RCN: Ladies and gentlemen, here we are with the infamous D.Z. STANZ, HollywoodÕs number one band!
DZS: All right!!

RCN: They have a new record coming out and theyÕre really tearing things up. WeÕre going find out whatÕs happening, and weÕll start with finding out whoÕs in the band. Your name and occupation?
STEVE: My name is Steve and IÕm the singer.
DANNY: My name is Danny and IÕm the drummer.
MICHAEL: Michael Stanzberry. Guitar player.
CHRIS: Chis Stanzberry I play bass and smoke way too many cigarettes.

RCN: WhatÕs up with your new record coming out?
CHRIS: WHISKEY, COFFEE, NUTS AND OTHER ASSORTED MELODIES.

RCN: ThatÕs the name of it?
MICHAEL: That is the name of the album. It is slamminÕ. It looks great. It sounds great. It is about a year project with about fifty songs to select from. Travis Dickerson was our producer, and we already have major labels wanting it now. WeÕre really stoked. ItÕs us.
CHRIS: It is!

RCN: Is it self-produced?
CHRIS: No, we produced with Travis Dickerson who worked with X, The Blasters and all kinds of names.
STEVE: HeÕs a really big name dude and he helped us out a lot. WeÕre very thankful that he helped us out.

RCN: You will distribute it yourself?
MICHAEL: WeÕre talking to some other people. We have some big name people in the industry already wanting it. WeÕre hoping. If we have to, weÕll do whatever it takes. WeÕre looking for a booking agent right now to tour. WeÕve got college radio stations lined up. ItÕs just a matter of getting it in their hands. Right now, as weÕre doing this interview, itÕs in print.
CHRIS: We have a show going March 15 at the Troubadour, our album release party. And then we have April 18th at The Roxy. WeÕre doing a showcase.
CHRIS: It funny because I was talking to a friend today. He says I know so-and-so who know so-and-so who owns the Whisky and he asked about you guys. And he asks me Òwho are you guys?Ó So now this is one thing IÕd like to talk about for just a second is who we are. The bandÕs name is D.Z. Stanz. . .
CHRIS: (laughing). . . not Distance or whatever or whatever. There are people who donÕt know what that is because of our accent.
STEVE: So slow it down!
MICHAEL: Slow me down. But I would like to touch base with people who are reading this to actually understand. . . thereÕs a lot of bands who are doing this or that in the L.A. music scene. . . but as far as a band. If you want to hear struggle stories, weÕve got plenty of them.
DANNY: Eight fuckinÕ years. Eight with this band.

RCN: With the same guys? ThatÕs a record!
STEVE: It really is.

RCN: LetÕs get back to the point now. Who are you again?
MICHAEL: WeÕre the ones who have been out there struggling. WeÕre doing it for real.
CHRIS: This is for real. WeÕve been doing it for a long time. WeÕve been here for a long time and we ainÕt going away!

RCN: How would you describe your music?
MICHAEL: WeÕve always been true to who the hell we are. The reason we havenÕt been picked up by a label before, really, is because weÕre not an L.A. band. We not glam; weÕre not an eighties band. My brother and I are from the South. SteveÕs from the South. Our roots are the Southern kind of, home kind of sound. Blues based or funk-based, original roots music. WeÕve been glam or fit into that trendy L.A. sort of thing. WeÕve always been real musicians, real songwriters. What weÕve turned into is a bunch of guys writing about their experiences in L.A. from the point of view of a bunch of country boys. Which is what we really are.
DANNY: The thing that I want to make a point is that the band has stuck together. Being from here you get a lot of bands that separate all the time. You donÕt know if youÕre in the band from day to day. This is a band that I canÕt believe I found in L.A.
MICHAEL: ÒWe didnÕt get a record deal, so weÕve got to break up and start something new. WeÕre not trendy enough for L.A.Ó
STEVE: After eight years I canÕt believe the band has stuck together and actually pulled for all four members instead of just one person.
DANNY: For the music! That has been the thing that I didnÕt think that I could find out here. IÕm the only one thatÕs not from the South.
CHRIS: Bands that stay together are very hard to come by these days. ItÕs a miracle out here. Gosh damn!!
MICHAEL: Ruben can answer this - how many people do hang together? Very, very few!!

RCN: Back to the question here! What kind of music would you say you guys really are? Half metal and half soul?
MICHAEL: Half metal and half soul is good. ThereÕs a little bit of metal in there. I think I play a lot more like Stevie Ray Vaughan myself.
STEVE: We really donÕt sound like anybody else.
DANNY: After eight years we canÕt lose our handle on what we are. WeÕve never had to go full circle because it was always progressing in the right direction. We didnÕt have to go down different roads to find out what we were.
STEVE: We werenÕt buying the new hit album to listen to it or whatÕs going on in the scene now. That might have hurt us, because if youÕre really out there trying to get a record deal. They look for the trendy thing thatÕs how right now. And that always hurt us because we havenÕt followed that trend. WeÕve got four guys and doing our own thing - itÕs just not trendy.
CHRIS: ItÕs original to us.

RCN: You donÕt fit any category.
MICHAEL: They can go down the list of the songs and they could put it on different radio stations. And thatÕs a good thing, not a bad thing.
STEVE: When you come see a D.Z. Stanz show, there is a wide variety. You can hear something funk. When we first started out, I think we were more funky than we are now. We got back to what we were. Now you can basically categorize it as rock ÔnÕ roll. But itÕs got a groove to it. If you canÕt tap your toes to it, we donÕt play it! YouÕre going to be nodding your head; youÕre going to be tapping your foot.
MIKE The other key point here, Ruben, we want you to realize now- we might not be your favorite band but we will out-drink your favorite band!
MICHAEL: After eight years, a lot of people like yourself I want to thank very much. YouÕve helped us out as much as anybody here. You and a few club promoters. I would tell any band thatÕs starting out if they want to get some worthwhile time advertising-wise, I think Rock City News is the place. IÕve had hundreds of other magazines call us up and be full of crap. But Rock City New has always been right there.

RCN: Right on!
CHRIS: Great advertising when we needed it. It helped a band like us that works. AinÕt anybody got one bad word to say about you. I really mean that.
STEVE: You stuck buy your guns, too, at Rock City News. And now youÕre standing out above all those other magazines. If you stop what youÕre doing, what else is there?
DANNY: A struggling musician canÕt run an ad in Bam for three thousand dollars. ThatÕs doesnÕt work out.
MICHAEL: When we have a big show coming up, weÕre not rich. We canÕt run a big ad in Rolling Stone. IÕd tell every band starting out, we really appreciate Rock City News.

RCN: What are you going to do when your record comes out?
MICHAEL: Two big shows coming up. The album release party at The Troubadour, headlining, March 15th. And we have an industry showcase at The Roxy, which is April 18th. WeÕre working on a House of Blues gig.
DANNY: House of Blues, weÕre coming to you!
MICHAEL: We working on branching out of town a little bit more with smaller shows. But we want to stick in Hollywood because weÕre headlining these shows and we can stay the headlining act here. After all these years, we want to play the biggest and best clubs throughout America.
DANNY: We found out a year ago that we wonÕt let lack of distribution wonÕt slow us down. If nobody picks it up, weÕll do it ourselves.
MICHAEL: Our goal, Ruben, is to be picked up by a major label. We have sworn in blood that if it doesnÕt happen weÕll sell forty thousand copies ourselves.
CHRIS: That is one of the most important things. We have sworn that we are going to make it happen. WeÕre not going to wait.
STEVE: You donÕt need a record company to do that. ThatÕs a wonderful thing to dream about. IÕve been dreaming for half my life!! And if that doesnÕt happen, fuck Ôem, you do it yourself!
CHRIS: IÕm not going to run for mayor! I hate that I have to work a day-job. . .
BAND: Shhh. . . thatÕs a secret between the band.
CHRIS: The first three years I was here, I lived like a dog, slept on the floor and couldnÕt afford cigarettes. Now I have to work, and that work pays for the band.

RCN: Who are your influences on guitar?
MICHAEL: My main most important influence if bourbon. ThatÕs the most important - Southern bourbon. Any bluesy guy, all the great guitar players. All the old bluesy cats, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Allman Brothers band. Older guys I appreciate, classic rockers. You can hear it on the record, I sound like the guy in D.Z. Stanz which is really cool.

RCN: Who are your influences?
STEVE: When I was growing up I was listening to America and James Taylor. I know that sounds wacky as hell. Recently IÕve come full circle. IÕve learned more about the roots of music and soul music when I got with these guys. I was a Top 40 pop guy listening to Sting and The Police, thatÕs what I grew up to. Now IÕve got to say IÕm an Al Greene and Otis Redding fan. I have the confidence that I can do it all.

RCN: Have you been singing a long time?
STEVE: Since church when I was twelve years old.

RCN: WhatÕs youÕre range?
STEVE: I was told once that I have a three octave range, which I donÕt think is all that spectacular because I get one or two of them every now and then.
CHRIS: One of our biggest expenses in the band, Steve has a tendency at a good show to kill the mic. He takes the house mic and smashes it. And that microphone was eight dollars. WeÕve bought some mics! I donÕt know where that comes from. He gets this crazy look in his eyes and, Ruben, itÕs over. Eighty dollars - itÕs pay-to-play!
CHRIS: The influence on what IÕve done is my older brother, this guy right here. IÕd never played with him in a band until I moved out here. HeÕs always played music since I was this high. IÕm not going to say heÕs thirty years older than me, but he is, heÕs thirty years older than me. My big influence was him.

RCN: How do you guys fit in with the trend that is happening right now?
MICHAEL: It feels good for us right now. We cut our first record Brimstone and Fire during the height of the grunge thing, which didnÕt hack to well for us.
DANNY: From the industry response weÕre getting now, the timing really feels good because itÕs fresh again and you canÕt pinpoint it. There are fewer categories. WeÕre one of those bands thatÕs eclectic.
MICHAEL: We feel like we stand on our own. WeÕre not Hootie and the Blowfish. WeÕre not Living Colour. WeÕre not Van Halen.

RCN: What do you think is happening as far as the music thatÕs out there now?
MICHAEL: ItÕs changing. It feels good to be part of the change. IÕm not sure exactly which direction it will go. I hopefully it will go to good bands again.

RCN: What clubs do you like to play?
DANNY: Actually, all of them. We miss FM Station. I miss Filthy before the Òtribute band age.Ó Lately ManciniÕs has been new and cool. Roxy, Troubadour, Whisky, those are always good.
STEVE: From an outsider not from Los Angeles, those will always be a big thrill to play. No matter when, what time of year, what the set is, those clubs are always great to play. Those clubs make this town move because people all over the world know it. I can call home and say IÕm playing the Whisky or The Troubadour tonight, and they go Òdamn!Ó ThatÕs the L.A. scene and hopefully will be.
CHRIS: ItÕs different and changing. I really hope the L.A. music scene pulls through.
CHRIS: No matter what kind of music you like, you can come see our band and appreciate the music. Every man is doing his job up there from the heart. ItÕs no bullshit. WeÕre showing you exactly what weÕre living, exactly what weÕre trying to say. It is real.

RCN: What are you trying to say?
CHRIS: WeÕre trying to say weÕre four regular guys who love each other. WeÕre brothers.

RCN: What are the names of some of your songs?
MICHAEL: For Whisky, Coffee, Nuts and Other Assorted Melodies, we really tried to reach back to real life experiences and really reach within ourselves as songwriters and pull out true authentic kind of stuff. There are cuts on the record which could be major hits. TheyÕre real life experiences. Nothing contrived. One is a classic Southern California song that related to us big time. The song is called ÒI Found God Driving Down The 101 Freeway.Ó That summarizes anyoneÕs experiences of coming from somewhere else to here.

RCN: That about covers it!