For Aron and Robert Mardo, rock ‘n’ roll isn’t just a musical genre, it’s a way of life. Although the brothers have been playing together since they were children, they have only recently released the self-titled debut album from the band bearing their surname. Pulse got on the horn with Aron during a tour stop in Wisconsin opening for progressive rock legends King’s X to shoot the breeze on groupies and sibling rivalry.

Joshua Haun: How’s the tour going so far?

Aron Mardo: It’s actually going f—in’ great, man. We’re getting to play to sold-out crowds every night, the King’s X guys have been just a dream to us – the band, the crew, everything – they’ve really treated us like family. We’re getting the same reaction off crowds every night – doesn’t matter where we are. I mean, it’s not really surprising, but we’re getting that, ‘I’ve never been floored so much by an opening band. You guys are f—ing phenomenal.’ So, we’re riding the wave, man.

JH: So, the King’s X guys have kind of taken you under their wing?

AM: Yeah, you know. The guys immediately were just great to us; they watched the set the first night and we’ve become really good, close friends with them already. Ty [Tabor, King’s X guitarist] was telling me when they heard about us, the band kind of left it up to him to go to our Web site and see if they wanted us on a couple shows, and he said that he went to the Web site and he loved it so much immediately that he told the other guys, ‘We gotta have these guys for the entire tour.’

JH: And do you guys like being on the road?

AM: Yeah, we really don’t know any other way; we’ve been on the road pretty much for the last eight years and this year alone we’ve been on the road about nine months. We live from city to city, hotel to hotel, and when we do go home, you know, we kinda miss shit for a second there. Then you get home and you’re like, ‘Nothing’s changed here. Let’s get the f— out of here. So our California girlfriends like it when we’re home for a couple of days, but it doesn’t matter – we got girlfriends all over.

JH: So, do you guys party a lot out there?

AM: Yeah, we’re not only a rock ‘n’ roll-style band, we’re the full boat – let me just put it to you that way. You know, when you’re going to call the band your last name … we live it. We live every aspect of it from all the artwork, obviously all the songwriting, everything. We’re involved in every single aspect of it, including groupies and dope fiends.

JH: Since you guys wrote and recorded the album together and you’ve been playing together for so long, what is your relationship with your brother like?

AM: You know, it’s a blessing and a curse. For one, musicians are f—ing flaky and so to have a built-in musical partner that complements you perfectly, it’s a dream because he can’t quit, you know. This is the first record where we kind of wrote together to where he’d bring a piece and say, “Hey, what can you do with this?” and I’d take it … and finish the song or vice versa. But, you know, we fight. We’re brothers and it gets crazy sometimes and it gets out of control on the road and, you know, whatever – we’re a brother rivalry.

Who: Mardo, King’s X

Where: Hairy Mary’s, 2307 University Ave., Des Moines

When: 9 p.m. Saturday

Cost: TBA