You used to be known as the SONICDOLLZ, why the name change ? Are The JOYSTIX different from the SONICDOLLZ in any way?

Yeah, we consider it as a completely different band, though we play a few ?dollz songs live.We had a member change (the Sonicdollz bassman Franky has stopped doing music) but the other reason why we wanted to change is that with Sonicdollz after the recording of our first EP we decided to change more to the rockabilly direction. We used doublebass, and the image shifted to the direction of Rockabilly-psychobilly. Thankfully to this we had quite a few people in Hungary who’ve known us as a rockabilly band and we thought that joystix?s music is so different from that style that we must find out a new name! If i look back to the sonicdollz “Better be dead … “EP i can say that the style is not changed completely, but with joystix i wanted really simple riffs, simple danceable songs, and not too much lollipop choruses rather the dynamic and the rhythm of the song is dominating. Of course as the new songs have come and i wrote the stuff i couldnt deny myself so i think a few singalong choruses are in the disc as well.

“Playing with Fire” has just been released, are you satisfied with it?

Yeah, of course as every band we see what could’ve been changed, and what could’ve been better, but i’m pretty satisfied with the result. I think we collected a dozen of heavy, riff oriented, but punky singable songs, with a slight glam touch on it. Right now we are planning our second release and we want to make it a little bit more diverse. A few darker, slower, heavier songs, some really fast punk title but basically the style?s gonna be the same!! These songs came without any sweaty effort, it just came out from me in a snap, and i think the record shows our melodic side and our rough side pretty well.

How did you get the idea of including the song “Spider” (from French rock’nrollers HIGHSCHOLL MOTHERFUCKERS) on the album?

As you know with Stuffy and Pam we did together Suckerstarz, and since then we’re friends and keeping contact. I always check out and listen what they’re doing and they always keep looking what i?m doing. So i listened their EP and i think Spider is a fucking great song. It should be on Top 10 at any country. It has the elements which means a good song for me! So i thought it would be cool to make a Joystix version of it.. I didn’t really want to put on the record any song from a famous name you know what i mean. So i started to play around with that song and i think it fits perfectly to the record. I hope our version is as enjoyable as the original. We always play covers in our gigs, and we plan to record some more covers in the future from our favourite songs and we’ll put it in our website for free like T-rex :Get it on which you can download from our site.

Your songs are powerful but still melodic, do you usually find the vocals/melodic line first or the music?

I always loved if a song has rough edge and energy besides it has a really memorable vocal line. If i think it over i can say theres no fixed rules for my songwriting. Usually a riff comes first , but for example in case of Teenage riot the whole melody was in my head so i tried to find the right words for the melody lines, and after this i started to find the notes on an instrument.

Have you played outside Hungary yet with this band?

Not yet. We are preparing right now for a short German-Holland trip.We want to move out from Hungary , we want to play everywhere it?s possible in Europe. We believe that our music can grab some people attention and we?re full of energy and we have the hunger to show to more and more people our music and our fucked up attitude

Blondie, when I interviewed the SONICDOLLZ you were playing in several bands at the same time, what about now?

If we talk about “normal” bands right now i’m only in this band, and it’s gonna stay like that!! I can realize all my ideas in this band. The musical direction, the lyrics, the attitude and the image is really what i am so at the moment it makes no sense to focus on anything else. If we talk about projects we just discussed with Stuffy a possible Suckerstarz follow up with that really raw, noisy garage sound you could hear on our 666-EP. It would be fun so i think sooner or later we’re gonna do that !

There’s a big paradox in music today, it seems like the Internet has changed a lot of things: the record industry is dying (record sales are going down, independent record shops close down one by one, etc.) but at the same time, it seems like there’s more and more people at shows? what’s your opinion?

God bless the internet!!! Personally i’m really happy that i can listen bands that i would never have a chance to listen. I can send my music anywhere in the world in a few minutes. I can contact with anyone with just a few click! I love this!!! It makes the things much easier, even as an artist or a music loving listener. I think if someone really dig a record he will buy it . I love the covers, the lyrics sheet etc. But i have the chance to listen it first!!! Lot of times happened in the past that i was waiting for an album or i heard about a band someone told me it’s cool i bought the record for a high price and it was a big disapointment. Now this is over 🙂 But i experienced if i want to be taken seriously with my band i need an officially released record. I don’t know why is it this way but for me it seems that it works only like that. So if i want to have the chance to fix a gig or to go to play it?s much better to have something officially released. It make things easier in my opinion.

You’re a horror movie fan, what are the latest ones you enjoyed?

I don?t have too much time nowadays the last movie i saw was not exactly a horror movie it?s rather a dark humourous animation stuff, some kinda follow up of Nightmare before christmas, it?s titled The Corpse Bride of Tim Burton. I love that movie!

Is there really something wrong with the girls today?

Hmmm… that’s a tough one. I have severeal experiences which makes me wanna say :Yes!! There are those typical girlie things which i think i?ll never be able to understand… but i don?t know how to say 

What’s next for The JOYSTIX? Your projects?

. We will have a few gigs in Europe in the nex few months. In Hungary we will have our record release party in Budapest on the 30th of September and we will make another one in our hometown Szekesfehervar on the 7th of October. We’re hoping it’s gonna be a blast, we will invite special guests, and other bands as well so we hope it’s gonna be a cool party. In the future we want to go everywhere to play, we want to let all the people know that this record is out and we?d like to squeeze out from it the maximum we can!.

http://www.joystix.hu