John Gamino is the keys-man for Iowa rock and roll outfit Mondo Drag, who have just released their first official full-length album, New Rituals. He was lovely enough to answer a few questions via email for me on how he views their sound, the band's SXSW experience and Jim Morrison eating tacos.

General first question; who are Mondo Drag and how did it all begin?
All of us come from the same punk scene in our area so we've known each other and have been playing in bands with each other for years. Mondo Drag was originally started by Jake Sheley, Nolan Girard, and Johnnie Cluney while living in the same duplex together. The band at that point consisted of two guitars and drums. Over the band's existence, Dennis Hockaday and John Gamino moved into the lineup to form the group we have today. Just a bunch of punk kids who somehow got into abstract, vintage, experimental musical stylings.

You’ve been around since 2006, and 2010 saw the release of your debut LP New Rituals, how does it feel to finally have the album out?
It feels great to have it out. A couple years ago, we actually records and self-released an album "Holy Spirit" which contains some of the songs from "New Rituals." We re-recorded some of those tracks plus some hot, fresh jams for the new album.

Do you still feel excited by it, or are you ready to begin work on some new material?
The record has only been out for a couple months so it's still pretty fresh and exciting, but of course like most bands/artists we are always excited about working on new material.

Your music appears to draw from many different places, what are your influences on your song writing and when you play?
Scared solfeggio, the Fibonacci sequence, tetrahedrons, prisms, cosmological happenings, antediluvian societies, star children, planetary frequencies, pyramids, earth energies, moon phases, torsion physics, numerology, the numbers 3,6,7,9,11, and 13, palindromes, entheogens, the holofractographic universe, Ouroboros, the coming of the Golden Age... nothing too wild.

Your music has been given that ‘psychedelic’ tag, I’m guilty of that in my own review of your album New Rituals – so, in your own words describe how you hear your music.
It's a juxtaposition of many different styles of music that we all find interesting. Yes, there is psychedelic in there, but there are also elements of garage, rock 'n' roll, blues, fuzz, and prog found in the mix.  There are no barriers or defining form to our music. What's good is good and that's where we try to be. Our songs can blast you in the face with driven vocals, searing guitar, and distorted organ, but then a minute later we can take you to a dreamscape with a smooth bass line, some tinkling of the Wurlitzer, and a delay-heavy reverberated guitar. There is no place off-limits.

Iowa seems to be a somewhat isolated place, how has that affected or had influence on Mondo Drag?
Well, we come from a river valley on the Mississippi where the river runs East to West. It's an unknown midwestern oasis where you can flourish, if you so choose, or you can wither away into nonexistence at any number of local dive bars. It's a place where you can choose your own ending.

Your SXSW schedule looked pretty hectic, how was that experience for you? Can you even remember any of it!?
Overall, SXSW was a really good experience. It was pretty crazy the first night when we realized just how hard it is making your way from show to show. Running down the street with our gear to make a show, then having to carry it up three flights of stairs definitely makes for an interesting time.

What helps you survive lengthy stints on the road?
Well, our sanity had been held intact by our (Dennis' grandma's) electric tea kettle. We were able to make tea and instant coffee in the van as often as we pleased on the road... until we got to Austin. Then someone broke into our van and stole it. Hard times.

What has been the weirdest experience while on tour? I heard you’ve seen a dead guy at McDonalds, true?
We saw Jim Morrison eating tacos. He said his name was Val Kilmer, but we're pretty sure it was Jim Morrison.

You’ve just survived SXSW, so what is now for Mondo Drag?
Well, we didn't get enough of Austin at SXSW so we're going back this month for Austin Psych Fest 3.  We just got invited to play on Sunday the 25th (April).