I got my first taste of PayPer Chainz last summer during X94's The Basin Has Music Talent contest. Since then I've kept up with Frankie Davis and the brothers Daniel and Zach Arias through their Facebook page as they've played all through the Basin and on the Wasatch Front. I recently got the chance to sit down with the guys the night before they headed to Salt Lake City to open up for the reggae band, Iration, to get some burning questions answered.
Edge: How did you guys get your start?
PPC: (Zach/Bass) Daniel and I, we're brothers, and we grew up jamming together. A lot of metal. We're Tool fans, Rage Against The Machine fans…
(Frankie/Guitar) I started it.
(Daniel/Drums and Zach) Started it… pfff!
(Zach) These two started playing together with another bassist who will remain nameless.
(Frankie) He was imaginary, like, we just pretended he was there.
Edge: So aside from imaginary band members, what brought you together?
PPC: (Frankie) Actually it was the "Basin Has Music Talent" thing. When I heard that on the radio I ran home that day, wrote that song "Lost", recorded it, and then I couldn't send it to them on time so it ended up being like two weeks late. Then I found out that if you 'won' you had to perform. So I talked to the mystery bass player and he told me about Daniel and so we started getting together to practice two weeks prior to the end of the Basin Has Music Talent thing and ended up jamming like 10 songs just for the fun of it.
(Zach) And then the mystery bassist left four days before a big show at the Avalon in Salt Lake, so I had that long to learn everything and it was supposed to be temporary…
(Frankie) You still are temporary! (Everybody laughs)
Edge: You guys have been doing some recording, when can we expect to hear something?
PPC: (Zach) It's supposed to be this month…
(Daniel and Frankie) Yeah…supposed to be…
(Frankie) So probably in January.
Edge: Who's handling the recording and mixing?
PPC: Lee Meeks and his brother Jonathan from the band Holding Hope. They're working on building a professional studio in Altamont.
(Zach) Yeah, so we're kinda their guinea pigs.
Edge: What shows have you got coming up?
PPC: (Zach) We're possibly playing at Liquid Joe's (in SLC) on the 15th of December.
(Daniel) And we're playing in Duluth, Minnesota the 15th of January for a guy that put together a Ska compilation album we're on. We're not Ska, but we're on it.
(Frankie) On the 23rd of January we're playing at a cancer benefit at Kilby Court in Salt Lake.
Edge: What have been some of your biggest milestones this year for you guys?
PPC: (Frankie) Being on the Ska Lives compilation definitely. Because of that we got a good 1000 fans from around the world…
(Zach) Germany! They like us in Germany actually! (All laugh)
Edge: So you said that you're not Ska, despite your involvement in many Ska endeavors, how would define your style then?
PPC: (Frankie) Reggaecore
(Zach) Reggae-Metal
(Daniel) I like the Reggae-Metal label, maybe Fusion! Reggae-Metal Fusion! (Zach) But we warm up our practices with the Titanic theme song. (All laugh)
Edge: Who are your musical influences and why did you start playing music?
PPC: (Daniel) Tool, Chevelle, Rage Against the Machine, and all that hard stuff… I've been asking my mom since I was a kid to get me drum lessons, I've just always loved music.
(Zach) Rage Against the Machine is definitely my biggest influence…I can't really say why I started playing…let's just say that I was 'under the influence' and there were instruments in the house…(All laugh)
(Frankie) I picked up the trumpet when I was 11. I was a big Ska fan back then so I got into jazz and stuff and kept going with the guitar and got into reggae and have been doing that more than anything the last few years.
Edge: How do your songs come together? What's your songwriting process?
PPC: (Frankie) I write everything while I'm driving down the highway in my cement truck.
(Daniel) Serious! He'll send me text messages and emails with songs.
(Zach) I write more riffs than songs, Frankie is better at the full songs.
Edge: What is the future plans for the band?
PPC: (Daniel) Um, finish this album.
(Frankie) And then break up…no, not really
Edge: And then you'll have a reunion tour next summer, right?
PPC: (Everybody laughs) (Daniel) Mostly we just want to keep going, we've got some exciting things that could be happening in Minnesota with people that want to talk with us.
(Zach) I don't know about these fellas, but I've got a pig in the livestock…and I'm gonna get that blue ribbon! (quote from the movie That Thing You Do) (Everybody laughs)
Edge: I love that movie!
PPC: (Daniel) If only it were that easy for a band to make it…
Edge: Have you got anything you want to say to your fans?
PPC: (Frankie) Give us feedback!
(Daniel and Zach) Yeah, we love hearing from our fans!
To keep up with all the action happening, be sure to swing by their Facebook page for the latest updates on everything from shows to their upcoming album entitled Lost, and be sure to catch one of their energetic live shows as they're always adding more dates.
Brad Litton is a professional musician, guitar instructor, and guitarist for the band New Tragedy. For more information and free newsletters, go to VernalGuitar.net and NewTragedy.net.
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