Bullets and Octane
By: Lauren Napier

Bullets and Octane is an adrenaline filled rock n' roll band composed of Gene on vocals, Jack and Skye on guitars, Brent on bass, and Ty on drums. Their live shows are amazing and never cease to fill people with that energy that only true rock can. Watch out for Gene's spitting though. Their full-length album, The Revelry, is melodic old-school punk that should definitely be added to your collection. I suggest you listen to this raw, gritty band and partake in the musical experience that is Bullets and Octane.

Smash Magazine: How did you all get together?
Gene: I'll take that one. Me and Brent, the bass player, we moved out here from Missouri, and Ty, the drummer moved out here from Illinois. Before that he was playing in Guttermouth, the Vandals, and eventually ended up playing with us. And we found Jack, the guitar player in an ad in the paper, so that was pretty cool. And then Skye, the other guitar player, was in a band called Beer City Rockers. He called me up to see if I'd play drums on some recordings, and in turn, I asked him if he wanted to play in our band, and it just kind of worked out.
Skye: And I said “yes” and we got married and it's worked out...so far.

SM: What's the story behind the name of the band?
Gene: There was this guitar player who was playing in the band for like a week or two and we didn't have a name for the band yet, so he said "How 'bout Bullets and Octane?" I didn't care, and said “sure.” And the next thing you know he came up here to Vegas for some weird drug deal or something, and he was never heard from again. The name stuck - he didn't obviously.

SM:  What are your major influences?
Ty: I guess my influences are The Who, The Beatles, and Monster Magnet.
Jack: I'm into straight-up rock and Roll. None of the emo stuff really.
Brent: Dream Theater and Nirvana.
Skye: I like long-walks on the beach; I'm a gemini.  I like the New York Dolls, Sex Pistols, and the Rolling Stones. I love the Beatles. I'm into older pre-punk and like Iggy Pop and David Bowie.
Jack: David Bowie - that was a good one.

SM: What are your favorite songs from The Revelry and why?
Skye: I call “Bad Things to Bad People.”
Ty: Mine too.
Brent: “Sweet Dreams.”
Skye: “Bad Things to Bad People” because it sounds like Motorhead. I think I should have a reason, not just "I like this song - because!"
Gene: It's easy like Sunday morning.
Jack: “Save Me Sorrow.” It makes you want to drive pretty fucking fast. “Sweet Dreams” has the most fucked up lyrics I've heard in a long time, and it's not very nice.

SM: Could you describe the song writing process?
Skye: There is no process; we kind of do it differently every time.
Gene. Yeah, we all work on a song together or I'll work on a song with Brent or Ty and Skye will play basketball. It's open to everything. Jack does something every once in a while, too.
Jack: I come on in wherever I can get in.
Skye: Get in where you fit in? That's sounds pretty racist there Jack.
Jack: No it isn't. I just throw my two cents in whenever I can.

SM: What are your biggest regrets?
Gene: This band in general. We've never been asked that one. I would actually honestly say not working harder early on. It just seems like we should have worked harder years ago, we should have worked harder last year, we should have worked harder yesterday, and I should be working harder on this interview right now. (laughs)
Skye: I regret that I didn't get the chance to finish school.
Jack: I hate college.
Gene: Except for like the natural regrets of saying the wrong things at the wrong time. Eating too much cake and it makes your stomach hurt - stuff like that.
Ty: Eating that bean burrito earlier.

SM: What takes up your time besides music?
Gene: Thinking about regrets most of the time. (laugh)
Skye: I think that takes up pretty much all or our time.
Jack: Mentally. Thinking about it all the time.
Skye: I like to drink from time to time. I have a garden - just kidding.

SM:  What political issues most concern you?
Gene: We don't do that.
Jack: I have my own, but I like to keep them to myself. We don't like to...
Gene: The Rock n' Roll is supposed to help you forget about all that. In fact right now, world hunger...just kidding we're not going to get into that. I like your hat.
Jack: Usually when you hear bands do politics they sound like they're just reading off a card. Unless you can do it in an intelligent way then I don't think you should really talk about politics. There are people that can pull it off. And then some who can't, and those people are irritating.
Skye: I like music and I don't think politics belong in it.

SM: What music are you listening to right now?
Gene: I have Elliot Smith in my CD player.
Skye: That's probably why you seem so fucking depressed right now.
Gene: I should be jumping up and down.
Jack: David Bowie.

SM: Where do you see yourselves as a band in five years?
Skye: Hopefully writing better music.
Jack: Enjoying our lives with better medication.
Gene: I think we should be enjoying our lives rather than constantly of roughing ourselves up…and seeing how many days we can go without showering. Ha ha…I win that kind of thing.

SM: Any last comments?
Skye: Thank you.
Jack: Very good questions, better than any other one's that I've heard.
Gene: Tell everyone that Lauren is the best at this (interviews) - Bullets and Octane says so!