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Smoke Or Fire
Diatribe: It's good to have the opportunity to ask you guys a few questions. Fist off, I just finished This Sinking Ship, and I have to say I find it to be more real, more personal that the previous album “Above the City”. Don’t get me wrong I also chanted for California to burn to the ground, but this is quite a jump for a sophomore album. How to you explain this maturity?
Joe: I think that has to do with our personal lives and the fact that we are older. We don't live in a big punk house anymore with nothing to do except drink and write songs. Some of us are married or in serious relationships. We take this very seriously. We spent our lives on the road after “Above the City” came out, and we were exposed to a lot of new places and people. It was a lot to take in, and I think it had a definite effect on our songs and their content.
Diatribe: I understand you guys moved from Boston, Ma to Richmond, Va. Why the move? Do the Dropkick Murphy's just run all other prospects out of town or what?
Joe: Boston was too expensive for us to be a touring band. We couldn't afford to take time off from work, hit the road, and pay rent. We decided to either break up or move somewhere that we could afford to do the band we wanted to. Richmond was perfect. Eight of us moved into a big cheap house. We practiced and wrote "Above the City" in Jeremy’s bedroom. We had house shows for local and touring bands whenever they needed them. And we hit the road as much as possible. It was exactly what we needed to be doing, and it made all the difference for our band.
Diatribe: The majority of the band went to school in Massachusetts. Who majored in what?
Joe: I went to art school at Boston and majored in graphic design and sculpture. Jeremy went to UMASS and was an English major. Ken went to Northeastern and was also an English major.
Diatribe: Should talented musicians like Mike Ness quit school? In his case it worked out.
Joe: That depends on the person. I only went to college to move out my small town and find a band. I think I was in five bands at one time my freshman year before I tried out for Jericho, which later became Smoke or Fire. I was miserable in school, but I'm also thankful for the education I got. I learned almost more about what I didn't want to be in college than what
I did want. If someone isn't happy in school and wants to pursue music then they should. Otherwise they're wasting their time and money. But there are no guarantees, so if you are doing music for the sole purpose of "making it" then I think you could be in for a rude awakening.
Diatribe: How is new drummer Dave working out? From what I can hear he's on point.
Joe: Dave is rad. He's an amazing drummer, and an amazing person. Very fun to be on the road with, in the studio with and just a perfect fit for our band. I can't imagine anyone else filling the slot. He was the first person we called when Nick left, and we really lucked out.
Diatribe: So you guys are currently on tour with acts like, Tim Barry, The Draft, and The Shook Ones. All of these groups being part of our Diatribe family. Is there a band in particular on the tour you guys connect with?
Joe: We try to connect with everyone on the road. When you are on tour with other bands there is an unspoken camaraderie that needs to be there. You have to look out for each other. That's something Tim and the rest of Avail taught us when they brought us out on our first real tours. You look out for each other. Otherwise it's miserable. We've had a blast the last couple weeks with the Love me Destroyer guys. Our van broke down in Portland OR last week and without thinking twice they had us all cram into their van and head for San Francisco so that we didn't miss the show. That's what it's all about.
Its not hard to make sure everyone has enough food, beer, equipment, or whatever on the road. Its what makes it fun, and you end up making amazing friends in the process.
Diatribe: Are there any outrageous or otherwise hilarious stories on this tour you're at liberty to tell?
Joe: There’s been some real interesting ones on this tour, but honestly I am not allowed to talk about them. I'm not going to gossip, but I’m sure people will hear soon enough. It doesn't involve our band, and I want nothing to do with the situation.
Diatribe: What is the usual arsenal or checklist of must-have items that Smoke Or Fire would take on a lengthy tour?
Joe: Socks, booze, music, books, music equipment, cameras, and my wife got me a PSP for Christmas so that's been killing a lot of time. The basics.
Diatribe: One thing I've always wanted to ask a Fat Wreck band. Fat Mike. Is he an ass, or is he down to earth? Keep in mind he probably won't read this.
Joe: People ask me that all the time. Mike is awesome. I mean every time we've
hung out he's been nothing but nice and generous to us. It’s so strange when
I hear people say, "I met Fat Mike and he was a dick". The dude gets pulled
at everywhere he goes. Sometimes you're just not in the mood to talk to
people. You have to understand that and give people their space sometimes.
Diatribe: Tell him we appreciated your new album for review last month.
Are there any new young-gun bands coming out of Richmond anytime soon that we
should listen for?
Joe: There's a band called "Landmines" that is a great band. I'm stoked they
are playing our Richmond show on this tour. The Pink Razors and the Single
Spies are awesome too.
Diatribe: Are there in bands currently that you just can't fucking
stand? Like for example, I hate Panic at the Disco.
Joe: There are too many to name, but it doesn't matter what I think. I'm just
being a jaded old man. But if you want me to shit talk I’ll indulge you.
Cute Is What We Aim For needs to go away and never return.
Diatribe: Last but not least the K-Fed question. If you could knock up
Any MTV pop star just to collect alimony later, who would it be?
Joe: Scarlet...call me. My wife said it's cool, and JT ain't got shit.
Diatribe: Thank you gentlemen. Diatribe Inc invites you to drink with
us anytime you're in Columbus.
Joe: It's a date. Are you guys buying?
Diatribe: Free Pabst Blue Ribbon for all!
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