by Daniel V. Garcia
Daily Lobo
In Durango, Colo., John Barker of the band Stellar Interlock pulled his work truck off to the side of the road to do an interview.
As he described his band, his unhindered enthusiasm was the same kind an infant displays when he or she bobs with happy music.
"We're a very humble band," Barker said. "We're not full of attitude. Our music is, but we're very humble people."
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The band has been together since 2002.
"That means we'll probably stay together. Every band is like a marriage. Everybody loves their wife that first 12 months, it's after the honeymoon is worn off can we still stand each other? Yes we can. There's a lot of harmony. We actually do talk and communicate with each other."
Their music is a combination of classic rock and punk.
"Can you imagine a little bit of Led Zeppelin and a little bit of Misfits strewed in there, or the Ramones, then you pretty much pinpointed us," Barker said.
Lead singer and guitarist Paul Henderson brings deft guitar work to their CD, Disengage. Prominent on it are tightly crafted three-part harmonies that lend their music a Beach Boys feel.
"We started doing this recording, and started listening back to it, and we just realized that we've got to pick up these vocals," Barker said. "So we've worked really hard on these harmonies. We've had one guy singing everything, now we have all three of us sing. As a player, I totally feel like the vocals are equally as put together as the music is. We knew the songs were good, but the vocals are just as good as the music."
Disengage was mastered by Ed Stasium, who recorded and produced material for Living Colour, the Misfits, Soul Asylum, Biohazard and the Ramones, among others.
"Not only did he do mastering, but he also gave us a little bit of education on recording," Barker said. "It was awesome. He was a super receptive person."
In spite of this professional help, the band is committed to do-it-yourself ideals such as recording their music themselves.
"Right now we're trying to be independent because we don't want to be told we have to write a song a certain way by corporate America."
The band is eager to play outside of Colorado.
"We're wanting to create a buzz here in the Four Corners area," Barker said. "That's why we're coming to Albuquerque. We'd like to make Albuquerque and Santa Fe one of our main stomping grounds for sure."
