Via The Fayetteville Flyer

When Roy Berry isn’t on tour with or secretly incorporating 2 Live Crew beats into songs for his band Lucero, he’s probably standing in front of a mountain of keyboards, mixers and homemade drum kits made from junk he’s found on the streets of Memphis, Tennessee.

Besides being an incredibly talented drummer, Roy is one of the smartest, most creative and genuinely friendly individuals we’ve ever come in contact with.

We caught up with him this afternoon and here’s what one of Memphis’ most prolific musicians had to say.

Fayetteville Flyer: What are you listening to lately?

Roy Berry: Hmmmm. . . Motley Crue (Shout at the Devil), Venetian Snares, Monotonix, Dark Meat Vomit Laser Family Band, Drakkar Sauna, The Warble, Monk Volcano, Antenna Shoes, American Princes, Glossary, the Secret Service, Shelby Bryant, Okkerville River, Merzbow, Van Halen (not Van Hagar), Mike Bones, Tom Petty, Jack Oblivian, Harlan T. Bobo, Melt Banana, Dimmu Borgir, Dr. Dre (and Snoop) the Chronic, etc.

FF: So, you guys live in Elvis’s old Dojo in Memphis?

RB: I just moved out. Ben and John C. still live there. I also used to live in the alley behind the Heartbreak Hotel. . . fitting. If I remember right, the historical marker said it’s called general Washburn’s escape alley.

FF: Do you really need an army?

RB: Freedom fries has their cost.

FF: We heard once that you find ways to incorporate drum parts from 80’s metal bands into Lucero songs. Is that true?

RB: Yes. For example: the instrumental part on the end of “nights like these” is the beat from “lay it down” by Ratt. I get inspiration from other unlikely (for Lucero songs) places. For example: the beat for “the last song” was inspired by “Chicken Head” by Project Pat and “The Bikeriders” is inspired by 2 Live Crew, Soophie Nun Squad, this bike is a pipe bomb and old Flaming Lips.

FF:We’ve heard some of what you’ve done with OVERJOID, and we like what we hear. What can you tell us about some of the side projects you are working on now?

RB: I just went in the studio with Jack Oblivian last night to play drums on a song for the record he’s working on. It was a stonesy-some-girls-ish type song. I actually tried out for Jack’s early band, The Painkillers, a long time ago, before I could play drums at all. I didn’t get to play with him back then, but have been a fan of Tthe Painkillers, The Compulsive Gamblers, The Oblivians, The Tearjerkers all along, so I am excited about that.

Tim Regan (Oh No Oh My, Antenna Shoes, Snowglobe) and I keep talking about recording an EP together, we’re both into it, so as soon as our schedules stop getting in the way, it’s gonna happen.

I just did a few songs at the Simple Ones reunion show. Mark Miller, the original drummer did the bulk of the gig, which is how it should be.

Ben and I keep threatening to do a garage rock side project.

Then there’s OVERJOID, which I am loathe to call a side project, since it existed before Lucero…and Terance, the other half of the band, has nothing to do with Lucero. Anyhow, Overjoid’s got some things going on:
Releasing a cassingle (with dropcard download) on analog empire May 1st.
Been working working working on a 15 song double album for around 2 years (5 songs to finish) which includes a Lucero deconstruction/remix and a Cory Branan collaboration.
Collaborated with Cory Branan on his last record (and the mentioned song for the OVERJOID record).
Doing a chaos/noise part for a song by a band from Atlanta called Imagination Head.
Doing beats for house music DJ/vocalist/producer Mr. White.
Working on hip-hop/experimental tracks for vocalist/lyricist Lil Woodgrain.
Finished a song for experimental/electronic band Grunt who will be releasing the album online for free.
Did accompaniment tracks for a City Mouse cassingle release.

Then there’s some OVERJOID possibilities I hope will happen:
Talked to American Princes about doing a remix.
Talked to Lord T. and Eloise about remixing a song called Pillz.
Talked to Kid Polio about doing a split 7″.
Talked to Interrobang about doing a split 7″.

FF: What’s happening in Memphis right now? Any bands we should check out?

RB: A whole lot, something for everyone. . . uh off the top of my head. . . Hi Electric, The Harmony Brothers, The Warble, Antenna Shoes, Harlan T. Bobo, Jack O & the Tearjerkers, Evil Army, Antique Curtains, Dragoon, The New Mary Jane, Amy Lavere, chasing squirrels, Monk Volcano, Viva L’ American Deathray (I still consider them from Memphis), Lord T. and Eloise, Effingham and Wheatstraw, Lil Woodgrain, Tunnel Clones, Bo Keys, Snowglobe, The Secret Service, River City Tanlines, Shabbadoo, the one four fives, vending machine, mouse rocket, Twin Pilot, Adios Gringo, Bury the Living, Snake Eyes, Jump Back Jace, Grace Askew, subteens, six string jets, angel sluts, chopper girl, Ross Johnson, true sons of thunder, hedgecreep, damn your eyes, third man, datadrums, the barbaras, the limes, the ultracats, noise choir, two way radio. . . and that’s completely incomplete. I’m probably forgetting half the bands I love.

FF: What’s next?

RB: Lucero’s headed to Europe (Ireland, England, Germany, Holland) in about a week. When we get back we start the intensive part of songwriting for the next record including demo recording, Then for July and August we tour the United States and when we come home from that, we start recording an album which will come out possibly in January.

My goal is to finish the OVERJOID album soon and find a label for that (or find some money on the ground to make vinyl or sock puppets that come with a free download). Also want to do another cassingle.

Also somewhere in there, I will be harvesting onions, peppers, herbs, broccoli, beans, blackberries, raspberries and whatever else is sprouting mighty fine right now in the kitchen.

There’s plenty to listen to over at the OVERJOID MySpace page (we suggest “oh don piano”). And of course, there’s always Lucero, which just happens to be playing here in Fayetteville this Thursday May 1st at the Dickson Theater.

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