LBC CenterStage The Frequency Is What We're After! A Conversation with Thu Winners' Zach Malner by Pete Brooks (and Leslie) Check out Pete's Photo Essay Zach Malner, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for Thu Winners, has been involved in music his whole life. He's toured Europe with a previous band, and stripped copper wire for rent money. His songs are like little passion plays, some with a slow grind while others fly at break-neck speed. All, however, make you want to move. Primero, Thu Winners' new CD, presents an exciting cross section of their work. The conversation, below, took place between Pete Brooks, Pete's girlfriend Leslie, and Zach. Pete: OK, I have some questions... Leslie: Why did you first take up the guitar...and singing? How old were you? Malner: 'Cause my brothers did. I don't know how old I was. It's all kind of a bungle. [laughter] Pete: So, how many brothers you got? Malner: Weeeeeelllllllllll. (thinking?) You include the whole world. What is the world population? Pete: Too goddamn many and counting? Malner: Too goddamn many. What is half of too goddamn many? Pete: One goddamn many... Leslie: How do you think you fit into the Long Beach music scene. What do think your place is in it? Malner: I really don't know what my place is. Just like I don't know my audience. You know. Leslie: Why don't you know your audience? Malner: Well, uh, shit I can't answer that. Leslie: Do you ever think about your audience when you perform? Malner: Yeah. Totally. I think about them all the time. Leslie: What do you think they're thinking about you? Malner: I don't know. Pete: You know what it seems like to me, Zach? It seems like your music is for you, but the performance is for the audience. Malner: You're goddamn right, man. Pete: The music you come up with is you, through and through. But when you're onstage, you're all about connecting with the people. Malner: It's true. It's the truth. Pete: You're about the warmest guy in the world when you're onstage. And it's all about putting it out there, for the audience. Leslie: Not that he's not warm offstage. Pete: Right. But I mean, your music is so idiosyncratic. It doesn't fit into any easy niche. Malner: Yeah that's what kind of bugs me about it, too. That kind of bugs me about it. Pete: Have you ever thought of trying to write a hit? Malner: Uh, yeah. We're, we're gonna... Thu Winners, a great band, okay. Thu Winners! I mean, we're, I'm so happy. I am so happy with the situation I have going on right now, okay? And, uh, what was the question? Pete: What is your situation? Malner: Well, hold on. What was that other question? Pete: About, uh, your music... Leslie: Writing a hit. Pete: About writing a hit, that's right. Malner: Oh, writing a hit. And we're gonna do "Fortune Teller," okay. We're gonna play a hit before we write a hit. You know, that's, that's, like if it's gonna be any kind of strategy... So I don't have any strategy, I just want to do it. "Fortune Teller," anybody ever heard of "Fortune Teller?" Pete: Is that a band or a song? Malner: Uh, It's a song. Pete: One of yours? Malner: Oh, no. The Stones did it. Pete: Oh, oh,oh,oh. No, I'm not a big Stones fan, per se. Malner: [Singing and clapping] "Well I went unto the Fortune Teller, get my fortune read, didn't know what to tell her, I had a dizzy feeling in my head..." Oh, it's really good. Pete: Cool. What era Stones, do you know? Is it early sixties, seventies? Malner: It's super early, super early, super early. Pete: OK, let's start at the beginning. You were talking about your family. Your family, they're doing okay, right? Malner: Yeah. Yup, everyone's shining, everyone's shining. Pete: When you were growing up - what was the family business? Malner: My dad, I remember being at school and asking, you know, being asked, "What does your dad do?" And I couldn't answer that question. And then I finally got the word that he's a businessman. And then he opened a surf shop, you know, probably right after that. It was, it was hell being brought up - hell. And then he opened a few surf shops and they're called Zag. Zag Surf Center. And uh, so that was really neat. And that went on for a few years. But like, you know how currency is, you always have a bunch of thieves… And it's supposed to you know, go around, but then there's like a snatcher. A thief. They're taking it out, basically they backed their trucks to the windows and stole all the surf boards and they did it a few too many times. And put my dad out of business, thank you very much. Pete: Ohhh, that sucks. Malner: Yup. But then, kept truckin' and he's a safety manager. My mom was a physical therapist. My brothers, my brothers are beautiful man. Pete: Are they older or younger than you? Malner: Um, they're in between. I got sisters, let me tell you - What is the population on the earth again? Pete: I meant direct genetic siblings. Malner: Oh, okay. Pete: Ok, all right, we're all brothers and sister under the skin. Leslie: Hammer. Pete: What? Leslie: I have a hammer. Pete: And I have a bell. OK. I was at the show the other night and I thought the band sounded great. Are you guys going to keep the bongo player? Malner: Really? Yes, he's our man. He's actually our producer. That's how we're working him in. Pete: What's he producing? Malner: He's producing Thu Winners. Pete: Is there a new album coming or something? Malner: Well, you know, Pete, like we been doing this with Thu Winners for like, how many years? Four, five years. Six years. Pete: Yeah, it's been a while. Malner: A little too long to just, like, let yourself waste into some type of thing. And uh, I can concentrate on the music, I can concentrate on something else, and I can concentrate on this. But man, when you need help, that's what there's people there for, you know? Pete: And that would be the guys in the band? Malner: Yeah. Pete: Tell me about Craig (Tiegen, Thu Winners' long-time percussionist). Malner: I just have the desire with them, they're awesome. Pete: You've been with Craig since the beginning, right? Malner: No. In the beginning there was crawdads...Laughing...I wasn't even around then. Pete: But in the beginning of Thu Winners - ? Malner: Actually, no. I wasn't going to work with that f--ker anymore, man. Pete: Piss you off one time too many? Malner: Ummm, no. He just wanted to do his "own" thing, you know? That was a bummer man. How 'bout "our" thing, you know? Pete: Yeah, tell me about the "our thing" thing... Malner: Yeah, that's what I mean. It's like, that's why I'm excited now - now it's "our thing." It's boring sitting around practicing and it, uh, it's some guy playing "his" songs. And everyone's gotta learn them. Pete: All right, speaking of the band, you know, I wrote down some questions last night at the bar; and one them is: Talk about the long history of bass players in Thu Winners. You've had a number of them. Wouldn't you say? Are you hard to work with, Zach? Malner: No! Pete: Ok, well, there you go. So what's up with the parade of bass players? We ask the tough questions here at Long Beach Culture.org. Malner: Well, playing a bass - well that's fine. Playing the bass, you know. Actually I'm out playing bass with people now. Playing the bass is not an easy thing, it's not like, you got four strings and I got six, you know. A band's gotta hang out, don't they? They have to work together. They hang out at first, until they get sick of each other. Then, hopefully, they got work, and they're working together. You know? Pete: Um hmm. So it's good then? Malner: Yeah! For sure. Yeah, I'm the happy, I'm happy about it now. I've always, yeah. I've, uh, you know, and that is a good question because, I've always wondered ever since I was a kid, the bass player was the hardest. Pete: The hardest working? Or one of the... Malner: One of the hardest working [musicians] I've ever seen in my life, that's for sure. And, uh, just the hardest to, uh, they, they split, you know? Pete: Ok, tell me about your music. I mean, like we talked about earlier, your music is so different from anything else that's out there. You don't sound... Malner: Well, good. Thank you. Pete: You don't sound like the Blues... Malner: Well, I listen to a lot of blues. There's blues in it. I listen to a lot of damn good blues, man. Pete: Like, anybody in particular? Malner: The Stones, bro. Leslie: So, when you aren't playing music on stage, what kind of jobs have you held to pay the bills? And do those jobs inform your music at all, with those experiences? Malner: You know, a lot of the under-the-table work. You know, when you work under the table, you work under the table. Uh - I've been a waitress. [chuckling] Yep. I've been a ball player. That really sucks. That's almost harder than music. Did that for a while, and, uh, that's about it. ...and kissin' ass! Pete: You say you listen to a lot of the blues... So where does this, the polka thing come in? Your music is very polka-centric. Malner: What the hell does that mean? Pete: It means there's a lot of polka in it. Malner: Oh, ok. Yeah, rightly, yeah. Pete: What's your polka background? I mean, why polka? Malner: It mystified me. That's what I want to know. Why am I so mystified by it? Like, these are good questions. And I want to know why too. Pete: Well then - Think about it. Malner: Shit, I am man, you know. Leslie: Was it all those Lawrence Welk shows in your childhood? Malner: Didn't get many of those. Didn't get the Donny and Marie, wanted to watch it. Wanted to watch Lawrence Welk, I think. Maybe that was it. Maybe getting cut off. Maybe yearning. Pete: Oh, and this is like a way of rebelling against the people who wouldn't let you watch Lawrence Welk and the Osmonds. Malner: Maybe, maybe. Pete: How important is volume to a Winners show? Malner: Volume - as in, like, geographical volume? Pete: I was thinking like, audio volume. Malner: Oh, really. Just, now you're going to be straightforward. Audio volume - it is, uh, very important, because there's... Man I really want to bitch about this one, okay. Pete: Do it. Malner: Well I get blamed for being the loudest. I get blamed for being the loudest, but there's a reason for everything. And I find myself to be a pretty doggone logical person, dealing with what's around me. And, uh, I'm not, I'm not the loudest one. I mean, it comes out that I'm the loudest one, but there's a reason behind that. Pete: And that reason is? Malner: Drums are f--kin' loud. Pete: [Laughing] Malner: And, uh, I like it loud. And I wish they'd make, uh, you know, some better gear. Pete: Tell me about your voice. The last two times... Malner: I can hear you right now, can't I, Pete? Pete: Yes, sir. Malner: Leslie, can you say something? Leslie: Hi. Malner: Hi. I heard that. I'm not a lip reader, okay. And I don't wear earplugs, you know. The reason you get your, your ears messed up - It's cool to put stuff in your ears. That is good. Ok, but like, first, first step is pull the stick out of your ass, you know? The frequency is what we're after, that's why we keep it loud - frequency. Mmmmmmmrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. When you turn something on and you turn it up loud, I don't care if it's your T.V., it's gonna moan with you. Well, my job is, I got this thing on me, you know, and it's gonna, it's got tension on it. And it's got notes in that tension, and it's going - Rrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmm, and it helps. Pete: Ahhh, here's a question that I never understand, but you being an artist may understand it. Here, why don't you ask him that one there. Leslie: 'Why don't you tell us about your process?' How do you write a song? How do you prepare for a show? Malner: I go from being, uh, apparently, like if I could be over all, looking down on it, knowing. I would say that I go from being diligent - 'cause I know what I want to get, you know? To like, not knowing what the hell I'm doing, and not being diligent at all. Hurting, laughing - the whole bit. Pete: Is that for gearing up for the performance or for the writing? Have you written any new stuff lately? Malner: You know that one really slips my mind, man, but yeah. Leslie: What's your inspiration? Malner: Well, you know, like, that question like really brings stuff up. That's a good one - the process. Now - yeah, I have! Haha! Yesterday. Okay, now what? Leslie: What have you written and what has inspired you to write it - lately? Malner: Just, live, you gotta live. It's not about you. I want - You're the one sitting here in your Dave Matthews bullshit. Pete: [laughing] Not me. Malner: Not me either - there's two of us here. Leslie: I don't even know who they are. Pete: They have the number one record ... Leslie: I mean, I've heard of them, but I couldn't name a song. Malner: [laughing] Pete: They're kind of middle-of-the-road... Malner: That's a great name for a band: I don't know who they are. Pete: [laughing] You're gonna go see I don't know who they are, I haven't heard of them. Malner: [laughing] Leslie: Tell us about the nudity, Zach. Malner: The nudity. Well, you know, uh, how come...Tell me about the clothing, man. [Laughing] I come from places that like, people take off their clothes, start dancing, you know? I've seen a lot of that. Crazy stuff, man. Pete: Well, what other musical stuff are you doing right now? [Mario] Barmosca says you're playing horn or trumpet or something with him…? Malner: Well, I'm trying to play with them. Pete: Who are 'them?' Malner: Well, Them is another band I'm playing in, but anyway… They are very patient with me, man. And you want to know why? 'Cause they know I can do it, and I'm gonna do it. Pete: What kind of music is it, that you're doing with them? Malner: Them is, uh, a wild one. It's a girl singer. You know, she's all bondaged up or something. And then, a boy, and he's all spiked out. And I play bass. And I gotta learn these parts. I understand that Zappa's people - uh, you know, for - Frank Zappa's gone. So this guy writes the music for 'em. It's all the computerized shit, and stuff, so I'm live on bass. And it's like tricky, you know. I've - I've been doing really good, though. And did a show. And... Pete: Where? Malner: Hard Rock Cafe - West L.A. And we're playing at Sticky Fingers, or Golden Fingers, what is it called? Pete: Cool. The Golden Frog? Malner: No. Gold Fingers...Gold Fingers! That's coming up. And that's been a challenge to me. I'm, I'm like steppin' out, doing that, you know? I'm not afraid of people callin' me a poser anymore. Pete: [laughing] You gotta get past that. So tell us about (the new CD) 'Primero.' Malner: Oh, Primero. It's, uh, basically our demo. Pete: Where is it available? Like just at shows or...? Malner: You can go get it at 45 Revolution, you can get it at, uh, Sticky Fingers. Whatever the hell it's called. What is that called up there by your work? Pete: Fingerprints? Malner: Fingerprints! You can get it everywhere. You can also get it at our web site, which is coming up. Pete: Would you happen to have that address? Malner: No. [Laughing ] Malner: Wanna play a song? Pete: Yeah! Malner: [sound of guitar plucking] The symphony doesn't take this long... You know turning these things (his guitar's tuning knobs) is a lot like dealing with people, man. Pete: How's that? Malner: Well, sometimes like, you don't know which way it's going. You just have to listen to it, and hold it. And then, work with it. To get it where it's supposed to be, you know? Pete: Right. You can't tell it where to go. It can't tell you where it needs to go... Malner: Exactly. Yes. Pete: ...but working together, you find the sweet spot. [sound of hand slap - probably high 5] ViewThu Winners' LBC page and events Learn more about Pete Brooks Do you know an artist that we should feature in LBC CenterStage? We'd like to hear from you. Send us your LBC CenterStage suggestion View Previous CenterStage Features