So, a few weeks ago I was talking to my buddy Rafael about his band Badblood. He has just linked me to three new tracks that the band had posted and after sitting on it for a little while, I decided to question Rafael about the band. The questions started off serious and then morphed into whacky. I think it turned out well, however. Check out the interview after the jump.

How’s it going, man? Can you introduce yourself to my readers and tell them what it is you do?
My name is Rafael Tamayo and I play the bass and do the vocals in Badblood.

Can you tell me a little about Badblood? How did the band get its start?
The three of us used to be in this band called The Kingsford Run, and that’s how we all came to jam together, so when the band took a turn for the worse we stuck together and kept jamming, but under the name Badblood.

I can best describe as filthy, crusty sludge. Kind of like the bastard offspring of The Abominable Iron Sloth and Eyehategod. Who would you say are some of your most prominent influences, the band as a whole? You know, aside from “warm beer, cold women and the blues.”
Haha, aside from the blues, Eyehategod has definitely had a prominent influence on the band, alongside bands like Gaza, Cursed, Melvins, Nails and Converge.

And your personal influences?
My personal influences include musicians like the aforementioned bands, but also bands like Breather Resist (Young Widows), Skitsystem, My America is Watching Tigers Die, Sleep, and The Secret, as well as various other blues artist such as Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James, and Muddy Waters.

In November of last year, Badblood released a four-song self-titled EP. This release fucking crushes, that’s for sure. Can you tell me a little about the EP?
Our Self-Titled was our first release, and the most anticipated for us (as musicians) because it was our “debut” as a three piece. We have all been in other bands and are currently in other projects, but this release stood out to us the most because this band of felt the best out of all the others we’ve jammed with, in terms of sound, writing, and over-all understanding. We really felt good about these first four songs.

I sense a difference in the music between the self-titled EP and the three songs you recently released for the Ruptures split. Was this change an accident or intentional?
I guess the difference was accidental because we don’t go into practice and say “This is how we’re going to sound”, and that’s a comforting thing when you’re writing music because we’re all on the same page. As a band we want to progress and we want to keep producing our own sounds. I think one of the best feelings you can get from being an artist is reflection, and being able seeing how your art has evolved and taken a different route.

When will a debut full-length by Badblood see the light of day? I know I’m not the only one waiting.
The debut full-length will probably surface early 2013, and we’re really excited for that day to come. Until then we’re going to be releasing EP’s of different lengths, and splits with awesome bands like the one coming out with Ruptures, but as far as this year goes, we want to focus on tour(s) and writing.

Will there be any touring or special shows you guys will be playing coming up?
We definitely have some touring in the works, but we do have a few shows coming up, and hopefully one soon for the Ruptures split release, which should be really awesome.

Why do all the members of the band’s names start with the letter “R?” Was this some weird coincidence or was it fate?
Haha, I suppose you can say it was fate, but it was odd when we realized it.

If you were trapped on an island and could have only three records with you (because for some reason there is a working record player on a deserted island), what would they be?
If I were trapped on an island with a working record player I would bring, Howlin’ Wolf‘s 1962 Self-Titled, Eyehategod‘s Dopesick, and The Black Key‘s The Big Come Up, but one of the three would be in close competition with The Secret‘s Solve Et Coagula because that record was really, really ridiculously solid. It would be real difficult leaving all this other great music behind, but these are the three that I am quite fond of.

Be sure to check out Badblood. Why? Because Uncle Gnarly told you to. These dudes are rad and their music is beautifully brutal. You can stream the bands debut EP a few questions up and their side of the Ruptures split below. Get your face fucked, kiddos.