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What band did you listen to most during the eighties? Do you still like them?
Pramod Tummala: The Cure. I do still like them (especially Seventeen Seconds and Disintegration).
What is your worst memory of elementary school? Of high school?
Pramod Tummala: My poor breakdancing skills in elementary school undoubtedly led to the severe awkwardness and inadequacy I felt through much of high school.
You're about to -- ahem -- get lucky. What album is playing in the background? Why'd you choose it?
Pramod Tummala: "There's a Riot Goin On" by Sly and the Family Stone, because there would be a riot about to go on. But really, just because it s a great record.
If you could beat up anyone in the world and get away without the usual annoying real-world consequences -- jail time, lawsuits, bad press, etc. -- who would it be, and why?
Pramod Tummala: Anyone who hates freedom.
Did you go to your high school prom? If so, who did you go with?
Pramod Tummala: I had the pleasure of attending my high school prom three times. In chronological order, my dates were Stephanie, Sara, and Beth. All lovely girls.
What movie would you recommend to absolutely anyone? Why?
Pramod Tummala: In The Mood For Love. My favorite Wong Kar-Wai film.
For reasons we won't bother going into right now, you're going to be locked in the back of a truck for a sixteen hour drive between gigs. If you could have any musician, past or present, back there to keep you company, who would it be?
Pramod Tummala: Mozart, because if the movie was any indication, he had a filthy sense of humor which would probably make for a good road trip.
What is your strongest, most unshakeable belief?
Pramod Tummala: I was born. Everything else is up for grabs, really.
You're on your way to a show, and all of a sudden you find yourself in the middle of a huge four-way battle between pirates, ninjas, robots and intelligent apes from the future. Your only hope of getting to your gig is to pick a side. Who do you join, and why?
Pramod Tummala: The ninjas, because I feel that Ninja movies never got their due. For example, the movies starring Sho Kosugi in the early '80s (Enter the Ninja, Revenge of The Ninja, Ninja III: The Domination) were horribly underappreciated. Definitely a black mark in the history of the Academy Awards.
If you could sponsor any beverage -- appear in their ads, receive a lifetime supply and never be seen drinking a competing product -- what beverage would it be?
Pramod Tummala: If I could change "beverage" to "frozen treat", I'd have to say Popsicles. I would be down with that.
Why are frogs amusing?
Pramod Tummala: They look funny when they're riding skateboards.
You've traveled back in time and met yourself, age sixteen. What do you think?
Pramod Tummala: This kid should not be allowed to drive a car.
Which would be worse: three hours on a bus full of four year-olds, or three hours on a bus full of eighty year-olds? Why?
Pramod Tummala: Four year-olds would be far worse -- no question about it. Although it's possible the bus would smell of urine in either case. Hey, I'm just being honest.
The US government is considering far more aggressive regulation of leather pants. Under the new rules, who should or shouldn't be allowed to wear them?
Pramod Tummala: Wes Anderson should be allowed to wear them because he should be allowed to do whatever the fuck he wants. I probably would not be allowed to wear them because it would be a crime to look that good in leather pants.
What food item could you eat every day for the rest of your life without getting bored of it? What's so good about it?
Pramod Tummala: I recently had these kettle-cooked potato chips that had salt and ground pepper on them. Those were pretty good. They weren't oily at all, which was nice. I also started eating a lot of empanadas from this Argentinean restaurant down the street from me. Those are great as well. For the rest of my life? That's quite a commitment, isn't it? I'll have to get back to you.
Will the next Star Wars movie suck? Why or why not?
Pramod Tummala: Unfortunately, I think it will. I think Mr. Lucas has become far too reliant on technology and has forgotten how to advance a story. He needs a lot of help with dialogue too. I also think he has some difficulties with getting good performances out of his actors. I'm a sucker, though, so I'll still see it no matter how grim it looks.
How many roads must a man walk down before they call him a man?
Pramod Tummala: At least one but less than a million. Same goes for a woman.
Everyone's replacing their least-favorite body parts with cybernetic ones. Which part(s) of your body would you replace?
Pramod Tummala: My eardrums, because my hearing is starting to go bad. Although they would have to be cybernetic analog. None of that digital crap for me...I insist on hearing all the pops and crackles life has to offer.
What topics or statements would inspire you to call in to a talk radio program?
Pramod Tummala: When NPR is at its finest: Stem cells as a potential cure to sickle cell; a profile on David Axelrod; an interview with Kumar Pallana.
What album(s) should everyone be given on their eighteenth birthday?
Pramod Tummala: The Roots' Things Fall Apart; The Velvet Underground's self-titled one;
My Bloody Valentine's Loveless; Nina Simone's The Essential Nina Simone; Nick Drake's Pink Moon; Marvin Gaye's What's Goin' On.
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Melochrome's third album, This Is Motion, is due on September 24 from Loose Thread Recordings. Pramod is the group's all-purpose vocalist/guitarist/keyboard guy.
-- George Zahora
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