Joey Duenas from Anew Revolution

MI: What happened with you and Unloco?
Joey: Uh, you know, it was a marriage that fell apart. We were a band that had the same goals, at the very beginning of it all, and then as it got bigger and bigger, like, those roads started to tree off and go in different directions. When that happens you start losing site of what it’s really all about. You start fighting more, and stop talking to each other and the communication just breaks down and before you know it, you are walking away from each other and that’s basically what happened.
MI: I figured that’s what happened, I figured that…
Joey: It took a really long time, but it was funny, me and Pete were the ones really battling each other and we hadn’t spoken in such a long time, and it’s funny because now he and I have put aside our differences and we’re able to sit down and have beers together again, and just kind of reminisce and talk about the old days…it took us a while but… we’re back to being friends again…
MI: You’re at least back to talking, and that’s the most important thing. Who came up with the name ‘Anew Revolution’?
Joey: Uh, the band, we kinda all fell into it, you know. We thought of like, as times are changing and things become different – especially within our own organization and structure, you know, what we needed was a revamp of everything, some sort of a revolution. A new taste of blood, you could say, so we just kind of tag-lined it and made that our mantra – everything from the beginning, from scratch, you know and let’s go full forward.
MI: So who are the new band members?
Joey: Well, I have Shawn Stockton on guitar, and Frank Silvatgio on bass, and Robert Erbani on drums.
MI: And you’re happy with them all?
Joey: Oh yeah, totally.
MI: And you’re the main boss over there?
Joey: (laughs) Well, we’re four bosses. We have equal parts in this. Everything is split 25% across the board. Two of the guys in the band also used to be in another band that was signed, and they kind of went through the same thing my old band did. So now in this band we know what problems arise when it comes to fame and money and crap like that. When you keep it split across the board, everyone’s happy and there is no need for arguments.
MI: So tell me how did my baby Joey end up on Koch Records?
Joey: Oh man, well, just touring our asses off for the last three years unsigned, and then opening up for a band called Dope, like three times on three separate tours, and Dope actually ended up getting signed by Koch and told the new Vice President of Koch, Scott Givens, about us and that he thought we were a great act and it turns out that Scott Givens had signed two of the guys in my band, back in the day, to Divine Records. So he was their old A&R guy! So he got back in touch with us, came out to see us play, and was totally blown away and the next day offered us a deal. So here we are.
MI: Do you think that Koch will eventually offer you your own label with Anew Revolution?
Joey: You know I wouldn’t mind! That would be great. We could really hone in on our marketing and our A&R direction, but I mean, they do a great job, a fabulous job, regardless.
MI: What were you doing in between the time when you and Unloco separated and Anew Revolution began?
Joey: Well, I knew at that time that I was done with music for a little bit, and I kind of separated myself from it a little bit, you know? By the time I got off Ozzfest, I went home, you know, when you are out on the road for like a year straight, you don’t have a place to live or anything – the road is your home. So, I think I went back to my parents house and locked myself in my room for like a month and tried to get my head straight about what it was that I wanted to do because when you do something for eight years and it’s all you know, and all of a sudden it’s over, you’re kind of confused of what’s the next step. And there is nobody that’s gonna tell you what to do. And it’s funny because David Draman had called me up and was like, “Hey, my buddy in Filter is looking for a singer, and he started a new band and I told about you.” So I got in touch with Gino from Filter and flew out to Chicago an d we wrote a couple of tunes here and there and worked on a lot of stuff for about a month, and all we did was sit around and bitch about our old bands (laughs) there wasn’t a lot of work being done, and I knew that wasn’t the thing for me. So I came home, back to Austin, and got in touch with Rob and Frank and then we started really hammering down. That was when I knew I couldn’t do it like that, that we had to start from scratch, like a clean slate.
MI: So you go meet up with your old friends and it was like a hen fest with old ladies (laughing)…
Joey: (laughing) Exactly, you know who needs it, you can’t build something on shit. You can’t do it.
MI: tell me something, on the album work, I know you did the artwork, is that your arm?
Joey: No it’s not; it’s the guitar player Shawn’s beautiful arm there.
MI: That is the most excellent cover I have seen in a long time, inside and out.
Joey: Thank you! You know, a lot of people have told me that. Thank you very much. That’s awesome.
MI: What does Bristol-Meyers have to do with you?
Joey: Bristol-Meyers? (laughs)
Mi: Yes, I saw it in the liner notes...
Joey: Well, it’s not the company Bristol-Meyers! It’s actually my legal attorney.
MI: (laughing) Wait until you read my review of your cd – at the bottom of it I ask you “What does Bristol-Meyers have to do it? Joey, what happened?” But it’s your lawyer!
Joey: Nooo, it’s my legal attorney. I got in some trouble awhile back. (laughing)
MI: Who did most of the writing on the new album?
Joey: Pretty much all four of us. We’d go home, come up with some kind of structure or idea for a song and come in the studio and everyone would add their own flavor and taste to it and make it what it is. You know, tear it apart and build it back up again and go from there. So it was all a collective process. We stayed inside the studio for like eight hours a day and thought of it like a job, you know. It was our job to write music.
Mi: Is there any specific song that you love off the new album?
Joey: I really love the way “Love To Hate” came out, and I love the way “Enemy” came out. I think that those are two really creative songs that me personally, as a writer had never done before.
MI: Is there a message you are trying to send out to the world, especially your fans, with this album?
Joey: Don’t take shit from anybody! (laughs) Whether it be relationships, politics, financial stuff, whatever, you know? You can’t find yourself being beat down; you’ve got to really kind of rise above everything and move right past it.
MI: It’s been a long time since we’ve talked, Joey, so tell me how the death of Dimebag Darryl affected you and the band?
Joey: Oh man, I was really crushed. I had actually had the opportunity to play on stage with him and his brother a couple times at some Ozzfest shows, so to see that happen was just fucking heart wrenching. Anybody who had ever met that guy, whether you met him for two minutes or knew him for twenty years, he was one of the coolest, nicest people in the world. When it comes to someone like Dime, or even old Dave Williams, those are people that are irreplaceable and there will never, ever be anybody like them.
MI: Exactly, Exactly, now, are you taking more security measures at the shows because of this?
Joey: Um, me personally, no. But it does weird you out a little bit. The other night we were playing a show and I noticed that someone had made it past the barrier and was standing right in front of us – and it was a girl- but at the same time, my tech was saying, you know, any time that happens, get them away from the thing because you just never know. People are just psychotic sometimes. You trust the clubs to have the best kind of security available. We’ve actually played the Villa a Rosa a couple of times now.
MI: How does it feel?
Joey: It’s a club, you know, people come out, shows are always sold out. We never really mention anything about Dime onstage, because everybody knows what happened, and it’s a little eerie feeling, but…
MI: Do you feel him there?
Joey: Yeah, and the security there, they’ve always got a guy now on side stage and at the back door, whereas before ANYBODY could just want in and out. Some clubs that you go to, the security guys take their job a little too seriously and fucking throws YOU out (laughs).
MI: But you did feel him there, didn’t you…
Joey: Oh yeah, totally. It’s got this eerie, weird feeling like something bad happened.
MI: Do you feel more emotionally closer with ANR than you did in Unloco? Do you feel more secure with them?
Joey: I feel very more secure with them.
MI: The new album is a masterpiece in my eyes. I believe it should be nominated for a Grammy this year. How does that make you feel?
Joey: Accomplished! (laughs)
MI: Because guess who is on the board of the Grammys? I’m a Grammy Associate, darling.
Joey: Are you really? Nice.
MI: And who am I going to pick for New Metal Band of the Year? Or Best New Rock Band?
Joey: Hopefully, you’d pick me.
MI: Of course I’m going to pick you. Who the fuck do you think I’m gonna pick. I even put it down in the goddamn review, “This album deserves a Grammy.”
Joey: Thank you. No, seriously, we’ve worked so fucking hard on this record, and really tried to make it something that wasn’t already out there. When everyone was trying to be brutal and heavy, we were trying to be honest and true. When we recorded it, we decided we weren’t going to put any samples on it; everything on the record has a microphone on it.
MI: Now here we go with the stupid question, okay? Last time I saw you, 5 years ago, you said to me that you saw the band getting older and getting more broken bones, you were laughing. Now tell me, where do you see ANR in the next five.
Joey: In the next five years I see us still touring. I see us being an established act. Not necessarily an act that’s like multi-platinum fucking superstar Britney Spears kind of shit, but a band that is a steady, consistent selling act that we can hit any city and play in front of a thousand people and treat our fans with the utmost respect like we’ve done since day one. That’s where we see ourselves and I hope we stay that way.
MI: What is the first video you plan to release for the album?
Joey: “Done” actually. We are flying out on Monday to go shoot it.
MI: Really?
Joey: Yeah, we’re flying out to New York City to go shoot it.
MI: What part of the city?
Joey: New Jersey. We’ve got Dave Nabroski doing the video. He’s done like Sworn Enemy and Soilent Green, bands like that.
MI: Well, do me a favor, have you ever been to Jersey? Remember when you are driving through Secaucus, hold your nose.
Joey: (laughs) Dude! There is an awesome bus terminal in Secaucus, next to the Holiday Inn for two dollars you can hit the city, it’s awesome. That’s where all the bands stay. There are always two or three tour buses there.
MI: A lot of bands are on Myspace, both local and national bands, do you see Myspace as a good thing or a bad thing?
Joey: I see it as a good tool for publicity, but it also can add a false identity to somebody. Because any band can get a player adder program so it shows you’re doing like, two thousand plays a day, but then you go play a show, and there’s like two people there, it doesn’t translate.
MI: Are you also on Facebook?
Joey: Yes, we are on Facebook, we are on Myspace, and we don’t have players or any adders or anything. All our shit is natural. And it shows, because when you see a thousand plays a day, you’ll see a couple hundred people at our shows. And that’s what’s really important. I think it’s really depressing that a label will sign a band because they get like two thousand hits a day but they’re not selling shit. It’s false. You can be whoever you want to be on Myspace.
MI: So how is your personal life going? Tell me about Nicole Thomson. When’s the wedding date?
Joey: (laughing)
MI: Oh, yes, Joey, I did my homework on you baby boy. So you know I’m shooting the wedding, Joey.
Joey: Well it was supposed to be in October, but we had to postpone because of the record deal and the push for the record. (To Nicole -) When are we getting married, babe?
Nicole: Tomorrow.
Joey: (laughs) She says tomorrow.
MI: Tell her I’ll be there. With all three cameras, I’ll be there (laughs).
Joey: You’d come out and shoot my wedding? That would be awesome. We’re trying to relocate out to LA, and hopefully after we get settled out in Los Angeles, we’ll get married.
MI: You’re vocals have got much stronger since the last time I’ve seen you. What have you done differently?
Joey: What have I done? I quit smoking.
MI: You quit smoking? You were smoking like a tree last time I saw you.
Joey: Yes, I was smoking like a tree last time you saw me (laughs). So I quit smoking and you know I actually think I grew up a little bit? I matured a lot more.
MI: So let’s say Unloco was a stepping stone?
Joey: I would say it was a good stepping stone. It was a great, gigantic stepping stone into this next thing. But the thing is also too, with the vocals, I’m working with some really good writers who, the guys in my band, they know music, they know theory, they know notes, they know chords, they know everything and so it makes it a lot easier to come up with better vocal melodies and song structure.
MI: Okay, now we’re going to get political. With the new presidential race coming up, are you going to be voting?
Joey: Yeah, I am.
MI: And who are you voting for?
Joey: Do I have to say? (laughs) I haven’t made my decision yet!
MI: How do you think Bush has handled the last four years since we’ve talked?
Joey: Well, driving around the United States, and getting to see people from across the country, I think he’s really fucked this place up.
MI: If you could tell Bush anything, what would it be?
Joey: I would just say, hey man, go away. Go far away and let everybody else deal with his mess. (laughs) I think a lot of bad decisions were made. He let a lot of his friends come in and pick this country clean, in terms of big business and stuff like that, cuz the little man is hurting pretty bad, you know?
MI: If you had a million dollars, what charity would you donate it to?
Joey: there is actually a foundation in Austin, Texas called HAAM, and they supply musicians like myself with free medical insurance.
MI: I was just reviewing Nikki Sixx’s book, The Heroin Diaries, and he talks about founding and funding a program through Covenant House called “Running Wild in the Night” for kids on the streets to have an artistic outlet. Do you see yourself undertaking something like this in the future?
Joey: I would love to. I would donate to that organization or there’s this other foundation that helps musicians that have drug abuse problems or that need some sort of psychological therapy and can’t afford it.
MI: It’s funny that you bring that up because I was interviewing Chris Barnes when Chuck Schundler died – he had no medical coverage.
Joey: The majority of us don’t., you know?
MI: When is the next ANR album coming out, my darling?
Joey: Well this is in its first cycle so hopefully maybe next year. Hopefully we’ll come home and start writing in the fall and get ready to release something next year.
MI: …and you’ll be married.
Joey: …and I’ll be married, that’s right. (laughs)
MI: How would you say the music industry has changed since the last time we talked?
Joey: Well, it’s changed in the fact that nobody buys CDs anymore; it’s going more the way of digital, which is fine. I think when they can get people to stop downloading stuff for free and just buying songs for a dollar, I mean, you can’t even buy a gallon of gas for a dollar, but you can buy a really cool tune for a dollar.
MI: Now, supposedly vinyl is making a big comeback. If you had a chance to release your CD on both CD and vinyl, would you do it?
Joey: Oh, absolutely. It would be great to have in on vinyl and have everything else online, you know?
MI: I recently saw on the news that the immigrant workers are still being treated as slave labor for our major corporations. Do you believe that since they are doing America’s dirty work that they should be offered a proper living wage and access to healthcare?
Joey: I believe that if you want to work here and live here that you should try to learn the language and be citizens. You know I’m actually Hispanic, and my parents came across the US when they were young, illegally. But my parents ended up going to school, getting an education, and you know my dad’s almost got his masters, he’s an accountant. My mom is the VP of a company. So they made something of themselves, but I believe you should come to this country and try to better yourself.
MI: How do you feel about the illegal downloading of music and how has it affected sales of your album?
Joey: well, it’s funny, I was talking to Evil Jay from Otep about that the other day and he was saying that they sold 20,000 records their first week, but they also had their record illegally downloaded over 60 thousand times. Even when someone like Radiohead offers their album for free, people still go to Limewire and download it illegally. So, I mean…it’s one of those things that I just don’t understand. I think people still have the misconception that if you have a record deal that you have a lot of money, you’re on a tour bus…but they don’t see the dirty work behind it, where it’s like, no, we DON’T have any money. We DON’T own a tour bus, and it’s the equivalent of digging a ditch, and someone is going to pay me money for digging the ditch, and then someone just comes along and takes my money.
So I dug the ditch for free. The thing about it is that it’s just the wave of the future; it’s just where things are going. The thing about is that the major labels like Warner Brothers just put their fingers in their ears and decided that “nope, there’s nothing wrong and we can still charge like, 18 bucks for a single.” And it’s not that way anymore, so they’re getting a big slap in the face. It’s their job to come up with something to make it fair for everybody. I think the industry needs to catch up with what the future’s done.
MI: When are you coming back to Atlanta?
Joey: I think we might be coming back to Atlanta sometime in July. We’re supposed to be hitting the road with Kitty and Dope.
MI: If you and ANR could have lunch with any three people, living or dead, who would it be?
Joey: (repeats the question to Shawn)
MI: Oh, now we get the whole band? (laughs)
Joey: Well, we are on the way to Houston. I would say, Lane Staley, who else…Shawn would like to have lunch with Freud….and who else…Nicole said Oprah. (laughs)
MI: If there was a movie made about your life, who would play you and what would the theme song be?
Joey: hmmm…well, I’m going to think very highly of myself and say that Johnny Depp would play me and the theme song would be Rocket Queen, fucking Guns N Roses.
MI: If you were God for a day, what would you change?
Joey: Gas prices. (laughs)
MI: On your Myspace page, do you and the band handle it directly and can your fans write you there? And your Facebook?
Joey: Yeah, totally. We handle our Myspace page, and all our pages are linkable.
MI: You have done so much for your fans over the years – if they could give you anything back in return, what would you ask for?
Joey: Just support. Just keep doing what you’re doing! That’s all we ask for. We don’t need food, or any of that shit, you know? Just, if we play a show, come out. Buy a t-shirt.
MI: Do you believe in psychics?
Joey: I do believe in psychics, yeah.
MI: Have you ever had a reading?
Joey: No, I never have.
MI: Well, you must come see me, my boy. Have you ever had a paranormal experience?
Joey: Uh, yeah, just the other day actually. I was in Allenstown, PA, at the Crocodile Rocks and I ran downstairs into the basement to grab my wristbands because we were about to take the stage, and my intro was still playing, and as I was sifting through my bag, I heard someone calling “Hey” to me, like really loud but right next to me, and I looked and the whole place was deserted.
MI: What has been your most memorable moment from this tour with Otep?
Joey: Uh, I would have to say when I jumped into the crowd in New York City and nobody caught me and I feel all the way down straight on my back.
MI: Oh, that is FUCKED UP!
Joey: (laughing) I fell right on my fucking back.
MI: You’re stuck on a desert island, and you can bring one book, one CD, one person, and your favorite bottle of booze. What do you bring?
Joey: Nicole, of course. Damien Rice ‘O’, because being with a woman you have to chill, you can’t have, you know, crazy metal all the time. And my favorite book, it’s a toss up between two, either the Motley Crue book, and or this Henry Rollins book called “Smile, You’re Traveling”
MI: Is Anew Revolution getting enough airplay in your eyes?
Joey: It’s a work in progress. We’re nailing down stations as we go. We’re not doing it like the big labels are doing it, where they go for the huge ads to get every fucking station locked in that first week. What they’re doing is working it old school style, like fucking Elvis Presley, back in the day when they were shipping 45s and basically they would get like ten stations and lock down those stations, and then ten more. What we are doing is build, build, build, build. Because what happens when you throw a pebble off a mountain? Before you know it turns into an avalanche.
MI: Tell me a dirty joke.
Joey: How do you make a girl scream twice? Fuck her in the ass and then wipe your dick on her curtains.
MI: How do your mom and dad feel about the new band?
Joey: They feel good about it. They’ve always, since Unloco times, just seen me as being a musician and knowing that’s what I do for a living. My parents are like 65, so theyre not into the headbanging shit. They know I rock out and that’s about it. (laughs)
MI: So mommy’s not the merch booth lady…
Joey: No, not at all. My mom is very much the Mexican lady who listens to Clink Black and shit like that. I think she’s bought like two CDs her entire life.
MI: Does the band have a street team yet?
Joey: Uh, no the band does not have a street team yet. We rely, basically, on our Myspace, man. We send out a bulletin and say, “Okay, we’re coming to town, can anybody do this?” and people will do it, you know?
MI: How do you like working with your new PR, Monica?
Joey: Oh, she’s awesome.
MI: Because she loves you.
Joey: She’s cool as hell. We try to make her job as easy as possible.
MI: Do you feel you are getting enough press coverage with this album?
Joey: Oh yeah, totally. She’s doing a great job. We just did Metal Edge, which is awesome too, you know?
MI: Aside from everything else, how’s life been with you?
Joey: Life’s been good, you know? No complaints. It’s been steady, it’s not like it’s zooming out of control or anything like in Unloco days because that was like the hard grip of reality. But now it’s just like, we’re on the road, we’re touring, we’re making money, you know. Paying our bills, lights are on. My wife’s at home, waiting and very supportive.
MI: So give me all the sites where your fans can find you, my love.
Joey: Myspace.com/anewrevolution
Anewrevolutionband.com
Or Koch.com
Facebook/anewrevoluton
MI: Give me your favorite quote of all time.
Joey: My favorite quote of all time would be from Henry Rollins where he said “Be careful when you meet your idols because there’s always the chance of being disappointed.” (laughs)

Walls of Jericho Interview with Candace Kucsulain

By Barbara Fara
President/CEO
MusicIncider.com

MI: Here we go, baby. What is your birthdate and you don't have to give the year.

CK: Oh, you know I don't mind – it's August 2, 1980. It's a really good birthday because there's a lot of people like the guy from Red Chord, him and I have the exact same birthday on the exact same day, same year, same day.

MI: Really, you have to wish him a happy birthday for me; I've got pictures of him up on the site, too. And I've got pictures of you up from Mayhem.

CK: I will! This year we get to share our birthday's together. We're super good friends, super close. Actually, we're dating. That's kinda weird. Oh my god. (laughs)

MI: Who are the other members of the band?

CK: Chris Rawson plays guitar, Mike Hasty plays guitar, Dustin Schoenhofer plays drums and Aaron Ruby is bass. But when you see us tomorrow, Greg is going to be filling in for our bass player because he couldn't make it for this part of our tour. And Greg is the bass player for the Red Chord.

MI: Who were your musical influences growing up?

CK: Musically, um, I definitely had a wide variety of stuff. My parents listened to a lot of rock and roll, but my dad listened to a lot of country like Johnny Cash. On my own, I listened to punk rock, like Minor Threat and then I was in a mix of kids that were really into the music scene, so I got into grindcore and stuff like that. Anything that seemed like it had a message, and was loud and heavy. (laughs) I threw off my dad’s Metallica disk, it was a single that had “One” on it and I would put the song on and headband until I fell over. I loved that. I remember that I didn’t know nothing about nothing then – I just knew that I loved it. The “And Justice for All” record was great; definitely a big influence on my life. I remember putting the Greatful Dead tape in and immediately took it out. (laughs) I was like, “This is garbage!” Punk and metal were my influences growing up.

MI: You’ve got a great voice – who influenced your vocal style?

CK: I’ve never really tried to sound like anybody because I never really thought I could sound like anybody, you know, I felt lucky to get what I got at that point – especially when I first started. I had a very high voice. I believe there was Karen from Crisis at that time, but nobody else was in our scene that I knew of so she was the only person they could really compare me to, but I never listened to Crisis. It was just any band; I listened to Earth Crisis and that actually is how I got the Crisis cd, because I ordered the Earth Crisis CD and they gave me Crisis by accident – that’s how I found out who she was. Earth Crisis, and the band Born Against was one that nobody really knows of them, a lot of just anything. I wanted to scream. I knew that you didn’t try to have a sound, you just pretty much showed your emotions through your vocals, you know, put out your aggression and your pain through your vocal chords. Also, whatever you have is good enough. I enjoyed singing by entire life; I was in choir and stuff like that, so…

MI: So is mom the road manager now that you’ve become the big singer?

CK: (laughs) No, wouldn’t that be amazing. My parents were normal parents; but kids will always rebel of course, so I went towards the heavier metal side, but I was drug-free and very much didn’t want to be the norm. I wanted to avoid all that because I’ve definitely seen a lot of what I didn’t want to be in my family, you know? There were things that I wanted to overcome and the hardcore scene and the metal scene was a place I felt like I belonged. I didn’t feel like I belonged anywhere or I was a part of anything. I felt like an outcast.

MI: You poor baby! It’s okay to feel like an outcast! What is the inspiration behind your songs and who writes them?

CK: The band writes the actually music and then I write the lyrics and vocal patterns to the music. My inspiration comes from life; like I do believe it’s important to speak from the heart and otherwise…that’s where it always comes from is from that place of you speak the truth, you speak who you are, you always stay real.

MI: Now, I know the band broke up between ’01 and ’03, why did the band disband between that time, if you don’t mind me asking?

CK: Our drummer, Wes Keely, who was the original drummer – during that time, bands were not touring full time and you could not survive on just being a band; before hardcore came up from the underground and more into the mainstream and public eye. He wanted to finish college and so he decided to move away to Seattle; well, at that time we couldn’t afford anything – I remember we went out for three weeks – I came home and I had about $150 dollars of rent and I had to go get a job at IHOP for two weeks so I could pay my rent. I came home after working for three weeks with no money. We just couldn’t survive – you did the band because you loved it. I do feel like that whole time is just like not a part of the music anymore. Kids do not – bands nowadays do not have to struggle to do something they love. They have no idea what it means to sacrifice everything you have to do something you love. So Wes wanted to go to school and be a respectable young man and we tried to find a drummer – I think we went through like five drummers – and all of them had their own special thing but none of them fit, none of them were right and then we got Derek Grant, who is now the drummer for Alkaline Trio and so he actually played with us for awhile when we did the last tour we did and that was pretty much the last show we ever did. He got asked to be in Alkaline Trio while he was in our band. It made perfect sense because they were a band that were definitely starting to get more attention and it was definitely more his gig, a little more on the dark, punk side and hell, if I was a drummer, I would have gone for that, too, because they’re amazing.

MI: Who came up with the name “The American Dream” for the album?

CK: Well, it was just a song to begin with; we actually weren’t going to name the album. We were kind of just going to do the number four thing. We wanted to get on top of putting up the design thing, you know the artwork for it and then we did the song “The American Dream” and it just came about. We actually started because we were writing a song that was about home; it was about how we don’t feel like our home is our home. If you know anything about Detroit, much like a lot of states, Michigan, the people are losing jobs, like it is everywhere but it’s hard to watch it fall around you. We had family and friends who own businesses and to watch them struggle and fail all because of this so called American dream, you know. Big business wins. The American dream doesn’t even exist anymore and so that’s what that song is about. We got a lot of people saying it was anti-american and an anti-war song and no, not at all, you know?

MI: It’s about the people struggling here in America.

CK: Exactly. And it’s about how we need to create a new dream, about how all my life, I’ve watched my family struggle. I watched my dad break his back to put food on the table, stuff like that, to where you really see what’s going on in America. I just want to remind people that not everybody is well off. I think there are a lot of people, especially in our scene today who…in the beginning the hardcore scene was for the kids, the misfits, more for the outcasts. We did not grow up in a wealthy family, we struggled and didn’t have shit and most of the people in the scene that I knew were the exact same way. Nowadays, because it’s so mainstream, you’ve got kids that are rich and way more well off and it’s easy to get in a band that mommy and daddy bought them and go tour the world so they can pay their rent. It’s a reminder of what the struggle is.

MI: What do you think would be the answer to fix the situation in America?

CK: Um, I do think we need a new hope. Like most Americans, I don’t like McCain or Obama, but if you had to go vote for one, I would definitely go vote for Obama. I think he is a new hope and it’s going to lift the spirit of the entire country and just get us off in the right direction, you know? We’ve definitely hit a wall and there’s a lot that needs to be done and I think if McCain were to get in office, a lot of people would think it’s just never going to change. But there are a lot of things that could happen; I’m excited to see. I hope they do not fail us and I hope that we do not have another Bush ever again.

MI: Everybody is going vinyl; are you planning to release this album on vinyl?

CK: We already have. We already released stuff on vinyl. All our records are out on vinyl, everything. You can actually get a double disk, or double vinyl of what we just released. I love the vinyl. I constantly go to record stores and buy vinyl for like 99 cents. You can find some really awesome shit. Especially older music and I love it.

MI: How long are you going to be in Atlanta?

CK: Probably just the day.

MI: If you get a chance before soundcheck, go into Little Five Points, they’ve got some really great vinyl stores.

CK: Oh yeah! I will for sure.

MI: Do you ever wish you had decided to stick with body piercing as your career?

CK: No! (laughs) That’s why I didn’t.

MI: What do you consider your worst job?

CK: My worst job – I worked for UPS. I would load boxes onto those belts and that was okay, I didn’t mind that kind of stuff, but then they’d have me sit down and there was like probably 500 envelopes that I had to scan in every single number and I’m not meant for that kind of stuff.

MI: How does your family feel about your career?

CK: Well, I don’t have much family left. I only have two brothers now. I have my grandma and grandpa and stuff.

MI: I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ask about your mom earlier…

CK: Oh, it’s okay. She passed just a couple of years ago, and my dad passed when I was sixteen. But they’re very supportive; I have the cousins I randomly see around. My one brother lives in Iowa, my other brother lives in Montana. We’re spread out; my grandma lives in California and my uncle lives in Seattle. That’s my family. But I can see them now and then and they are very supportive – not at first, but now they are.

MI: If you could have lunch with any three people, living or dead, who would it be my dear?

CK: Oh my god…I’d have to say my mom, of course. Um, Janis Joplin and pick one from now…my best friend Stephanie. Close people. And I’m not very good with small talk (laughs) so if you know me, I’m not good with strangers.

MI: You’re doing just fine. What would you warn any upcoming band just entering the music business to watch out for?

CK: Managers. Definitely managers and your label and the best thing you can do is talk to older bands that have been doing it; find out what their deals are and their contracts. Contracts are the one thing you really have to watch out for because in the end it can screw you, for sure. A lot of people tend to take advantage of the bands that don’t know.

MI: Do you feel like Myspace and Facebook and all these sites have helped or hurt the music industry at all?

CK: I think it’s helped and hurt the music industry. It’s good, I mean, I admit it, you hear of a band and it’s so easy to go on Myspace and see what they look like and hear their music and all that stuff but um, I think it makes kids…they don’t appreciate the search, you know? It’s just so easy, everything’s right at their fingertips that there’s not too much heart and soul there anymore.

MI: Do you believe in psychics, my dear?

CK: I’ve gone to a couple, and they were never good.

MI: What happened?

CK: The first lady was like, “I don’t want to tell you your future; if it’s negative, I’m not supposed to tell you.” That was crazy. And then the second one told me that someone close to you is going to die or you’re going to die in a car accident, which was crazy. I was like, you know what, I don’t need to put myself through this kind of crap. (laughs)

MI: Have you ever had a paranormal experience?

CK: You know what? No, not really. I like to be scared, I’m the type of person to go watch a scary movie and go to a haunted house and try to freak myself out.

MI: Have you ever noticed any resistance from the music industry for being such a powerful female lead singer?

CK: Yes. For sure. I think every woman has in the music industry – especially this one. Especially the metal/hardcore industry. It’s not as popular and it’s not as accepted – it’s getting more accepted now but it’s clear as day to women how weird it is to be a woman in this kind of scene. The men will never…they just don’t seem to get it. I’m not cutting them down – there’s no reason for them to get it; they don’t care because we’ll never take over. (laughs)

MI: It’s like castrating them.

CK: (laughs) Yep. But that’s not what we’re trying to do and just stop comparing us to each other. That’s my biggest thing – I hate the fact that when you’re a girl, you’re instantly compared to another girl. They don’t do that with men.

MI: How did you get on the tour with OTEP?

CK: I actually said, hey, let’s do a tour with OTEP. Our manager and booking agent got a hold of them and we were lucky, they were doing a tour during a time we were available.

MI: Yeah, I’m shocked she’s doing a second tour in Atlanta in one year.

CK: We’ve never, I won’t say we did a show together, but we played a fest once and they were on the fest and they played a couple sets after us, but that was it. We don’t know them, but it will be interesting.

MI: Where do you see the band five years from now?

CK: I hope still going. I hope that the kids care enough about this band and the scene to keep it going. I hope that it isn’t like every other scene where it’s just a trend and it fades out.

MI: How did the death of Dimebag affect you guys?

CK: I didn’t know him personally. I know a lot of people who knew him personally. It definitely a tragic thing and a scary thing for the scene, for sure, that there are people out there that are capable of doing that sort of thing.

MI: are you guys taking more protection with you on the road now then?

CK: I wouldn’t say as a result of that. We are not, obviously, as high profile as him but you have to protect yourself. After we did Ozzfest and the scene itself has changed. There aren’t as many people as we used to know in the scene. When we would go through a town, we would never do hotels; we would always just stay at people’s houses. Now you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into because you don’t know these kids and kids aren’t exactly how they used to be; I’m not knocking the kids or anything but it’s scary because kids become more fans than just friends which is not how we want it, so…

MI: How do you think this situation with Iraq is going to end up?

CK: Honestly I don’t know. It seems like its going as well as it could be going right now and the only thing with Obama that I was scared of is that he would pull us right out and with as much money as we’ve put in, I don’t think we can do that. No matter what, no one likes war, but let’s face facts; we don’t want war on our turf.

MI: And that already happened.

CK: And look how we dealt with that. It would cripple us completely if something like that happened. We have to remain a superpower. It’s important that we do.

MI: If a movie was made of your life, who would you want to play you and what would the theme song be?


CK: Oh my god. Okay, okay, let me think of this…umm…so many…maybe like Angelina Jolie? But I don’t know how good she’d look as a redhead…(laugh) yeah, she’s great. A very strong woman, I like her because she’s the real thing and she’s always in those….

MI: And what would the theme song be?

CK: God that is a good question. It would have to be powerful; it wouldn’t be a soft song. Maybe a song by Concrete Blond…”Bloodletting” is a great song, it really isn’t like the words itself or the verses that exactly describe my life, but…

MI: So Angelina’s playing you and we’ve got Concrete Blond doing the theme song, will you be babysitting Brad Pitt on the set?

CK: (laughs) Babysitting him…oh my god…I’d be getting my groove on as much as I possibly could.

MI: Do you have any other dirty secrets you want to tell us about the band members?

CK: God, we are so not that band. We are so like, lay people.

MI: Like they don’t fart in their coffee or anything?

CK: They do like to chase me around and fart on me.

MI: What do you when you guys are not on the road?

CK: I do work. I work from home a good amount of time and I work at my friend’s salon. I also take a lot of time for myself. I enjoy quiet time and my personal time and I’m really just laid back. I work out a lot when I’m home – it’s a great stress reliever for me and I enjoy just walking, drinking coffee, reading…

MI: What’s your favorite book?

CK: Mystic River is one of my favorite books – and Invisible Monsters – I love that one because of how it’s written, it’s just very creative.

MI: So what do you like to cook?

CK: I’m not a huge cook, but I love to bake. I love to bake cookies and cupcakes…

MI: And brownies?

CK: Yeah, I dig brownies. I’m good with banana bread.

MI: What’s your feeling on the legalization of marijuana?

CK: For medical purposes, I believe in it, yes.

MI: What is your favorite movie of all time?

CK: Dogfight is one of my favorite movies – River Phoenix was in it. It’s just a good story about a guy and a girl, you know? It’s an older movie.

MI: I just saw one with him in where he played a country music singer…I can’t think of the name of it…

CK: Oh, that’s a great one, too! I can’t remember the name either. I’m a romantic for sure, so I love those kind of movies.

MI: Okay, if you were really pissed at someone, who would you throw a bucket of flesh eating ants on?

CK: Ooh…(laughs) who do I hate…Paris Hilton? Yeah. All those fake people that all those girls idolize.

MI: Now, on your last EP, Redemption, you recruited Corey Taylor from Slipknot/ Stone Sour to produce and it took an entirely different sound direction by recording it acoustically. What was the message you were trying to send and what was the overall reception it received?

CK: It was well received, for sure. A lot of people thought it was going to be our new sound and the way we were going (laughs) but we kept trying to explain in interviews and stuff that was wasn’t what we were doing – we just needed to get that out of our system. It was something that we wanted to do for years. The overall message was…I wanted to write songs that were…now the songs I write for Walls of Jericho are from the heart, like I said, but I do make them a little more vague and open so people can take them as they will. You know, put their own thoughts and feelings and situations into it. This one I wanted to write stories; I wanted to write straight up how I was feeling. The first song, “Ember Drive” is about my mother, about her dying and how much I love her. “My Last Stand” is about the constant search for yourself and your soul mate and we did The Animal’s song [“House of the Rising Sun] which I think is a great song and it’s just a little glimpse into what life is really about - what is true. It’s the real struggles that people go through – that song is about real pain and heartache and life. I really love that song and I’m glad we covered that song. And then the song Corey and I actually did together was about the people we love that are addicted to drugs; how it affects us and how it tears apart your family…we both had that in common.

MI: How do you think your music affects your fans around the world?

CK: I think it really hits home with a lot of people and hopefully it’s inspiring and healing for them, which is exactly what I am hoping to put out there – that’s what I want to get out of music myself. There are a lot of people who say that, you know – that your music has helped me or just knowing I’m not alone because we speak about a lot of taboo things that everyone wants to sweep under the rug. We tackle abuse – child abuse, rape, drug abuse, and suicide; tons of things that I’ve gone through and my friends and family have gone through. Its stuff that puts you in a very dark place; that makes you feel very alone at times and makes you feel like there’s no hope. I always turned to music to get me out of that and that’s what I really wanted out music to be to people.

MI: How did it feel to see Corey again at Mayhem this year?

CK: He’d come hang out all the time – he’s actually a good friend of all of ours.

MI: I know – I heard him sing happy birthday to you on Youtube…

CK: Yeah! (laugh) It’s was really nuts. It was great hanging out with him and meeting Slipknot; I didn’t know any of the dudes from Slipknot except him and Jim, so it was cool to meet some of those dudes and the company he keeps, like his security guys around him are great, great guys. I don’t know. This summer was an amazing time for me – it’s something I won’t forget.

MI: So what would you say your best tour has been so far, ever, and with who?

CK: What we just did in Europe. We just headlined the Hell On Earth tour and it was us, Stick to Your Guns, Animosity, the Red Chord, Cataract, and All Shall Perish who was on half the tour. It was an amazing tour. I can’t complain – I get to travel, see the world, and see amazing things together with people that you care about. Like I said, The Red Chord and our band, we’re in love. Our bands are in love! (laughs) and then All Shall Perish, they are great, great dudes and Stick To Your Guns, we had done a couple of shows with them years ago and we always wanted to tour with them and they are just amazing dudes – all heart in that band, you know? Reminds me of what hardcore used to be. It was a wonderful thing, every single day.

MI: Would you say that US news or European news is more honest?

CK: Yeah! For sure – the US tries to put blindfolds over us as much as they possibly can – but we all know that. What shocks me is that we allow ourselves to fall into that trap.

MI: Have you been getting a lot of MTV play?

CK: No, I don’t think so. You only get MTV play if you have a video and we put our video “A Trigger Full of Promises” out two years ago and it was about politics, you know what I’m saying? It only gets a certain amount of play and that’s it. They’re always looking for the best, hot new thing and so were hopefully going to do a video soon so we can get some play.

MI: So how did you end up with Dana Gordon?

CK: Our manager. She’s great! I really enjoy working with her.

MI: If you had a million dollars to donate to any charity, what would it be?

CK: Probably…I’d definitely donate it to environmental science – I think it’s important that we keep on top of our environment and do what we can do to keep it a safe place for our children, the next generation.

MI: Are you in any of these groups now?

CK: No, actually I used to…I’d donate to women’s shelters and stuff like that but it’s like, I’d obviously keep things green. It’s been pumped through everybody’s mind right now and I think it’s important that we don’t forget because the environment is very important. It’s our home, you know what I’m saying? You’ve got to protect your home. That’s another reason I hope Obama wins, because I know that McCain, just like Bush, has no interest in putting any more money into our environment.

MI: So what was the worst thing you ever saw on tour?

CK: Probably I’d say the injuries that the crowd incurs. Broken ankles…I saw a guy, offstage, and I was like, what did that guy do with his eye, did he leave it backstage?

MI: What’s your favorite quote of all time, darling?

CK: Oh man, wow.

MI: I got one – this will be an easier one for you while you’re think of your favorite quote – What do you plan for your little fans for Halloween?

CK: I don’t know if we’re doing any thing for Halloween this year!

MI: Do you have a Halloween message for your fans?

CK: More tricks than treats?

MI: Good one – now, what is your favorite quote of all time?

CK: Okay, the thing is this is one that I was in this class and so I don’t know that this is the actual quote itself but it was something that just recently I heard and it really just sticks in my head – “We are products of our own choices.” It absolutely just rings true for everything. We are the results of our own choices. It’s just something to live by more than a quote.

MI: I know exactly what you’re saying. So where can your fans find your websites, my love?

CK: We have our Myspace/walls of Jericho…

MI: And of course you’ve got www.wallsofjericho.com, correct? Okay sweetheart, you get ready and I will see you tomorrow night!

CK: Thank you so much - see you then.

The Ascension of Otep Shamaya and her Legion

http://www.otep.com
I found Otep to be interesting and honest and extremely private about her life. So far, she has been the most interesting interview of 2008. I think it would be sheer hell to try to write her biography, because her private life is just that-private.
*Special Editor’s note-In all of the years that MusicIncider has been around, a man has always been the cover-and we are honored to announce that Otep is our first woman to grace the cover for issue 8.*
MI: What’s your birth date, even though we know you’ve lived five lifetimes – what is your birth date this lifetime?
Otep: Oh, I don’t discuss my personal life.
MI: Who are your influences as a poet and why?
Otep: Um, I read everyone from the beat poets, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton to Sappho and a variety of others. I guess I’m just really inspired by people that push the envelope to try to break free of the rigid and archaic rules that were set forth by some people who no longer seem to matter.
MI: What was it like for you to be a street poet?
Otep: It was interesting. I learned a lot, I think, about human nature and it gave me a profound respect for people who do it for the love of it. That’s why I did it. I never thought I’d be where I am now. I always created because I had to, not because I wanted to.
MI: Who are the members of the band – besides you, we know who you are…
Otep: On bass guitar is Evil Jay, on drums is Brian Wolf, and on guitar is Aaron Nordstrom.
MI: What is your favorite track off of Ascension, and why?
Otep: I’m not sure I have a favorite track; each song is as important to me as the others. I think maybe ‘Perfectly Flawed’ has the most personal point of view in it, and that might be very special to me.
MI: What do you want people to know about you?
Otep: That no matter if I succeed or not, I did my best.
MI: One of your messages is “Art Saves”. How do you think art saves people?
Otep: Well, it saved me. It gave me an outlet for all my emotional adventures and all the things I was feeling and had no way of understanding why I was feeling them or why things were happening to me. It gave me a deeper understanding of love and hate and about righteous revenge. I think art is a teacher and it allows you to step outside yourself and become a narrator of your own life.
MI: Do you think there should be more art and music programs in the public school system?
Otep: Oh, absolutely. And I think they should make them fun instead of making them so…I don’t know. ..When I was younger I never really enjoyed those classes because they were taught by people who didn’t seem to care about art or music, so in return I didn’t care about it in the terms that they wanted me to. So I wish we could get some people in there that truly love just the crafting of music, then perhaps you would see more people willing to take on their own emotions through art versus acting out and lashing out like we’ve seen in the past.
MI: Tell me about your legion and what you plan to do with it.
Otep: Are you referring to the website?
MI: Yes.
Otep: Otep.com is a place to allow fans to interact and socialize and connect and share their thoughts and art and that’s what we’re hoping to do is to connect people together and create a strong community.
MI: Tell me about your solo project, Imaginary Friends, and when will that be coming out?
Otep: Imaginary Friends is more of a side project than a solo project because I will be writing songs with the band. It will just be a different adventure into the whatever-it-is that makes me tick creatively. Where some people- if I put out a spoken word album, which is a lot of what it will be, people might say “Oh, it’s not heavy.” So instead I decided to try to make it a new animal, a new creature that can devour anything that it chooses without being judged by the past records of Otep.
MI: Now, recently when I was at your show at the Masquerade, you brought up Kurt Cobain. How has Kurt Cobain affect your life?
Otep: Kurt Cobain’s music – Nirvana – the band – they taught me what music can be, and how powerful it was, and how important it can be, and how serious you should take it whether you’re an artist creating it or a listener enjoying it. I miss those days, being surrounded by great music. It’s where I learned about music and found my own identity, and at least discovered portions of it through music and art that were very important. So I look at the state of music now, where here I am now, a musician, and I’m surrounded by people that don’t care about it as much as I assumed other bands did at that time. Kurt was just one of the most talented songwriters that ever existed and we miss him.
MI: Now, what do you think about his diaries being published?
Otep: Well, even on the outside of his notebook he wrote, “If you read this, you will judge” I don’t know if I would have released his personal notebooks. I mean, I know that people WANT to know about people, but I don’t know that those were ever meant for anyone else to read other than…I don’t know how I feel about it. I mean, I’m a fan, so of course I want to know more about him but I would have rather him release it, and of course he’s not here. I guess he has a daughter, so if it helps take care of his daughter then maybe it’s okay in some strange, surrogate way.
MI: When I do your CD review I am dedicating your cover of “Breed” to Francis Bean.
Otep: Oh, thank you.
MI: Why do you think heavy music is so important to people?
Otep: I just think its offers an emotional release that other music doesn’t. Especially the dynamic music, where there are a lot of twists and turns in the songs. At least you can enjoy that sort of labyrinth of emotion versus something that’s just placid, where you just stay in one realm. I think aggressive music or interesting music offers the listener a larger feast.
MI: One of my favorite songs off the CD is “Confrontation” – Are you getting a lot of backlash from that song?
Otep: No. People are embracing it and supporting it. A lot of people who consider themselves political activists – it’s becoming their theme song.
MI: Which leads us to our next question – if George W. Bush were sitting in the room with us, what would you say to him?
Otep: I don’t even know if I would want to speak to him because what good would it do. He wouldn’t listen. I guess maybe if I had a shovel in my hands maybe that would be different. I guess I would just tell him, how dare he let us down and let down the people that entrusted him and that he is a miserable failure and the greatest thing he could have ever done with his professional life - he allowed greed and hubris and ego to destroy it. And now he is going to be a laughingstock for the rest of his days.
MI: What message are you trying to get across with the album Ascension?
Otep: That obstacles are a part of life but through belief and hard work you can overcome.
MI: Do you find that the metal community treats you differently because you are a woman?
Otep: I don’t really know because I don’t necessarily consider us part of the metal community. I mean, I know our music is partly metal, but we’re also more of a fusion band. Anyone who is different or a minority or not of the majority will sometimes be treated differently. I’m sure that women across the board in every sort of walk of life get treated differently in every job there is. I think there is a certain idea about what role women should play. I don’t play that role and don’t know the role. It’s not a conscious thing to actively subvert it. I’m just being myself and what I am and who I am doesn’t fit into any sort of cultural costume or social identity that someone else decided I should wear.
MI: How has the music business treated you during your career with Capitol and then when you jumped over to Koch?
Otep: I think the music industry doesn’t know what to think of me and that’s fine. I don’t care what they think of me. If I wanted to pander to them I could, and I’ve been offered opportunities to pander and I won’t. Because that’s not important to me. What’s important to me is looking back on my body of work and being proud of it. And if it takes a little longer to get to my desired goals, just on a personal level or financial level or whatever, that’s okay. At least I did it the right way and I did it with integrity. I was happy to leave Capitol, they were a bunch of miserable failures who celebrated failing. Kock is a group of winners who are hungry for victory.
MI: So you’re finally at home, you found the place.
Otep: Right now. I mean, Capitol was a great place when I first signed there and then a new president was hired, and he fired everyone that I thought was important and vital to new music and art. He fired them and hired a bunch of people who had no clue what they were doing and that was evident in the way that Capitol Records failed and was absorbed into Virgin Records and now it’s the Capitol Records Music Group.
MI: Do you ever see yourself having your own label at some time?
Otep: Well, Koch has given me the ability to start my own label through their distribution company when I’m ready, and so, yes, I will.
MI: Who do you think was the greatest musician or vocalist of all time?
Otep: I have no idea, I mean, Pavarotti was pretty great. Thom York’s pretty awesome. I’m a big fan of Morrison.
MI: Has Morrison affected your lyrics in any way or your vocals or your inspirations for your writings?
Otep: Oh, sure, the Doors themselves have. The way that that band allowed poetry to fuse into their songs gave me my opening and showed me that all things are possible in music.
MI: We know that Jim self published his own book of poetry like you did – are you planning to release another book?
Otep: Sure, I think I would one day. Probably my next one might be illustrations instead of poetry.
MI: Your music is your religion – what do you think makes music a religion?
Otep: Well, I think that religion is a means of getting to a destination, an eternal destination, and I hope that I treat music in a way that I learn enough so that I can make the best art that I can create and that it somehow inspires and motivates and provokes people to be creative, to be better than what others tell them they can be and hopefully inspire them into action.
MI: What would you advise young female vocalist just getting into the business to watch out for?
Otep: In this current climate, I would advise them to NOT get into the business.
MI: Why?
Otep: Because record industries are failing. They don’t know anything about how to maintain labels. I would suggest working on your craft a little longer, let the industry catch up with some people who are really smart and coming up in the ranks and sort of taking over the industry. Really cement a positive plan of action and get everything back on track. As far as from an artistic standpoint, I would suggest, if you are a lyricist, that you read more than you write and you take care of your throat as if it were a 700 year old violin.
MI: Who influenced your vocal style?
Otep: Everyone from Kurt Cobain to Jim Morrison to Mazzy Star to Corey Taylor to Jonathan Davis to old blues singers like John Lee Hooker, to Chino from the Deftones.
MI: Tell me about the best tour you’ve been on.
Otep: Probably this one, the one we’re on now. This has been the most artistically fulfilling tour. The band is strong, the fans are insane, I’ve got three records under my belt so we’re able to play songs off all three albums, we’re headlining. We’ve done other headlining tours in the past, and I’ve done it for my second record, but we were always going through some sort of turmoil, whether it was personal or professional but this time, we’re soaring. We’re ascending.
MI: Do you see yourself ever getting back on Ozzfest?
Otep: If there is an Ozzfest, sure. I think they’re only doing one or two shows this year. If there is ever an Ozzfest, I would love to be on Ozzfest again. We had amazing times on that…Sharon and all the people who run the festivals are amazing and it was incredible to play in front of that many people.
MI: Do you believe in psychics and the paranormal?
Otep: I believe it’s possible. I don’t know if I believe in anyone in particular but I believe it’s possible, sure.
MI: Have you ever had a paranormal experience?
Otep: Oh, yeah, my family’s been called the friend of the dead. We’ve been visited with spirits for a long time. There’s a club in Milwaukie called The Rave, and it’s situated across the street from where Jeffrey Dahmer used to live and it’s supposed to be haunted by a bunch of ghosts and every time we play there we’re seeing things and hearing things. I’m an avid viewer of the Ghosthunters show on SciFi.
MI: If you were really pissed at someone, and you could pour a bucket of flesh eating ants over them, who would it be?
Otep: Alive or dead?
MI: Your call, baby.
Otep: I guess it would have to be Hitler.
MI: If you were stuck on a desert island and you could bring one book, one person and one bottle of liquor, what would you bring?
Otep: I suppose I would bring The Great Shark Hunt by Hunter S. Thompson. It’s different letters of his, different writings, very enjoyable. Another person? I would bring, I’ll have to think about that. And I’d bring a nice red wine, perhaps a burgundy from the French, something from the eighteenth century. I’m not a big drinker. For the desert island, I would probably bring Megan Fox. And no comment further on that.
MI: If you were god for a day, what would you change?
Otep: I would end the mystery of if I existed. I would let the world know that I existed. And I would clear up all the other nonsense about why people kill each other over religious purposes and I would destroy every book that…we’d sit down here and people would know truth which is now biased.
MI: Where do you see the band and your music in five years from now?
Otep: I hope we’re still doing what we’re doing now, just that we’re better at it. Every record we evolve and every record we get stronger, every record we get more skilled, every record we become open to new ideas and I hope we’re still making important music and turning people on and switching them off from the square world.
MI: Describe the average Otep fan to me.
Otep: Someone who is intelligent, and passionate, artistic, and who is tired of being spoon-fed a bunch of cultural and social limitations and overall bullshit and is looking for something important to be a part of and be able to express themselves in a manner that is true lucidity, true emancipation. That’s the kind of people we have. We can’t really say that they’re long haired Heshers who listen to Iron Maiden. We definitely have those, and we’re lucky to have them, but we also have that don’t necessary listen to heavy music that are finding their way to us.
MI: I’ve got a great compliment for you – when I was shooting you at the Masquerade, my second shooter came with me, and she normally listens to happy, joy-joy music and she goes, “Oh my god, she’s so fantastic” I knew she’d love you; now she’s got your CD going in the car 24 hours a day.
Otep: Oh, that’s very nice, that’s an honor. And I think that’s what’s happening, and it perplexes people who do radio programming – “Why should we let Otep on our station; they’re too heavy.” What they don’t understand that it’s the message that motivates people, not necessarily the music.
MI: If someone offered you a museum exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute, what would the Otep exhibit be like?
Otep: A lot of books, probably just a big piling of books and musical instruments thrown around and maybe some…I don’t know! Its’a good question, I’ve never been asked that before.
MI: You’re also involved with Tori Amos’ RAINN network, how did you get involved with that?
Otep: Someone from the site contacted me and asked if I would be interested endorsing it and promoting it and I said absolutely. We’ve been involved and I hope to get involved more.
MI: You have done so much for your fans, if they could do something back for you, what would you want them to do?
Otep: Just keep being authentic, and don’t ever let anyone tell them who they are supposed to be, including me. And if they have a dream, go for it and don’t ever stop.
MI: How do you feel about the legalization of marijuana?
Otep: I think it should happen. I mean, I’m not a smoker but I think that it’s silly that it doesn’t happen. Alcohol and tobacco are absolute poisons to our body and they’re just a part of our culture. There is a number that shows that we spend more on alcohol and tobacco than we do on our school system, that says something about our culture. But I think that it’s some old silly fear that we have about marijuana that should be thrown away; there are health benefits, allegedly, and in California, medicinally, it’s already legalized. I know a lot of people that it’s helped, and they’re not on anxiety medications or sleep aids anymore.
MI: Do you believe in reincarnation?
Otep: Uh, sure, why not?
MI: Who do you think that you were in a past life?
Otep: I don’t know who I was, but I know who’d I want to be. There’s an ancient Irish Queen, named Boudicca, and she led her armies against Rome, which I think is pretty swell. Either her or the ancient Greek poet Sappho, who held schools. All of them led hard lives…I’m actually kinda happy being who I am right now. In a past life, I would miss things like air conditioners and wi-fi. My laptop, I’d miss that. Also, I wouldn’t mind going back and being someone for a day, but it would have to be on a good day, not like a bad day.
MI: Do you think that Myspace has helped Otep in any way?
Otep: Oh sure. Before that, we were still using the internet to connect to our fans; there were just not a whole lot of technologies supporting our efforts. We used to use IM, and we’d chat that way, and we had our message boards. Now it seems we can connect with them on a greater scale.
MI: I love that you are bringing your diaries online to your fans on Myspace and on Youtube. If a fan were to write you on Myspace, would you answer them or would someone else answer them for you?
Otep: Depends on who reads it and how important it is. If it’s someone just saying hi or whatever…there are some people that require a response and there are some people that, although it’s a sweet message, we get so many I don’t have time to answer all of them. I mean, it’s hard to make time to answer all of them, because it gets into replies back and forth and bigger and bigger. We do have a really great staff of dedicated people who work on the site for free and they are long time Otep fans and they actually manage a lot of the profile for us so things don’t get forgotten. There’s times when we’re on the road where we don’t have Wi-fi or connection to the internet so we can’t update the site.
MI: How does your family feel about your career?
Otep: They support it.
MI: If you had a million dollars to donate to any charity, what would it be?
Otep: That’s a tough one; there are a lot of them. I guess St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
MI: Do you want to end this with a special message to your fans, my love?
Otep: I would like to thank them for all their support and belief. It empowers me every day.

Interview with Chris Barnes from Six Feet Under

By Barbara Fara
President/CEO
MusicIncider.com

http://www.sfu420.com/
http://www.myspace.com/sixfeetunder

Chris Barnes - Vocals
Terry Butler - Bass
Greg Gall - Drums
Steve Swanson – Guitars

Chris Barnes and MusicIncider's last interview was back in ‘04 and this is the first time since that we have had the chance to chat. People should really appreciate Barnes for who he is as a musician and as a person. He is the founding father of Cannibal Corpse and Six Feet Under. He is the man that makes the green light switch and makes Metal Blade roll on for who they are – without Six Feet Under there would be no Metal Blade records. People must remember that Chris is very sensitive and very psychic and very down to earth. So let's see what has progressed with Chris and Six Feet Under in the last 5 years or so...


MI: Okay, Chris, What’s your birth date?

CB: November 29th.

MI: The last time we talked was when Bringer of Blood came out and you were about to release the AC/DC tribute album – which I thought was a masterpiece, okay? Tell me about the box set and the other albums that have come out between then and your latest release, Death Rituals.

CB: Yeah, that was alright. We did Bringer of Blood and then we did Graveyard Classics 2 and then we did 13, which was a really cool album, I thought. We had some really cool songs on that one, “Shadow of the Reaper,” “Rest In Pieces,” “Wormfood”…so we did that record and then came out with the box set shortly after, Decade in the Grave, which combined a bunch of old things here and there, hidden tracks that we never used, stuff like that. So that was definitely a lot of fun, working that out. We did a lot of touring during those few years, a lot of touring after Bringer of Blood from really 2002 all the way up till 2006. Constantly touring and then in between really working hard in the studio. All the way to 13 and back, we got off the road and went right into the studio, starting writing that album and also with our last album, Commandment, we basically got off the road in October 2006 and a week later went into the studio and wrote and recorded stuff for Commandment. Just kind of picking up tours here and there – we lost our booking agency after the Commandment touring in the US, it was actually before the Commandment tour – it was after the 13 tour and we lost our booking agent. We never really got anyone worthwhile to work with before the Commandment tour so we decided to really concentrate more on the European scene which has been really, really strong for us over the years.

MI: It always has been.

CB: Yeah, our focus, our concentration has been there because we really do sell more records in Europe than we do in the States at this point.

MI: Okay, now, this is for your fans in Atlanta – why haven’t you played Atlanta in the past five years and when do you boys plan to come back?

CB: I thought we played there…about…

MI: The last time I saw you, you were in Hell [editor’s note: a stage in the Masquerade] and you were really pissed….

CB: Yeah, downstairs…maybe that WAS the last time we played there. I want to say there was one other time that we played upstairs but I’m not really sure about it. Um, I don’t know – it just all stems from the booking agency.

MI: Would you be playing the Masquerade or some other place, do you think?

CB: Oh, I think we would try to go back to the Masquerade, I would hope. I didn’t mind playing downstairs that night – in fact I thought it was pretty cool because it was more close up and personal and we had a really good show that night.

MI: Yeah, you did. I got that great headshot of you upside down. Okay, tell me about the new album, Death Rituals.

CB: (laughs) Death Rituals…well, we had a good time writing this one, it was a lot of fun, definitely a lot more relaxed situation as far as the writing went and I think the guys really kicked it into overdrive as far as how they wrote this record and it’s challenged me a little bit more. I think there are some interesting songs on this one – I think overall it has a really kind of interesting sound and feel to the songs and the structure as far as song sequence and just overall production has a nice organic sound to it.

MI: What was your inspiration behind the album?

CB: Oh, I don’t know, just the music – we knew where we wanted to go with it and that’s how we always approach it – just let the music speak to me and just…

MI: I know how you work, Chris, you work psychically.

CB: A little bit, I think, but I don’t try to analyze it too much. It’s kind of like, if I tell people, well, I do this or I do that, it sounds strange to me when I try to explain it. It is almost like pulling something from somewhere else but some of the songs, they really almost just write themselves and I’m just kind of an in-between guy or something.

MI: The last time we did the interview, you said that you felt Chuck with you when you were writing the album – so I was wondering – did you feel Chuck around you this time?

CB: Yeah, I did, I did. On one song on this one…

MI: I bet it was Bastard.

CB: Just something made me kinda feel like he was there again, you know?

MI: You two were always close.

CB: I think that it was another one of those cool relationships that I kinda lost touch with him at the end and I shoulda got back in touch with him and I just always kill myself for it just like another good friend of mine that I lost and I just kinda never forgave myself for not popping in before…

MI: Well, you know what? He’s with you always.

CB: Yeah, I know and I just always remember certain things about him that just really freaks me out a little bit because I know we did share a lot of good times on tour together and there are always fond memories. I know he’s always around, somewhere in the metal mist, you know? (laughs)

MI: Exactly. (laughs) Who else do you think is around?

CB: One of my grandfathers is around me, one of my grandmothers. I always thought there was some kind of Native American around me and I thought that maybe one of my good friends that past away a few years ago is around me – I know he’s around me. And I think my aunt, maybe, just a bunch of people that I always feel like are close by…

MI: You see, you are more open to it than you’re admitting...because you feel them.

CB: I know it, I know there’re there. I know I’ve asked for their help and stuff and I’ve gotten it but sometimes it’s too hard to accept it and I’ve gone the hard way on it.

MI: So when it comes to lyric writing, I know you do a lot of writing, but is it a combination of you, Terry, Greg and Steve…

CB: Yeah, I do all the lyric writing, really, so I’ve always done that since pretty much day one.

MI: And the music came from the boys…

CB: Yeah, sometimes I’ll venture off and give them a riff here and there…

MI: You always have the greatest artwork on your covers, tell me about this cover.

CB: Well, I had this idea for this skull of Medusa and that’s kinda where it all started. The artist asked me what I wanted for this one and we kinda bounced ideas off and when I told him that he was like, yeah, that’s it. So I was like, hell yeah, sounds good to me! He pulled it together really cool; I work really good with that guy and he knows how to handle me, too. (laughs)

MI: It’s funny because I know when you’re making the album, Steve gives his opinions, Terry gives his opinion, Greg gives his opinion…but when you look at that cover – you know the big man is behind it! (laughs)

CB: Yeah, I guess I kinda hog the spotlight when it comes to the visuals and the icing on the cake as far as the record goes but I have a good eye with that, I think. When I see something, it just looks like there’s a little bit brighter light around that thing and I just gravitate to it a little bit more. When I feel strongly about something, I usually hold on tight and tend to not let go and people have to relinquish me to relentlessness of my nature. (laughs)

MI: When the album is released on the 11th of this month, are you guys expecting a lot of airplay stateside?

CB: Oh, I hope so; I hope that it’s going to do well. They play a lot of our stuff on Sirius and XM - anytime I’m in my car, I’ll turn on Liquid Metal and 9 out of ten songs they’ll play a Six Feet Under song, a Cannibal song or Torture Killer song, which is so cool. That’s really exciting to me. I love being able to just turn on the radio and wow, there’s a station that plays our kind of music! That’s really nice. I mean, there are college stations and listener sponsored radio stations that are doing that but it’s nice to see it done on a mass level after all these years.

MI: Well, I don’t have Sirius – I’m not as rich as you, my darling.

CB: It came with the car!!

MI: It came with the car. (laughs) Okay, baby, we’ll blame the car. But I’m waiting for Project 9-6-1 to see if they release anything from the new album and I will be calling in and requesting it so…

CB: Cool, cool!

MI: Do you plan to do a video for the new album, or have you already done one?

CB: Yeah, we just did it last Friday – um, we played a local show here in Tampa on Halloween night and filmed some live footage and played the song, “Seed of Filth” live and we’re just gonna do a studio track with some concert footage intermingled, so…it will be interesting. The director that we worked with did our last two videos so he’s really got an interesting sense of filming and his direction is really good. I really like working with him – bare boned, simple, stripped down and he just gets it done and that’s kinda how I like to do things.

MI: Who was it that helped you out with the video?

CB: Mario Fermengato. Good guy. He did the last two and with no extra nonsense, he just goes for it - really good vision. Stripped down, bared boned – he does it and it all comes together in the editing room and he definitely has a good sense of direction. Quick and easy – that’s the best way it can be done.

MI: What is your favorite track off the new album and what do you think the first track should be?

CB: Well the first release was “Shot in the Head” which I was really proud of because I got to work with one of my biggest idols, Iggy Pop.

MI: No way!! Iggy’s on there?

CB: Iggy did the voice intro sequence.

MI: I thought it was you!!

CB: No, that’s Iggy. I met him years ago in The Hit Factory a few different times and I always just wanted to do something with him and Chris Carroll, my engineer, he works out of Hit Factory a lot and does a bunch of Iggy stuff and he’s really good friends with him and I always said, I need to do something with Iggy. And so I said, man, on this album I’m going to do something with Iggy and I kinda thought about it and I asked Chris and he pushed the request over to Iggy’s manager and Iggy wanted to do it so I just told Chris here’s what my idea is – this guy calling and leaving a message and I wrote this part for him and he recorded it and it was exactly like… perfect. Just exactly what I had in mind and had kinda thought out and it was a really big deal for me. I think that thing that I wrote for him was very specific to that song and as far as the underlying theme of the whole album and that song, specifically, sets it off. That part that I wrote, those couple sentences that he reads off and portrays is like the tying link for everything I’ve done in my career.

MI: Oh yeah, because I was listening to it this morning again and my assistant was asking me if that was Chris, and I said oh, yeah, it has to be Chris and then I heard you sing and I said to myself, no that’s not Chris, it’s somebody else and I’ll ask him when I talk to him, I know how to talk to my baby boy. Okay, are you planning to tour for this album, not just overseas, but in the States as well?

CB: Yeah, yeah, we’ve got, we’ve actually been talking back and forth with the record company this past week between interviews and they’re looking at something in the spring and early summer for us to go out – so hopefully that will happen. I know there will be at least two legs to the tour, you know, we’ll probably do two and a half weeks in the spring and then two and a half, three weeks in the fall and try to hit all the good places.

MI: And you better hit Atlanta or I’m going to kick Brian Schleger’s ass.

CB: Either on the way out or the way back in.

MI: Your voice has not changed over the years. How do you keep your chords in such amazing shape?

CB: Oh, you know, I just really think it really is the more you practice and the more care you take of your health, that’s really the best way to approach it that I’ve found, you know? Just stay in shape and try to eat well (laughs) you know it’s hard to do, man, it’s really hard to do but you gotta do it. That’s what I’ve been trying to do lately to keep in shape even though I’m off the road to stay well rehearsed.

MI: How have you and Terry, Steve and Greg been personally – how‘s everything been going – going good?

CB: Yeah, well, you know us – we’re all just pretty much the same mellow type of guys that we always were and we just always fit really well in that whole respect. We’ve never really argued – I think me and Greg have probably gotten into more little discussions than anyone else but it’s never been over the top because we both have the same birthday, so it may have something to do with that. It’s almost like I’m talking to myself almost with him sometimes, but he always a slightly different angle to it, you know? He holds his ground just as much as I do and he’s two years older than me so (laughs) he has a little more to say.

MI: “Listen to Daddy. I have the same birthday, so listen to me” (laughing)

CB: We all really respect each other, obviously, and we’re just super mellow and nothing really shakes us too much, you know.

MI: I know when we talked last time you were saying how you felt pushed out of Cannibal Corpse and that this time you felt you finally found home with the boys.

CB: Yeah. I don’t fix it if it ain’t broke.

MI: Since Bush was reelected, how do you think he’s handled his second term in office – let’s hear your comments.

CB: Oh, I mean, that’s so obvious. He’s ruined the world and that was obvious when he was elected and people were so caught up in the bullshit but I think it’s obvious that he’s turned the world into a different place and not in a good way, you know? Look at where we were when Clinton left office – we were left with a surplus and everything was really nice and people were prospering and continued to be for a certain amount of time until Bush’s policies really kicked in. Look at where we’re at now after his terms end and compare it to where we were 8 years ago when Clinton’s terms ended. I think that anyone can see that there is only one person to blame for that.

MI: Okay, here’s my question – this election, who did you vote for?

CB: (laughs)

MI: You don’t have to tell me. I’ll tell you who I voted for…

CB: Who did you vote for?

MI: I sent in my absentee ballot to New York and I scribbled out everybody’s name and I put your name down. Chris Barnes, Six Feet Under for President.

CB: (laughs) Awww, thank you. I at least got one vote.

MI: You got my vote, baby. From a strange, weirdo New Yorker that now lives in Georgia and they probably don’t know who the hell you are either, but you’re down there.

CB: Awww, thank you. I was pretty disgusted with the whole thing so I voted for a different party, so…

MI: This is the first time in US history that we’ve had a black president. Do you think our economy will go back to the Clinton years?

CB: Oh, well, maybe if he has Bill Clinton around as his advisor as he’s claiming he is going to. I don’t know, but people aren’t too happy with Greenspan right now so I don’t know. That was news to me, now that they’ve got things moving in the right direction, I don’t think people like him too much right now. They kind of blame him for where it’s at.

MI: How do you think the new president is going to handle the financial bailout?

CB: I don’t know. I don’t know – I think whatever he does isn’t going to be enough to get things done in four years, I know that.

MI: From an intuitive point of view, do you think he’s going to be good for the country or…

CB: Yeah. He’ll be good for the country, especially overseas. I think he might be bad for the country here, but I don’t know. I don’t know if he’ll be able…

MI: Think he’ll bring home the troops?

CB: I don’t know he’ll be able to do THAT. It’s gonna be hard for that guy, man. He’s the first black president – do you know how much pressure is going to be on him from people in the African American communities to do things for them and just general things, you know, to try to change this country in a different way and it’s a lot of pressure on someone. I would hope that he’s going to be able to do good things and the things he says he’s going to do. I don’t like the idea of just redistributing the wealth – to me that’s socialism – that’s not a capitalist, democratic society, you know, so there are things that I don’t like about him, but you know, he’s president, so I guess you’ve got to stand by him. I don’t think he’s going to make things any worse than George W. Bush did but I’m still not sure he’s a person who can really make the changes he’s talking about because the way I see it, he’s just a different face behind the same machine.

MI: Now, if you were president, what would you change?

CB: Well, first I’d legalize marijuana (laughs) and release anyone from jail that has been arrested for that and reinstate their criminal record – if they’ve ever had a drug possession felony record for that then they should be able to vote and stuff. But I don’t know what else I would do other than that! (laughs) My main thing to do would be to legalize weed.

MI: And call Barb up for her psychic opinions – I’ll be your vice president.

CB: You’ll be my psychic advisor.

MI: Last time we talked, I asked you about the most fucked up things you’d seen on tour and you told me about a guy dying in front of your eyes in Amsterdam…

CB: I don’t think he died, he lived through that.

MI: He lived through that? Alright! Then you watched the SUV flip – but – how did the death of Dimebag affect you?

CB: Oh, big time. Big time.

MI: Because I know you two were close friends.

CB: Well, I met him only one time but he was an interesting character and I can definitely relate to being on that stage many times and I’ve had people jump up on stage and they put their arms around you and you know, they’re just giving you a hug so I feel like when that happened that’s probably what he thought and that kinda really creeps me out when I think of that and it kind of affects me to where I’m really careful about the people around me when I’m at a show and when I’m onstage with people jumping onstage and getting close to me. I have no problem giving a little elbow when it’s necessary.

MI: Well, when you come to Atlanta, if anyone bother’s you, I’ll bring my Louisville Slugger…

CB: (laughs) I’ve GOT a Louisville Slugger – his name is Rick, so…he’s the guy that stands onstage next to me. You know, but, if something is going to happen, it’s going to happen.

MI: Since his death have you taken more security on the road for you and the boys?

CB: I just keep my eyes open more, because I’ve always had that idea that that was something that could happen because there are a lot of sick people out there and I thought that that was something that could happen – even before Dime. So I was always really cautious. I’m not one to mingle a lot – it really mentally and physically tires me out to be out there around 800 people talking all at once but I just keep myself close to where I need to be to get my job done and I try not to upset people – I try to make myself as scarce as possible.

MI: But yet, you’re still one to go to the meet and greets.

CB: Oh, yeah. I may focus on tour, Barbara, and I think everyone that knows me – those people come out to see a great show and that’s my focus – to be able to give them a great show every night of the week and if that means missing a few autographs here and there…it’s just give and take, you know. I’m not there to sign autographs or be your best friend – I’m there to be onstage and give you what you paid for.

MI: Now you’ve been touring over past years since we talked – what has been your favorite tour and why?

CB: Umm, probably either the last US tour we did in Fall of ‘06 or the tour I did at the end of ‘07 last year. Both really, really good tours, both very poignant for me personally. Just a little more memorable than the others.

MI: Over the last few releases prior to Death Rituals, which would you say were the most fun to create and record?

CB: Well, the last one WASN’T my favorite (laughs). I’d have to say that Commandment definitely wasn’t my favorite because of where I was working and who I was working with on that, so, uh….yeah…I can say THAT…(laughs) But this one, this one was a lot of fun working on this album, right straight through it.

MI: So since we last talked, baby boy, have you had anymore paranormal experiences?

CB: Just dreams and stuff. Little messages here and there, you know. Just appearances of certain people, or me traveling to certain places, maybe in other people’s dreams.

MI: And do you find yourself ending up in those places later on when you wake up, maybe a month or two later?

CB: I do get into what some people might think is déjà vu, but I know it’s something that I dreamed before.

MI: Chris, you told me once that you were really into your spiritualism. How have you grown and have your experiences grown or not?

CB: I feel as though I see more on the path that I am on – I see things come up a little sooner than I used to. I understand now that I’m really not at the helm.

MI: So you feel like your guides are around you and that your third eye is opening?

CB: Totally. And just the acceptance of that. I do feel still – I’ve gone back to thinking that…death is almost a scary thing to me at this point.

MI: I don’t think so. I think death is like going back into the birth canal and into your next life.

CB: I hope so. I’m a person that questions even my own beliefs by talking to different people and I feel as though that’s what it is – especially knowing that somehow I’ve been in contact with certain people and stuff like that. I just hope that it is true and that’s not just an extension of you.

MI: How are you feeling on the legalization of marijuana now that it has been legalized in California to a degree – I know you had said that the movement should start there – and how do you see the movement progressing from there?

CB: Great! In fact I was more excited the other night during the election – they passed medical marijuana in Michigan and that was a lot more exciting to me than the presidential election. I think that you’ve got legalized medical marijuana in California and some other states – Colorado, Massachusetts, and now Michigan, so…

MI: And recently I heard that they are allowing farmers to grow hemp in Kentucky and North Dakota…

CB: Which is a great thing. It’s a great thing because the cannabis plant gives off more oxygen into the atmosphere per acre than any other plant that is grown on the planet. And it eats more CO2 than any other plant per acre, so it can do all sorts of things by shutting down chemical plants that make the chemicals for polyester and synthetics type of materials that could be replaced back to how they did it the old way – hemp. It’s a strong fabric that can be used many ways and broken down and used in different ways and won’t give off harmful by products into the atmosphere because it’s not a synthetic and you’re basically kind of replenishing the environment by using it for textiles and industry. And by growing it, which will eat all the harmful chemicals that are given off by creating things like they have in the past. It’s kind of a natural process. And you can get stoned off of it. (laughs)

MI: I noticed that you did some liner notes for NORML – do you ever see yourself working with the organization to help the movement?

CB: We did a benefit concert a couple years ago in Richmond, I think. We did some things like that and I have definitely been in touch with them here and there on the road. Letting them set up tables next to our merchandise stand in certain cities to get people to sign petitions and stuff. I would continue to do whatever I could for those guys – if they asked me to do a benefit concert, I would do it, you know?

MI: So do you see the rest of the country following these laws that have passed?

CB: I would hope so. I think that eventually there will be people that get into positions of government that are a little bit more NOW thinking – that have gown up in a certain way and kind of accept that a little more. I think that certain places will start to see the hypocrisy behind the criminalization of marijuana at all levels hopefully.

MI: Is there anybody special in your life? Next to me, of course.

CB: (laughs) There’s probably too many special people in life (laughing).

MI: Chris, who the hell would name their band Anal Cunt and what happen between you and their lead singer Seth Putman? How could he write a song called “Chris Barnes is a Pussy”?! Tell me you wrote a fucking revenge song.

CB: Oh wow, that was many moons ago, Barbara. Well, see, the problem is most people do stuff like that because they lose – and they cant take it so, you know, that’s all that happened there. He got upset because he lost a fight and you know, he wrote a song about it. He also wrote a song called “People in Comas are Gay” and then a couple of years ago, he went into a coma after smoking crack or doing heroin, so... it goes to show you what kind of person he is.

MI: What you spit up does come down.

CB: Yeah. You know, I mean, that’s just some kid that really wasn’t well liked by anybody, so…

MI: So what did you and the boys do for Halloween besides recording?

CB: Oh yeah, we played that show on Halloween and that was really a full day.

MI: Did you give out trick or treats?

CB: You know I was home for a little bit and we did not get one trick or treater, so I had a bag full of candy there waiting and nothing, so…

MI: You’re originally from Florida but there is a rumor that you are moving to Beverly Hills…

CB: Well, I’m originally from Buffalo, NY and then back and forth from Florida and New York through my teen years and then I moved down here in ‘94, and I am not moving to Beverly Hills.

MI: Okay, when I heard that I thought maybe it had something to do with the legalization of weed and I was going to ask you, since you and me both love Jim Morrison, if you were going to move into Morrison’s old house.

CB: I wish (laughs). That’s a little bit past my price range.

MI: Because I was thinking that would be so cool for you, as a poet, and being so intuitively open…I could see you picking up Morrison.

CB: Well, I would hope I already have a little bit of it…

MI: I think he is with you. Besides, if you were moving to Beverly Hills, I was moving with you anyways. So everybody is starting their own label these days; Motley Crue, Steven Pearcy, Jamey Jasta has one – do you see yourself being on Metal Blade and starting your own label on the side?

CB: (laughs) That’s too much work for me. It might not be as much work in this day and age, but that’s a lot. I’d just as soon leave that to someone that’s has kinda got their channels figured out already, you know?

MI: Are you planning on releasing Death Rituals on vinyl?

CB: Yeah, I think we’ll probably do a couple of limited editions over in Europe – they did that for the last two albums, so probably.

MI: Since the last time we talked, how do you think the music industry has changed, not just for bigger acts like you guys, but also for indie bands and other major acts?

CB: It has gotten tougher, I think. The economy has really driven the whole industry into the ground. On all levels, it’s harder for club owners to make the decisions to take a chance on certain tours coming through and they really pick and choose what they’re going to spend their money on and I think that goes all the way down to the fans – they’ve been getting bombarded by so many tours for so long that cost so much money, that they’re really picking and choosing and that’s being felt at the box office. Bands are having a really hard time touring because they’re not being offered as much money as far as the economy goes and they’re not being able to tour because they can’t get more money to cover the cost of fuel so it costs a lot of money and a lot of people are feeling it on all levels from touring on all levels all the way up to the record companies as far as how the sales of CDs are going.

MI: What would you warn a young band just starting out and what advice would you give them?

CB: Yeah, the changing industry - you might not necessarily need to be signed to a record company anymore in the future, so it may be important to keep a hold of your music if you’re feeling like they want to give it away.

MI: All these websites – Myspace, Facebook, Imeem – have started up and do you feel that they are helping bands or hurting them?

CB: Well, I think that it’s pretty difficult for a new band to really get to a certain level, but I think it’s a good tool for bands that are already established, like us, because 90% of the time record companies are really concentrating on Myspace as a promotional tool and they don’t really get results any other way.

MI: When did you take your last vacation, Chris? Where did you go and what did you do – I want all the dirt.

CB: Oh, my last vacation will actually be in a couple weeks. I’m going to take my first vacation that I’ve ever taken by myself. I’ll be headed over to Amsterdam for the Cannabis Cup.

MI: Can I come? Can I come? You can pick me up on the way.

CB: (laughing) My dad asked me the same thing. Yeah, well, he’s not going.

MI: You can take me instead.

CB: I’m going to finally go on my own and just have a walkabout, so uh, sorry, Barbara, maybe next time. (laughing)

MI: You better send me a postcard or I’ll kick your butt, okay?

CB: This is just something that I’ve never done before and I just decided to go for it. I had nothing going on, for a couple of weeks anyway.

MI: So since I last interviewed you, I interviewed Hank 3, the grandson of Hank Williams Sr. – he’s trying to get his grandfather reinstated back into the Opry. What advice would you give him to help get his grandfather back into the Opry?

CB: Oh, that’s a tough thing. I’m not really an authority on that, Barbara. I would say that anyone with any brains would know that he should be reinstated. That’s just ridiculous. He’s probably the most important, Hank Sr., of all time. That’s a strict part of the music industry, so I’m not too familiar with that. You know what I mean – it’s a given to set aside anything from the past and realize the contribution that he’s made, you know. Just a legend.

MI: Now I know you’re a fan of Carlos Castaneda and the last time we spoke you were reading the Book of Dreams. Have you been reading and studying more of his books about dreaming and shamanism?

CB: I should be actually. I should be picking up and rereading The Ego’s Gift – I’ve been wanted to read that one again.

MI: Take it with you to Amsterdam.

CB: I should. I have a feeling I’ll be a little preoccupied, you know? I do still practice his techniques. Last night, actually, I had a…right before this interview actually, I had a flashback of my dreams last night – really vivid dreams of snakes yesterday night and it was kind of creepy actually.

MI: Did you look it up?

CB: I didn’t look it up. It was something just happened – I just remembered it right before I called you or called the last interview so I just forgot that I remembered it until just now. You sparked that memory. It was definitely real, you know.

MI: I always go by Zolo’s books of dreams because he is very straightforward with his dreams, believe it or not. You can find his book on the web. How would you explain Casaneda’s books to your fans and why should they study his work?

CB: Well, I think it’s something that we can all relate to – we all have dreams and we’re all interested in the dreams that we have and the idea of being able to step into the dream world in a conscious state and to be aware of your dreams and what’s going on and to travel within those realms would seem interesting to anyone, I would think. It’s pretty intense and exciting – to all of a sudden realize that you’re dreaming and then be able to use a technique – like one of his early techniques is to stand up in your dream and realize that you are dreaming – well as you think that in your dream, hold up your hands and look at them and around you as a way of teaching yourself to focus in your dream state. That’s still a fairly difficult technique to get used to and to bring yourself into actually feeling conscious in your dreams.

MI: When we last talked we discussed 9/11 and some shady things going on with that day. Have you seen Fahrenheit 9/11?

CB: Yeah, I did go and see that. He made some definite good points in it.

MI: Do you still think Bush was behind it?

CB: Well, I hate to say it but I’m more likely to believe that there was something going on that was more a conspiracy than we are being told than thinking that it was a random act of terrorism. If it was then we would have already found that guy and he’d be hanged and killed in front of a firing squad. Instead there was some dirty stuff going on and maybe that certain people…

MI: I know what you’re saying. I don’t know if you’ve been watching HBO lately but there’s a great documentary called Plot 60 – it’s about the soldiers that are coming home that have passed in the last war. It’s based in Arlington [Cemetery] and it’s really pissing me off because you’re seeing all these young mothers and grandmothers burying their kids between 18-25 years old and it’s like…they just got suckered into this! What would you warn the American youth about enlisting in the service?

CB: Oh, well, I mean, people have their own reasons for doing it, Barbara, some people are just really destitute and that’s the only way they can try to get out of their situation so I mean it’s probably different for everyone, why they do it. Some of them want to go to school and feel that it’s worth the risk for an education. Where it wasn’t too risky a few years ago, it is now; you have to get through the war to go to school. I would think that it’s a hard decision and not to take it lightly, you know?

MI: If you could have lunch with three people, living or dead, who would it be?

CB: Oh wow. I’d like to have lunch with you. (laughs)

MI: Awww, sweetheart! You can come pick me up and take me to Amsterdam and we can have lunch on the plane!!

CB: You don’t want to eat that airline food! There are lots of people that I’d like to sit down by and party with, you know? I’d like to have lunch with a couple of friends that have passed away.

MI: How do you think the sound of music has changed over the past five years?

CB: I think that it’s become kind of generic over here a little bit. We’ve still got some good bands though within the music scene that we’re in. I think they’ve got some decent stuff going on but a lot of the fashioncore kind of music just didn’t really last too long as far as I’ve seen it – it’s kind of boring to me, but hey, different folks like different stuff and I definitely can’t really criticize people too much for what they enjoy, you know?

MI: What do you think of these female death growlers like OTEP, Candace from Walls of Jericho and Angela Gossow from Arch Enemy?

CB: Oh, I haven’t heard the others but I’ve heard Angela and she’s really great and Karyn Crisis is someone I’ve worked with on one of our albums and she’s a really great female vocalist. I think it’s really interesting. I was thought it was kind of sexy and interesting to watch a girl sing heavy like that.

MI: I tell you one band you have to check out – they’re from Sweden and there name is Sister Sin. They’re on Victory and they are fantastic. If it was my choice, I’d take them out on the road with you. Just think about it…your psychic is telling you this, okay?

CB: Oh, okay, I’ll have to check them out. (laughs) I will look them up and check them out. Sister Sin. Hey, you don’t have to tell me twice to check out a bunch of cute girls singing death metal.

MI: Well, its one girl and three guys.

CB: Hey, then, whatever, you know? (laughing)

MI: If you had a choice between being Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, who would it be, baby?

CB: Ohhh, probably Mickey Mouse.

MI: Okay, what was the latest book that you have read and what would you recommend for other’s to read – it can be anything.

CB: The latest book that I’ve read…I’ve been so busy writing that I haven’t had time to read anything.

MI: What have you been writing?

CB: Well, this album for instance has taken me this whole past year to put together on all levels and stuff so I haven’t been reading that much. But I would recommend “Watership Down” to anyone that would like to read a good book – that’s a GREAT book.

MI: Do you see yourself ever releasing any of your own personal writings like your poetry and stuff?

CB: Ummm…I don’t. I would love to write a short story or something like that but I’m just so busy doing what I do that it’s hard to dedicate time to try to do that right and try to get good at that, you know. I’m more interested in just continuing on and just being the best at what I’m doing.

MI: I’ll give you a good book to read – “The Marijuanalouges.” Read it on the way to Amsterdam.

CB: Alright, I’ll check it out.

MI: If you were stuck on a desert island and you could bring three people living or dead, your favorite cd, your favorite bottle of booze and your favorite drug, what would you bring?

CB: Oh, man. Well you know I’d bring an everlasting bag of weed with me and pretty much anything after that, Barbara, is secondary. (laughs) You know I could be stranded on a desert island by myself for the rest of my life and I seriously wouldn’t even care. Fresh fruit, fresh water and a bag of weed – I would be in paradise.

MI: I know you would be! You’re the quiet, little shy one, I know that. I could see you on a desert island, like Gilligan but with brains.

CB: I’ve been wishing for that my whole life. (laughs)

MI: Has Six Feet Under started a fan club yet?

CB: No, not really other than our website and just keeping in touch with fans on Myspace and stuff like that.

MI: Do you answer your fans personally on Myspace?

CB: Um, yeah I do most of the time. I try to, especially the ones that seem like they really are serious and interesting people that have…you know, some people have some problems and I’d like to talk to them and if I can help by talking to someone then I think that’s a good thing. As little as I can do for my fans, if someone writes me and is having problems at home or something like that, I always give a listen and try to give some advice, you know?

MI: A lot of musicians are lending their name out to Legends Coffee, artist like Dave Mustaine and Carlos Santana have done it – do you see yourself bringing out your own magic brand of coffee?

CB: (laughs) Umm, coffee, huh? No, I don’t. It would be nice though – I think it would sell!

MI: Do you have a message for your fans here in Atlanta, and can you give them an explanation for why you have not been back, big boy?

CB: I blame booking agents and promoters but I’d love to come to Atlanta and check you guys out. Actually I need to get up there, one of my old best friends lives up there, he’s in a band that’s a really great doom band in Atlanta called Let The Night Roar.

MI: I’ve gotta check them out!

CB: Yeah, they’re amazing. I was actually in a band with him, my first band, Leviathan, and they’re just a great band. They’re unsigned and I’m trying to help them out a little bit, so if they play a local venue, everyone in Atlanta, go check out Let The Night Roar.

MI: What’s the lead singer’s name so I can tell him that I know you?

CB: Jeff, actually – he’s the guitarist/vocalist. They’re on our Myspace page, Barbara, they’re in our top friends and there’s a link to their site on there.

MI: What was the last movie that you saw that you really loved?

CB: I really loved Rob Zombie’s Halloween, actually. I thought he did a great job on that. I hated his other movies but I really thought he did a great job with that. A French movie, a horror film, called Inside, I really liked that a lot and a Copolla film that’s pretty unknown with Tim Roth called Youth Without Youth. It’s an interesting movie about this guy from the 1940’s who’s hit by lightening when he’s 80 years old and he starts to get younger. But it’s not only about that, it’s really deep and takes you on this wild journey.

MI: I know I saw the Rob Zombie remake of Halloween when I was stoned and it scared the shit out of me and I swore I would never watch it again, stoned or straight.

CB: Well, then he did a good job (laughs).

MI: Yes, yes, he did. Okay, so last time we spoke, I asked you if a movie was made of your life, who would play you and what would the theme song be – and you chose Brad Pitt and “Zero To Hero” as the song – who would it be now, my darling?

CB: Who would it be now…

MI: Because I don’t think you could handle Angelina Jolie and six kids.

CB: I couldn’t handle the kids – I’d TRY to handle her (laughs). I’d give it the college try! Probably to my demise. I don’t know. Definitely not Mark Wahlberg.

MI: Okay, what would the theme song be?

CB: The theme song…probably something from “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” (laughing)

MI: What about Val Kilmer?

CB: Val Kilmer, I don’t know if he could pull off my youthful good looks.

MI: Oh, I think he could. I missed your birthday – what did you do for you birthday last year? I hope you had a good one.

CB: Actually last year was a pretty exciting birthday – I was in my friend’s garage and we were putting a new engine in my car that was just being sent out the next day – we were trying to get this thing done so I can get my new car that was being delivered that next morning.

MI: What kind of car was it, Christopher?

CB: The car that we were putting a new engine in or the new one?

MI: Both.

CB: The old car was a Mitsubishi Evolution and the new one is a Corvette C06.

MI: I’m taking the Corvette. When it comes to websites – we know we can find you at www.sfu420.com - what other sites can your fans find you at?

CB: Oh, Myspace/sixfeetunder, and the Metal Blade website has news about us on there.

MI: And you can download podcasts on there. Do you still believe that overseas news is more honest than US news?

CB: Umm, I don’t know. I don’t know if any of them are really honest. Do you? I think they’re all pretty much controlled by whatever. I didn’t know until I got in line to vote and saw the voting sheets that there was like seven other people running for President. Did you know that?

MI: No! Who else was it?

CB: I knew there was the Libertarian party, Ralph Nader was running, but there were 5 or 6 other people running for President. That tells me that the media is completely controlled.

MI: Oh my god, that’s so scary! That’s very scary when they don’t cover all of the candidates and they keep that from the country. Do you have a message for your fans – nationwide and overseas?

CB: Oh, just I hope that everyone enjoys our latest CD, Barbara and I hope that people who haven’t gotten a chance to see us perform in the past, get to see us while we are on tour this time.

MI: Do you have any dirty little secrets that you want to tell us about Terry, Steve and Greg?

CB: (laughing) Aww, those guys are great.

MI: No dirty secrets?

CB: No, no, Terry is actually going to be a grandfather this year so…

MI: Oh My God!

CB: A grandfather twice! So I don’t know if he’s looking forward to it or NOT looking forward to it. (laughing)

MI: Oh, God. Congratulations - tell him for me. The rockstar grandpa. What is your favorite quote of all time?

CB: A Jerry Garcia quote, “The music just wants to be free.”

MI: Oh, that’s beautiful. Chris it was great talking to you again. You better send me that fucking postcard from Amsterdam.




[EDITOR’S Note: you can download podcasts of Six Feet Under and other various artists on the Metal Blade website. As I was going through Metalblade.com – their site has been totally revamped. When you go to the site, skip the intros and when you get to the main page, across the top bar you will see “podcast” where you can download interviews, news and also music I believe to your ipod. Take a chance, look at the site and instead of downloading Death Rituals, I would tell you to go out and buy this CD – everything they record is a hit. When we look at Chris Barnes, Terry Butler, Greg Gall, and Steve Swanson – you take four friends that all came together and found their own home and now their name is Six Feet Under. This is the way musicians should be – friends, family that care for each other. When it comes to SFU, there is not one fan or family member that does not adore and love them. And boys, you better come to Atlanta or I will be emailing your ass on Myspace. Musicincider promises within the next issue that we will post the concert tour dates for both the first leg and their second leg of the tour dates as they come in. We wish all the boys in SFU a happy thanksgiving and Merry Christmas and we wish you a safe tour - even though Chris is not taking me to Amsterdam.