Who are you and what do you want?
Marko - I'm Mark Martin a.k.a.Marko Bruiser, and what i want is to just make and play as much music as possible before i die. I'd like to leave some sorta impression in the music world, not to be famous and make money, but just to have something in this world that will live longer than me.
You seem to be a machine with releasing Marko and The Bruisers albums. Whats the secret to putting out so many albums?
Marko - I don't really have any secret, i play guitar everyday for practice and for my son (who is my favorite fan) so after just jamming, i find a cool riff and build off of that. Sometimes I'll just come up with a random verse and it immediately turns into a song somehow. I also have help from natty ice 40s, not all the time, but if I'm not playing a show and i have a Saturday off, I'll grab a couple 40s, a couple nips of whiskey go home and let things happen. I guess my biggest secret is i cant turn the radio off in my head, its always thinking of lyrics, or guitar riffs. On some occasions I've woken up and literally written a song in the matter of minutes. As of right now... i have 2 more songs to write for the next e.p., 1song left to write for the "love my heart/fuck my heart" full album, and i just started recording songs for a cassette split I'm doing with Darlington through wiener records. There's a lot of cool stuff coming up this fall and winter for sure!
You also play drums in Slitstitch. What is the difference between the two bands?
Marko - Well the difference between both for me is Slitstitch has more input from others, different minds, different styles make for good songs. M.a.t.b. is only from one mind, sometimes i think if another person would jam and record with me, then maybe that other person/style could think of something i didn't and make the song that much cooler. I like both sides of this though cause i get to play with two other great musicians, play a lot of cool shows, meet a lot of awesome people, and go places I've never gone to and party. when im at home in family life i got my music to keep me sane.
Where is your all time favorite place (bar/club/hall/basement) to play?
Marko - My favorite place to play is probably Hotel Vernon in Worcester... i don't think there ever was a place i didn't like playing though. Hotel Vernon is just that comfortable hometown dive with dollar drafts. Nowadays though its been packed with hipsters of the fashion kind... they go out but not to shows.
What are your top 5 favorite records of all time?
Marko -
5. Ribbed-NOFX
4. Group sex-Circle Jerks
3. Insomniac-Green Day
2. Lets go-Rancid
1. Chinatown-Thin Lizzy
NOFX or MXPX?
Marko - This is tough for me... I'm gonna say NOFX cause it was the 1st time i ever heard music so fast and perfectly put together... i remember i was like 11 and i had this cool wallet chain. This older kid Eric Mesho wanted it and traded me a cassette copy of "i heard they suck live" i went home, and life was never the same! Now MXPX found me when i was 16 and i was already listening to alot of blink 182, my friend Rob Richards put in "let it happen" and it was so good. The difference between both and why i choose NOFX is... MXPX never put anything else good out after "let it happen" and NOFX still is very good.
What makes the Worcester punk scene tick?
Marko - I wanna say there isn't actually to much of a scene up here anymore... its been picking up though. For awhile there it seemed like Slitstitch was the only punk band still playing, but now new bands are emerging and the stinks starting to come back finally. I also try to book as many shows as i can to help the scene. The younger punks are definitely slacking though
Check out some videos below of Slitstitch and Marko and The Bruisers.
Slitstitch - "Zombified"
Marko and The Bruisers
Also Slitstitch will be playing this October at Three Sheets in New Haven with The Lost Riots and Bloodred Whiskey!
