Talking with . . .   Supermercado

Interview with vocalist and guitarist Matt Mercado
Matt Mercado is an undiscovered genius. He was originally a member of the band Daisy Chain which changed their name to Mind Bomb and released a self titled album in 1993. An album comparable to Nine Inch Nails' soon to be released masterpiece, The Downward Spiral, Mind Bomb soon dissolved and Matt became involved with Pivot Man for two full lengths. Supermercado is his latest band and they have released their first album, Scary Baby. A combination of industrial rock and energetic metal, Scary Baby is a memorable and exciting album. Here is Matt for an interview.

Tell me about Supermercado.
I would say Supermercado is an experimental rock/metal band that comes to bring on the jams. Music first; in our book. We have one of the most ridiculous names, this is true. We sort of started as a gag. Potter and I felt this might be our last project ever, so we decided to stretch the boundaries of what we felt was capable in a rock/metal genre. The band then shaped itself over a period of about one year. After writing the cut “Scary Baby” I think we all knew we were on to something, and it just grew from there.

You worked with most of these guys in Pivot Man, do you feel you have good chemistry with John, Greg, and Michael?
To be honest, Pivot Man had such a revolving door of musicians it was hard to ever feel the chemistry. The line up in Supermercado has held strong nearly since its inception, so we can Kind of feel were the music should go in a sense. I have played with Potter the longest and he can pretty much read where I’m trying to go simply by gestures. When were working on a new tune, I can give him a certain facial expression and he knows how I want to end the song, it’s pretty weird. Skender and Michael have the same hook. I would have to say Killa Kat picks up the quickest. I don’t know if it’s because he is a vocalist and maybe it’s easier to flow, or he’s just a mad mang.

How did you hook up with Cliff and what does he add to Supermercado?
I’ve always fancied the idea of another band member that could actually sing. Not someone who says they can sing, and when you get them live they back off the mic. Someone who can take the lead of the band and interpret what the music feels to them. I found Killa Kat via a recording session he was hired to do in my studio. The session didn’t go as planned for the client and it ended early. I walked Killa to his Deuce and A Quarter and told him “Hey, I dig your style. We should at least try to put something together, even a punk band or something”.

I loved Mind Bomb's album, why do you think it wasn't as appreciated when it came out? It was a very successful album, but how did you feel about its impact?
Thanks, I’m glad you dug it. I personally felt the album wasn’t produced right. We had problems with the drummer playing to a click track and had a bunch of big name studio drummers audition. None of them worked out and the producer (Max Norman- Ozzy Osborne, Megadeath) decided we should use a drum machine for some of the tracks. It took all the juice out of the record and I think he made a stale representation of the music we had worked so hard on.

What led to the demise of Mind Bomb and the formation of Pivot Man?
The Mind Bomb members liked to get there drink on too much. I’m not opposed to getting my drink on, but for me, music comes first. There was no unity, everyone was against each other and so there was a lot of resentment. You have to be in it as a team, at least I believe that is the best way. I knew I wanted to quit the band the third day of the tour. We toured for over a year, so it was a tough situation. I quit as soon as I possible could and went through a bunch of legal crap to get out of the whole deal.

What were the years like with Pivot Man and how do you feel about the two releases?
I remember the first gig we did. I thought I was going to start up again were I ended off with Mind Bomb. Boy, was I mistaken. It took a while for people to groove on it, that’s for sure. We had our good/ bad times and I’m glad we did what we did. I felt we put out some cutting edge music, especially for the time. There were a few magical tunes for sure. I’ve allways liked “Victim #1,” “Blood Monkey,” and “Violent Sexual Fatesies” to name a few.

Chicago was very popular for its industrial scene in the late eighties/ early nineties- what was it like being there during this time and when this music was becoming something special?
If you listen closely to the track “Psychedelic Neighbor” by Daisy Chain (my first real band), at the end you can here Ministry in the background. That was because we were both in the same studio at the time (Chicago Trax) and they were so freaking loud it bleed through the walls, no kidding. I recorded at another studio in 1996 were Ministry was rehearsing and got to see them everyday. The band was tight, sounded great.

Are there any bands around today that you would recommend that have industrial metal influences?
I think Disturbed share some of the same influences for sure. I also like Slick Idiot.

I see you also produce a lot of bands, how did you become interested in production? What do you feel you and your studio have to offer to bands?
First off, I try as hard as possible to keep the production costs down for the bands. This way, they have money left over to promote the c.d. when it’s out. I believe I offer years of experience, that’s one thing. I try to keep the music flowing as freely as possible, and every now and again whenI get a good Idea, I interject with it. Most of the bands I’m getting now really have their shit together, makes my job a lot easier. Drums are the most important part, that is the foundation of the everything.

I've been a fan of your songwriting, in each project you've written songs that were very memorable- what is the key to writing a song that is unforgettable without becoming redundant or too repetitive? Do you have a favorite song which you've written?
Thanks, I’m glad you’ve enjoyed my work. I would say I’ve learned to let the song write itself as much as possible. I don’t really try to write songs as much as I try to remember ideas. Vocals are very important, and usually the last thing I get around to. I spend a lot of time writing songs in the radio station in my head, especially lyrics. I just try to convey my message as accurately as possible. As far as my favorite song; it’s always the song I’m working on now.

Your music has always been ahead of its time, you've always incorporated modern elements and electronics in your sound- have you ever felt frustrated that radio or MTV has never embraced what you're doing? What do you think are keys to success for Supermercado?
Thanks again. Well, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t frustrated, but one must move on. I’ve banged my head against the wall late at night too many times. I’m in a good position now. I dig playing with the band, were all on the same page, and we just want to rock. I would say the keys to success for a lot of bands are: 1. Have a rocking c.dd (which I believe we do). 2. Get on a decent tour (which we will be doing this summer) 3. Promote like a freaking mad man. The days of sitting around watching cartoons are over, unfortunately. I would say it’s been that way for the past five or six years. So, we must promote, promote some more, take the dog for a walk, and rehearse then promote some more. I’m getting used to it and its actually becoming fun for me now, I really enjoy it.

Final comments?
Thanks again for letting people know about our music. I think the reviews were getting are very insightful and we’ll take a lot of the feedback into our next record. The best place for you to get in touch with the band at the moment is our myspace page at www.myspace.com/supermercado. Michael and I are on there all the time. Drop us a line.

Discography:
2005... Scary Baby

Current line-up:
Matt Mercado... vocals, guitars, and keyboards
Killa Kat... vocals
Michael Ray Garrett... guitars
Skender... bass
Gregg Potter... drums

Supermercado Rock

TTM reviews of albums by Supermercado:
	2005 - 'Scary Baby'