For those of you unaware, Voodoo Glows Skull have been rocking the party band/skacore scene for well over a decade. Comprised of brothers Frank, Eddie and Jorge Casillas with Jerry O’Neill on drums, and a horns section filled out by Brodie Johnson and Mason Bull, VGS has made a lasting impression on music fans the world over. With the release of Steady As She Goes and the DVD ”Holmes Movies”, the band will be taking the stage once again, giving old and new fans a badly needed dose of their trademark "demonic intensity and demented sense of humor."

SMASH MAGAZINE’s Hektor D. Esparza caught up with VGS’ Frank Casillas via an email interview. And this is what Holmes had to say.

SMASH What is appealing about ska and punk rock, which bands or friends got you started and what is your band's take on these styles?

FRANK The core of the band grew up in the eighties listening to what was popular back then. The punk rock scene still had a feeling of being something new, independent and exciting. So Cal bands like The Descendents, Black Flag, 7 Seconds, Social D, & D.I., The Dickies, Angry Samoans, etc. are responsible for pioneering the So Cal/L.A. punk music scene that still exists in a very strong way. It seems like punk and ska music have always been related in one way or another. The British Two-Tone era was spawned from the UK punk scene and it made it's way over to America. During this time bands like Madness & The Specials were gaining popularity and also helped influence generations of teens. For our particular band, I would have to say that a combination of three different Los Angeles area bands have influenced VGS. Those bands are Oingo Boingo, Fishbone, The Untouchables.

SMASH What is your connection to Latin music and what is the appeal of ska to Latinos?

FRANK For us Latin music was an influence since before we even decided to be in a band. My parents used to have a vast collection of Mexican traditional music and Cuban cumbia music. My Dad would play his records on the weekends. We were exposed to it at a very young age. We grew up on Latin music and ‘50s and ‘60s “oldies.” There are many close similarities to the rhythms found in ska music and much of the Latin music you hear today. That’s why I think ska is appealing to Latin audiences. There’s a Big ska scene in South America

SMASH What kind of feedback are you getting from long time VGS fans and people who just tuned in?

FRANK We' ve been fortunate enough to build a foundation of fans that span two generations now. Alot of our older fans probably don't even go to shows anymore. They probably don't even listen to our style of music anymore. The positive side is that the older fans usually turn us on to their younger siblings. Most of us are well into our 30's already, and we still play in front of 75% teens. We get alot of father and son's at our shows everywhere we go! Most musicians our age are playing their local bar on the weekend. Voodoo Glow Skulls will play your father & son picnic!

SMASH Does your music reflect the sensibility of a certain time and place and would you tell us the origin of the term street music?

FRANK I think that we are definitely a product of our environment. To us, punk has always been about expressing your opinions musically. We don't really have a motive or point to prove with our music. Our lyrical content is usually about personal life experiences. The four original members of the band are Latinos. We grew up in very multi-racial suburbs of Los Angeles. Music & Dance has always been a form of festive entertainment for Latinos. We've been known to be called a "party band", because that's how we got our start. We started playing backyard parties! Anyone who's grown up in the So. Cal area can especially relate to our style. The combination of all of this adds up to the term, "Street Music".

SMASH On the other side of that coin, is there a timeless quality to it, a universal appeal? Is VGS big in the extraterrestrial market?

FRANK I don't know of there is a timeless quality to it. But it's definitely not going away soon! I wouldn't say that there is a universal appeal. But there is definitely international appeal! There are fans of this type of music all over the world.

SMASH Can you talk about the evolution of your band's sound? What brought about the horns section?

FRANK Originally we started as a four-piece hardcore style band. We began practicing for hours everyday in a spare bedroom of our home. We basically taught ourselves how to play music. Eddie, our guitarist actually studied guitar for about 11 years or something. So he was definitely the musical backbone of the band back then. We played our first gig at a friend's graduation party. We were put in the spotlight in front of our peers! To our surprise, everyone liked it! From then on, we played almost every weekend at a different party somewhere. That eventually led us to play the local venue where alot of our friends represented. We won a couple series of the battle of the bands! At that time the music scene in Riverside, Ca (where we are based) was really taking off. Bands from OC & L.A. started coming out to play our scene. But then, we got bored just being a four-piece. So we decided to incorporate a horn section to allow us to expand musically. The horns gave the band lots of appeal , not to mention a sound that wasn't typical of the times. We started sharing contacts and helping other bands from L.A. that we met. And that led to our first tour! From then on we've never looked back! We've been on some of the best independent record labels. And have accomplished alot of our goals.

SMASH Which is your favorite VGS record?

FRANK FIRME. To this date, it's the most popular.

SMASH Do any of you cats ride skateboards, do a martial art or transcendental meditation, yoga or Santeria? Do you tend bonsai trees or raise emus?

FRANK Our bass player, Jorge is still pretty active with BMX jumping and skating. I have a cactus garden! The rest of the dudes are losers!
(Catch VooDoo Glow Skulls at Extreme Thing 2004. Visit www.voodooglowskulls.com for more info and updates on the band)