David Kendrick - Devo Interview

When and where were you born? What was your childhood like? When did you first begin to fall in love with music and what was it that initially fascinated you about playing the drums? Do you have any siblings?

I'm a midwesterner,  grew up outside of Chicago. I was born way back in 1955, so I am what is called an older cat! My folks were cool as could be - a book loving empathetic nurse mom and and a sculptor father. They gave me and my brother options to do what we wanted and always the anglophile Kinks, Stones, Move, Who, DC 5 and Beatles levitated me. Drums in my bedroom and they put up with it... Drums was always it, don't really know why, something about the most physical of all instruments perhaps, all limbs are involved... Never played in school bands always outside of that. The midwest then by early 70s was not real conducive to original music, but you could play a lot and I did. Moved to Chicago, bought a VW van and Ludwig kit, (from Chicago) and that’s all I’ve ever done. Still have music pals from there these days... Chicago was a rock town so me and high school friends would go see a lot of music. Highlights include Sun Ra, Mahavishnu Orchestra, The Litter, Ziggy era Bowie, Who with Moon, Kinks, ALEX HARVEY band (wow!) Dylan's first come back tour with the Band, Alice Cooper (pre Guillotine) and Cheap Trick who were and are a fantastic American band that loved all the stuff I did. Even got to play with them for a day when Bun E C broke his arm, but not live in their pre record making days.

What would you and your friends do for growing up? When and where did you see your first concert and what kind of impact did that leave on you? Prior to joining Devo you played in Continental Miniatures. Was this the first outfit you ever played in? Can you tell me a little about this group and record the band’s lone record in ‘79 on Sunshine Records?

I came to Los Angeles at the behest of Kim Fowley, to join a group to be called Venus and the Razorblades which didn't work out  for me, but I stayed in Los Angeles and am still here. By then say fall of 1976 I liked the art punk of Wire, but not the Sham 69  kinda stuff. I was still more enamored of 60's melody - a power popper to some degree. Formed Continental Miniatures with new acquaintances and two old Chicago pals, got signed to London Records and produced by Michael LLoyd who was a brilliant teenager (Smoke, WCEPB), but by this time was quite Shaun Cassidy mainstream. Anyway, our Dusty Springfield cover of "Stay Awhile " charted and I have died of encouragement ever since... We got out of that deal and did a whole original LP, but broke up soon thereafter. 

Shortly after CM Gleaming Spires came onto the scene with their 1981 debut “Songs of the Spires”. I understand you guys were originally called Bates Motel, correct? Can you tell me about writing and recording that record and how the deal with Posh Boy came about?
Betwixt CM and GS I joined Bates Motel, which eventually morphed into Gleaming Spires which at first was only me writing with singer bassist Les Bohem, but before that the Mael brothers saw Bates Motel play and they wanted a real live rock band again after the Giorgio Moroder period. So for 5 years in the early 80's Sparks and Spires were side by side. We used same personnel in Spires (minus Ron and Russ of course!) To this day I love the Angst in my Pants and Whomp that sucker LPs we were the band for! They are great records. I stayed with the Maels until 1986 when they stopped playing live for a long time.

‘83 saw the release of the group’s follow up album “Walk on Well Lighted Streets”. Would you mind walking me through the creation and process of this album? How did the band want to approach this record that differed from the previous debut? This time you guys found yourselves on PVC Records.

Gleaming Spires first LP we thought was a demo. We did with producer Steve Hague and figured if Bates Motel (who we thought was just fine) could not get signed we would do what ever the song entailed - be it noise, bagpipes, other players and  much weirder dystopian music themes. So the second LP was played like a live band also with Steve Hague, but Posh Boy Records heard the "demo" and loved it as it was and wanted to put it out immediately. So, as we were heading to Europe with Sparks we said "yeah" to Posh Boy and the record took off while we were gone. "The Songs of Spires" had pretty good success, as well as a life in films, for the song "Are You Ready For The Sex Girls" especially. Between Sparks and Spires it was an insanely busy time.

The band released one more record in ‘85 entitled “Welcoming a New Ice”. What eventually happened to the band after ‘85. What initially led to you joining Devo that following year in ‘86? What was the first order of business once you officially became their drummer replacing Alan Myers? Tell me about writing and recording the “Total Devo” in ‘88. What was the writing and recording process like for that project? What led to you departing from the band in ‘90?

Welcoming a New Ice Age, the third and last LP reflected a bit of our disillusion a bit!) although, at that time our version of the end of the world involved underground bunkers and a frozen planet, not a warm one. More J G Ballard than today's predicaments. I So crashed and burned, but… I knew several of the Devo guys socially and had recorded quite a lot at their studio with Bob 2. Devo were on hiatus at this point. Alan Myers had left due to a drum machine replacing him essentially. The 80's could be rough on trap drummers. Alan was fantastic, but suddenly everyone thought you could go '“boom - boom - boom" on a Linn machine and who needed drummers? (insert joke here) But Devo had offers to start playing again and (there were a bunch of things involved here, almost too numerous to mention) but they wanted to be more like their early days, just men doing the "job'“ of music and I was there and while it was not Devo's highest commercial arc, the 3 records I did with them were the last time all 5 really wanted Devo to be a full time group, philosophy intact! My drums were all live too. As to the history of the group, I later jot to join-let me say when I saw Devo at the Starwood Club in LA on their first trip, 1976 maybe, I was amazed by the lyrics and their tightness, the ring modulator skronk and the quirk of it all together! In my 80s work, I got to join two bands I admired and make records with them, yeah! But Devo broke up again after the 3 records on Enigma (which was an appropriate moniker.) Mark moved into film and TV work and the Devo after that was not one doing new things... I did play with them for a few years in mid 2000s and I am pleased the records have mostly been re-released. Still miss Bob Casale

I’d like to jump ahead real quick to you, meeting our mutual friend Jaime and joining Xiu Xiu. How did all that come about? What have you guys been up to lately? Any new music, or projects in the works as 2023 continues to roll out? Is there anything else you would like to further share with the readers?

Skipping ahead through many years and bands and even a  century I have worked now with Jamie and Angela for a couple of years. Jamie and I re-met at an art event pre pandemic. Now there a three records recorded and finally extensive touring this year all over the world. But, I did say re-met. Yes, I knew Jamie when he was a mere teen ager! He played for a bit with me in a mostly unknown group called "Live Nude Psychics" featuring Geza X (deadbeats and mommymen), Paul Roessler (Germs), Kenny Lyon, Me and singers Josie Cotton and Beth Hart - quite an ensemble. A teenage Jamie Stewart played with us for a bit and he and I kept up for awhile afetrward in his pre Xiu Xiu days. Then Jamie moved up to the SF Bay area to start IBOPA. He played on a spoken word  project of mine as well, entitled "I'm Sorry Mr. Kendrick, there's a Skull inside your Head" then we lost touch for quite a while. Jamie and Angela both are fiercely original artists - the kind of people I want to make music with and I’m happy we can now share it again live. There is lots of of old stuff of mine still floating around to be released. I am still a  huge fan of music as well as a creator of it and as long as there is psychedelia, my ongoing Empire of Fun project, worldwide film noir, cats, art damage music and a mychorizal network, I hope I will never stop.