Full Names: Vince Scheuerman (vox) - Brad Tursi (guitar) - Dennis Manuel (skins) - Conrado Bokokes (bass)

Ages: mid - 20's

Currently Residing: Washington DC area

Currently Listening to: "Visions of Johanna" - Bob Dylan - - "Hide and Seek" - Imogen Heap - - "Say This Sooner" - The Almost

My Favorite Track: "How Long"

It's about four or five years ago. I'm in Richmond, VA at a little club called Alley Katz. I notice Vince because he's wearing a really cool military jacket. He's thin and handsome and has a quiet presence about him. When Army of Me hit the stage, I'm thinking, "Why haven't I heard of this band 'cause they are really good!"

When I heard that they were putting out a full-length album, my ears pricked up. Then I had a good listen to "Citizen". I fell in love with it...It is, well...it's pretty. It is a beautifully melodic record. The writing is solid and transformational and I enjoyed most the tracks on it. Vince's voice reminds me of David Faulkner of the Hoodoo Gurus. This makes me smile because they were so a part of my growing up. "Citizen" is a good, solid debut from this D.C. based unit. The songs are heartfelt and I would even say inspirational. It is worth a listen and it has been on my playlist for several weeks.

"One day I'll be perfect, I'll be so extraordinary, I will shine I will radiate..."
That day for Army of Me has come.

You guys are currently touring your new album "Citizen", how is that going?

We're gearing up to hit the road pretty soon, and we're gonna be playing all over the country. We're excited for people to hear our new record because we think it will put them in a really good mood -llke eating a good cupcake with the perfect amount of icing on it. Or if you're health conscious or watching your figure, I will compare it to eating a good meal, and the feeling that comes along with knowing that it tasted good and it was good for you... a little something for everyone here..

Why did you call the album "Citizen"?

The name Citizen comes from a lyric at the end of the song "Meet You At The Mouth". The lyric says "You're a city on a hillside, in a country far from here. I will go there and be a citizen of you". It's a statement of loyalty and love. Once a citizen, you're always a citizen, that's the idea - permanence.

The record has a sense of hope and transformation...do you feel this is accurate?

Yes, there are a lot of emotions and themes conveyed here, but as you said, hope and transformation are primary feelings. Transformation is a good word... with any transformation or change, comes uncertainty, struggle, and pain; but also growth, and the feeling that you could be capable of things you never conceived of - like the caterpillar who never imagined it could fly. That's kind of a cliche metaphor, but
hopefully you get the picture...

What did you want to convey with your first full length?

We just wanted to make a record that could communicate with people, that people could relate to. Maybe it could make their lives better, help them through something, or just make them realize that they aren't alone in their experiences...Something that sounds good when you turn it up loud in your car and drive a little faster than normal,
was also a goal.

You all have been in the scene a while...why did it take so long for you release such an incredible album?

We were waiting for just the right moment to let people know how smart we are.

I know a some of the songs on this LP are older songs...how did you go about making the decision to include those songs?

Only "Saved Your Life" is an older song. The other 11 songs were basically the last 11 songs that we wrote.. With "Saved Your Life", I voted not to put it on the record. I was outvoted by the other guys. They were right..

How was it being produced by Michael "Elvis" Baskette? He does some Immortal Records bands...did he help in the direction of the record?

Elvis understands songs, and i think that was my favorite part about working with him. He just knows where a song wants to go, and I really like his instincts.

It's been stated that Vince and John grew up in a religious cult....is this true and how did that affect your music growing up?

It's a long long story. John and I (John was our old bass player), grew up in a religious community in Gaithersburg, MD that a lot of people called a cult. I don't know if cult is 100% the right word for it, although there were some odd and unhealthy things going on in the group. There were also a lot of positive things and good people around, and I grew up with it all, the good and the bad. It was definitely a different way to spend my childhood and adolescence, which looking back, I appreciate in a certain way. One of the good parts was there was always music around - lots of singing and playing. I gravitated towards music and the people that could play it, and always aspired to learn how to play myself.

I didn't grow up listening to The Beatles or The Stones or Bob Dylan. The religious music that I heard early on, probably shaped the way I think about songs.

I saw you guys have some "making of..." videos on YouTube....do you feel this creates a more intimate look at Army of Me? Are you guys utilizing the technology out there in getting your music to soon to be fans?

The way music reaches fans is constantly changing these days because of technology. We had some footage from the studio that we thought people might like to see...

Do you have a busy summer ahead? What can we see from Army of Me in the near future?

If things go according to plan, we will be playing a lot of shows, and hoping that the A/C keeps working in the van.

If you were to give someone a tour of DC of all your favorite places where would you take them?

We could get breakfast at Dos Gringos, a little spot in Mt. Pleasant. Then we could head to check out the Museum of Natural History. A jump on the red line of the metro, and then down to take a hike in Rock Creek Park. Cafe Asia sushi or El Tamarindo Mexican for dinner, a show at 9:30 club or Black Cat, and then a late nite "big slice" (one
slice could probably feed a family of four) of pizza in Adam's Morgan
would be a pretty good day.


If you would like to know more about Army of Me, because you should then please check out their website and give them a listen on A MySpace.

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