INTERVIEW BY KNIAL SAUNDERS
PHOTOS BY JUSTIN BEAN
KODIAK, Manassas, Va. natives, are back at it after a couple of hiatuses sidelined their efforts in recent years. But this time they are back with the release of a split EP with sister band SATELLITIES ON PARADE, which was released on January 15.The bands current lineup includes vocalist Mike Woods, also known as Prince Bob, guitarists Jeff Lukas and Josh Teodoro, bassist Aaron Ryder, and drummer Zeke Gough. The guys of KODIAK sat down with us to share a bit on their history, thoughts on the new EP, and what fans can expect from them in 2015.
How did you choose your band name?
We were originally thinking of the name Grizzly, but there was already a band with that name with a decent following. Zeke had Grizzly and Kodiak [tobacco] dip on him, so he held high the token KODIAK can like Excalibur and exclaimed, “By this, we shall be known.” Yeah, we were named after a can of dip.
In 2010, your band went on hiatus. What was the reason behind that, and what brought this band back together?
We’ve been on two hiatuses actually, one in 2010 and another in 2012/2013. The first was because Quad Fest at Radford. People were being shit birds down there, trying to start fights with us because who the hell knows. [The] night ended with a few friends getting arrested and a band disagreement/ tussle. Zeke broke up the fight. Josh punched a dumpster and broke his hand. You know, the usual. Then 2013 was just a time of a few members dealing with several personal issues they needed to sort out, [but] shit [has] been sorted. The two reasons we’ve always come back is that we’re all best friends, and our fans motivate us more than anything. We owe it to them.
Personally, I find your sound to be reminiscent bands like ALEXISONFIRE and MISS MAY I. Who are your strongest musical influences right now?
ALEXISONFIRE!? Thanks, that’s a new one. Well, we all have our own influences, but there’s a few big ones for us: HE IS LEGEND, MAYLENE AND THE SONS OF DISASTER, EVERY TIME I DIE, NORMA JEAN, [and] STONE TEMPLE PILOTS , you know, sexy bands like that.
Split EPs, while not uncommon, are still few and far between. What led to the decision to split this EP with SATELLITES ON PARADE?
Satellites are our sisters from other misters. They are like family to us. We’ve been wanting to do a split for years. Just glad as hell it finally happened.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE SPLIT FROM KODIAK AND SATELLITES ON PARADE
What elements and experiences came together to inspire the creation of this EP? What would you say the overall message is?
Honestly, we just wanted to do a split with Satellites. We share similar fans and friends, and we think that this split was for the fans of both our bands. It was a long time coming. I feel like each song for sure has its own message, but if you were looking for an overall message… “Hotdog Zeke.” That’s it.
You must feel incredibly proud of yourselves for this release. What comes next for KODIAK?
[It] feels like a big weight [has been] lifted. This is our first legitimate release since 2009, so it’s been a long time coming. A full length album is in the works. More shows are coming up and hopefully a tour this summer.
What have been your most memorable performances to date? What made it special?
That’s a mixed bag. Jeff’s favorite show was the one up in Rochester, Pa., where the moshing during our set started a fight that spilled into the street. Our first show, which was ONCE NOTHING’s farewell show, was incredible. Our farewell hiatus show at House of Yi was a tear-jerker, and any of our comeback shows were always made memorable by our fans. The Red Shed and Breezeway were definitely fun as hell, and our sets at The Untitled Music Festival have been some of Prince Bob’s [Mike Woods] favorites to date.
