Ambergris

Check out the Ambergris interview with Vinyl Lollipops !! Big thank to Laura for her time and support!!

Ambergris
May 2026

Interviewed by:
Laura Williams
Vinyl Lollipops

Photography courtesy of:
Savage75

Ambergris:
Joe Bernard - Guitar/Bass
Rob Cinami - Drums

Laura:
Thank you for your time. Please give us the backstory about how and when your band was established.

Rob:
Joe and I started Ambergris during the age of Covid, in October 2020. Kind of a funny story. His wife and I work at the same screen print/embroidery company (Classsick Custom). One day I was wearing a Pig Destroyer tee-shirt, and she just happened to be wearing a jacket that had... wait for it... a Pig Destroyer patch. We got to chatting and asked if she knew any musicians looking to jam. I had been mucking around for a few after the break-up of the tech-death group Wreak. She's like, "My man plays guitar!", so Joe and I hooked up shortly after that. We had a bass player for the first two years (Josh Leiber) and we dropped our first EP, "Ambergris" in 2023. Josh had to focus on other things, so we've been a two-piece ever since. In the meantime, Ambergris has released the "Grey Amber" single (2025), "Self Titled" LP (2025), "LIVE!" EP (2026) and our most recent EP, "Untitled." The band has also had the pleasure of opening for some real killer acts, such as Mondo Generator, Cardial, Bronson Arm, The Well, Joudy, King-Mob, Coma Hole, etc.

Laura:
How would you describe your music-making process for your new album, Untitled?

Rob:
Well, we have a very James and Lars thing going on as far as writing goes, I guess. Joe is the architect of this s**t, the riff master general, a mad scientist of melodies and arrangements. I add in the thunder, the dirt underneath the fingernails with primal caveman rhythms. Then the songs develop into what they are over time. It's a very natural non-AI process.

Laura:
Do you have a favorite song you like to perform the most? If so, can you please explain why?

Rob:
All the tunes are cool in their own way, but we've been very partial to the two on this new release, "Bottom Feeder” and "I Let You Swim Knowing You Would Drown." “Bottom Feeder” is a newer song that we've only had for a few months, It's a fun little banger with a cool Iron Maiden-ish bridge that leads to a disgustingly noisy Isis kinda thing. "... Drown" is an epic progy-doom metal track, sludgy and mean spirited. I always get an involuntary stank-face when I play this song. It's the end credits to your favorite post-apocalyptic disaster movie.

Laura:
Can you please spill some behind-the-scenes details about how you prepare for shows?

Rob:
Copious amounts of Mary Jane are involved before, during and after all Ambergris activities.

Laura:
What genre of music do you consider Ambergris to be?

Rob:
Instrumental stoner rock/doom metal. We're in a subgenre within a subgenre.

Laura:
Why call the band “Ambergris?”

Rob:
Because it's gross. Essentially, a s***m whale's bile forms a doo-doo stone that they either puke or s**t out, made out of ocean bulls**t and somewhat digested squid beaks that smell disgusting but over time, floating in the salt water and baking in the sun, turns into sometimes desirable... Just like our music. Ambergris has been used in perfumes, incense, medicine, flavoring for food, etc. It's illegal in some countries still, the US included, due to endangered-species laws.

Laura:
What should fans expect to experience at a show?

Rob:
Expect to use ear plugs... and you probably shouldn't eat a big meal before seeing us live.

Laura:
Typical question here. Who has influenced you the most via music?

Rob:
We all worship at the temple of Black Sabbath. But we definitely have a ton of influences, like Pelican, Sleep, High on Fire, Eyehategod, Winter, Isis, Russian Circles and, of course, classics like Thin Lizzy, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.

Laura:
How can fans and future fans locate, listen to and buy your music?

Rob:
We're on all things and stuff. Social, streaming and otherwise. You can go to the evils known as Spotify, Apple Music and Pandora so the band can receive less than a penny per stream. But mainly go to ambergrisdoom on Bandcamp and ambergris_band on Instagram.

Laura:
Is there anything else you would like your fans to know?

Rob:
Joe likes fantasy football and I enjoy quiet walks on the beach.

Laura:
What’s coming up next for Ambergris?

Rob:
Promoting our new EP "Untitled" and we have a few shows in the works for summer and fall. Currently, seeking label support, distribution deals and management.

Bandcamp:
https://ambergrisdoom.bandcamp.com/album/untitled-ep

Laura Williams
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