Wil Andruschak

When you’re out in public, a lot of people turn their heads to get a better look at you. Do you get a lot of that?

Oh yeah. I think it’s mostly because of the statement that I make; it’s representing anti-fascist, anti-business, anti-government.

Are you that?

Yeah, I go to the rallies against the Aryan Guard and do some stuff with my bands.

What’s the name of your band and what kind of music is it?

It’s called Trauma Unit and it’s like a bit of crust punk and chaos junk punk. I play bass.

What do you fill up your daytime with?

I’m first year in electronics engineering at DeVry here. When I graduate I want to work for a guitar company making amps, pickups and stuff like that. I’ll probably end up living in Toronto or Vancouver.

Did you grow up in Calgary?

No, actually I’m from northern California, from San Jose and Oakland. I came here about three years ago. I’m a dual citizen.

What do you think of Calgary?

I love it here. I don’t want to go back. I love that people care about hockey here, you can skate on outdoor rinks and snowboarding is less than four hours away.

Do you get some looks at Flames’ hockey games?

Yeah, especially when I wear my Sharks jersey. I sit in the Sport Chek section so I get booed when I walk up there. I just give everyone the finger. It’s fun.

Do they ever boo you when you are onstage?

No.

Why did you move up here?

Originally for jobs but then the economy tanked and I decided I wanted to go back to school.

When did your band start?

About six months ago, about the same time when me and the guitar player quit Knuckles Up.

Why did you quit?

There were some discrepancies between the lead singer and the heart of the band.

Has Trauma Unit done any gigs here in Calgary?

Not yet but a lot of people have heard that we’re doing stuff and they are really looking forward to coming to a show.

What’s taking you so long?

Finding a place to jam. The only place we have is out of town, in the southeast down 22X. I’m getting a new house close to downtown to live in next month, so then we can jam two or three times a week instead of every two weeks or so.

Is your schooling hard?

Yeah, it’s really hard. There’s a lot of math.

What made you choose electrical engineering?

I wanted to have a decent white-collar degree that offers something that doesn’t have a conflict with any of my morals. In my life I have to do something that involves music, otherwise I would go crazy.

What’s it like growing up in northern California?

It’s a hell of a lot rougher than Calgary. The violence is not even comparable to here. This is like a puppy dog compared to where I grew up partying. I’ve seen people get stabbed and shot. Every now and then the cops will ask you what you saw and if you’re smart you’ll tell them you didn’t see anything.

What if you told them you did see something?

That’s a bad idea. You don’t want to do that. The cops don’t run that area; the gangs do. If you rat someone out, you pretty much better not go back there or you’re dead, man.