Band Interview – Slightly Stoopid

By Shannon McAleenan

Slightly Stoopid was stupid enough to pick arguably the worst band name ever, but its been smart enough to parlay the anti-establishment mantra into independent success. With its 10th release, the stupidly titled Slightly Not Stoned Enough To Eat Breakfast Yet Stoopid, these reggae punksters have paved the way to their musical career on a back road, avoiding major labels and all that goes with them. They embark in August for their Tailgate 2008 Tour with Pepper and one of reggae’s most prolific and long-lasting duos, Sly & Robbie. The tour hits the Oldest Aug. 31 at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. Drift spoke recently with Stoopid’s Miles Doughty.

Drift: Let’s start with the basics. Some of you met as far back as high school, how did that evolve into Slightly Stoopid?

Miles Doughty: Kyle (McDonald, vocals/guitar/bass) and I have actually been friends since we were two years old. We started the band together in high school. We’ve been friends our whole lives, 29 years. We’re lucky because it’s like playing with your brother out there. And then the other guys, they’ve been around for six-plus years. They were local friends and other musicians we played with. And then we got a couple horn guys a few years ago from John Brown’s Body on the east coast. Now we have a nice little tight unit.

D: I’ve also read that some of your early success came about with a little help from Sublime’s Bradley Nowell. How did he help shape your early music career?

MD: He signed us to Skunk Records when we were 16, 17. They gave us a chance. The Skunk name was a pretty well-known underground name, so when they brought us on board, that brought fans out even if they didn’t know who we were. When you had the Skunk label on your music, people were like, “Hey, let’s go see that band.” So that’s how Slightly Stoopid started cruising around.

D: Slightly Stoopid has stayed independent and away from major labels. How’s that been for you?

MD: For us, it’s kept our music real. We’ve always just made music for ourselves and for our fans. There’s never been anyone else telling us how to create our music, so we’ve had total control over what we’ve made. For us, it’s really paid off – the fans appreciate a hard working, touring band putting out their own records. A lot of our fans came up with the band, so they’ve been around 10-years plus, seeing us go from playing in front of 25 people to five or six thousand people. When you’re able to do all that on your own steam, making your own music just for yourselves and for your fans, it’s pretty neat.

D: Why did you decide now was a good time to include live-show favorites like “Sensimillia” on your new release, Slightly Not Stoned Enough To Eat Breakfast Yet Stoopid?

MD: Some of the songs on there have always been crowd favorites, so we figured why not record them? We have so much music, and we put a record out every couple years. I think the most important thing is to get as much as your music out there, opening it up to more people and then more people come to the shows. You figure for every person that buys a CD, three more people download it, so that’s four people right there that have your album. It works out good.

D: You guys tour like maniacs. What are your secrets for maintaining momentum with non-stop touring and recording albums?

MD: The most important thing is to keep it fun. A lot of people do it for the money or what not, but you’ve got to do it because you love it. We all love to be out there playing. I mean, there’s no job more fun than when you get on a stage and there’s thousands of people singing songs with you. There’s no feeling that can compare to that. As long as you have fun, you can stay out there forever because you want to be there.

D: This is your first time headlining an amphitheatre tour. What are you guys looking forward to with the Tailgate tour?

MD: We did a co-headline last year with G-Love for the Summer Haze tour, but this is our first time alone with such big venues, so we’re excited.

D: You’re touring this summer with Pepper, who you’ve toured with before, and Sly & Robbie. How did you guys team up with a huge reggae legend like them?

MD: Ah, I know right? We were lucky. We’d been just throwing the word out there to see if they wanted to come tour with us. We weren’t really sure what they were going to say, and they said yes. We were stoked because they’re like the godfathers of reggae music. They’ve made some of the dopest rhythms that people have just recycled for years. It’s more than cool to get a chance to share the stage with them.

D: You’ve toured in Florida before. Ever made a stop in St. Augustine?

MD: I don’t think so. It’s up by Jacksonville right?

D: Yeah, like thirty minutes south.

MD: I’m looking forward to it. We usually just do a couple nights at the Freebird there on the beach, and after the show, we always go and jump in the ocean. We always just love playing down there. I’m looking forward to the amphitheatre – I’ve heard it’s supposed to be pretty nice.