Keeping It In House:
Rebecca Childs-Derhak, moe.crap Maven
by Dean Budnick

Continuing our theme of the people behind the scenes (read the Chris Burrows and Jon Topper pieces), here is an interview with 'Becca Childs-Derhak. Among other responsibilities she designs the band's newsletter, supplies much of the group's graphics and runs moe.crap merchandise. Derhak is a professionally-trained graphic designer, having graduated from the University of Buffalo with a Fine Arts/Communication Design degree in 1991. Prior to her present position with moe. (she began part-time in 1994 and it became her full-time gig in 1998) Derhak worked at a design firm in New York City, freelanced in Buffalo and also toiled for a "cheesball magazine" in New Jersey called "First For Women". Derhak also has a unique perspective on the band, having first met bass player Rob Derhak (now her husband) more than ten years ago, prior to the group's initial performance with its current core line-up.

D- What is the full scope of your responsibilities with moe.?

B- I am art director and primary graphic designer of mailers, posters, T-shirts, CDs, the web site and more. I also manage the ordering and selling merchandise at moe.crap and supplying merch to the road. In addition I update the web site with news and dates.

D- How did these various tasks come about?

B- I started out doing the Headseed CD art for free for fun when I was doing graphic design at a few jobs in Buffalo. Then about a year later I started doing postcards and took over the mailings for about 2 years. I would buy a couple pizzas and beer and get all my friends to help out with the mailer until it went over 5000. Then we had to hire out. I still do all the designing of the mailers.

D- In terms of the newsletter, to what extent do you have creative autonomy? How do you coordinate with the band when it is on the road?

B- So far I have been lucky enough that everyone is happy with the job I do on the mailer, so I get to do all the designing and get little criticism. I get dates and info on the tour from Topper by email and faxes from the booking agent every Friday. The band is not so easy to work with because they don't like having any other jobs besides playing in the band. I have pretty good luck getting stuff from Rob, but it is hard to get much from the rest of the guys. If they have something to say they will usually get it to me, but otherwise it's up to me. I try to get a copy to Topper and the band before it prints in case I am off on anything.

D- How do you think your design style has evolved over the years? Do you think it has correlated in any ways with the band's music?

B- I think I have gotten better at designing moe. stuff throughout the years. When I designed Headseed I barely knew what I was doing, I was just the cheapest designer they knew. I was computer literate and graduated from college, but hadn't gotten a style yet. I think every time moe. improves I do too. I also try to listen to the guys opinions and ask them to give me things they like (magazines, T-shirts, etc.) so I can keep that in mind. I definitely tried to think of what a live CD meant to me and designed L and L Version 3.1 that way. I thought that really worked. I am never sure I am on the same page as moe. but I don't get too many complaints.

D-Relative to your moe. images, what is the basis for your ideas?

B- I try to have everything I design for moe. have something to do with the music or their sense of humor. They are silly guys and I try to keep up. As far as merchandise, I try to have the art either have something to do with a song, tour title or just something cool. We have a policy that we don't make anything we wouldn't want to wear ourselves. I used to work for a magazine, so I have used that background for the mailer layout. I try to keep it organized and readable but also interesting and relative to moe.

D- Was it your idea to design the interior Dither images from spaceman to protoplasm? Why did you select Abraham Lincoln?

B- Dither's concept was all from moe., I just tried to interpret it. They have their own definition of Dither and the inside of the booklet is how they wanted to explain it. The progression of world in moe.'s eyes I guess.

D- As a graphic designer, how would you assess the band's logo?

B- I like it and think it is a great marketing tool. People always can read it in venue ads because it is only 3 letters, so it can be bigger than the other bands. Also, people always want to know about the period and it makes them remember it. As far as the typewriter type, I get a little tired of it, but people know it so we stick with it.

D- What about the web site, do you do the coding or just upload files? What has been your learning curve in terms of the web?

B- I have fought learning coding and/or any web programming. I have enough other responsibilities that I don't think I would do a very good job at anything if I took that on. We have a guy named Jim Verhagen who hosts our site. He does all the coding and I send him all the graphics and info. He also set up a page so I can just type in changes for the cover page and dates page and they change instantly. I really like that control.

D- How would you characterize the role of the web in terms of the band's career or even just your ability to sell merch?

B- The web has been tremendously helpful. Initially it was helpful so people found out about us (I believe that is how our A&R guy found out about us at Sony). Then it was great for merch. It is very cost-effective to be able to change info whenever you want. Mailers are expensive and things can change before they get to people. I would say 95 % of our orders are from the web.

D- Describe your perspective on watching the band evolve.

B- When moe. began I would have never thought they would be where they are now. They weren't very serious, but they did have a good time. I think after Fatboy came out I saw the seriousness begin. They realized what they wanted to do and found ways to accomplish it. Every year there has been something new and exciting with moe. and I have been happy to be part of it. This business can be hard because most people in it don't have any previous training, so we hit a lot of rough moments, but moe. has survived quite well. The music continues to improve and the fans have all been wonderful throughout the years.

D- Final questions- what is your favorite part of the job?

B-Graphic design, that is what I went to school for and I enjoy being creative. I also enjoy working for something I believe in, so I enjoy most of the job.

D- The least favorite?

B- Inventory and folding shirts

D- Speaking of which, is there any trick to folding shirts? I'm often the one who ends up folding and mailing our Jambands.com shirts.

B- I have my system of folding the sleeves in, then folding the sides in until you see the art. Then I usually fold up about two or three times, the smaller the better. My latest trick is to get my assistant Jake to do it.