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Slowly Rolling Heavy

Rolling HeavyBY BETH ALLEN

 

A cool recent find for me was a slick little rag full of van spreads, “Rolling Heavy”. It actually made me a little envious, as DON’T COME KNOCKIN’ was initially intended to be a printed piece. There’s something to be said for having something cool to flip through while sitting on the john. All I can say is more pages please — us van-addicts can never see too many rad van photos! Thanks to Matt Grayson, the dude behind Rolling Heavy magazine and Scott Magrath, co-art director for the mag, and the brains behind his own van blog: Slowly We Roll, for this interview. March 2013.


Name, age, where you each live:
Matt, 36, Los Angeles, CA.
Scott, 40, Los Angeles.

 

Let’s start with “Rolling Heavy” — when did the magazine start?
Matt: Oh, let’s see. I guess Vol. 1 was officially released at the 40th Annual Van Nationals in July of 2012.

 

Why a magazine?
Matt: It seemed like a good idea.

 

How do you get hot chicks to pose nearly naked for your photo spreads?
Matt: You know, that’s a damn good question. I don’t even think we tried for the first one. We were just shooting something else and Ryan and his old lady pulled up and she just went to work in their van. Did we luck out or what? Ended up being better than what we were shooting there in the first place. From there it’s just kinda taken off with more and more chicks inquiring how they can be in the magazine with some rad vans.

 

Scott and his FordScott, how long has your “Slowly We Roll” blog been rolling along and where did the idea come from?
It’s been rolling in my head a lot longer than its been rolling on the internet. The idea for the name sprang up while listening to Obituary and not moving in one of the Wheels of Confusion ‘Slow Rides’.

 

How and when did your lust for vans begin?
Matt: I came home from the hospital in one. And, uh, yep.
Scott: When I was a kid and my dad’s van caught fire inside the doghouse while I was sitting in the passenger seat.

 

What rides do you each own currently?
Matt: “Rolling Heavy Hauler” - 76 Chevy Short Box.
Scott: “Stinkupuss” - 1963 Econoline.

 

What van clubs are you currently in and how long have they been around?
Matt: I’m not really cut from the club cloth.
Scott: The Revanimators. Established the day I came up with the name and said to myself, ‘self, that is a brilliant name’. Right now it is only for dudes with an ‘early’ van, keep those 80s Dodge vans outta here.

 

What do you think about the current van “scene” today?
Matt: I didn’t know there was one. That’s awesome!!!!!
Scott: Scenes are for scenesters.

 

Rolling Heavy MagazinesAny past vans you’ve owned?
Matt: Yeah, but I promised my current van I wouldn’t say their names ever again.
Scott: Negative.

 

Have you “rocked” all the vans you’ve owned?
Matt: I think my the plates on my last van were HVYMTL. Yeah, that’s right.
Scott: My van headbangs.

 

Sky’s the limit, describe your ultimate wet dream van:
Matt: I’ll show you when I finish it.
Scott: When I finish what I have now, I’m gonna find myself a second gen Ford and pimp it out. Bead curtains, waterbed, and an 8 track player cranking Sabbath and Flower Travellin’ Band.

 

You both seem to be all about the merch… tell us what you’re selling:
Matt: Uh, we have t-shirts and magazines. Should have some koozies and other stuff soon. And stickers and postcards and stuff like that.
Scott: An Obituary inspired “VANNIN” shirt and my soul.

 

What’s your hottest item so far?
Matt: Everything we sell.
Scott: The chick in the Greenbrier.

 

Future plans for the magazine and blog?
Matt: Yeah, probably doing the next issue. Figure out some other stuff to do. Should be cool.
Scott: I prefer to think of mine as an online Vanzine. Eventually it will see the light of day as a printed zine.

 

VANNIN shirt by Slowly We Roll blogQuick, without too much thinking, spew out a few of your must have tunes to crank while cruising in your van?
Matt: Nazareth - “Close Enough For Rock N Roll”

Uncle Acid the Deadbeats - “Blood Lust”

Canned Heat - “Cook Book”
Scott: Obituary - “Cause of Death” LP
Suffocation - “Pierced From Within” LP
Cannabis Corpse - “Beneath Grow Lights Thou Shalt Rise” LP

 

Ford, Chevy or Dodge?
Matt: They're all really cool, but I’m a Chevy guy.
Scott: Harrison Ford is cooler than Chevy Chase, whoever the Dodge guy is probably sucks.

 

Ass, gas or grass?
Matt: Depends on how much and what kind across the board.
Scott: Ass, Ass & Ass.

 

Plether, shag or tuck-n-roll?
Matt: Diamonds.
Scott: Pleth.

 

Any other comments for DON’T COME KNOCKIN’?
Matt: Support independent publishing. Buy Rolling Heavy and Custom Vanner Magazines.
Scott: Don’t Come Knockin’ Just Come Right In!


Rolling Heavy magazine | Slowly We Roll


PICTURED ABOVE: (Top to Bottom) Matt and his “Rolling Heavy Hauler”, Scott and “Stinkupuss”, Rolling Heavy Mags #1 and #2, “VANNIN” T-shirt by Slowly We Roll van blog.


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