John Hoffman interview – Weekend Nachos/Spine/Bad Teeth Recordings - 9/05/13

You guys have recently released a 2 song sampler from “Still”, your 4^th LP due out in November.  Your vocal variety in just those 2 songs is quite vast.  One song, “S.C.A.B” is a bit core-ish, while “Satan Sucker” has a bit of death in the vocals.  Without giving away too much, is there a specific direction you wanted to go with this album, or do you just put together whatever is inspiring you at the time?

To be honest, we always discuss a direction we’d like to go in before we begin writing a new album…and then it never really happens that way, haha. So really, the albums that you hear are legitimately the 4 of us putting our heads together and just making music.  Which rules, because the end result is such a reflection on us as a band and it’s never forced.  In fact, I think it was my original idea to do a “darker” album kinda like Unforgivable but one step further…and the songs I ended up writing were the thrashier punk influenced ones, I think it was Drew who wrote the darkest riffs for this one, haha!  See, I never work well when I make plans ahead of time. Even when I try to, it’s not happening.  I am really happy with the way “STILL” came out though…I think it is our most diverse album and I think we really created something special. It’s got something for everyone and the way we were able to blend our influences together really works and is unique.

What’s up with the name change for this LP?  For a while it was titled “No Idols & No Heroes” which I assumed was going to be a Blood For Blood tribute album, but you have since changed the name of the LP to “Still”.

Haha, “No Idols and No Heroes” is actually the name of the 2^nd song on the album. I really thought it was a powerful album title, but everyone else hated it. In fact, I think a lot of people in general were not too excited about it.  Normally I listen to absolutely no one in terms of things like this but after a while, it kinda wore me down and I agreed to be open to a new album title.  When we first started writing, I had a song called “Still” that I was initially going to name the album after, and Brian said “that’s the name of a Joy Division record”.  When we were all fed up with “No Idols and No Heroes”, I decided to go back to “Still” because…fuck Joy Division.  Basically, the new idea behind the album is “fuck Joy Division”.

I see that you’ve announced some show dates in Oct/Nov, mostly east coast and of course Denver Black Sky in December.  What’s your tour process like?  Is that something you put together or are you to the point where you have someone else do that for you?

I have always booked our shows, in fact we have never had a booking agent at all, unless you count some of the friends that have helped us with our European tours.  We have a select group of people over there that help us get all of our international shows booked because I trust them more than I trust myself to get some decent gigs in areas I don’t frequent very often.  But in the USA, I have always been in charge of getting our tours booked.  It’s nice to not have a booking agent…to be honest, I do not understand why hardcore bands do it. It’s not necessary, I really just think it’s a laziness thing.  I’m lazy as fuck but not when it comes to this band, haha.  I like to deal with people myself and stand by my own band’s actions.  No reason to have anybody else represent us.

Also, what’s up with trees as cover art?  “Still” utilizes a tree-scape on the promo for the LP and the Sex Prisoner “State Property” EP you put out on Bad Teeth has them.  Is this some new hardcore cover art trend I’m not hip to?  Should I be looking into an ominous tree line tat for my forearm?

Haha, there’s something about trees as imagery that is both dark and menacing at the same time, all in a bleak depressing kind of way.  I think the Sex Prisoner album was meant to look more evil and scary. The Weekend Nachos album is definitely meant to reflect more on the bleak side of life. Whether you get that out of it or not…that’s not my concern. That’s what I get out of the imagery and why I chose it. It really fits the mood of the album once it all comes together. Read some of the lyrics and it may make sense, I don’t know.

Speaking of that Sex Prisoner “State Property” EP, props on not only putting that out, but for streaming it online.  That record is a Richard Dent sized, absolute monster; they got something going on down in AZ.  How did that release come about and how pleased with it are you?

Well, I’m proud to say this came about through simply going to shows and seeing new bands. I first saw Sex Prisoner when Weekend Nachos rolled through Tucson and played a show with them.  They blew me away, super raw and brutal powerviolence done to perfection. I really liked the vibe I got from them…regular dudes, not posing, just busting shit out the way they saw fit. There was always something very real and down to earth about these dudes, so when I met them and became friends with them, shit just developed over time. I didn’t know I would eventually do a record for them but once I started the label it just made sense. Will (To Live A Lie) did an amazing job with the 1^st 7” but he was taking a break from releasing records by the time they were ready to record a bunch of new songs they wrote for a new EP.  Kevin (vocalist) and I had become friends over the last few years and I don’t remember if he asked or if I offered…but that doesn’t matter. Mutual respect amongst both parties. I think the record came out fantastic…it looks and sounds incredible.  Those dudes could never let me down and I knew it.

You started Bad Teeth Recordings as a means to put out the Spine 7”, but you’ve since put out the Wake Up Dead comp, the Sex Prisoner “State Property” EP, and now the Spine/The Repos split.  Very impressive list.  Compare the sense of achievement and excitement between having your own record put out by a label for the first time and starting your own label and putting out a record for a band.

It is amazing, dude. Simply amazing. Sometimes I get more fulfillment out of doing the label than I do from being in a band. I mean, the two are both great in different ways, but sometimes doing the label allows me to be so much more involved in hardcore and that’s what matters in the end. When you do a band, you sometimes tend to suck your own dick because ultimately you’re trying to have the most fun you can and you also get a rush when people like what you’re doing. You get a similar rush from releasing records that people appreciate but…I personally feel like I do the label for other people and it’s more of a way to give back to hardcore than just doing a band. I don’t know, let’s just move on from what I’m rambling about and I’ll sum it up like this:  Doing a label allows me to work WITH others and FOR others, which is what I truly enjoy about hardcore.

I’ve heard that starting a label is an exercise in sunk costs.  What’s your motivation and ultimate goal for BTR?  Is this something you want as a hobby or something you want to grow into a Deep Six/TLAL type label?

I’d like to watch it grow over time, but it’s definitely a hobby.  I don’t ever intend on doing this for a living or making a whole lot of profit…but I will eat that shit up if it ever happens, trust me, haha!  I’m working on BTR 005 right now and it has been exactly one year…so I’m impressed with how much I’ve been able to do in what I consider to be a short amount of time for a brand new label.  When I first put out the Spine 7” last September, I wasn’t even sure if this would last, financially.  Could have been a massive failure and somehow it wasn’t.

The Internet has become a DIY’ers dream come true.  Free store front sites, free sites to promote yourself; it seems like DIY labels are popping up everywhere.  What’s the future hold for DIY labels?  Is vinyl always going to be the media of choice for hardcore?  Is more people starting their own always best for DIY or can there be an oversaturation point?

The world is oversaturated.  Too many restaurants, too many cars, too many people, too many stores, too many bands, too many labels, etc.  But that being said, it’s 2013.  You can go with the flow or hide away in the basement, it’s up to you.  I say embrace diversity and creativity.  You may be annoyed by an abundance of things you enjoy but everybody deserves a shot at doing what they love. The internet sucks, though!  The youth are getting lazier by the minute.  I think hardcore breeds productivity though, especially amongst a generation constantly challenged by new technology, so I’m proud to be a part of that type of resistance.

What are your thoughts on the 140 powerviolence bands that are going to sprout up by the time we conclude this interview?  As a band that was, fairly or unfairly, pegged solely as a powerviolence band early on, you seem to have progressed enough to move beyond that label.   However, it seems like every other new band is thirsty for that powerviolence label.  Do you think this is a positive thing for the genre or is this similar to re-thrash where you have legit bands like Water Torture and Sex Prisoner being watered down by the one offs riding a trend?

Here’s the thing…there are always going to be watered down and crappy bands. But when you start to compare them to the bands that you think are good, all that does is create snobbery and self-importance. Do I think Water Torture and Sex Prisoner are great?  Yes, I do.  But then again, what was being said about those bands when they were just babies sprouting up?  Should people have said “damn, look at these young’uns following in the footsteps of those who came before them, fuck em”?  Nah, everybody starts somewhere and you should support new bands so they can become great and continue to keep this wheel turning.  Believe it or not, Tony Iommi was once imitating his forefathers and dreaming about being one of the greats someday.  Everybody does it just like everybody eats, sleeps and breathes.

There seem to be more and more bands that are blending multiple styles within hardcore.   You have bands like The Afternoon Gentlemen who will grind you out then punch in the face.  Do you feel that is the direction hardcore is going, where bands obliterate individual styles and play a bit of everything?

I think bands have been doing that forever, but it NEVER gets old.  It will always excite me when bands are diverse and don’t do what you expect them to do. That is what keeps everybody on the edge of their seat.  Kudos to any band who keeps things interesting and therefore, fun and exciting.

I’ve always been curious about the Two Things At Once release as Torture and Bleed are arguably my 2 favorite WN releases despite their differences.  Actually, I was so happy to see that record, I bought 2 of them from you at your Cinco de Mayo show in KC.  What’s the story behind that release?

Well, honestly both releases were going out of print and we really wanted to keep them available. Relapse didn’t want to repress Bleed because they liked the idea of it being a one time thing, Torture could have been repressed but Nick Cowabunga couldn’t find the catalog number he needed in order for the pressing plant to find the plates in their warehouse, haha.  Rather than make new plates for that 7”, we decided to get both recordings remastered together to put them on one 12”.  That way both releases stay in print and people get more for their money.  Great idea, right?

Any new bands out there that get you excited?

This is gonna sound cheesy but rather than list a bunch of new bands, I’m just going to make another point…new bands, in general, get me excited.  I love seeing them all the time.  I love going to shows and seeing who’s opening, it might even be more exciting to me than seeing the band I initially came to see.  I’ll never understand why people go to shows and intentionally show up late to miss the openers. Get your fucking money’s worth and see what else is out there, you fool!

So I have a Fastbreak “Whenever You’re Ready” LP hidden in an extra Suffering Luna jacket.  Do you have any guilty pleasure bands/albums/songs tucked away that could surprise some people?

Haha, I’m not really into the poppierFastbreak stuff, but that first 7” is one of my favorites of the time period. Pretty sure I have several different versions of “Don’t Stop Tryin”.  Anyways, as far as guilty pleasures go…nope, I don’t have any.  I will defend anything I listen to no matter what trendy fucking poser talks shit.  I challenge anybody to put me down. You will end up looking like the idiot, not me.

You’ve made it known that you are a fan of Oklahoma Joe’s BBQ here in KC.  Have you ever thought of writing a song about them, maybe a hidden track?  Like “Z-Man” the journey of a vegan kid turned bbq pit master after being hit in the face with a brisket at a house show?

I have never thought about that, no…but I will give you a tidbit of information that I probably shouldn’t because I don’t wanna jinx myself…I’m trying to have the intro to the Spine LP be one of our friends yelling “Kansas City Barbecue Society” before we go into the main riff.  If this doesn’t happen I’ll be bummed. Let’s hope we can make it come out right!