I met up with the guys of punk-rock band Sibannac recently to discuss dream collaborations, their newest album, Matapacos, and more. The band is based out of Chapel Hill, NC and consists of Graham Collins on bass and vocals, Devin Raymond on guitar, and Bryon Plotts on drums and vocals.
What first got you guys into music?
Bryon: Well, one, my pops was always into like rock-n-roll, 80’s metal, and stuff so I was definitely listening to music and got into it. Then I started skateboarding at a young age and there’s cool songs in the skateboarding videos, figured I’d give it a shot. Drums seemed cool cause notes were complicated but I could hit shit, you know. And then my mom’s good friend was trying to get rid of a drum kit because apparently their kid wasn’t playing it, and sold it to my mom super cheap, and said, “you’d better play these damn things because I’m not just going to waste my money on it and let you annoy me, if you’re not going to get any good!” So I got a drum kit and it’s really all downhill from there.
Devin: My dad passed away when I was 9 and the thing I remember most is him playing guitar so to feel more connected with him, I started playing guitar. Then adolescence hit, I found the freedom that was punk rock, and never really grew out of that phase.
Graham: Much like everybody else, my dad got me into music. He was really into bands but I never really listened until he used Guns-N-Roses “Paradise City” to get out of a speeding ticket. He got pulled over while listening to, told the cop what he was listening to, and from then on I actually paid attention and listened, and wanted to make my own, to get people out of trouble with cops.
Who writes the lyrics for your songs, and what is your creative process like?
Graham: Our creative process is like, so we’ll write a song, somebody will get a good structure going with a bunch of riffs. Worst case scenario, they don’t have a breakdown and we finagle it and work it together. We have a good chemistry going so that anytime someone comes in with a new song, we’re able to flow with it pretty easily. After that, it’ll either be between Plotts (Bryon) and me, like we’ll have an idea for a song and then I’ll write it, or he’ll write songs. And then we collaborate it all together, it’s been a collaboration pretty much since the beginning.
Devin: I just write the solos.
Bryon: Well, that’s a lot of the creating. Experience is “where do we let Devin solo?”..or how much is the better question.
Graham: Song content comes from all of us recognizing issues and have all kind of a consensus or opinion together.
Devin: Just three best friends playing each others’ songs.
Graham: We’ve been at it…what’s January make it?…12 years.
What is the best advice you’ve been given about the music industry?
Graham: Our good friend Cassidy Logan told us to keep making music because inevitably no one will be able to avoid you. So we just keep making music so that someday everyone will have to listen.
Devin: I would say don’t measure your success. If you’re playing any type of show anywhere to anyone, you’ve made it, that’s success.
Bryon: And when the sound guy says move your shit, you grab it and get it out of his fucking way or you’ll have the worst soundcheck and a real shit show.
What have your experiences with fans been like?
Bryon: Again, to feedback on what Devin said, friends playing each others’ songs, that friendship is much bigger than just us 3 that have helped us get this far. Most of the fans starting were our very best friends and we have had such a super close connection with those people. And recent fans that we’ve met, truly helping people out in a rough time, saying things that they’re thinking and aren’t hearing much of, just showing that we’re people, too…out here rocking and rolling.
Devin: Yeah, they’ve definitely helped us through everything…getting drunk before the show, places to stay after the show. They’ve just always been there. I think every experience has been amazing.
Graham: I really like the guy that gave us a 40 for our album. He gave us a 40 ounce for it, and I think from then on it was like, Alright. These guys are cool, everybody’s cool.
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Graham: There’s so many great bands in North Carolina. We’ve collaborated with Orphan Riot, we’ve collaborated with Almost People, Halloween Year, Dave Walker who goes by Fenetic or Fantastic rapper. If we’re shooting for the moon, I’d say Two Chainz or Ice T.
Devin: The consensus would be Two Chainz.
Bryon: A little lower peg but still realistic, would be cool maybe with Brad Logan from Leftover Crack and F-Minus would be interesting.
Devin: I was going to say Sean P Rogan from Big D but that’s just me trying to figure out how he gets that sick ska pocket, that’s just personal.
Bryon: You just want to learn.
Devin: Yeah I just want to learn.
Graham: Or like some greats that are still going like Dead Rejects from Jersey would be a really awesome split to do, Positive Junk from the UK, Corrupt Vision we already knocked it out, but I’d still love to meet them again.
What else are you passionate about, besides music?
Bryon: Skateboarding
Graham: Here’s where the stereotypes come.
Bryon: Building miniature Gundams called Gunpla, and I just got into Warhammer. I bought a Warhammer set so I got a bunch of minis.
Devin: I love hockey…watching it, playing it, go Bruins.
Bryon: Fuck you, go Flyers, I like hockey, too!
Devin: Hockeys a big thing.
Graham: I game, I play video games like nobody else. I can pull a 6-8 hour session, it’s awful. I did pull 11 hours when Fallout 4 came out but ever since then, now that we have to play bills and we’re getting older, so I need my sleep.
You guys just released the album Matapacos. Which song off of this album is the most powerful to you, and why?
Bryon: I really like DDA because it’s kind of short, simple. It’s actually called Disband/Defund, we call it DDA. It’s simple, to the point, it totally came out good. Devin has a sick intro.
Devin: You mean when I scream, “1, 2, 3, 4”?
Bryon: Exactly! It sounded good on the record because you’re distant.
Graham: I would say, that’s a tough question, I saw that question and still didn’t get an answer. Fukt is great, DDA is great, Mistaken Identity, Herb & Decay, I really like Figures. First track on the album, speaks volumes as to the kind of people that we are, and the commitment we have to just keeping on, keeping on, and doing what we’re doing.
Devin: I’d say, music-wise, I think The Ring. It just really has a lot of great like movements, totally sounds really really nice, kinda gives me goosebumps which we have a lot with our songs.
Graham: We actually sent that instrumental off to NHL, like hey would y’all put this as your background music when they’re like, Good evening, and tonight on Monday Night Hockey.
What’s next for you guys?
Bryon: Next? Get through this pandemic.
Graham: Who knows, By the time this comes out, it might be over.
Bryon: We’ve already got 3 new songs. I wrote a new one over this week. Definitely producing and creating because this world has given us plenty of topics to delve into and make people aware of.
Devin: Just more of the same. We released an album in August, and we’ve already got 4 tracks ready to go, just need to start playing live shows again.
Graham: We’re going to keep on keeping on, like I said, doing what we’re doing because we’re strong and we’ve got each others’ backs and I think a lot of bands don’t have nowadays. Just 4 individuals coming together, we’ve made Sibannac an individual itself, and I don’t think that motherf*cker’s dying anytime soon.
