When I saw that The Mochines were to play in Paris on May 13, 2022, I immediately wanted to interview them.

I discovered The Mochines in 2018 thanks to the Parisian association Les Barrocks, which has been organizing concerts for a very long time, most often in bars, mostly Paris, but this time it was in a squat in Montreuil called “Le Cri du Singe” (The Shout of the Monkey). They had also played the day before at the “Gibus” but as I did not know them at the time…

I immediately became a fan of their highly energetic music with a good guitar rhythm. When they came back for a new European tour in 2019 I went to see them twice in a row, the first time at “Gambrinus”, a pub in Saint-Michel-sur-Orge in Essonne (Far suburb of Paris) and the next day at the “ESS’pace” in Paris (concert once again organized by the Barrocks).

I had the opportunity to chat a little with the band. They had planned a tour in 2020 which obviously was made impossible by the pandemic and I really wanted to have this conversation through an interview.

The concert took place on May 13, 2022 at “La Maroquinerie”, a concert hall in the East of Paris, located in the Menilmontant district. La Maroquinerie has a capacity of 495 people but The Mochines did not play there alone. It was indeed not a small gig, but a festival with 4 scheduled bands organized by the touring agency Rockin’Dogs for its 15th anniversary: Lipstick Vibrators (Paris, with Tom from Rockin’Dogs on guitar, the Mochines (USA), The Courettes (Denmark) and Guitar Wolf (Japan).

The interview took place before the concert at “La Maroquinerie” with Ross Richard Kersten (vocals, guitar), Curt Florczak (guitar, vocals) and Sean Antillon (drummer). Hans Molnar, the bassist, had preferred to rest at the hotel before the concert. In addition to the concert hall which is located in the basement, “La Maroquinerie” includes a large bar-restaurant and an interior courtyard which is used as a terrace. The interview took place in this courtyard in sunny weather. As it was before the concert, there were mainly the bands, the concert organizers and the staff of the venue. We started without too much background noise but as the interview progressed there were more people coming into the background and the sound was resonating in the courtyard so I was a little distressed that my interlocutors were being drowned out but fortunately the recording came out alright.

THE INTERVIEW
(Paris, May 13, 2022)

1. What does the name « the Mochines » mean?

Ross: The Mochines, I got that name from the movie Joe Dirt. It’s a really, really powerful engine in a really shitting looking car.

Curt: It’s a hot-rod.

Ross: It’s a hot-rod essentially but it doesn’t look very nice but it’s got a lot of power in the engine, that’s basically what it is.

Curt: It’s very appropriate

Ross: Yes particularly right now perhaps.

Sean: We need that power.

Curt: We are the shitty looking car with the big motor in it!

2. You (Ross Kersten) have played in La Donnas and Cymatics. What kind of band is Cymatics?

Ross: It was a garage rock band, 60’s garage. The drummer was from Italy, the bassist from Sweden and I was residing in South Africa at the time so we were kind of from all of the places, like us now, but we live in different cities: Sean and I live in Los Angeles now… that band was just an idea that was created, we got together in France in fact and we rehearsed it and toured in France and Spain as well.

When was that?

Ross: This was in 2011. So it was in February 2011. I don’t know if you recalled but it was the coldest winter in France in a hundred and fifty years.

So it was at the same time as the Mochines?

Ross: No. Kind of… Maybe… But the Mochines was a South African band at that time so. I am not sure.

But the Mochines started earlier!

Ross: Yes. But the band went on and off for a while so…

And did you record anything with Cymatics?

Ross: We did, we recorded 20 songs but they were never released on anything. The recording session was very difficult and so nothing ever came out of it but we recorded almost 20 songs.

That’s why I couldn’t find any information on it on the web!

Ross: That’s right.

3. It’s easy to recognize your voice on the two last albums of La Donnas but the singing sounds pretty different on « Shady Lane ».

Ross: Yes.

Is it due to your voice changing because of your age or just a different style of singing?

Ross: No it’s because my voice matured probably and I’ve probably smoked about 2 million cigarettes or so. Maybe!

Curt: Whisky and cigarettes

Ross: Yeah!

Curt: He was very innocent!

Ross: I was a young man. I was only… I was 22 when I recorded that so I was very young.

Curt: Quite innocent!

Ross: Yeah.

4. Since the second album of La Donnas « Rock You All Night Long » you seem to have found your sound. What are your main influences?

Ross: Well I mean they have changed other the years obviously, but I was a big Replacements’ fan for a long, long time. I like a lot of mid-west bands, pop, rock’n’roll. The Clash also, I love the Clash, a lot of stuff you know and now I think my tastes have changed and I do like a lot of pop, pub-rock, old 70’s English pub-rock bands. I love rock’n’roll music. I listen to everything, there’s tens of thousands of bands that I like so it’s difficult to say what… but yeah, I mean… Fuck I love Duran Duran too you know.

Sean: I think as musician we have developed. There are things that we didn’t like when we were growing up and now we’re finding « hey, that’s ok, I can like that song now ».

Ross: Your tastes swing you know and you also, I don’t know, you know there’s a lot of stuff you can say you don’t really like so much but you know later you matured or whatever and you like it you know.

Curt: Growing into it sometimes

Ross: You know I would never have told anybody at the age of 22 I like Prince but now I like Prince and many different types of music. I like jazz, I like surf, I like rock’n’roll, I like all the different styles of rock’n’roll. So yeah I think it’s a maturing thing, pretty much.

5. When did you move to South Africa?

Ross: I moved in South Africa in 2003. The end of 2003, November.

Do you currently live there?

Ross: No I live in Santa Monica California now. I got kick out of South Africa. They cancelled my residence and my business permit so… So I had to leave, the government forced me to leave and that was a year and a half ago so I moved back to the United States with my wife and we live in Los Angeles now.

So 1 year and a half ago.

Ross: Yeah that’s right.

6. « Hire the Losers », the Mochines debut album was released in 2005 but when was the band founded?

Ross: 2004.

7. « Easy Stuff » has only been released on Landspeed Records and unlike the first two albums has not been released later by a European label. It seems hard to find on the web. I have checked and couldn’t find any.

Ross: I’ve got CDs for you if you want.

But for the readers, is there any meaning they find it?

Ross: « The Eagle Has Landed » that is the second Mochines’ album was released on Nicotine Records in Italy.

Yes on Discogs it’s possible to find it but just « Easy Stuff »… No!

Ross: No it’s impossible that’s right. It has never been reissued. It hasn’t been pressed anymore so… But if you want I have some CDs.

8. Between the release of « Easy Stuff » in 2010 and your tour in 2018, the Mochines seem to have been inactive. Why?

Ross: For 5 or 6 years we didn’t play nor did anything but then Curt, my buddy here, we had an idea to restart the band to tour in Europe again. That was 2018 with some of our other friends so we started touring together as an idea just to do it you know, to get back on the road and play rock’n’roll music.

9. The Mochines had already a lot of change of members.

Ross: Yeah

Curt: So explain that! You should do a tally on how many members have been in the Mochines!

You are the only original member, Sean Antillon and Hans Molnar are brand new in the band.

Ross: Yes, that’s right.

When did Curt Florczak entered the band? 2018 or a bit before?

Ross: Yeah

Curt: 2018

Ross: 2018

Curt: We known each other for many, many years now.

So just for the tour?

Curt: I joined 2 months before the tour. We came to France, practiced twice then went on tour for a month and a few weeks.

I saw you at « Le Cri du Singe »

Curt: At Gibus, Gibus Club was in Montreuil? (Nota Bene: They played twice in Paris area in 2018, first at the Gibus in Paris, second time at Le Cri du Singe in Montreuil, a city adjoining Paris)

No, in Montreuil it was « Le Cri du Singe » (The Shout of the Monkey)

Curt: Ah yeah yeah yeah. That was a good one. Was with Bill Graves and Tom Cook.

Was with the Barrocks association.

Ross: Yes, Association Les Barrocks yes.

Curt: Was a good show

Ross: Fantastic.

10. You have recorded your new EP « Catch Me » in 2019 in Barcelona, Spain, with Mike Mariconda

Ross: Yes, that’s right.

Mike Mariconda played in the Raunch Hands, the Devil Dogs and lots more and produced a lot of other bands. How was it to work with such a rock’n’roll legend?

Ross: Yeah, It was cool man!

Curt: It’s funny, he’s a friend you know but he’s a legend. He’s a fun guy.

Ross: Yeah, absolutely. He’s very witty, very clever and, very funny.

Curt: He’s very dry.

Ross: So we had very good time recording with him.

11. Just after the recording sessions of « Catch Me » in 2019 you went on tour. The band members were you, Curt Florczak, William Franklin Grave (bass guitar) and Rick Garcia (drums) who, but you, all played in The B Movie Rats. In 2019 you were planning to do a 9-month big tour in 2020…?

Ross: 9 months no! I don’t think it was gonna be 9 months….

Curt: No, no it was July we wanted to tour back in July so….

Ross: We said we’re going to come back in 9 months but then Covid happened, the pandemic so… everything got stuck.

Curt: That tour almost happened 3 times you know and then it got cancelled and then it got cancelled and now we’re finally here.

Unfortunately, the pandemic rendered this impossible. Why didn’t William and Rick didn’t stay in the band?

Ross: Well Rick is… Rick wasn’t available to do another tour because of work and Bill had some health issues so they were unable basically to tour again because of the health and work.

12. With the previous lineup, each member of the band lived in different locations: you in Cape Town, South Africa, William in Cyprus, Curt in Boston and Rick in Houston. Is it a challenge that everyone lives that far from each other?

Ross: Yah, but we’ve all been playing been music for so long… You know, I mean I write a new song, I play the guitar and sing on my cell phone I send it to Curt, we get together and we keep developing our new ideas and same thing with him, he writes new music, he sends it to me. It’s very possibly easier than it is when you live in the same city because you make your own time to learn the music and everybody has been playing for so long that when we get together we rehearse and it just comes together you know. It’s the same situation now, we’re all in the United States but Sean and I (in LA), Curt is in Boston, Hans lives in Prescott, Arizona.

But you are all in the United States.

Ross: Yeah, now yes.

Ross: It’s because of technology that makes everything easy now. I mean you send somebody a song you wrote on your cell phone in a message and it’s that easy, really. There’s a couple of little changes that we make here and there, based on what we think and obviously the changes are made instantly and when we get together, as it’s always in South France, it’s like that (snaps his finger) you know. Easy, easy stuff.

13. Apart from a few covers, do you compose all the songs or do the other members of the band contribute to the compositions?

Ross: Yeah, Curt’s writing music. I’m writing music. It’s a total collaboration now.

Sean: We can, if we write anything new now with this current line-up, we definitely are all capable of writing songs, harmonies, melodies, putting it on our phones sending it to proper guy. What would you do with the guitar parts I just made up (looking at Curt) you do your thing cause this guy’s got his part in the band and plays guitar well so he’s gonna change it and same thing with him you know, (looking at Ross) the vocals parts I mean he’s gonna maybe change something for it’s just a little easier for him to sing and play guitar and Hans and I will just hold everything down and back him up and drive the whole Mochine.

Curt: I think even now, I have seen 3 different line-ups now and each time it’s different because the players are different so even now the arrangements might not be the same, we tweak them, but they are still the same songs and they are still evolving.

Ross: They’re transformed, yeah.

Curt: They’re transformed, they are sounding different.

Sean: They are getting better.

Ross: And I’m still singing things differently for songs that I wrote years ago you know because again back to the maturity, you change, with the band changes, with the songs changes other the years but essentially, it’s all for the better.

14. The line-up of the Mochines for this tour has not yet record anything.

Ross: No.

Do you have a recording project?

Ross: Yes, we have plans to record. We will probably record in Los Angeles because Sean and I live there, Curt can fly, Hans can get there. So we will record probably, we’ve been talking about it for 3 weeks now that we’ll get together and record, probably in Los Angeles and write a whole new record.

Curt: Within a few months.

Ross: Yeah

15.With this European tour you only play in Spain and France.

Ross: Yeah.

Since the start of the Mochines in which countries have you toured?

Ross: Holland, Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain. We have never done anything else. Our booking agent is from Paris here so and we have another booking agent in Spain. But you know… That’s the reason we don’t even plan to tour in any other Western Europe or outside.

Outside of Europe, where did you play?

Ross: Outside of Europe the Mochines have only played in South Africa. We’re planning of doing some shows in the States as well, but not a tour in United States because the driving is far too long.

Even not a West coast tour and East coast tour?

Ross: Well if we do anything… When we will do something in the States it will be like you know, certain cities for just one or two shows because it’s difficult. We live all in different places in the States and we have jobs and stuff and we can’t take a tour that long. In the US you drive for so long, you can drive 30 hours to the next gig, you know, it’s not very pleasurable to drive for so long to play you know.

Ross (to Sean): Right?

Sean: Yes!

Sean : Although I don’t mind driving. I usually wake up, even after a night of fun, and I’ll be the first to say, let me drive first you know. I try to drive almost all the way there. And then someone else has to take over and let them sleep.

So you are a good recruit because they don’t like driving!

Sean: Yeah, that too.

Ross: My wife usually comes. My wife has been on the last two tours with us. She’s bit busy right now but we’re gonna bring her again in the future. My wife is a chief, she’s a « Cuisenaire » so she does cooking, driving, merchandize, she does the Landry.

Sean: Wow!

Ross: So… and she takes care of me so I maintain a better behaviour.

Sean: Oh wow!

Ross: This tour has been tough.

Sean: Him and I are getting in trouble already.

So maybe that’s why you only tour in Spain and France for not being gone too long from your wife!

Ross: Yeah! She needs to come with us for now. We miss her desperately, dearly. But yeah! We need somebody on the road, it’s difficult to do the driving, the rock’n’rolling, the partying and then the driving again you know, and selling the merchandize. You’re soaking wet with sweat at the end of the show and you run over to try to sell somebody some records you know. It’s difficult. So, but we have managed.

Sean: Oh yeah. We can do it. I mean I have been doing it for quite some time.

But there are good parts in selling your merchandising because you can talk with the public.

Ross: Yes it’s more personal yes.

You exchange with the ones who come to see you.

Ross: Yeah. Yes absolutely

So this was the last question but if you have something to add…

Ross: Last question (laughter)

Keep the real, Rock’n’roll… will never die!

Sean: We will bring it, as long as you show up.

I can’t wait to start recording with those guys it’s gonna be a lot of fun.

Ross: Yes, absolutely! I’s gonna be good!

Oh just one more question

Ross: Ok

Except the last EP, I just know albums, did you ever release singles or other EPs?

I couldn’t find some on the web.

Ross: We have a vinyl record that when we got together for the first time in 2018 we were rehearsing in a studio and a friend of ours, who’s the engineer, producer of the studio was recording us while we rehearsed and we didn’t know this and the songs turned up good enough and I actually put out the record by myself it’s called « The Dirt Nap Sessions » so there’s about 10 songs.

Yes, but it’s an album, this is not a short.

Ross: No, we don’t have anything else. We’ve got the « Catch Me » EP now.

Apart from « Catch Me » there’s only album.

Ross: There’s only CDs

CDs or LPs but no singles

Ross: No singles. No singles man, no!

So I didn’t miss anything!

Ross: No! And anything you might not have is just downstairs, so.

THE SHOW

Lipstick Vibrators opened the concert in front of a more than sparse audience and when The Mochines played there were still few people at the start of their set, the room filling up little by little. The Courettes were treated to a much better audience but some obviously came for Guitar Wolf because there were a few more people coming in after they started playing. It’s a bit of a shame but it didn’t stop The Mochines from having a good show (although I would have liked to hear the vocals a little better, whether it was Ross or Curt who also sang a few songs). Anyway, the energy was there.

THE MOCHINES STORY

Ross Richard Kersten (vocals, guitar) founded The Mochines in 2004 shortly after moving to Cape Town, South Africa. The band, based entirely in Cape Town, released their first album « Hire The Losers » in 2005. The band then consisted of Ross Kersten (guitar, vocals), Carl Appels-Riley (guitar), Clive Pearson (bass), Patrick Magee (drums).

He may have been new on the South Africa scene but Ross Kersten was a veteran rocker from the La Donnas, a band from Denver (Colorado, USA). The La Donnas, which from 1996 to 2001, released 3 albums, an EP, 3 7” and participated in a few compilations. Ross Kersten was always on vocals and guitar with the line-up changing hands. The band was always 4 pieces: 2 guitars + bass + drums, the drummer is different on each album. Ben Jacobs plays guitar on the two first albums and is not on the third album. Brad Stanton is on bass on the first and third album and is not on the second album. Rob Bechtold who is not on the first album, plays bass on the second album and guitar on the third one. Their first album « Shady Lane » sounds more pop and the voice of Ross is more acute. Certain rhythms of guitar were already recognizable in the direct and raw style which can be found not only in the following records of The La Donnas but also in The Mochines.

Besides Ross Kersten, drummer Patrick Magee seems to have been the only stable element of the South African line-up of the Mochines in addition of Ross of course. The band’s second album « The Eagle Has Landed » was released in 2008 and The Mochines was now only a trio, no second guitar to backup Ross. The bass player was then Stefan De Witt

“Easy Stuff”, released in 2010, was the last album of the exclusively South African band The Mochines. They always evolved in the form of a trio with bass player Daniel Peterman.

The band The Cymatics (2011) was therefore formed shortly after « Easy Stuff » but I don’t know more than what is said in the interview and « Easy Stuff » is the last recording of the exclusively South African line-up of the Mochines.

In 2018 Curt Florczack proposed to Ross to reform The Mochines. A European tour followed in the spring of 2018 and The Mochines played the albums released by the various South African line-ups of the band and a few covers. In addition to Curt on guitar and Ross on guitar and vocals, the line-up included bassist William Franklin Graves, who like Curt had played in the American band B-Movie Rats and drummer Tom Cook who had played in the Magnolias. Ross still lived in South Africa, Curt and Tom lived in the USA and William in Cyprus.

Bill Grave

The album « The Dirt Nap Sessions » released in 2019, the recording conditions of which were mentioned in the interview, was recorded with the same line-up as the one of the 2018 European tour.

In autumn 2019, The Mochines went to Spain where they recorded their EP « Catch Me », produced by Mike Mariconda and immediately after the recording studio sessions went on a new European tour. Compared to the 2018 line-up, only the drummer had changed, with Rick Garcia replacing Tom Cook on drums. Rick Garcia had also played in the B-Movie Rats so apart from Ross, the rest of the band was from the B-Movie Rats.

The B-Movie Rats were a band based in Los Angeles formed in 1995. The line-up consisted of Derek Kristensen on vocals, Curt Florczak on guitar, William Grave on bass and Rick Garcia on drums. In 2002 the B-Movie Rats released a mini album (10 ») « Rock’n’Roll Queen » with Derek Kristensen on vocals, Curt Florczak on guitar, Matt Lake also on guitar, William Grave on bass, and Andy Baker on drums. On the ensuing tour, Sean Antillon replaced Andy Baker on drums. The group then disappeared from the radar screen until the release of « Radio Suicide » in 2007 with the same band formation as « Rock’n’Roll Queen » and for good reason as the tracks on « Radio Suicide » were actually all recorded in 2002!

In 2022, The Mochines released the EP Catch Me which they recorded before their 2019 tour. Sean Antillon (drums) and Hans Molnar (bass) replacing Rick Garcia and William Grave.

The album Modern Information, released in 2024, combines tracks from their EP Catch Me with new tracks recorded in Los Angeles at the end of 2022. The album has 11 tracks including 4 tracks from the EP Catch Me featuring This is Rock and Roll, a cover from the Belgian band The Kids. and 7 new recordings, including 1 cover by the Saints Private Affair. Three of the new compositions are by Curt Florczak and three are by Ross Kersten. As always it is a very Rock’n’Roll album.