Sunshine Friendship Club je něco, co musíš vidět a zažít. Je to do jisté míry fenomén, je to prazvláštní entita, která Ti proklouzne mezi prsty v pauze na záchod nebo na pití. Je to brutálně jiných pět minut od všeho, co můžeš znát. Je to pět minut, které se Ti vryjou hluboko do paměti. Je to zážitek, o kterém budeš chtít vyprávět. Je to válení se po zemi a skákaní dva metry vysoko. Je to grindcore a powerviolence v instantním provedení. Je to show, kdy je čas poměrně relativní. Jak to celé vzniklo, jak vypadají koncerty a cesty na ně, jaké jsou reakce od lidí nebo jaké je to hrát sám, na to všechno došla řeč. Tak se pohodlně usaď a začti se do rozhovoru se Sunshine Friendship Club.

Hey there, I’m so glad you took the time, and I’ll start pretty straight with your music. I’ve heard something like you created this phenomenon of crazy grindcore – you’re the phenomenon.. It’s kinda new, original, insae. How do you feel about that?

That’s very nice to hear, although I can’t take any credit for creating this. I’m glad to be filling some sort of niche or gap in the scene though. Personally, I’m more interested in people doing weird stuff than to do standard stuff properly, if that makes sense. If someone walks away from my show thinking they’ve seen something new, original, or insane, that’s a huge compliment!

On the other hand, I’ve also heard people say that it’s just grindcore karaoke and a little silly. How do you feel about that?

I’ve heard that description more than once and I have no problem with it. It’s pretty accurate actually. Maybe I have a problem with “only”, as I think there’s a bit more going on. But at the end of the day, I’m a guy screaming into a mic and rolling on the floor so I can’t be too bothered by that.

Maybe an obvious question, but what was your motivation for creating SFC? What were your plans for this project? And did it live up to your expectations?

My motivation to create this project initially, was to record some leftover song ideas that I had with SpecialxDelivery after Axel moved away from Prague. I just wanted to get the ideas recorded and then put it on bandcamp and youtube. The day after it was posted on youtube, I got an offer from Mario Zumpe to play the 2025 edition of Grind Here Right Now. At that time, I had no intention to play live, and told Mario “thank you for the offer, but it’s just a studio project”. He said no problem, if I find a band I can have a spot at the fest, or even if I play it solo, I could do it. So I started thinking of who I would ask to play drums and sing, and then decided to just do it myself. I didn’t want to be stuck at a mic stand like most traditional extreme solo acts like Putrid Pile. I wanted to make the performance more unique somehow. So I considered my options and decided to take the instrumental versions of my songs and just blast them over the PA. From that point on, the goal has been to play no more than 6 minutes and create a space for people to have fun and be entertained. I’ve already achieved much, much more than I expected with this project, so I’m very satisfied with the result. The only downside is that it’s taken a physical toll on my body which affects my other bands. I injured my knee two years ago and have permanent damage that makes car travel difficult, and recently broke my finger which caused the cancellation of a few shows with Barbara.

You were part of other bands like SpecialxDelivery and, for a short time, Death In Your Yard, and you’re also part of Barbara. Which one is closest to your heart? SpecialxDelivery was powerviolence/grindcore, DIYY is thrash(core) and Barbara is deathgrind? Is it possible to say that at all?

I consider Barbara my “main” band. There are three of us and we take the songwriting and lyrics and overall composition a lot more seriously than I take SFC. Maybe that’s the charm of SFC, in that I don’t take it seriously, and it’s more raw and chaotic that way. I’ve always considered myself a death metal guy, so writing Barbara songs feels very personal. There’s also a lot more space to capture an idea when I don’t have the self-imposed limitation of 15 seconds for a song! As time goes on, I find myself drawn to noisegrind more and more though. I am in the processing of putting together another project where I would play drums and do something equally chaotic, although slightly less damaging to my body. I really enjoy watching or hearing bands doing something wild and crazy and leaving me with the reaction of “what the fuck was that”.

I mentioned that SFC brings something new and original, but it’s not 100% true. I know, for example, some similar projects that play very short songs, like Anal Trump or Sxpreme Cxnt. Were you inspired by these or any similar projects?

I only heard of these bands from you! They are very sick and I see the similarities, but I can’t site them as a direct influence on SFC.
One of the first bands I heard with “short” songs are Maruta from Miami, Florida. That was a huge inspiration for my first band at 16 years old. Since then, for SFC, a lot of UK bands like Horsebastard and specifically FilthxCollins have inspired my song writing. Their claustrophobic and chaotic sound is a big influence. There’s no chorus, there’s no moments for tapping your foot. It just blasts in a million different directions at once, but still makes sense. They are one of my biggest inspirations. Also the band Days of Hate from Brazil. Their album Diatribe is a minute long and recorded live in one take. I heard that and immediately got into contact with the band to do a split together. As far as singers, Jon Chang from Discordance Axis is a huge influence in terms of being an “active” performer.

And does your music have any message or opinions, or are the song titles also the lyrics?

If someone were to take a look at the One Minute EP, they would realize all of the songs are fitness and gym related. This is because Axel and I had an idea to make the next SpecialxDelivery album themed around that. When he moved away from Prague, I decided to keep those song titles and lyrics because I was too lazy to write something else. At that time, SFC was just a studio project. Since it became a live act, I now try to write positive lyrics and have a sort of happy aesthetic. I wanted to stand out as much as possible and instead of having lyrics about death and violence I decided to make it about friendship and joy, albeit in a sarcastic kind of way. Some songs have meanings, some don’t. When a song is 1 second long, it’s hard to convey any sort of message. So usually the song title ends up being longer than the lyrics. “I.C.U.P.” is about relationships and co-habitation. The final line in that song is what a crackhead told me when I was in a mental hospital. He gave me a fortune cookie and inside it said: “To love and be loved is to feel the sun on both sides.” You might find some references to mental health, but overall SFC is more about the live show than the lyrical content.

A few days ago I saw on your IG story that you traveled around 10 hours by trains and buses to play a gig and you spent only 10 minutes on stage. Are you okay? 🙂 What does it bring you?

I was going to drive, but my car had some technical problems so I had to take buses and trains from Prague to Slovenia and then circle back to Slovakia before returning to Prague. When I’m on stage performing I’m able to do things I don’t normally do in my regular life. It’s a form of therapy and I don’t care how far I need to go as long as there will be a stage and some speakers. I flew almost 30 hours to get to Japan to perform a 5 minute set in Osaka in 2024. Next year I plan to return for a full tour. But yes, it is quite a lot of time spent sitting, and some people miss the show waiting in line at the bar. That’s grindcore.

How do people react when they see your show at a gig or festival? And do you have any time to see their reactions?

The most common reaction I get is laughter. My music isn’t really meant for headbanging, since the tempos change all the time and the songs aren’t long enough to even find a groove. So I typically just see people laughing and smiling during and after the performance. That’s my ultimate goal as a performer.

Are you nervous before the gig? You’re alone, just you and your mic and laptop?

I was nervous something would go wrong with my laptop before the very first gig. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my voice and body, so I wasn’t worried about that. Nowadays I look forward to every show. Especially if it’s in front of a new crowd in some random city somewhere. I’ve always enjoyed public speaking and doing presentations when in school, so being able to have a solo project like this is perfect for me. I get more nervous trying to socialize on my own than performing alone.

But on the other hand, you’re alone, just you, your mic and laptop. Is it better to travel by yourself, or do you miss having bandmates sometimes?

There are times when on tour somewhere that I do feel lonely. I’m not a naturally outgoing person, so I typically end up needing to drink some beers before I can properly start talking to people. These are moments where I miss having bandmates or my friends with me. But logistically, it’s fucking amazing to fit everything into a single backpack. Laptop, cables, merch, some socks and underwear, and I’m good to go pretty much anywhere in the world.

Are you curious about how gig organizers find your music? You’ve played at some festivals abroad; have you talked about that, or don’t you care?

Maybe it’s lame to say, but I’ve actually contacted most of the organizers myself when trying to play shows and fests abroad. I’m a nobody, so if I want to spread the word, I need to get myself out there. Now that I’ve done a few tours abroad, I’m starting to get more offers because they’ll recognize me from a previous show. I definitely care! I’m always curious how people hear about my music. I think it helps doing something a bit unorthodox, because it’s easier to remember.

What are you listening to the most currently? I’m asking because of possible influences on your music. 😊

My go-to artist is Blut Aus Nord. They have some of my favorite drum programming ever. I have been listening to them since I was about 15 years old. That was one of the first bands that got me into drum machines, along with Godflesh.

And back to your show. Is it spontaneous, or do you have some scenarios and choose one of them depending on your current mood?

I definitely have some “moves” I like to use during the show. Depending on how high the stage is, I like to either flip, jump, or roll off of it into the crowd. I’ve been rolling on the ground since the first shows, so that’s just natural for me. The performance depends on the crowd, size of the venue, whether it’s indoor/outdoor, and how hard the ground is. Once the show starts, I’m not really thinking of what’s happening. I’m just doing my thing and reacting to what I see. There was a festival in Bratislava last month and some dog was in the crowd. I didn’t notice until I was already jumping and running around, but when I saw him, I stopped to pet him a few times while singing. Please don’t bring your dogs to concerts though! But yeah, I don’t train. I just observe the layout of the stage before I go on and try to get an idea of what I can jump off of, or if there’s something I can interact with.

Is it something cathartic for you? Something like five minutes of destruction/hell/heaven…

I’m sort of a germaphobe, so these concerts are a way to step outside of myself and be free. For those 5-6 minutes I don’t care about getting dirty or ruining my clothes or even injuring myself. I think everyone needs some form of this in their life.

Can you mention one reaction that surprised you in a good way and one in a bad way?

The best show I performed with SFC was at Grind Here Right Now in Trier, Germany back in January 2025. I played the smaller room of the festival and it was PACKED. My set went well (even though I damaged the stage by jumping too hard on it) and the reaction was incredible. I had people coming up to me the rest of the evening saying how much they enjoyed it and how much fun they had. It was amazing!
One of the more strange reactions was this year in Bratislava at my friend Massimo’s birthday show back in May. The Amoclen guys were there too. They played right before me and absolutely killed it. I was the last performance and the people seemed to be enjoying the show. So when I finished, I was very surprised that there was no reaction at all. I don’t expect people to scream for an encore every show, but that was the first time there was zero feedback. No clapping, no booing, no noise at all. People just walked away. A few came up to me while I was packing up my gear and shook my hand and said it was great, but the actual audience simply finished their beers and walked back towards the bar. I’ve played Bratislava again since then and people had a stronger reaction. Still not sure what happened that night, but hey that’s how it goes sometimes.

Do you know some other active similar projects in Europe?

Mutilated Judge do almost the same thing, except they have live bass and it’s a 2 piece band. Most other solo artists are guitar players with drum machines. I’ve been looking to find someone else doing the “karaoke” format, because it would be sick to organize a show or festival together with these sorts of performances. If you or anyone else knows, please send me some people to contact!

Do you think about your set differently when you travel far away compared to when you travel around CZ/SK?

I create a new set at the beginning of the year and play the same thing no matter where I go.

What’s more fun for you, traveling alone or traveling with a band and playing your SFC set at the same gig as your band?

Definitely to travel with my band or with my friends‘ band like St. Mincer and do a double set. There’s no comparison to being on tour with your friends vs. being alone on a bus or airbnb.

I mean, is SFC a part of your identity that you can’t separate from yourself, even if you can separate it from your other musical activities? I hope this question makes sense.

I think playing this style of grindcore has kind of fucked up my sense of songwriting for other bands. I get really bored when I have to play the same riff for more than about 20 seconds. That’s why it’s good to have other musicians to collaborate with. For my personal life, I recently started a new job and the people conducting the interview actually found all of my social media and discovered all of my projects. They found SFC and I was a bit worried, but it didn’t have any negative impact and I still got the job. I’m the grindcore guy at work. Usually on Mondays they’ll ask me if I had any shows over the weekend.

Could you tell me more about the asshole stickers you’re giving to people during the show? Do they have any deeper meaning, or is it just for fun?

I saw them in a toilet in Prague and went on their website and ordered 200 of them. It’s just for fun, but maybe there is something subconscious going on, who knows. I think it adds to the impact of the performance and people remember the show when they can bring something home.

And the same question about the Jesus crop top…

Believe it or not that was actually a sort of funny gift from a friend when I was attending church. It became a crop top while on tour in the UK with SpecialxDelivery. Théo from Gummo cut it before one of our shows. It’s become part of the performance since then. I just like the contrast of mixing it all together.

You’re from Florida, right? How did you end up in the Czech Republic?

I originally came as a student for a study abroad program. I enjoyed Prague and the Czech Republic so much during that time, that I decided I needed to move here. So I finished my bachelor’s in Florida and then 2 weeks later packed a bag with what I could bring and sold the rest and I’ve been here ever since.

Is there anything you miss about the US?

I miss my family from time to time, but we stay in good contact so it’s not so bad. This is my home now. In the 10 years I’ve been living here, I’ve never felt homesick. The only thing I sometimes miss is southern barbeque and fresh sea food. I used to be able to walk to the beach from my home. I didn’t have mountains growing up, so I enjoy the local landscape in central Europe quite a lot.

And is there anything about the Czech Republic that you particularly love?

I really enjoy the Czech mentality. People are honest and you don’t have to pretend to be happy when you aren’t. Of course there are problems here like anywhere, but I really love not having to fake a smile just because I’m in a grocery store or restaurant.

Is it possible to compare EU/US extreme scene or specifically CZ and Florida, maybe the town where you lived?

I think bands in EU get treated a lot better than in the US. It’s almost a guarantee that if you go on tour in Europe or even do a one-off show, you will have food and drinks provided back stage. This doesn’t seem to be the case in the US from what I’ve heard. Of course, I haven’t played a show in the US in about 15 years, so I could be wrong. I think Europe supports touring artists better though.

Do you have any message to end of the interview with? Something important, serious, any message. Maybe you can say hi :-).

I really want to say THANK YOU for all of your support over the years with my various bands and projects. It’s great to have people like you in the scene, who are passionate about music and creating spaces for creativity to thrive and bring people together and keep the scene strong.

Aside from that, a message to anyone interested in creating or starting a band or project is to just go for it. Don’t be afraid to step outside of the box. We need more people experimenting and doing weird shit. Thank you and see you at the next show!