HIT THE STAGE

Ich denke nicht unbedingt, dass das stimmt. Ich meine, ich bin immer auf der Suche nach besseren, helleren Momenten im Leben, auf die ich mich konzentrieren kann, aber meine kreative Seite ist sehr stark in einem viel dunkleren, traurigeren und wütenderen Ort verwurzelt. Das ist der springende Punkt … versuche etwas Gutes aus dem Zeug herauszuholen, das schlecht war. Das gibt meinem Leben Seele und Sinn und gibt mir jeden Tag etwas, an dem ich ziemlich viel arbeiten kann.

When you started Seven Seconds in 1979, how were you able to book a tour outside of Reno?

We didn’t start touring until 1982. By then, we had become friends with people in bands like D.O.A., Black Flag and Minor Threat and they taught us a lot about what to do and who to talk to about booking a tour.

Was there any kind of booking agency you could use or did you all do it yourselves?

There were no booking agents for bands like us back then. It was all kids in certain cities helping kids in bands come play in their city.

When did you do your first tour of Europe?

I believe our first Europe tour was 1990. We went over late. We had been asked to come play since the mid- 1980s but just never could get our shit together to make it happen until then.

If you compare touring life in the 80s to nowadays, with the new technology that has made it easier, has it also changed in other ways?

Yes. It’s completely different and better now. I can get way more things accomplished in a shorter amount of time and making records is more fun because I know what I’m doing in a recording studio which I didn’t back in the day.

What is/was the worst thing about touring for you?

Best: meeting and playing for new people, seeing long-time friends and seeing the beauty of the world. Worst: being away from my wife Allyson and our fur kids, eating poorly and sleeping in the van.

If you look at the development of the Seven Seconds albums, was starting to play acoustic shows in 1989 just the next logical step?

I’m not sure but I’ve been playing acoustic shows since the mid-1980s. I wrote the majority of early Seven Seconds songs on an acoustic guitar because that was all I had.

If you play an acoustic show at a Rancid or Dropkick Murphys show, do you still feel that the audience appreciates it?

Doing the Rancid/Dropkicks tour was one of the best, funniest things I’ve ever done. It was the perfect tour for me because I had no pressure to do anything accept get up and play for 30 minutes every night. The response was amazing actually. Better than I expected.

Do you keep up with Punk and Hardcore these days? Does it still matter to you?

I don’t follow any sort of music scene anymore but I’m always excited when I hear a new band that kicks my ass.

Why did you stop touring with Seven Seconds?

Health. We’re all getting older and have to deal with our physical and mental health issues like everybody else. It’s not easy and touring as a full band was no longer possible for us.

Do you envy bands like Agnostic Front, that still get to tour and play their music?

I don’t envy much of anything. I do everything I want to do and don’t have time worrying about what other people are doing or not doing. Props to the AF guys though for keeping it rocking.

You told me that you can’t afford to tour right now. Is it actually so that you lose money while you are on tour?

As a solo artist, I do. Seven Seconds was doing pretty well financially before we broke up, but we also stopped touring hardcore like we did for years and that made it harder on us to start back up again each time.

You formed Aim Higher in 2015 and released a hardcore punk single on which you played all the instruments, but said that you’d like to find band members to go on tour. Then in 2020 you founded Gimme an F. If given the chance and it would be financially promising, would you consider going on long tours again?

I definitely miss being a part of a full band and miss touring. Ultimately, I would love to be able to bring together a loose collection of musician people I love and respect who I could get to go on the road with me from time to time, but honestly, it’s just not very financially feasible for me these days. Times have changed. I would love to hit the road with the Aim Higher and Gimme An F projects. I think they’re both pretty damned fun.

You started your Sound Forge in 2016, where people could become a member online to receive access to new songs, photos, poetry and short stories. Would you consider that a successful project (not just financially)?

Financially, no. But I’m not so worried about that as much as I am keeping the creative flame lit. I write a ton of songs and I love to record them and put them out, but I also worry about having so much material out that it de-values me as a songwriter and musician. I think people tend to take you for granted if you’re always making and releasing new music so I’ve tried to slow down the process a bit. It’s hard. Sometimes I think that I live for making new songs. The Song Forge project (much like my latest Broke Down Famous Social Club Patreon group) enables me to keep making music for people who really enjoy and love what I do, musically.

Do the terms punk and hardcore mean something to you today? And if they do, what is it?

I don’t think much about the terms, really. I’m punk rock and hardcore through and through. I feel lucky that I discovered punk rock when I did and even more lucky that I was around to help create and define what hardcore is today. I don’t listen to much modern day hardcore. I’m not into the tough guy shit and I like melody too much.

You are an artist on many levels, writing songs, painting, doing short-films. Is music still the most important medium to you or do you just need any kind of way to express yourself artistically?

I’d say art and music are pretty equally for me. I draw and paint as much as I make new music or play shows. I can tell you that I get more enjoyment looking at art than I do listening to music these days so I don’t know what that says. Expressing myself artistically is probably the most crucial thing going in my life.

What are the things that inspire you, that make you want to write a song?

Either the stupidity or the brilliance of humanity. I love to observe and document so all of my songs and paintings reflect real life, real situations, real places. One of my biggest hobbies is to paint while I watch YouTube “celebrities” do their thing on their channels. Most of them have enormous followings but do some of the most incredibly dumb and ridiculous shit imaginable and they get paid millions to do it. I don’t covet their life. Even with all the money they make, I wouldn’t trade my life for theirs. Often times, what they say and do repels me but I find inspiration in it, for some reason.

What comes harder to you, the melody or the lyrics?

The melody is easy. Lyrics come harder these days.

Do you have songwriters that you would call your idols?

I don’t think I idolize anyone but I think people like Billy Bragg and Steve Earle are incredible songwriters.

Do you think you could just start working a regular job and cutting the time for your art?

I’ve worked regular jobs throughout my adult life. I haven’t done too much full-time work anywhere but I’ve taken a lot of part-time and temporary jobs to help make ends meet over the years. I have no problem working whatsoever. I come from good, sturdy working-class roots.

Nowadays it’s quite normal for singers of punk or hardcore bands to start a solo-career and nobody cares anymore. Was that the same when you started it in the 80s or did you encounter a lot of negative responses?

I think people were a little excited at first but once they realized it was just me and an acoustic guitar, the excitement faded. I get it. There’s not much you can do as a solo acoustic performer to rival what you can do with a full, loud band. Now, people are pretty used to the fact that I primarily perform solo so they either like it and come out to see my shows, or they don’t.

Your lyrics are mostly with a very positive outlook on life. Is that something that comes naturally to you?

I don’t necessarily think that is true. I mean, I’m always looking for the better, brighter spots in life to focus on but my creative side is very much rooted in a much darker, sadder, angrier place. That’s kind of the point … try and squeeze some good out of the stuff that has been bad. It gives my life soul and purpose and gives me something to work on pretty much every day.

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