Four One Forty: First off, how is life?
Jonathan Parish: Well, life for the time being, it is very weird...In the last week I have recorded the majority of an album, got a job at McDonalds, got the gift of a kidney
stone, lost the job at McDonalds, passed the kidney stone, found out that a good joke is worth more than 5 minutes of on stage rambling, and I am preparing for my 40 day trek with Kicking Howard in the summer. Outside of that, my life I am doing good emotionally, I am not nearly as lonely as I usually am.

FOF: It must have been quite an experience for you to join the ranks of such a respectable band as Loyal Frisby.  How do you feel about your time with the band?  How has it changed you personally?
JP: Well, since the band and my time with it is almost up then right now is probably the best time for me to be asked these kind of questions, you know, so I can take stock in things. Well, this band is probably the greatest accomplishment of my life. I have only been involved in it for a little under a year. Even though it is a short time, it is amazing how much it has changed me and had an impact on me. I feel that I know myself better because of the band, not so much the music, but because of dealing with the members. Our band is overly dramatic, so it is often that I think a lot about things before I say them and be clear in my intent. So because of stuff like that I have found myself being more conscientious than I ever have (though I think ex-girlfriends would disagree with that, ha).  Gosh, I could ramble on for hours about this, I just know that because of this band and the people involved in it and how great they are I am better. So personally, I am better man than I was before this band.

 

FOF: What are the differences between being in LF and your previous band, Rushmore?

JP: Well, comparing the two is night and day. I was in high school for most of Rushmore, and those guys were my best friends.  More so than anything else that was my only real voice at the time. I kinda led that band so it was usually me yelling or crying.  In Loyal Frisby I am not really the leader, Pat and Loyal are more the leaders. They are way more experienced than me so I have to sit back and listen a lot. Which is good, because it helped me get off my high horse. I am lot more grounded now that I am in Loyal Frisby than when I was in Rushmore.  Rushmore just played shows all the time in Pensacola, so we were huge in our heads cause that is all we knew. I grew up and left home and realized that I wasn't shit back then, and I am still nothing. I am just more aware of my place in life.

 

FOF: Right now, you guys are recording.  Tell us a little bit about that.

JP: It is going extremely well. We are recording with Rob MacGregor at his home studio called Golden Tone. He did the most of the last album, so everyone besides me (Ryan recorded with him in his previous band) knew what to expect, so it goes really smoothly. Rob is really laid back and full of good ideas. He makes you feel like you are important and gives you lots of attention. The songs are just rolling out. That album is just what we wanted so far; we mix tomorrow, so after that we don't have much left.

 

FOF: Each Loyal Frisby recording shows a change that stems from both the growing maturity in songwriting and the rotating lineup.  Where do you feel the songwriting on this new album is going?
JP: Well, when I joined the band there was already a pile of recordings and songs. It took a long time for me and Ryan to get up to steam and know all the songs. One
thing, though, is one of the reasons Loyal wanted me in the band is because I could sing. So that was almost immediately put into effect. Before me, Jordan and Ned used to sing, but it was kinda obvious that they were back up guys. With Loyal and I, the line kinda blurs
at times. But I consider myself a back up guy. Also, Ryan has a completely different style than Ned. So the over laying guitar parts are definitely different. Things are more melodic with Ryan. I am also a very cookie cutter rock  'n roll bass player, so that was a change for this band.  Loyal and me wrote some of the songs on the new album together. I have a very different style of writing; some of the songs sound nothing at all like the old stuff. I hope that is a good thing. We are really happy with it. A lot of the [new] songs are actually about the band itself.

 

FOF: One thing about Loyal Frisby is the passion of their ever-loving fan base.  Do you feel that you and (guitarist) Ryan were well received right from the beginning?  How did it change as you became a genuine part of the band?

JP: First off, I wanna say thank you for saying things like that, knowing that people care so much makes me feel so happy.  Back in August it seemed like people were just happy we were playing again. Then as time passed a lot of those old faces stopped coming around as much. People had their version of Loyal Frisby and they loved it; me and Ryan are not Ned and Jordan. That disappointed people. Also the songwriting got different and the in-between song banter from me can be ultra lame sometimes.  I am happy just to be doing it. This band meant the world to me before I was in it; hell, I even miss Ned yelling sometimes. So I can understand people not coming around as much. We are Loyal Frisby though.

 

FOF: Pick three words to describe each of the other band members.

JP: Pat- hard working, womanizer
      Ryan -good looking, funny
      Loyal-passionate, loving, critical
     Adam-machine, ladies man

FOF: What was the Midwest tour like?  Would you have liked to tour some more?

JP: Man, I dropped out of college for this band. I wish we could have toured way more. I love touring, and doing it with this band is amazing. The Midwest tour was awesome. We had a fill-in drummer who played his best, but unfortunately he became our whipping boy. I met so many great people and saw so many good bands.  I had never been that far west or north before. Did you know there is a giant statue of General Lee in Texas off the interstate?  Also, did you know that Chicago has the highest percentage of hot businesswomen in the world? Well now you do.

FOF: What are your plans after Loyal Frisby?  I know you write your own songs upon occasion, do you plan to start your own musical project or become a bassist-for-hire again?

JP: Well, first to clear my name here. I was only "hired gun" early on in the game. But I am selling my soul again and am joining Kicking Howard. Yeah, I definitely have a
price tag. I do write my own songs though.  I have gotten really mixed reviews on my stuff. I am extremely scared of starting my own band so I will probably just be a bass whore for a long time. I would like to start a very loud rock band that sounds like Fugazi during their "in on the killer taker" days. I could bring in some sweet Beach Boys stuff and lots of "hum chug chug" and then I would have my dream band. Hopefully I will get to that in a year or so.

 

FOF: What were some of the more difficult elements of being in the band?

 

JP: Well, I am in a band full of perfectionists. I am also the youngest and the least motivated. So that equals lots of stress and me getting reprehended a lot. I kinda have a mother and father relationship with Pat and Loyal. So I am always looking at them for approval. It is very sick on my part. But the rewards of this band for me are emotional. Loyal is an incredible songwriter. Playing with these guys, whether it be at practice or on stage, is a huge release for me, it is one of the things that makes me feel whole. I found myself crying before. It pretty emo I suppose, but it is pure feelings. I love these songs and this band. I will be truly sad when it is over.

 

FOF: Where do you see indie rock, both nationally and locally, going in the next few years?  What is your opinion on the "scene" in Florida, particularly in a town such as Gainesville?

 

JP: I have been thinking a lot about this subject lately. It reminds me of the ska explosion (I use this and not the Seattle thing because I was way to young to pull from that) that happened a few years back. All these long time hard working ska bands got huge and all these people finally started breaking even. For a few moments the underground opened up and you could see it, you could see it in Rolling Stone. It made a lot of people start looking deeper and finding new bands; I know because I was one of them. So if you look at it perspective-wise I found Fugazi because of the Mighty Bosstones. So this whole thing means more money for people and a bigger audience for struggling bands that deserve it. I saw Alkaline Trio on Connan O'Brien the other night. That was pretty surreal.
I am happy about it though. I am very happy that the radio is catching up. But at the same time, this won't last long, and it already turning into something disgusting. I mean, look at all the shit copy bands that are getting big
because of this new gold mine. Look at the backlash that happened with ska thing! Real Big Fish is almost a dirty word now. That might be because ska can be a very ridiculous genre, but if it happens once it can happen again. Also, you know punk rock is really being bought and sold these days in way that hasn't happened in years. It really bugs me the whole scene fashion thing and "Hot
Hopic". It is no different than Limp Bizikit, it's just this time it is not all about the nookie, it is all about the scene cred. Because sex is not cool when you are too busy being emo. Okay, breathing time. So yeah, I have mixed feelings on the big indie scene. It will go down hill soon though. Then maybe people will start to rember Pavement, Dinosaur Jr., Superchunk, and the others that got us
here. The people involved in music right now don't seem to remember those bands.

FOF: Any final words?

JP: I was just listening to this band called pygmy that the Frisby played with back in deck. They are really good; they are from South Florida. I would suggest checking
them out. Also thank you so much, Ryan, you are an amazing person. You are the reason that people don't get jaded and keep their head straight. You have a true love of music. I appreciate that and what you have done for my band and for my personal life.

 

----------------------------------------------ryan adams--

 

If anyone gets the chance, PLEASE go and see one of the last Loyal Frisby shows this summer.  Also pick up a copy of their new album, out soon.  Find out about the new album and the farewell shows at www.loyalfrisby.com.