DUCHOVNY

As a kid, every time we’d go to the store, I’d play “don’t step on the green tiles” (they were made of acid), and after my mom had paid for her groceries, we’d head for the door and I would ask if I could have a quarter for one of the cheapo lead-covered toys in the machines. Part of what was so fun about when she said yes was not knowing what I would get when the little plastic bubbles rolled out and I could pop the top off to hold my new toy in my small hand. ...I mean, you usually had some idea- if you put the coin in one machine, you would probably get a ring, if you chose the other, you would probably get a keychain. Some of the time it was a disappointment (A “pretty princess” sitcker?! I’m giving this shit to my sister! (and she didn’t want it either)), but other times it was a surprisingly cool thing that you didn’t fully expect.
And that’s the way I feel about Duchovny. I put my quarter in the “indie” machine, but I didn’t get the same ol’ same ol’. Upon hearing them for the first time, I was surprised by the punctuation of horns. The next thing I noticed was the oodles of interesting percussion. Maybe next was how smooth the vocals are. Intrigued? Me too. I guess it goes to show you: you never know what you’re going to get. ...Unless you’re Forrest Gump; then you will get a dead love, a motherless son, and a fortune in shrimp money. And an Oscar for Best Actor in a Lead Role.

What are your names, ages, and roles in the band?

Dylan Sonke (20) - Vocals, guitar, piano
Noel Afan Billups (20)- Vocals, piano/keys, ukulele, guitar
Andy Ezell (20) - Trumpet, flugelhorn
Dylan Halpin (20) - Saxes
Donovan Armijo (???) - Bass, guitar
Tanner Rogerson (20) - Drums

Duchovny, I admittedly know very little about you...there are several people involved in planning Dreyfest and I may be the only one who is unaware of your Billings connection. ...I’m assuming that at least one of you lived in Billings at one point(?). Who dat be?

Our trumpet player, Andy, is from Billings and he hooked us brothas up.

The band is from Greeley, Colorado. UNC school of music is located there, and given your fairly sophisticated sound, I’m going to make another assumption and say that some of you are students there. What are you majoring in and has it been what you had hoped for before attending?

Correct! Tanner is a percussion student majoring in music business; our bassist, Donovan, already graduated with his degree in jazz studies as a guitarist (so he's way better than all of us); Dylan Halpin is a jazz studies major on sax; Andy is a classical performance major on trumpet (he's actually leaving us this coming semester to go study in France for a semester...bastard); Noel was a music education major playing classical trombone but switched to math his sophomore year; and Dylan Sonke pursued jazz guitar his freshman year, but decided to major in communications towards the end of his freshman year I believe.

As for what we hoped for, I can't speak for the whole band but I know for Dylan Sonke and I (Noel), weren't getting what we wanted out of the music program. That is why we switched majors, but that is a whole different story haha.

Given the fact that so many people go to UNC for music, what’s the local music scene like there?

It's actually pretty incredible and supportive. There are a lot of talented musicians playing in bands that are in and not in the music program. Since the campus and college town are relatively small, you get a pretty tight knit community of musicians and creative people. And of course, the jazz scene is pretty amazing.

"I don't see a white bird logo anywhere...I'm beginning to think that you're
not really a photographer for American Eagle Outfitters at all!"

What becomes of the broken hearted?

They get married.

For those of you who have never been to Billings, MT, what are you expecting?

For it to be a drunken haze.

In lieu of money or a good time, Dreyfest should pay us with (filling in the rest of this statement makes this contractually enforceable and thus requires no signature or further statement from any party in, or associated with, Duchovny):

Hugs, hand shakes, and the occasional kiss.

Write a brief a character sketch of a typical person at one of your shows:

Most shows consist of Andy trying to get Dylan Halpin laid.

Duchovny is to Dreyfest as _______ is to ________.
Duchovny is to Dreyfest as Scully is to Mulder.

Any last words?

I want to believe.

Thanks for having us!

Thanks to us? Thanks to YOU for answering the questions and coming up for Dreyfest! ...And thank god we don’t have to pay you ‘cause now we can afford to pay Sammy Hagar...that guy has so many demands: “Pay me”, “Stop making fun of “I Can’t Drive 55””. Sheesh!
...And while we’re on the subject of thanks, I’ve been meaning to say thanks to IMDb for the facts on Richard Dreyfuss, so I might as well do that and add that I would like to thank them for the info on Tom Hanks  too. Who knew that he made a one time appearance on Happy Days in 1974?! 

See you at Dreyfest!