1 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: Welcome, Welcome, Welcome back to the Bob Left Sets podcast. 2 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: My guest today is Dexter Hall. I will be at Dexter. 3 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:19,600 Speaker 1: Good to have thank you, great to be here. So, Dexter, 4 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:23,639 Speaker 1: you've been vaccinated against COVID nineteen. Yes, I have two shots. 5 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: And when did you get the shot? A couple of 6 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 1: months ago now? And has it change your behavior? Uh? 7 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: I mean I think we were always on the cautious side, 8 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 1: but I think it's just such a mental relief to 9 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 1: not be worrying about the small chance that you might die. 10 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: Do you know anybody who died? Uh? People who know 11 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: people you know, our guitar players. Mother in law for example, 12 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:52,639 Speaker 1: actually passed away from COVID. So it hits home. It's 13 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: close enough, that's and you could, you know, you could 14 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: you could kind of feel the circle tightening, you know. 15 00:00:57,440 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 1: Before it was like, I don't know anyone who's even 16 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 1: gotten it, and then all of us know that guy 17 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: got it. That guy got it, and then pretty soon 18 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: it was this person died, and it was it was 19 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 1: feeling kind of kind of scary around the holidays and 20 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: in your circle. How many people got it? Uh? I 21 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:17,840 Speaker 1: mean ten, maybe half a dozen something like that. Anybody 22 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 1: really close to you, my my buddy's wife, I guess 23 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: it would be like that close. Okay, So why do 24 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:28,040 Speaker 1: you think everybody, so not everybody, but of the country 25 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 1: is so reluctant to get vaccinated? Right right? Well, I 26 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 1: mean cheefs. We could go into a whole thing about that. 27 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 1: Right here. The reason I'm asking you all this it's 28 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: not only do you we interact with the public, but 29 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: you're someone who actually knows the science. Yes, I have 30 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: a I have a doctorate in molecular biology, which is 31 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 1: sort of like a biotech I guess you call it. 32 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: And uh, I focused on the HIV virus, So, um, 33 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 1: I know a little bit about virology. You know. What 34 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: I know is more the nuts and bolts of you know, 35 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 1: how virus actually work, some latches on and that stuff. 36 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: You know. I'm not an epidemiologist, so I'm certainly not 37 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: an expert. But I mean I think vaccine reluctance. I 38 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: mean it's a it's a distrust of government, distrust of authority, 39 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:14,359 Speaker 1: and that goes back to you know, Watergate. I guess 40 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: I don't know exactly how far back you want to go, 41 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:20,360 Speaker 1: but and and certainly the last administration didn't help that 42 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 1: at all. I think it encouraged people to to not 43 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: want to be part of these kinds of things because 44 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:28,079 Speaker 1: they feel like they're going to be controlled or there's 45 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 1: a chip in the vaccine. Okay, Certainly as you get 46 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: into harder rock there are more right wing fans. Is 47 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: this something you experience amongst your fan base or something 48 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:46,119 Speaker 1: you might worry about. Uh, that's a great question. I mean, 49 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:47,919 Speaker 1: of course there's you know, the Ted Nugents of the 50 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: world and all all that kind of stuff, But you 51 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: know that our world is more of what I would 52 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 1: call a punk rock world, and it really is different. 53 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 1: Like the only guys with doctorates I know are in 54 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: punk bands, not not the rock stuff. So we're not 55 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:03,959 Speaker 1: really exposed to the right wing stuff too much, I 56 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:06,799 Speaker 1: don't think. So why do you think the punk rockers 57 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: have doctorates and the other people don't? That is a 58 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:11,959 Speaker 1: great question. We were talking about that just the other day, 59 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: like what is it that Maybe it's uh, you know, 60 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: it's not funk authority, it's question authority, I guess, right, 61 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 1: you know, ask questions and and uh, there was just 62 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: something you know that was I think was intellectually stimulating 63 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: about the punk rock that we're listening to, and we 64 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,359 Speaker 1: grew up and you could all say, and for those 65 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: of those who lived through the era, it was definitely 66 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: a turn away from what was existing. That's why you 67 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 1: know they did it to begin with. You know, the 68 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 1: ramans very basic, very short songs, so it you know, 69 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 1: this creativity is inspiration more than execution. So I agree 70 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 1: with you. It took a lot of intelligence and risk 71 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 1: to make punk rock. I'm not trying to say we're 72 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: the smart guys necessarily, but I mean when I was 73 00:03:57,040 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: growing up, you know, the rock, the you know, the 74 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: the the Sunset strip scene at the time was very 75 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: much top down with the girl and all that kind 76 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: of stuff. And it was bands like the sex Pistols 77 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 1: that I was way more drawn to because it was 78 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: heavy and it was political and it felt more I 79 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:17,479 Speaker 1: don't know, substantive, I guess. Okay, let's talk about the 80 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:21,839 Speaker 1: new album. So there hasn't been an album for years. 81 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: How do you finally decide to release a new one? 82 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 1: I know, Uh, well, it's not just being lazy. It 83 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:33,840 Speaker 1: was actually being kind of busy and um just kind 84 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: of not putting a lot of pressure on ourselves to 85 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 1: make the record. I think that there's kind of a 86 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 1: natural pressure once you start releasing records that like, oh 87 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 1: my gosh, we have to put out something every two 88 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: to three years or will be obsolete. It would be 89 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 1: forgotten and stuff. And that's kind of a hard thing 90 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: to to live with, feeling like you're under pressure to create. Um. 91 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: Pressure is not usually good for creativity. And we do 92 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:57,360 Speaker 1: tour quite a bit. We're on the road almost four 93 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: months of every year, so um, when we get home, 94 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 1: it was harder to fit in the studio time. But 95 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:05,559 Speaker 1: I mean, really, I think I just wanted to feel 96 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 1: like the songs felt good and it felt like the 97 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 1: right record for the right time. And and that's really 98 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 1: what finally happened just this last year, as it felt 99 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 1: like these are the things I want to sing about, 100 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:17,479 Speaker 1: and I feel good about these songs, and it feels 101 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:20,719 Speaker 1: like the right time for this record. Now the record 102 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 1: is got twelve songs, but it's pretty short. Thirty three minutes. 103 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:30,600 Speaker 1: Was that conscious? Well? I mean we felt like it 104 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 1: was long enough we could have put out. We could have, 105 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 1: you know, spent another six months or a year. I've 106 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 1: done a couple more songs, I guess, but it felt 107 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 1: like it was okay, I don't know. I asked Peter Patterneau. 108 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: He said it was all right. No, Peter was a 109 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: lawyer that we share. No. I thought it was brilliant 110 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:49,360 Speaker 1: and it was only still because it's got twelve songs, 111 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: is like, you know, an album of the past. It's digestible. 112 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 1: You know. Once we used to have vinyl records, there 113 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 1: were two sides. There were four crucial tracks, the first 114 00:05:57,120 --> 00:05:59,919 Speaker 1: and last track on each side. Once we went to 115 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: c D s, it was essentially one side and it 116 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 1: was interminable. So the fact that you had only thirty 117 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:09,599 Speaker 1: three minutes of music I thought, was, you know, really 118 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: a throwback and a step against the relative trend. But 119 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:16,640 Speaker 1: some of your previous albums were not that short. So 120 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:19,159 Speaker 1: that's why I was asking whether it was conscious. Well, 121 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: I mean, we wanted to keep it tight, I guess, 122 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,279 Speaker 1: you know, short and sweet, make sure all the songs counted, 123 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 1: and there wasn't filler, And you know that's the worst 124 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: to think, like, oh, we need to come up with 125 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 1: five more minutes so fans don't complain it's too short. 126 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: Like that's not the right standpoint. A few point to 127 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 1: come from, Okay, but the time the album was done 128 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 1: before covid Or, wasn't it. It was. We had finished 129 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: it pretty much right before, and I think we even 130 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:49,599 Speaker 1: had a single release date of last May, and we 131 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 1: uh had the record done. We went down to South 132 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:54,839 Speaker 1: America to do some shows, and that's when the pandemic started. 133 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:57,920 Speaker 1: They were literally canceling shows around us in Brazil and 134 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:00,720 Speaker 1: then Argentina. We did manage to holl off one show 135 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:04,839 Speaker 1: in Chile before they said tours over and you better 136 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 1: scrambled to get home because they might close the airports. 137 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: So we got home just barely in time. And you know, 138 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 1: within a couple of weeks, you could feel that it 139 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 1: didn't feel like the right time to put out an album, 140 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 1: so we just kind of we kind of tweaked it. 141 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: Actually we didn't just put it on the shelf. We 142 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 1: kind of went back and did some remixes. And I'm 143 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: in retrospect, I'm glad we spent the time because it 144 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 1: actually did come up a notch. That's that's a real thing, 145 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 1: uh in in the industry, when you're doing a record 146 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:32,640 Speaker 1: and you you have to have it finished by a deadline, 147 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 1: and there is a certain point where you do let 148 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:37,119 Speaker 1: things go and you don't always take things that last 149 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 1: maybe ten percent that you wish you could. And this 150 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 1: is one of those times where we actually had the 151 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 1: chance to do that. Okay, Now, the paradigm amongst the 152 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:49,320 Speaker 1: let's call it the Spotify top fifty is really change 153 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 1: where there's not a focus on album there's a focus 154 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 1: on endless singles. Is that something you thought about because 155 00:07:56,240 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 1: the old paradigm was, you know, there were years between releases. Uh. 156 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 1: You know, our old producer Dave said, look, you guys 157 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:07,239 Speaker 1: are partly a punk band and partly a pop band. 158 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: He goes, and I feel like if you were just 159 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 1: one or the other, you probably wouldn't be as successful. 160 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 1: He goes. It's the idea that you have both. So 161 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 1: we've always put songs on there that I felt weren't 162 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:21,440 Speaker 1: just standard punk songs, and that was important. I mean 163 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 1: not just in an effort to be commercially successful, but 164 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:27,280 Speaker 1: I felt like it was just something creatively I wanted 165 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 1: to do. I wanted to to not just feel like 166 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: I'm doing the same thing or rehashing or I've got 167 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 1: this one small niche and that's what we're gonna stick to. 168 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:39,439 Speaker 1: So in that sense, uh, I guess you're conscious of it. 169 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 1: But you know, I was thinking about this the other day, 170 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:43,559 Speaker 1: not knowing where you were gonna go in terms of 171 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:45,679 Speaker 1: musical history. But you know, when I was growing up, 172 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 1: it was all about the forty five, you know, like, uh, 173 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:50,520 Speaker 1: you know, those little those little pieces of plastic that. 174 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:55,200 Speaker 1: And you know, when I was old enough to start 175 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:58,200 Speaker 1: becoming aware of music, my my, my parents at this 176 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:01,319 Speaker 1: point had been accumulating ten years of forty five. There 177 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 1: were stacks and we used to go through them, and 178 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 1: you know, back then it was it was everything. It was, 179 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: you know, Jimmy Rodgers kisses sweeter than wine and honeycomb 180 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:11,800 Speaker 1: and I was digging through trying to find Snoopy versus 181 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 1: the Red baron and all that kind of stuff. So 182 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:17,840 Speaker 1: it was very much a singles kind of world back then. 183 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:22,199 Speaker 1: The album thing didn't really come along until much later. Okay, 184 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:26,760 Speaker 1: So on this new album, you do a well we 185 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:29,200 Speaker 1: can call it a cover, but it's your original song. 186 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 1: You do another version of going Away. What inspired you 187 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 1: to put that on the album? It started as just 188 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 1: a live thing. We thought that with all the heaviness 189 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:40,959 Speaker 1: in our songs in our set, it would be nice 190 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:42,959 Speaker 1: to just have a breather in the middle of the show, 191 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:46,360 Speaker 1: and so let's redo a song in a much quieter way, 192 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:50,080 Speaker 1: and that seemed like the natural choice. You've gone always 193 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 1: the song that we did uh in a heavy way 194 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 1: on our extental the Aumbree record, and um, we thought 195 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 1: doing it on piano would kind of add a personal 196 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:00,240 Speaker 1: nous to it. Uh, something in you know, makes the 197 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 1: vocal more apparent. And the songs about you know, losing someone, 198 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 1: it's about grief, so it had a message that I 199 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:08,840 Speaker 1: thought would be good to approach that way on the 200 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 1: on the piano. So it was kind of like, well, 201 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 1: let's what the hell, let's see what happens. When we 202 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 1: played it live, the reaction was pretty instant. It was, 203 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 1: you know, lighters up in the air and a lot 204 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:21,840 Speaker 1: of comments on social media saying this makes the song 205 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:24,560 Speaker 1: even more meaningful to me and where can I get 206 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:27,679 Speaker 1: a recorded version of this? So it was almost like 207 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 1: fans demand that kind of inspired us to go and 208 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:33,199 Speaker 1: try to record it. Well, if you go online, you 209 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 1: can see YouTube versions of you playing it with the 210 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:39,760 Speaker 1: band on the piano, but the version on the album 211 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:44,560 Speaker 1: is similar yet different in that it's produced. It has strings, etcetera. 212 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 1: Whose decision was to add all that well we had. 213 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 1: When we play it live, I start on the piano 214 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:53,520 Speaker 1: and it felt right to have the band kick in 215 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:56,640 Speaker 1: at the end, and that felt really good. When we 216 00:10:56,679 --> 00:11:02,120 Speaker 1: got into the studio, Uh, somehow that that approach felt flat. 217 00:11:02,240 --> 00:11:04,760 Speaker 1: It didn't feel like it had the emotion. And I 218 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:07,839 Speaker 1: was thinking about how can I approach this? Uh. This 219 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:09,280 Speaker 1: kind of a funny story because there's a lot of 220 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:11,240 Speaker 1: what goes onto the studio. Talking to Bob about this, 221 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:12,679 Speaker 1: like what do we do? What do we do? And 222 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:15,439 Speaker 1: I said, you know when a great song just vocal 223 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:18,440 Speaker 1: and piano is Joe Cocker, you are so beautiful? Like 224 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:21,520 Speaker 1: what is it about that song? And Bob explained to 225 00:11:21,559 --> 00:11:24,200 Speaker 1: me all the things that he felt made that song work, 226 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:26,320 Speaker 1: the way the piano moves and how it gets out 227 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:28,280 Speaker 1: of the way of the vocal in certain spots, and 228 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 1: how strings come in. And I thought, you know, that's great. 229 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:34,719 Speaker 1: Let's let's use that as our inspiration, uh for the 230 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:37,440 Speaker 1: way we want to frame this song. And we took 231 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 1: it from there. So how long did it take you 232 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:45,640 Speaker 1: to perfect it? Uh? Yeah, a few months. I guess 233 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:47,640 Speaker 1: we work in a different way, you know, Back in 234 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:50,280 Speaker 1: the day, it was like, you're gonna book the studio 235 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:52,360 Speaker 1: for three months and you're never gonna come out until 236 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:54,959 Speaker 1: this record is done. And I felt kind of burned 237 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:56,960 Speaker 1: out doing it that way. And I think that there's 238 00:11:56,960 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 1: a certain point where you're running out of ideas and 239 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 1: then you're kind of just staring at each other trying 240 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 1: to figure out how to finish the song. So what 241 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:04,600 Speaker 1: we do now is we go in for a couple 242 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:06,439 Speaker 1: of weeks at a time, we go through all the 243 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 1: ideas and hash it out, and then it's like, Okay, 244 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:10,680 Speaker 1: that's all I got for right now, and then we 245 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:13,040 Speaker 1: go home and sit on it for a month. And 246 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:14,600 Speaker 1: then by the time we get back together for a 247 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:17,080 Speaker 1: couple of weeks again, I've got lots of ideas to 248 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 1: carry it forward. It's just much more short spurts. Well, 249 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:22,520 Speaker 1: I certainly know that Bob is in Hawaii, Bob Rock 250 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: the producer. Now there's always issue of studio. I see 251 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:28,280 Speaker 1: you're in a studio. Now do you cut it in 252 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:30,880 Speaker 1: your own studio or do your book a different studio? 253 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:34,240 Speaker 1: We do now this is our studio in Huntington's Beach. 254 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:36,199 Speaker 1: We used to go to l A. Of course, to 255 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:38,840 Speaker 1: do it, and this kind of started as a demo studio. 256 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:41,960 Speaker 1: As a technology improved and Bob k On coming down, 257 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:45,200 Speaker 1: we added to the equipment and the whole thing until 258 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 1: now we're pretty self sufficient here. We can do everything, 259 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 1: including mix, so if you decide you want to go in, 260 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:53,320 Speaker 1: it's not like you have to worry about booking the time. 261 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:56,080 Speaker 1: It's always available. It's always available. It's just kind of 262 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:59,200 Speaker 1: getting schedules together with Bob. He has other other things 263 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:01,520 Speaker 1: that he works on as a well, of course. And 264 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:04,680 Speaker 1: so what's the reaction been since the album has come 265 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:08,360 Speaker 1: out of the new version of Going Away? It feels 266 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 1: really good. And I was not sure about that because 267 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 1: it's it will sound like a departure compared to our 268 00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:17,840 Speaker 1: other material, and you're never sure how your your audience 269 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:20,080 Speaker 1: is going to react to something that's so different. But 270 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:22,679 Speaker 1: maybe just because we've been around long enough people we 271 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:25,440 Speaker 1: can get away with it more. It's been been very 272 00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:30,000 Speaker 1: very good so far. Well, it's an astounding listen. It 273 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:32,199 Speaker 1: reminds me of when Green Day and I hate to 274 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:35,480 Speaker 1: compare acts, but there I did when they went into 275 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 1: that mode. Okay, this is a song not solely for alternative. 276 00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:44,040 Speaker 1: This is a song that could be for everyone. Is 277 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 1: the label thinking about that? Are you thinking about that? 278 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:49,480 Speaker 1: You know we have this in our pocketed sometime we're 279 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:53,000 Speaker 1: gonna try to expose it to a larger audience. I 280 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 1: would love to. I think I've brought up to the label. Hey, 281 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:57,800 Speaker 1: can you make sure you listen to the last song 282 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:00,199 Speaker 1: on the record too. I think it's pretty good. We'll 283 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:03,840 Speaker 1: see see what I have. You only listen once, and 284 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:06,480 Speaker 1: it is the same song, is the one you recorded 285 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 1: earlier on Nicks Nay, But it's really a different record, 286 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:12,960 Speaker 1: and it affects you. I mean, this is really a 287 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:15,560 Speaker 1: one listen all of a sudden. You know, some things 288 00:14:15,559 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 1: are just so in the pocket, you know. I think 289 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:21,920 Speaker 1: a couple of those foreigners songs, you know, waiting for 290 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:24,240 Speaker 1: a girl like you, I want to know what love is? 291 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:26,680 Speaker 1: You want it to go waiter say? And this is 292 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:31,040 Speaker 1: something everybody yeah, well thank you? Yeah. I mean I 293 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:34,520 Speaker 1: remember a guy five years ago saying, hey, you know, 294 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:36,800 Speaker 1: my my buddy down the street passed away, and boy, 295 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:39,560 Speaker 1: sure would love to play that piano version at his memorial? 296 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 1: Do you have that? And we hadn't recorded it yet, 297 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:45,320 Speaker 1: so but I thought, how interesting that in his mind, 298 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:48,680 Speaker 1: a song like this would would would feel right in 299 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:52,080 Speaker 1: that kind of heavy experience. So I know she mean 300 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:56,800 Speaker 1: about a different audience. I guess, right, Okay, but the 301 00:14:56,880 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 1: song was based on a real situation, correct, I mean, yes, yeah, yes, 302 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 1: and no, don't don't really talk about that too much. 303 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:09,720 Speaker 1: Yes and no. I mean documentation would say that you 304 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:12,280 Speaker 1: had a girlfriend who passed away in a car accident? 305 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:18,320 Speaker 1: Is that factually Drew? No, it's not, it's not. Uh well, 306 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:21,160 Speaker 1: what the hell tell the story? I guess. I was 307 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:24,080 Speaker 1: with my wife on a Sunday and we had gone 308 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:27,760 Speaker 1: to dinner and we were going to um Baskin Robbins 309 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:30,360 Speaker 1: for our after dinner or whatever ice cream and drive home. 310 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:32,640 Speaker 1: And this is, you know, just on Honeyton Beach where 311 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:35,520 Speaker 1: we live. And so we're waiting in line and there's 312 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:38,360 Speaker 1: ten people in the store. A couple runs in. They 313 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:40,640 Speaker 1: go call the police. Someone's chasing us with a gun, 314 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 1: and we're like, what the hell, what's going on? And 315 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:47,080 Speaker 1: all of a sudden shots rang out. So these these 316 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 1: people in this in this car, they had been chased 317 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:53,360 Speaker 1: by gangan bank gang members in another car who were 318 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:55,800 Speaker 1: mad at him for some reason. They ran into the store. 319 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 1: These guys decided to shoot up the store, so, I mean, 320 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 1: they it looks like they shot high. I don't think 321 00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:05,520 Speaker 1: they actually intended to kill anybody, but anyway, all of 322 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:08,040 Speaker 1: a sudden, here we are and it's one of those 323 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 1: like strip malls where it's it's a complete glass you know, 324 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:14,720 Speaker 1: front to the store, shooting it, and uh, all of 325 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 1: a sudden, it's like, well, funk, I'm we're gonna die, right, 326 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:21,800 Speaker 1: And you know, in hiding, trying to you know, get 327 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:24,320 Speaker 1: behind a trash can or something, not even knowing where 328 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:26,120 Speaker 1: the bullets are coming from. And it turns out I 329 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:27,960 Speaker 1: was right in front of the gunman or whatever, but 330 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 1: you know, and then crawling over to my wife and 331 00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 1: you know, putting my body on top of hers and 332 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:36,240 Speaker 1: just knowing like I'm gonna get shot, any secondary gonna 333 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:38,400 Speaker 1: get shot, and you know, there were several shots that 334 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:41,120 Speaker 1: rang out. The whole front was was was what you know, 335 00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:44,520 Speaker 1: was shot out, and uh, luckily no one was hurt. 336 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:45,920 Speaker 1: So I think they just wanted to have fun and 337 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:48,240 Speaker 1: scare everybody, right. I don't think they're really trying to 338 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 1: kill anybody, but I think just the the the idea 339 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 1: that we came so close to death was a real 340 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:58,200 Speaker 1: life changing moment. And it was right when we were 341 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:01,040 Speaker 1: recording X Nay and uh I I was coming up 342 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:02,880 Speaker 1: with the the idea. I knew I wanted the song 343 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 1: to be heavy, but I didn't know what was gonna 344 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:06,719 Speaker 1: be about yet. But it was kind of like the 345 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:09,760 Speaker 1: feeling of in a in a weird way. I know, 346 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 1: it's not a direct connection, if you know what I mean, 347 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 1: but it made you think about, you know, about dying 348 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:15,760 Speaker 1: and about grief and about what that would feel like 349 00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:19,800 Speaker 1: and what if what if my wife had been the one? Okay, 350 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:23,680 Speaker 1: so the incident happens. How long after that do you 351 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:26,040 Speaker 1: write the song? And has it come to you in 352 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:30,760 Speaker 1: a flash or something takes a long time to work out? Oh? 353 00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:32,800 Speaker 1: I wrote it in the next week. It was quick, 354 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:34,960 Speaker 1: Yeah it was. It was done in a few days. 355 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:37,160 Speaker 1: And the lyrics. How long to take you to write 356 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:41,639 Speaker 1: the lyrics? A few days? Yeah? Quick? Quick for me, 357 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:45,879 Speaker 1: Quick for you? Okay? So you were you grew up 358 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:48,639 Speaker 1: where I grew up in Garden Grove, which is in 359 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:52,119 Speaker 1: Orange County, Okay. Garden Grove is how far from the beach, 360 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:55,960 Speaker 1: about five miles Okay, So what was it like growing 361 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:59,000 Speaker 1: up in Garden Grove. I mean it was very suburban. 362 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:01,560 Speaker 1: It was I would say we grew up middle class 363 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:04,040 Speaker 1: and not like upper middle class or lower middle class, 364 00:18:04,080 --> 00:18:05,399 Speaker 1: just kind of kind of right in the middle. And 365 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:07,879 Speaker 1: it was suburban in that way, with the green lawns 366 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:11,560 Speaker 1: and the picket fences and everyone kind of kind of 367 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 1: being the same, right and and uh, I think there 368 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:17,040 Speaker 1: was something about that, because people say, well, why does 369 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:18,879 Speaker 1: so many punk rock bands come out of Orange County? 370 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:21,919 Speaker 1: It seems like this republican place where everything's nice and mellow, 371 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:25,119 Speaker 1: And I think that there was something in the homogeneity, 372 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:29,360 Speaker 1: something in the sameness, the boredom of that that inspired 373 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 1: the rebellion that you see in in these bands. I 374 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:35,399 Speaker 1: don't know how else to explain it. Okay, would your 375 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:38,520 Speaker 1: parents do for a living? My mother was a school 376 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:43,440 Speaker 1: teacher and my father was a hospital administrator. Okay, did 377 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 1: you go to the school where your mother was the administrator? No? 378 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:51,439 Speaker 1: Never did, never did? Okay did you go to public school? 379 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:56,000 Speaker 1: Private school? Yet? Regular, regular old public school in Garden Grove? 380 00:18:56,960 --> 00:19:00,240 Speaker 1: How many how many kids in the family? Four total, 381 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:03,359 Speaker 1: an older brother and sister and a younger brother. Okay, 382 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 1: so you're in the middle, in the middle, so you 383 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:08,480 Speaker 1: traditionally in the middle, the attention is on the oldest 384 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:10,399 Speaker 1: and the youngest, and you're kind of lost in the 385 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:15,080 Speaker 1: shuffle doing your own thing. What was your experience? Uh? 386 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:17,479 Speaker 1: I think so, you know, on the third So by 387 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:20,399 Speaker 1: the time that comes around, they've given up on the 388 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:23,080 Speaker 1: communion and all that stuff, and they're like, you do 389 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:26,160 Speaker 1: have maybe a little more freedom, I think, which which 390 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:29,600 Speaker 1: I liked. So you start going to school, what's your 391 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:36,320 Speaker 1: experience there? Uh uh? You know, I did well at school. 392 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:39,119 Speaker 1: I I liked it. I don't mean to hesitate, but 393 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:42,400 Speaker 1: it always sounds weird because I remember always being as 394 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:44,960 Speaker 1: you grew up, doing well in school was not cool, right, 395 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:47,760 Speaker 1: You're you're right, you're hesitating to frame your answers so 396 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:51,840 Speaker 1: you don't say something right, like dumbing down your words 397 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:54,480 Speaker 1: or whatever. That was definitely a part of it. But 398 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:59,760 Speaker 1: um but I liked I like learning. Okay, So you 399 00:19:59,880 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 1: go to school and you do well. Are you aware 400 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:06,639 Speaker 1: of the fact that you're on the upper end of 401 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:08,960 Speaker 1: the class and how does it affect your integration with 402 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:14,000 Speaker 1: the other people there? Um? Well, for sure, I did, 403 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:17,520 Speaker 1: I did, I did well. So uh uh, you know, 404 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:19,680 Speaker 1: you find you have to find your own group, your 405 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:23,320 Speaker 1: own click, right, and that's a an ugly process. In 406 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:25,560 Speaker 1: junior high or not, you're it's the one big group, 407 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:27,720 Speaker 1: or I mean in elementary it's one big group. Junior 408 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:30,480 Speaker 1: high is where it starts to separate and get weird 409 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 1: and you feel like you don't have a place. And 410 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 1: I think in high school hopefully you eventually find your group. 411 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 1: And it was the group that I started hanging out 412 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:42,880 Speaker 1: with that we eventually formed the band from Okay, well, 413 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:45,679 Speaker 1: how did that group fit in the high school? We 414 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:49,360 Speaker 1: ran across country. You're a cross country How did that 415 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:53,080 Speaker 1: come together? I don't know. I decided I always liked 416 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:56,879 Speaker 1: distance running, uh, and so started doing it in high school. 417 00:20:56,920 --> 00:20:59,320 Speaker 1: I was never good or anything, but but I liked 418 00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:01,760 Speaker 1: it and did it all were years and that was 419 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:04,199 Speaker 1: kind of our click ended up being that, And it 420 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:07,280 Speaker 1: turned out that we all liked punk rock also, so 421 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:09,320 Speaker 1: we were like this, these guys that you know likes 422 00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:11,720 Speaker 1: punk rock and we ran across the country, but we 423 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:14,679 Speaker 1: didn't have mohawks and leather jackets, so we kind of 424 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:16,640 Speaker 1: didn't even fit in with the punkers. We are our 425 00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:19,560 Speaker 1: own little weird group and stuff. So I know it's 426 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:21,640 Speaker 1: very fashionable to say, well, we never fit in, that's 427 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:23,800 Speaker 1: why we are who we are, but it really was 428 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:27,640 Speaker 1: pretty it was true in our case. Okay, you were 429 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:31,320 Speaker 1: punk rockers. In your case, when did you start playing 430 00:21:31,359 --> 00:21:38,080 Speaker 1: an instrument? Um? I think I was fourteen. My my 431 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:40,280 Speaker 1: my mother came home from school and saw me sitting 432 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:41,879 Speaker 1: on the couch too many days in a row, and 433 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:45,000 Speaker 1: she's like, you're doing something. You're gonna start playing piano, 434 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:47,960 Speaker 1: and uh so she she made me take piano for 435 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:51,159 Speaker 1: about a year. And after a year I felt like 436 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:53,760 Speaker 1: it wasn't cool being fifteen and going into high school 437 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:57,880 Speaker 1: and playing piano, which is, you know, a dumb idea now, 438 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:00,399 Speaker 1: But she let me off and I would it across 439 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:03,080 Speaker 1: country instead. But I'm really glad now, of course that 440 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:06,440 Speaker 1: she forced me to, uh to do that. There there 441 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:08,679 Speaker 1: there might not be a goneaway version, for example, if 442 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:11,800 Speaker 1: I if we hadn't done that. Okay, do you know 443 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:15,320 Speaker 1: how to read music? I mean I could, I could 444 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:17,399 Speaker 1: count down the lines and go I think that's a 445 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:20,960 Speaker 1: c but no, I guess it's the answer. Okay, so 446 00:22:21,119 --> 00:22:25,920 Speaker 1: you're running across country and you're punk rock fans. At 447 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:28,040 Speaker 1: what point do you say, hey, maybe we can form 448 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:34,359 Speaker 1: a band, right, uh, well yeah, punk rock fans, and 449 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:37,200 Speaker 1: we loved bands like The Dead Kennedy's and The Ramons 450 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:39,359 Speaker 1: and all that kind of stuff. I think it was 451 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:41,440 Speaker 1: when we first heard a band from Orange County called 452 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: Tis So Well that it kind of took it to 453 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:45,959 Speaker 1: the next level. It was almost like, oh, well, wait 454 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:47,919 Speaker 1: a minute, I don't just like that. I want to 455 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:50,320 Speaker 1: be that. I want I want to start a band. 456 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:54,399 Speaker 1: So that happened when we were about seventeen, but we 457 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:57,280 Speaker 1: didn't We didn't play instruments. That's the story is that 458 00:22:57,320 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 1: we we went to a show, couldn't get in. It 459 00:22:59,880 --> 00:23:02,439 Speaker 1: was actually a social distortion show and Irvine, and then 460 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:04,960 Speaker 1: we ended up at somebody's house saying, well, shoot, maybe 461 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:07,480 Speaker 1: we should start a band, like, well, we don't play instruments, 462 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 1: Like what the hell, let's start a band anyway, And 463 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 1: we actually like divvied up parts that night, Well what 464 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:14,199 Speaker 1: do you want to play? I'll play bass, I'll play guitar. 465 00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:17,800 Speaker 1: And that is literally how the band started. And then 466 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:21,800 Speaker 1: we went out and asked our parents to buy as guitars. Okay, 467 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:26,440 Speaker 1: let's really by school. So what was your relationship with girls? 468 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:32,160 Speaker 1: During high school and junior high Uh, awkward for sure. 469 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:34,800 Speaker 1: I don't know. I think we're you know, we're typical kids. 470 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:38,040 Speaker 1: I don't think we really had girlfriends so much until maybe, 471 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:40,240 Speaker 1: you know, senior year high school, that sort of thing. 472 00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:49,840 Speaker 1: So what is the instrument you're supposed to play? When 473 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:53,119 Speaker 1: you divvy it up, it was gonna be the guitar, guitar, 474 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:55,920 Speaker 1: and so we picked you know, drums, guitar, bass. Nobody 475 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:58,199 Speaker 1: said I'm going to be the singer. We kind of 476 00:23:58,359 --> 00:23:59,879 Speaker 1: we weren't sure how to treat that. So I think 477 00:23:59,880 --> 00:24:02,200 Speaker 1: we all left that alone. And I think we all 478 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:05,080 Speaker 1: sort of maybe dabbled in it here and there, and 479 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:08,119 Speaker 1: you know, over the next year. Um, it turned out 480 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:11,040 Speaker 1: it was gonna be me. Okay, so you're gonna get 481 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:13,000 Speaker 1: You go home and you say, Mom and dad, I 482 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 1: want a guitar. It was my Christmas present. And how 483 00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:19,359 Speaker 1: did you how did you decide what guitar you want? 484 00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:22,080 Speaker 1: We went to the music store and asked it was. 485 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:24,680 Speaker 1: It was a Hondo. It costs ninety nine dollars and 486 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:29,359 Speaker 1: Hondos are not knowing for being great guitars. And he gave, uh, 487 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:31,920 Speaker 1: he he had me buy this amp called a bassman, 488 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:35,200 Speaker 1: uh for ninety nine dollars also or my dad bought 489 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:37,919 Speaker 1: it and uh it turns out it's really not a 490 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:40,679 Speaker 1: guitar amp. It's a bass amp. And uh, our our 491 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:43,240 Speaker 1: bass player, also got a bass for Christmas and they 492 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:46,560 Speaker 1: bought him a PV backstage, which is a really a 493 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:49,480 Speaker 1: guitar amp. So we kind of got together first practices 494 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:51,879 Speaker 1: and after a month if you realize we're playing the 495 00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:55,520 Speaker 1: wrong amp, so we we switched. Okay, so you get 496 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:59,680 Speaker 1: the guitar. You don't know how to play, now learn 497 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:02,160 Speaker 1: how to play not a lick. You know, you sit 498 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:04,120 Speaker 1: you sit down and you fiddle with it. The way 499 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:06,040 Speaker 1: I really did it was I sat on my bed 500 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:08,359 Speaker 1: and I put on the LPs that I loved. It 501 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:10,840 Speaker 1: was it was bands like ts L of course and 502 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:13,919 Speaker 1: the Ramons and and stuff like that, and kind of 503 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 1: just listened and tried to figure out what they were doing, 504 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:22,800 Speaker 1: um and and and mimic it. Okay, but if you 505 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:25,159 Speaker 1: know nothing, it's not as easy. It's not like there 506 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:28,680 Speaker 1: are pictures back then. You know, there's the key, there's 507 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:31,000 Speaker 1: the tuning, you know, there's the notes. There's a lot 508 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:33,719 Speaker 1: of ship going on. It was a bit well I mean, 509 00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:35,680 Speaker 1: I had a guitar practice book and it's like, we'll 510 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:38,760 Speaker 1: try these scales, these exercises, and I hated it. That 511 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:42,080 Speaker 1: wasn't interesting to me at all, the the theory or 512 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:45,880 Speaker 1: the scales. Like I wanted to play punk rock, That's 513 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 1: what I wanted to do. So I use those books 514 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:50,399 Speaker 1: enough to figure out how to tune the guitar, and 515 00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:52,320 Speaker 1: then sometimes maybe in a song you could figure out. 516 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:54,399 Speaker 1: I mean, chords were beyond me, but if there was 517 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:56,920 Speaker 1: a single string melody, I could probably figure that out. 518 00:25:57,119 --> 00:25:59,359 Speaker 1: That was the first thing. And then I kind of 519 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:01,359 Speaker 1: realized it is gonna be barkhors. That was going to 520 00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:04,160 Speaker 1: be important to learn, and I just couldn't figure it out. 521 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:05,760 Speaker 1: And it was actually by looking on the back of 522 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:07,600 Speaker 1: a record cover, I saw a guy in a band 523 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:10,879 Speaker 1: that I loved playing a barcord and the thing is 524 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:13,600 Speaker 1: he had his thumb pressed against the back of the neck. 525 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:16,879 Speaker 1: That's how you keep your fingers on. But I had not. 526 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:19,320 Speaker 1: I had just never figured that out. I hadn't taken lessons, 527 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:21,920 Speaker 1: and it was like, ah, so in a way, these 528 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:24,240 Speaker 1: these bands that I loved really taught me how to 529 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:28,160 Speaker 1: play guitar okay, and how so everybody got it into 530 00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:31,320 Speaker 1: everybody did what they said they were gonna do. Yes, 531 00:26:32,119 --> 00:26:34,520 Speaker 1: And how long after you got the instruments did you 532 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:39,080 Speaker 1: play together? Uh? I think in the next months. What 533 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:42,120 Speaker 1: became apparent is that some of us, I mean, we're 534 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:45,200 Speaker 1: all really terrible, um, but some of us were never 535 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:47,679 Speaker 1: gonna get it. Like our our drummer was he was 536 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:48,879 Speaker 1: never going to be able to figure out how to 537 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:50,840 Speaker 1: play the drums. And you know, he had fun with 538 00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:53,160 Speaker 1: it for a while and then um, he actually, well 539 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:57,679 Speaker 1: we're this is the January before we graduated. So by 540 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:00,439 Speaker 1: June we've graduated, he got a girlfriend. He didn't want 541 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:02,040 Speaker 1: to be to play the drums anymore. He was having 542 00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:03,879 Speaker 1: more he was having more fun with his with his 543 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:06,640 Speaker 1: girlfriend and stuff. And our guitar player didn't work out 544 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:09,640 Speaker 1: too well either. So it was that kind of thing 545 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:11,320 Speaker 1: and trying to find another guy in the neighborhood to 546 00:27:11,359 --> 00:27:14,600 Speaker 1: play drums, and eventually we ended up with a lineup 547 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:19,960 Speaker 1: two years later that that stick together for for seventeen years. Okay, 548 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,240 Speaker 1: so the guy bought a whole drum kit and then 549 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:26,280 Speaker 1: stopped playing. He did he didn't, he didn't care, he 550 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:31,159 Speaker 1: didn't care about it. That much. Okay, and you're in 551 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:35,159 Speaker 1: the high school. Is it true that you're with a valedictorian? Yes, 552 00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:39,359 Speaker 1: I was a valletorian. Okay, so that bigs a question. 553 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:42,920 Speaker 1: What'd you get on your S A T S cheez? 554 00:27:43,040 --> 00:27:46,080 Speaker 1: It was? Um, it was different back back then the 555 00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:51,320 Speaker 1: way it was scored. Um, the math was always easier 556 00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:55,119 Speaker 1: for me. Uh but I think it was. It was 557 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:57,119 Speaker 1: a thirteen fifty. So what is that like? It was 558 00:27:57,160 --> 00:27:59,600 Speaker 1: like a seven hundred and six fifty I think something 559 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:01,800 Speaker 1: like that. Okay. How did you end up deciding to 560 00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:07,320 Speaker 1: go to USA? Um? I really felt tight with the 561 00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:09,040 Speaker 1: guys who are hanging out with and the idea of 562 00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:11,800 Speaker 1: starting over another state. I just I felt like I 563 00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:13,679 Speaker 1: wanted to stay closer to home to go to school. 564 00:28:14,280 --> 00:28:18,119 Speaker 1: So to me, that meant UM either USC or U 565 00:28:18,119 --> 00:28:20,679 Speaker 1: C l A. UM. I thought I was interested in 566 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:22,840 Speaker 1: the Air Force Academy because I wanted to fly, but 567 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:26,119 Speaker 1: um I had I had to wark glasses or contacts, 568 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:29,280 Speaker 1: so I was going to be eliminated from the pilot category. 569 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:32,320 Speaker 1: So I I nixed that off the list and I 570 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:34,520 Speaker 1: applied to both USC and U C l A. They 571 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:36,800 Speaker 1: both admitted me and the U C U C l 572 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:38,760 Speaker 1: A letter. I'm not bagging on U. C. L A 573 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:41,480 Speaker 1: by the way, but they said, congratulations, we're in. We'll 574 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:45,120 Speaker 1: see in October. The USC letter said, congratulations, you're in. 575 00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:47,000 Speaker 1: We'd love to welcome to your reception, and we want 576 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 1: to talk to you about a scholarship and please come 577 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:50,920 Speaker 1: hang out with us. And here talk to this guy, 578 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:54,719 Speaker 1: this professor. So they were they were very much recruiting. 579 00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:57,880 Speaker 1: But um, but it really made me feel much more 580 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:01,560 Speaker 1: wanted at USC. So did you get a scholarship of USA? 581 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:05,680 Speaker 1: I did. I got a couple of them that. Um. Again, 582 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:07,240 Speaker 1: I don't know how my parents would have afforded. I 583 00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:09,840 Speaker 1: don't think they could have. But um, my scholarships paid 584 00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:13,000 Speaker 1: about se my tuition, so you didn't have to borrow 585 00:29:13,040 --> 00:29:16,320 Speaker 1: any money. No, my parents were able to handle the other. 586 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:21,480 Speaker 1: And then did you live on campus or near campus? Yep? 587 00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:23,560 Speaker 1: Lived in the dorms the first year and then on 588 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:26,400 Speaker 1: student housing the other three years. Let's go back at 589 00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:32,480 Speaker 1: chapter what was your valedictorian speech? Uh? Well, in all fairness, 590 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:34,880 Speaker 1: there were they didn't have a p classes then, so 591 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:37,480 Speaker 1: there were there were three people that had all ace 592 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:39,440 Speaker 1: four point oh was as much as you could get 593 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:42,080 Speaker 1: back then, and so we all had to give a speech, 594 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:46,160 Speaker 1: and mine was just kind of like, I didn't Frankly, 595 00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:49,720 Speaker 1: I didn't feel comfortable being on stage for a long speech, 596 00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:53,120 Speaker 1: so I kept it short. I just kind of said, hey, everybody, 597 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:55,200 Speaker 1: you know, we've all got we all have a shot 598 00:29:55,280 --> 00:29:57,560 Speaker 1: at success. Please, you know, keep that in mind and 599 00:29:57,840 --> 00:30:00,800 Speaker 1: make the most of your chance. Okay, when you go 600 00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:06,000 Speaker 1: to USC is the dream to be a rock star? No, 601 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:09,520 Speaker 1: I was pre mad. I thought I was interested in surgery. UM. 602 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:12,720 Speaker 1: Cardiac surgery really appealed to me. I thought at the time. 603 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:15,160 Speaker 1: You know, when you think you have something in mine 604 00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:17,520 Speaker 1: that you want to do, as you know, it's hard 605 00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:20,080 Speaker 1: to know. Sometimes it feels natural and it stays that way, 606 00:30:20,120 --> 00:30:22,840 Speaker 1: and sometimes what you learn about it, you're like, oh, actually, 607 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:24,600 Speaker 1: I'm not sure if I love it as much as 608 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:28,480 Speaker 1: I thought I did. So, Uh, I was interested in 609 00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:31,640 Speaker 1: in medicine, and uh, you don't major in medicine, you 610 00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:35,480 Speaker 1: major in biology usually, Uh, if you're gonna take that path, 611 00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:38,040 Speaker 1: So that's what I was doing. But I was starting 612 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:40,880 Speaker 1: to become really into the band, and I was really 613 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:43,680 Speaker 1: excited about this. UM. You know, we had now been 614 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:47,160 Speaker 1: playing guitars for six months and maybe we were going 615 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:50,720 Speaker 1: to write a song or something. So, uh, I would 616 00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:52,960 Speaker 1: come home on the weekends and that's how we did 617 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:55,400 Speaker 1: our our band practices, that we would we would jam 618 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:59,480 Speaker 1: every weekend, all weekend. Okay, So at this point it's 619 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:03,360 Speaker 1: the solid members for seventeen years. When do you play 620 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:07,200 Speaker 1: your first gig for money? Yeah? No, sorry that we 621 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:10,880 Speaker 1: had been our first guys. Yeah. I mean, if we're 622 00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:12,960 Speaker 1: going back to the beginning of the band, Um, it 623 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:15,440 Speaker 1: was just a couple of years. Um, the first show 624 00:31:15,480 --> 00:31:18,640 Speaker 1: that I can remember, it was a show in Santa 625 00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:21,360 Speaker 1: Cruz where we opened for another punk band called White 626 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 1: Flag and and having you know, terrible stage fright and 627 00:31:24,640 --> 00:31:27,440 Speaker 1: there was only forty people there, and um, it was 628 00:31:27,520 --> 00:31:30,920 Speaker 1: terrifying and it was exciting and it was exhilarating, and uh, 629 00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:33,400 Speaker 1: it was everything I wanted because it was like, you're 630 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:36,200 Speaker 1: with your buddies, you're driving away somewhere for the weekend, 631 00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:39,600 Speaker 1: you're drinking beer, You're it's a disadventure. It was really 632 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:43,200 Speaker 1: what it was. The money was completely not important at all. 633 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:45,120 Speaker 1: It'd be great if you get your gas covered, but 634 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:48,400 Speaker 1: I think we got forty dollars. How did you get 635 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:53,400 Speaker 1: a gig in Santa Cruz. Uh, you know, I've started 636 00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:56,200 Speaker 1: looking around, really trying whatever I could find. A big 637 00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:58,920 Speaker 1: resource back then where the fanzines. Fanzines like Flip Side 638 00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:01,920 Speaker 1: magazine and stuff, and they would say here's a booking 639 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:04,040 Speaker 1: agent or here's a promoter, or they would talk about 640 00:32:04,080 --> 00:32:06,720 Speaker 1: shows around the country and saying here's this club in 641 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:09,840 Speaker 1: Santa Cruz that's had shows, and we would call them 642 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:12,240 Speaker 1: up ourselves and say, hey, can we can we get 643 00:32:12,240 --> 00:32:16,520 Speaker 1: a show and maybe send him a demo tape. Okay, 644 00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:22,080 Speaker 1: And at this point you're playing in Santa Cruz all originals? Yeah, 645 00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:24,680 Speaker 1: how do you write those songs? That? Did any of 646 00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 1: them make the cut further down the line? I don't 647 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:29,680 Speaker 1: think so. I think let me see if I can 648 00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:31,800 Speaker 1: even remember all these. I felt like it's kind of 649 00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:33,640 Speaker 1: this joke, but like, look, if you're gonna start a 650 00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:36,280 Speaker 1: punk band, there's four songs you got it right right away. 651 00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:38,680 Speaker 1: There's four bases you gotta cover. One of them is 652 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:41,400 Speaker 1: an anti police song, one of them is an anti 653 00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:46,200 Speaker 1: war song. Uh, one of them is uh I'm depressed 654 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:48,560 Speaker 1: and I want to die song, and the fourth one 655 00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:53,040 Speaker 1: is my girlfriend's a bitch. So those were the first 656 00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:56,720 Speaker 1: four songs that we wrote. I think, okay, so you 657 00:32:56,840 --> 00:32:59,000 Speaker 1: play in Santa Cruz, you have a good weekend. What's 658 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:03,720 Speaker 1: the next step after that? Uh, it was getting shows 659 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:06,760 Speaker 1: wherever we could. It was really hard in those days 660 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:10,680 Speaker 1: because there were no steady venues, especially for for punk rock, right. 661 00:33:10,720 --> 00:33:12,640 Speaker 1: I mean, the the sunset scene was kind of happening, 662 00:33:12,880 --> 00:33:14,160 Speaker 1: but we were never going to get a show at 663 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:17,440 Speaker 1: the Whiskey and Go Go, and we couldn't draw anybody anyway. 664 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:20,480 Speaker 1: And even the anti club I thought was the punk 665 00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:22,320 Speaker 1: Is Club in l A. And they didn't want to 666 00:33:22,320 --> 00:33:25,560 Speaker 1: book us. They're like, yeah, we're not really booking punk bands. So, 667 00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:28,240 Speaker 1: as you probably remember, these shows would pop up once 668 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:30,200 Speaker 1: in a while at a vf W hall or something. 669 00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:32,479 Speaker 1: It was like maybe, if you're lucky, you could get 670 00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:34,280 Speaker 1: on one gig and then the place would go, you know, 671 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:36,360 Speaker 1: because the cops would show up and there'd never be 672 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:40,280 Speaker 1: another show again. So that was something we chased around 673 00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:42,680 Speaker 1: for a few years. And it was really Gilman Street 674 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:46,120 Speaker 1: opening up in Berkeley, which provided um a steady venue, 675 00:33:46,280 --> 00:33:48,719 Speaker 1: a venue that stuck around, and we could go up 676 00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:51,880 Speaker 1: there every you know, three times a year maybe, and 677 00:33:51,960 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 1: so we actually sort of developed a following up there 678 00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:58,800 Speaker 1: just by virtue of there being a steady place. The 679 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:02,720 Speaker 1: venue is so important, okay. And who was the business 680 00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:06,760 Speaker 1: guy in the band? I mean we all did a 681 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:08,640 Speaker 1: little bit of it. I definitely had a lot to 682 00:34:08,680 --> 00:34:12,440 Speaker 1: do with it, because usually the drummer is a business 683 00:34:12,440 --> 00:34:17,160 Speaker 1: guy and you're not the drummer. No, no, no, our 684 00:34:17,239 --> 00:34:20,399 Speaker 1: drummer was. He was. He was the youngster in the band. 685 00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:23,440 Speaker 1: He was five years younger, so a little bit different dynamic. Okay, 686 00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:29,279 Speaker 1: So when does the lineup formalize? Like what year? No, yeah, 687 00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:32,839 Speaker 1: how far into you you start playing in January your 688 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:37,200 Speaker 1: senior year high school? At what point does the group 689 00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:41,400 Speaker 1: formulate in the seventeen year run? Right? Two years? Two 690 00:34:41,440 --> 00:34:43,399 Speaker 1: years later we had the four guys. That was the case. 691 00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:46,120 Speaker 1: You have two years everybody serious about it, everybo or 692 00:34:46,200 --> 00:34:51,120 Speaker 1: they just say, well, I'm doing this. Uh. I think 693 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:55,560 Speaker 1: we were serious, but we had no expectations. I think 694 00:34:55,600 --> 00:34:58,480 Speaker 1: the idea was like, look, there's no punk band that's 695 00:34:58,480 --> 00:35:01,040 Speaker 1: gonna make a million dollar there sell a million records 696 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:03,720 Speaker 1: or that. That just that it doesn't exist in the universe. 697 00:35:03,719 --> 00:35:06,480 Speaker 1: So we love what we did, and I definitely was 698 00:35:06,560 --> 00:35:09,239 Speaker 1: felt strongly about pursuing it and trying to to be 699 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:11,160 Speaker 1: to make the most of it and be whatever we 700 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:13,200 Speaker 1: could be. But it was it was gonna be. It 701 00:35:13,239 --> 00:35:15,880 Speaker 1: was a small, a low bar, I guess, okay, and 702 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:23,360 Speaker 1: you were in college. The other members what were they doing? Uh? College? Uh? 703 00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:29,239 Speaker 1: Bass player Greg full time college. Noodles was part time 704 00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:32,759 Speaker 1: college and full time working. And Uh, I think Ron 705 00:35:32,800 --> 00:35:37,320 Speaker 1: the drummer was going to a technical school. So students mostly, Okay, 706 00:35:37,400 --> 00:35:39,560 Speaker 1: And at what point do you say we're gonna put 707 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:42,680 Speaker 1: a demo? Try to pursue this more seriously. You know. 708 00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:45,560 Speaker 1: Recording was really important to me from the very beginning. 709 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:49,360 Speaker 1: So even before we had the four guys together. Uh, 710 00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:52,359 Speaker 1: I would go to a studio and just work with 711 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:55,839 Speaker 1: an engineer for ten dollars an hour. I remember that. 712 00:35:55,760 --> 00:35:57,600 Speaker 1: The first guy, he was in Placentia and he lived 713 00:35:57,640 --> 00:36:00,040 Speaker 1: at his mom's house, and he converted his garage in 714 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:02,040 Speaker 1: a regular suburban house to a studio and that's where 715 00:36:02,080 --> 00:36:05,360 Speaker 1: we cut our first songs. So if I had to 716 00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:07,319 Speaker 1: play more than one instrument, I would just do it. 717 00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:09,520 Speaker 1: And I didn't know how to play drums, but we 718 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:12,080 Speaker 1: did the best we could. And so we're putting songs 719 00:36:12,080 --> 00:36:15,919 Speaker 1: together from the very beginning. Okay, when did you start 720 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:19,680 Speaker 1: to shop a tape? Well, when you say shop, when 721 00:36:19,719 --> 00:36:21,879 Speaker 1: did you say, we have a tape and we're either 722 00:36:21,880 --> 00:36:24,120 Speaker 1: going to put it out ourselves or find someone else 723 00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:27,200 Speaker 1: to put it out. Yeah, it's not like you get 724 00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:29,279 Speaker 1: a manager and an agent. It's not that kind of 725 00:36:29,360 --> 00:36:32,160 Speaker 1: it's way down low, right, So I think that at 726 00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:34,400 Speaker 1: first it was just to circulate to friends. If we 727 00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:37,120 Speaker 1: got a show, we'd either give them away or you know, 728 00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:39,239 Speaker 1: I found, uh, there was a twenty five pack you 729 00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:41,200 Speaker 1: could get for twenty five dollars, so I would be 730 00:36:41,680 --> 00:36:44,440 Speaker 1: we would dub tapes and either charge a dollar or 731 00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:46,480 Speaker 1: give them out. They'd also be kind of like your 732 00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:48,759 Speaker 1: audition tape if you wanted to get a show at 733 00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:51,240 Speaker 1: like there was a club here in Huntington called Safari 734 00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:54,080 Speaker 1: Sam's and you could send a demo tape there to 735 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:57,520 Speaker 1: try to get booked. So uh, as far as selling them, cheeze, 736 00:36:57,520 --> 00:36:58,799 Speaker 1: I guess you know. We did put an ad in 737 00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:02,359 Speaker 1: Flip Side magazine, okay, by our demo tape for two 738 00:37:02,400 --> 00:37:05,879 Speaker 1: dollars or whatever, but it was at that at that level, 739 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:08,320 Speaker 1: just selling tapes out of the back of a magazine 740 00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:11,960 Speaker 1: and what was the next big step. We decided to 741 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:14,880 Speaker 1: make our own single. Uh. And it's not that we 742 00:37:14,880 --> 00:37:16,799 Speaker 1: wouldn't have loved to have a label do it for us, 743 00:37:16,840 --> 00:37:19,440 Speaker 1: but it just wasn't an option. There wasn't the interest 744 00:37:19,480 --> 00:37:23,840 Speaker 1: from anybody. So we decided to record our own. It 745 00:37:23,960 --> 00:37:26,960 Speaker 1: was a seven inch with two songs, and we did 746 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:31,960 Speaker 1: that in and we made a thousand copies of it 747 00:37:32,400 --> 00:37:34,360 Speaker 1: of it, and we were very excited. We didn't know 748 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:36,279 Speaker 1: how we're going to sell a thousand copies that was. 749 00:37:36,440 --> 00:37:39,680 Speaker 1: That was like, you know, crazy number to get, but 750 00:37:39,719 --> 00:37:41,919 Speaker 1: that was like the lowest quantity I think you could order. 751 00:37:42,719 --> 00:37:45,440 Speaker 1: But the deal was that it was so it was 752 00:37:45,480 --> 00:37:47,719 Speaker 1: all the money we had just to get impressed that 753 00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:51,279 Speaker 1: the sleeve part wasn't included. Um, you had to do 754 00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:54,360 Speaker 1: that separately or pay a lot for it. So we 755 00:37:54,440 --> 00:37:58,000 Speaker 1: actually got these record jackets printed up, a thousand of them, 756 00:37:58,040 --> 00:38:02,160 Speaker 1: and we had to glue them together ourselves. So we 757 00:38:02,200 --> 00:38:05,759 Speaker 1: assembled our own singles and it was done. Then what 758 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:09,759 Speaker 1: you do with it We advertise and flip side, you know. 759 00:38:09,880 --> 00:38:11,880 Speaker 1: I think we actually found that there were some small 760 00:38:11,920 --> 00:38:14,359 Speaker 1: distributors at that point. I'm trying to think of their names, 761 00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:16,160 Speaker 1: but you know, along the lines of a caroline or 762 00:38:16,200 --> 00:38:18,960 Speaker 1: whatever that would they would actually say, I'll take fifty 763 00:38:18,960 --> 00:38:22,040 Speaker 1: of them. So we're selling like little bundles of fifty 764 00:38:22,080 --> 00:38:24,520 Speaker 1: to a hundred. Um. I think I don't know if 765 00:38:24,520 --> 00:38:26,680 Speaker 1: we ever sold through them, but um, I think I 766 00:38:26,719 --> 00:38:30,200 Speaker 1: think they lasted mostly for about three years, so the 767 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:35,560 Speaker 1: distributors didn't return them unsold. No, No, I don't know 768 00:38:35,560 --> 00:38:40,400 Speaker 1: if I really cared about that, just in terms of marketplace. Okay, 769 00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:43,719 Speaker 1: so what happens next A big step in the band? 770 00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:47,760 Speaker 1: Or you graduated from college? Oh, my gosh, Um graduated 771 00:38:47,760 --> 00:38:50,359 Speaker 1: from college, didn't get into medical school. I think by 772 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:52,239 Speaker 1: that time I was kind of I don't want to 773 00:38:52,239 --> 00:38:56,520 Speaker 1: say half hearted, but not a committed to that h 774 00:38:57,520 --> 00:39:00,600 Speaker 1: And Um, so I didn't get into medical school, and 775 00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:03,040 Speaker 1: the idea was, well, why don't you stick around and 776 00:39:03,040 --> 00:39:06,000 Speaker 1: get your masters and then do you look better on 777 00:39:06,040 --> 00:39:07,960 Speaker 1: paper to try to get in medical school? And I 778 00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:09,960 Speaker 1: liked that idea of it. I think, you know, honestly, 779 00:39:09,960 --> 00:39:12,200 Speaker 1: I liked the idea that it gave me more time 780 00:39:12,239 --> 00:39:14,399 Speaker 1: to mess around with the band and stay at home. 781 00:39:15,280 --> 00:39:17,799 Speaker 1: So we did that, and about that time is when 782 00:39:17,800 --> 00:39:20,239 Speaker 1: we finally got interest from a label, a record label, 783 00:39:20,280 --> 00:39:25,200 Speaker 1: and we put out our first album, self titled The Offspring. Okay, 784 00:39:25,239 --> 00:39:27,320 Speaker 1: and at some point in this game, you have a child. 785 00:39:28,560 --> 00:39:33,680 Speaker 1: What happens there? Yes, that's right. Uh had had a daughter, 786 00:39:33,719 --> 00:39:38,520 Speaker 1: and it was it was a tough, a tough situation. Um, 787 00:39:38,560 --> 00:39:40,120 Speaker 1: but you know, it just kind of kind of made 788 00:39:40,280 --> 00:39:42,759 Speaker 1: made the best of it. I mean, um, you know 789 00:39:42,800 --> 00:39:44,719 Speaker 1: it got better later on. I guess I'll just put 790 00:39:44,719 --> 00:39:48,160 Speaker 1: it that way. Okay, So you have was it a 791 00:39:48,200 --> 00:39:51,120 Speaker 1: girlfriend who got pregnant or someone you didn't know that well, 792 00:39:51,920 --> 00:39:55,279 Speaker 1: someone I didn't know very well? Okay? And there was 793 00:39:55,320 --> 00:40:02,120 Speaker 1: no issue of getting an abortion? No, no, uh no, 794 00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:07,439 Speaker 1: So you must have been freaking out. I was freaking out. 795 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:10,200 Speaker 1: I was freaking out. I was twenty three. What did 796 00:40:10,200 --> 00:40:15,080 Speaker 1: your parents say? They said, jeez, you know, you could 797 00:40:15,120 --> 00:40:18,759 Speaker 1: really mess up your life, and like, well, this is it. 798 00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:20,799 Speaker 1: I just have to deal with what what I've got 799 00:40:20,840 --> 00:40:23,440 Speaker 1: going on. And uh, you know, you don't want to. 800 00:40:23,880 --> 00:40:25,680 Speaker 1: You don't look at it from that side. You look 801 00:40:25,680 --> 00:40:27,959 Speaker 1: at it the fact that there's you know, there's there's 802 00:40:27,960 --> 00:40:29,319 Speaker 1: a child here you want to do your best for. 803 00:40:30,160 --> 00:40:31,640 Speaker 1: And so what did you do and where did you 804 00:40:31,640 --> 00:40:34,960 Speaker 1: get the money and how involved were you with the 805 00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:39,799 Speaker 1: child's life? You honestly not very for a while for 806 00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:41,600 Speaker 1: a while, and then it was it was, you know, 807 00:40:42,120 --> 00:40:45,520 Speaker 1: several years later where um, I'd made the effort to 808 00:40:45,640 --> 00:40:48,879 Speaker 1: get involved and that's when that's when things got better. 809 00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:53,920 Speaker 1: And did you pay support? We'll always for sure. So 810 00:40:53,960 --> 00:40:57,799 Speaker 1: where did you get the money to pay support? Well, 811 00:40:57,840 --> 00:40:59,480 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, they based it on your income. 812 00:41:00,040 --> 00:41:02,080 Speaker 1: It was still it was a hell of a lot 813 00:41:02,239 --> 00:41:05,520 Speaker 1: of my income, for sure. But you know, back then, 814 00:41:05,560 --> 00:41:08,160 Speaker 1: you you took odd jobs, worked in the summer, whatever, 815 00:41:08,320 --> 00:41:10,359 Speaker 1: whatever you had to do, you know, part time work. 816 00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:13,000 Speaker 1: So how did you metabolize this or was it a 817 00:41:13,120 --> 00:41:18,000 Speaker 1: you know, a weight on your shoulder? It was just 818 00:41:18,160 --> 00:41:20,400 Speaker 1: it was it was what it was. So no, it 819 00:41:20,440 --> 00:41:22,360 Speaker 1: wasn't like that. It wasn't processed like that or a 820 00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:25,880 Speaker 1: weight or anything like that. Okay, let me ask you, 821 00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:31,680 Speaker 1: do you have any tattoos? I have zero tattoos. Okay, 822 00:41:32,320 --> 00:41:37,200 Speaker 1: there's obviously thought behind that. What's your thought? I know 823 00:41:37,280 --> 00:41:40,239 Speaker 1: we're probably, you know, one of the only bands I 824 00:41:40,239 --> 00:41:42,759 Speaker 1: think actually I think no one in the Vandals has tattoos. 825 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:46,840 Speaker 1: And uh, but I know, so tattoos are so you know, 826 00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:51,000 Speaker 1: ubiquitous everywhere, and especially as time went on. I mean, 827 00:41:51,280 --> 00:41:53,239 Speaker 1: you know, in the eighties and nineties, maybe it was 828 00:41:53,280 --> 00:41:55,040 Speaker 1: a couple here and there, and then by the time 829 00:41:55,360 --> 00:41:57,080 Speaker 1: you get to the Warp Tour in the two thousands, 830 00:41:57,200 --> 00:41:59,920 Speaker 1: you know, an eighteen year old kid is completely sleeved. 831 00:42:00,440 --> 00:42:03,000 Speaker 1: So it's definitely changed. But you know, it wasn't that 832 00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:04,719 Speaker 1: I didn't like them. I think they're cool. I just 833 00:42:04,800 --> 00:42:07,400 Speaker 1: I never felt strongly about any one thing that I 834 00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:09,960 Speaker 1: wanted to get a tattooed on me, and I kind 835 00:42:09,960 --> 00:42:12,760 Speaker 1: of thought, yeah, maybe I'll feel differently in a few years. 836 00:42:13,680 --> 00:42:15,200 Speaker 1: And uh, and I also thought that, you know, I 837 00:42:15,239 --> 00:42:17,120 Speaker 1: knew that like you're gonna change, you might not love 838 00:42:18,040 --> 00:42:20,640 Speaker 1: at at forty what you loved at at twenty. So 839 00:42:21,280 --> 00:42:24,520 Speaker 1: I just never just never appealed to me enough to 840 00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:27,279 Speaker 1: go through and get one so on someone that you say, 841 00:42:27,280 --> 00:42:30,359 Speaker 1: this is permanent, and therefore, you know, I don't want 842 00:42:30,360 --> 00:42:34,680 Speaker 1: to take a risk if it's permanent. I didn't want to. 843 00:42:35,400 --> 00:42:37,440 Speaker 1: I mean, the more I thought about it, that there 844 00:42:37,480 --> 00:42:39,120 Speaker 1: was enough time like, Okay, look, I don't want to 845 00:42:39,160 --> 00:42:41,399 Speaker 1: be that guy with a bad billy tattoo, right, I've 846 00:42:41,440 --> 00:42:44,600 Speaker 1: seen enough bad tattoos that people regret to know that 847 00:42:44,600 --> 00:42:47,600 Speaker 1: that wasn't what I wanted to be. Okay, the first album, 848 00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:51,440 Speaker 1: nothing really happens. Ultimately you make the album with epitaph 849 00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:54,080 Speaker 1: what is going on in your day to day life 850 00:42:54,400 --> 00:42:58,839 Speaker 1: between graduated from college and before things start to come 851 00:42:58,880 --> 00:43:02,440 Speaker 1: together in nineties war. Yes, So I did finish the 852 00:43:02,480 --> 00:43:06,320 Speaker 1: masters at at USC, and uh, you know, my undergrad 853 00:43:06,440 --> 00:43:09,239 Speaker 1: was in biology, just general biology. The masters was in 854 00:43:09,280 --> 00:43:12,880 Speaker 1: molecular biology, which is like genetics, and I really liked 855 00:43:13,120 --> 00:43:15,040 Speaker 1: the subject a lot. I thought it was really cool, 856 00:43:15,160 --> 00:43:17,840 Speaker 1: was it was. I was interested in it, like I 857 00:43:17,840 --> 00:43:21,680 Speaker 1: could see myself going further with that. UM. I applied 858 00:43:21,680 --> 00:43:26,200 Speaker 1: to medical school again and didn't get in again. Uh. 859 00:43:26,280 --> 00:43:28,279 Speaker 1: I think if it had been USC, I probably would 860 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:30,120 Speaker 1: have gone. And I got pretty far in the process. 861 00:43:30,120 --> 00:43:32,400 Speaker 1: They interviewed me. That's like the last step before they 862 00:43:32,400 --> 00:43:35,280 Speaker 1: decide UM. I interviewed it a couple of other places, 863 00:43:35,320 --> 00:43:39,320 Speaker 1: like I interviewed Georgetown and a couple uh medical schools 864 00:43:39,320 --> 00:43:44,440 Speaker 1: in Philadelphia Hanuman and Jefferson, and uh, I think I 865 00:43:44,600 --> 00:43:48,760 Speaker 1: kind of just didn't quite finish the application with those guys. 866 00:43:48,920 --> 00:43:51,400 Speaker 1: I think I had a good shot, probably because I 867 00:43:51,400 --> 00:43:54,640 Speaker 1: I had done well on the MCATs and stuff. Uh, 868 00:43:54,680 --> 00:43:56,600 Speaker 1: And I think again it was that kind of like 869 00:43:57,440 --> 00:44:01,200 Speaker 1: kind of uh, sorry, what's the word, sabotaging yourself a 870 00:44:01,239 --> 00:44:03,239 Speaker 1: little bit, maybe so that you don't go in a 871 00:44:03,280 --> 00:44:05,920 Speaker 1: direction you don't want to go. I think subconsciously the 872 00:44:05,960 --> 00:44:07,880 Speaker 1: band was important and I didn't want to let that go. 873 00:44:08,280 --> 00:44:10,040 Speaker 1: So I want to try to figure out a situation 874 00:44:10,040 --> 00:44:11,879 Speaker 1: where Okay, I'm not going to be one of those 875 00:44:11,920 --> 00:44:13,480 Speaker 1: guys that drops out and just tries to make it 876 00:44:13,480 --> 00:44:15,480 Speaker 1: in a band that just didn't seem realistic to me. 877 00:44:15,560 --> 00:44:17,320 Speaker 1: But I'd like to stay in l A so I 878 00:44:17,360 --> 00:44:20,160 Speaker 1: could find something that I like to do and still 879 00:44:20,719 --> 00:44:23,960 Speaker 1: do the music. What and he thought about what that 880 00:44:24,040 --> 00:44:28,040 Speaker 1: might be. Well, since I didn't get in medical school, 881 00:44:28,080 --> 00:44:30,800 Speaker 1: that that the school USC said, well, look, you've already 882 00:44:30,800 --> 00:44:33,319 Speaker 1: got the masters, why don't you just come back and 883 00:44:33,800 --> 00:44:36,120 Speaker 1: keep on working on the doctorate. We'll we'll let you continue, 884 00:44:36,520 --> 00:44:39,720 Speaker 1: which was an amazing opportunity. And I loved it because 885 00:44:39,719 --> 00:44:42,279 Speaker 1: I did like the subject. But I also knew that 886 00:44:42,320 --> 00:44:47,000 Speaker 1: as a graduate student you've got pretty amazing flexibility. Like 887 00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:49,360 Speaker 1: if I had to go to Reno on a Thursday 888 00:44:49,360 --> 00:44:51,640 Speaker 1: to play a show, I could I could do it. 889 00:44:51,719 --> 00:44:53,160 Speaker 1: I could. I could get away with it and get 890 00:44:53,200 --> 00:44:55,240 Speaker 1: back and put in the time over the weekend or something. 891 00:44:55,840 --> 00:44:59,080 Speaker 1: So it was actually a pretty good situation being a 892 00:44:59,080 --> 00:45:03,400 Speaker 1: grad student. Okay, come out and play. That becomes a 893 00:45:03,400 --> 00:45:08,360 Speaker 1: phenomenon in l A. Jim garin Oh is your manager, 894 00:45:08,520 --> 00:45:10,840 Speaker 1: yet he is working at A and M. And then 895 00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:13,399 Speaker 1: Alcafaro goes to a program at Harvard, so the gym 896 00:45:13,440 --> 00:45:17,120 Speaker 1: is literally running A and M and all of a 897 00:45:17,160 --> 00:45:19,920 Speaker 1: sudden K Rock picks up the record and it becomes 898 00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:24,480 Speaker 1: the biggest record on k rock. What is the experience 899 00:45:24,520 --> 00:45:28,279 Speaker 1: from your side of the glass, It was incredible. I mean, 900 00:45:28,800 --> 00:45:30,799 Speaker 1: you know, going from zero to a hundred for sure, 901 00:45:30,840 --> 00:45:34,440 Speaker 1: and especially in our case. You know, I remember bands 902 00:45:34,640 --> 00:45:37,040 Speaker 1: doing interviews saying, you know, when we were first together, 903 00:45:37,120 --> 00:45:39,480 Speaker 1: we could only draw ten people until our first single 904 00:45:39,560 --> 00:45:41,800 Speaker 1: came out. I mean we drowed. We drew ten people 905 00:45:41,880 --> 00:45:45,279 Speaker 1: for ten years. I mean the band was ten years 906 00:45:45,280 --> 00:45:47,239 Speaker 1: in when Come Out and Play came out. And I 907 00:45:47,239 --> 00:45:50,480 Speaker 1: remember right when, right before the record Smash came out, 908 00:45:50,520 --> 00:45:52,960 Speaker 1: we did a hometown show and we actually drew a 909 00:45:53,040 --> 00:45:55,439 Speaker 1: hundred people. So that was the best we had ever done, 910 00:45:55,600 --> 00:45:58,759 Speaker 1: was a hundred. After all that time, so for this 911 00:45:58,800 --> 00:46:00,440 Speaker 1: song to get on the radio and all of a 912 00:46:00,480 --> 00:46:03,720 Speaker 1: sudden really connect was just it just blew our minds. 913 00:46:04,320 --> 00:46:06,080 Speaker 1: It was crazy. I mean I I was living in 914 00:46:06,080 --> 00:46:08,640 Speaker 1: an apartment with with my girlfriend, and all of a 915 00:46:08,680 --> 00:46:11,399 Speaker 1: sudden there were label guys like knocking on my door. 916 00:46:11,400 --> 00:46:12,799 Speaker 1: I had no idea how they tracked me down, but 917 00:46:12,840 --> 00:46:14,720 Speaker 1: A and our guys were coming to my little tiny 918 00:46:14,719 --> 00:46:17,600 Speaker 1: apartment and Hunton Beach saying hey, can I talk to you? 919 00:46:17,640 --> 00:46:20,160 Speaker 1: And I go, well, I gotta take out the trash. 920 00:46:20,280 --> 00:46:21,960 Speaker 1: My my girlfriend wants for to on the trash, and 921 00:46:22,000 --> 00:46:24,000 Speaker 1: it's like, well, can I take out the trash with you? 922 00:46:24,200 --> 00:46:27,759 Speaker 1: Like being being followed around, you know, so you kind 923 00:46:27,760 --> 00:46:30,840 Speaker 1: of have these moments where it feels real in a 924 00:46:30,880 --> 00:46:34,120 Speaker 1: way that you're not sure before, you know, like uh, 925 00:46:34,239 --> 00:46:36,799 Speaker 1: like being in the newspaper was something that really legitimized 926 00:46:36,840 --> 00:46:39,720 Speaker 1: it for my parents, like because they they were always supportive, 927 00:46:39,760 --> 00:46:41,240 Speaker 1: but they were hoping it was kind of a phase 928 00:46:41,320 --> 00:46:43,200 Speaker 1: for me, hoping I just you know, get with it 929 00:46:43,239 --> 00:46:45,399 Speaker 1: and go back to medical school or something. But when 930 00:46:45,400 --> 00:46:47,400 Speaker 1: they saw us in the l a times, all of 931 00:46:47,440 --> 00:46:49,479 Speaker 1: a sudden, for them it's like, Okay, this is real. 932 00:46:49,520 --> 00:46:53,239 Speaker 1: I finally got their seal of approval. Um. I think 933 00:46:53,280 --> 00:46:56,120 Speaker 1: another moment for me was being in our kitchen and 934 00:46:56,160 --> 00:46:58,640 Speaker 1: because you live in a small apartment conflict plaw and complex, 935 00:46:59,280 --> 00:47:02,440 Speaker 1: your kitchen win dough faces the guy next door's kitchen 936 00:47:02,480 --> 00:47:05,799 Speaker 1: window whatever, right and I'm looking at him and he's 937 00:47:05,840 --> 00:47:10,080 Speaker 1: on his cordless phone, and because it's we're close en together, 938 00:47:10,080 --> 00:47:11,799 Speaker 1: I can actually hear him talking and he's on the phone. 939 00:47:11,840 --> 00:47:14,799 Speaker 1: He goes, no, dude, I'm looking at him right now. 940 00:47:18,239 --> 00:47:23,280 Speaker 1: So like, okay, this is actually this is turning into something. Okay. 941 00:47:23,360 --> 00:47:26,040 Speaker 1: So the album comes out on the Epitaph and the 942 00:47:26,120 --> 00:47:31,399 Speaker 1: people sniffing around and hunting the beach are from other labels. Yeah, yeah, 943 00:47:31,440 --> 00:47:35,400 Speaker 1: I major labels, And what was your deal with Epitaph? 944 00:47:36,719 --> 00:47:41,040 Speaker 1: We were signed I think for another record that that 945 00:47:41,080 --> 00:47:44,360 Speaker 1: point became a legal legal issue. But um, you know, 946 00:47:44,440 --> 00:47:46,960 Speaker 1: I was really stoked to be part of the Epitaph thing. 947 00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:50,040 Speaker 1: I kind of felt like we finally found in you know, 948 00:47:50,080 --> 00:47:52,840 Speaker 1: I was talking about finding Mike our social click in 949 00:47:52,920 --> 00:47:55,600 Speaker 1: high school. These are our guys in a band sense. 950 00:47:55,640 --> 00:47:58,080 Speaker 1: I felt like we had find found that circle on Epitaph. 951 00:47:58,560 --> 00:48:01,200 Speaker 1: We had become friends with um bands like Pennywise and 952 00:48:01,280 --> 00:48:05,560 Speaker 1: No Effects, Rancid of course, and you know, Bad Religion. 953 00:48:06,160 --> 00:48:07,520 Speaker 1: It was a couple of years ahead of us, so 954 00:48:07,560 --> 00:48:09,880 Speaker 1: we weren't as tight with them, but it felt like 955 00:48:09,960 --> 00:48:13,560 Speaker 1: this real, real sense of community, and I didn't want 956 00:48:13,560 --> 00:48:16,279 Speaker 1: to leave it. Brett Gurwitz, the owner, was really gung 957 00:48:16,320 --> 00:48:18,319 Speaker 1: ho about we're gonna make it, We're gonna do it, 958 00:48:18,840 --> 00:48:20,000 Speaker 1: you know, and he didn't want to lose us to 959 00:48:20,040 --> 00:48:23,600 Speaker 1: a major um because at that time, every band that 960 00:48:23,680 --> 00:48:27,560 Speaker 1: got started would go to the major in the middle 961 00:48:27,560 --> 00:48:29,719 Speaker 1: of the record, whether it was you know, beck On Ball, 962 00:48:29,840 --> 00:48:33,120 Speaker 1: Load Records or Trent Resider, like none of them finished 963 00:48:33,719 --> 00:48:37,320 Speaker 1: their successful record at the label they released the record 964 00:48:37,360 --> 00:48:40,440 Speaker 1: initially on. And he really wanted to do it, and 965 00:48:40,440 --> 00:48:42,759 Speaker 1: and I felt kind of excited about it. And there 966 00:48:42,800 --> 00:48:44,799 Speaker 1: was again because our friends and our buddies were there. 967 00:48:44,800 --> 00:48:47,279 Speaker 1: It's kind of like this real sense of camaraderie, like, yeah, 968 00:48:47,360 --> 00:48:50,680 Speaker 1: let's do it, let's do it. Okay, how did you 969 00:48:50,719 --> 00:48:52,759 Speaker 1: get the deal at Epitaph if you could only draw 970 00:48:53,040 --> 00:48:58,640 Speaker 1: forty people? Yeah? Yeah, persistence I sent I sent Brett 971 00:48:58,640 --> 00:49:00,680 Speaker 1: our first record that we released on other label, and 972 00:49:01,239 --> 00:49:04,600 Speaker 1: he liked it, but he passed and then you know, Uh. 973 00:49:04,920 --> 00:49:08,239 Speaker 1: We played it uh a club in Hollywood, so I 974 00:49:08,239 --> 00:49:11,120 Speaker 1: can't remember what it's called. But um uh he came 975 00:49:11,160 --> 00:49:13,239 Speaker 1: to the show and thought we were good but kind 976 00:49:13,280 --> 00:49:16,400 Speaker 1: of passed and then it was really I. I decided 977 00:49:16,400 --> 00:49:18,799 Speaker 1: to do another demo with four fresh new songs, and 978 00:49:19,200 --> 00:49:21,879 Speaker 1: one of the songs was the first song on what 979 00:49:21,920 --> 00:49:24,239 Speaker 1: was going to be the record. And they listened to 980 00:49:24,320 --> 00:49:27,440 Speaker 1: the demo and said, you're you're, You're gonna be signed. 981 00:49:27,680 --> 00:49:30,279 Speaker 1: So just on the strength of a demo and how 982 00:49:30,360 --> 00:49:35,200 Speaker 1: much money do they give you when they signed you? Uh? 983 00:49:35,320 --> 00:49:37,560 Speaker 1: You know, I gotta give Gret Brett credit for saying, 984 00:49:38,000 --> 00:49:41,160 Speaker 1: here's a contract. You have to get a lawyer if 985 00:49:41,160 --> 00:49:42,960 Speaker 1: you don't have a lawyer, and if you can't pay 986 00:49:42,960 --> 00:49:44,799 Speaker 1: for a lawyer, I'll actually advance you the money to 987 00:49:44,840 --> 00:49:47,719 Speaker 1: get a lawyer because you have to sign something. And 988 00:49:47,800 --> 00:49:49,480 Speaker 1: he marked up a couple of things and sent it back. 989 00:49:49,520 --> 00:49:53,200 Speaker 1: But I think, um, the first album costs ten dollars 990 00:49:53,239 --> 00:49:56,600 Speaker 1: to record. That was our budget. Okay, did Annie, how 991 00:49:56,640 --> 00:49:59,359 Speaker 1: did come out and play? How did that become a hit? 992 00:49:59,400 --> 00:50:01,600 Speaker 1: Did you really lies that was the song? How did 993 00:50:01,640 --> 00:50:05,360 Speaker 1: k Rock end up playing it? Yeah? I felt it 994 00:50:05,400 --> 00:50:07,520 Speaker 1: was hooky and I thought there was something about it 995 00:50:07,600 --> 00:50:09,640 Speaker 1: that I had a gut feeling it was something that 996 00:50:09,719 --> 00:50:15,640 Speaker 1: was good. Uh that epitaph took it to radio. I 997 00:50:15,640 --> 00:50:17,640 Speaker 1: think they kind of started just like playing it for 998 00:50:17,640 --> 00:50:19,080 Speaker 1: people saying well, what do you think? What do you think? 999 00:50:19,120 --> 00:50:21,800 Speaker 1: I don't think they officially approached radio, but they approached 1000 00:50:21,840 --> 00:50:24,320 Speaker 1: K Rock and I got the call in the afternoon. 1001 00:50:24,400 --> 00:50:27,120 Speaker 1: I was at grad school saying, well, hey, they listened. 1002 00:50:27,120 --> 00:50:29,360 Speaker 1: They had their music meeting today. They listened to fifteen 1003 00:50:29,400 --> 00:50:32,400 Speaker 1: songs and they rejected them all except for yours. Yours 1004 00:50:32,440 --> 00:50:34,719 Speaker 1: is going in And it was like what and they're like, 1005 00:50:34,760 --> 00:50:36,520 Speaker 1: you know, And I think Jed the Fish played her 1006 00:50:36,520 --> 00:50:39,160 Speaker 1: on the drive home that day at five o'clock. And 1007 00:50:39,920 --> 00:50:42,320 Speaker 1: you know, luckily for us, I guess, because it just connected. 1008 00:50:42,360 --> 00:50:44,400 Speaker 1: It was like there was no there couldn't be a 1009 00:50:44,440 --> 00:50:46,239 Speaker 1: push behind it. There wasn't we were there was a 1010 00:50:46,239 --> 00:50:48,719 Speaker 1: small label, there was no money, no budget, nothing like that. 1011 00:50:49,280 --> 00:50:52,200 Speaker 1: But luckily just it reacted right away, and you know, 1012 00:50:52,239 --> 00:50:53,960 Speaker 1: then it was that on that top five at nine, 1013 00:50:54,000 --> 00:50:56,440 Speaker 1: it was number one. It stayed there for a while. Okay, 1014 00:50:56,760 --> 00:50:58,759 Speaker 1: you live in with your girlfriend in the apartment in 1015 00:50:58,880 --> 00:51:02,720 Speaker 1: Huntington Beach. You're going to grad school. All of a sudden, 1016 00:51:02,760 --> 00:51:05,799 Speaker 1: this album blows up. It's like, so, then what do 1017 00:51:05,840 --> 00:51:10,240 Speaker 1: you do? Yeah? Yeah, well Jim had started managing us before, 1018 00:51:10,280 --> 00:51:13,880 Speaker 1: and I'm like, well, so what do we do? You know, 1019 00:51:13,960 --> 00:51:16,960 Speaker 1: Noodles is working as literally as a custodian in elementary 1020 00:51:16,960 --> 00:51:19,920 Speaker 1: school and he has child support to pay, and he's like, 1021 00:51:20,440 --> 00:51:22,880 Speaker 1: I can't just quit, and I I didn't want to 1022 00:51:22,920 --> 00:51:26,440 Speaker 1: throw away my grad school and stuff. And uh, we 1023 00:51:26,560 --> 00:51:29,200 Speaker 1: kind of we took it easy for a minute, and then, 1024 00:51:29,600 --> 00:51:32,080 Speaker 1: you know, talking to Jim, it's like, you know, you're 1025 00:51:32,120 --> 00:51:34,200 Speaker 1: gonna have to really, you're gonna have to go for 1026 00:51:34,239 --> 00:51:36,440 Speaker 1: this if you want to shot at it, because this 1027 00:51:36,480 --> 00:51:38,360 Speaker 1: is the time, you know. And I'm like, well, what 1028 00:51:38,400 --> 00:51:40,879 Speaker 1: if I finished grad school, like a couple of years 1029 00:51:40,880 --> 00:51:43,919 Speaker 1: from now, it'll be gone. You gotta go. So I 1030 00:51:43,920 --> 00:51:45,920 Speaker 1: I quit school, Well, I took a leave of absence. 1031 00:51:45,920 --> 00:51:47,480 Speaker 1: They were nice enough to give me a leave of 1032 00:51:47,520 --> 00:51:52,040 Speaker 1: absence and uh and when you know, started touring, the 1033 00:51:52,040 --> 00:51:54,279 Speaker 1: thing was it was so palpable. You could feel it 1034 00:51:54,480 --> 00:51:57,000 Speaker 1: changing week to week, you know, because it was k 1035 00:51:57,239 --> 00:52:00,480 Speaker 1: rock one week and the next week it was I 1036 00:52:00,480 --> 00:52:02,560 Speaker 1: would go to Vegas and then it would go to Phoenix, 1037 00:52:02,600 --> 00:52:04,160 Speaker 1: and then it would go to San Francisco and it 1038 00:52:04,200 --> 00:52:07,279 Speaker 1: was spreading that way, and then you know, a month 1039 00:52:07,360 --> 00:52:09,440 Speaker 1: or well maybe two months later, we got MTV, and 1040 00:52:09,440 --> 00:52:13,040 Speaker 1: of course MTV is like a national radio station, so 1041 00:52:13,320 --> 00:52:15,920 Speaker 1: at that point it was national. And our record came 1042 00:52:15,920 --> 00:52:18,200 Speaker 1: out in April and by June, I think we were 1043 00:52:18,239 --> 00:52:20,279 Speaker 1: in the top twenty, would get number twenty on the 1044 00:52:20,320 --> 00:52:23,239 Speaker 1: album charts, and I knew we were gonna be okay. 1045 00:52:23,280 --> 00:52:25,920 Speaker 1: So there was that really uncomfortable period of thinking of 1046 00:52:26,040 --> 00:52:28,640 Speaker 1: my fucking up my life. But luckily for us, it 1047 00:52:28,680 --> 00:52:30,719 Speaker 1: was pretty quick because it was clear that it was 1048 00:52:30,719 --> 00:52:34,480 Speaker 1: going to be successful enough okay, So you immediately go 1049 00:52:34,560 --> 00:52:40,560 Speaker 1: on the road playing how often with who? Yeah, we 1050 00:52:40,600 --> 00:52:43,440 Speaker 1: had a booking agent in place already, Uh, just a 1051 00:52:44,360 --> 00:52:46,640 Speaker 1: you know, a girl in her own place doing it. 1052 00:52:46,680 --> 00:52:48,880 Speaker 1: Wasn't like a firm or whatever. And the idea was 1053 00:52:48,920 --> 00:52:51,360 Speaker 1: just to do a a club a club tour. So 1054 00:52:51,400 --> 00:52:54,319 Speaker 1: we're going to the five seaters and gosh, I think 1055 00:52:54,360 --> 00:52:56,200 Speaker 1: we are. We're out for like six weeks, which was 1056 00:52:56,239 --> 00:52:58,680 Speaker 1: a long time for us. And back then you don't 1057 00:52:58,719 --> 00:53:00,200 Speaker 1: even you don't know what you're capable of, what you 1058 00:53:00,200 --> 00:53:02,040 Speaker 1: can do, and it's all very exciting, you know by 1059 00:53:02,080 --> 00:53:04,239 Speaker 1: the way too, so I think we're playing five in 1060 00:53:04,239 --> 00:53:06,919 Speaker 1: a rows, you know, doing five nights on one night off, 1061 00:53:07,520 --> 00:53:11,600 Speaker 1: So pretty grueling tour. But you know, it was on MTV. 1062 00:53:11,760 --> 00:53:13,439 Speaker 1: So by the end of that tour, I mean every 1063 00:53:13,440 --> 00:53:17,440 Speaker 1: show was sold out. And at that point we're very 1064 00:53:17,480 --> 00:53:21,160 Speaker 1: comfortable playing the three to five seater and it's still 1065 00:53:21,800 --> 00:53:24,120 Speaker 1: a venue that I really like because there's such a 1066 00:53:24,280 --> 00:53:26,640 Speaker 1: it's so easy to connect with the crowd at that 1067 00:53:27,120 --> 00:53:29,239 Speaker 1: at that level, you know, because you mean you can 1068 00:53:29,280 --> 00:53:32,319 Speaker 1: almost talk to them, right and so, uh, I really 1069 00:53:32,440 --> 00:53:35,160 Speaker 1: enjoyed that tour. And by the end of it, like 1070 00:53:35,200 --> 00:53:37,600 Speaker 1: I said, when you when you get a small a 1071 00:53:37,600 --> 00:53:40,399 Speaker 1: small club that's packed, there's an energy. I mean, it's 1072 00:53:40,400 --> 00:53:43,400 Speaker 1: just it's bananas, you know, it's really really great. So 1073 00:53:43,480 --> 00:53:46,080 Speaker 1: that was just so much fun. And then it was like, 1074 00:53:46,120 --> 00:53:48,040 Speaker 1: you know, off to Europe and then back and now 1075 00:53:48,120 --> 00:53:49,560 Speaker 1: let's do another round of the U s and we're 1076 00:53:49,600 --> 00:53:52,880 Speaker 1: gonna play you know, small theaters thousand and I think 1077 00:53:52,920 --> 00:53:55,080 Speaker 1: we ended up doing three rounds of the US like that, 1078 00:53:55,080 --> 00:53:58,200 Speaker 1: where we ended up in palladium sized places three thousand, 1079 00:53:58,239 --> 00:54:01,040 Speaker 1: three to five thousand, and when do you personally start 1080 00:54:01,080 --> 00:54:07,640 Speaker 1: to see any money. Uh oh gosh. I mean it 1081 00:54:07,680 --> 00:54:11,440 Speaker 1: takes a while, right, It's not like here and I 1082 00:54:11,480 --> 00:54:14,120 Speaker 1: get it. Yeah, I mean I think it was a 1083 00:54:14,200 --> 00:54:17,120 Speaker 1: year before we got any real money. Um. I do 1084 00:54:17,200 --> 00:54:21,279 Speaker 1: remember our record came out in April and when we 1085 00:54:21,360 --> 00:54:24,480 Speaker 1: were in Europe, they said congratulations, guys, just sold a million, 1086 00:54:24,560 --> 00:54:26,200 Speaker 1: and we couldn't believe her, like holy sh it. And 1087 00:54:26,239 --> 00:54:29,799 Speaker 1: I think by Christmas it had sold three million. So 1088 00:54:30,200 --> 00:54:32,719 Speaker 1: we knew there was money in the pipeline. But I mean, 1089 00:54:32,840 --> 00:54:35,319 Speaker 1: we couldn't have spent it anyway. We were on the road. 1090 00:54:35,760 --> 00:54:38,839 Speaker 1: I think we did. We did two shows I think 1091 00:54:38,880 --> 00:54:42,400 Speaker 1: on that record over his span of about fourteen months. 1092 00:54:42,719 --> 00:54:44,520 Speaker 1: And the thing is you cover that, you cover all 1093 00:54:44,560 --> 00:54:46,319 Speaker 1: the whatever, the territory, and then you'd have to do 1094 00:54:46,360 --> 00:54:47,920 Speaker 1: it again because it was a bigger thing now and 1095 00:54:47,920 --> 00:54:50,239 Speaker 1: then you'd have to do it again. So it was 1096 00:54:50,320 --> 00:54:52,560 Speaker 1: it was a lot, but um, you know, we knew 1097 00:54:52,600 --> 00:54:54,680 Speaker 1: that it was the time to do it for sure, 1098 00:54:55,239 --> 00:54:58,200 Speaker 1: you know. And and we're also you know, talking to Jim, 1099 00:54:58,239 --> 00:55:00,120 Speaker 1: He's like, you should really put the work in in 1100 00:55:00,160 --> 00:55:03,080 Speaker 1: Europe because Europe will stay with you if you go now. 1101 00:55:03,120 --> 00:55:04,799 Speaker 1: And we went to Europe. I think four times on 1102 00:55:04,840 --> 00:55:08,560 Speaker 1: that record. Okay, so how much money did you get 1103 00:55:08,600 --> 00:55:12,799 Speaker 1: when you got paid and what you do with the money. Well, 1104 00:55:12,800 --> 00:55:16,239 Speaker 1: I bought a car. I don't know. I mean it 1105 00:55:16,280 --> 00:55:20,880 Speaker 1: wasn't like gazillionaires, but maybe millionaires. It was enough to 1106 00:55:20,880 --> 00:55:24,400 Speaker 1: buy a house, I think, you know. And like I said, right, 1107 00:55:24,440 --> 00:55:26,640 Speaker 1: we're it's it's a year and a half later before 1108 00:55:26,640 --> 00:55:28,719 Speaker 1: you're even thinking about that stuff. So you know, I 1109 00:55:28,760 --> 00:55:33,520 Speaker 1: had gotten married. Uh, you know, other guys got engaged 1110 00:55:33,600 --> 00:55:35,839 Speaker 1: and we all kind of figured out where we want 1111 00:55:35,840 --> 00:55:40,360 Speaker 1: to live and bought our first houses. Okay, now you 1112 00:55:40,360 --> 00:55:44,520 Speaker 1: have to make another record, yes, first time. You're nobody. 1113 00:55:45,200 --> 00:55:48,000 Speaker 1: Now you have this gigantic kit. How much pressure do 1114 00:55:48,040 --> 00:55:50,879 Speaker 1: you feel? You try not to look at it that way, 1115 00:55:50,920 --> 00:55:52,480 Speaker 1: and that's what I would always say in an interview, 1116 00:55:52,520 --> 00:55:56,840 Speaker 1: but I think it's natural to feel it a little bit. Uh. 1117 00:55:56,960 --> 00:55:59,399 Speaker 1: I feel like you maybe can't do your best work 1118 00:55:59,400 --> 00:56:01,880 Speaker 1: if you're coming for that place, because like it's like 1119 00:56:01,920 --> 00:56:04,000 Speaker 1: a mind funk. Right. You don't want to think about 1120 00:56:04,000 --> 00:56:05,680 Speaker 1: what they want, but you don't want to try too 1121 00:56:05,680 --> 00:56:07,560 Speaker 1: hard and not think about what they want. You're trying 1122 00:56:07,560 --> 00:56:10,440 Speaker 1: to just be what you were before, which was unknown. 1123 00:56:11,360 --> 00:56:15,879 Speaker 1: Um I did know that doing Smash Part two felt 1124 00:56:15,880 --> 00:56:18,440 Speaker 1: like the wrong thing to do. I thought that that 1125 00:56:18,480 --> 00:56:20,640 Speaker 1: doesn't feel right. We have to This is the time 1126 00:56:20,640 --> 00:56:23,799 Speaker 1: where we have to expand our our musical circle, so 1127 00:56:23,880 --> 00:56:27,080 Speaker 1: to speak. We had to try something different. So that 1128 00:56:27,200 --> 00:56:29,120 Speaker 1: was that was part of the thinking going into Extant 1129 00:56:29,120 --> 00:56:31,560 Speaker 1: on the Ombrean and UM. I think the other thing 1130 00:56:31,640 --> 00:56:35,279 Speaker 1: was the recognition that this is going to be a 1131 00:56:35,320 --> 00:56:37,680 Speaker 1: software slumb. It's gonna be perceived as a software slub, 1132 00:56:37,719 --> 00:56:40,400 Speaker 1: no matter if it's good or bad, it's it's not 1133 00:56:40,440 --> 00:56:43,400 Speaker 1: gonna be what Smash was, and trying to prepare ourselves 1134 00:56:43,560 --> 00:56:46,439 Speaker 1: for that, even though you know they called it soft. 1135 00:56:47,080 --> 00:56:49,239 Speaker 1: People call it that when a band puts out the 1136 00:56:49,280 --> 00:56:52,440 Speaker 1: second record after a successful one. But they're not realizing 1137 00:56:52,440 --> 00:56:54,360 Speaker 1: that we've put out four albums and we've been around 1138 00:56:54,400 --> 00:56:57,800 Speaker 1: for twelve years and we're not a new band. And 1139 00:56:57,880 --> 00:57:00,440 Speaker 1: how did you end up at Colombia At some when 1140 00:57:00,160 --> 00:57:02,920 Speaker 1: it became clear to us that we needed more than 1141 00:57:03,040 --> 00:57:06,200 Speaker 1: we felt Epitaph could provide. And you know, Epitaph, they 1142 00:57:06,239 --> 00:57:08,839 Speaker 1: they they staffed up a lot, they stuffed up a lot, 1143 00:57:09,520 --> 00:57:12,160 Speaker 1: and they got very good at what they did. But 1144 00:57:13,239 --> 00:57:14,920 Speaker 1: by the nature of who they were. They weren't going 1145 00:57:14,960 --> 00:57:17,400 Speaker 1: to have a presence in South America or you know, 1146 00:57:18,120 --> 00:57:20,320 Speaker 1: or Asia that much. Really, that was just kind of 1147 00:57:20,880 --> 00:57:23,840 Speaker 1: we were licensing to Sony already in Asia anyway, So 1148 00:57:24,200 --> 00:57:27,120 Speaker 1: we decided we wanted some something that had a bigger 1149 00:57:27,160 --> 00:57:32,040 Speaker 1: worldwide thing going on. And um, uh, you know, it 1150 00:57:32,080 --> 00:57:35,360 Speaker 1: was really Jim going out and and talking to who 1151 00:57:35,400 --> 00:57:38,280 Speaker 1: he felt comfortable with. And we we didn't entertain like 1152 00:57:38,480 --> 00:57:40,480 Speaker 1: eighteen different offers or whatever. We talked to just one 1153 00:57:40,560 --> 00:57:43,240 Speaker 1: or two guys. And and I really liked Columbia from 1154 00:57:43,280 --> 00:57:46,120 Speaker 1: the very beginning, and I liked they came across very 1155 00:57:46,200 --> 00:57:49,560 Speaker 1: much as we're very artist friendly. Uh you know, back 1156 00:57:49,600 --> 00:57:51,320 Speaker 1: in those days, I don't think people don't even care 1157 00:57:51,360 --> 00:57:53,440 Speaker 1: now that they The worry was that the label was 1158 00:57:53,480 --> 00:57:56,040 Speaker 1: going to control you and make you change your sound 1159 00:57:56,120 --> 00:57:58,400 Speaker 1: and all that, right, and and we never got that 1160 00:57:58,520 --> 00:58:01,400 Speaker 1: vibe from Colombia at all. I think we're in a 1161 00:58:01,520 --> 00:58:04,080 Speaker 1: we're in a fortunate position already that we were coming 1162 00:58:04,120 --> 00:58:07,760 Speaker 1: in off a record that had sold whatever ten million records, 1163 00:58:07,800 --> 00:58:11,280 Speaker 1: so we definitely were able to tell the label, don't 1164 00:58:11,280 --> 00:58:13,080 Speaker 1: bog us, We're just gonna do what we want to do. 1165 00:58:13,200 --> 00:58:15,440 Speaker 1: And they were pretty content with that because we had 1166 00:58:15,480 --> 00:58:18,200 Speaker 1: a track record. So you go for a long ride 1167 00:58:18,240 --> 00:58:23,640 Speaker 1: on Columbia. What's your experience of that. I really liked Columbia. 1168 00:58:23,880 --> 00:58:25,760 Speaker 1: I know it's so, you know, easy to to bag 1169 00:58:25,800 --> 00:58:28,000 Speaker 1: on a label or say they did something bad to 1170 00:58:28,040 --> 00:58:31,280 Speaker 1: you or whatever. But I always enjoyed working with them, 1171 00:58:31,360 --> 00:58:35,200 Speaker 1: and um, you know, we had Americana was a successful record, 1172 00:58:35,280 --> 00:58:40,120 Speaker 1: so we had some some some great success working with them. Um. 1173 00:58:40,240 --> 00:58:43,400 Speaker 1: We eventually we extended our contract by a couple of records, 1174 00:58:43,400 --> 00:58:45,280 Speaker 1: and we did the greatest hits record and stuff. So, 1175 00:58:45,320 --> 00:58:48,680 Speaker 1: believe it or not, we did seven albums on Columbia, 1176 00:58:48,960 --> 00:58:50,560 Speaker 1: and uh, I like to say that I think we 1177 00:58:50,600 --> 00:58:52,960 Speaker 1: may be one of the only bands to actually finish 1178 00:58:53,040 --> 00:58:55,960 Speaker 1: their record contract where we didn't. We didn't get dropped, 1179 00:58:56,000 --> 00:59:00,680 Speaker 1: We actually finished the contract and any thought of staying 1180 00:59:00,720 --> 00:59:04,360 Speaker 1: in Columbia. I think we put out the feelers and 1181 00:59:04,440 --> 00:59:08,480 Speaker 1: they were they seemed happy to move on at that point. Frankly, So, 1182 00:59:08,520 --> 00:59:11,720 Speaker 1: how did you end up with this album at Concord? Yeah, 1183 00:59:11,800 --> 00:59:14,840 Speaker 1: well we had you know, we're free agents. We didn't 1184 00:59:14,880 --> 00:59:16,760 Speaker 1: have anything to work on and we were touring a lot, 1185 00:59:16,840 --> 00:59:20,400 Speaker 1: and like I said, recording in shorter bursts, So we 1186 00:59:20,480 --> 00:59:23,000 Speaker 1: kind of just took our time and didn't really look 1187 00:59:23,040 --> 00:59:27,320 Speaker 1: for a label for a while. And uh, I think 1188 00:59:27,360 --> 00:59:30,640 Speaker 1: there were some very basic conversations with some labels like 1189 00:59:30,680 --> 00:59:33,600 Speaker 1: Warner or Carolina or whatever. And I think um it 1190 00:59:33,720 --> 00:59:37,200 Speaker 1: was basically Um Concord kind of reaching out and saying, well, 1191 00:59:37,200 --> 00:59:39,240 Speaker 1: we'd like to talk to these guys. And when it 1192 00:59:39,320 --> 00:59:41,320 Speaker 1: met met with Tom Wally and the people there, and 1193 00:59:41,360 --> 00:59:50,880 Speaker 1: it was it was really great. Okay. And what's the 1194 00:59:50,920 --> 00:59:53,800 Speaker 1: experience of putting a record out today in this crazy 1195 00:59:53,840 --> 00:59:57,320 Speaker 1: internet era? We're back in the old days on Columbia, 1196 00:59:58,160 --> 01:00:03,560 Speaker 1: pre Napster, pre INSANEA. It's so different, so completely different, right, 1197 01:00:03,600 --> 01:00:06,680 Speaker 1: I mean yeah, even you know, the Internet of two 1198 01:00:06,720 --> 01:00:10,880 Speaker 1: thousand is nothing like the Internet of today, and even 1199 01:00:10,920 --> 01:00:14,080 Speaker 1: the metrics, the measurement is different. Like, you know, we 1200 01:00:14,160 --> 01:00:17,680 Speaker 1: had a number one alternative album this time, and I'm 1201 01:00:17,680 --> 01:00:21,280 Speaker 1: calling the manager saying is that good? Because you know 1202 01:00:22,160 --> 01:00:25,800 Speaker 1: we I think I think we debuted number three in 1203 01:00:25,840 --> 01:00:29,240 Speaker 1: the UK, which is phenomenal and I'm thrilled, but I 1204 01:00:29,280 --> 01:00:32,160 Speaker 1: think that's less than ten thousand records sold, so it's like, 1205 01:00:32,920 --> 01:00:34,520 Speaker 1: is it good? You know, it's kind of more of 1206 01:00:34,520 --> 01:00:37,480 Speaker 1: an amalgamation of it's a combination of streaming and YouTube 1207 01:00:37,560 --> 01:00:40,400 Speaker 1: views and sales and whatever, you know, your social media 1208 01:00:41,000 --> 01:00:44,960 Speaker 1: that determines, uh, how successful record is. Well in the 1209 01:00:44,960 --> 01:00:48,320 Speaker 1: old days, you gear it up, gear up, hopefully MTV 1210 01:00:48,480 --> 01:00:51,080 Speaker 1: plays the video. No one has that kind of mind 1211 01:00:51,160 --> 01:00:54,200 Speaker 1: here anymore, No one has that kind of reach. Does 1212 01:00:54,240 --> 01:00:58,560 Speaker 1: that affect your interest, desire and perspective on new work? 1213 01:00:58,880 --> 01:01:00,720 Speaker 1: In a way, it's kind of liberal because you can 1214 01:01:00,800 --> 01:01:02,440 Speaker 1: kind of be who you are and you just kind 1215 01:01:02,440 --> 01:01:06,000 Speaker 1: of develop whatever audience that is, right, Like, we're never 1216 01:01:06,000 --> 01:01:08,600 Speaker 1: gonna get played on top forty, so you know that 1217 01:01:08,720 --> 01:01:10,560 Speaker 1: the whole. Like you said, the MTV, that thing is 1218 01:01:10,600 --> 01:01:14,840 Speaker 1: kind of out. But I think now, like I said, 1219 01:01:14,880 --> 01:01:19,880 Speaker 1: it's easier to express who you are. We're doing like 1220 01:01:20,040 --> 01:01:22,320 Speaker 1: videos on YouTube like a series, and we're calling it 1221 01:01:22,760 --> 01:01:25,680 Speaker 1: how to with the Offspring And on one thing, I 1222 01:01:25,720 --> 01:01:27,440 Speaker 1: we talk tell people how to surf, but we don't 1223 01:01:27,440 --> 01:01:30,240 Speaker 1: really tell them how to surf. And another one, Noodles 1224 01:01:30,360 --> 01:01:32,200 Speaker 1: shows us how to bird watch. And it's kind of 1225 01:01:32,240 --> 01:01:35,400 Speaker 1: like it allows you to express your personality in a 1226 01:01:35,680 --> 01:01:37,520 Speaker 1: broader way than you could have if it was just 1227 01:01:38,120 --> 01:01:42,160 Speaker 1: single and radio thing. And that's it. So you end 1228 01:01:42,240 --> 01:01:45,600 Speaker 1: up selling your work. How do you come to the 1229 01:01:45,640 --> 01:01:48,160 Speaker 1: conclusion that you want to sell it? How do you 1230 01:01:48,240 --> 01:01:54,360 Speaker 1: make that deal? Well, are our our deal with with 1231 01:01:54,400 --> 01:01:57,280 Speaker 1: Sony Columbia's owned by Sony right of course, and um 1232 01:01:57,320 --> 01:01:59,280 Speaker 1: it was actually a licensing deal. We we came in 1233 01:01:59,360 --> 01:02:03,760 Speaker 1: with enough cloud off of the Epitaph deal that we 1234 01:02:03,840 --> 01:02:05,600 Speaker 1: got a licensing deal. So we knew that our records 1235 01:02:05,600 --> 01:02:07,200 Speaker 1: were the ownership was going to come back to us 1236 01:02:07,240 --> 01:02:10,560 Speaker 1: at some point and whenever that date was, it's you know, 1237 01:02:10,640 --> 01:02:14,080 Speaker 1: so many years after you deliver your last record, the 1238 01:02:14,240 --> 01:02:15,840 Speaker 1: records came back to us and we kind of had 1239 01:02:15,880 --> 01:02:18,000 Speaker 1: to make a decision as the best way to go. 1240 01:02:18,120 --> 01:02:20,440 Speaker 1: Do we want to re license it or make another 1241 01:02:20,480 --> 01:02:21,920 Speaker 1: deal or how do we want to do it? And 1242 01:02:22,280 --> 01:02:24,480 Speaker 1: just with the different options that were presented, we decided 1243 01:02:24,520 --> 01:02:29,320 Speaker 1: that we're comfortable just selling it and so tell us 1244 01:02:29,320 --> 01:02:32,560 Speaker 1: about making that deal. You know, there's there's several people 1245 01:02:32,560 --> 01:02:34,600 Speaker 1: out there, players out there. We ended up going with 1246 01:02:34,640 --> 01:02:38,520 Speaker 1: a company called Round Hill, which I um I got 1247 01:02:38,560 --> 01:02:40,400 Speaker 1: along with them. I liked them a lot. I feel 1248 01:02:40,440 --> 01:02:44,680 Speaker 1: like they're very into, you know, developing the bands, like 1249 01:02:44,720 --> 01:02:46,640 Speaker 1: they're they're always they're pressing us like can we do 1250 01:02:46,680 --> 01:02:48,960 Speaker 1: a reissue of Conspiracy of one, we do a really 1251 01:02:49,000 --> 01:02:51,520 Speaker 1: we've done like three or four reissues already and they're 1252 01:02:51,720 --> 01:02:55,600 Speaker 1: real collector sets, and so it's it's it's cool. It 1253 01:02:55,600 --> 01:02:58,960 Speaker 1: feels like something that is geared towards fans, which is 1254 01:02:59,000 --> 01:03:01,520 Speaker 1: important to us. Okay, those are the albums. How about 1255 01:03:01,520 --> 01:03:04,840 Speaker 1: the songs? What do you mean the songs? Do you 1256 01:03:04,880 --> 01:03:07,320 Speaker 1: still learn the songs? You sold those two round till two? 1257 01:03:07,720 --> 01:03:11,920 Speaker 1: Oh uh yeah, well a majority, a majority of the 1258 01:03:11,920 --> 01:03:16,480 Speaker 1: publishing was sold as well, A majority. Okay, you were 1259 01:03:16,520 --> 01:03:20,080 Speaker 1: the primary songwriter. That didn't mean that much. It means 1260 01:03:20,120 --> 01:03:23,080 Speaker 1: a lot in the Internet era. Was there ever any 1261 01:03:23,120 --> 01:03:26,400 Speaker 1: discussion about credits in the band as far as publishing 1262 01:03:26,400 --> 01:03:29,960 Speaker 1: goes and stuff, you know? I mean, when you first 1263 01:03:29,960 --> 01:03:32,480 Speaker 1: start off, you're you're so one for all and all 1264 01:03:32,520 --> 01:03:36,520 Speaker 1: for one, right, there's no money or anything anyway, and 1265 01:03:36,600 --> 01:03:41,200 Speaker 1: so on our first couple records, UM, the publishing was 1266 01:03:41,280 --> 01:03:45,640 Speaker 1: just split evenly, even though I did the writing. And 1267 01:03:45,720 --> 01:03:49,160 Speaker 1: then before we were before Smash, I had a talk 1268 01:03:49,200 --> 01:03:51,840 Speaker 1: with the guys that practices said, I feel like it 1269 01:03:51,840 --> 01:03:54,400 Speaker 1: would be fair for me to get the songwriting royalties 1270 01:03:54,440 --> 01:03:57,960 Speaker 1: because I do the songwriting, and um, they were totally 1271 01:03:57,960 --> 01:04:01,880 Speaker 1: okay with it. Um, you know, it's not like you 1272 01:04:01,920 --> 01:04:03,680 Speaker 1: get three you know, you get five times as much 1273 01:04:03,720 --> 01:04:06,320 Speaker 1: as they do. It's it's however the money works out. 1274 01:04:06,360 --> 01:04:09,600 Speaker 1: It's it's it's a little a little bit extra, I guess. 1275 01:04:09,640 --> 01:04:14,720 Speaker 1: But but fortunately it was actually pretty pretty easy for 1276 01:04:14,760 --> 01:04:17,720 Speaker 1: everyone to agree on that, and also fortunately we were 1277 01:04:18,240 --> 01:04:21,360 Speaker 1: successful enough that there was there was no griping about 1278 01:04:21,400 --> 01:04:24,360 Speaker 1: it because everyone was doing well. Okay, when you say 1279 01:04:24,480 --> 01:04:27,960 Speaker 1: you sold part of the publishing round till does that 1280 01:04:28,040 --> 01:04:32,920 Speaker 1: mean you continue to own part? Well, there's there's different 1281 01:04:32,960 --> 01:04:36,479 Speaker 1: forms of publishing income, as you know, whether it's sync 1282 01:04:36,560 --> 01:04:39,600 Speaker 1: rights or radio airplay or you know, so I didn't 1283 01:04:39,680 --> 01:04:44,760 Speaker 1: sell every revenue stream. Okay, Uh, what did you do 1284 01:04:44,800 --> 01:04:50,000 Speaker 1: with the money? But I put in the bank. We're 1285 01:04:50,000 --> 01:04:52,480 Speaker 1: not getting put in the bank. You're an intelligent guy. 1286 01:04:52,520 --> 01:04:54,760 Speaker 1: You're losing money if you put money in the bank. 1287 01:04:55,560 --> 01:04:57,560 Speaker 1: So it's not really that simple. You have to do 1288 01:04:57,680 --> 01:04:59,760 Speaker 1: something with the money, right, that's right? Well, why why 1289 01:04:59,800 --> 01:05:03,840 Speaker 1: is invested? I hope? I hope. I did buy a plane. 1290 01:05:04,120 --> 01:05:07,760 Speaker 1: That was my my treat to myself. Okay, you owned 1291 01:05:07,760 --> 01:05:12,040 Speaker 1: the plane previously though, right, yes, Okay, Jim told me 1292 01:05:12,080 --> 01:05:16,040 Speaker 1: you want a jet, Is that correct? Yes, that's correct. Okay, 1293 01:05:16,080 --> 01:05:18,280 Speaker 1: you wanted to go to the Air Force Academy, you 1294 01:05:18,360 --> 01:05:22,200 Speaker 1: didn't go. When did you get your pilot's license? And 1295 01:05:22,240 --> 01:05:25,520 Speaker 1: when did you buy your first plane? That was all 1296 01:05:25,560 --> 01:05:28,640 Speaker 1: after smash we came back. You know, I finally had 1297 01:05:28,760 --> 01:05:31,840 Speaker 1: enough money to take flying lessons. I would have never, 1298 01:05:32,760 --> 01:05:36,040 Speaker 1: um never been able to afford that before then. And 1299 01:05:36,080 --> 01:05:38,240 Speaker 1: I don't know, it probably cost five thousand dollars or 1300 01:05:38,240 --> 01:05:40,600 Speaker 1: something like that back in the day to get your license. 1301 01:05:40,800 --> 01:05:43,040 Speaker 1: And I did it. And you know when I talked 1302 01:05:43,080 --> 01:05:44,840 Speaker 1: before about how some things you think you're gonna like 1303 01:05:44,840 --> 01:05:46,439 Speaker 1: but you're not sure, this was one of those things 1304 01:05:46,440 --> 01:05:48,800 Speaker 1: that just for me just really clicked. I just I 1305 01:05:48,880 --> 01:05:51,720 Speaker 1: really liked it right away. It was gonna be my 1306 01:05:51,720 --> 01:05:54,760 Speaker 1: my golf if you know what I mean. And uh, 1307 01:05:54,800 --> 01:05:57,600 Speaker 1: I bought bought my first airplane shortly after I got 1308 01:05:57,640 --> 01:06:01,200 Speaker 1: my license, a propeller plane. Okay. And at that point, 1309 01:06:01,200 --> 01:06:05,640 Speaker 1: when were you instrument rated? Well almost right away. Um. 1310 01:06:05,680 --> 01:06:07,200 Speaker 1: I know people people out there may not know a 1311 01:06:07,200 --> 01:06:10,800 Speaker 1: lot about flying, but instrument rating is very important to me. Especially, 1312 01:06:10,840 --> 01:06:13,200 Speaker 1: it was very important people they kind of inadvertently get 1313 01:06:13,200 --> 01:06:16,240 Speaker 1: in the clouds and if you can't fly and just 1314 01:06:16,240 --> 01:06:18,520 Speaker 1: by instruments, you really get in trouble. So I knew 1315 01:06:18,560 --> 01:06:21,360 Speaker 1: that that was something I wanted to make a priority. 1316 01:06:21,480 --> 01:06:23,880 Speaker 1: So I got instrument rated within I don't know, within 1317 01:06:23,880 --> 01:06:26,240 Speaker 1: any year of getting my license. So walk us through 1318 01:06:26,440 --> 01:06:31,520 Speaker 1: your ownership history of airplanes. Uh. Well, when I got 1319 01:06:31,560 --> 01:06:34,280 Speaker 1: my license, I was I was renting. I got my 1320 01:06:34,800 --> 01:06:38,760 Speaker 1: license from a local airport here and decided I wanted 1321 01:06:38,800 --> 01:06:40,320 Speaker 1: to buy a plane. So I bought a plane called 1322 01:06:40,360 --> 01:06:44,440 Speaker 1: a Mooney and it's a four seater, single engine propeller plane, 1323 01:06:45,600 --> 01:06:48,320 Speaker 1: and I really I loved it and I still have 1324 01:06:48,440 --> 01:06:51,920 Speaker 1: it to this day. But um, I wanted to go, 1325 01:06:52,080 --> 01:06:55,360 Speaker 1: you know, farther and faster, so I ended up buying 1326 01:06:55,360 --> 01:06:58,120 Speaker 1: a King Air. And I love the king Air for 1327 01:06:58,280 --> 01:07:01,360 Speaker 1: it's it's uh for it's very comfy inside. But it 1328 01:07:01,400 --> 01:07:03,160 Speaker 1: wasn't very fast. So I ended up moving up to 1329 01:07:03,160 --> 01:07:06,560 Speaker 1: a citation, and uh, I've sort of traded up and 1330 01:07:06,600 --> 01:07:11,880 Speaker 1: down over the years. This I'm on my fourth fourth citation. Now. Okay, 1331 01:07:12,320 --> 01:07:14,440 Speaker 1: so you have the Mooney and you have the citation. 1332 01:07:14,480 --> 01:07:18,520 Speaker 1: Those are the only two you have. Anything else? Uh, 1333 01:07:18,520 --> 01:07:21,680 Speaker 1: that's that's all I have. Okay, let's talk citations for 1334 01:07:21,720 --> 01:07:26,680 Speaker 1: a second. Please, I know there's the citation X when 1335 01:07:26,720 --> 01:07:28,600 Speaker 1: I've seen it, you know, citation X. I don't know 1336 01:07:28,640 --> 01:07:32,680 Speaker 1: where that's ten and they say that can fly slightly faster. 1337 01:07:32,880 --> 01:07:37,120 Speaker 1: Tell us the different citations and which one you won't. Okay, 1338 01:07:37,360 --> 01:07:40,880 Speaker 1: we've really gone on a tangent here. Huh. Yeah, Well 1339 01:07:41,400 --> 01:07:43,880 Speaker 1: the X is really a Roman emeral ten. That's called 1340 01:07:43,880 --> 01:07:48,200 Speaker 1: a citation ten. And keeping this very simple, the citations 1341 01:07:48,280 --> 01:07:49,640 Speaker 1: kind of go up in number A one or two 1342 01:07:49,720 --> 01:07:51,160 Speaker 1: or three or four or five, and the ten is 1343 01:07:51,160 --> 01:07:53,360 Speaker 1: the biggest one and the fastest one. It is a 1344 01:07:53,400 --> 01:07:57,240 Speaker 1: little bit faster than commercial airlines and it's great. Um, 1345 01:07:57,320 --> 01:07:59,400 Speaker 1: the one I have is more on the one level. 1346 01:08:00,040 --> 01:08:03,440 Speaker 1: And what I like about these is their single pilot certified, 1347 01:08:03,480 --> 01:08:05,160 Speaker 1: so you don't have to have two guys in the cockpit. 1348 01:08:05,800 --> 01:08:08,200 Speaker 1: So because I'm rated for it, I can I can 1349 01:08:08,240 --> 01:08:11,080 Speaker 1: take the jet up whatever and wherever I want to go, 1350 01:08:11,320 --> 01:08:14,280 Speaker 1: and I really love that feeling. What's the logic between 1351 01:08:14,360 --> 01:08:18,400 Speaker 1: the one pilot and the two pilot. Well, I mean, 1352 01:08:18,439 --> 01:08:21,440 Speaker 1: I think back in the day there were pretty complicated 1353 01:08:21,479 --> 01:08:25,320 Speaker 1: systems to manage, and it kind of took two guys 1354 01:08:25,479 --> 01:08:27,640 Speaker 1: to to do it, and they've sort of managed to 1355 01:08:27,680 --> 01:08:30,120 Speaker 1: simplify it over the years where it really is something 1356 01:08:30,160 --> 01:08:33,280 Speaker 1: that one guy, one competent pilot can handle. So why 1357 01:08:33,320 --> 01:08:34,880 Speaker 1: if you fly on a ten do they have to 1358 01:08:36,560 --> 01:08:39,120 Speaker 1: at some point? You know, it's an f a thing. 1359 01:08:39,160 --> 01:08:41,200 Speaker 1: I think once when a plane's big enough, they just 1360 01:08:41,240 --> 01:08:44,040 Speaker 1: don't like the idea of something that big being flown 1361 01:08:44,040 --> 01:08:47,559 Speaker 1: by one guy. So I'm sure there's a number of reasons. Okay, 1362 01:08:47,600 --> 01:08:50,080 Speaker 1: So you have a Citation one. Now, when was that 1363 01:08:50,120 --> 01:08:53,160 Speaker 1: plane built? Yeah? The one what I have is called 1364 01:08:53,160 --> 01:08:55,080 Speaker 1: a c J one and it was built in two 1365 01:08:55,160 --> 01:08:58,519 Speaker 1: thousand four, two thousand four. And who did you buy 1366 01:08:58,560 --> 01:09:03,559 Speaker 1: it from? Uh? It was Yeah, it was sold back 1367 01:09:03,800 --> 01:09:07,320 Speaker 1: to Citation Cessna Excitation, and so they kind of have 1368 01:09:07,400 --> 01:09:10,800 Speaker 1: their own inventory and I bought it from from there. 1369 01:09:11,160 --> 01:09:13,120 Speaker 1: You know, it's like they're used car lot. Okay, So 1370 01:09:13,160 --> 01:09:16,760 Speaker 1: where is it today? I keep it here in l A. 1371 01:09:17,280 --> 01:09:18,760 Speaker 1: And we're in l A. And I'm not gonna go 1372 01:09:18,840 --> 01:09:20,720 Speaker 1: check out your plane, but I mean there's is it 1373 01:09:20,760 --> 01:09:23,920 Speaker 1: in Orange Counties? It in Beans where I'm based at 1374 01:09:23,920 --> 01:09:26,760 Speaker 1: the Long Beach Airport. Okay? How often do you take 1375 01:09:26,800 --> 01:09:29,640 Speaker 1: it out? About once a week? Once a week, And 1376 01:09:29,640 --> 01:09:34,040 Speaker 1: if you go out once a week. Where might you go? Uh? 1377 01:09:34,200 --> 01:09:36,840 Speaker 1: I like like have a stoo a lot or you know, 1378 01:09:37,800 --> 01:09:40,200 Speaker 1: you'll find somewhere to go. Believe me, I like going 1379 01:09:40,200 --> 01:09:43,839 Speaker 1: down to Baja Cabo. It is great. You know, Vegas 1380 01:09:43,880 --> 01:09:46,760 Speaker 1: is very close. That kind of thing. You will land 1381 01:09:46,840 --> 01:09:48,720 Speaker 1: there and hang out and then fly back, or you 1382 01:09:48,840 --> 01:09:52,240 Speaker 1: just fly and lookout what's going around? Sure land, have 1383 01:09:52,400 --> 01:09:56,680 Speaker 1: some fun? Okay? So how many people can fly on 1384 01:09:56,760 --> 01:10:01,000 Speaker 1: the your plane? It'll hold seven? Okay, So as you 1385 01:10:01,120 --> 01:10:03,360 Speaker 1: fly once a week, how often are you out there alone? 1386 01:10:03,640 --> 01:10:07,000 Speaker 1: How often you out there with other people? About half 1387 01:10:07,000 --> 01:10:08,439 Speaker 1: half the time I had my family with me and 1388 01:10:08,439 --> 01:10:11,040 Speaker 1: half the time I'm by myself. Okay. How much does 1389 01:10:11,080 --> 01:10:16,439 Speaker 1: it cost an hour to fly the play? Uh? Well, 1390 01:10:16,800 --> 01:10:24,519 Speaker 1: really getting into the into this huh thousand bucks? An Well, 1391 01:10:25,000 --> 01:10:28,280 Speaker 1: if you do everything yourself, you can actually you can 1392 01:10:28,280 --> 01:10:30,880 Speaker 1: mitigate the cost quite a bit. So, like I deal 1393 01:10:30,920 --> 01:10:33,559 Speaker 1: with scheduling, the maintenance, and you know, all the stuff 1394 01:10:33,560 --> 01:10:36,320 Speaker 1: that you would normally hire a full time pilot to do, 1395 01:10:37,040 --> 01:10:38,880 Speaker 1: I I generally take care of and that helps the 1396 01:10:38,920 --> 01:10:41,800 Speaker 1: cost a lot. And then what kind of maintenance is required, 1397 01:10:44,040 --> 01:10:45,680 Speaker 1: I mean there's all the tune up stuff, you know, 1398 01:10:45,800 --> 01:10:48,200 Speaker 1: like you know, in a car, you go in every whatever, 1399 01:10:48,240 --> 01:10:51,800 Speaker 1: three thousand miles or six thousand miles in In the jet, 1400 01:10:51,920 --> 01:10:54,040 Speaker 1: everything's on a different schedule because the battery needs to 1401 01:10:54,040 --> 01:10:56,120 Speaker 1: be checked every year, and something else needs to be 1402 01:10:56,160 --> 01:10:59,840 Speaker 1: checked every nine months, so it's almost like every three 1403 01:11:00,200 --> 01:11:03,000 Speaker 1: there's something that needs to get looked at. I mean obviously, 1404 01:11:03,160 --> 01:11:05,120 Speaker 1: you know, you can't pull over in the sky if 1405 01:11:05,120 --> 01:11:08,120 Speaker 1: you've got a problem with the plane. So the maintenance 1406 01:11:08,160 --> 01:11:11,720 Speaker 1: is very meticulous. Uh, and so that's why there's so 1407 01:11:11,840 --> 01:11:14,920 Speaker 1: much more attention on maintenance. And the maintenance has done it, 1408 01:11:15,000 --> 01:11:19,080 Speaker 1: you're where the uh, the plane is held in Long Beach. 1409 01:11:19,640 --> 01:11:21,840 Speaker 1: I mean there are mechanics around. I generally go to 1410 01:11:21,920 --> 01:11:25,120 Speaker 1: Lake Havasy for maintenance. You go to where for meat? 1411 01:11:25,200 --> 01:11:28,559 Speaker 1: And she said lake Havasu. Okay, So you have the 1412 01:11:28,600 --> 01:11:31,320 Speaker 1: plane and you know what needs to be done, and 1413 01:11:31,360 --> 01:11:33,720 Speaker 1: you fly to Lake Havasou how long is it going 1414 01:11:33,800 --> 01:11:38,040 Speaker 1: to take him to do the maintenance? Depends? Right, Sometimes 1415 01:11:38,160 --> 01:11:39,960 Speaker 1: they need it for a few days, or sometimes it's 1416 01:11:40,000 --> 01:11:42,920 Speaker 1: in in and out in an afternoon. And you go 1417 01:11:43,000 --> 01:11:47,120 Speaker 1: to those people because they're cheap. You trust them. I 1418 01:11:47,160 --> 01:11:51,120 Speaker 1: have a relationship with him. Yeah, Um, yeah, I actually 1419 01:11:51,400 --> 01:11:53,880 Speaker 1: I lived in Lake Havasoo for a few years. Ah, 1420 01:11:54,880 --> 01:11:58,439 Speaker 1: so is that like that's like a resort area. I've 1421 01:11:58,439 --> 01:12:03,200 Speaker 1: never even been there. It is, uh, well, I love it. 1422 01:12:03,280 --> 01:12:05,000 Speaker 1: We'll just say that to start with. But you know, 1423 01:12:05,080 --> 01:12:08,479 Speaker 1: very different California, right, it's very much. You know, people 1424 01:12:08,520 --> 01:12:12,599 Speaker 1: carry guns. You know that it's not even a concealing carry. 1425 01:12:12,640 --> 01:12:15,400 Speaker 1: It's just you just strap it on. And you know, 1426 01:12:15,600 --> 01:12:17,400 Speaker 1: they're not wearing masks and like have a c let's 1427 01:12:17,439 --> 01:12:21,600 Speaker 1: put it that way. But you know, I like the 1428 01:12:21,640 --> 01:12:23,840 Speaker 1: spirit out there too. I think that's that's cool that 1429 01:12:23,920 --> 01:12:26,800 Speaker 1: they're you know, very freedom oriented and I like that. 1430 01:12:26,840 --> 01:12:29,400 Speaker 1: And of course I I like that in California people 1431 01:12:29,439 --> 01:12:33,360 Speaker 1: are are are careful. And are you a big water 1432 01:12:33,400 --> 01:12:37,360 Speaker 1: sports guy? Yeah. My my parents always took us, our 1433 01:12:37,360 --> 01:12:39,920 Speaker 1: whole family to uh to like have us who for 1434 01:12:40,000 --> 01:12:43,479 Speaker 1: summer vacation, So we grew up water skiing and stuff. Okay, 1435 01:12:44,160 --> 01:12:50,960 Speaker 1: so not being a pilot and being anxious generally speaking, 1436 01:12:51,000 --> 01:12:55,360 Speaker 1: if you you to the schedule of repair, you're not 1437 01:12:55,400 --> 01:12:57,559 Speaker 1: gonna have a problem or could you have a problem 1438 01:12:57,640 --> 01:13:01,439 Speaker 1: up there anyway? I mean it's mechanical. Mechanical things break 1439 01:13:02,000 --> 01:13:04,920 Speaker 1: for sure. I mean on the one hand, that's why, 1440 01:13:05,000 --> 01:13:07,479 Speaker 1: in general, there's two of everything on a jet. Have 1441 01:13:07,520 --> 01:13:11,000 Speaker 1: you ever noticed there's two engines and to yokes, to 1442 01:13:11,120 --> 01:13:14,639 Speaker 1: steering wheels, you know, two radios, to two of almost everything, 1443 01:13:14,720 --> 01:13:18,000 Speaker 1: so that you're you're hopefully you'll be okay if something breaks. 1444 01:13:18,600 --> 01:13:20,680 Speaker 1: But I mean it is a mental outlook that you 1445 01:13:20,680 --> 01:13:22,040 Speaker 1: have to have. It like, look, I might have an 1446 01:13:22,080 --> 01:13:24,360 Speaker 1: emergency and I need to be able to be prepared 1447 01:13:24,400 --> 01:13:26,960 Speaker 1: to to deal with that, to know that might happen. 1448 01:13:26,960 --> 01:13:29,760 Speaker 1: And that's why training is also very important. I I 1449 01:13:29,800 --> 01:13:32,200 Speaker 1: go to a place in Texas twice a year and 1450 01:13:32,200 --> 01:13:34,040 Speaker 1: train for a few days at a time, and we 1451 01:13:34,120 --> 01:13:39,360 Speaker 1: go over emergencies extensively. Okay, so what's the worst emergency 1452 01:13:39,400 --> 01:13:43,400 Speaker 1: you've had? Actual emergency? Well, fortunately in the yeah, in 1453 01:13:43,400 --> 01:13:46,480 Speaker 1: the real world. You know, these planes are really reliable, 1454 01:13:46,760 --> 01:13:51,960 Speaker 1: so uh you know. Um, Actually, I had a light 1455 01:13:52,000 --> 01:13:53,840 Speaker 1: come on once that said you might have a clog 1456 01:13:53,840 --> 01:13:56,760 Speaker 1: in your fuel system and it means you should land 1457 01:13:56,840 --> 01:13:59,799 Speaker 1: right away. I was over Palm Spring, so I landed 1458 01:13:59,800 --> 01:14:01,880 Speaker 1: and it turned out it was just a faulty light, 1459 01:14:02,360 --> 01:14:04,840 Speaker 1: so I didn't have a problem, but it looked like 1460 01:14:04,840 --> 01:14:07,400 Speaker 1: I might have a major problem if I didn't land quickly. 1461 01:14:08,439 --> 01:14:11,040 Speaker 1: And how about just experience fly? You ever have a 1462 01:14:11,080 --> 01:14:16,080 Speaker 1: bad experience? Uh well, I almost flew over the bush 1463 01:14:16,160 --> 01:14:20,400 Speaker 1: ranch once. I was flying in Texas, and you know, 1464 01:14:20,439 --> 01:14:22,880 Speaker 1: and generally you're on with air traffic controllers, but I 1465 01:14:22,920 --> 01:14:26,559 Speaker 1: just felt like being not talking to anybody, which which 1466 01:14:26,560 --> 01:14:28,720 Speaker 1: you can is perfectly legal and you can do as 1467 01:14:28,720 --> 01:14:30,320 Speaker 1: long as you stay with in certain parameters. You can't 1468 01:14:30,320 --> 01:14:32,120 Speaker 1: go too high blah blah. But one of one of 1469 01:14:32,120 --> 01:14:33,920 Speaker 1: the main things you have to do flying they call 1470 01:14:34,040 --> 01:14:35,880 Speaker 1: this VFR, is that you have to make sure you 1471 01:14:35,880 --> 01:14:39,799 Speaker 1: don't go into any airspace, uh you know around here'd 1472 01:14:39,800 --> 01:14:42,320 Speaker 1: be l A X for example or something. So I 1473 01:14:42,360 --> 01:14:44,840 Speaker 1: was cruising along and I actually did talk to a 1474 01:14:44,880 --> 01:14:46,600 Speaker 1: controller for a minute and said blah blah blah, and 1475 01:14:46,680 --> 01:14:48,120 Speaker 1: he said, okay, yeah, I go ahead and go to 1476 01:14:48,160 --> 01:14:51,000 Speaker 1: wherever you're going. He goes, and don't forget about the 1477 01:14:51,000 --> 01:14:53,679 Speaker 1: bush ranch there, and I'm like what, I'm looking around 1478 01:14:53,720 --> 01:14:55,439 Speaker 1: and all of a sudden, this is before we had 1479 01:14:55,439 --> 01:14:59,360 Speaker 1: those great screens of GPS. I'm like, only, funk, where's 1480 01:14:59,360 --> 01:15:01,639 Speaker 1: the where's the A tranch? And so I wasn't sure 1481 01:15:01,640 --> 01:15:03,280 Speaker 1: what to do, so I just took a hard left 1482 01:15:03,479 --> 01:15:05,680 Speaker 1: and went like fifty miles the other way to make 1483 01:15:05,720 --> 01:15:08,479 Speaker 1: sure I didn't accidentally go over that. You wouldn't You 1484 01:15:08,479 --> 01:15:10,679 Speaker 1: wouldn't want to do that and get in big trouble. Okay, 1485 01:15:10,760 --> 01:15:13,240 Speaker 1: Jim told me that you flew them to tell your ride. 1486 01:15:13,280 --> 01:15:15,960 Speaker 1: I didn't get this deep, but I have to ask you. 1487 01:15:16,000 --> 01:15:18,679 Speaker 1: Did you take them in to the tell your ride 1488 01:15:18,760 --> 01:15:22,880 Speaker 1: airport right and tell your ryde? I didn't, um because 1489 01:15:22,880 --> 01:15:27,400 Speaker 1: that's like one of the scariest airports. Yeah, you know, 1490 01:15:27,479 --> 01:15:29,479 Speaker 1: I mean, I think it would be fun to fly into, 1491 01:15:29,520 --> 01:15:31,280 Speaker 1: but you know, if I'm flying somebody in their family, 1492 01:15:31,920 --> 01:15:34,840 Speaker 1: I don't need that level of excitement, So you know, 1493 01:15:34,960 --> 01:15:37,559 Speaker 1: I might I might bring another pilot, you know. I uh, 1494 01:15:37,640 --> 01:15:39,559 Speaker 1: if we ever take the plane on tour, I always 1495 01:15:39,600 --> 01:15:41,599 Speaker 1: bring a pilot. So that's one thing that you can 1496 01:15:41,600 --> 01:15:43,880 Speaker 1: do to help the situation. But what we do is 1497 01:15:43,920 --> 01:15:46,160 Speaker 1: we land at Montrose. It's just it's about it. It's 1498 01:15:46,200 --> 01:15:47,800 Speaker 1: it's like at the bottom of the mountain. It's down 1499 01:15:47,840 --> 01:15:52,960 Speaker 1: the hill. I've been there. But okay, I assume you 1500 01:15:53,000 --> 01:15:56,800 Speaker 1: took another pilot. What would that add to your situation? 1501 01:15:58,200 --> 01:16:00,519 Speaker 1: What kind of situation? Now you say, if I was 1502 01:16:00,520 --> 01:16:03,000 Speaker 1: going to go into a hairy airport, I might bring 1503 01:16:03,040 --> 01:16:07,360 Speaker 1: another pilot. What would be the thinking there? Oh, well, 1504 01:16:07,479 --> 01:16:10,120 Speaker 1: like if we're for example, if we're on tour, I'll 1505 01:16:10,120 --> 01:16:12,080 Speaker 1: bring on the pilot just because I don't mean I 1506 01:16:12,080 --> 01:16:14,360 Speaker 1: don't want to be responsible for everything in the plane 1507 01:16:14,400 --> 01:16:16,639 Speaker 1: and then going to do the show and then coming 1508 01:16:16,680 --> 01:16:19,360 Speaker 1: back to the airport and making sure that the gas 1509 01:16:19,400 --> 01:16:21,040 Speaker 1: gun on the plane and the credit card, you know, 1510 01:16:21,160 --> 01:16:23,679 Speaker 1: bill was paid and all that stuff. So it's really 1511 01:16:23,720 --> 01:16:28,280 Speaker 1: just offloading the responsibilities of of of being you know, 1512 01:16:28,320 --> 01:16:30,559 Speaker 1: being charge of the airplane. So when you go on tour, 1513 01:16:30,800 --> 01:16:35,120 Speaker 1: you do take your plane. Um in North America generally, 1514 01:16:35,400 --> 01:16:39,639 Speaker 1: not always, it depends on a couple of factors. But okay, 1515 01:16:39,640 --> 01:16:42,760 Speaker 1: well some uh, you know, big acts, they have a 1516 01:16:42,760 --> 01:16:45,240 Speaker 1: base and they'll fly out for every gig, Like they'll 1517 01:16:45,240 --> 01:16:48,840 Speaker 1: base in Chicago and they'll go to different gigs. How 1518 01:16:48,840 --> 01:16:53,200 Speaker 1: do you do it? Sure? Hubbing? I love hubbing. It's great, 1519 01:16:54,400 --> 01:16:57,280 Speaker 1: you know, the small pleasures you get used to. You know, 1520 01:16:57,880 --> 01:16:59,559 Speaker 1: I don't mind being on a bus. But you know, 1521 01:16:59,600 --> 01:17:01,360 Speaker 1: we've been on of us for twenty five years, like 1522 01:17:01,439 --> 01:17:03,519 Speaker 1: you know, it does get old after a while, and 1523 01:17:04,040 --> 01:17:06,280 Speaker 1: the idea of you go into the place you check in, 1524 01:17:06,640 --> 01:17:09,840 Speaker 1: you don't bother unpacked because you're gonna be leaving the 1525 01:17:09,840 --> 01:17:12,759 Speaker 1: next day. Right, So the idea of being in one place, 1526 01:17:12,800 --> 01:17:16,160 Speaker 1: one hotel, for five or six nights is really appealing, right, 1527 01:17:16,200 --> 01:17:18,679 Speaker 1: But of course it it makes the costs go way 1528 01:17:18,760 --> 01:17:21,720 Speaker 1: up because you're flying twice as far going back. So 1529 01:17:22,040 --> 01:17:24,760 Speaker 1: you have to take that any consideration whether it's worth it. 1530 01:17:24,920 --> 01:17:27,479 Speaker 1: So I'd say, you know, we we hubbed generally, like 1531 01:17:27,520 --> 01:17:30,080 Speaker 1: in New York, maybe because the East Coast stuff is 1532 01:17:30,080 --> 01:17:33,240 Speaker 1: all pretty convenient to get to, and other than that, 1533 01:17:33,280 --> 01:17:36,920 Speaker 1: we tend to hop from place to place. Okay, but 1534 01:17:37,280 --> 01:17:40,760 Speaker 1: that plane can't fly all your gear. No, no, just 1535 01:17:40,800 --> 01:17:44,439 Speaker 1: the band, just the band. Let's switch gears. You have 1536 01:17:44,640 --> 01:17:48,480 Speaker 1: this hot sauce, and I take all these vanity projects 1537 01:17:48,479 --> 01:17:51,559 Speaker 1: with a grain of salt. Also talking about food, but 1538 01:17:51,720 --> 01:17:55,400 Speaker 1: yours is the best vanity hot sauce I've ever and 1539 01:17:55,479 --> 01:17:57,479 Speaker 1: I you know, I use it on a regular basis. 1540 01:17:57,600 --> 01:17:59,439 Speaker 1: For a long time, I was looked on the green 1541 01:18:00,080 --> 01:18:01,880 Speaker 1: thinking there was a little too much bite in the 1542 01:18:01,920 --> 01:18:04,519 Speaker 1: hotter one. But I go back and forth now, So 1543 01:18:04,640 --> 01:18:07,439 Speaker 1: tell us about the development of the hot sauce. Well, 1544 01:18:07,479 --> 01:18:09,320 Speaker 1: I gotta say, like I feel like, I must be 1545 01:18:09,320 --> 01:18:11,599 Speaker 1: the luckiest guy in the music business because I've gotten 1546 01:18:11,600 --> 01:18:14,160 Speaker 1: a positive review from you on a song and a 1547 01:18:14,200 --> 01:18:20,679 Speaker 1: hot sauce. I mean that happens. Uh, you know, growing 1548 01:18:20,720 --> 01:18:23,000 Speaker 1: up in southern California, just you know, Mexican food was 1549 01:18:23,040 --> 01:18:25,760 Speaker 1: always part of the deal. And I love Mexican food 1550 01:18:25,800 --> 01:18:29,400 Speaker 1: and I love the culture here, and hot sauce was 1551 01:18:29,479 --> 01:18:31,040 Speaker 1: part of it. And it was almost just like on 1552 01:18:31,080 --> 01:18:33,280 Speaker 1: a whim one day, looking at the bottle while I'm 1553 01:18:33,280 --> 01:18:35,240 Speaker 1: pouring it on a taco, like it would be funny 1554 01:18:35,280 --> 01:18:36,720 Speaker 1: to make a hot sauce. Like it was just like 1555 01:18:36,760 --> 01:18:40,240 Speaker 1: that much of a random thought, and I just thought, 1556 01:18:40,240 --> 01:18:41,800 Speaker 1: you know, I think I'm gonna do this because it 1557 01:18:41,800 --> 01:18:43,720 Speaker 1: would be real, it would be funny. That was kind 1558 01:18:43,760 --> 01:18:46,640 Speaker 1: of the the the only reason the impetus. And but 1559 01:18:46,680 --> 01:18:48,120 Speaker 1: I didn't know how to I don't know how to cook. 1560 01:18:48,680 --> 01:18:51,120 Speaker 1: So but I mean, well, ship, we don't know how 1561 01:18:51,120 --> 01:18:53,280 Speaker 1: to play guitars. That didn't stop us from starting a band, 1562 01:18:53,280 --> 01:18:55,679 Speaker 1: so I won't. I won't let cooking stop me from 1563 01:18:55,840 --> 01:18:58,680 Speaker 1: making a hot sauce. So, uh, you know, where do 1564 01:18:58,680 --> 01:19:00,320 Speaker 1: you go? You go to the internet. This is probably 1565 01:19:00,320 --> 01:19:03,439 Speaker 1: fifteen years ago, so there were not really recipes for 1566 01:19:03,479 --> 01:19:05,799 Speaker 1: hot sauce On the internet, there's a lot of sausa recipes, 1567 01:19:05,880 --> 01:19:08,240 Speaker 1: but not so much for hot sauce, so that really 1568 01:19:08,280 --> 01:19:10,800 Speaker 1: took a lot more figuring out. Took me a couple 1569 01:19:10,840 --> 01:19:13,920 Speaker 1: of years to get a recipe together that I liked, 1570 01:19:14,840 --> 01:19:18,240 Speaker 1: and finally got this together and decided to make Christmas 1571 01:19:18,280 --> 01:19:19,559 Speaker 1: presents out of it. I'm gonna send it to my 1572 01:19:19,560 --> 01:19:22,840 Speaker 1: buddies and my accountant that kind of thing, and the 1573 01:19:22,880 --> 01:19:26,760 Speaker 1: feedback was really really phenomenal. They're like, this is good, like, oh, 1574 01:19:26,760 --> 01:19:28,479 Speaker 1: thank you, Like, no, dude, this is you gotta put 1575 01:19:28,520 --> 01:19:30,680 Speaker 1: this out. This is really good. So they kind of 1576 01:19:30,720 --> 01:19:33,640 Speaker 1: encouraged me to try to release it. Okay, from the 1577 01:19:33,640 --> 01:19:37,519 Speaker 1: commercial perspective, there are three. Which one did you send 1578 01:19:37,520 --> 01:19:40,479 Speaker 1: to your buddies? The first one was the red that's 1579 01:19:40,520 --> 01:19:44,639 Speaker 1: kind of your general all purpose hot sauce, right, and 1580 01:19:44,680 --> 01:19:51,080 Speaker 1: then how did you decide you were going to have three? Uh? Well, 1581 01:19:51,160 --> 01:19:53,679 Speaker 1: I mean I think that the main idea with with 1582 01:19:53,680 --> 01:19:56,559 Speaker 1: with my hot sauces. I wanted a Mexican style hot sauce, 1583 01:19:56,560 --> 01:19:59,400 Speaker 1: which means generally less of vinegary, and I wanted it 1584 01:19:59,439 --> 01:20:01,960 Speaker 1: to taste it and not just be hot. I think 1585 01:20:02,000 --> 01:20:03,559 Speaker 1: a lot of brands. They're they're caught up in the 1586 01:20:03,600 --> 01:20:06,160 Speaker 1: idea of we want to you know, burn your ass off, 1587 01:20:06,200 --> 01:20:09,040 Speaker 1: and they don't taste very good. So but I think 1588 01:20:09,200 --> 01:20:11,639 Speaker 1: a red and a green is just kind of natural, uh, 1589 01:20:11,760 --> 01:20:14,120 Speaker 1: two sides of the coin, right, So as I always 1590 01:20:14,160 --> 01:20:16,000 Speaker 1: knew I was gonna do a green, and then as 1591 01:20:16,240 --> 01:20:18,920 Speaker 1: as that went on, you know, you can you can 1592 01:20:18,960 --> 01:20:21,559 Speaker 1: see over the last decade, people's palates are changing and 1593 01:20:21,560 --> 01:20:24,280 Speaker 1: people are into spicy stuff way more than they were, 1594 01:20:24,760 --> 01:20:26,960 Speaker 1: so there was kind of this demand for an extra 1595 01:20:27,000 --> 01:20:30,000 Speaker 1: spicy one. That's why I did the super hot. Is 1596 01:20:30,040 --> 01:20:36,280 Speaker 1: this a business when you say business in in a 1597 01:20:36,479 --> 01:20:40,000 Speaker 1: in a yeah, in a vague sense. Uh no, I 1598 01:20:40,040 --> 01:20:45,680 Speaker 1: mean we we actually we pay the bills, but barely. Okay, 1599 01:20:46,160 --> 01:20:49,760 Speaker 1: so you can buy it on Amazon. How much availability 1600 01:20:49,880 --> 01:20:54,559 Speaker 1: is there outside that? Yeah, I mean, my my goal 1601 01:20:54,600 --> 01:20:56,320 Speaker 1: on this was to be just kind of a regular 1602 01:20:56,439 --> 01:20:59,360 Speaker 1: supermarket brand, not not trying to be a boutique brand, 1603 01:20:59,439 --> 01:21:01,600 Speaker 1: and you know, I kind of want to get it 1604 01:21:01,600 --> 01:21:04,800 Speaker 1: out there, so you go after the big change. You know, 1605 01:21:04,920 --> 01:21:07,160 Speaker 1: we got into Kroger, which is a really big one. 1606 01:21:07,200 --> 01:21:10,120 Speaker 1: That one was like two thousand stores nationally by itself. 1607 01:21:10,840 --> 01:21:14,080 Speaker 1: So Amazon is is huge for us. It's been great. Um, 1608 01:21:14,120 --> 01:21:17,000 Speaker 1: but I think we're probably in about four thousand stores, 1609 01:21:17,040 --> 01:21:19,120 Speaker 1: four or five thousand stores in the US. What do 1610 01:21:19,160 --> 01:21:20,720 Speaker 1: you know? What would I know about a storage You 1611 01:21:20,720 --> 01:21:25,000 Speaker 1: can get in, but if it doesn't sell, they pull it. Yes, Yeah, 1612 01:21:25,200 --> 01:21:26,280 Speaker 1: that was the on thing I didn't know about the 1613 01:21:26,280 --> 01:21:30,960 Speaker 1: hot sauce business. The grocery business. Right, it's slotting like 1614 01:21:31,120 --> 01:21:33,960 Speaker 1: a crazy business. It's a lot more fun to create 1615 01:21:34,000 --> 01:21:35,760 Speaker 1: a hot sauce and creative brand than it is to 1616 01:21:35,760 --> 01:21:39,080 Speaker 1: actually do the work and and sell it. How many 1617 01:21:39,080 --> 01:21:42,040 Speaker 1: people are working on the hot slace business. We've We've 1618 01:21:42,040 --> 01:21:44,240 Speaker 1: got about four people in the office. It's a it's 1619 01:21:44,240 --> 01:21:48,000 Speaker 1: a small company. It's you know, a real labor of love. Um. 1620 01:21:48,600 --> 01:21:50,160 Speaker 1: I like it because it's like I feel like it's 1621 01:21:50,200 --> 01:21:51,840 Speaker 1: I don't know, it's a it's a calling card, it's 1622 01:21:51,840 --> 01:21:54,400 Speaker 1: a it's a it's a fun thing to give to people, 1623 01:21:55,080 --> 01:21:56,960 Speaker 1: and people kind of get a kick out of it, 1624 01:21:57,040 --> 01:21:59,280 Speaker 1: you know when they see you know, it's like pizza. 1625 01:21:59,280 --> 01:22:03,800 Speaker 1: Everybody likes to here's a bottle of hot sauce. Okay, 1626 01:22:03,920 --> 01:22:09,200 Speaker 1: and marketing what is keeping people buying it? Yeah? I'm 1627 01:22:09,200 --> 01:22:11,559 Speaker 1: not really sure. I mean I knew that I didn't 1628 01:22:11,560 --> 01:22:14,040 Speaker 1: want to do traditional marketing, you know when when I 1629 01:22:14,040 --> 01:22:15,880 Speaker 1: I used to have a record label a long time ago, 1630 01:22:15,960 --> 01:22:18,479 Speaker 1: and I just didn't believe that the magazine adds really 1631 01:22:18,479 --> 01:22:21,559 Speaker 1: did anything, um, at least not at this level. Maybe 1632 01:22:21,560 --> 01:22:25,559 Speaker 1: if you're a giant company, then that constant presence is important, 1633 01:22:25,600 --> 01:22:27,600 Speaker 1: but I wanted to just be word of mouth. So 1634 01:22:27,640 --> 01:22:30,240 Speaker 1: I was trying to sell it to restaurants and and 1635 01:22:30,320 --> 01:22:33,360 Speaker 1: just get you know, good reviews online. And it's still 1636 01:22:33,439 --> 01:22:34,840 Speaker 1: kind of where it's at. It's pretty much a word 1637 01:22:34,840 --> 01:22:40,160 Speaker 1: of mouth kind of product. Okay, your Dexter because because 1638 01:22:40,160 --> 01:22:44,000 Speaker 1: that's not your given name. No, no, my real name 1639 01:22:44,080 --> 01:22:49,280 Speaker 1: is Brian I. I uh. Again, going back to all 1640 01:22:49,400 --> 01:22:52,080 Speaker 1: our influences, the punk rock influences, they always had kind 1641 01:22:52,080 --> 01:22:56,640 Speaker 1: of wacky names, and I like that, and I like that, 1642 01:22:56,680 --> 01:23:00,920 Speaker 1: you know, in the rock world, you'd be like, I 1643 01:23:00,920 --> 01:23:02,880 Speaker 1: don't know, it would be some really cool name Ian 1644 01:23:03,160 --> 01:23:06,200 Speaker 1: or something like that, you know, Magnus or something, and 1645 01:23:06,280 --> 01:23:08,479 Speaker 1: I thought it was funny to do something that was 1646 01:23:08,520 --> 01:23:11,400 Speaker 1: the opposite of that, And to me, Dexter just seemed 1647 01:23:11,400 --> 01:23:14,519 Speaker 1: like the complete opposite of a cool name, and you 1648 01:23:14,600 --> 01:23:19,000 Speaker 1: just came up with it. Yourself. I just like that. Yeah, 1649 01:23:19,120 --> 01:23:21,519 Speaker 1: I mean the Descendants. Their singer's name is Milo, which 1650 01:23:21,520 --> 01:23:24,519 Speaker 1: I think it's It makes it because he's the songs 1651 01:23:24,520 --> 01:23:27,000 Speaker 1: are so rad. I love the Descendants, and having him 1652 01:23:27,040 --> 01:23:31,080 Speaker 1: be named Milo, it made him even cooler. I thought, Okay, now, 1653 01:23:31,760 --> 01:23:34,800 Speaker 1: how about going back to finish your degree. How did 1654 01:23:34,800 --> 01:23:36,839 Speaker 1: you decide to do that and how did you actually 1655 01:23:36,880 --> 01:23:40,080 Speaker 1: squeeze it in? Yeah, the USC was a leave of absence, 1656 01:23:40,080 --> 01:23:43,640 Speaker 1: so technically I didn't I wasn't gone from USC. But 1657 01:23:43,680 --> 01:23:45,439 Speaker 1: I think it's only supposed to Its supposed to expire 1658 01:23:45,520 --> 01:23:48,479 Speaker 1: after a few years, and you know, we're really busy 1659 01:23:48,520 --> 01:23:50,080 Speaker 1: for a long time. And I think it was like, 1660 01:23:50,160 --> 01:23:53,760 Speaker 1: you know, she's fifteen years almost twenty years later that 1661 01:23:53,840 --> 01:23:56,360 Speaker 1: I started thinking about it, going, gosh, that's always been 1662 01:23:56,400 --> 01:23:58,320 Speaker 1: it's gonna be on my bucket list, but cheez is 1663 01:23:58,320 --> 01:24:01,280 Speaker 1: gonna be a lot to do. But it didn't seem 1664 01:24:01,320 --> 01:24:03,519 Speaker 1: so imperative, like we have to get a record out 1665 01:24:03,520 --> 01:24:05,840 Speaker 1: this year the way it did, you know, ten years before. 1666 01:24:06,360 --> 01:24:07,840 Speaker 1: So I went back and visited with a couple of 1667 01:24:07,840 --> 01:24:11,439 Speaker 1: my old professors and it was great, and they kind 1668 01:24:11,439 --> 01:24:13,519 Speaker 1: of told me that the door would probably be open 1669 01:24:13,600 --> 01:24:15,599 Speaker 1: still and that they would kind of they would sign 1670 01:24:15,600 --> 01:24:17,439 Speaker 1: off on it and let me come back if I 1671 01:24:17,479 --> 01:24:20,160 Speaker 1: wanted to finish. They encouraged me to do it, and 1672 01:24:20,720 --> 01:24:22,439 Speaker 1: I decided to do it because I knew that that 1673 01:24:22,560 --> 01:24:25,040 Speaker 1: door would not be open too many more years, right, 1674 01:24:25,080 --> 01:24:27,320 Speaker 1: they would retire or go away or you know, it 1675 01:24:27,479 --> 01:24:30,960 Speaker 1: just be too long. So I decided to to go back, 1676 01:24:31,080 --> 01:24:33,519 Speaker 1: thinking that I could probably finish this in a couple 1677 01:24:33,560 --> 01:24:36,320 Speaker 1: of years. I had done quite a bit of work 1678 01:24:36,360 --> 01:24:38,840 Speaker 1: by the time the band took off. Um, I had 1679 01:24:38,840 --> 01:24:41,479 Speaker 1: taken all the exams and the course work and they 1680 01:24:41,520 --> 01:24:45,200 Speaker 1: call um your candidate, and they call that all but dissertation. 1681 01:24:45,280 --> 01:24:47,760 Speaker 1: So I had done everything with a dissertation and not 1682 01:24:47,880 --> 01:24:49,719 Speaker 1: the dissertation is a small piece. It's a big chunk 1683 01:24:49,720 --> 01:24:52,000 Speaker 1: of work. But um, I thought, well, I can go 1684 01:24:52,040 --> 01:24:54,240 Speaker 1: back and just kind of maybe knock this out in 1685 01:24:54,280 --> 01:24:56,720 Speaker 1: a year or two. And uh, you know, there I was. 1686 01:24:56,760 --> 01:24:59,960 Speaker 1: It was five years. Actually five years. How much time 1687 01:25:00,000 --> 01:25:02,760 Speaker 1: I'm dedicated to it. Well, that's the thing too. It 1688 01:25:02,880 --> 01:25:05,200 Speaker 1: was a part time endeavor for sure. You know, it 1689 01:25:05,280 --> 01:25:07,680 Speaker 1: was a couple of days a week because all the 1690 01:25:07,720 --> 01:25:10,559 Speaker 1: time I really could spend on it. Wow, I mean, 1691 01:25:10,600 --> 01:25:13,400 Speaker 1: did you ever think why the hell am I doing that? 1692 01:25:14,280 --> 01:25:18,080 Speaker 1: I definitely did halfway through. Yeah, it was. It was 1693 01:25:18,080 --> 01:25:21,000 Speaker 1: tough because there was you know, technology moves fast. There 1694 01:25:21,040 --> 01:25:23,040 Speaker 1: was definitely I had to come up to speed on 1695 01:25:23,520 --> 01:25:25,800 Speaker 1: what had happened in biotech in the last twenty years. 1696 01:25:26,120 --> 01:25:28,680 Speaker 1: So that took a while. And then when I say 1697 01:25:28,680 --> 01:25:31,560 Speaker 1: all about dissertation, I didn't know what my dissertation was 1698 01:25:31,600 --> 01:25:34,479 Speaker 1: gonna be. So there was that searching process of finding 1699 01:25:34,520 --> 01:25:37,400 Speaker 1: something that I wanted to do, something that you know, 1700 01:25:37,479 --> 01:25:39,600 Speaker 1: the thing about your dissertation it has to be publishable. 1701 01:25:39,600 --> 01:25:42,320 Speaker 1: Research means meaning it has to be something no one's 1702 01:25:42,360 --> 01:25:46,840 Speaker 1: done before. And finding something like oh, ship, somebody did that. 1703 01:25:46,960 --> 01:25:49,439 Speaker 1: You know that That takes a while. That's a process. 1704 01:25:49,479 --> 01:25:52,400 Speaker 1: So it was definitely there was there was some yeah, 1705 01:25:52,640 --> 01:25:54,880 Speaker 1: some some soul searching, wondering if I was really doing 1706 01:25:54,880 --> 01:25:57,120 Speaker 1: the right thing by going back to finish this, because 1707 01:25:57,120 --> 01:26:00,400 Speaker 1: the end wasn't in sight for a while. Okay, you 1708 01:26:00,520 --> 01:26:06,920 Speaker 1: published it did have any impact, you know, usually don't, 1709 01:26:07,240 --> 01:26:11,639 Speaker 1: but you just built it up so big. Yeah, Well, 1710 01:26:12,200 --> 01:26:15,479 Speaker 1: in order to find this niche, you gotta really dig deep. 1711 01:26:15,560 --> 01:26:19,120 Speaker 1: You get into the stuff that's so esoteric that you know, 1712 01:26:19,479 --> 01:26:24,080 Speaker 1: not many people are even in that zone. So, um, 1713 01:26:24,160 --> 01:26:29,200 Speaker 1: my thesis was was published in the USC library. Um. 1714 01:26:29,320 --> 01:26:31,280 Speaker 1: The idea is to go back and tease them out 1715 01:26:31,280 --> 01:26:33,920 Speaker 1: a little bit more and make actual research papers. So 1716 01:26:33,960 --> 01:26:36,680 Speaker 1: it hasn't been published like in uh in that in 1717 01:26:36,720 --> 01:26:40,200 Speaker 1: that sense, but it's been cited, you know, thirty two 1718 01:26:40,240 --> 01:26:44,920 Speaker 1: times something like that. So now you're done with it 1719 01:26:45,080 --> 01:26:48,400 Speaker 1: or you're keeping your hand in biotech. Well, I'm keeping 1720 01:26:48,479 --> 01:26:51,679 Speaker 1: up with the reading and uh my, my my goal 1721 01:26:51,800 --> 01:26:55,360 Speaker 1: is once we finish all this record promo, I'm gonna 1722 01:26:55,439 --> 01:26:59,120 Speaker 1: I'm gonna try to write a paper or two this summer, okay, 1723 01:26:59,560 --> 01:27:03,120 Speaker 1: and in the next thirty or forty years. Are you 1724 01:27:03,160 --> 01:27:06,679 Speaker 1: a musician, are you someone living a life of leisure, 1725 01:27:07,000 --> 01:27:10,040 Speaker 1: Are you a scientist? Or you have no fucking clue? 1726 01:27:10,120 --> 01:27:13,679 Speaker 1: What is it? Yeah? I mean, look, first and foremost, 1727 01:27:13,680 --> 01:27:17,400 Speaker 1: I love the band. It's it's obviously what I've I've 1728 01:27:17,400 --> 01:27:20,880 Speaker 1: steered my life tours, you know, consciously and unconsciously. So 1729 01:27:20,880 --> 01:27:22,360 Speaker 1: I don't know if I'd ever give that up for sure, 1730 01:27:22,400 --> 01:27:25,559 Speaker 1: but I just you know, there's so much interesting stuff 1731 01:27:25,600 --> 01:27:29,200 Speaker 1: out there that's and so I like obviously dabbling in 1732 01:27:29,240 --> 01:27:32,080 Speaker 1: different stuff, whether it's aviation or hot sauce, you know, 1733 01:27:32,280 --> 01:27:35,439 Speaker 1: really different kinds of things. So I hope to always 1734 01:27:35,479 --> 01:27:40,000 Speaker 1: be busy doing something. I don't see myself retiring. Like, 1735 01:27:40,479 --> 01:27:44,679 Speaker 1: let's let's you're off cycle, you're not making a record, 1736 01:27:44,680 --> 01:27:47,160 Speaker 1: you're not on the road. What does a typical Dexter 1737 01:27:47,280 --> 01:27:53,320 Speaker 1: day look like? Yeah, uh, you know, flying, going to 1738 01:27:53,320 --> 01:27:55,639 Speaker 1: the beach. We we live pretty close to the beach here, 1739 01:27:55,680 --> 01:27:59,559 Speaker 1: which is great. Um. I have little ones now, so that, 1740 01:28:00,160 --> 01:28:02,640 Speaker 1: as any parent knows, takes up a good chunk of 1741 01:28:02,640 --> 01:28:05,240 Speaker 1: your day. And it's so much fun. Gosh, just that 1742 01:28:05,360 --> 01:28:09,360 Speaker 1: age of having the little ones. They're just what age 1743 01:28:09,400 --> 01:28:13,639 Speaker 1: are the five and two? Oh yeah, yeah, and just 1744 01:28:13,800 --> 01:28:16,560 Speaker 1: it's just so great just watching them run around and 1745 01:28:16,600 --> 01:28:19,639 Speaker 1: chase each other and laugh at the silliest things and 1746 01:28:19,720 --> 01:28:22,040 Speaker 1: just sit. Really, it puts life into it, you know, 1747 01:28:22,160 --> 01:28:24,880 Speaker 1: as you know, a whole a different perspective. Well, actually 1748 01:28:24,920 --> 01:28:26,599 Speaker 1: I don't know because I don't have kids, but I 1749 01:28:26,640 --> 01:28:29,200 Speaker 1: hear about it. But how did you decide, at this 1750 01:28:29,280 --> 01:28:33,240 Speaker 1: late date you would take that plunge? Yeah, I I 1751 01:28:33,320 --> 01:28:37,120 Speaker 1: always I wasn't sure. I wasn't decidedly that I wasn't 1752 01:28:37,120 --> 01:28:38,880 Speaker 1: going to have kids. I just didn't want to have kids. 1753 01:28:38,920 --> 01:28:43,560 Speaker 1: Then so you know, I think years later, I'm a 1754 01:28:43,600 --> 01:28:46,120 Speaker 1: little older, I'm a little more settled, I'm in a 1755 01:28:46,160 --> 01:28:48,880 Speaker 1: new marriage, and it just kind of felt it felt 1756 01:28:48,960 --> 01:28:52,320 Speaker 1: right to do it. And I'm really now. I mean, jeez, 1757 01:28:52,360 --> 01:28:56,080 Speaker 1: I'm really glad I did. Okay, Dexter, this has been great. 1758 01:28:56,240 --> 01:28:59,200 Speaker 1: Thanks for illuminating all these issues. Hopefully people will hear 1759 01:28:59,240 --> 01:29:02,360 Speaker 1: your record, you know, the album et cetera. Just one thing. 1760 01:29:02,400 --> 01:29:04,519 Speaker 1: You know, where does the sense of humor come from 1761 01:29:04,520 --> 01:29:07,919 Speaker 1: in the records? Because this is rare in the music world. Yeah, 1762 01:29:08,479 --> 01:29:11,439 Speaker 1: you know, I don't know if it's insecurity. I think 1763 01:29:11,439 --> 01:29:13,800 Speaker 1: when when bands try to come across too serious, it 1764 01:29:13,880 --> 01:29:16,120 Speaker 1: kind of turns me off in a way. But I 1765 01:29:16,120 --> 01:29:19,439 Speaker 1: think just yeah, just having something you can kind of 1766 01:29:19,439 --> 01:29:21,040 Speaker 1: have a laugh at him. Music supposed to make you 1767 01:29:21,080 --> 01:29:22,680 Speaker 1: feel good at the end of the day, whether it's 1768 01:29:23,040 --> 01:29:24,920 Speaker 1: it can be therapeutic. Doesn't have to be a happy song. 1769 01:29:24,960 --> 01:29:26,679 Speaker 1: It can be a depressing song. But if it's something 1770 01:29:26,680 --> 01:29:29,160 Speaker 1: that's cathartic, they'll make you feel good. That's one way, 1771 01:29:29,160 --> 01:29:32,439 Speaker 1: and humor is another way. Okay, And for those people 1772 01:29:32,479 --> 01:29:35,800 Speaker 1: who are not big into offspring play, the latest version 1773 01:29:35,800 --> 01:29:37,400 Speaker 1: of going Away, you're really going to be blown away 1774 01:29:37,400 --> 01:29:40,000 Speaker 1: and hopefully more people hear it. Thanks so much, Dexter, 1775 01:29:40,400 --> 01:29:42,200 Speaker 1: thank you very much. It's great speaking with you today. 1776 01:29:42,240 --> 01:29:45,519 Speaker 1: Thank you. Until next time, This is Bob left Sex