sleepyE-I-E-I-O
And on this farm, they played punk rock
E-I-E-I-Oh my goodness!
Have you read PUNK FARM by Jarrett J. Krosoczka? This brightly illustrated picture book follows the adventures of farm animals who decide music is their calling.
The group is now on tour - truly! PUNK FARM ON TOUR is now on bookshelves, and the band members are making their way around the world, one barn at a time. They are dropping by blogs between gigs and were kind enough to fit Bildungsroman into their busy schedule. Here now is their uncensored interview.
Hey hey, rock stars! Let's get this show on the road!
Sheep, when you were just a little lamb, did you follow Mary home from school one day?
No, that was my cousin Ed. Everywhere that Mary went, that lamb was sure to go. He was obsessed. He ended up getting his heart broken. It wasn't pretty.
Pig, what are the official duties of a Rock Ninja?
You wake up, you rock. Then you repeat that until you go to sleep . . . PSYCH! Rock Ninjas don't sleep. If you believed that, you're not a rock ninja. Why sleep when you can rock? That’s how a Rock Ninja rolls.
Chicken, what inspired you to tickle the ivories?
Well, it's in my nature to peck away at things. That's how I eat. Once a keyboard was put in front of me, I just went for it. I started pecking at the keys, tapping away, and I haven't looked back since.
Cow, you've got rhythm and you've got music. Who could ask for anything more?
I could. I'd also ask for rock and mayhem.
Goat, what's the hardest part about being on the road?
Dude, the hardest part about being on the road . . . Hmm. I'd say not being on the road is the hardest part about being on the road. Yeah. When you're not on the road, you're not on your way to a show - and what kind of life is that?
What's been the best stop on your tour so far?
PIG: That's tough to say. Maine was pretty crazy.
SHEEP: Yeah, but we were just getting started. Colorado for me was tops.
COW: I personally like the warm weather and the ocean, so Florida was one of my faves.
CHICKEN: No way. Texas. There are some respectful gentlemen down there!
GOAT: I can't even remember half the places we've been.
When's the next album coming out?
SHEEP: It's tough to say. We’ve been writing some new stuff. We’ll see how it goes.
CHICKEN: Once this tour is over, I'm going to need just a few weeks off, but I can't wait to get back into the studio! No more chicken feed on the go. I like to stay put in one place.
How do you define agriculture?
GOAT: I like to think of agriculture as a culture around agri. Agri comes from the Latin word Ager and that means a field or something. A field is land and land is Earth. And that's really what it's all about in the end. Sometimes I ask myself, "Where do I fit in on this Earth?" Then I realize that Earth is just a small part of this enormous universe, filled with stars and moons and planets. And then by the end, my mind is just blown, ya know?
A friend of mine named Holly I. (not to be confused with my cat Hollywood) is a huge fan of Punk Farm. When I told her I was going to interview you, she grew excited and asked: Old McDonald was such a big hit - any ideas for the next single?
PIG: Our next single is Wheels on the Van. Download it at www.punkfarm.com
By the way, she is a huge fan of sheep (lowercase, in general).
SHEEP: Tell her that's she's cool with me, then.
Here's a double-time question for your
Albums:
Dookie – Green Day
Nevermind – Nirvana
Purple – Stone Temple Pilots
Blue Album – Weezer
White Blood Cells – The White Stripes
The Definitive Collection – Stevie Wonder
Having a Ball – Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies
Give Up - The Postal Service
Our Constant Concern – Mates of State
Sports - Huey Lewis and the News
Books:
Where the Wild Things Are – Maurice Sendak
Stinky Cheese Man – Jon Scieszka & Lane Smith
The Monster at the End of This Book - Jon Stone and Mike Smollin
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse – Kevin Henkes
How the Grinch Stole Christmas – Dr. Seuss
The Sneetches and Other Stories – Dr. Seuss
The Mouse and the Motorcycle - Beverly Cleary
James and the Giant Peach – Roald Dahl
Bunnicula – James Howe
Super Fudge – Judy Blume
Rock on, farm folks!
Check out their stops at Seven Impossible Things and Fuse #8.
Learn more about the author/illustrator and the band. Listen to their music at MySpace and PunkFarmSpace.