The Greedy Brothers is a production/engineering team consisting of Blag Dahlia of the Dwarves (pictured left) and grammy nominated engineer Bradley Cook (pictured below). I caught Blag in between tours and Brad right before a recording session for a little Q & A (thanks again guys for doing this on such short notice).

Tell me about the Greedy Bros. Your origins, the philosophy, was it true love when you first met (which I assume was on the Dwarves "Sugarfix" album)?

Blag: Brad was the only guy honest enough to tell me (in a nice way) my album sucked and I had to record it again. It’s been nothing but fun ever since.

What are some of your prouder production moments (or shameful)? Artists, albums you've worked with?

Blag: We mostly make low budget punk records, so the shame factor is low and the fun factor is high. We are very proud that we can take $5 grand and make a record that major labels would spend $300 grand on. We also had a lot of fun with the guest stars on the last Dwarves record- (Dexter Holland, San Quinn, Gary Owens, Nick Oliveri.)

Brad: Dave Grohl rules. Art Alexakis sucks.

What inspired/possessed you to pursue music for a living (ie fav bands, daddy beat you, getting laid, etc)?

Blag: I did it for the sex and occasionally the drugs.

Brad: I did it to recreate a musical performance between two small wooden boxes. No kidding - its magic.

Have you ever had to pull a gun out during a recording session (a la Phil Spector and the Ramones)? If not, have you wanted to and which member of the band usually deserves it most?

Brad: I like guns.

Blag: I want to pull a gun everyday, but usually to shoot myself, preferably in the foot.

Every studio has a "suck" button... what's the "cool" button (ie peice of gear or production/mix trick that makes everything that much better)?

Blag: We love old tape machines like our Scully 1 inch. That and tape echo give things a really classic sound. A good player with a good instrument is the best antidote to the ‘Suck’ problem.

Brad: Yup. Don't forget the venerable Astatic jt-40 & EV666. Ribbon mics! RCA, Coles, & Royer. I'm also a big fan of spring reverb.

How important is "vibe" when you're trying to record great performances? Do you push artists or let them do their thing and gently nudge them in the desired direction (Good cop, bad cop)?

Blag: It depends on the artist. Some folks can’t be pushed, others need it desperately, they want you to.

Brad: The vibe is everything, the artist should feel comfortable.

Where's all this music "buisness" headed and do you care (ie studios closing, budgets shrinking, lame A&R guys who are neither business men or music fans, mp3's, Myspace, etc)? Does it affect you?

Blag: It affects everyone. We believe artists should own their masters and copyright should be cleaned up to reflect the reality of making records. We’re not holding our breath, though.

What are you currently listening to and digging (could be old or new)? And don't say Carrie Underwood, that's a given.

Blag: The Charles Manson album, Wu-Tang Forever and the Mills Brothers!

Brad: I've been kickin' a burlesque/porn comp, "Fifty #1 country hits" & SIRIUS hip hop uncensored during the am session setup.

What are you guys working on now? What's next?

Brad: I've been recording Juan Nelson's Funk/rock record. Juan is Ben Harper's long time bass player. The record features Juan's sons Preston on kit, "Rage"style rap & Jeremy w/ serious beat box skills & smooth vocals. Also jumping in will be Oliver Charles, Leon Mobeli & Ben H. Basically the band from "Fight for Your Mind". We just finished a track for super talent Johnnie Burton, produced by Narada Michael Walden.

Blag: I had to tour for a while with the Dwarves, but our new set of tracks features Tom Ayres on guitar and a cast of millions. Keep your ears peeled.