Becky Collins: How did you come up with the name SKRAPE?

Brian Milner: We were originally called JOJO.

Natasha W-R: Why do you spell it with a "K"?

Brian Milner: It just seemed more interesting than spelling it with a "C".

Billy Keeton: You say why, I say why not?

Becky Collins: How long has the group been together?

Billy: 4 years. Wait. More like about 6. We’ve been there since like 1997.

Brian: 5 or 6 years.

Becky: And you had some line up changes…

Brian: We sure did. We got rid of a member…

Billy: We had to make a member change. We have Randy in the band now. He was already in our family…

Brian: Basically.

Billy: The whole record basically got started once we added him. It was a whole different direction or new direction.

Becky: How would you describe your music to someone that never heard the band?

Billy: Good Rock N’ Roll

Brian: Nu-Metal type of thing. Heavy Rock. Rock N’ Roll.

Billy: I think we’re more rock. Like evil rock.

Becky: What were some of the influences on your songs, such as "Summersong"?

Billy: That song was written…

Brian: The name got changed. It’s now called "Stand Up".

Billy: Yeah it got changed. Put that down. We wrote that song starting with a guitar riff, obviously, then the lyric and melody kind of followed. As we started to come up with all of that it really was evident that we’re writing a song about that melody that people can connect with a moment from their past. Everybody has a song that reminds them of a certain summer that they went to camp or whether they went to Panama City Beach Florida. When they were on their way, I’m sure they had some head phones on and a song that was on. 6-7 years later down the road you hear that song, it reminds you of that time. And that’s what the songs about.

Brian: It’s a song about that and may become a song that actually is that for some people. (Laughter)

Billy: Hey, that’s good! Yeah, maybe! (Laughter)

Becky: What is your favorite song off of Up the Dose and why?

Brian: Favorite one to listen to is probably "Breath". To perform? You have to go. I have to think about that.

Billy: To play—"The Ocean". To perform—same song.

Brian: Really?

Billy: And Why? Just the flow of it. That’s our Florida boy’s anthem. When they listen to the album and that songs on, you listen to the lyrics and put together that we’re from Florida, there’s kind of a beat connection there. That’s my favorite one.

Brian: I like playing "Up the Dose". It’s easy to play kinda and I really can cut loose. And to listen to Breath because we never really play anything like that. It doesn’t fit in the set right.

Billy: It’s slow.

Brian: Yeah. We created it, but we don’t get to play it live.

Billy: We will!

Becky: How was the production of Up the Dose different from New Killer America?

Billy: Well, we recorded Up the Dose in a house. We recorded New Killer America at Trans Continental Studio. We spent 6 weeks recording New Killer America and 3 months recording Up the Dose. Considerable more time.

Brian: The production in the end was better. We got our criteria at studios in Miami, South Beach and that was very nice and cozy. And then we took the whole package to a house. The end result was more of what we were looking for.

Becky: Was the writing process different this time around?

Billy: Not really! We got a new member in our band now. People ask me "What’s it like not having Mike around in the band? What is the style?" I always compare it to like having Dave Navarro in our band. Instead of the one dimensional of real dry metal born sound we had on our first record.

Brian: The writing—the way we write didn’t really change. We start with a guitar riff and the writing did change with the new guitar player style…for the better!

Billy: A lot of the stuff you hear on the new album is a mixture of everybody, obviously.

Brian: He has a different way of playing guitar than most.

Billy: It shows all over the record. It’s all over the new record. I think he plays a lot like Dave Navarro.

Becky: Was there any song in particular that was difficult to get exactly as you envisioned it?

Billy: Not for me.

Brian: Yeah. It didn’t make the record though.

Becky: What is your dream venue for Skrape to perform in?

Brian: I wish we could sell out Madison Square Garden. (Laughter)

Becky: From previous tours, such as the Pantera and Slayer tour, have you learned anything from them?

Billy: Yeah, we learned that we don’t necessary want to be the heaviest band in the world. (Laughter)

Brian: We learned a lot! After that tour we could go through anything now, whether they like us or not. (Laughter)

Billy: On the last day of the tour, the Pantera boys came out and were throwing lunch meat at us. While we were playing they were messing with the monitors. They turned my voice into the devil voice—hell raiser voice. With a push of a button every couple lines they’d do it to me, but I kept on singing, Man!

Brian: We learned that on the last day of a tour you could just expect something.

Billy: I like to think that we did really good on that tour because to me, we stuck it out, gained credibility even with the haters. Dimebag Darrel became really good friends of the band.

Becky: Would you ever do it again?

Billy: NO! (Laughter)

Becky: Who would you like to collaborate with in the future or would have liked to, in regards to dead stars?

Billy: I’d like to write with Phil Ansalmo.

Brian: I always wanted to tour with Sevendust.

Becky: Who are your musical influences?

Brian: Maiden, what else? It goes way back…it goes all the way back to Deftones.

Billy: Me personally, I really don’t listen to a lot. I don’t like to pollute my brain.

Becky: What was the last CD you bought? (Laughter)

Billy: Poison the Well

Brian: Nate Dog. I just purchased it when we got here. (Laughter)

Becky: Who has been the most supportive of your career?

Billy: Probably for me all the chicks I’ve been with over the years.

Brian: Yeah, if it wasn’t for all the girls supporting me…

Becky: What was your last job before getting signed?

Billy: I worked in an adult novelty shop. Selling magazines and toys. A place to work—minimum wage. Pretty interesting—crazy people.

Natasha: I imagine. (Laughter) Favorite toy?

Billy: I like the Accommodator.

Brian: The Accommodator (Laughter)

Billy: You know what it is?

Natasha: I kind of have an idea.

Natasha: What do you hope to get out of this interview?

Billy: The web—the music media—I’m seeing tons of sites like this. It’s all about promoting music and bands. A lot of people are realizing you can get closer to the band through interviews. For me, I think it’s a good way to put the feelers out there where ever we can. Little median you have there to reaching people.

Becky: Message for your fans?

Becky and Natasha: Thank you for your time! We look forward to seeing you later tonight!

--Becky & Natasha