Light Pupil Dilate interview

Light Pupil Dilate is one of the best new metal bands that I’ve heard in quite some time and they blew me away with their second full-length “Snake Wine”. Just like Mastodon, they call Atlanta, Georgia home and just like Mastodon I think these guys can become pretty big.

PRT: What would you prefer to be doing right now instead of answering these questions?
Eric: Not a damn thing. How about sippin’ on some syrup somewhere in Costa Rica.

PRT: Who are you and what would you like to tell our readers about yourself?
Eric: I am Eric Searle the guitarist/vocalist for Light Pupil Dilate. I’ve got multiple reproductive systems that I refer to as my Penii. I enjoy mild weather and strong breezes. I like kissing and snuggling in front of a warm fire, then scrumping like mad.

PRT: Who else is in the band, which Schwarzenegger movie would you compare them to and why?
Eric: Michael Green is our drummer. I guess I’d compare him to the terminator because he is a machine behind the kit. He is more “good” terminator than “bad” terminator. He likes pets and people from the future. Mike Chvasta is the bassist/vocalist. I’d compare him to eraser. He’s always trying to erase my sound with his bass volume. Plus he has a lot of really shitty one-liners, just like Schwarzenegger in Eraser.

PRT: Can you give me a quick history of the band written in less than one minute?
Eric: I started the band with Chvasta in ’99. We jammed with at least 17 drummers but nothing ever came of it. We found Mike Green in 2001. That’s when we became who we are today. We started playing shows somewhere in early 2002. Our first show was at the Eyedrum gallery in Atlanta. We were real good back then.

PRT: In the bio sheet it says you took influences from pretty much every band that ever existed but for the people who haven’t heard you yet? If Light Pupil Dilate was the lovechild of two other bands, which bands would’ve had sex and which position were you conceived in?
Eric: The two bands in love and fucking would be Shiner and Deadguy. This is how it went down: Deadguy was deeply penetrating Shiner in a mean reverse cowgirl. When Deadguy had to cum, some of the semen leaked into Shiner before Deadguy could pull out and squirt it all over Shiner’s face. Shiner kept the baby and Deadguy skipped town. We are bastards.

PRT: And on your Myspace you listed? Jud jud, dud judda jud jud. grrrrrr, jud neener, jud jud neener, grrrrrrrrrrrr, ahhhh, jud jud neener, jud jud neener?. I can follow that completely except for the neener sound? What’s that one?
Eric: Neener is the brainchild of Chvasta. It’s that squealing, high pitch, false harmonic/bend thing you always hear in metalcore stuff. Jud Jud neneer Jud Jud neneer. You got it?

PRT: A name that pops up regularly when reading about you, is Mastodon. Other than being from the same town, do you feel comfortable being lumped in with them? And do you think that comparison is working for or against you?
Eric: I’m okay with it. We expected to get some comparisons to them. We aren’t that similar though. At least I don’t think so. It’s a fair comparison that’s not hurting us in anyway that I can tell.

PRT: On your site I read that you were in something of a bidding war with labels. It looked like it was between Lifeforce and Ferret. Obviously Lifeforce won? Why did you decide to go with them and how’s that been working out for you so far?
Eric: The “bidding war” part was kind of a joke. It wasn’t really a war. We had some communication with ferret, but LifeForce was a lot more interested. We weren’t going to sit on the record any longer so when Lifeforce offered us the deal, we jumped on it. Lifeforce has been really good with promotions and getting our record in stores. I mean, without lifeforce I would not be talking to you right now. They have helped us reach a bigger audience and that’s been very nice.

PRT: “Snake Wine” is your second album. Now, I know why I love that album but tell me, why should I pick up your debut?
Eric: If you need more LPD in your life then pick it up. The first record, Cascades, is a very different record compared to snake wine. We were just coming up with our sound at the time. I still love it though. It’s a spiralling out of control mess of songs, but it rocks.

PRT: What’s the future looking like for Light Pupil Dilate? Any plans to come to Europe?
Eric: We’re trying to tour the States this spring and summer. After that I’m not sure. We have a small tour set up for May. Unfortunately my sister is getting married right in the middle of it, so we are going to jump ship a little earlier than we had hoped. Europe would be so amazingly awesome. Mike Green has been to France a few times, but Chvasta and I have never been. I think we’ll get over there in a year maybe.

PRT: What’s your position on the Realdoll versus the classic inflatable doll thing?
Eric: Haha. Good question. I think the realdoll is a little creepier. It’s like having sex with a dead person. The classic inflatable is more like a masturbation tool. Plus the realdoll is way too expensive. I’d rather fuck an Asian massage parlour prostitute for a hundred bucks than spend $10,000 on a life-like dead person. At least with a prostitute you don’t have to clean her up. I’m not into the doll thing, but I can’t knock what I haven’t tried either. Maybe there is a realdoll rental service. I’ll have to check.

PRT: Any last words for our readers?
Eric: Kumquat. Thank you!