Who Loves Tacos? The Chasers!
NadaMucho. com Interview: The Chasers
Q&A with Ryan “Nails” Leyva, mostly about tacos
Recently, NadaMucho.com High Potentate Matt Ashworth spoke with Ryan Leyva from Seattle rock band The Chasers, primarily about tacos.
NadaMucho. com: Hey man, cool to meet you at Metalween last year. I’d like to learn more about your band, but first: What’s this I hear about you loving tacos?
RNL: Great meeting you too. But enough of the pleasantries…let’s get to some Taco Talk! Maybe I can start this conversation about tacos with a letter I wrote to tacos many, many years ago.
Dear Tacos,
I love you. You fill me with the fundamental love of the universe. You’ve been a true friend to me for all of these years. Through childhood growing spurts, after school snacks, family events, dinner, lunch, breakfast, linner, brunch, drunken nights when no one else will listen… YOU WERE THERE. I will love you forever and I hope you forgive me for that one time in Paris when I thought I was eating you but really it was a crepe. . . .
Someday I’ll read you the whole thing. There’s a nice poem at the end. What can I say Matt? I love tacos. . . and rock n roll.
NM: Where are the best places in town to get tacos?
RNL: There is no one answer. And you know that. But I gotta go with Rancho Bravo on 45th. Maria keeps those things salty, sweet, smoked, and affordable. I know that may be polarizing to the South Park and Columbia city truck crews, but I believe in that bravo HARD. Best hot sauce in town. Maybe that’s what this is all about actually. #hotsauce4life
NM: What are the most tacos you’ve eaten in one sitting?
RNL: In Anaheim with my family, at my cousin’s restaurant (yes I am part Mexican, the Viking genes just gook over), I ate eight tacos. Then I ruined our family’s Disneyland day with some internal issues that needed dealing with. This was before good online taco education was available, ya know?
NM: How good is that band Tacos! by the way? Have you ever thought of challenging them to a taco eating contest? Preferably on a Tuesday.
RNL: The band Tacos!? I love that band. We’ve done shows together. The drummer, Lupe Flores, is one of my favorite people on the planet. Perhaps this is the angle we need to work for this entire program we got going here because… Lupe and I have never eaten each other’s tacos and it’s a crime. COOK OFF TIME.
NM: When you say you guys are The Chasers, is that because you chase people or because you’re always being chased?
RNL: Chase the feeling. It’s all unintentional like any other band name.
NM: How long have the Chasers been playing together? Was Knife your first record?
Knife is a culmination of four years of being a band. We started the band for fun. Fun, damn it! Like the good ‘ole days when you bashed it out in your garage with your friends for fun. Fun damn it! We never sought out to take over the world. But I think our next record is going to be something a bit more of a serious undertaking. We’ve got Mike Squires on board, and he has totally revitalized the band. It feels fresh again and I’m pumped about it. Got some new songs. Band meeting next week to plan our world domination etc.
NM: #WorldDomination. When’s your next show? If you guys give out free tacos I am there.
RNL: We only give out free tacos for house shows. I will let you know next time we have one scheduled. Maybe when Lupe wants to have a cook off?
Our next show is March 26 at the Sunset though. We’re gonna be tough as fuck, so come get some.