I still remember the first time I  heard a Doughboys song. It was “Your Related” and I was at my friend Tim’s house. I felt an instant connection to their music. They were on a list of bands I absolutely had to see live.  Unfortunately, the first time I got that chance I was pretty sick and had a seizure. Talk about a reaction.

As dopey as I felt that night I was able to catch their entire set . When I got a chance to see them again at Maxwells in Hoboken I managed to steal some time away from John Kastner.  The following is what I managed to pry out of him. JD

Kastner: Our record company went under for a while but they are back on their feet. Their financial backers pulled out so it’s not Enigma anymore. it’s just Restless.

James: How has the tour been so far?

Kastner: it’s been great.. We’ve toured Europe twice and Canada once since the record came out there first. We’ve been out for about six months now. We’ve only been in America for about a week.

James: Do the crowds in Canada and Europe differ much to that in the U.S. in the way they interact and respond to the band?

Kastner: for us yeah, the crowds are much bigger because they know who we are. They know our music there and they buy our records. Our new record has been out there for months now and it’s doing well. We draw a bigger crowd there and the people who come to our shows go nuts. As opposed to here where our record isn’t out yet. We’re playing mostly new material and nobody knows it. We try to get people to move and rock but it’s hard when you don’t know any of the music. We’re waiting for the record to come out here and when we come back this way we hope to do better.

James: Where did you go in Europe.

Kastner: On the first tour we did about fifty cities in two and a half months. It was great and when we went back we did a five week tour with Buffalo Tom and The Lemonheads.

James: Do the crowds in Europe seem more politically active than here?

Kastner: Political? Yes. Definitely more political. The crowds are also much bigger. When we play in European cities there are usually thousands of people at our shows. A show like tonight would draw about three thousand people.

James: I was really taken with the art on the “Whatever” album jacket. Could you tell me a little bit about it?

Kastner: It was something a friend of ours painted. We liked it so we used it. The guy who produced the record was going out with the girl at the time.

James: When you chose the name Doughboys what was your interpretation of it’s meaning.

Kastner: It’s a lot of things. In the ghettos it’s a stupid person. It originated with the untrained soldiers in World War 1 that were sent to fight. At the time it made sense for us but now it doesn’t hold any special meaning.

James: Since you started playing together has your direction or your style changed or evolved much?

Kastner: I don’t think it’s changed much. You grow up, you write better songs. It changes a bit but I don’t think the ideas change much.

James: Do you see yourself performing and continuing as an underground band?

Kastner: I am not going to change the way I write to try to make money but if something happens you really can’t say.

James: Can you tell me about some of the stuff on the new album?

Kastner: A lot of the same stuff. Personal politics and of course, what’s going on in my life. I’m not trying to make changes in anybody’s life but if you can take something from it, great. Songs like Intravenous De Milo, Deep End and

Happy Home.

James: Are you going to continue to tour with ALL and The Dickies?

Kastner: No, we’re just doing five shows with them.

James: Bands usually have a lot of changes and revolving members. Has this band had that kind of history?

Kastner: Jonathan joined the band before “Whatever” came out. Besides that, we have a new drummer and a new bass player because the other guys liked to eat once in a while.

James: How did you feel about the response you got tonight?

Kastner: Well, it was good but like I said with the new albums not out here yet. Not too many people knew the songs and we love to have the crowd singing along. I had a good time but hopefully next time everyone will know our newer songs .

(Interview and Photo James Damion and was to appear in the fourth issue of Unite.)

Note: (Group photo was taken from the web.)