To many, the Southern California based band Puscifer is merely an extension of multi-versed musical personality of Maynard James Keenan. While that opinion may not be entirely inaccurate, Puscifer has morphed into an entity all its own through the years, and thus, full-time members have been employed, making the project more a band than one would think. Releasing a total of three studio records now, including 2015’s Money Shot, Puscifer has shown progression in their sound. One such regular member of the band has been Lead Guitarist Mat Mitchell. Also a record producer, songwriter, and musical director, Mitchell was a key part of the music that is Money Shot. Recently we caught up with Mitchell for a closer look at his experience working with Keenan, the process behind Money Shot, his experiences working as a record producer, and more.
CrypticRock.com – The Puscifer project came together some years ago and in 2007 the band released their full-length debut record with “V” Is for Vagina. First tell me how did your involvement come with this project?
Mat Mitchell – Maynard and I met on the second Perfect Circle tour. At the end of that tour they asked me to be involved in the recording of the third record. That was kind of when we first started doing studio stuff together. After that, Tool went out, I got asked to help out with that so I was out on the road with them. On days off we would find studios and that’s kind of how we wrote the first album, was on the road. We just kind of been working together ever since.
CypticRock.com – That is pretty cool. Now as you have said, you’ve been with the band Puscifer through each of the recordings and the writing process of each record. Clearly your music has gone through a variety of different directions on each record. What has been some of the biggest changed you have seen being part of the band over the course of the years?
Mat Mitchell – I think The biggest change has been from having some of the same people around. Being able to tour with them, kind of becoming more of a family-like situation. I think that kind of comes through in the music. Everyone is confident in their space to be creative to feel free to do whatever they want to do. In building a relationship it helps make people confident and be able to be free and do whatever they want. I think it shows in the music.
- Puscifer Entertainment
- Puscifer Entertainment
CrypticRock.com – Agreed. You have an exceptional group of musicians working with the band. How would you describe that chemistry you have now as a unit?
Mat Mitchell – It’s like a family, one of the things that we like to do is we will go out to Jerome, Arizona and camp out. You know you are up in the mountains, there’s not a lot of distractions, it is really easy to kind of focus on the task at hand. When you are done working, you sit around the table and you eat. It is definitely more a family kind of environment. That has really helped solidify and glue everything together.
CrypticRock.com – Absolutely, when you have that type of unity as friends outside the music it definitely helps. On this newest record that you guys just released, you had quite a few songwriting credits. In fact, you co wrote a lot of the music. Obviously Maynard has had an amazing career with Tool and A Perfect Circle. He has had a variety of different songwriting partners, what has your experience been like writing with him?
Mat Mitchell – It has been great. He has worked with great songwriters.He knows when to push and when to sit back and let things happen. He knows at the end of the day it is going to be great. He knows not to micromanage things, let things be organic, and let things develop as they do naturally because you have trust in the people that you are working with. You know that the results are going to be good because everyone is putting their heart into it and it is people that you trust. Across his whole career, that is something that I’m sure he learned early on. It is good to let people do their thing.
- Puscifer Entertainment
- Puscifer Entertainment
CrypticRock.com – Of course, that makes perfect sense. As stated, you were able interject on Money Shot which was just released back on the end of October. What was the writing and recording process behind this new record?
Mat Mitchell – Carina Round and I went out to Arizona and we did some writing out there with Maynard. He and I bounced a lot of ideas back and forth over the last couple years. We have a dropbox folder that we kind of keep alive and keep dropping ideas into and bouncing things back and forth off each other. Early this year we decided to focus on a batch of them , the ones that floated to the top, and got the record done. Most of the band is in LA, my studio is in LA, so we did a lot of work there. We did some work in Arizona too. Maynard will come out and do some work in LA as well. That was the easiest way to get this one done.
CrypticRock.com – This record, it is very atmospheric at points and it is very diverse too. It goes in multiple different directions throughout the record, music diversity is key. As a band, how do you keep the music diverse, but keep the record cohesive like it is? Is that a hard thing to do?
Mat Mitchell – I try not to really think about it until we are getting into the final stages of the songs. I just let them be what they are going to be; if there is anything that sticks out it either goes away or gets replaced by something else. Maybe the orchestration changes or something to kind of get a little more cohesive with the record. When we are writing, we are not thinking about that at all, we just kind of let things happen naturally. Sometimes it all fits together and sometimes it does not. Like I said, it is kind of in a mixed mode is where we start doing any sort of massaging to make it feel a little more cohesive.
CrypticRock.com – Understood. A lot of it is trial and error. Essentially, whatever works.
Mat Mitchell – Exactly. Just trying not to over think it and just let it be natural and organic. At least for us that works best.
CrypticRock.com – That is a good outlook to have. You work in the industry as a producer as well, you are a very busy guy. You have worked with a variety of different artists in a variety of different genres. What are some of the more important things you have learned in your experiences working on the other side of the console?
Mat Mitchell – Hard work. The one thing that is consistent about people that are successful is work ethic, they are all super hard working. Aside from that, just not second guessing yourself. Trusting that we have all put in enough hours that what comes out is going be good. If it is not, then you learn from it, and you try again next time. I think the important thing is just doing it and putting it out there and working hard. That seems to be consistent across all the different people I have worked with.
- Puscifer Entertainment
CrypticRock.com – Right, there is no substitute for hard work, there’s no way around it. You have to work hard in no matter what you do, whether it be music or working any type of job. You have to work hard.
Mat Mitchell – Absolutely, if you want to stand out or to rise above, you have to put in the time. It is hard work that gets you there. It makes you better at whatever it is that you are doing.
CrypticRock.com – You guys are actually in the midst of a tour for the rest of 2015. How has the tour been as it closes out?
Mat Mitchell – The tour has been great. In our second week we are starting to find our stride. We started to get a rhythm to the whole set. The crowds have been really responsive, the show is really fun. It is a nice evolution from the last tour without doing the same thing over again. It still feels like you are going to a Puscifer show, but with a different experience. I think we pulled it off and I think everyone is enjoying it. During stops like Boston the crowd was on their feet the whole show, that we were super stoked. That makes us happy!
CrypticRock.com – That is excellent. A Puscifer show is quite compelling and different. Money Shot is a very good record and one can imagine it is exciting to play the new songs live.
Mat Mitchell – It is fun to play. There were a few challenging ones to put our thinking caps on and kind of muscle through them early in the tour. Once we had our confidence is there it was more fun with those. Overall it is really fun playing the new songs and playing them with this group of people.
- Puscifer at Terminal 5 NYC 11-17-15
CrypticRock.com – Right, well it goes back to the fact that you guys are like a family like you said, so it is even more enjoyable. What are some of your musical influences yourself?
Mat Mitchell – It varies from day to day. I love soundscape types of stuff like schematic type stuff. It is pretty broad. I love old country, old Johnny Cash stuff, and then I love super Pop Electronic like stuff. It is kind of all over the map, it depends on where I am at, what the environment around me is, and where my head is at. Nothing specific, it is kind of an eclectic mix.
CrypticRock.com – That is good, music is about moods. You have to be in a particular mood wanting to listen to a particular type of music. It is also good to be diverse in your tastes. Sometimes many of us get caught up in one genre and do not explore away from that.
Mat Mitchell – Yeah absolutely, I am sure I have been guilty of that as well in my past. It is really smart to keep your eyes open and your ears open across everything whether it be music or art or just opinions. I think that is how you grow, it is way more interesting that way.
CrypticRock.com – Very true. Our last question for you is pertaining to films. CrypticRock.com we cover all areas of music as well as Horror films. If you are a fan of Horror movies, do you have any favorites?
Mat Mitchell – As a child my favorite was Poltergeist (1982), I know it is kind of a mainstream one. I like those kind of films that are not a character that is the demon. I like when it is more like an energy or something that is a little less tangible. I like those kind of Horror films, something like Poltergeist and of course the back story behind it. The whole curse of Poltergeist and all that really intrigues me, that would kind of stand out for sure.
CrypticRock.com – Yes that is a classic film, it does create an atmosphere. Like you said, that movie does have a lot of bad karma behind it.
Mat Mitchell – Yes, that makes the movie that much creepier when you watch it. I did not see the remake this past Summer.
CrypticRock.com – There was mixed reviews about it. Some people said they enjoyed it, and others said they did not. Remakes are tough. Besides Poltergeist, were there any others that stick out in your mind that you have enjoyed through the years?
Mat Mitchell – The Shining (1980) is a good one, I like Nosferatu (1979) a lot, the Klaus Kinsky edition. That one kind of resonates in me for some reason. I love just old B horror stuff, the black and white stuff. The costumes, the lighting, the makeup stuff, I like that stuff a lot too. They are a little more campy, a little not taken too serious. I like those.
- 20th Century Fox
- MGM/UA Entertainment Co.
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