Mike: Tell me a little about the band, how did you meet up and what's the story behind the band name?
Matt: The band was formed in a friend’s garage in 2008. It was originally a way to have fun and make decent music sound as bad as we wanted. The band name came to me while helping Farrell with his ’30 Ford. We saw a group of old beat up biker chicks fly by the shop. Someone pointed and yelled out, “dykes on bikes!” We all agreed it was the perfect name for whatever the hell you would call what we do. After our first show, a few weeks after our formation, we decided to try and take over the world. Throughout the years we have been through a few lineup changes which lead to the bands current members. Not much has changed since then, but we like to think we’re a little better than we used to be.
Mike: How would you define your sound and style?
Matt: The most high speed, low drag, four barrel banging, whiskey fueled debauchery rock and roll to ever supply and support single moms on stage.
Mike: What are some of your influences and did any of them influence the look and stage presence for the band?
Matt: Gasoline in a pure, raw form influenced the band in way only described as indescribable. The subtle yet in your face stench of the fumes really penetrate the essence that is Dykes on Bykes.
There’s something about the smell of methanol and booze that we just can’t get enough of. Our
look and stage performance is really just an extension of who we are. We like building shit that goes way faster than it should and be a little fucked up while we do it. It’s the same concept with our performance. It’s not a gimmick. You show me a guy who doesn't love wearing big white sunglasses every day, and I will punch him in the dick.
Mike: For each of you tell us a bit about your musical upbringing and where did you get your start musically?
Matt Fuentes: I started playing guitar pretty early on. Back in middle school I listened to nothing but bands like Black Sabbath, AC/DC, and Motley Crue. They’re the reason I picked up a guitar. Then it turned into bands like The Misfits and The Cramps. Later on when I found out my hot rod buddies were musicians too, it just made sense.
Brad Corona- I started out like most do. I cleaned moss and trash out of a pond full of giant catfish in exchange for a trashed knock off Strat. I got my first taste of being in a punk band in high school. I taught myself to play drums out of necessity. No one wanted to play anything other than guitar. Everyone needed a drummer. I wasn’t very good and I’m still not, but I really dig beating the shit out of things in rhythm.
Farrell Jeppesen- A buddy of mine in middle school wanted to start a punk band. I played trumpet so I already had a little experience in music. He gave me the first Ramones album and told me to start learning. The Screaming Idiots was born, and went down shortly after like a shot
of tequila after a long day of tarring roofs.
Derrick Mauk- I got my start in, of all places, a karaoke bar. I used to hang out all the time and
finally got the guts to sing. My first band was a hardcore band that I joined just to learn to play
bass. I was in multiple cover bands throughout the years until I was asked to join Dykes on
Bykes. The rest is history.
Mike: Where do you get your inspirations for your music?
Matt: There are only a few things that we really write our songs about, women, drugs, choppers, beer, farm trucks, mini bikes, prostitutes, dune buggies, big fucking swords, my "fucking" sword, AK-47's, El Caminos not god damn Rancheros, 'Merica, Lone Star, grease, speed, Street Fighter, Street Fighter II, Turbo Hyper Fighting, C4 Transmissions,
wolves, beans, urination, and my little pony.
We have had the pleasure of seeing Dykes On Bykes perform on several occasions, and with each performance have been blown away by both their sheer talent and stage presence. AAttending a Dkes show is a white knuckle thrill ride. Check them on and request them in a venue near you!