JYT: I am Jean-Yves Tola and I play drums. We've met each other in 1990 in Los Angeles and that's how we've started.

Interviewer: And who are you?
DEE: David Eugene and we live in Denver. That's where we are from: Denver, Colorado. Yeah, we have been together for that, since … I don't know, how long is that? Six years or something like that?

I: You play pretty early today. But you've got a big crowd and you've got a pretty loud volume. Something I didn't expect from you guys.
JYT: I don't know. I wasn't out there. But I guess so, yeah. We could hear from the stage, it was pretty loud. (laughs)

I: Especially from the brilliant instruments you guys use that most of the bands don't use. Is it something that started from the beginning?
JYT: Yeah, totally. We've started with an acoustic guitar, snare ... no basses, just two guitars. And then slowly (gestures of both hands widening the space between them) ... developing ...

I: You play a lot of festivals this year?
DEE: Yeah, we have, I guess. Probably too many. (laughs)

I: Is it something you really like? Is playing small clubs better for 16 horsepower, you think? Or?
DEE: I try not to think about it, really. I'm just happy to be playing, basically. I don't really worry about it. Outside, inside ... whatever.

I: What are you guys influences? Because I can't even think of one. Maybe that's just short of ... maybe I don't know enough, but ...
DEE: I don't know. All kinds of music, you know. Rock music and ... country music, just everything. The same crap that everybody says.

I: It's kind of melodramatic music, isn't it?
JYT: For some people I think it is. For us it's our own music ... sometimes it can be that, but not always.
DEE: It's way overboard. We go way overboard. (laughs)

I: Is it really fun for you guys to do? Just tour, tour, tour, play, play, play?
JYT: That's what we are here for. Yeah, that's what we want to do.

I: Do you get some new things out of playing that many times?
DEE: Oh yeah. You get better. (laughs) Just practice ... eventually you start to sound good. I hope.

I: What about the near future for 5 ... umh ... for 16 horsepower?
JYT: We have a record coming out tomorrow (TYFC: Low Estate), I think. So we probably be back in a month or so and play Holland. Do some club shows.

I: Okay, we'll see you then.

This interview was conducted by Dutch TV-station, TMF at the Lowlands Festival in Dronten (NL). Followed by a live version of American Wheeze, which they performed earlier that day. For more frames have a look at the tourtrail of Lowlands 1997.