About Barrett:
Barrett Pepper, drummer
Q & A session
Q. How long have you played drums?
A. Nine years.
Q. What made you want to play drums?
A. I always knew that I wanted to play the drums. It just took until I was 11 years old for anybody to buy me any equipment. My dad played in high school, not, like, a full set, but he played drums in the band. So he was really supportive when I said I wanted to play.
Q. So your parents bought you your first drum set?
A. Yeah. It was a Rogers drum set.
Q. Rogers drum set. Cool. Are you self taught, or did you take lessons?
A. I took lessons off and on, very sporadically. It was a little bit of both, I guess. I was in percussion in middle school, so I was in those percussion lessons through eighth grade. Then I just learned the set, didn’t take any lessons. And then later I took some lessons to help me refine what I had taught myself.
Q. That’s impressive. So what brought you to Progeny?
A. Well, I’ve been working with Ben (at Wells Fargo Bank) since October, and we didn’t really meet each other or get to know each other for a couple of months, right? [looks at Ben, who nods] We were working at the same location, but I never really saw him. Everybody was, like, “Oh, you and Ben would get along great.” So, yeah, we finally started working together and we got to talking. It came up that I played drums. We talked on and off about maybe just getting together and playing, and then there was this one show, a local show, and Ben invited me out to see the music and what I thought about it and if I’d be interested in filling in every now and then. So, yeah, it went from there.
Q. What a great story. OK, well I have some questions about your favorites. We’ll just run through these. Favorite food?
A. I’m a sucker for the cheeseburgers.
Q. Favorite song ever.
A. That’s tough. I’d have to say “Everlong” by the Foo Fighters.
Q. Do you have a favorite band?
A. Dave Grohl has to be my favorite musician just because he’s extremely talented. Everything he touches turns to gold.
Q. Favorite movie ever.
A. Oh, man. I really liked Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It was made very well.
Q. So are you more of a comedy kind of person?
A. Generally, I love comedies. I watch a lot of goofy movies that other people think are stupid. I enjoy just laughing about the stupid things.
Q. Do you have a favorite candy?
A. Reese’s.
Q. Do you have other hobbies?
A. I play a little bit of guitar, sing. I enjoy taking pictures and doing videos.
Q. Brothers and sisters or only child?
A. Older brother and younger sister.
Q. OK. Now we’ve got a few random questions for you.
A. OK.
Q. If you could be any superhero, who would you be?
A. Aquaman because he doesn’t do anything. Does he have a super power? Who knows? He’s Aquaman.
Q. [laughing] OK. Well, if you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
A. Probably a horse because they can sleep standing up.
Q. That’s a good answer. It would be nice. So which planet would you most like to visit?
A. Pluto’s not a planet anymore, is it? It’s a midget planet or something…a dwarf planet? So I’d have to say Mars because it’s big and red and flashy and seems like it’s hoppin’. It’s a good place to go.
Q. OK. [looks at Barrett like he’s crazy] Finish this sentence. Lifetime supply of…blank.
A. Paper towels. I’m always running out of those. I always need paper towels, and I never have them.
Q. Where would you go if you could travel anywhere in the world?
A. New Zealand because I love their accents. I want little New Zealand babies.
Q. OK. Moving on. If you were a dance, what would you be?
A. I would have to be somewhere between polka and the break dance. Polka dance.
Q. Pole dance?
A. No, not pole dance. Polka dance.
Q. Hmm. OK, if you were a cliché, which would you be?
A. Burning the candle at both ends.
Q. That’s probably most of us. If you were a hairstyle, what would you be?
A. Somewhere in between the Mohawk and the mullet. There’s a party everywhere. Party in the front, party in the back, party on the sides.
Q. Interesting. If you could travel in a time machine, which event would you choose to witness?
A. [about 10 minutes pass while Barrett thinks about his answer] I would want to be there when they were building the stone hinge and just sit there and see how they moved those stones. I’d want to be the guy who sits there and chills.
Q. You’re a chiller?
A. Yeah. Exactly
Q. If you were a circus performer, what would you want to be?
A. I would be a lion tamer, tame the lions so I could ride them around the circus arena. I want to ride a lion.
Q. Alright. I think that about sums it up. I do have to ask one more question, though.
A. Sure.
Q. Why no jeans?
A. [laughs] I’m sure something happened. I must have been traumatized wearing jeans when I was younger. I never wear jeans. I haven’t worn them since I was 6 years old. I don’t know what it is. I wish I knew.
