Interviews: Grave Next Door

On this new occasion, we had the opportunity to interview the Doom Metal/Stoner Metal/Sludge Metal band Grave Next Door from the USA. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you plan it or come out just like that?

We were really stuck for a name, Anthony our guitarist and vocalist was sitting on our porch and looked over at the cemetery next to our house and he thought “what does a name really matter? We are all going to end up in the grave next door eventually.” Then he said that’s it Grave Next Door!

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

My brother Anthony and I had been jamming for years, one day someone turned me on to Kyuss and I realized we sounded similar in tone, rhythm, and song structure. When we started the band we recorded our songs on a CD and played it for some friends they said it was Doom Metal. We had never heard of it. We would work out together and listen to music so we put doom metal in on Pandora and heard all these wonderful bands and we were hooked! The heaviness and tempo just hit so hard, the music wasn’t crowded or clogged! We started playing small shows at open mic nights and the clubs and bars asked us to come back and play full sets and promoted us as doom metal and stoner metal. The genre just picked us.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Yes, Patrick and Anthony Salerno are brothers. Patrick is the oldest son and Anthony is the youngest. I (Patrick) knew Luke from the bike shop in town, I knew he had seen us open for Weedeater so he had been to one of our shows. On one particular day, I was at the shop getting my BMX bike fixed and I saw Luke with a Black Flag My Rules shirt on. We were in need of a bassist and I took a shot in the dark, asked him if he played bass and it just worked out!

4. Each band member's favorite band?

Anthony: The Melvins.

Luke: Merauder, especially the Master Killer album.

Patrick: Black Flag, most influential albums My War and Slip It In.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Life, the pain, struggle, and journey of it. Horror movies, books, especially Henry Miller, Chuck Bukowski, my (Patrick) experience in the military, I was in the Navy. Anthony’s experience with addiction. Aberrant behavior is also big with us, killing, especially in cold blood, what makes these people tick differently and how they can do that fascinates us. That’s where the line in humanity is crossed, between the civilized person and the savage. Some of our songs take you into that dark world.

6. Where was your last gig?

Waterbotton Stage in Norwalk Ohio we did a four-day run with Tommy Stewart’s Dyerwulf out of Atlanta and Black Moon Cult. Megaton Communion was also on the bill that night.

7. Where would you like to act?

Europe, I hear the festivals and crowds at the venues are amazing! As far as festivals we have played the Maryland Doomfest which is the original Doomfest! Our first time playing there we were the second band on that day. The headliner never showed so we were chosen to headline that night as well! JB Matson the guy who puts that on is instrumental in our genre. We would really like to play Desertfest NYC, London, and Berlin. Get that Desertfest triple crown.

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

Well, we played with one of our favorites Weedeater, definitely would love to play with Monolord, Elder, The Obsessed, The Melvins, Black Flag, or Flag.

9. Whom not?

After 7 national tours, we have played with a lot of people. We love to play and really would not exclude anyone. We played the inaugural Tennesee Metal Devastation Fest to 1800 people and we have played house shows to 3 people. 

10. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners on how to beat that?

Luke: I definitely had stage fright during the first few shows. Things that helped me were talking to others before playing so I wasn't focused on my anxiety, getting things to help with sweat like wristbands, and focusing on playing my best for people listening instead of focusing on ways things could go wrong. Anthony: Stage fright, yes it's a very scary feeling but so is looking at a roller coaster before you ride it, when the ride is over it’s fun as hell! So you just turn your fear into fun.

Patrick: I grew up in the NYC area and did child acting I went to acting school and I was always going to auditions and performing in shows so stage fright was never a thing for me. The only stage fright I have exists in one reoccurring nightmare where I’m in Paris and I’m the drummer for The Who. It’s an outside concert playing on the steps of the Arch De Triomphe and there are at least a hundred thousand people cheering and waiting to start. Roger Daltry, Pete Townsend, and John Entwistle are just looking at me and I’m having a panic attack! I immediately tell them to wait because I have to go to the bathroom, I run off stage and hide in the bathroom!

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

For me too many to list My brother and I grew up with a dad who was into old rock n roll, Bob Seger, Peter Frampton, The Eagles, Neil Diamond, Bruce Springsteen, and doo-wop. That was too soft for Patrick so he was deep into the Doors, Sabbath, Cream, Jefferson Airplane, Iggy and the Stooges, The Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead. Punk was also a major inspiration for Patrick and Anthony.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

We really can’t recall, fans give us a lot of cool stuff! Someone in Wausau Wisconsin gave us a rabbit’s foot keychain.

13. What do you think of your fans?

Fans is such a rock star term, we like to think of them as friends, we are so grateful to them and they are some of the most awesome people on the planet, they show up and we talk before and after we play about what is going on in each others lives and a lot of times we go out to eat or stay over their houses.

14. What do you think of our site?

It’s excellent and has a ton of bands and music. We especially like the interviews, it’s great to hear the music but it’s even better to learn about the people who make the music. It gives you an insight into the music and becomes much more personal. The site is also user-friendly and has great photos of bands and album artwork!

15. Something to add?

Sorry No Candy is our second album on Black Doomba Records it was engineered and produced by Tommy Stewart one of the founding members of Hallow’s Eve they were on Metal Blade Records and known as the “The other Slayer.” In fact, their first tour ever was with Slayer. Tommy is a good person and did a great job on our album. Our drummer Patrick finally got a kidney from a living donor this summer and is doing excellent. We did two national tours with him doing dialysis in the cities we played living up to the old adage “The show must go on!.”