Music goes with skateboarding like beer goes with an awkward first date. It helps to set the mood and relax the vibe; creating a space for free flowing expression. While we don’t necessarily want to encourage your drinking habits, we’re all for turning up the volume when stepping on a board. We’ve got Doomtree Records to thank for some new tunes to skate to and we’ve got skateboarding to thank for Doomtree Records…
Did skateboarding play a big role in bringing together Doomtree Records?
Sims: I actually met P.O.S and Paper Tiger, as well as my Doomtree cohort Cecil Otter, through skateboarding. I was a few years younger than those guys but that’s something that the skate community gives people, a chance to meet like-minded people whom they might not otherwise get a chance to meet.
Between spending time in the studio and going on tour do you still find time to skate?
Sims: We used to skate a lot before we got old, sore and too into rap music. We all still push around and maybe hit a mini ramp here and there, but we are not really active skaters at present. But as kids, skating was pretty much all we did.
Paper Tiger: The closest I get these days is pushing around the neighborhood, just running to a store or something. If I get a few ollies in on the way I feel like I’m ripping.
What were your favourite spots or parks to skate?
Sims: Stairs and ledges. RIP my ankles.
Paper Tiger: When I was growing up my favorite spots were in Downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul. The federal building was kinda the main spot. This was ‘94/’95 when I was skating there a lot. Sometimes I would roll up and there would be 60 kids there. 5th street towers, the government center, and the marble ledges on Nicollet Mall were great.
What similarities do you see, if any, between skateboarding and making music? Does one inspire the other?
Sims: I discovered a ton of music through skate videos. There was something that felt unified between the music and skate culture… independence maybe. It felt like you could just pick up a skateboard or pick up an instrument and just go rip, without restriction or permission.
Paper Tiger: Skateboarding informed my cultural interests early on, and was my gateway to counter culture. Literally everything I do can be traced back to my skateboarding roots: music, fashion, graphic design, photography… I learned it all through the culture.
In 3 words, how would you each describe your music?
Sims: Heady. Fun. Challenging.
Paper Tiger: Fast. Hard. Soft.
Lazerbreak: Extreme. Lava. Bangers.
Photo: Zoe Prinds
If, in some alternate universe, you had become a professional skateboarder and were filming a video part, which song would you choose for it?
Sims: Search and Destroy by The Stooges—no wait, Woo Hah by Busta Rhymes—NO! Vital Nerve by Company Flow.
Paper Tiger: Super Sharp Shooter by DJ Zinc
Lazerbreak: How Does It Feel by Kamaiyah
Which skate video do you think has the best soundtrack?
Sims: Eastern Exposure 3
Paper Tiger: Girl: Goldfish. I also learned a ton about music from the 411 series.
Tell us about the Dangerous Jumps album…
Paper Tiger: This project includes 4 members from Doomtree. We had been talking for a while about doing a project together that was a slight departure from what we had been doing. After making All Hands, we wanted to make a collaborative project that focused on fast, short, and fun songs that spoke to where we are at in our lives currently.