Page 72 - ION Indie Magazine JulyAugust 2019

LaPlegua’s appreciation for Wally’s begins with his own love for motorcycles. When he isn’t
writing, recording, or touring, he has his own shop to build custom bikes. Currently, he’s
riding a Harley V-twin hard-tail chopper that he designed for himself. Andy excitedly told
ION he is in the process of building a bike for his new fiancé, Liv Blankenship.

New and exciting things seem to be a theme for Andy, both in his personal and professional
life. Not only is he planning a wedding with Liv, but he has acquired two new drummers for
Combichrist. Former Combichrist drum technician, Will Spodnick, has moved up the ranks
to now becoming their official drummer. Taking the second slot is Dane White, who Andy
met through virtual auditions. White stood out from the other top 10 musicians that Andy
had narrowed it down to because of the way he plays. “I just couldn’t shake it,” LaPlegua
said of Andy’s auditions. When the two finally met in person at their first rehearsal, Andy
knew he had made the perfect decision.

White and Spodnick joined the band in March 2019 after Joe Letz parted ways
professionally with Andy. LaPlegua said he and Letz are on good terms and even better
friends now. LaPlegua said that White and Spodnick bring a brand-new energy to the band.
He feels as if Combichrist has hit a reset button with their new album, entitled “One Fire,”
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which came out on June 7 .

“There is so much positive energy. We are starting over, but it incorporates everything we’ve
done up to this point. It feels like we’re coming full circle,” Andy said when asked about the
new album. “We also have a cover of the Dead Kennedy’s song ‘California Uber Alles’ on
this album, which means a lot to me,” LaPlegua reminded ION. “Give Me Convenience or
Give Me Death” was the first album LaPlegua’s uncle bought him at the age of nine. Andy
picked out the album based on the cover art alone and fell in love with the music.

“The background of ‘One Fire’ is a lot about mental health and mental illness. It’s so
important to talk about. If you’re missing a limb, people talk about it because you can see
it. Mental health issues are important too. Even though you can’t see them, they’re there.
It’s about encouraging people to swallow their pride and get help. It’s so important to break
the cycle,” Andy told ION. He described the writing process as “fucking up his world real
bad sometimes” since he has to put himself in that mindset to write. LaPlegua much prefers
performing over the act of writing music. “In the studio, when recording, you’re sucking it in.
But when you do a show, you get to get it out,” said Andy, referring to the cathartic release
the crowd experiences at a Combichrist show.

As ION entered the venue for the opening act, ION encountered a fan with a tattoo bearing
the word “Never” tattooed on one forearm and “Surrender” inked on the other from the
Combichrist album “No Redemption” and the official soundtrack to the videogame “Devil
May Cry” (DmC). “Music has helped me through so much. All I have to do is look down to
remember,” the fan shared with ION. It’s safe to say Combichrist has ignited one fire in all
the members of this Combichrist army – a legion whose numbers are growing by the day.

Learn more about Combichrist and follow them at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/combichrist
Twitter: https://twitter.com/combichristarmy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/combichrist