Velcro: Fill me on this slew of upcoming releases you guys have planned.
Ben: We’ve got a bunch of split release in the works that should’ve been out already but aren’t for one reason or another. There’s the mythical Brought Low/Dixie Witch split CD. Both us and the Witch have been slow to record the tracks but rest assured all parties are still fully committed to making this happen and Arclight have it scheduled for a summer 2005 release so keep your fingers crossed.
Before that we’ll probably have the split 7” with The Monumentals out. They’re a great dirty rock and roll band from Brooklyn featuring ex-members of Electric Frankenstein and Sweet Diesel, which me and Nick from TBL also used to play in. That record’s a real family affair as we share a practice space with the Monumentals and we’ve all been in and out of bands together for years. Maggadee Records from New Jersey is putting it out. We’re still working on the art but that should be out soon.
We’re also trying to sort out who will be putting out the next Brought Low full-length. We’re got the material, it’s just a matter of finalizing who is going to put it out and then we’ll start recording.
Velcro: I really like the "Vernon Jackson" song that`s going to be on the split seven inch. Its good to hear a song about something as simple and everyday as riding the subway into the city. I`ve somehow become tired of hearing and writing songs about drinking and fucking. What are the majority of Brought Low songs about? Drinking and fucking?
Ben: When not writing about drinking and fucking I’d say the majority of my lyrics are about New York City or religion. Or playing in a rock n’ roll band. Actually I don’t think I’ve ever written a song about drinking and fucking. You know, I basically write two kinds of lyrics; story-songs and blues. The stories usually end up being about some shit I saw growing up in Queens and the blues usually end up touching on some sort of spiritual/moral/political quandary. And then of course you can’t be a good classic southern rock band if you don’t have some songs about “the road” or “playing in a rockin’ band.” That shit is essential.
Velcro: I`m happy to see that Tee Pee re-issued your first album. How have things changed for the band since your first release?
Ben: Lots. Our original bassist Dean quit a little while after “The Escape From New York” Tour with The Players Club and Speedloader, around summer 2002, and Tanner from Harvey Milk and Bad Wizard started playing bass for us. I was in the midst of getting married, my father dying, my daughter being born so we got sidelined for a little while. We had a falling out with Tee Pee over some silly shit that’s since gotten resolved; we’re on good terms again, though not working together anymore. We had played with All Night, and I really dug what they were doing with two guitars and the new songs we were writing really lent themselves to that, so Kevin 11 joined up on second guitar in January 2003 and played his first show with us February 8, 2003. My daughter was born a couple weeks later. We started booking out of town shows again in fall 2003 and then right before a show in Boston with PW Long, Tanner said he didn’t want to play out of town, said he freaks out on long drives, so I gave him the boot. No hard feelings, but we had work to do and he wasn’t down with the plan. Bob and I had played together before in a band called The Kill Van Kull with Cooper and Jim from The Players Club and he was a monster bassist so I asked him to fill-in for a few shows. He was actually playing with The Monumentals at the time but he eventually quit them and became our full-time bassist. I really think this is the best line-up we’ve ever had, I think we never sounded better and I know it’s the best we’ve ever gotten along.
Velcro: As you mentioned, you guys added a second guitarist, and I think it is a great addition. Does having one more person in the band make it easier to write? Does it make you more productive?
Ben: Glad you like the second guitarist. I’m a big fan of the Duane/Dickey, Wayne/Sonic, Beck/Page duel guitar combos and I think me and Kevin do a pretty good job of ripping them off. As far as songwriting goes, we’ve never been the most prolific band (just ask Ron Palmer). I mean, we sell no wine before it’s time. I like to think our songs are of a pretty high caliber and it takes a long time to write something that meets the requirements of The Brought Low’s quality review board. Either that or we just drink too much at practice. The best thing about having a second guitarist in the band is that live I can concentrate on my vocals more, though Kevin would probably tell you the best thing is that it’s one more person to help hump gear while I try to duck out of it.
Velcro: My wife and I just had a kid, and as you know, whenever anyone has their first child they won`t shut up about it. It`s been a HUGE thing in my life, as is your child to you. What I`d like to know is, has your daughter been inspiration for the band and your songwriting?
Ben: Sure. Both directly and indirectly. There are songs or lines from certain songs that are directly inspired by my daughter - “A Better Life” is an example of that. You know, having a kid changes your life in many different ways. Things that used to be really important seem very small all of the sudden and vice versa. Like, after she was born I pretty much stopped giving a rat’s ass about whether anything I was doing musically or otherwise was cool or hip, which is something us New Yorkers can be prone too. People ask me if I’ve heard of some new band and I’m like, “Nah, but have you seen this show on PBS Kids called Boobah? It’s fucking great.” The way she interacts with music is very inspiring. She just feels it. My daughter loves dancing to The New York Dolls and I realized that there isn’t that much difference between them and Sesame Street. If you didn’t know they were these rotten junkies, they really kind of sound like The Muppets.
Velcro: It`s hard to stay hip whether you`re caught up in Clifford the Big Red Dog or even college radio, so for those of us not familiar with the Big Apple, school us on the New York bands you like or think should get more attention from us rock fans.
Ben: I’m not really up on the hip New York bands. Besides, I never really thought of us having too much in common with the local scene anyway. We speak a different language. I mean, when I think of the New York scene these days all those neo-new wave bands come to mind and we have nothing in common with them. We play this very roots-referent brand of vintage hard rock, which leads to the southern rock tag even though all our songs are about New York City. That aside, there’s a core of local bands we’re friends with who I admire musically and personally such as Unsane, The Players Club, The Little Killers, Puny Human, The Monumentals, C. Gibbs Review, and Melanie Moser and The Monroe Tornadoes. I like The Ramones too. They’re from New York. Cactus, Mountain, they had some good riffs. Kevin’s a big Dictators fan. Run D.M.C. had some nice rhymes. Richard Hell and The Voidoids are a fave. Bob likes them too. Agnostic Front’s Victim In Pain record, I like that. Nick likes jazz, that’s some New York shit right?
Velcro: Ok, fuck New York, the real question is: are you guys big in Japan?
Ben: No but I think we’ve got a foothold in Spain and there’s this guy in Brazil who absolutely loves us.
Velcro: Anything you`d like to add or say that I failed to bring up?
Ben: Lemme think about it. Hmmm. No. I guess I could be mercenary and say visit our website and buy our merch. Or better yet, book a show for us in your hometown, give us lots of money and free booze, and then buy our merch. I got mouths to feed.
The Brought Low
Benjamin Howard Smith: guitar, vocals
Kevin Eleven: guitar
Bob Russell: bass
Nick Heller: drums
