Diarrhea Planet On the Local

by Dave Sharp on Jan 08^th, 2012

My apologies to Diarrhea Planet and Sinizine.net readers for using the seemingly obligatory and definitely overused lead of discussing Diarrhea Planet’s name before anything else.

With that said, I have to ask – would you ever expect a phrase like “Widespread sonic palette” to come out of a band named after celestial runny poop?

On the surface it doesn’t fit – but, as Brent says, “It’s just a band name.”

If there’s one discovery to come out of this interview (besides their lopsided love for the Beatles, fondness for screamo and Jamaican music and the fact that they all live in two houses and almost entirely work at Papa Johns) its that there’s a lot more substance to this band than for which they’re credited. Their vision reaches far beyond playing loud guitar rock and hanging with their friends (although, that’s still clearly the priority).

“We’re working on a new album now –the new songs so far are four minutes long. Longer songs with a little more emotional depth,” said Jordan.

What was clear way before this interview was Casey, Jordan, Brent, Mike, Emmett, and Evan’s ambition. Their dirty Cinderella story – not much unlike their label brethren JEFF the Brotherhood — has lead them from a two-man crew, through multiple lineup changes and blossoming into a 6-some with a full-length and regional tours under their belts in short of two years.

And they continue to make strides – not despite their name – but, because of their name. In a lot of cases, its what opens one’s ears to them first, its one thing that builds blog buzz and it certainly heightens curiosity.

Their rise to notoriety has been a whirlwind and, considering they started as an intentionally annoying two-piece noise band (with Nashville’s Evan P. Donohue, of all people) only two years ag0 now boast six members, four of which play guitar. So, we had to start the interview with Brent, Jordan, Mike and Casey (Evan was away in Washington and Emmitt was as work) by discovering when the band moved beyond a jokey pastime to a serious endeavor. Enjoy.

P.S. Be sure to check out the film of their show at the former Frayed Knot near Vanderbilt (mentioned in the interview and featuring their track “Where Are You?” off of the Aloha! seven-inch)  and the short video featuring the band discussing their community and what it means to them.

****UPDATE: This is a newer version of video that’s less choppy. Please enjoy and share.

Diarrhea Planet’s Influences