Detroit pop band interview

The band recently released a “mixtape.” Prussia Goes to the Disco: A Summer Mixtape has some very entertaining stuff, but it seems pretty clear that you don’t want this to be considered the next Prussia album. Why is that? How did this project come about?

It is a Prussia album, but we want the mixtape to be a more viral thing. We want people to burn it for their friends, spread it on the internet, etc. We are very proud of it. We made it at our house while we were recording Poor English in a studio. We spent five months writing Poor English and, like, six months recording it. The mixtape was written and recorded in about three months. It’s our pop record. And hip-hop as fuckkk.

Prussia puts on a damn entertaining live show. Interestingly enough, the EP version of “The Witch Was a Preemie, God Bless Her Evil Soul” is markedly different from the version you performed live. Why is this? Is live performance an important aspect to your music?

Our live show changes pretty often. We try to recreate these songs that we make in the studio the best we can live. We experiment with things in the studio that would be impossible to do live.

Who are some of your biggest influences?

We’re influenced by a lot of things. Musically, it’s hard to say. I’ll like one thing, and everyone else will hate that- and then Brent or Drew will like something that I think is shit. We all influence each other by being very harsh critics of one another.

How about your biggest influences within the local music circle?

Local music doesn’t influence our music. We’re friends with other local bands and have a lot of fun hangin’ with them and playin’ with them, but we don’t sound like other local bands- not on purpose. We just like things that they probably think sound like shit and vice versa. The local bands that I do listen to are my good friends: Coyote Clean Up, Lord Scrummage, and Cap’n Jerry and the Mermaids.

If each member had to pick an album- any album- that is very influential and personal to them, what would they pick?

I’m not sure how everyone is going to answer this, but we all talk about it enough for me to give an alright example of what certain members “favorite” albums are. Drew, he likes a lot of stuff. Right now, I hear him listen to Joanna Newsom and the new Walkmen album [Lisbon] a lot. Adam, Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. Brenton, Wire’s 154. Andrew, Flaming Lips’ Soft Bulletin. And for me, Bob Dylan’s Another Side Of.

When and where will the album Poor English be available?

No idea. It’s finished, but we gotta get a label to put it out. Otherwise, it just won’t come out.

Any upcoming tour plans?

We will be touring extensively this spring. All over the U.S.

-End of Interview-

So readers, of course this means you will do your best to catch any nearby Prussia shows, right? As I said, their live show is fantastic, and with the possibility of the availability of a new album, the ends really justify any means.

If you are interested in obtaining past albums, check out their blog, which is also frequently updated with Prussia’s comings and goings (also, their MySpace and Facebookoffer similar information).