Latimer: March 1995

Latimer equals sound. Latimer is a big sound that is manipulated and layered. Four guys from Philadelphia that happen to be loud as hell. I wouldn’t call them “punk rock,” because saying that pigeonholes them. It puts them in the same category as Green Day, The Offspring or Rancid. This isn’t even close. In fact they happen to be on a totally different plane, a different existence. They are fast and aggressive, and to top it off, they are totally original. (Hey! There’s something you don’t see very often!)

After listening to their EP, “World’s Portable” a few times straight through, I had to find out more about this band Latimer. I spoke with Geoff Doring over the phone, who plays guitar and does some vocals. Just to let you know, Latimer is gearing up for a five week tour, and word has it they’ll probably make a stop in Zion. (That translates into: You should watch the calendar section of this magazine so you don’t miss them).

SLUG: How long has Latimer been together?

Geoff: In this formation, about a year and half. But I was in different bands with two of the guys for the last five years or more.

SLUG: With the current lineup, have you had the chance to tour extensively yet?

Geoff: No, we’ve played like nights in a row, once up in New York and that was pretty lush. It wasn’t hard at all.

SLUG: Have you ever been to SLC before?

Geoff: Yeah, I was in a band that played The Zephyr Club. Salt Lake is a beautiful place.

SLUG: So, tell me about your EP “World’s Portable”?

Geoff: It was a demo we sent out to a bunch of different places, including World Domination, and they offered to put it out. It’s a good way for people to hear us and to hear what we are like, but its pretty raw. It was recorded on an eight track so the raw sound wasn’t really by choice.

SLUG: From what we’ve seen, it’s got some pretty good reviews.

Geoff: Yeah, surprisingly.

SLUG: People are taking notice of it, which I think is great.

Geoff: Yeah, it’s weird because we don’t know the “scene” or anything, which is good. That’s a good sign because people have just heard it and had good things to say about it.

SLUG: How long have you been with World Domination?

Geoff: About a year now.

SLUG: How have they been treating you?

Geoff: They’ve all been great so far and are all great people. It’s been a very good thing and even painless.

SLUG: When is your full length going to be released, and what is it going to be called?

Geoff: It should be out in May and it’s going to be called LP Title for lack of any other name.

SLUG: Will you include some songs from World’s Portable and musically speaking, is it along the same lines as your EP?

Geoff: There will be three songs from the EP, plus nice new songs. Yeah, it’s the same band but a little better sound quality and not as raw. It’s basically just an extension—a better version of us.

SLUG: What three songs are included on the full length?

Geoff: Carolida, Dirgesque and Stringbender, but they’re all new versions.

SLUG: That’s a pretty cool picture or you on your CD (laughter, HA HA) where did you guys steal that from, a yearbook?

Geoff: Yeah, a yearbook. We don’t have balls big enough to be that cool.

But I can tell you this, they’re cool enough to write a song like Stringbender. This song alone is well worth the price of the EP, (even though the Whole EP is really good). Try to listen to this little ditty without singing along or tapping your toes. I say it can’t be done. These guys are chaotic and infectious, so watch out.

Read more from the SLUG Archives:
Lou Barlow of Sebadoh: February 1995
Concert Review: February 1995