Joel Arquillos vs. Kevin Chanel Interview

Michael Penne

Sean Brooks

Kevin Chanel

Where does one start with these two? Joel and Kevin are men amongst boys in the crazy rock and roll area of life. Personally, some of my favorite musical moments happened when these two were around in some capacity(PATCH, FERN TRIO, DEMI-GODS, LEMON-LIMES). But, these guys can say it better than me anyway as they interviewed each other. Oh yea, the above photos document the instrumental trio RED SHIRT FRESHMAN. Sorry about the font changes at the end of the piece, wanted it to have that fanzine feel - ed. 

KC: So El, It never escapes me, the first thing to pop into my head when I think of the name El Archer is the old adage of how you get rid of someone by giving them the "Spanish Archer," or "El Bow." I first heard of this watching a quite impressive episode of Behind The Music with Def Leppard, where Joe Elliott explains how Dan Savage was kicked out of the band for being a sick ass junkie and Joe Elliott explained how they gave him the ol' Spanish Archer, "El Bow" out of the band. And yet your music invokes no shred of Pyromania, or Hysteria, or drummers losing their left leg in car fire. Now how the hell do you explain that?

JA: But my music is all about pyromania and hysteria, Kevin. You should take another listen to my lyrics: burn your hostage down/take time to watch, or something like that. I sort of mumble when I sing so the words could be interpreted any way you want.  In fact I prefer that.

And I'd give anything to have a drummer, even one with a missing leg. For the track that appears in this compilation, I relied on my throbbing headache for a beat. Cheap wine does that to my head.

But as far as "Spanish Archer" or "El Bow" goes, neither played a part in my choosing the name "El Archer." My last name, Arquillos means Archer in English. I thought it would be a fun way to keep that image of a bow and arrow in people's heads while they listened to me sing and play guitar. I'm talking a hard core, thunder-arrow flinging Greek god. You know what I mean?

My question for you: who do you play with these days? What part do sports play in your music? What's your favorite P.i.L record?

KC: Good point. for instance I was convinced you were saying "bumble bostich town/drake timing watch." and I was really ready to accept that, as I have similar feelings toward metropolitan office products and personal accessories. I have tried to lull the compulsion to pontificate, but who has time. I call your pyromania and raise you a wooden leg.

And though I am embarrassed to admit, I always had assumed "arquillos" was an arcane coelecanth-type half-fish, half-dentist tool or other picture postcard from the shallow abyss of somewhereness. But I was wrong. I was thinking of someone completely different. Possibly Buzz Aldrin, second man on the moon. Me? Play music? Just my usual Lemon-Limes quadrennial fiesta of whimsy. just me, Greno, friends of Greno with whom I had not previously met but musically bond with somehow, and a handful of slapdash lyrics which I hope will match up with the immediacy usually requiring the necessity of a "Plan B" pill. And lots of tequila. Sports? They have the usual role of distraction. As of right now it is hot stove season, which means the Chargers are at their hopeless stage and I am wasting valuable work time seeing which baseball teams overpaid for a backup shortstop.

P.i.L? Oh come on. Is there another record besides Metal Box? But y'know, the first album has some great work on it as well. Read a couple of P.i.L biographies recently. Man, Lydon...what a dick.

Greek thunder arrows. Makes complete sense. 

SO if I may pry, how has fatherhood influenced your music? Or has it? Or has your fatherhood influenced my music? 

And how is LA treating you?

JA: I suppose fatherhood has influenced my realization that I have very little time to play these days. I certainly do play for my daughter who seems to enjoy that very much (but hell, she rocks out to Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, too) but I'm also finding it hard to just really get lost in the making of music  (used to love locking myself in a room with a recorder, instruments, beer, and my cat. Cats just sit there and don’t judge). Those were fun times and it's how I was able to write most of the things I've put out there.

I was thinking just the other day that I have a decent discography spanning at least 15 years. From my pre-California days in NYC to the year or so before Patch, to the 4.5 years in Patch and music I created as Jorrell and El Archer. I miss not having a community like I did up in Sonoma County; folks that knew how to play with me and motivated me to play. Folks like el Greno. LA's loaded with incredible musicians. I've never before come across so many truly gifted players. They certainly come to this town to try and make it, but others just find a way to stay creative without wanting success. There's tons of possibility but I can't seem to muster the energy to jump in to something. Maybe I'll just start writing songs for my daughter to sing and we'll take our show on the road. That might be my next musical incarnation: El Archer y La Arquera.

Is your daughter into music? I read recently that she loves Eno. How did that happen?

KC: I suppose that's why I never had a cat. I always assumed they were judging me. I think it was my past experiences in Cat Town, where I was pulled over on trumped-up charges ("Meow-Meow?"...what does that even MEAN?!) and incarcerated in an allergic haze. 

After that, fatherhood has been a breeze. Except for the part where I would rather be hanging out with my daughter than making music, which is pretty much constantly. Luckily she can quote old tv shoes really well. She so crazy.

I was in San Diego for Xmas (btw, this interview can be transposed every year until my parents and aunt Nell are dead) and recognized for the first time in 15 years that I have NO musical team up in SF. I have played a few times in SF since having moved here in 96, but still don't feel musically family like since Sunny [Mrs. Chanel --ed.] stopped hitting skins on the ol' 1961 Ludwig Radio Kings, back in 2000. I blame God. I am the anti-Tebow. I bow.

I am going to make a visit to Greno in '012, but he doesn't know it's just to spend q'time with his awesomely adorable little girls, whom are a real kick in the pants. But yes, like the mighty Jaki Liebezeit, Grenissimo is a back beat giant. A real bad-within-the-ass. I hate to aggrandize upon his own site, but you gotta throw the props as necessary.(too kind - ed.)

As you know, the love for Jorrell is endless, but I swear, LA is a painhole of blanched hell. It's an unprepared allergenic almond of despair. And yet i will go to my grave believing, nay, SWEARING, it is you with whom I entrust to save them all.

Save them all from Danzig.

JA : Where and how did you record your track for the comp, Kev? Was this a tune you'd been developing for a while or did it come together during the recording session?

KC : The Red Shirt Freshmen coalesced out of my house on Judah St in SF in 2000.
Myself on guitar, Bad Penne on drums and Sean Brooks on guitar and keyboards.
I had a basement studio and a Tascam 4-track and we just made sure to nail down as many ideas as possible and get at least one of them recorded each session.
In early 2001 we were evicted from that house, so we ended up with only three full tunes to our name.
Those are all now on compilations, so the entire RSF collection is somehow available.
With tis tune we recognized a semi-New Order melody and tried to ride on that.
Looking back it doesn't really sound that way, but we liked it all the same.
And YOUUUUU Joel?
How do you thin your tune represents the Archer? I sense an undercurrent of sly aggression, and perhaps a dash of cumin. Personally I think it stands as a good testament to your oeuvre.

JA : There's definitely aggression in most of my stuff, but think this track had less of it. It was the first time I recorded straight, live. The entire thing was pretty much part of an idea I was playing with and then sometime, late at night, I just pushed this baby out. I added another guitar track and some backing vocals the next day. I'm pretty happy with it, but felt it could have used some sort of mastering process. I  recorded straight onto my laptop through the built in mic.
So what's next for you, Maestro? Any planned recording sessions in the horizon?

IKC : It sounds pretty clean for that scenario. 

I have nothing going other than needing to finish the Lemon-Limes second album. Put out three songs on mp3/ Amazon/ iTunes cuz I got antsy. 

Just got back yesterday fm SD and a reunion of The Front - they whom started this whole Scheming Intelligentsia thing back in 1985. 

I'm old.

Mr. Joel "El Archer" Arquillos