STILL TWITCHING

An Interview with DEAN WILSON and JASON BLUMENTHAL of TWITCH!

by Jeff Rogers
June 2011

I first heard Twitch! when I picked up their EP entitled "Underdogs" in 1998. It was a six song EP and it was a blast of great music. Fast forward twelve years and Twitch! have just recorded a new EP titled "We The People." Times may have changed but the music is still great. Below is an interview done with Dean Wilson (vocals) and Jason Blumenthal (guitar).

RoughEdge.com: Dean, thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions for Rough Edge. Your new EP "We The People" came out in 2010, your first EP came out in 1998. What has the band been doing since the first EP?

Twitch!: Well after some regional touring that following the 'Underdogs' release, the band broke up in 2001 after our bass player left to persue other interests. We then spent the next 7 years in agony wondering why we weren't doing another project. We then hatched the idea of what was going to be known as The Progressive Outreach Program that was coined from a song done by a favorite influence of ours, Stuck Mojo. We were starting to build that project when we were approached about the idea of doing a Twitch reunion show in August 2008 and our original bass player, Zach Wagner, came back to town to help us make it happen. The show went off so well that afterwards another good friend of ours that played bass in another popular local outfit, Clever, asked us what we were going to do with Twitch going forward. It took all of about 2 seconds to make him an official member and Twitch was reborn! We added a 3rd guitar player, Bob Harman, who jammed with us for about 2 years. Shortly after the "We The People" EP sessions he left the band. Shortly afterwards Zach moved back into town and we were quick to bring him back into the fold on guitar this time and we are now writing some new material that we hope to get recorded here in the relatively near future.

RoughEdge.com: Music changes with the times, so does the lyrical content. "We The People" deals more with political and social issues. Are these subjects that concern you guys?

Twitch!: We are ABSOLUTELY concerned with the political climate in the country today. We are fed up with party politics from both sides of the fence as we don't feel that your average everyday American is represented in government by either Democrats or Republicans. We feel like this nation needs to move swiftly away from the divide and conquer politics and start identifying with the values & principles that make us "American". Values like honesty, reverence, hope, thrift, humility, charity, sincerity, moderation, hard work, courage, personal responsibility, strength & gratitude. We feel a return to these values on a individual, micro level will in turn drive the changes needed by this nation on a macro level if we are to preserve freedom and America for its future generations. TRUTH FOR OUR YOUTH, is one of our mottos. We believe it is our duty to help change the present course of America one person at a time!

RoughEdge.com: Do you think that "We The People" will spawn a full album? Also, are you guys touring?

Twitch!: We can only hope "We The People" leads us to a full length. It has definitely set the tone for our lyrical direction and we are in the process of writing the next batch of tunes now. Whether or not we do a full length or another EP will be determined entirely by the almighty (ok, not so almighty these days!) dollar. There will definitely be something though whether its another EP or a full length. We are playing mainly locally around the Omaha, NE area these days as we have families, careers and obligations. With the changes in web based marketing and promotion, we can get our message out there in a much more dynamic way without touring.

RoughEdge.com: Since Twitch! are stationed in the Midwest are your musical influences hometown or do you draw from other wells and styles?

Twitch!: We draw influence from all over the place. Some of our favorite bands that wind up influencing our sound are Stuck Mojo, Sevendust, Tool, Helmet, & Downset.

RoughEdge.com: Twitch! seems to be pretty current on social issues but at the same time feel the need to be conscious of local programs. Is Twitch! involved with any local charities?

Twitch!: Twitch! definitely is conscious of the importance of thinking big but focusing on acting locally. We are the official band of the local 9/12 project chapter (http://the912-project.com/) and have done numerous benefit shows for local charities thrughout the years. We have a benefit show coming up here, in Omaha on June 18th for the Open Door Mission who helps feed and house Omaha's homeless population.

RoughEdge.com: Last question. How does Twitch! usually write their songs, is the whole band in the studio or does a band member come up with a riff or bass line and the music progresses from there?

Twitch!: It's a completely collaborative effort. We generally get together and someone will throw out a riff and we will just jam off of each other and see where it goes. On occasion someone will being a complete song to the table and we learn it.

RoughEdge.com: Again, thank you so much for sitting down and answering our questions. For more information about Twitch! click the link and be sure to get the new EP "We The People."

Twitch!: We want to thank you and Rough Edge for this opportunity to have a broader forum and for all you do for the more intense genres of music!!

For more information, check out http://www.reverbnation.com/twitchnation.