SCS: I guess my first question has to be…Why Now? Other than Jon’s short stint with Drive-By Honky, the odd Floating Opera recording or show, and the Mercy Rule show at Brothers in Omaha last year, you’ve both have been keeping a fairly low profile on the Lincoln music scene. What made you say “Let’s start a band again? Is it just that your kids are older now? You have more time now? You missed playing?

Jon: Why now? Two words: Bob’s Tavern. I found out they have all manner of rock bands but don’t charge a cover (and still pay the bands). Later I saw Ideal Cleaners there, moshed with some drunk regulars and declared to Heidi, “we gotta get in on that”. Mostly though, we tricked Boz into playing with us and so far he’s been too polite to bail. Playing is the only part we missed. We didn’t miss: booking shows, driving forever for $50, sleeping on floors, having colds year-round, working on the van, road food, playing to empty rooms, not showering for a week, no sleep, sitting in a stinky bar waiting to go on—you know—the good times. Part of why we started Domestica is to eliminate all of the non-rock parts of being a band and concentrate only on the fun parts. This is a great time to be a Lincoln band. There’s more places to play than ever and lot’s of cool local bands to rock with. If anyone has complaints about this town, send them my way and I’ll give them a “back in my day” lecture that will leave them trembling.

Heidi: Its more like a perfect storm kind of thing - we looked and then we found a drummer, Lincoln enacted the smoking ban, the girls are older, and there seems to be more time. I did not know I missed it until we played.

SCS: Have you been writing songs all along during the time you weren’t publicly active musically, or are the songs you’re doing now all relatively new stuff?

Jon: After Ron moved to NYC, I just played the guitar for fun. I really didn’t write songs for a new band until recently, when I started using a computer to keep track of all of the riffs. Finally, a good use for technology.

Heidi: When Andy asked us to play the Anniversary/going away party in August, we were drummerless– We saw Boz at B&R and he started practicing with us 3 weeks before the show – I hadn’t even really touched my bass for 7 years up to that point. Jon had been working on songs on the computer for about a year so we had something to go from.

SCS: Jon, when we chatted after your debut show at Duffy’s, I mentioned that I thought Domestica’s sound seemed to pick up from right where Mercy Rule left off. MR had been moving in a more melodic direction as it progressed, and I think what you’re doing now is perhaps the most accessible stuff you’ve written to date. Was it just a natural progression for you as a songwriter…was it a conscious decision, or do you think spending too much time around Richard Rebarber has put you too deeply in touch with your inner pop wuss?

Jon: Has anyone coined the term “WussRock” yet? It’s mine suckers! Here’s the problem: My daughters play Kelly Clarkson, and every other teen queen cds all of the time and I think that ultrapop sound is working its way through my system. Not that the Husker Du and Ramones songs are any less poppy.

Heidi: If Jon has an inner pop wuss – I haven’t seen it. Besides, I always thought we were melodic – I hum “I declare” in the shower all the time!

SCS: Are you trying to make any sort of conscious effort to make Domestica different from Mercy Rule…or similar to it for that matter?

Jon: Contrary to what the first two shows sounded like, yes, we are trying to sound different. Ideally, when you start a new band, you should take the best aspects of your previous bands and build on them. That’s assuming your old band had anything worth keeping. Loud, Fast, Rules, of course, but in Domestica we’re trying to streamline things and get to the chorus faster. Boz plays drums different than Ron, and his style will ultimately determine what Domestica ends up sounding like.

Heidi: This is a new band but naturally there will be some similarities to MR. For example, Jon will continue to stand on stage left while I prefer stage right.

SCS: Does the spectre of Mercy Rule loom large over you, especially considering the almost mythical/ legendary status the band has taken on in Lincoln, or does it not even enter into your thought process at all?

Jon: Just about all of our gear has Mercy Rule stickers on it, so loom it does. People are always going to think of Mercy Rule when they see Heidi and I. Heck, we’re even playing MR songs in the Domestica set, so clearly we are not trying to distance ourselves from our previous band too much.

Heidi: A “mythical/legendary status” does help us get shows – outside of that it really does not enter into my thought process at all.

SCS: I know there were issues with touring for Mercy Rule after your daughter was born. Did it feel like things were left unfinished after Mercy Rule, or did you walk away from it feeling like you’d said all you had to say with that band?

Jon: When Zoie and Kira were born, our guts told us it was time to focus on other things. It was not a conscious decision to quit rocking, we were just happy being a family.

Heidi: I think we let Mercy Rule rest before we beat it to death. As for me, I walked straight into sleepless nights, dirty diapers, and parenting without looking back – The band could not compete with how motherhood consumed my every waking hour – I think the cells in my body pushed the band out of me because nothing would be allowed that was interpreted as competition to raising young – it’s a primal instinct thing. Since the children can open the fridge by themselves now, the primal instinct thing has lessened to a manageable dull roar.

SCS: What are your goals for Domestica, just playing and releasing music locally, or are you planning on taking it a bit bigger?

Heidi: Can’t you just put your website and music on MySpace and rule the world?

Jon: Domestica is my experiment to see just how little effort it takes to be a decent band.

SCS: How would you say the music scene in Lincoln is different now from what it was when you were playing in 13 Nightmares or Mercy Rule?

Jon: The “back in my day” lecture can be accessed only by purchasing me a beer.

Heidi: There seems to be 1,000 more bands now than certainly the 13 Nightmares era and even early in MR - more stages and a “chat room” – yikes!

SCS: Who are some local bands or musicians that you admire or feel should be recognized?

Jon: Honorable bands are those who have the guts to leave the safe confines of their hometown to invade clubs in neighboring cities, look potentially hostile audiences in the eye and, with Viking-like intensity, announce “We are from Lincoln, Nebraska,” and then commence to cut a bloody, musical path through their unworthy souls. Also, I think all of the guys in Ideal Cleaners are really cute.

Heidi: The fabulous sound engineering skills of Scott Kathol - could there truly be a nicer more decent person on the planet? – (I think not)

SCS: Gary Dean mentioned that you’re going to be putting out a 7” on Speed! Nebraska. When is that coming out and what songs will be on it?

Jon: Gary is wonderfully optimistic. I will do whatever he tells me to do.

Heidi: Gary will not be denied! We just have not recorded anything yet (we’ve only been a band for 6 weeks) so who knows – we never did a Christmas album so maybe that!

SCS: Where are you recording the songs?

Heidi: um -

Jon: Recording with Phil Shoemaker would be fun. Or at Presto. Who knows?

SCS: You’ve toured pretty extensively; tell us if you would, what is your best fan experience and what’s your most embarrassing moment in a live show?

Jon: Imagine what it would feel like to load your stuff in the van, drive to Des Moines, unload your gear into the club and have the dude say, “Your show is tomorrow.” I wore a dress during a gig in Ames, but I looked hot so it wasn’t that embarrassing. Best fan experience: Seeing Dinosaur (Jr) in Iowa City and learning the true meaning of “loud”.

Heidi: Best – Opening for Uncle Tupelo at the Blue Note in Columbia MO. We played one song and for the first time the crowd roared like a lion! 1st Runner up: Playing at CBGB’s at 2:30 a.m. to 15 people – the sound guy let us play a whole set because we were so crazy flippin happy just to be there – We found out later that CBGB house rules dictate that the soundman has the authority to shut down the show if the band is not worthy. I have never been embarrassed once playing music - VIVA PUNK ROCK!

SCS: You're all wizend old rockers at this point. What have you learned in your experience in band that you feel newer local bands could learn from, or made any mistakes they should avoid?"

Jon: Again, this advice should cost you a beer: Bring your own soundguy/gal. When you’re 500 miles away from home, the difference between ruling or sucking is someone who knows what your band should sound like. Plus, that person can help load in/out, drive and break up band fights.

Heidi: Do not allow the spectre of your band loom over you - never ever take yourself too seriously – never judge your performance by how you thought it went – listen to the guy that says, “that was great man” no matter how drunk he is!”

SCS: What can we look forward to in the next year from the band?

Jon: I going to spend that time trying to figure out Boz’s drumming.

Heidi: We’ll be exploring our inner pop wussyness on stage and off – yummy!

SCS: Anything else you want to share with our readers?

Jon: I don’t like to share.

Heidi: A very nice man I know once said, “Life Is Good! Be Happy Today! And Let it GO!”










- Tery Daly