.
So initially, where did the title “Exploding Head” come from?
Well it came from the song title, which is about how my life is twisted, and you know, just can’t handle all the things I got going on at once.
Dude I hear ya. Gotta pull another all nighter tonight.
Alright, good luck man, that’s sweet. That’s always fun…I don’t think I can do that as much anymore. I used to do it all the time, used to get, on average, like seven hours a week or something.
Who in the band is most likely to… Make a sex tape?
I’d say Jay.
Most likely to pass out from drinking?
(Laughter) Jay.
Most likely to clog the toilet?
Jay. (Laughter)
Read War and Peace?
I don’t know…Jay.
Take candy from a small child?
Dion?
Who is most likely to save, invest responsibly, and retire?
Wow, ummm…Dion?
Masturbate to the band’s music?
That would be me.
Who diets and exercises properly?
Dion?
Who is most likely to have Fall Out Boy on their IPod?
Dion.
I know it’s still pretty early to decide, but any hates or crushes on anyone in the Big Pink, yet?
All of them! I‘m hoping to lay all of them, yo! And then, hate them all afterwards!
Then not call them!
Exactly.
So, any future plans for 2010? Anything we can expect to see this year?
A lot of lounging around, lots of partying…but really, for 2010…probably record some more music, hang out.
Anything you want to do before 2012?
Before 2012…you know, we want to travel some more, build more stuff, call my friends back; hopefully call them on their birthdays, do the stuff I don’t usually get a chance to do I guess.
Last question: What would you like to ask me?
What do you study?
I’m a music major with business emphasis.
Oh cool. What year are you?
I’m a freshman.
Right on. What do you want to do when you grow up?
Hopefully something along the lines of tour managing.
Right on, man.
Alright then, thanks again.
No problem. Thank you very much.
-Rick Hermansen