MASTODON 's BILL KELLIHER Talks PRIMATE In New Interview

Atlanta grind punks PRIMATE — who feature in their ranks the distinctive vocal stylings of Kevin Sharp (BRUTAL TRUTH),ripping fret-board antics by Bill Kelliher (MASTODON) and Mike Brennan, SST-style bass work and backing vocals by Dave Whitworth, and is rounded out by d-beat defender Shayne Huff — recently released their debut album, "Draw Back A Stump", internationally via Relapse Records.

After seeing a limited release by the band directly via a 1,000-run CD pressing in March 2011, "Draw Back A Stump" was made available on July 3 on CD, LP and deluxe digital download. The seven hymns from the initial version now include additional rhythm guitars and have been remixed and remastered, and are joined with three additional previously-unreleased bonus tracks on this edition.

Asked what PRIMATE's mindset was going into "Draw Back A Stump", Kelliher told ARTISTdirect.com, "When I joined the group, we had 15 or 16 songs. Some of them were only 30 seconds long though. For many of them, I was like, 'This song needs to be longer than that!' I'm not used to playing 30-second songs. We did two different versions of 'Get Off My Fucking Lawn'. We did a demo and a proper version when we signed with Relapse. Songs like that were really quick, and I said, 'We've got to make this longer. There's a lot of cool riffage. It's fucking badass!'"

He continued, "For the most part, PRIMATE is quick songs with catchy melodies here and there. That's another one of my favorite styles of music. I don't want to compare it to the RAMONES, but they had really quick songs.

"Leaving the audience wanting more is always a good thing. You don't want to over satisfy everybody. The songs are simple, and they don't need to be too long."

Kelliher also spoke about being split between playing the quick, punk-y style with PRIMATE and the more complex grandiose metal with MASTODON. "I grew up listening to punk rock," he said. "I honestly like a lot of stuff. I can't say just punk. Growing up, I listened to what was on the radio like BOSTON, LED ZEPPELIN, RUSH, and all of that good stuff. I couldn't play any of that shit, though. [laughs] So I resorted to punk. When I first heard that, I was like, 'This is awesome.' I was in a rebellious time period. It felt natural to me.

"I started my own band when I was, like, 15 years old, and I began playing heavy, fast punk. BLACK FLAG was one of my favorite bands. Greg Ginn is a big influence. As I got older and better at playing guitar, I started playing more progressive music. MASTODON formed.

"There are some spaz-y moments with MASTODON, but for the most part it's pretty precise and concise. For me, PRIMATE was a step back into the primordial 15-year-old me. We can let loose and do whatever we want. There are no rules or laws. It's not like we have to play the same part the same way each time with perfect notes. There's a little more freedom to spaz out."

"Draw Back A Stump" track listing:

01. Draw Back A Stump
02. Global Division
03. Hellbound
04. Silence of Violence [bonus]
05. Drinking and Driving
06. March of the Curmudgeon [bonus]
07. Wasted Youth
08. Pride
09. Get The Fuck Off My Lawn [bonus]
10. Reform?

PRIMATE is:

Kevin Sharp - Vocals
Mike Brennan - Guitar
Bill Kelliher - Guitar
Dave Whitworth - Bass/Vocals
Shayne Huff - Drums