November Suburban Home Buddies of the Month, Vanessa Jean and Patrick Speckman

I am so excited to bring you our November Suburban Home Buddies of the month, Vanessa Jean and Patrick Speckman, 2 of my favorite people from Northern California. You may or may not know these fine folks as they are the creators of Lubricated Magazine, a zine that gives Suburban Home so much support. I had the excellent experience of meeting both Vanessa and Patrick (Sister and Brother in case you were wondering) when they came out with friends to Denver to celebrate Suburban Home’s 14th Anniversary. We had one hell of a time and the celebration made me realize something about Suburban Home. The people who tend to like our bands and support our label are some of the most interesting, down to earth people I know. They tend to like to booze and have a good time. Vanessa and Patrick embody those qualities and much more and they make me wish that California was a lot closer to Colorado. When deciding who to ask to be our November buddies of the month, it was a no brainer as Vanessa and Patrick go out of their way to see our bands, to support our label, and to just be 2 of the raddest people on the planet.

Please read on as Vanessa and Patrick discuss their introduction to Suburban Home, bands they would sign if they ran Suburban Home, their favorite Suburban Home releases, interesting Suburban Home related stories, and more.

Thanks Vanessa. Thanks Patrick. I love you guys. I am also jealous of you guys as they are seeing 3 Revival Tour shows this week. So jealous.

Your name and the city you live in. What do you do for a living?
VJS: Howdy. My name is Vanessa Jean Speckman and I live out of a suitcase in the Bay Area, California. I live for a living, but for monetary purposes, I work in the Photography and Styling Department for a Western Living magazine and I also work for a Non-Profit Art Organization that preserves and archives Folk Art. My brother and I make a zine, Lubricated, on the side but that’s for fun and we don’t make a dime off of it.
PS: Patrick Speckman – Ben Lomond, CA. I’m an electrical contractor.

How did you find out about SH, what was the first SH release you ever purchased?
VJS: I had been a fan of Armchair Martian for many years. I think it was in February of 2007 when my ex-boyfriend took me to see a show at Thee Parkside in San Francisco. I was kind of drunk and confused because I saw Fat Mike and Joey Cape hanging out with the dude with the glasses from Armchair Martian. Then the dude with the glasses from Armchair Martian got on stage and picked up the guitar and rocked out with the headlining band – Drag the River. Tim Barry and Josh Small were also on that tour and opened for Drag the River that night. Connections were made and the rest is history.

My first purchase from Suburban Home was Drag the River’s, “It’s Crazy”.
PS: I’ve been an Armchair Martian fan for years – my sister gave me some Drag the River, and we made the Snodgrass connection. I think I started hearing more and more from Tim Barry about the same time.

What is your favorite SH release? Favorite SH artists?
VJS: That’s a tough question. I think it changes with new releases and re-visiting old ones. But at the moment, it’s Two Cow Garage’s “Please Turn the Gas Back On”.
PS: This is impossible – right now I can’t stop listening to Two Cow Garage and In the Red. The Takers album is amazing.

What other labels do you follow?
VJS: Hillgrass Bluebilly Entertainment, Side One Dummy, Fat Wreck Chords, Lookout, No Idea, Bloodshot, Asian Man…
PS: I was born and raised on Fat Wreck Chords. Bloodshot, No Idea, Lookout, BYO, Asian Man, Side One Dummy, Hillgrass Bluebilly, Fat Possum.

What are some of your favorite non-SH artists?
VJS: Possessed By Paul James, Chuck Ragan, Deer Tick, Glossary, Chris Wollard, The Enablers, Trampled By Turtles, Justin Townes Earle, Steve Earle, Scott H. Biram, Lenny And The Piss Poor Boys, William Elliott Whitmore, Red Clay River, Hot Water Music, Thin Lizzy, Bad Astronaut, Magnolia Electric Company, Gram Parsons, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Replacements, Charlie Parr, FENCES, Armchair Martian, Fleet Foxes, Lucero, Bon Iver, Townes Van Zandt, Old Crow Medicine Show, New Roanoke Jug Band, Avail, Homemade Knives, Tom Vanden Avond, The Shitkickers, Leatherface, Gunmoll, Left Lane Cruiser, Nothington, Cory Branan, Frank Turner, Anchor Down, The Anchor, Tom Waits, Michael Dean Damron, Chad Rex, Lagwagon, Split Lip Rayfield, Uncle Tupelo, Stiff Little Fingers, 88 Fingers Louie, Former Cell Mates, The Correction Brothers, Edith Piaf…
PS: Chuck Ragan, Red Clay River, Malcolm Holcombe, Chris Wollard, Tow Waits, Hot Water Music, Lagwagon, Possessed by Paul James, Lucero, Left Lane Cruiser, Scott H. Biram, William Elliott Whitmore, Charlie Parr, Michael Dean Damron, Chad Rex, Jerry Reed, Nothington, Leadbelly, Rex Hobart, NOFX, the Only Sons, Trampled by Turtles, the Fox Hunt, Split Lip Rayfield, The Devil Makes Three, Slobberbone, Glossary, The Enablers, The Anchor, Deano Waco, The Pogues, Nick Cave, The Shitkickers, Phil Collins, Frank Turner, Tom Vanden Avond, Justin Townes Earle, Strung Out, Wayne Hancock, No Use for a Name, Anchor Down, Armchair Martian, Avail, Bad Astronaut, Mike Watt, The Animals, Uncle Tupelo, Snuff, the Descendents, Leatherface, Gram Parsons, Flying Burrito Brothers, Roky Erickson, 88 Fingers Louie, blah, blah, blah.

What is your musical format of choice? CD, Vinyl, Digital?
VJS: If it’s not live, then I like vinyl that includes a digital download coupon.
PS: My Ipod gets a lot of use – it’s too convenient. But nothing would ever replace my shelves of vinyl and CDs – everything eventually ends up on the Ipod though.

Where do you buy your SH releases?
VJS: Either from Vinyl Collective or from the bands when they are on tour.
PS: I try to get them from the bands, if not, from cyber space.

If you ran SH, what band would you sign?
VJS: Any off of the laundry list mentioned above, but especially Possessed By Paul James.
PS: As many of the people I listed above as possible.

Which SH artists have you seen live, which artists that you haven’t are you looking forward to seeing?
VJS: I think I’ve got ‘em all covered. The Takers were the outstanding band of bandits that I had yet to see, but that got checked off my list in Denver at the Suburban Home 14th Anniversary Weekend.
PS: After the Anniversary Weekend last month, I think I’ve got everyone pretty well covered. I just hope that I can keep seeing them play often and for a long, long time.

We at Suburban Home realize that we are a small label and are always interested in hearing suggestions on what we can do better, any suggestions?
VJS: Get some of the Suburban Home bands and the staff together and climb onto a tour bus and head west and come hang out with us. Seriously.
PS: Don’t stop – ever.

Have you ever called the Drunk Dial Hotline? IF no, why not?
VJS: I have yet to call the Drunk Dial Hotline because I have been too drunk to remember to dial the Drunk Dial Hotline. I will one of these days, I promise.
PS: Nope – too drunk.

Do you drink beer? Do you have a favorite beer? If not beer, what is your drink of choice?
VJS: If I’m drinking beer, I drink Orange Beer. PBR with Orange Juice. But you’ll usually find me shooting Jameson.
PS: Yes, I drink beer – usually shitty stuff like Budweiser or PBR. Guinness if I’m feeling real classy for some reason. I also like whiskey, which goes great with beer.

Do you have any interesting SH related stories?
VJS: Some highlights would definitely have to be the 14th Anniversary Weekend out in Denver… late night hotel post-party parties with Virgil, Snodgrass, Little Chad, Tim, and Ninja Gun. Or spending time on the road up and down California with Tim, Josh and Austin this past Spring. I also have a collection of fond memories at our old house, Locals Only, when a lot of our Suburban Home buddies came through town and visited… Jon Snodgrass wearing a hard hat and playing Beirut in our garage until sunrise with Thin Lizzy blasting at volume 11 (which was on more than one occasion)… Chad Price falling asleep on top of the camping gear in the garage utterly content… all day BBQ and hang time with Two Cow Garage in the backyard… My heart is full of fond Suburban Home related stories. I respect and appreciate all of their musical efforts and endeavors – and I respect and appreciate them as my friends. Exactly like the way I feel towards Virgil and the crew. Y’all have become MY friend through music. Thank you. Thank you for what you do and create, and thank you for doing it with such authenticity and integrity. Please, keep doing what y’all are doing for many, many years to come.
PS: I don’t know – hangin out at 4am with Snodgrass, Chad Rex and Virgil at our Anniversary Weekend hotel room, listening to Thin Lizzy and watching Jon rock out. I then realized that every time I’ve hung out with Jon, it’s 4am and he’s rocking out to Thin Lizzy. Always a good time.