Fresh Fries with Paul Goings of Shadow People

Let's had down to Baton Rouge where we're talking to Paul Goings of Shadow People. 

He's kindly agreed to talk to us about Fast Food.

Check out their latest EP on BANDCAMP.

Just read on.

1. Let's not pretend. Fast food is delicious. What is your favorite fast food joint? 

Paul Goings: Fast food's fucking disgusting, I’m not pretending, there are way better guilty pleasure foods out there .So I have several serious health issues that are shrinking my life span exponentially. 

One of the very unfortunate side effects is an ability of my body to tolerate grease. So no meat, butter or fried foods. The pain of withdrawals from cutting these foods out of my diet was second only to that of opiates. 

I mean opiates were way, way worse, but fast food was second. Still can’t manage to edge out cigarettes or Coke. But anyway, now that I‘ve covered the forward to this novel of an answer I’ll say again that fast food is fucking gross. 

When I could eat I didn’t. I’d make my own pancakes with shards of crystallized sugar in them. And make my own eggs, cook ’em in bacon grease & I’d buy pancetta(extra thick bacon) not those little skimpy paper thin scraps they burn and set in a puddle, all shameful in the corner next to your other food, on the menu it’s always huge golden planks. . . & always “applewood smoked” everything’s “applewood smoked”. fuck applewood and fuck it’s smoke. 

If you still eat these type of things go buy yourself a fat pack of pancetta and fry that up then Cook your eggs in that grease and then toast your bread in that same pan and let the fast food go eat a mass bred genetically modified mutant carcinoma. 

2. When I was young, I remember hanging out at Hardee's eating roast beef (not their fried chicken), and smoking cigarettes at the table. 

Paul Goings: That’s what’s up man, I appreciate you sharing. We don’t have a fuckin Hardees down here, I have a vague idea of what that is. It’s like a shitty waffle house right? '

2 1/2. Tell me about some big changes at the place in your lifetime or tell me which part of my sentence is the most surprising and why. 

Paul Goings: I’m not so much surprised as confused. I don’t know what you mean by “about some big changes at the place.” 

Which “place” I can only guess as to what changes you’re inquiring about. I’ve decided not to accept particular medical treatments ,for my conditions, that may have ultimately lengthened my life (in the long term) but decreased the quality in the immediate years to come. 

If I fall out I want to fight on my feet clawing at the jugular of whatever I see fit. 

3. In St. Louis, we have Lion's Choice. If you like roast beef, when you're here ya need to check the place. It makes Arby's look like an idiot. THE best fast food fries and great sammiches. What's your town's local chain? 

Paul Goings: There are too many to name. Here’s a few Po boy Lloyd’s, Louies, Tony’s seafood, Ronnies boudin it’s hard to miss down here. 

As far as good roast beef, I think I would’ve just made that at my house (when I could still eat it) 

4. In the grand scheme of things, maybe this doesn't count, especially after the four glorious years we had with them, but here in STL, we don't have Tim Horton's. 

Paul Goings: I’m sorry I’m ignorant to what “STL” is and also to “Tim Hortons”? I’m trying honestly but I don’t know what you’re talking about. 

Sounds like the big stuffed mascot for an amusement park.The kind they make a low wage workers wear a suit of in the heat. If that were the case then we should run around behind their back knocking’em over & then when they start cursing and crying someone would point and say you’re a big stuffed asshole and we’d all share a laugh. 

I would’ve wiped away a tear I didn’t shed for those times past that didn’t happen by now, then. Boy time sure does move fast in an imaginary lifes daydream moment. I can remember when the thought first came to me to make up a story about whatever the name of whoever that was you were talking about being a stuffed mascot for an amusement park that doesn’t exist. Oh the rides they’d have. 

A roller coaster passing through clear plastic tubes underwater in a pool filled with sharks. Badass. 

4 1/2. Tell me all about the place you don't have and why you need them? 

Paul Goings: I don’t have a “place”. I’m searching ,it’s a constant drive ,internal push an instinctive act of survival to find a “place”. 

If ever arrive maybe I’ll realize ,much like anytime I’ve sat in a “place” briefly ,that I crumple, fold, pull, tear and ultimately ruin whatevers in front of me. Maybe out of misplaced energy and unresolved thoughts and maybe I’d do that to a “place”, if I found one. But no, I don’t think I’d have so much an effect as to ruin an entire “place”. 

I guess it depends on the size of this “place” if it’s a closet I might bang it up a little. If it’s a city I might get banged up a little. if it’s a state there may be multiple types of banging occurring & a country well, I may just walk off and never see myself again. But it doesn’t mean I’ll stop looking. A “place” for everything and everything in its “place”. 

At least in the immediate we need a “place” somewhere we can feel the connecting click of one gear into another (so to speak). Somewhere that bleeds for its passions but doesn’t die, that never sleeps but takes naps. 

Somewhere no one gives a fuck if you’re in a good mood but those same people are collecting food if you’re starving, we’re music isn’t a scene but community, where a genre isn’t a tool for destiination but for reflection, where the differences in color, beliefs & culture are celebrated not demonized. We’re tragedies are the moments we pull ahead not fall behind. 

Where there’s adequate fucking healthcare. A place where the moon lights so bright I can wear my sunglasses as we dancing & chant the sacred ceremonial traditions of an anonymous group for forgotten purposes. Somewhere some “place”. 

5. We've had Culver's for about 15 years now and Shake Shack just showed up. So far, the only thing Shake Shack has going for it for me over Culver's is there's one in the city. 

Paul Goings: Again I’m completely ignorant as to what Culvers or Shake shacks are. Sounds like a club. I’ll be in the corner, drop me a dime a shit If you know what time it is. 

5 1/2. What's the overrated out of town chain in your neck of the woods? 

Paul Goings: The government. . . & chipotle, chipotle blows. 

6. Do you have a Del Taco in your City? If you don't have Del Taco, tell me about the other taco fast food joint you've got. What do you love or hate about them?

Paul Goings: No Del taco. We got Zippys and Fuzzies. Both tempt with a tasty taco. But because that’s not what I eat I’ll be discreet about who’s elite shelled cheese and meat treat can’t be beat. 

7. White Castle. Go. 

Paul Goings: Stop. I don’t know anything about that. What’s that like mid evil times? Sounds legit, people riding a horse on fire through time. 

Echoing unfathomable death. I’m just gonna say, man, basil infused extra-virgin olive oil, warmed fresh mozzarella and homemade brick oven flatbread try it out.