Versus the Mirror is a fresh band that Equal Vision has taken under their wing. They recently released a five song limited edition EP that is worth picking up if you can find it. This interview was conducted by Email, and I've had Gabe Borquez's answers for almost two weeks now.

1. Introduce yourself and state an interesting fact about each of your band members.

My name is Gabe Borquez. I play guitar in the rock n' roll dinosaur known as Versus The Mirror. An interesting fact about myself is that I am the only person in the world to ever embrace Shaquille O' Neal's rapping career, everything from "Shaq Diesel" to "You Can't Stop The Reign." Shane Ray plays drums and an interesting fact about him is that he sweats profusely from his feet and eats French Toast sticks from Jack In A Box every night. Brad Murray plays bass and he is most known for being the only member of VTM to have a gun, which he carries under his seat in his truck and points at 13 year old boys in his spare time. Kevin "Gravel" Ryan plays guitar and is known for getting his guitar riffs from that Esteban informercial and his dad invented the "Rotato." Davey "Total World Domination" Siebold is the singer/screamer for VTM and has a cake fetish like no other. He also likes to laugh and point with me at Brad's myspace page.

2. Do you wish your EP was available in stores instead of just online and at shows? Do you think having a CD in stores would help get your name out more?

The CDEP pressing was kept to an exclusive minimum of 1,000. It's available at a few places online and at our shows and that's fine with me. I think our CDEP might be a little too explosive for retailers nationwide. I don't think a retailer has seen music so explosive since Bongzilla's "Stash." Having a CDEP in stores would most likely get our name out there a little bit more but for the CDEP, we're relying on word of mouth, purevolume, myspace, etc. It's hard to keep track of what stores are actually repping your music, too. Major Music Markets or triple M's as I call them, are very difficult to read, as in what music is in demand in the area.

3. How important are album covers?

Album covers are pretty damn important. The album cover for our CDEP is really random and whacky. We just wanted to keep people guessing on what they were going to listen to. The most important thing you have to stay away from when choosing your album cover is not to pigeonhole yourself. 90% of the time, I can look at an album and tell what kind of music it is. Sometime softer, indie bands have dark ass packaging that makes em look goth or metal but it turns out to be a Kinsella brother. Sometimes metal bands have intricate and beautiful artwork and some dood bro will buy it thinking it's Rainer Maria and it's really Germanian Crust Death Riot Grrrl core. I've also been a sucker, too. I've bought a good amount of records just by looking at the artwork. So yeah, album covers are important just because it's the first thing that sets the mood for the customer/music fan/retailer/rela estate agent and farmer.

4. What subject did you struggle with most in school?

I hated math. Math sucks. Algebra sucks. Calculus sucks. Pre-Calculus sucks. Post Calculus sucks. Post Hardcore Calculus sucks. I will however tell you what I good at. I ripped it up when it came to Culinary Arts. I won every damn award possible at a school/region/state and western region. For 6 years of my youth, I trained to be a Chef and was good to go until I got into a real kitchen with Baron Von Dickhead. Apprenticing under a guy who was mid life crisis core was one of the best things to happen to me. I picked up an axe and started shredding and years later, VTM is born and signed. But yeah, many kids will agree, Math sucks. I'd rather watch Life With Mikey and the Air Bud trilogy than do math.

5. Is there any timeline or pressure to write a full length?

Yes. That pressure has been on us since June 2nd, when we signed and has been on us and we'll not go away until Mid November when we start tracking. We've written a lot of tunes but a lot have been scrapped because we are very picky with songs. We don't want to put out an album of just whack tunes. It has to be a complete album with very solid songs that'll build a mood and leave an impression on the listener/pitcher for the Cubs.

6. Name one movie everyone should see.

In my opinion, everyone should watch "Orgazmo." My favorite movie of all time. Everyone should know the secret of DVDA...

Others include: "Fire In The Sky," "Heavyweights," "Boyz In The Hood," "Spiderbabe," "How Stella Got Her Groove Back," etc.
7. Whats a little known fact about Arizona?

Soulfly is from here or it was the 48th state. I'm also pretty sure that Patrick Duffy is the State Bird.

8. Name one album, besides your own, that you think all kids should have in their collection.

Mineral - Endseranading. My favorite record of all time. Just a beautiful record that conveys every emotion possible. (I apologize for getting all soft for this question, everyone at the label was probably hoping that I would say something on the lines of Earth Crisis or Hatebreed and Blood For Blood.)

9. How much money would someone have to give you for you to go to Mexico, drink 20 ounces of their water, and go right home?

That's a trick question. I'm already Mexican so if I crossed the border, it might be my ass. I might get deported. If I get there and drink the water and make it back to the U.S, I'm going to literally shoot poop everywhere. So either way, it'll be a messy situation that will involve my ass. The last time I was in Mexico, I drank their version of Sprite and it wasn't bad. I think it was called "El Pollo Asado," but it was good. I'm smart about the border though, if you have ever seen "Born In East L.A" starring Cheech Marin and Paul Rodriguez, you would understand. Last time I was there, our tour dood got in trouble for underage drinking and he started yelling the words "HEY NICO'S, I WANT A STEAK, EGG, AND CHEESE BREAKFAST BURRITO at every mexican national as we crossed the border." Nico's happens to be a mexican food place here in Tucson. Pretty good stuff.

10. Final comments.

Sure. Here's final comment Haiku for you...

Thanks for the questions.

It was a really good time.

Now I Must Go Poop.

Much love to Greg and Equal Vision, the staff @ the playlist.net and the Tennessee Titans for beating the Houston Texans last week, 34-20.

Interview by: RF

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