MAL is more than comfortable in their own skin, steering clear from norms in rock music and being true to the influences that shaped their sound.

Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.

Peter Hollywood: Bass, Kris Jung: Vocals/ Guitar, Brendan Reynolds: Drums

For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to (MAL)? How long has the band been around?

Ding Mao, Flowbis, Boy Hits Car, Latch Key Kid, Blackcast

What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?

We were sick of trying to think of band names and the singer, Kris (being a fan of the bass player's old band, Ding Mao), said "Let's call the band MAL!" ....after Ding Mao's epic E.P. released in 1999, the band has never had a name change since.

Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?

The main riff writers/ bringers are Kris Jung and Pete Holywood. This is not to suggest Brendan doesn't bring the riffs. He certainly does! 

Sometimes, rarely, are entire songs written and presented to the band. When they are, they're sometimes rearranged, kept, or they turn into something completely different. 

We love collaboration and sharing ideas. We bring riffs to the table, jam them out, and every member of the band shares.. The drummer and bass player may suggest a new vocal melody or lyric. The singer may suggest a new bass drum pattern or bass line. All three of us reach across our instruments as we are all singers, bass players, guitar players, drummers, and we all love the same music.

The band shares all credits equally as everyone has input in everything. The rule is "Everyone must enjoy what is being written and performed or it's out." We write about everything! 

Anything from a love song to a song about being abducted by aliens to (and this is true) a song about a committed psych patient who falls in love with his nurse and always finds a way to cut himself just to get her attention. Everything's on the table.

Sometimes we're seemingly ironic. A beautiful message will be paired with a dark & evil riff. A happier riff may be paired with depressing lyrics. Lyrics about the greatest love I've ever known with an uplifting musical accompaniment will have some very heavy, deep and seemingly odd messaging linked to the words. If it's there, it's meant to be there to convey the gravity of the words or what the feeling is / was that the words harken back to. ...all from an actual experience somewhere in time.

What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?

Rush, The Chemical Brothers, PInk Floyd, Jane's Addiction, Failure, Black Sabbath, Deftones, Hall & Oates, King Crimson...there are so many more, but those are the basics for all three of us.

Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?

Not really. Performing seemed inherent in all of us. It was something we'd practice in the mirror as little kids. It was only a matter of time before we linked up with the right friends as teenagers to start writing and playing out.

What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, ect …

Kris likes to do a little vocal warm-up running through octaves. Pete and Brendan meditate in the car before a performance....and by "meditate" I mean hotboxing the shit out of the tour van.

What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?

We've played for some mighty crowds. I am thinking of our opening for Danny Carey's band, Volto, and all the folks there who dug us and how amazing watching them play afterwards was...Or opening for Alien Ant Farm at the Fear Faire Festival in Vegas.

But the most recent highlight was playing at midnight in a very tiny club above The Rainbow. The people there, most of whom we didn't know, all gathered in front of us totally fixed on the hard psychedelic set we prepared special for that night. We called it our "Midnight Mass" and handed out MAL prayer candles. People were banging their heads to us. 

People were singing along without knowing the words. That was a magical evening!

If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

Kris - There are bands whose music we absolutely love, but we don't know them personally. I mean, How do we know if someone is cool to hang out with? Do they force you to participate in their twisted sock puppet shows during down time? I hope that never happens again. eek! Definitely love touring with our brothers in Centershift.

Pete - King Gizzard and the lizard Wizard. Deftones. 

Brendan - Yep. Agreed. And Failure would be awesome!

Kris - Yes. ....and them! I know we'd love to do a long hard rockin' psychedelic set with someone like the Chemical Brothers. That's an idea.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

We are sometimes affectionately known as "the Hall & Oates of metal" ...although we're not really metal at all. The metal folks seem to dig us, though!  We're definitely excited to perform our new record! We feel it's our best work yet. ...and our best "trip"!

Thank you!!!

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