Hello Labros. Thank you very much for doing this interview with me. I know that you guys have a few days off form your tour that you are doing right now. It's really massive, extensive tour. So can you tell me where I'm getting you right now in a moment, and what are you doing?

Yes, it’s not even a vacation. We returned to Athens just two days ago, and tomorrow we’re playing a show in support of the people of Palestine, here in Athens. Then on Saturday, as part of Ouga Booga Recordings — our label — we’re organizing the release party for FRENZEE’s new album, again in Athens. And just three days later, we fly to Serbia to kick off the Balkan leg of our tour.

So how’s it going so far? I think more than half the tour is already behind us.

Actually, more than the half! We’ve already played 30 shows in 32 days, all across Central Europe. We visited Hungary, Switzerland, France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. It was a crazy tour, but really successful. Honestly, it might have been our best tour yet. Exhausting, yes, but also the most rewarding experience we've ever had on the road.

You’re coming to Bulgaria for the seventh time, if I’m not mistaking?

I haven’t counted exactly, but probably yes!

It was a lucky guess! As you mentioned, you’ve already played countless shows worldwide. But what about the audience — is it easier to win over the crowd close to home, or the ones farther away? And what’s the biggest difference between audiences in Bulgaria, Greece, and Serbia, compared to those in Spain, Germany, or the UK?

It really depends. Over the years of touring, we’ve noticed different temperament across Europe. Mediterranean and Eastern European are much more intense, crazy and going wild at the gigs. But this tour surprised us. We saw that same energy in France, and even in Switzerland, which we didn’t expect. And in some German cities like Berlin, Hamburg, and Leipzig, cities that are much more multicultural — the party kicks off early.

The interesting thing about your name is that is a pun of the city you are formed in Chiliomodi, but I guess not everyone can get that. What is the craziest thing that you have heard about your name?  

First of all, since the beginning of the band, a lot of people from abroad thought we had something to do with mod culture — you know, the Vespas, the sharply dressed guys, all that. We received tons of messages on social media from people riding Vespas, assuming we were part of that same scene. But especially after we started touring and putting out some videos online — even in the early days — people began to understand that we actually have very little to do with that culture. Sure, we love bands like The Who and a lot of the late ’60s and early ’70s rock, but that’s more of a musical connection than a cultural one. Over time, it just turned into a running joke. And nowadays, after all these years, most of our fans know the real story behind our name and where we actually stand.

You guys have, like five studio albums already, and the latest one “Cheat Death” marks a significant change in the sound of the band. Do you think that compared to your previous albums, it's much more mature and possibly a little bit darker tone. Is this intentional or is just how it happened?

All of our albums so far have been created with almost no intention or strategy behind them. We’ve never said, “Okay, let’s record this kind of music to achieve something specific or reach a wider audience.” Аll our albums come from instinct. Most of the time, they reflect what the band enjoys listening to and playing around the time of recording. The only exception is Super Van Vacation — our first album — where the songs were written four or five years before we actually recorded them. With all the other albums, most of the songs were written during pre-production or at most a year before recording. So, each record truly represents the moment in time it was created — our taste, our vibe, and our mindset during that specific era. We’ve never put limits on our creativity. Each album is an honest snapshot of who we are as a band in that exact moment of recording.

I see okay, but actually, your latest album marks also the biggest time span between albums for the band, nearly four years, and the title is called Cheat Death. That is it coming from some personal experience, or it's more like symbolic?

It’s a combination of both. First of all, it took us a lot of time — also because of the COVID years. We released „Youth of Descent“ during the first quarantine, and then we started playing the album live two years later. For us, it has always been: we record an album, we release it, and then we hit the road to play the new music. But with Youth of Descent, that never happened. It felt like we lost two years of our lives — and of our career. That’s why we decided to take our time and stay on the road longer, to give Youth of Descent the tour it actually deserved. We didn’t want to just throw it away because COVID happened. So yeah, that’s one of the reasons it took us a bit more time. As for the name — that was Giorgos’ idea, our guitarist. It’s inspired by Camus, the philosopher, and how he interprets the myth of Sisyphus. You know, the guy who was sentenced to immortality and to roll a boulder up a hill, only for it to fall back down every time he got close to the top. And he’s stuck doing this forever. So this album is kind of our take on that whole story — the Sisyphus myth, but also our lives as musicians, and the way things are for our band. And of course, because our guitarist Yannis left the band about a year ago, I guess that was somewhere in the back of our minds while recording — that feeling that, you know, a new era is starting. And in a way, let’s say… we kinda cheated death and kept going as a band.

Actually one of my next questions was about Yannis. Since he left you still are a trio, bur recruiting guest guitarist for touring and live.

Exactly!

Are you planning actually to keep the band as a trio, or are you thinking to recruit a fourth regular member?

The band now works and composes as a trio — and Cheat Death was also recorded as a trio, but played like it was done by four people. Our guitarist Giorgos had double duties during the sessions and recorded all the guitar parts, basically covering two roles. The band now works and composes as a trio — and Cheat Death was also recorded as a trio, but played like it was done by four people. Our guitarist Giorgos had double duties during the sessions and recorded all the guitar parts, basically covering two roles. Since all our previous albums were also recorded this way, we feel — both for our fans and for ourselves — that the right way to experience our music, at least for now (who knows about the future), is with two guitarists live.

So you are not planning to invite someone to join the band?

Like I told you before, we try not to have long-term strategies. Every step we take is more of a trial-and-error process — sometimes we win, sometimes we fail. That’s how we evolve. Since Yannis left, we brought in two longtime friends to help us out. On the first tour it was Marios, who’s played in a bunch of Greek bands over the years. And now, since last November, we’ve been playing with another Yannis — from the legendary band Lord 13, one of the first ever stoner rock bands in Greece, and also from Space Slavery. We’ve known him for over 15 years — as a person and as a guitarist — so it just clicked. And that’s the lineup we’ll be taking on the road next week for the Balkan tour.

Excellent. Okay, so you mentioned the COVID days and the „Cheat Death“ title, it's coming from how bands are struggling nowadays. I know that being a full time musician is really hard these days. I can assume that you guys, all of you, have something other on the side that you're doing?

We are full time musician’s actually.

Okay, but if you were not doing that. What else you and the other guys will be doing instead?

Oh Giorgos has a degree in in Business Administration. I have studied Applied mathematics and physics. Danny working in statistics, so probably will do we're doing some boring office job

But do you at some point, have regretted that you are a full time musician, and preferred nine to five job in a office or anywhere?

I don't know... The situation with us is that we do everything DIY, all by ourselves. So besides being musicians, we're also accountants, managers, bookers, logistics guys—all at the same time. You know, we handle it all.

At this point, I think we actually have more hands-on experience in all these areas than in the fields we studied at university. And for sure, there are times when touring gets really mentally tough—there’s the struggle of being away from home. But also, it's kinda like that Groundhog Day movie, you know? You’re living the same night over and over again, just in a different place and with different people.

There’ve even been some jokes in the band: ‘Oh, I wish I had a nine-to-five job.’ But that’s definitely not true. I mean, being able to make a living doing what you love—it really is a blessing.

I can totally agree with that — if it makes you happy, then that’s what really matters. I’m sure you guys have had your share of wild moments too! So, what’s the most insane “Spinal Tap” rock-and-roll moment you’ve experienced on tour that you can share?

Ha-ha, yeah — we’ve definitely had some crazy moments, both on and off stage, that made us think the whole tour might get canceled. For example, last year we were touring the U.S., playing like 48 shows in just two months. We were traveling in one of those sleeper buses, and one morning we just woke up to find the trailer completely messed up and not safe to travel with at all. We were literally in the middle of nowhere thinking, “Great, we might miss the next shows.” But somehow, we managed to fix it in time.

Then, just a few days later, our U.S. driver suddenly disappeared on us — he just left in the middle of the tour due to some family issues, but without even saying anything like, “Hey guys, I can’t continue.” Nothing. So we found ourselves stranded, mid-tour, with no driver.

That was probably one of the best-worst or worst-to-best moments of the whole tour. We were stuck somewhere in Indiana, I think around Indianapolis, with no one we knew to call for help. So we just turned to social media and asked around, and people really came through. People from Facebook communities, people messaging us directly — total strangers — started connecting us with others who could help. And within just a few hours, we found a new driver and were able to keep the tour going.

For me, that was incredible. It wasn’t exactly a “Spinal Tap” moment, more like a beautiful example of how strong the music community can be — especially in the underground scene. People who’ve never met you, who don’t owe you anything, still go out of their way to help because they believe in what you’re doing and want to see you keep going it. That means a lot.

I’ve actually had the chance to see the band live quite a few times. The first time I saw you was right after Super Van Vacation came out. I’ve followed your journey — playing in small venues in Sofia, then hitting some festivals, and eventually doing sold-out shows in bigger venues. You guys have really seen it all. But what kind of shows do you personally prefer: those sweaty, intimate club gigs, or the big festival stages with huge, screaming crowds?

Every show has its own unique flavor and passion. For example — I don’t know if you saw this year’s Hellfest where we played — I always love those small, sweaty club shows because the energy can get out of control so easily. We always try to give 100%, even when we’re sick, tired, or whatever. And when the crowd receives that and gives it back, the whole thing just explodes — especially in a small venue.

But this year at Hellfest, we played in front of, I don’t know, maybe 20,000 people. We were expecting it to just be a cool evening, nothing crazy... but from the very first note, people were going wild — stage diving, crowd surfing, like 20 people at once through the whole set. It got completely out of control — in the best possible way — and we didn’t even expect it.

Yeah, I can imagine! I think your music is to blame — there’s so much raw energy in it, which is rare these days. How do you guys usually approach songwriting? Do you just jam until something clicks, or do you have a more structured process?

It used to be 100% jamming — right up until the last few years. But during COVID, we couldn’t meet in person, so for the first time we started sending ideas to each other remotely — like recording a riff and sending it over for the others to check out or build on.

Nowadays it’s a bit of both. We still jam because that’s how we learned to make music. But also Giorgos might come in with a couple of riffs or a bridge, not a full song, and we jam that idea and develop it into a full track together.

What about your influences? What bands inspired you in the beginning, and have your influences changed over time? Because your music today sounds a lot more polished.

Our early influences were the same as most teenagers. We’ve known each other since we were kids — we started listening to metal and later got into heavy rock together.

All of our early influences came from the ‘70s — Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, Jimi Hendrix Experience, all that proto-heavy stuff. Then we discovered Kyuss, the desert rock scene, and the heavy rock movement in the ‘90s, especially from the U.S. and some of Europe.

Over the years, with all the touring and sharing festival stages with bands we’d heard of but hadn’t really listened to properly, our influences naturally broadened.

For example, when we recorded Youth of Dissent, most of us were really into grunge rock — even though we’d listened to it as teenagers, we never went that deep before. We loved that sound, and it was actually one of the reasons we decided to record the album in Seattle. At that time, it just made sense — we were fully immersed in that kind of music again.

It is safe to say that you have a lot of experience as a musician already. There are a lot of young bands starting out — even in Bulgaria — and stoner or desert rock wasn’t very popular here until recently. What’s the best advice you’d give to someone just starting out in this genre?

The best advice I can give is: do your own thing. Don’t copy other bands just because they’re successful. You have to be true to yourself.

If you believe in what you’re doing and put in the hours — sacrificing other parts of your life, sleeping on couches or even floors, playing in front of three or fifteen people. Eventually, people will connect with what you do.

If you’re passionate and consistent, others will feel that and believe in it too.

Totally agree. I think a lot of young musicians don’t realize how much sacrifice it takes. It’s not just buying a guitar and jamming once a week. I see bands with real potential, but they treat it like a hobby — just something they do on weekends. It takes more than that.

I think both paths are totally respectable. If you have a life you love and music is your Saturday thing — a way to hang out with friends and have fun — that’s beautiful.

I’d take someone doing that from the heart over a session musician playing random gigs just for a paycheck.

But yes, if you want to do this seriously, you have to realize — the old dream from the ‘70s or ‘80s, where you get signed and become a millionaire overnight — that doesn’t exist anymore. That’s like winning the lottery today.

So the guy from the label with the briefcase full of money is a myth?

Ha-ha, yes — exactly! In our generation and beyond, the only way to “make it” is to get out there and do the work. Even if you’re already successful, it’s still hard to make a living.

Everything’s expensive — touring, gear, logistics. You can’t just sit on the couch waiting for a call or an email. You have to go out, play your music in front of real people, and build something.

Well said. And honestly, the same applies to fans. If you want to support the bands that are out there working hard — touring, recording — then go to the shows, buy the albums, the merch. That’s what keeps it going.

Absolutely. For touring bands, it’s not just about the financial side — although that’s how we survive — but also the emotional boost.

Knowing there are people out there who care about what you do, who show up and support you... that means everything.

As a music fan myself, I’ll always be the guy going to shows, buying merch, and supporting the scene however I can.

Any final words? Your next show is in Sofia on April 30th — can you say something to invite everyone who’s still hesitating about whether to come see 1000MODS live?

Every time we’ve played in Sofia — especially at Mixtape5, which is honestly one of our favorite venues in all of Europe — it’s been explosive. We still remember those nights as something truly special.

This time we’re doing a full Balkan tour, including places we’ve never played before. We really wanted to focus on the Balkans because we feel the region is often overlooked in typical tour routes — most bands just hit festivals and skip the rest.

So we’re bringing all the energy we’ve got. This will be the best show yet — in every city.

Thanks again for your time, Labros — I’m looking forward to seeing you and the guys in Sofia!

Yes! Let’s meet, grab a beer, and talk more!

It’s a deal — see you soon!

See you soon!

Author: Nikola Petras
April 2025