HARVEY MILK
Still Fucking Rules!
By: James Grell
Harvey Milk fucking rules! This band was going strong right about the time the MELVINS were peaking out (yes, it does pain me to say it) and I was looking for something heavier and uglier. How come I never heard of Harvey Milk until about 4 years ago (still a couple years after they split up)? They would have been perfect! Actually, they still are. (This interview was done with Creston Spiers and Stephen Tanner)
RESOUND: What was your involvement with the band?
Creston Spiers: I sang, wrote most of the material and played all of the instruments besides bass & drums.
Stephen Tanner: Played bass, wrote tunes, arranged stuff, booked gigs, the usual.
RESOUND: Can you give me some of the high points of being involved with Harvey Milk?
C: Playing with Sugarsmack, Godheadsilo, and Shellac. Being involved with musicians the caliber of Stephen, Paul and Kyle. Hearing anyone who ever said, “You’re my favorite band!”
S: Playing, touring, drinking, recording, hanging out.
RESOUND: What were you trying to accomplish musically?
C: That would depend on the song of which you are speaking. On our long-form tunes we were really trying to expand and elongate song form, orchestrate in unusual ways, and explore the listening experiences on the other side of boredom. On the other tunes, we were just trying to kick ass and make all of the other bands look silly. Lyrically, I was either trying to write decent poems or I wasn’t trying at all.
S: Personal satisfaction
RESOUND: How do you feel the sound of Harvey Milk fit in with what other bands were doing at the time?
C: The fact that we played loud and slow puts us in the ilk of the God-like Melvins, but I don’t think we sounded like anybody.
S: Not well.
RESOUND: What did a “Harvey Milk crowd” look like, and what was a typical crowd reaction to your live set?
C: H.M. fans looked dorky and reactions ranged from anger to disgust to boredom to worship. We got lots of “You suck!!”
S: Sparse and indifferent.
RESOUND: What ultimately lead to the band breaking up?
C: Stephen and Kyle went to play music in California.
S: Marriage & kids.
RESOUND: Looking back, how do you feel about having had the band Harvey Milk be a part of your life?
C: I am very proud of having been in H.M. and am very thankful that people anywhere are still interested in our music.
S: Pleased.
RESOUND: Are you still involved with music? If so, did Harvey Milk teach you anything that has been helpful to you moving forward?
C: My wife Alison and I are playing with Paul (the same one) in a band currently named Mt. St. Jr. We will be releasing our own CD, entitled Era of the Cheap Standing ‘O’, sometime in the fall.
S: Yes, I have a trio going in Brooklyn, NY called Dude Ranch. Sounds like Live at Leeds meets Voi Vod. I’ve never learned anything.
RESOUND: Thanks guys, and good luck with all of your endeavors.
Creston Spiers: You’re welcome.
P.S. Paul wrote “Pro Bol Kok” and Stephen wrote “The Pigeon”
Note: Relapse Records would like to say thanks to Ayal Naor, Henry Owings, and Chris Bilheimer. Without their efforts the Harvey Milk singles collections would not have been possible.
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