PipemanRadio Interviews Bad Wolves discussing Die About It

0:04 Hey you lunto yes, sensue wow, crazy young, whycome of America. It's time for the Adventures of pipe Man on W four C. Why not confess pom Beach is number one internet radio station. Here's your host, the pipe Man, fading out into obscurity, up to my eyes with all the absurdity bullshit that comes up your mouth and concerning me, you're never hurting me. Looking full this universally read it. Do hease with your prestl Is Clay in your internet game for the hell of it, grassmand that's straws youdem me stuff. I love itt with crystal clarity, lacking the etiquette. I don't want to talk about your dinner, man, I don't wanna come across the look up the mess Batman's tip. We just about the press said, crawl long class this it's pipe Man here on the Adventures pipe Man W four C Y Radio. And I'm very excited about our in Mexico. Yes, because I'm gonna say they're badass, but they're actually bad wolves. You're damn right and damn right badass, so dl welcome to the show. Hey man, thanks for having me. Oh my pleasure. So in between ending my workday and going out in Halloween Shenanigans. I got a chance to check out your whole new album, you know that Kelly sent me. And that's why I say it's badass, because, like I do a lot of interviews, sometimes I don't listen to the whole album. Sometimes I listen and you know,

1:34 to get a feel. But man, I had to listen to that whole fucking album because it was insane, awesome, awesome. That makes me happy to hear because we're kind of sticklers about the whole front to back album format, Like we really pay extra attention even after we're done making the music and everything to how the track listing goes and like the ebbs and flows of each song going into each other. And so yeah, that's cool to hear that that people still appreciate the album format in this day of the single. Yeah. I'm old school too, so I'm that way. Like in the eighties, I would just sit on my balcony with headphones, buy an album because it looked cool, It had no clue what it sounded like, and just listening to a whole album cover to cover, like ten times in a row, looking at all the artwork, full experience the lyrics and stuff like that.

2:30 In fact, I have a funny story based on something we were talking about ahead of time. So my one of my first really really heavy albums. And when I say really heavy, like like I had Iron Maiden in Preaseed and shit like that, but that wasn't really heavy. My first was Venom Welcome to Hell. Nice right, and so it had first come out. Funny story with that is like I used to get I lived in LA in the eighties and the whole metal sunset stream Sunset strip scene. Then I Slayer's first show ever. Not you were yeah Metallica show ever. That's a badge of honor for sure. And so we used to go to this record store in the valley called OZ Records, and there was this record clerk there that you used to always recommend these albums to us when we walked in, and turns out like he was starting this record label. You might know it.

3:38 It's called Metal Blade Records. Never heard of it, weird, and uh, he handed me this Venom album and I looked at him like, holy shit, that's cool as hell. But nothing was ever like that yet. Venom had a cool logo. Yeah, yeah, badass, and nothing was like that yet you know, like that the most devil worship you had was Ozzy, Like I used to get made fun of in high school. You know, oh, you're devil worshiper because I wear an Ozzy shirt. Like it was stupid. Yep. But then I sat down listening to this album and I literally I was reading the lyrics. I got scared the first time I listened to it. Reading the lyrics, I'm like, oh shit, this is evil as hell man the room right now. Now it's so funny because now that album would be considered kind of poppy today compared to standard.

4:41 We're desensitized, right, So yeah, when I was listening to your album, that's what I was feeling, not not the scared part, but the whole. Like I had to listen to the whole album. It was like, even though it's not a concept, it's still a story. Any albums of story, even if it's not a concept. The album and it just ebbs and flows, and I love how the sound goes from the young clean and the clean vocals to the growling to all these different things that I can totally tell you guys were just experimenting with your creativity, which is something I absolutely love. Yeah, yeah, I mean we didn't even make it a point. We weren't like super adamant about experimenting or anything. The only thing that we went into this knowing that we wanted to kind of highlight is just growth as a band and the growth as individuals, as players, as singers, and we just wanted to try. We wanted to have no rules.

5:45 We wanted to try everything and anything, even if it sucks. Like you know, this day and age, it's like everybody kind of can afford to have their own home studio now, so it's like you have you're not staring at the clock in some expensive recording studio like trying to get things right, like you have all the time in the world and all the resources now and there's just like no excuse. And we made it a point to spend extra time on these things. And even if it didn't work out, like if it's just something you wanted to try and you end up throwing it out, who cares, Like you tried it and you can kind of move on. But that was the biggest biggest marker in making Die about It was just to have no rules and grow as a band grow. You know, there's a lot of things that you can listen to on the new record that you can tell that I tried new things as a singer. I did some rapping stuff, I tried some new screams out. So yeah, yeah, without wanting to get experimental, we sure did. But you know, to me, that's the whole key a of creativity in general, be especially metal.

6:54 Like to me, from the very beginning metal, it's about experimenting with sounds to come up up with the sounds that we have today. And I remember I was playing guitar and my dad was like, you better give that up because you suck. I went through the same shit, but it wasn't my dad. It was my actual guitar teacher that was like he pulled my dad aside and was like, yeah, this this dude doesn't have it. He doesn't have a musical bone in his body, because wow, I mean, we were doing like the traditional bullshit like the mel Bay books, and it was cool. It was like informational or whatever. But that's not why I started playing guitar. I wanted to learn riffs, like right, I wanted to learn I would walk into every lesson of mine and the teacher would be like, so, did you go over like what your homework was for the week or whatever, And I would just be like, no, but can you teach me fucking astro, creepile, zombie dumb shit? And uh yeah, the traditional teacher in that sense, like he was just like, yeah, this dude's not doing it for the right reason. So right, like I got I'm sick of doing scales like that. Like I was doing scales for weeks. It's like, Okay, you're just boring the shit out like I was in school. That's what it was. It was about, right, bum bum bum bumb. It was just like Jesus Christ, I want to learn beautiful people, man, exactly exactly so, and I used to like just sit there and make sounds and experiment what kind of sounds could I make with this guitar? And that's what my dad would be like, you

8:26 suck and he didn't get it though. He didn't get what I was doing. And so that's why I love about this album is because I could totally tell you were experimenting with different sounds, different things, and even if things dropped off and didn't make the album, it's those that dropped off that probably led to what did make the album. Yeah, yeah, I mean mistakes even push you in a certain direction, and yeah, I don't know. It was just like it. I kind of have been telling everybody that this felt like even though it wasn't, this felt like my first album with the band. It was cool to do Deer Monsters, but like the environment that I came into joining the band, it was just like kind of turmoil at that time in the band, and they were working on that album or they were about halfway done with that album when I joined the band, So it was just this like break neck pace, hit the ground running kind of thing.

9:26 And once I joined, you know, I came to LA and we got in the studio and finished up Deer Monsters together. So that was like kind of testing the the collaborative waters or whatever. But this one was just like it feels like my my feels like my baby this time, like I got to co produce it with Josh Gilbert and John We all kind of put our heads together and it was just like, yeah, we got I got to produce it from the ground up from day one, from song one. It's like my my themes, my lyric ideas, you know, it's even even so like uh riffs and drum parts, and so I was like very hands on with this record, and I just probably because of that, I'm so much more like emotionally invested and attached to this material. And I don't blame you because and it is rough when you come in, especially halfway through an album. And I think it proved something too that on this album you were allowed to have creative input for lack of a better way of putting it, you know, and they treated you like it was a new band, that you were all new That's the way I look at it, right, And because this band has gone through so much like public turmoil and legalities and just just crazy shit that like I know that when I started playing music or I started playing with bands, I never thought that I would have to deal

10:56 with the stuff that this band I dealt with. It's just like weird shit that never think about. And I think because of that, like we we really wanted to hit a reset button on this album and and come together as a stronger unit and just kind of present the band in a new way. But also that's the challenge, right, Like, but also keep intact what the core of what bad wolves Is, and I think we did that beautifully on this album. I think a perfect example that thought I thought of in my mind. Of course, maybe not as bad to Turmoil and stuff, but Iron Maiden is to me a perfect example of the saint. Like I was an old school Maiden fan, Paul Deano fan and all that, and Bruce was great that first album, and I thought, wow, it was great, but I was still like, yeah, Paul Deano, you know, yeah, yeah, no. And I get it, like there's there's a nobody is like super st if you're already invested in a band and it's like say it's your favorite band or whatever. Like you said, my Iron made an it's tough because like I totally get that, Like I've I've had scenarios where I feel the same way, where you get invested in the lineup of a band and member changes are tough, especially like a front man lead single change, Like that's that's pretty jarring for a lot of people. And you know, at the end of the day, it's like first record, I can see, like you know, you got to kind of dip your

12:28 toe in the water and see what it's like. But at this point, like I was just talking with my wife about this kind of blew my mind because I'd never really think about it because it's where I was just going and I don't really think about time too much. But yeah, I mean we're going on. I've been in the band for three years now and uh to two albums in and I feel like we've kind of split the difference at this point. So like, yeah, you know, if you're a true Bad Wolves fan and you love what the band does, regardless of voice on the music, I think that you'd be happy to see where the band is at and to know that this is a healthy working environment and everybody's happy and we're like stoked to be making the art that we're making, and yeah, it just feels good, man. So I feel like, you know, true Bad Wolves fans, they stick with us, and anybody that says otherwise than I don't think that they're really a fan of the band get to begin with.

13:26 They might have just been a fan of the ex member or whatever. So exactly, it's a big sandbox, man. There's room for everybody who gives a shit, no doubt, and that's why I compared it to Maide and and even in my example, it's like but after a little while, and it wasn't a long while. All of us hardcore made in fans. We're still hardcore made in fans made and yeah, exactly. You know, it just evolved, it didn't. It's not like it changed. It evolved. It's still made in and it's still bad wolves. It's just a better version you damn right. See Boom, I just spilled my coffee on myself.

14:09 Yeah, man, it is it is to some. I mean I'm not going to take anything away from anybody, and especially like the back catalog, the back catalog with Tommy and really sick shit. I would have never been interested in joining this band if they didn't write such great music with the X singer. So it's like point both both parts of it can be true. Like Jesus, I'm so sick of hearing about it. It's fun right annoying honestly, Yeah, yeah, not like from you, but like no, of course you go on the internet and stuff, and uh, sometimes it gets so loud and it's just like, man, music shouldn't be like that, like you're saying before, like this ain't corporate America. It's it's music. It's a band. It's not even a record label. It's a band. There shouldn't be all that bull crap. And you know what, I agree with what you said. If you're really truly a fan, you're a fan of the whole band and the music and everything. Like, there's plenty of bands that have had changeups, and it doesn't change my viewpoint in a band. It just you know, it's just a little different, that's all. But it's still the same, which is the point you were making.

15:18 It's a band, it's a unit, it's a fucking team. Like, you know, we can't make this work without John, we can't make this work without Doc. I mean, everybody has an essential role in this band, and it's not just one guy that's carrying it. So I think the most important part too, and I think that's what made this album so great in my opinion, is what you're saying before the everybody being happy, no drama, getting along, not dealing with all the bullshit, because that stuff does affect you man as an artist, as a person, and like you can't possibly put on a game face when that shit's going on, right and uh, And that's not to say that like it's been all fucking rainbows and Rose Petals, Like this has been really tough on all of us, like the member change and everything. That's like I said, it was turmoil when I joined the band, and like that continued on throughout the Deer Monster cycle pretty heavily. Like at some time, like anytime we would release something, it would just be this like flurry, whether it was real or not, whether it was like bots on the internet or whether somebody was telling but it was just like like you said, it's it's hard to get into something when you're just like getting your ass kicked every day. It's just not fun.

16:42 So this this, it feels like we're really happy now because it feels like a rebirth, like where we get another shot and we get to do what we want. And that's like the biggest thing, Like if you don't like what you're doing, why are you doing it? So no that, especially in music, I everget that, Like there are bands that I know for a fact that are in it for the business part of it, And like that's the stupidest thing I ever heard. That sounds really it sounds really boring, right, you know, music's supposed to be a whole different thing and it's a passion you know, and if you're just going through the motions, everybody can tell the listener the band, everybody. You know, I can tell talking to you that you have a absolute passion not only for the band, but for this album. And that is one of the most important things. And I know if listeners check out this new album, no, I have a passion for it too, because listen, I've been bad Wolves fanning for a long time. The first song I clicked on, I'm like, oh my god, this is badass. Nice thanks man. Well, it's good to hear. It's good to hear. It's it's I get it.

17:52 It's tough to it's tough to move on, and it's tough to buy a new car sometimes, but people get behind the wheel. It's just like this. Just like I say in radio, Okay, there's people in my industry that can't let go of seventies analog radio. I say, they have WKRP in Cincinnati syndrome, which was this, Oh yeah, they come back in the seventies making fun of radio. Yeah. I mean, you can use that analogy with because I'm a studio recording nerd too, so you can use that analogy making records. Like some guys still are just like I'm gonna use amps and that's it. I'm gonna do it the hard way. And like here we are with like ax effects is and kempers and like digital guitar amps that sound probably better now than real amps. Since so I don't know, Yeah, to each his own right there it is. And so how do how does everybody connect to you guys on socials on the web if they don't know, but more importantly, how they check out this new album?

18:59 Land drops? Uh? This new album will be anywhere and everywhere all DSPs, It'll be on Spotify, Deezer Apple, you name it, all that stuff, YouTube and anything bad Wolves related that is in terms of tour or merchandise or you know whatever, any anything you need to get your Bad Wolves filled, just go to bad Wolvesnation dot com or any of our socials. We have Instagram, TikTok, fucking whatever, you know, all the all the crap that the kids are spinning nowadays. And yeah, I mean we're we're we're pretty shitty at it, to be honest with you, like, uh, it takes a certain kind of person to like be good at social media, and I'm like working on it. I'm still trying to figure it out. It is. It's not like you can't just be a musician anymore.

19:49 And that's like, that's something that I need to get over because it really frustrates the hell out of me. It frustrates like a lot of the bands. Some some guys in Bad Wolves are better at it than other Doc is great at you know, uh, social media and connecting online and stuff. He's got his podcast, But like John and I were just like the grumpy old man, get off my internet lawn. Like I'm so bad at it. But I I do appreciate that people want to connect with us online and stuff. But I'm just we're weird, man, you know, We're like we're older band. We're this is kind of a young man's game, and we're we're an older band, and all of us dudes have like seen the internet happen, you know, like we were getting the the AOL discs sent right parents' house. So like, yeah, I'm still so funny you mentioned that because I had somebody, yes, we had an email to me had an AOL email address. I'm like I had to ask, and I'm like AOL. My wife still has an AOL dot com email address, and I just like laugh at her because I always right end up like filling out paperwork on what's your email again? And she tells me. I'm was like aol, Jesus, we're old right right, Oh my god? But you know I do. I do miss some of the old days where it was easier for a musician, But it's also easier nowadays for musicians to get hurt.

21:14 It's like it's like anything else in life. There's the good side, there's the bad side, and the double edged sword. But at the end of the day, I don't even know what the hell I was gonna say about it. I just Internet Internet. At the end of the day, they're gonna hear about this album from the Internet on this interview. Yeah yeah, well no, you know what, something is something that I've like because we talk about this. We literally have phone calls, we have label meetings, band meetings, we literally talk about the Internet and social media all day every day. And I'm just still like of the mindset that I just want to bring the like the mystique back to the musician. You know what I mean, tape trading. I want tape trading coming back, dude. I just I just remember like all the stuff that I liked growing up. Sure, like you know what the singer's voice sounds like on the record, fine, but like I miss wondering like, oh, what does it sound like when that guy talks? Like what they do it all about? And you just don't know because there wasn't like you couldn't just see them taking a shit and eating dinner every day like on their social media, And like, I miss the mystique of musicians. It made them so much cooler back in the day. Now you're just like, ah, yeah, I mean obviously everybody's like, everybody's the same, We're all just human, these make music whatever.

22:41 But it was it like it kind of made your your musicians and your heroes, like the even sports figures all that stuff. It made them like superheroes and you kind of don't have that anymore. Well, it's it's same with radio, you know, like radio people, I'd rather have the I call it theater of the mind, like Howard Stern as a perfect example. If you watch his bits, they're not as funny. They're so funny because your mind is wandering at what is really what's going on that's not really going on? In the studio and when you're listening. Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. So it's the same thing. And I do miss the mystery of looking at an album saying it looks cool, have no clue what it sounds like, and buying it anyway. Same or a movie, horror movie or whatever. Yeah. Yeah, I think you invested in it more too, because you bought it. You would listen to it and you would actually like it because you don't wan't to waste your money. Yeah, yeah, that. Or you could put the little the little blue sticker. Remember that that CD store of the wall. You put the little blue sticker on the back. And if you scratch the shit out of the CD and bring it back and say, I don't know, shit's broken, I'm gonna grab new one. They had that lifetime. Yeah, there you go, a good old days, just big. There's that old people stuff falling on right there.

24:10 Well, you guys rock I love what you did with this new album. I think everybody else is gonna love it too. They gotta check it out. You mentioned about merch. People can't listen to my show if they don't buy band merch because it's the only way you guys survive nowadays pretty much. Yeah, and there is some cool merch you guys have, so everybody's got to check it out. You have a final words you want to leave our listeners with that we haven't covered already. No, man, just absolutely check out our new album please. We would appreciate every single listen, every stream and also more importantly, it would help us out greatly. And we'd love to see you guys on our upcoming tour with Bush and Eva Underfire, which are also our label mates. So we're super stoked for the month of November, and we're gonna have some headlining shows going in the tour and headlining shows coming out of the tour, so we're gonna be pretty busy for the rest of the year and we'd love to hang out with you guys. We're not like, I don't think any of us really believe in like the rock star bullshit. Like it's just we like hang out at the merch booth.

25:12 Come say hi, we'll sign whatever, and we'll sign your baby shoes. We don't give a shit, so come say with me. Check our shows out and the that's the most important for us. I love it, and what a great lineup for tour. Man, that that's insane good night of music. Yeah, it honestly like reignited my love for Bush because I was like a Bush fan in the nineties growing up. I like loved what was it sixteen stone that had all the sick machine head and glycerine. Yeah, so like and since then I haven't listened to it that much. But like the second we found out we're touring with Bush, I started digging back into the Bush catalog and re fell in love with all those songs. But like, also their new stuff that they're doing like currently is really sick too.

26:00 They just haven't lost their touch. So we're super stoked and appreciative to be getting a tour with bands like that and can't wait to see everybody in November. Well, I can't wait to see you out there, and thanks for being on the adventure as a pipe man, dude, Thank you so much. Enjoy that beautiful background of yours. There. It's God, I wish I was there. It's fucking snowing here. Is it really October? Snow Here? A little fucking early for snow, Like I'm from the Northeast and fuck snow in October. I used to hate on Halloween where I had to wear a winter coat to go trick or treating Like fuck that yeah, that was my kids last night. You get into right, well there you go.

26:45 Well, love it and love the album and look forward to seeing a lot more of you guys. Awesome. Thanks for having me on man anytime call us, We'll be here my pleasure. Hey, what's up everybody? This is a DL from Bad Wolves and you're listening to the Pipe Man on W four c Y radio and then does he's with you? Presto Lislead. Thank you for listening to the Adventures of Typeman on W four c u I Radio.