Interview With 36 Crazyfists Vocalist Brock Lindow
Forget the past and focus on the future. That is what the Alaskan foursome is doing right about now. For any who have followed my writings you all know that I adore this band that is called 36 CRAZYFISTS. From day one when their debut disc came out BITTERNNESS THE STAR in 2002 on Roadrunner I was addicted, intrigued and my heart was captured by them. Years have gone by and I have been with them through the releases of A SNOW CAPPED ROMANCE (2004) and REST INSIDE THE FLAMES (2006). I have seen them go through labels, toured there asses off and with all that the one thing I saw was the amount of kids and critics alike who started to finally realize these guys have the talent, passion and courage to be the success that many other bands have and shouldn’t cause the dedication isn’t there for those bands but with this band you can see it in the live performance down to hanging out with them at every show.. This band is the real deal. No bullshit and no wimpy music.As I said that was the past and this is the present and the present and future finally doesn’t have a dark cloud lurking, it’s bright and very promising. With a new home in Ferret Records and a new disc coming out entitled THE TIDE AND ITS TAKERS. The guys are fired up and ready to ignite the fierceness they have had but seemed to be hidden away.
WE GAVE IT HELL is the bands first single and the music video will be getting released soon and right now if you head over to the bands myspace page, www.myspace.com/36crazyfists you can get a little snippet of the new album with the song ABSENT ARE THE SAINTS.
I had the chance to get to see the guys out on the road three days in a row and on the 2nd day in good ol’ Worcester, MA, vocalist Brock Lindow and I met up at a pub for dinner and drinks to discuss the new album, the tour they are on and the future of the band.
YOU’RE PUTTING OUT YOUR EP THE OCULUS ON APRIL 19TH WHICH IS SUPPORT RECORD STORE DAY. HOW DID THIS ALL COME ABOUT?
Well our record was suppose to come out in April, but really it wasn’t but it got on the internet that it was, it was like a tentative date but the mixing wasn’t even done. The real date was set in stone in May but Ferret was super cool and was like since it got pushed back we will release like a three song sampler for this Record Store Day so we were all like okay cool cause roadrunner would of never of done that. So it showed us already how cool this label is being with us. So that is how this whole thing came about.
WHAT IS YOUR FONDEST MOMENT OF A MOM AND POP RECORD STORE? BEING FROM ALASKA I’M SURE THERE IS A LOT OF THEM?
We actually only have like one, but its bigger then ever. They were the place that only had like underground metal or hardcore. Because the other places were just like Sam Goody and Camelot, I don’t know if you guys have those, but I don’t even know if Camelot is still around. But in the malls those were the stores. But the one place Mammoth music, it’s been there forever that was where everyone bought there stuff. The people that run it are good people and they also own the only music instrument store. So that is what we have there.
NOW ON THE EP YOU GUYS PUT A SONG OUT CALLED CRIMINAL JUSTICE BY A BAND FROM
SEATTLE. WHO IS THIS BAND AND WHY THE SONG?
I don’t know if many people will know of them but they are called Satchel. They were a 90’s band, the singer Shawn Smith has put out a bunch of solo stuff too, and he sounds like Lionel Richie. He is a piano playing guy and the band Satchel is like his rock band so the song CRIMINAL JUSTICE is a cool song and the song is off the record FAMILY, which you should check out… But he also had a band called Brad which had one of the guitar players of Pearl Jam in it. On that record there is some sweet lovemaking music on that one, its super pimpy shit. (Laughing)
SINCE I HAVE FOLLOWED YOU GUYS FROM THE BEGINNING IT SEEMS LIKE THIS RECORD DEAL IS A BETTER PLACE FOR THE BAND TO BE AT. DID YOU FEEL THAT ONCE YOU TALKED TO THEM?
Well yea we have wanted to be on Ferret long before we got the chance to go to them. Definately a better fit, better people. I mean there were good people at roadrunner also but as far as having a collective belief I think Ferret has already proven them selves to us, that they genuinely enjoy the band where at Roadrunner I knew a lot of people didn’t enjoy the band. So it was king of up against it you know what I mean. We would of went to Ferret as soon as this dual release thing happened on the last record, we asked to leave right then because we knew where we stood basically. They were like cool we will help you leave and help you get another place, so they were actually really good to us, Roadrunner on that sense. So we wanted to go to Ferret right then but Ferret couldn’t put out the record any sooner then roadrunner wanted to because they had all their shit going on so we did that licensing deal with DRT for a second. Then basically we were on Ferret before the cycle was even over.
SO ARE YOU ALSO OFF ROADRUNNER IN THE UK?
Yea, unfortunately we are off them too.
SO HEARING THE NEW TRACKS OFF THE NEW ALBUM COMING OUT IT SOUNDS LIKE VOCALLY YOU HAVE GOTTEN HEAVIER AND ALSO THE MUSIC SEEMS MORE IN YOUR FACE. WAS THIS A DIRECTION YOUU WANTED TO GO OR WAS FERRET A PART OF THIS?
HA Ferret was actually when they first heard the demos they kind of freaked out because we sent them ABSENT OF THE SAINTS is the first one we sent them they were like don’t like change up just for us. But we laugh about that I mean the band has a heavy side. I mean ABSENT is the extreme of the album. There are other heavy songs but for the most part it has ton of melody, tons of mood. It’s funny because I have been doing all these interviews and everyone is saying you guys got so much heavier but we have always been a heavy band. I’m not taking offense to it but we have had heavy songs before. Now vocally yea it’s a little heavier. And my voice is different now.
YOUR VOICE HAS CHANGED ON EACH ALBUM! SO WHAT IS THE SECRET?
Yea. Well its just damage (Laughing) Like I really don’t have a higher scream anymore. We toured on the last record for like a year and a half and when I got done I was like my voice is shot. Then I went and partied with friends one night and we drank a bunch of shit and swallowing all this fire by accident well the drink was on fire and now I have never been the same (HAHA). But like damaging like if you look at certain guys like I really enjoy, I think there voices can’t do what they use to back in the day, like Chris Cornell, Phil Anselmo. Like those two guys can’t do what they did on the earlier records, but they are still amazing guys and I am not in their league but I’m just saying voice change I guess and I don’t think I hurt it where I will not be able to sing anymore. I can still sing but my scream is defiantly lower.
SO YOU HAVENT HAD ANY VOCAL COACHING?
I’ve done vocal coaching, I did a couple of lessons before but not on this album coming out and I really don’t think it obtains to me that much because of course I’m trying to get better but I am not trying to get a better technique except for warm up purposes. I really never pay attention to that anyway.
YOU ARE CONCENTRATED ON DRINKING THAT’S WHAT IT IS!!
Yea (with a smirk on his face)
LYRICALLY DID YOU GO ANYWHERE DIFFERENT ON THIS RECORD THIS TIME?
Hopefully but not really. I think a little bit I spoke about the world a little bit and how we are all living in war times and how that is affecting everyone’s mental, including my own. But basically I just wrote about how I’m fitting in today and lots of songs about love and life and breathing and struggling and trying to deal with what we are all dealing with. So it’s in a hopeful sense but maybe a little bit darker.
FIRST SINGLE WE GAVE IT HELL WHATS THAT SONG ABOUT?
It’s such trying times to stay positive and dealing with your life as young adults and as old adults. So that song is just about the ongoing battle of staying on this even keel and to learn and prosper and still keep that gusto
SO YOU SHOT THE VIDEO IN ALASKA SOMETHING YOU HAVE BEEN WANTING FOR A WHILE.
I tried getting this since Roadrunner in 99. So Ferret right off the bat said we could do it, so it was amazing. So it was 30 below zero for two days and we did the first day up in this mountain-esque snowmobile area. But the whole concept of the video which I don’t think many people are going to get anyway its just us performing and all these people snowmobiling but the idea was that everyone in Alaska goes to shows on snowmobiles, cause there is tons of them and they are doing all this rad stuff and doing back flips on the snowmobiles and stuff and then they are going to this cabin where we are and playing. It’s killer.
WHEN IS IT BEING RELEASED?
Think it comes out on May 2nd.
SO YOU’RE BACK ON THE ROAD AFTER SOMETIME OFF. HOW DOES BROCK STAY HEALTHY ON THE ROAD?
I haven’t been healthy this entire tour. Everyone on this tour has been sick. Another thing is we have been on a bunch of tours and I haven’t partied well not in a long time this much on a tour. There is not one person on this tour that is like a asshole, there is usually a few like crew guys or someone but everyone is awesome so after every show everyone is getting freaking douched. So it has been fun but it hasn’t helped me get healthy. But I’m good
SO YOU PLAYED WITH HOWARD LAST NIGHT FROM KILLSWITCH. IS HE GOING TO PLAY TONIGHT ALSO?
Well he called me but I missed the call and he didn’t leave a message so I don’t know what he is saying, but he is coming tonight so you might see it again.
SO LAST NIGHT WAS A PLANNED THING?
Well I knew he was coming to the show but I didn’t know until right before our set. It was messed up though because you know Mick is not on the road because he went home to be with his new baby. So Buzz doesn’t know ELYSIUM is what Howard did on the record so we couldn’t play that song so he does another which is cool but messed up (laughing)
WHAT WAS YOUR THOUGHT WHEN YOU WERE ASKED TO GO OUT ON THIS TOUR?
Initially I laughed because its typical. I get this called and they are like yea there is this tour going out with Devildriver and Napalm Death and they want you guys on it. I was like uhhhh ok, cool. We love Devildriver we did a bunch of shows with them in Germany and we are really good friends. Music is so relevant these days. We have been out with every band we don’t fit with I don’t really know if we will ever have a time where we are the heaviest band on the bill. But anyway it didn’t sound like the ideal thing to anyone else but now that we are out its awesome we have our people every night. The first few bands they are pretty much unknown so we have never been third on the bill in the US. Plus if you are on a tour with five bands its well known that third you have a stellar spot because headlining sucks, you gotta wait all night then play the longest then when its done its done. When you play third the crowd is pretty much warmed up, hopefully and when we are done we can hang out so it’s good.
ANOTHER FIRST FOR YOU IS THE ROCKSTAR FESTIVAL COMING THIS SUMMER. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO FINALLY BE ON A SUMMER TOUR?
I’m excited. Its great seems like everything is lining up real nice for us. The opportunity to play second stage is great. There is three or four stages. This tour will hit the same venues as Ozzfest does so it should be really cool
ANY BAND YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO TOURING WITH ON THAT TOUR?
Well we are good friends with Machine Head, Walls Of Jericho and Sevendust. There is going to be a lot of good bands on it but I am mainly excited for Walls and Machine Head and get to party with them.
WILL MICK BE BACK FOR THAT?
Yes
SO IS IT TRUE YOU ARE WRITING A BOOK?
I’ve been writing it for the last few years. I think I am going to try to finish it this year. Its really just journal entries, it’s like my perspective of things, in the kind of form of Henry Rollins. Like third person type shit, I don’t know if anyone will be interested in it.
WHAT IS THE NAME OF IT GOING TO BE?
“Sending Out The Search Party.†That is basically what we are doing, trying to figure it all out.
DO YOU CONFIDENTLY SEE 36 CRAZYFISTS HAVING ANOTHER 6 TO 8 YEARS DOING THIS?
Oh man I have no clue. I mean this has been the 14th year so I didn’t think it would last this long. Before the Ferret thing I would of said no because I was just over it. I love playing music and I love the boys and the tours but its not Disney land this is a little different deal. You miss a lot of people on the road and after years it takes a toll on you but now since the whole Ferret thing and we wrote this new record I defiantly feel younger, like I feel excited even though I have a wife and dogs and a home that I really miss. It was very painful on the last record for me personally a few times I thought it was just because I was drinking too much so I quit drinking on one tour and it was the most miserable time I had and I sucked onstage I just had no fun. So not drinking wasn’t it (laughing) so then I went back to having fun drinking and that was better. I don’t know this is just a weird thing; touring is weird living out of a box and trying to get up for this every single day. I mean last night we partied pretty well and now we are in Worcester where like there is the Killswitch guys and Diecast guys and partying is going to resume. This morning I wanted to shoot myself in the face so it’s hard trying to maintain and as you get older you kind of figure it out but still there is some nights you don’t expect to do what you did and you wake up going WHY DID I DO THAT???? But it’s still wonderful and I’m very grateful to be able to do this and I will never bitch about that part at all
ANY LAST WORDS:
Just thanks for all the support you have given us for sure and everyone else who has supported the band Just thanks and see you soon.
36 Crazyfists music videos and live videos: click here
April 8th, 2008 at 3:51am
Great Interview! I really can’t wait till there next album.
April 14th, 2008 at 8:13am
Brock is awsome, im lookn 4 ward to his book, hmmm interesting, a henry rolins type of book. I love 36 crazyfists, easily the band that is responsible for the soundtrack to my youth through to my adulthood. Good on em for doing well, i am so going to c em when they come back downunder, maybee ill be lucky enough to meet them. Also “Romperchick” (are you a fan of rompeprop by anychance?) good questions!, i was truly engaged im stoked u asked about his book. I will conclude by saying that if anyone actually reads this, u are probarly certainly a fan of 36, then you should check out my band some time! http://www.myspace.com/beneathbetrayalmofo
definately for fans of:
Parkway drive
Bleeding through
I killed the prom queen
36 Crazyfists