We sat down with Memphis May Fire frontman Matty Mullins to talk about the power of religion, his fear of spiders and how much fun it it is to make popping noises with your mouth.
What is your favourite smell?
“When I was sixteen, back when my wife got her first car, she used to pick me up from summer school every day – I had to take extra school ‘cause I sucked – and she’d have this bottle of really cheap perfume. It was an Avon product or something, nothing fancy. It had a flower on it and I have no idea what it’s called but if I ever catch a whiff of anything that smells like that it will instantly make me happy. I don’t know what it’s called or where it’s from, but that bottle of perfume is the best thing I’ve ever smelled.”
Do you have any phobias?
“Spiders for sure. There’s absolutely nothing good about a spider. Even though they eat all the other small bugs, I’d much rather sleep with all the other small bugs in my bed than a massive spider. There was one in the shower in our green room the other day and it was just hideous. Where I come from there’s a lot of really deadly spiders like black widows, hobo spiders and the brown recluse. When they bite you you’ve got an hour to get to the hospital or you die. Or you go to sleep and wake up in the morning to scratch your arm and your fingers will go straight to the bone because your skin and muscle has rotted away.”
If you were king for the day, what rules would you impose?
“I’d give my grandma and grandpa back the money and healthcare that they used to have. It got taken away, and I don’t really know why, but now they’re really stressed out.”
What is your secret talent/party trick?
Makes popping noise with mouth
“You suck your top teeth out of your bottom lip and it makes a popping sound that has nothing to do with your lips smacking. Everyone always tries to do it but they can’t. My sister’s boyfriend taught me how to do it when I was really young. And it ends up making a funny face, too.” (Skip to 4:05 in the video below to see the noise for yourself)
Have you ever had a supernatural encounter?
“I feel like my relationship with God is packed full of supernatural experiences on a daily basis. I feel like when you really start to grasp how short our life on Earth is, and how incredible the human body is. I feel like every breath we take is a supernatural experience. It’s unreal to really try and understand everything that goes into humanity. I believe in a God that loves all of creation and when you have a relationship with your creator I think that’s a supernatural experience itself.”
What is your favourite TV show?
“The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air. It had wholesome messages in almost every episode but it also had really edgy humour for that time period. Full House was awesome, Family Matters was great, but I feel like Fresh Prince was all-round the bees knees.”
If you could live as anyone else for the day, who would it be?
“I dunno, I like being me a lot. I’d say Judah Smith. His incredible depth of biblical knowledge at the age of 35 has taken the whole world by surprise and I’d just love to know what that’s like – without having to do ten years of bible college.”
What is your favourite book?
“I didn’t read much growing up, I’ve just started being ‘into’ reading. I read this book called Jesus Is… by Judah Smith and out of all the books I’ve ever read and been serious about that book is by far the best.”
What has been your most embarrassing moment?
“I’m pretty good at rolling with the punches. I’m not trying to toot my own horn but I can’t think of the last time I was really embarrassed. I poop in front of my wife and everything.”
What band epitomises metal?
“Metallica. It would almost be sacrilegious to say anything else. For modern metal, Killswitch do an awesome job. We’re going on tour with them in South America and we’re so excited about it.”
Draw me an elephant.
Check out Memphis May Fire at Download Festival on the Pepsi Max Stage.
