Interview: Rumahoy

In July Rumahoy released their second album Time II: Party. We immediately decided to talk to frontman Captain Yarrface about the album, Pirate Metal, parties, piracy (noble or “classic” one) and find out which beer is better. Not a long time ago a tidal wave brought us a message in the bottle with answers, so enjoy the Captain’s branded Caps Lock and welcome to the sea!

We’re living in tough times, with quarantine, lockdowns and all the stuff. How are you these days? Anchored somewhere (where, by the way) or Rumahoy breaking the law like true pirates and sailing wherever they want?

WELL ANTICHRIST, I AM CAPTAIN YARRFACE AND I DO WHAT I WANT!! THE BEST THING ABOUT LIVING ON THE BOAT IN THE SEA IS THAT THERE IS NO SMELLY QUARANTINE, I ALSO HAVE THE ADDED BONUS OF CONSTANTLY WEARING A FACE MASK, I WAS DOING IT BEFORE IT WAS COOL AND NOW EVERYONE WANTS TO COPY OLD CAPTAIN YARRFACE. CURRENTLY WE ARE IN THE ARGENTINIAN SEA FISHING FOR ELK SEALS, THEY MAKE A VERY TASTY SOUP!! WELCOME TO THE SEA!!

Is it only “Rum” and “Ahoy” behind the band’s name or there is some deeper meanings?

WELL RUM IS BASICALLY AS DEEP AS IT GETS FOR A PIRATE CAPTAIN, AND AHOY IS ONE OF THE MOST USED WORDS BESIDES ‘WELCOME’ ‘TO’ ‘THE’ AND ‘SEA!!’

AS YOU CAN TELL, WE ARE A VERY DEEP AND MEANINGFUL BAND

In autobiographic song “The Legend Of Captain Yarrface”, Captain reveals the secret of his mask: a shark ate his face. Why do other members wear masks too?

A SHARK DID BITE MY ENTIRE FACE OFF, SO I HAVE TO WEAR THE MASK, THE OTHER MEMBERS OF MY CREW WEAR MASKS BECAUSE NOT ONLY DOES IT LOOK SUPER COOL, NO ONE KNOW WHO YOU ARE, SO YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH JUST ABOUT ANYTHING, DRINKING IN PUBLIC, WELCOMING PEOPLE TO THE SEA, WHATEVER YOU WANT!!

In the same song you have a bravado speaking about other Pirate Metal bands. Have you ever had a battle with other pirate ships bands? If yes, tell how it was?

WE HAVE NO CURRENTLY, BECAUSE ALL THE OTHER ‘PIRATE’ BANDS DO NOT OWN SHIPS, THEY ARE JUST SILLY LITTLE BOYS AND GIRLS, RUMAHOY IS THE ONLY REAL PIRATE BAND, ACTUAL PIRATES THAT PLAY PIRATE METAL. THAT IS WHY, WE WILL ALWAYS BE THE NUMBER ONE PIRATE BAND ON EARTH!!

There are many disputes over “what is Pirate Metal” and how should it sound. Resolve this dispute, please.

TO ME, PIRATE METAL IS JUST SINGING SONGS AND DRINKING RUM, WHY MAKE IT CONFUSING? WHY GO INTO ALL THIS STUPID SUB GENRA BULL SHIT, IT IS BASICALLY PUNK WITH AN ACCORDION ANYWAY, SO AS LONG AS YOU DRINK RUM, IT IS PIRATE METAL

There is one really musically outstanding song in Time II: Party, with poppy disco sound and even some rapping in the middle. Was it made accidently or it was deliberate step from Pirate Metal to Pirate Pop Music territory?

WELL CAPTAIN YARRFACE, THATS ME BY THE WAY, THE GREATEST PIRATE ON EARTH, LOVES A BIT OF DISCO DISCO, WE HAD A SONG CALLED ‘PIRATESHIP’ ON OUR FIRST ALBUM AND I ALWAYS WANT TO HAVE SOME SORT OF DISCO BANGER ON EVERY ALBUM, NOT ONLY DO THEY SOUND FUN TO LISTEN TOO, THEY GO OFF LIVE AND THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART

Your first album was about piracy, second about party. What the next album will be about?

WELL, I LIKE TO THINK BOTH ALBUMS WERE ABOUT PIRACY AND PARTYING, AND I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THE 3RD ALBUM WILL BE THE SAME, MAYBE SOME MORE HERITAGE YARR SONGS AND MORE SILLINESS BUT STILL THE BASIC ROOTS WILL BE PIRACY AND PARTYING

Why did you went back to 2016 and recalled Harambe?

HARAMBE WAS ALWAYS PART OF OUR CREW, FROM THE WORD GO, IT WAS JUST NOT A KNOWN FACT AND THEN SUDDENLY HE WAS KILLED AND EVERYONE WANTS A PIECE OF HIM, HE IS ONLY WITH US IN SPIRIT NOW BUT HE MAY BE GRACING OUR LIVE SHOW STAGE SOMETIME

Where is your Tortuga?

I WOULD HAVE TO SAY TORTUGA, HAVE YOU BEEN THERE, IT IS A SHIT HOLE AND I LOVE IT

Captain Yarrface in interview to Moshville Times said: “Internet is good for sharing piracy”. If somebody will steal your album, it’ll be a piracy too. Do you support such things or it’s not the “right way piracy”?

HONESTLY AS LONG AS PEOPLE ARE LISTENING AND LIKING IT, IT IS GOOD. PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO STEAL MUSIC, IT IS THE AGE WE LIVE IN, BANDS MAKE THE MAJORITY OF THEIR MONEY FROM MERCH AND GIGS NOW A DAYS ANYWAY SO IF PEOPLE ARE ‘STEALING’ OUR TUNES AND SHARING THEM ON MORE SOURCES THEN IT IS A WIN WIN

In the same interview it’s clear you don’t know about Johnny Depp and Errol Flynn, it’s ok. What do you say about Captain Peter Blood and his “noble piracy”?

I DON’T KNOW PERSONALLY WHO CAPTAIN PETER IS BUT I LIKE HIS LAST NAME, A LITTLE BIT OF FUN TRIVIA, I WAS ACTUALLY IN PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN WITH JOHNNY DEPP AND LET ME TELL YOU THAT HE IS NO PIRATE MAN

Your parties are big, loud and with a lot of rum. What do you do when you have a hangover?

A TRUE PIRATE CAPTAIN DOES NOT GET A HANGOVER, WHEN WE ARE GIVEN OUR CAPTAINS HAT WE ARE MADE IMMUNE TO SUCH PETTY THINGS

Many pirates like Sir Francis Drake, Richard Hawkings or Walter Raleigh were in the service of kings or queens. Whom do you serve?

I SERVE CAPTAIN YARRFACE, THERE IS NO ONE ABOVE ME AND I DO WHAT I WANT, YOU COULD ALMOST SAY, I AM THE KING? KING CAPTAIN YARRFACE, WELCOME TO THE MONARCHY!!

Not a long time ago Somalia Pirates were all over the news. What do you think of them?

SO EVERYONE ALWAYS ASSOCIATES US WITH SOMALIA PIRATES, BECAUSE OF THE MASKS, SO ONE DAY I SAILED OVER THERE TO SEE WHAT ALL THE FUSS IS ABOUT. LET ME TELL YOU, THEIR PIRATE SHIPS ARE A JOKE, AND THEY DONT EVEN WEAR MASKS, THEY ARE THE TRUE POSERS OF THE PIRATE WORLD.. LADDERS AND DINGHIES?? YOU NEED MASTS AND CANNONS, EVERY PIRATE KNOWS THAT

And the last one: the beer from my town is definitely better than yours. Change my mind!   

I TRIED TO FIND OUT WHERE YOU WERE BASED BUT THERE WAS NOTHING ON YOUR WEBSITE BOTTLE (Antichrist is an international, Ukraine-based zine; Droll lives in Israel). BUT THE MOST READ PARTS WERE AMERICA AND GERMANY SO LETS STICK WITH THAT, ALL I NEED TO SAY IS TRUST ME.. YOUR BEER ISNT BETTER, BECAUSE MINE IS THE BEST