Josh Scogin and Nikko Yamada of '68 Give Advice To Aspiring Musicians

There are clear influences and references in your work, like the Beastie Boys, but what are some musical influences that might surprise people?

Josh: I don’t know if this is a shock or not, but I’m much more influenced by performance-based people – Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis.

Josh: I mean, like any of the James Brown sort of things always tickled my fancy.

And what are some of your influences, Nikko?

Nikko: I would say despite the aggressive tendency of the music I’m pretty influenced and inspired by a lot of jazz artists and a lot of like old-school funk but specifically guys like Miles Davis, Ahmad Jamal – who’s a great pianist.

Nikko: A lot of modern guys like Jeff Tain Watts, Mark Guiliana, Nate Smith. Those are a lot of different drummers and jazz guys that I lift a lot from.

There are these sort of insane drum crescendos in your live set, so I have to ask if there are any intentional references to the movie Whiplash?

Nikko: I don’t think there’s any reference so to speak other than the fact that we’re in suits – I do love that movie though. [laughs]

Josh: Had you said ‘Yes’ I would have been like “Wow! I didn’t know that.”

If you could open for anyone in the next year - who would it be?

Josh: Dead or Alive? If it’s “Dead or Alive” – I would choose Alive.

Nikko: [laughs] That’s a great answer. I’ll go dead if that’s an option.

Josh: I don’t know, I’d say like Deftones. I’d love to open for them Mostly because I’d just be down with watching them every night.

Nikko: I’d like to do Queens of the Stone Age or the Mars Volta for personal enjoyment of the experience.

Josh: I would also pick that one if that one happened. I wouldn’t be like, “No! I said Deftones!” I’d be like, “Okay, Queens of the Stone Age. Yeah.” [laughs]

Josh: Those are just bands we like, but I mean, there’s a ton of bands out there that are just rad to be able to play with.

If you could give advice to other aspiring musicians, what would it be?

Josh: I think this is always good advice, but today it’s real good advice, like practice a ton.

Josh: Play a ton of shows, you know, play often. Play as much as you can, at least in the beginning. Because everything’s in theory until it’s not, you know?

Josh: And you have a theory like “I think this song’s good” or “I think this song translates live.” You need a number of things and it’s only doing it live and honestly, doing it live several times, that really kind of answer that in real life. It’s no longer a theory.

Do you feel like there are any big lessons you've learned?

Josh: I am still learning. One hundred percent. But I mean I’ve always just loved what I do and I think that would be the greatest advice I could give anyone is like if you love what you do, is there really any failure?

Nikko: I think it’s paramount to simply fall in love with your instrument, whatever it may be, and pour all of yourself into it.

Nikko: Because a lot of this stuff is either luck or timing or who’s happens to be in the room, but if you fall genuinely, genuinely in love and take a sincere interest in your instrument and the craft – I think everything else almost doesn’t matter. You’re always fulfilled.

What is some advice you can share that was given to you earlier in your career?

Josh: We’ve never gotten great advice. I’m sure we have just I can’t think of it off top of head right now.

Nikko: Well, I’ve gotten some great advice. Our first European tour ever.

Nikko: His name is Mick and he plays bass in the band 36 Crazyfists. One time he saw me trying to push some heavy guitar cab while also holding another piece of gear and he’s like “Dude work smarter not harder,” and he grabbed the gear and put it on top and he’s like “Let it ride.”

Josh: I like this better. “Let it ride.” That’s the best advice we’ve ever gotten.

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