T.A Gilmartin chats with Bert Ziggens, lead singer of 'The Ziggens' via this amazing new technology called the telephone. We at Indie Monkey think it could take off big time.

Add one bit of punk, a mixture of surfabilly, a touch of cowboy romanticism, a sprinkle of humor and the big nasty concoction you’ll end up with is the Ziggens.
Their newest release "Tickets Still Available" comes out on Feb. 15 on the Huntington Beach-based Skunk Records. For this record the Long Beach boys embraced the Internet generation with an interactive live CD.
Slap on this CD and be introduced to the nonsensical and illogical world that is the Ziggens. "Tickets Still Available" is the not so tongue-in-cheek observation of life as an indie band.
In a telephone interview from his home, lead singer Bert Ziggens, the self-professed hunk of the band talked about the Ziggens future, his song-writing muse and, of course, his long-time love of marching band hats. Seem odd to you? Welcome to the wacky world of the Ziggens?

The madness behind the Ziggens?
We spend a lot of time in the van. Come up with ridiculous notions and ideas and I come home and make a song out of it. Talking and thinking about ridiculous things, hear something, say something funny, idiotic or dumb.

Who inspired the interactive CD?
Skunk records. (Skunk Records employees) Kevin Taylor, Chris Watson. The Ziggens did very little. We did voiceovers. The boys at Skunk are responsible. I just handle the little hotline we have. Just call me, please call me.

Was calling the album "Tickets still available a jibe at playing half-empty venues?
It’s real straight forward, that sums up the Ziggens. We continue to play empty venues to disinterested people.

The Huntington Beach/ Long Beach connection, does it help?
Being on Skunk Records helps. Enough people have heard of us because we’re buddies with Sublime. It has given us a nifty fan base in Washington, Philadelphia, Arizona. A lot of it has to do with word of mouth. It is a slow train or something. A slow train to somewhere.

What are the long-term goals of the Ziggens?
If we got in to land this big deal and be rock stars, we’d been gone ages ago. We like what we do. Creating a record. We get excited about naming our albums. I wanna write just one time the perfect song. Just one time I wanna hear people say "You guys are a cool band, but this time you hit a grand slam." For satisfaction I’d love to say – you know what, this is the perfect song.

And how do you write a Ziggens song?
It’s me strumming on my acoustic guitar. Tonight a ballad, tomorrow something faster. Let nature take its course. The only rule is it can only have three chords. There, ok, is the Ziggens. Simple, nothing too heavy, nothing too elaborate.

How do you think this new album will sell?
I can just feel it is moving it is jumping out of the computer by the hundreds.

What about your band leader hat?
The hat I have to play in right now. The hole is closed it has grass fur in it. I need a new shako. Bring me a new shako and you’re on the guest list for life.

Bert Ziggens’ ultimate festival list

1. Meat Puppets
2. The Replacements
3. Dead Milkmen
4. Beach Boys
5. X
6. Mr. Merangue