Recently LA.CityZine sat down with Jeff Holmes (Guitar and Vocals), Scott Holmes (Bass), and Wayne Watson, Jr (Guitar), who make up 3/4 of LA rock band, Immigrants & Navigators. We talked about music, films, and the eternal battle between pirates and ninjas. David Covarrubias (Drums) was unable to participate, hopefully we’ll get to speak with him soon.

Immigrants & Navigators will be performing live Wednesday, March 5th, at 9:00pm at Molly Malone’s (Map) for only $6!

To listen to their music check them out on MySpace.

Describe Immigrants & Navigators.

JEFF: We’re still defining ourselves, which you’re always doing. The sound is broadly rock n’ roll, and we talk about love, religion, terrible situations in Africa and good situations in Vietnam. We try not to make it too obvious when we rip off our favorite bands, which seems to work because between the four of us, we cover a lot of ground. I’d say we want something bigger than indie but less calculated than the mainstream.

What was the first record you ever bought? And where did you buy it?

WAYNE: Run DMC’s ‘Raising Hell’….I bought it at a Turtle’s Record Store in Atlanta. My Dad actually had to buy it for me ’cause it was ‘parental advisory’ and I was only 8 or something. On the way home, my Dad wanted to hear what he just bought me. About 2 minutes into the tape because of all the swearing, he ejected it and said, “let’s just keep this between you and me - don’t tell your mom.”

What’s the best cure for a hangover?

SCOTT: Sleep it off.

WAYNE: English breakfast and a pint.

What’s on your ipod?

JEFF: The most recent thing I put on there is PJ Harvey’s discography. And I find myself listening to The National a lot.

SCOTT: The Mars Volta: The Bedlam in Goliath

WAYNE: The National, Willie Nelson, The Smiths, Miles Davis, Belle & Sebastian, Mozart, Blur, Wilco, Trail of the Dead, The Kinks….a lot. And Jeff just transferred an old Afghan Whigs single and B-side from an old 7″ which I’m pretty excited about.

How do you get ready for a live show?

JEFF: I try to relax - classical music in the car on the way over and a nice conversation with one or two people before the set. This helps me focus and enjoy the moments as they happen. We play rock and roll, but I don’t feel the need to get ‘pumped up’ or anything.

SCOTT: Whiskey.

WAYNE: Whiskey.

What’s your favorite song to play live?

JEFF: That’s always changing, but at the moment, it would be ‘No Stars Tonight’, or ‘The Gilded Age’. My part in them is relatively easy, so I can kind of sit back and enjoy it, even as a participant.

SCOTT: ‘Counting Days’, our newest song.

WAYNE: ‘Counting Days’ is a lot of fun, but ‘In Praise of Guns’ will always be a favorite. It’s just got a lot of energy and the gang vocals, it’s just a good one to get the crowd into it

What’s your guilty pleasure?

JEFF: Kid’s shows on ABC Saturday Morning - Hannah Montana and the like. The shows are terrible, but one of my favorite things is to wake up with nowhere to be, make the coffee and let something distract me for a little while.

WAYNE: I can actually sing along to a lot of Poison and Bon Jovi….I have a lot of guilt and shame from that.

Who would win in a fight, a Ninja or a Pirate and why?

WAYNE: What?…..Oh, someone just told me this is some sort of Youtube phenomenon. Uh, I guess it depends. If they’re on a boat, it’s tough for the Ninja to hide and sneak attack, and a Pirate has sea legs. But if they’re on land, I’d say Ninja, hands down.

What was the last album you bought?

JEFF: The Reminder, by Feist. I love her voice and the way she comes at a subject or sound from an unpredictable angle.

WAYNE: The Reminder as well.

If you could rid the world of one song, what would it be?

SCOTT: Anything by Jimmy Buffett

WAYNE: I think Scott thought this was the Guilty Pleasures question.

Who would play you in a film based upon your life?

WAYNE: Cate Blanchett….she can apparently do anything. In fact, I think she should play every role in the movie.

Dead or alive. What 5 acts would you have play with you at a festival?

JEFF: The Clash, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, X, Radiohead and Arcade Fire. Reach for the stars, I say. Even if we got bottled off, I’d still have a free ticket to one of the best lineups ever.

SCOTT: Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Clash, Joy Division, and John Lennon

WAYNE: Afghan Whigs, The National, Fugazi, Willie Nelson, and Morrissey (for my lady) w/ Special Appearance by Johnny Marr… I actually met Morrissey recently in a bar here in LA, and he was very friendly and modest which really took me by surprise ’cause I always thought he’d be a dick. But he was very polite and respectful of his fans, I admire him for that.

If push comes to shove, what is your all-time favorite album?

JEFF: London Calling, by the Clash. It was this roadblock in my life that prevented me from going down the same path every day.

SCOTT: Joy Division, Unknown Pleasures.

WAYNE: The Afghan Whigs, Gentleman. A lot of pain went with that album, but it still amazes me every time I hear it.

What’s your most memorable on the road story?

JEFF: There’s a region of England called the Yorkshire Moors, a kind of no-mans-land of bogs in the northeast. There are tiny villages and one-off pubs at the side of long, windy back-country roads. I once played in a barn in Farndale village called ‘The Band Room’ (Jeff: ‘Why’s it called the Band Room?’ Villager: ‘Because, that’s where the band plays’). It was the kind of gig you could never plan - the best crowd ever, some having driven for 2 hours, because even if they don’t know your music, it’s probably the only thing happening on a Saturday night in the Moors. I remember leaving the next day and wishing I’d acted upon the ‘Ducks for Sale’ sign.

Favorite place in LA?

SCOTT: Tom Bergins

WAYNE: My apartment, but apart from that….The Kings Head in Santa Monica in the morning or early afternoon for a Soccer game. Oh, and the Venice Canals, or Venice Beach just south of the boardwalk….I don’t know ’cause I like Bergins too. Tough question.

What’s the best piece of advice someone has ever given you and did you take notice?

JEFF: Recently, a friend of mine suggested that if someone were to ask me what I do, I should say I’m a musician, even if that’s not my primary source of income. In my case it’s true, being the job that defines me most. I took notice at first, but the impact wasn’t truly felt until a little later.

What would be your perfect LA day?

WAYNE: Wake up early and go watch a match and have a pint at the Kings Head. Then ride my bike with my lady to the French Market for breakfast and sit there in the sun for a while with some friends and enjoy a cup of coffee. After that walk up the Venice Boardwalk to the Beer Garden and do some people watching. Grab dinner at Mao’s. Then head to the Troubadour to catch a great show (or play one). Then finish the night off with drinks at Tom Bergins.

What’s the best book you’ve read and film you’ve seen in the last 6 months?

JEFF: I don’t finish many books, and the ones I’ve read recently have been only OK. My favorite film was a documentary about the Dirty Three, from Australia.

SCOTT: There Will Be Blood.

WAYNE: I loved ‘The Diving Bell and the Butterfly’….I would like to check out that book now.

What three things could you not live without?

JEFF: A guitar, a pen, sunglasses.

WAYNE: Food, water, and companionship

Tell us a fact about yourself we probably don’t already know.

WAYNE: That we’re playing Molly Malone’s, Wednesday March 5th….among many other things I’m sure.

Thanks for all your time guys!

To see them live go to:
Molly Malone’s
575 S. Fairfax Ave, LA - Map
Wednesday, March 5th at 9pm
$6

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