Category: | Interview - Internet | Publish date: | 3/28/2011 |
Source: | FasterLouder (Australia) | With: | Brooks Wackerman |
Synopsis: |
Los Angeles, 1979; A bunch of high school friends with a penchant for anarchist ideology and an ear for the early punk sounds of The Ramones, Sex Pistols and Black Flag form a little band called Bad Religion.
Lead singer, Greg Graffin, has been quoted looking back on these times, “I had no allowance, no job, just a microphone that I borrowed from Brett, and a head full of anti-authoritarian ideas. These were the days before my Grandma bought me a leather jacket for my 16th birthday. Little did she know I was going to spray paint it with the words “Fuck Armageddon this is hell.”
Fast forward to 2010 and the 30th anniversary and 15th studio album, The Dissent of Man, for the legendary band. Bad Religion are now often credited with not only influencing countless punk / rock bands the world over but also with defining the So-Cal punk scene itself.
I spoke to ex-drummer of Infectious Grooves and The Vandals and now the youngest and most recent member of Bad Religion, Brooks Wackerman. We chatted about the band’s legacy, the new album, fatherhood, the punk rock ethos and plans for the future.
Brooks’ typical humbled attitude shines through as he begins by discussing his appreciation and admiration for the achievements of Bad Religion since the early ‘80s. “Well being the newest guy from only 10 years ago it’s a privilege,” Wackerman humbly explains, “I was very familiar with the reputation of this band and the legacy before I joined. So to be a part of the 30-year celebration and to bring something new to the table is great. The Dissent of Man is my fourth record with the band so it’s very fulfilling to just be a part of this movement and to create friendships in the band, you know. I definitely don’t take if for granted.”
Although The Dissent of Man may not be as angry as has become typical in previous releases, Brooks assures me the punk rock ethos is alive and well in Bad Religion. “Oh yeah, I think the new album speaks for itself,” Wackerman says, “There’s some more pop stuff on it I think but there’s still a lot of hard-driven two-minute punk songs too – you know, classic Bad Religion. So we’re definitely still holding the punk torch as far as I’m concerned.”
Interestingly Bad Religion have opted for a studio album of new material rather than the obvious (and often overdone) option of repackaged / re-mastered retrospectives or greatest hits compilations to mark their 30th year. Wackerman tells me that “It was inevitable that it was going be Bad Religion’s birthday but we really didn’t do anything that differently. If anything we always strive to make a better record than the last one, but you know, it wasn’t like an underlying pressure. If there was pressure I don’t think it would have gone as smoothly, and the tracking did go very smoothly. If anything, I think the songs are stronger than the last couple of records so I was really proud of how it turned out. I couldn’t have asked for a better record than the one Greg [Graffin] and Brett [Gurewitz] wrote for our 30th anniversary.”
Since the early days, the Bad Religion sound has been constantly evolving, or at least being influenced by different styles. The Dissent of Man blends a mixture of different styles, including hints of country and folk – which is a bit of departure from the trademark Bad Religion sound. “Yeah those folkier songs have been compared to Tom Petty a bit actually,” Wackerman admits, “Being Tom Petty fans we though it was interesting to incorporate that style into Bad Religion. In fact, if you slow the drums down, most Bad Religion songs are pretty much based on folk – you just can’t hear it with the ten screaming guitars and loud drums. So I think the folk roots have always been there, but Tom Petty has especially influenced this album.”
Not only are a couple of the new tracks influenced by Tom Petty, but Mike Campbell from Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers contributes lead guitar on the track Cyanide. Wackerman laughs: “How much more obvious can we be! That was actually his second solo on a Bad Religion record – he also played on LA is Burning. It was such a joy to get him back again.”
Perhaps showing a more mature side of themselves, there are some quite personal and emotional insights through the album, for example Greg’s song Avalon has been described as ‘beautiful’ – not a word usually associated with punk rock. “Well I think after the last two records being quite dark it was almost a relief and refreshing to lighten it up a little,” Wackerman reveals, “The Emperor Strikes First record was based on our displeasure and disappointment with the Bush administration at the time and New Maps of Hell also still had a darkness to it.”
“I know punkers don’t want to hear that,” he continues, “and we still have the aggression, but with Brett becoming a father again this year – he has a little girl now – I think a lot of his songs were more introspective and personal and emotional. Even though we’re the furthest thing from ‘Emo’. It’s the same thing with Greg. They just want to broaden their horizons and touch on more general themes that humans go through. You know, for me sitting back and taking it all in was refreshing… It was relative to what I was going through as well, I became a father this year too, I had my twin boys!”
Being the youngest member of Bad Religion by a fair few years, Brooks was only about five years old when they recorded their first material. Despite his relative youthfulness, he was always a fan of the band. “Yeah I had a Cross Buster on my diaper. I got introduced to Bad Religion when I was playing with The Vandals in high school, when Stranger Than Fiction came out. I listened to it and was just blown away, I loved the melodies and loved what they were singing about and the topics that they chose. It was different to any other music that I’d heard at that time.”
In the current climate of fleeting ‘buzz bands’ and manufactured pop stars, often artists will disappear into obscurity just as quickly as they rose to fame. So what has been the key to Bad Religion staying relevant for so long, and what advice do they have for bands trying to make it in the industry? “Well early on Bad Religion couldn’t even get a record deal, and that’s the reason that Epitaph was started. They were never discouraged to the point of stopping because they genuinely loved what they were doing. Whenever young kids ask me how to achieve longevity in this business, I tell them if you make no money and can’t get a show, if you still love the art from it doesn’t matter. If you have strong songs and you sing them with conviction. There was a reason that Nirvana was so big – because noone sounded like them! It’s really important to have your own voice. That’s one of the reasons this band has lasted so long. I think that’s the attraction for most people, regarding their favourite bands.”
So what does Bad Religion think of the new breed of punk bands? “Well there are so many sub genres now. You have punk, emotional punk, hardcore punk… All these genres have developed from the 80s ‘So-Cal’ sound. And rightly so – there shouldn’t only be punk out there. You know, every time we do a Warped Tour there’s always kids that come up to us and say how they’ve been influenced by us. And it’s always rewarding to hear those words, even to this day. We are often looked to for guidance from the young bands – I think we’re all therapists for young kids.”
What are the highlights of Wackerman’s time with Bad Religion? “Whenever we finish a new record I still get really excited to hear the mixes. To be a part of the recording process and to be able to create and finally hear the finished product – I still get chills. That’s always a high for me. And there’s always the shows. We went to Europe in the summer and we played festivals in front of 40 000 people which is always exhilarating. So I’d say the combination of some special live shows and being creative in the studio is the most fulfilling part of being in this band.”
Finally the inevitable question: Is there any chance of Bad Religion touring Australia off the back of the new album? “I can’t reveal anything right now,” Wackerman says cagily, “but there’s been talk of getting out there soon. Australia has definitely become one of our main markets, especially in the last few years. We love coming down there and we have amazing fans down there. Plus we have new songs that we have to play for you guys!”