METAL PULP AND PAPER
METAL PULP AND PAPER INTERVIEW
Evan Rodaniche of Cage9
Cage9 is a Panamanian/American alternative rock band that formed in Panama City in 1999. The group was founded by Evan Rodaniche (guitar/vocals) and is currently based out of Los Angeles, California. They have been direct openers for Ozzy Osbourne and Bad Religion, as well as shared the stage with notable acts like Queensrÿche, Seether, Sevendust, and Hellyeah. With a new release called Illuminator out now on Emp Label Group, Metal Pulp And Paper got a chance to speak with Evan before he gets ready to go out on the road in early August with Lacey Sturm.
METAL PULP AND PAPER: Can you tell the Metal Pulp And Paper readers what Cage9 is all about? For the first time listener what can they expect to hear from your music?
EVAN RODANICHE: I think you'll hear a band that's very comfortable in it's own skin. We've put out a couple albums and each one has built on the foundations of the previous one. We're at a great moment of musical maturity and vision and very excited to hit the road this summer to bring these new songs out into the world!
MPAP: "I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." [1]
You recently just posted this on Facebook. It has a pretty deep meaning? Why did you post this, and what does it mean to you?
ER: I'm a fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Tolkien. I love how, as outlandish as the story can be, it has universal life lessons and observations that are relevant to real life. Frodo is bummed out about how crazy things are in middle-Earth and wishes for simpler times, just as elections, terrorism and other modern woes make us all sometimes think we're living in unusually turbulent times. But in reality, wishing the world would just leave us alone is not an option. This is the world we've been given and it's our responsibility to make the best out of it! And really in the big scheme of things - we've got it pretty good. There's modern medicine, magical telephones that let us utilize the internet while we're supposed to be working, airplanes, pokemon, ice cream, leisure time spent in hammocks - while our ancestors spent most of their waking hours trying to not get eaten by bears. Wizards are smart.
MPAP: If you were told you could take items that only fit into a one shoe box, knowing you were going to be stranded on a deserted island, what would you put in it? And the reason why for bringing each item?
ER: The book Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut[2]- I've read it like two or three times and still get a huge kick out of it and can barely describe what it's about. Something involving human kind's free-will, Martian's invading, something called an chrono-synclastic infundibulum and other whacky early 60's futuristic ideas. But it's hilarious. I could probably make a new religion out of it and turn it into a bible of sorts.
Hacky-sack. I suck at that, but it fits in a shoe-box nicely and I'd have plenty of time to get awesome.
Is there a water purifier that fits in a shoe box? I'd probably want that on a deserted island.
A large knife to kill things and open cocounuts? I'd rather not die too quickly.
A hand grenade. Because it's small-but full of surprises-just like me!
A twinkie. Not to eat. Just to stare at and remember that I'm not an animal goddamn it!
A really compact tent or fold out synthetic blanket to get wrapped up in, wave for help, turn into a sail etc.
Tiny solar-panel to power a tiny satellite phone???
Mouth harp.
Blow dryer. Actually scratch that.
Sling shot.
Rope.
And the rest of the space to be filled with a few more Kurt Vonnegut books just because.
MPAP: Cage9 has opened up for the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and Bad Religion before. Both have been very big influences in the music industry for many years.What was this like?
ER: Scary. It's a HUGE honor, but it's also a daunting task to open for a huge band that has influenced so many people. It's a bit of a mind fuck getting psyched up for a show like that. It's like being struggling artist and having your work on display next to the Mona Lisa! So you have huge internal pressure to be absolutely flawless and deliver the best performance of your life. For most of our
big shows, in front of thousands of people, I'm usually in the best mood once we've played the last note and I'm walking off stage-victory!
MPAP: Any stories you can share hanging out with those icons? Or any other stories not safe for work?
ER: I think the absolute most fun and outrageous times we've had on the road have been with regular, every-day folks! It usually involves sneaking into hotel swimming pools after hours and other bad decisions.
MPAP: With the recent tragedy of Christina Grimmie being gunned down and killed by a fan[3], just like Dimebag Darrel back in 2004[4], has Cage9 done anything different lately to protect yourself? What precautions have you taken before or after each show?
ER: Yeah we've played at the venue in Ohio where Dimebag was shot-last I checked they hadn't even covered up the bullet holes in the walls. Horrible. As a band that's out on the road with only the thin walls of our van protecting us from the world, there's really not much you can do except keep your eyes open. I'd like to think these are isolated incidents-tiny anomalies in the otherwise safe world of concert going. You're probably more likely to be eaten by a shark
in a swimming pool. I think it's safe to describe hard-core fans of any band as a little bit "crazy" to some extent - mostly in a great way lol. But people behave strangely when they're around artists and people that they think are "famous"-we all do. So it's no surprise that sometimes that thinking can get twisted and go to some dark places. Just hope those people have family and friends around them that take note and can get them help before it's too late.
MPAP: What's something Cage9 can say, "Been there, done that", that you don't have to worry about anymore or check off your bucket list?
ER: Clearly opening for Ozzy is at the top of the list, but playing on Shiprocked, the yearly hard-rock and metal cruise with Queensryche, Sevendust, Filter and a BUNCH of other awesome bands is definitely up there. Being in a working band, it's a little more healthy to measure yourself with the small victories like finishing and putting out an album that you're proud of, directing and editing our own music video, booking and successfully completing a tour all on our own. Getting signed by David Ellefson of Megadeth! It's really often a combination of smaller victories that keep you going as opposed to just singular, "A-ha!" moments.
MPAP: Even with lineup changes what's still kept the gears turning for Cage9 since forming in 1999?
ER: I'm not sure. I'm stubborn about music I guess. I refuse to stop. I just keep writing songs, playing shows and try not to get side-tracked by what other people's idea of "success" is.
MPAP: You're getting ready to go out on 11 date tour with Lacey Sturm, formerly of Flyleaf. What's the longest stretch you've been out on the road?
ER: I think maybe somewhere around the 2 month mark is my limit to date. That's about the time you REALLY start to miss your own bed. I also played guitar in Powerman 5000 for about 5 years at the same time as Cage9 so I've probably logged a few years of road time at this point!
MPAP: A pair of clean socks or a hot home cooked meal, which one is to die for out on the road?
ER: A nice clean, private, bathroom to shower and not talk to other people for a few minutes, that's the hot commodity on the road. Followed by the socks and home cooked meal of course.
MPAP: What helps you pass the time between each city leaving friends and family behind?
ER: Movies and TV shows. I think we've watched every TV show out there multiple times, it really helps the long drives go by. Thank you Game of Thrones, Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad and every other TV show ever made.
MPAP: What's next on the horizon for Cage9? What's one thing you hope the readers have learned and what they walk away with?
ER: I think the story of this band owes a lot to the perseverance and time invested in making it what it is. We have been around for awhile but we continue to grow, evolve and consume/make music with fresh ears and an open mind. We're still a new band to most of the world and we behave as such. We're just as, if not more hungry than the next band, to get out there and play our asses off and forge our own path in the musical world. Thank you for taking a second to listen!
EVAN RODANICHE: I think you'll hear a band that's very comfortable in it's own skin. We've put out a couple albums and each one has built on the foundations of the previous one. We're at a great moment of musical maturity and vision and very excited to hit the road this summer to bring these new songs out into the world!
MPAP: "I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." [1]
You recently just posted this on Facebook. It has a pretty deep meaning? Why did you post this, and what does it mean to you?
ER: I'm a fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Tolkien. I love how, as outlandish as the story can be, it has universal life lessons and observations that are relevant to real life. Frodo is bummed out about how crazy things are in middle-Earth and wishes for simpler times, just as elections, terrorism and other modern woes make us all sometimes think we're living in unusually turbulent times. But in reality, wishing the world would just leave us alone is not an option. This is the world we've been given and it's our responsibility to make the best out of it! And really in the big scheme of things - we've got it pretty good. There's modern medicine, magical telephones that let us utilize the internet while we're supposed to be working, airplanes, pokemon, ice cream, leisure time spent in hammocks - while our ancestors spent most of their waking hours trying to not get eaten by bears. Wizards are smart.
MPAP: If you were told you could take items that only fit into a one shoe box, knowing you were going to be stranded on a deserted island, what would you put in it? And the reason why for bringing each item?
ER: The book Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut[2]- I've read it like two or three times and still get a huge kick out of it and can barely describe what it's about. Something involving human kind's free-will, Martian's invading, something called an chrono-synclastic infundibulum and other whacky early 60's futuristic ideas. But it's hilarious. I could probably make a new religion out of it and turn it into a bible of sorts.
Hacky-sack. I suck at that, but it fits in a shoe-box nicely and I'd have plenty of time to get awesome.
Is there a water purifier that fits in a shoe box? I'd probably want that on a deserted island.
A large knife to kill things and open cocounuts? I'd rather not die too quickly.
A hand grenade. Because it's small-but full of surprises-just like me!
A twinkie. Not to eat. Just to stare at and remember that I'm not an animal goddamn it!
A really compact tent or fold out synthetic blanket to get wrapped up in, wave for help, turn into a sail etc.
Tiny solar-panel to power a tiny satellite phone???
Mouth harp.
Blow dryer. Actually scratch that.
Sling shot.
Rope.
And the rest of the space to be filled with a few more Kurt Vonnegut books just because.
MPAP: Cage9 has opened up for the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and Bad Religion before. Both have been very big influences in the music industry for many years.What was this like?
ER: Scary. It's a HUGE honor, but it's also a daunting task to open for a huge band that has influenced so many people. It's a bit of a mind fuck getting psyched up for a show like that. It's like being struggling artist and having your work on display next to the Mona Lisa! So you have huge internal pressure to be absolutely flawless and deliver the best performance of your life. For most of our
big shows, in front of thousands of people, I'm usually in the best mood once we've played the last note and I'm walking off stage-victory!
MPAP: Any stories you can share hanging out with those icons? Or any other stories not safe for work?
ER: I think the absolute most fun and outrageous times we've had on the road have been with regular, every-day folks! It usually involves sneaking into hotel swimming pools after hours and other bad decisions.
MPAP: With the recent tragedy of Christina Grimmie being gunned down and killed by a fan[3], just like Dimebag Darrel back in 2004[4], has Cage9 done anything different lately to protect yourself? What precautions have you taken before or after each show?
ER: Yeah we've played at the venue in Ohio where Dimebag was shot-last I checked they hadn't even covered up the bullet holes in the walls. Horrible. As a band that's out on the road with only the thin walls of our van protecting us from the world, there's really not much you can do except keep your eyes open. I'd like to think these are isolated incidents-tiny anomalies in the otherwise safe world of concert going. You're probably more likely to be eaten by a shark
in a swimming pool. I think it's safe to describe hard-core fans of any band as a little bit "crazy" to some extent - mostly in a great way lol. But people behave strangely when they're around artists and people that they think are "famous"-we all do. So it's no surprise that sometimes that thinking can get twisted and go to some dark places. Just hope those people have family and friends around them that take note and can get them help before it's too late.
MPAP: What's something Cage9 can say, "Been there, done that", that you don't have to worry about anymore or check off your bucket list?
ER: Clearly opening for Ozzy is at the top of the list, but playing on Shiprocked, the yearly hard-rock and metal cruise with Queensryche, Sevendust, Filter and a BUNCH of other awesome bands is definitely up there. Being in a working band, it's a little more healthy to measure yourself with the small victories like finishing and putting out an album that you're proud of, directing and editing our own music video, booking and successfully completing a tour all on our own. Getting signed by David Ellefson of Megadeth! It's really often a combination of smaller victories that keep you going as opposed to just singular, "A-ha!" moments.
MPAP: Even with lineup changes what's still kept the gears turning for Cage9 since forming in 1999?
ER: I'm not sure. I'm stubborn about music I guess. I refuse to stop. I just keep writing songs, playing shows and try not to get side-tracked by what other people's idea of "success" is.
MPAP: You're getting ready to go out on 11 date tour with Lacey Sturm, formerly of Flyleaf. What's the longest stretch you've been out on the road?
ER: I think maybe somewhere around the 2 month mark is my limit to date. That's about the time you REALLY start to miss your own bed. I also played guitar in Powerman 5000 for about 5 years at the same time as Cage9 so I've probably logged a few years of road time at this point!
MPAP: A pair of clean socks or a hot home cooked meal, which one is to die for out on the road?
ER: A nice clean, private, bathroom to shower and not talk to other people for a few minutes, that's the hot commodity on the road. Followed by the socks and home cooked meal of course.
MPAP: What helps you pass the time between each city leaving friends and family behind?
ER: Movies and TV shows. I think we've watched every TV show out there multiple times, it really helps the long drives go by. Thank you Game of Thrones, Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad and every other TV show ever made.
MPAP: What's next on the horizon for Cage9? What's one thing you hope the readers have learned and what they walk away with?
ER: I think the story of this band owes a lot to the perseverance and time invested in making it what it is. We have been around for awhile but we continue to grow, evolve and consume/make music with fresh ears and an open mind. We're still a new band to most of the world and we behave as such. We're just as, if not more hungry than the next band, to get out there and play our asses off and forge our own path in the musical world. Thank you for taking a second to listen!
Picture courtesy of Cage9 Facebook
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