This week we had the opportunity to sit down – in two different states, at different times, on the computer – to talk to Eugene Ahn aka Adam WarRock. We talked about LBFA Inc, donations and more! Check it out after the jump along with an important link!
For those who don’t know what you do, could you explain it – with a rhyme?
I make dope raps and then take naps.
About a year and a half ago you joined up with Curt and Chris from Let’s Be Friends Again to make LBFA Inc. and you guys banded together to do music and comics full time. If Curt and Chris ever were to go rogue do you have a Batman style plan to take them out?
I’ve always viewed myself as more of an Alfred style thing for Curt and Chris, with one of them being Batman and one of them being Robin, or Nightwing, or whatever. So if in the case they were to go rogue, I would assume I would just be their evil Alfred and help them be rogue and do horrible things. I mean, it’s a living.
You recently finished your second annual donation drive – why survive on the donation drive?
Honestly, it’s a weird thing to do an annual donation drive in concept. I don’t really ever have a donate button up, or let people send me money for any other reason than buying music or merch or shows. But it was a thing where I realized I realized something like 85% free music, to the 15% of paid music I had. And it wasn’t a sustainable model. At the same time, there were literally people emailing me asking to release more stuff that cost money, because they couldn’t buy my albums again. But I’m lazy, and I like jacking beats and making music at a whim. So I just did a week of donations on the anniversary of when I quit my job (June 30, 2010). I don’t know if I survive on it, but this year was such a rousing success, next year I’m definitely going to be able to buy a Ferrari on that sweet, sweet donation money. Muahahahahh [totally untrue].
More and more people do fundraising campaigns with different incentives at certain dollar amounts – would you consider doing that in the future?
I don’t really believe in making rewards contingent on how much people have. I think that’s kind of…I don’t know the word, unfair? Like, why should I measure someone’s appreciation of my music in money? So I usually just give away everything to donors for the whatever amount they can afford. It’s a grind, out there in life, so I get it. I know how it goes. You shouldn’t have to break the bank to get an extra song or two. That’s not a criticism on anyone out there who does do that, it’s just not for me, I guess.
Have you had a surreal moment where someone you’ve admired for ages has been like “Oh yeah I love Adam WarRock”?
I have met a ton of webcomics people who knew about my stuff. Notably the Johnny Wander guys (http://johnnywander.com) were guys I met at SPX, and talked to them for a bit at the table, until I mentioned what I did, and they were like “Wait, are you that guy that did that Ira Glass song?!?” And we had a mutual freak out. I hear about it from other people, friends who go around and ask people if they know about Adam WarRock, and whatever name or figure is like “oh yeah, I know him!” and it still blows my mind.
Are there plans for expanding your tour in the next year? Other countries, bigger shows or even bringing a bouncy house with you?
Oh man, a bouncy house tour. What a debacle that would be. I would love to go to the UK and trek across Canada and hook up with some of those Backburner guys. I don’t know, it’s weird. I hear you have to have like a passport, or do customs or something. Who knows. Countries is weird. But I’d love to, but at the same time I don’t feel like I get out to enough US cities as it is, and there’s only so many days in a year.
With the traveling and work that you do as a musician, is there anything you really miss doing?
VIDEO GAMES. God, I go nuts missing playing my xbox when I’m gone. In fact, usually when I come back home I stay inside and just beat a game as fast as I can, just to get it out of my system. I guess I miss having time to eat dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, and not feel like I gotta get to the venue or on the road. The small things, like going to the movies or wander around the mall. It’s all about just not feeling like you’re on this leash of time.
Have you been vegging on any tv or movies lately?
I’ve been watching Happy Endings a lot, this sitcom on ABC that for some reason, I can’t stop watching. The joke writing in it is hilarious. I keep up with the TV that’s on right now, Breaking Bad, Louie, that kind of stuff. But vegging out, I don’t know. I just pick random things from my DVDs and rewatch a lot of stuff while I’m sitting around. I want to rewatch a ton of Parks & Rec, I feel like after I did that EP I had to step away from it b/c I was so into it and surrounded by it, but it’s been long enough now I can enjoy it from a fan perspective again.
What do you do to get into your writing mindset?
Honestly, I just play a bunch of beats and kinda mumble rhythms to myself, like how I’d rap over a beat, separate from words. When something feels right, I sit down and start writing the words themselves.
If they end up doing an Adam Warlock movie and they asked you to pick out the songs on the soundtrack because of your name, what two songs would you really want to include in the movie?
I would obviously write brand new songs. Because I hate everything old, and think everything new is the best.
Who is your favorite superhero character that isn’t based in the United States?
I really like the Shi’ar Empire. They’re based in space, so that works right? That’s a hard question, I’ve never thought about superheroes from a geographic standpoint. Maybe Black Panther?
What third string character from Marvel or DC would you like to see starring in a movie or TV show?
Sleepwalker. Is that even third string? I loved Sleepwalker, and I think he’d make an awesome movie character. I really want to see an Iron Fist movie too. I think that’d be relatively easy to sell.
Do you currently have any comic reccs?
I honestly am a bit out of touch with the current comics scene, touring does that to you. But I will say that The Secret History of DB Cooper by Brian Churilla (Oni) was a fantastic five issue series, and if you know anything about the real history of Cooper, it gets even better. Also, Rick Remender’s Uncanny X-Force is hands down my favorite comic out right now.
And anything else that you’d like to plug?
I’m on tour, see the dates on http://adamwarrock.com/Tour.
