Many Sleepless Nights : An Interview with an Insomniac

I got to catch the Insomniacs about a year ago when they played in the Estrus Invitational Western Divisions, and I've been hooked ever since. If you haven't seen them live, they're quite a sight. They have the look and the sound (with originality) of a hip garage band. Since seeing them live, I've purchased everything I could find by them.
Most of their material has been compiled by Estrus. They had a few singles and a ten inch that were compiled into the CD, "Wake Up!" and they have a new album called "Already Down". If you haven't already bought them, go and buy them now, because they are outstanding.
On Aug 18, Mike Sin (AKA Mike Sinocchi) from the Insomniacs (the drummer) emailed me about a review on their latest album. (Blair AKA Mr. Teen Scene had sent him in my direction and I thank him.) Not wanting to waste an opportunity to interview a band I love, I asked the question. And the response was yes. (Yeah!) After a few tentative emails, I asked him the first question...

Erik: Well, first off, Mike, thanks for lettin' me take time from your busy schedule. You just got back from the ol' Fuzzfest in GA. How did you like the three days of rockin'? Highlights? Lowlights?

Mike: The Insomniacs had a swell time time at Fuzzfest. We weren't able, regretably, to stay for all three nights. Because we drove down from NJ, we didn't want to deal with any labor day traffic, so we left on sunday instead of monday.

Music aside, what I like best about these multi-day "festivals" is the opportunity to hang with acquaitances that I don't see very often and the opportunity to make new ones. It's refrehing to play a show where the majority of the audience hasn't seen the band live before. The Insomniacs really appreciated being asked to play.

Of the two nights that I was in attendance, the Hate Bombs ruled the stage. They really smoked.... speaking from a drummer's perpective, I think Ken (their drummer) really knows how to lay down the big, monster beat....

The Others (from Italy) have some really good songs. They were really interesting, because they sorta fall into the "folk-psych" genre and the tunes were textured. Twelve string and acoustic guitars really added to the songs' dynamics (i know, i'm startin' to sound like a geeky "rock" critic... )

The major lowlight of the whole trip was gettin' a speeding ticket in NC on the way back. Doin 80 mph in a 70 zone. What sorta bs is that. I think the southern man just wanted to burn my tired yankee ass.

Erik: Well, I can't really speak for the southern man, but be careful if you come to CA again, 'cause you get really lame-ass tickets out here. I got one for following someone too closely. They slammed on their brakes, so I closed in (not wanting to slam my brakes with a cop around), and who got the ticket, me.

The Hate Bombs are great, I have to agree with ya, I bought their last album, and it was kickin. (Esp the drummin') The Others I got a single by, but haven't really paid attention to it yet. How Did you get hooked up with the whole Fuzz thing? Did they contact you, or did they get you from, say, Estrus?

Mike: Rich and Bruce from the Flypped Whigs, who organized the Fuzzfest, have seen the Insomniacs a few times and liked us. Rich contacted us directly when he was first puttin' the fest together.

Erik: Well, It's cool to know that your reputation as a great band got you the gig. How about a little history on the band? How did you meet and were there any other bands before the Insomniacs (maybe any with singles or albums that can be tracked down)?

Mike: That is a very nice thing to say, but I don't think we have a reputation as a great band. I just hope that the songs are quirky and clever enough to keep folks guessin'. Avoiding the cliches is very important to us. For some people, I think we turn out to be a trojan horse!

I've been playing with Dave and Bob since 1987. At that time, the three of us plus another guitarist (Bill Luther of Smashed Blocked Fanzine and some other weirdness) had a combo called the Tea Club. No singles or albums though. I guess the official start date for the Insomniacs would be late 1990/ early 1991.

I met Dave and Bob through Bill Luther when we were heavily following the mid-80s NYC garage scene.

Erik: So in early '91, you guys got together as the Insomniacs? I was listening to that crappy scene called grunge back then (though we find out now that a lot of it was actually punk). What would you say influences your style as a band? Things as simple as your style of clothing to your sound?

Mike: Mid 60s brit beat, garage, and all sorts of power pop influences us. There really are no restrictions. We have never tried to be consciously 60s influenced. It's just come naturally given our backgrounds. It has always been the music that we listened to and collected.

From a fashion aspect, the clothes we wear are just the types that we always wore before we played in bands. I guess you can say back when we were teenagers we were all quasi-, make that pseudo-, mods. When I was younger, I always felt a bit outside of that scene because it all seemed way too serious with rules and dogma and all that. A sense of humor is my only demand. If we,the Insomniacs, didn't spend half the time laughing at ourselves, I probably wouldn't have been in the band this long.

Erik:I do suppose that taking yourselves overly seriously could spell demise for a band. There have bany many bands, that when even the slightest amount of success comes in, their egos shoot skyward. The fans notice, and don't usually appreciate it. I'm glad that even though the Insomniacs aren't HUGE, (you are fairly well known) you guys still manage having fun doing something you love, which I believe is much more important than money and fame (though if it comes, I'm sure it would be welcome).

You are a record collector as well, then. Is there anything you got recently that you're very happy about?

Mike: I'm not a "record-convention-every-week, bid half my salary on open auction items" record collector, but the coolest thing I scored within the last year was the del-vetts "I call my baby stp" original 45 on Dunwich with pic sleeve and stp sticker in mint condition for 15 bucks. The dude obviously didn't know what he was sellin'. The pic sleeve is really stylish -- I think sundazed just reissued it acually.

Erik: Well, I don't spend all my money on records, either... Just most of my extra money I should be spending on dating the women I meet at clubs. (oh well, such is the price we pay for amassing a collection.) I have a multi-question for you. What is your favorite: song the Insomniacs have made, venue you have played at, band you have played with, 7"er, LP, and CD? And Why?

Mike: It's really tough to listen to your own music objectively. Alot of times, I can't hear the song as a whole. I hear the different parts.

But if I had to pick, my favorite Insomniacs' recorded track is probably "The World Disappears". ironically enough, I don't think its my favorite Insomniacs tune, however. It's a tune that just really came alive in the studio. I think it's one of our tunes that has the most depth, recording and production-wise. Most of our tunes are recorded in the studio congruent to the live approach. that's o.k, but I think the songs sometimes get too dense and lose some nuances. I think "The World Disappears" retains atmosphere and dynamics. Above all, it "breaths", if that makes any sense.

Like I said I have a tendency to isolate certain parts of ours songs. For instance, Bob's solo during "don't turn away" is probably the my favorite moment on the "Out of It" cd. I think he pulled an ace out of his sleeve on that one.

As far as venues are concerned, I must say a gig that we played at tramps in NYC with the Makers and Thee Headcoats was one of my favorites. It was a really different show for us -- a big crowd at a big venue! So it stands out. In addition, the sound mix on stage was so good -- my monitor actually worked. It was one of the few times I think I was hearin' what the audience was actually hearin'!

I'm sure a lot of drummers will attest, the sound on the stage from our vantage point when were playin' a show sounds horrendous most of the time. It's disheartening because I'm layin' it down thinkin', "oh man, this mess is what's going out through the p.a. -- we do really suck." Well, a lot of times we do suck, but sometimes the sound goin' out through the p.a. is so much better than the indistinguisable wash of noise that your hearin' on stage.

Favorite band we've played with? I like to play with bands that are cool to hang out with and that I'm a fan of. We play with the Swingin' Neckbreakers because their from Jersey a well. They're fun to play with, we know them well, and it's always a good time. john (their drummer) is a really nice guy. the woggles are always cool. the lord high fixers are a scream to play with. i can't say enough nice thing about those mental patients....

(wish i could answer the other parts to this question, but they make my head hurt...)

Erik: I get to go see the Swingin' Neckbreakers on the 27th, so I'll get to find out how good they are for myself. Haven't seen the Woggles or the Lord High Fixers, though I have a Lord High Fixers 45.

Well, then, I guess I only have a couple more questions for you then... Can you think of one song that made you say, "I want to be in a garage band and play music like this!"

Also, do you have any thought provoking tidbits of information for us about life, the universe, and everything in it?

Mike: I can't think of one song off hand that made me say that, but I do remember the first time I heard "Psychotic Reaction" by Count Five-- I was 16 years old working at a fast-food joint cleaning the hamburger grill. After hours, they used to let us crank the tunes really loud throughout the place and that song came on the radio. After hearing it, I couldn't get it out my head, so I went down to a nearby harmony hut music store in the mall and tracked an oldies 45 and proceeded to play it over and over again about a hundred times.

Erik: Well, I'm just now starting on the sixties scene and the Count Five is on my list. I have two of their records (on loan from a friend), but haven't spun 'em yet (too many shows goin' on). I can definitely see how bands from that era can have such a major impact on people. It's so much more original and sincere than a lot of stuff that's come out since (and they learned quickly how to kick some serious butt).

I do appreciate you taking the time to do this interview with me, Mike, and I hope the Insomniacs continue to thrive in the scene. Be sure to let me know next time a new single comes out (or new album) so I can pick it up!

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