Rob: ...sorry man, I got the tape rolling now...
Scott: alrighty...
Rob: You guys just finished up a tour?
Scott: yeah we just got back a couple of weeks ago...
Rob: Where did you go exactly?
Scott: We started in San Francisco, and played our way up to Vancouver and Canada...in the Midwest, the east coast...you know, back down through Texas, Arizona and home...just kinda did the whole states...we hadn`t been to Canada in about 5 years so uh...good we actually got in and played some shows.
Rob: Have you been denied access up there before?
Scott: We`ve never been denied, but just this last time they just fucked with us for like 7 hours at the border and...you know we had all the arrangements to bring our merchandise in and stuff...and they said `no, you can`t bring it in...` and we`re like well, we have all this paperwork that says we can, and they were `no, you can`t.` and we were like, we`ll pay taxes on it...and they were like `no, we don`t want to let you bring it in.` and were just like OK. What can you do? Like Fuck You...so when we went to Montreal over on the east coast we just kind of hid stuff in the bus and didn`t tell them and got it in...we always get fucked with at the border and I don`t know why.
Rob: You guys have gone through a billion line up changes...
Scott: uh, yeah, a few...
Rob: You started out with Ruben and Eddie in the band, that was when I first heard you guys in the early 90`s...what was that, `89 when you first started out?
Scott: Yeah, I would say the later period of `89...just kind of fucking around...you know we just had come up with a bunch of songs...this friend of ours from San Francisco who runs a label called Slap-a-Ham uh... he was going to put out, we were in a old punk band, and he was gonna put that out...and we just kind of changed right like, the beginning of `89- we got rid of that singer but we kept the same band and wanted to play more of, you know a Rock sound and uh...we gave him a tape, you know a rough demo of stuff and he`s like `Oh I like it, I`ll put it out if you want...` so we went up to Razors Edge and recorded with Jonathan Burnside...and did the first thing and put it out...if you would of asked me then if I`d still be playing now, I would have said ahh, fuck no, there`s no way...or gone over to Europe or Australia, naw there`s no way...and here you go 12 years later...
Rob: no doubt, you guys have been slugging it out for a long time...Slap-a-Ham, they do like cruster punk stuff...
Scott: Yeah they did the early Melvins stuff...
Rob: You guys got any new recordings planned?
Scott: yeah, actually we`ve got a live album coming out probably December or January...we`ve been recording a bunch of shows since January of this year on all our tours...got some really good recordings of some songs, a bunch to chose from...and uh...when we get done...actually we are going back on tour in a couple of weeks so when we get done with this tour, I think that we are pretty much done for the last record...and we are just kind of get all the tapes and go in and mix all the stuff and put it out...
Rob: Pick and choose or...
Scott: yeah, yeah...we are going to try and mix everything but just pick the best sounding stuff...
Rob: So California Crossing is the last thing you did...
Scott: ...yeah and actually Mammoth kind of folded into Hollywood Records so we kind of took that opportunity to get off that label...now we`re going to start looking for a new label.
Rob: Right on...so who`s playing drums for you guys?
Scott: A guy named Scott Reeder...
Rob: (snickering)Scott Reeder? hehehehhe...
Scott: yeah...I know...hahaha...not the same dude but its funny. I remember when Brant left the band and...you know I was talking to Brant a while ago and uh...he goes `yeah, who you got to play the drums?` and I was like oh, Scott Reeder...he`s like `huh?` and I didn`t even say anything, I was like `yeah, Scott Reeder`...Brant`s all `What???` yeah!, you know Scott Reeder... he`s like `you gotta be kidding?` I was naw, naw...it`s a different guy Scott Reeder...he knew of the band you know, he knew who he was...
Rob: Did Scott play with anyone before?
Scott: He was in a band called `Smile`...they are from down here, Orange County...we`ve known them for years...we played some shows with them in the early 90`s and stuff...he`s a fucking awesome drummer...he was actually the guy we were going to call when we were looking for a drummer after Ruben...it was him and Brant...I go let me call Brant, I know Brant pretty well, he`s into the band...it worked out well with Brant and we always had Scott in the back of our head...wonder what it would be like with Scott...first practice was just insane, I was like here you go...
Rob: So Brant played on 3 records?
Scott: lets see...um 4 records...
Rob: SO he just wanted to do his own thing...
Scott: yeah...he kind of wanted to do a different style of music and told us...you know...yeah, I`m going to record some solo stuff...just got off of tour and we were just hanging out and...after we did California Crossing he`s like `I really want to do this solo stuff`...and that was cool...we called up Scott and...you know it`s not easy replacing Brant at all...but the transition was really easy because Scott is a really, really good drummer...we had known him for 10 years...
Rob: ...and he was familiar with your material probably...
Scott: exactly...
Rob: Have you been writing any new material?
Scott: Yeah, we actually...we`ve been off the road for about 2 weeks and we`ve just come up with a bunch of new stuff and yesterday at practice we`ve been writing new shit...we just record it on a little 4-track...
Rob: so you demo everything?
Scott: yeah, usually what we`ll do is we`ll get about 8 or 9 new songs...we have this really nice digital 42 track thing...sounds just awesome...and for 4 days straight we will just go in and record everything and have it sound really good...and see what we`ve got.
Rob: So you guys just practice the living crap out of it and bang it out...
Scott: ...pretty much go over and over shit...and be like well hey, let`s try this...oh yeah, that does sound better...you know...there`s always something you`ll want to switch or something that sounds better...
Rob: So how many new songs do you have going?
Scott: uh...we got about 5 right now, and we got a bunch more we just got to...
Rob: hash it out?
Scott: ...yeah, we gotta do that, we`re trying to work up a new set for the tour coming up, so once were done...it`s just like a short 2 week tour of the Midwest and east coast...get back in and just do all new shit.
Rob: So doing the live album will buy you a little bit of time...
Scott: Yeah, well we`ve always wanted to do a live record, you know people are always asking to do a live record...to me, it`s night and day...our studio recordings and live, I think our live is always way heavier...
Rob: You guys are a live band...
Scott: pretty much, exactly it`s way louder...raw sounding...we`ve been listening to some un-mixed live stuff we have, sounds really good, we just got to mix it...it should come out really good.
Rob: You grew up in Southern California...skate rat,, hardcore punk kind of stuff...
Scott: That`s exactly what it was...I remember getting into punk rock in `81, all my Kiss, Deep Purple records were put to the back of the closet and then it was just strict punk rock...
Rob: Did you listen to RKL? Ill Repute?
Scott: Stalag 13, Minor Threat...all that shit, that`s pretty much all I listen to now...even when I`m off the road...it`s weird, we`re on tour, I can`t listen to like, old punk rock stuff...but when we`re back home, that`s all I listen to is old hardcore stuff...I don`t even listen to rock or nothing, just old hardcore shit.
Rob: Classic rock?
Scott: Well, You know ZZ-Top and...you know the typical shit, AC-DC...
Rob: What`s your favorite AC-DC record...
Scott: oh...hmm...the one I listen to a lot is Back in Black...I don`t know if it`s my...I don`t know...that`s the one I end up listening to the most...
Rob: That`s the one that got me into AC-DC...
Scott: same with me...yeah...that`s the one I heard first and I was like Jesus...what is this? so yeah...that is the one...My favorite AC-DC song is `Jailbreak`...I mean, Bon Scott and all that stuff kicks ass...you can`t go wrong with any of it.
Rob: you guys are similar in the sense that you put out consistent stuff...no weird concept album tangents or any of that...just rocking stuff...
Scott: exactly...I`m probably the most narrow minded guy when it comes to music in the band. I listen to old hardcore punk rock ...and rock, and that`s pretty much it...I mean I listen to some old blues stuff, but that`s pretty much it...you know and I just love straight ahead rock...I just love that...just...I remember going to the drummer, `hey just play a straight beat for me`...you know just add a riff to that...straight beat, AC-DC rock just straight...we`re going to work out a couple of mellow things, we actually had a bunch of mellow stuff worked out for the California Crossing but, uh...it just didn`t work out...we might go back and try to work it out...but, I don`t know...I love just straight ahead rock music. If people keep on you know are usually like `you guys keep making the same record`...we try a little bit different on California Crossing and people are like `Oh, why did you guys do that?` it`s like JESUS CHRIST!!!
Rob: hahahaha...you can`t win for losing...
Scott: exactly, it`s like whatever...we just all love rock in the band.
