Sat- Aug 30, 2008 – The Legendary Swagger w/ Dick Politic,
Yeastie Boys & The Blob – Doll Hut – Anaheim, CA

Sat- Aug 30, 2008 – The Gears w/ The Controllers, The BillyBones
& The Deadbeats – Mr. T’s Bowl – Highland Park, CA

Sat- Aug 30, 2008 – Poop w/ Lunchmeat, Star Fkr, The Scabs
& The Infamous Resevior Tips – Tropics Lounge – Fullerton, CA

Sat- Aug 30, 2008 – The Viktims w/ Public Drunx,
The Enemas, and S.M. – Boscoe’s Bar and Grill – El Toro, CA

Sat- Aug 30, 2008 – Pressure Point w/ Whiskey Rebels,
Monster Squad, Madhouse Disciples,
Aces & Eights, Pullout, In Desperation,
Plead The Fifth, & Media Blitz – Orangevale VFW – Orangevale, CA

Dead To Me interview

Interview by: Lou Medrano


Dead To Me is an exciting new band full of very familiar band members featuring Jack and Brandon of the now defunct One Man Army, and Chicken of Western Addiction. I'm telling you the aftermath of two great bands has never looked so sweet. Upon, first listening to Dead To Me I was very apprehensive as I have always been a huge fan of One Man Army and was very disappointed about the break up. And honestly I didn't think they could ever be as great as their predecessors, but I must admit I was totally wrong. Dead To Me is on it, and have already shot up to the list of one of my favorite new punk rock bands. From the first listen of their new record Cuban Ballerina I was hooked so much that I listened to it over and over again for hours on end. It is such a relief to finally hear a new band using and not abusing their influences and even adding a bit of originality to it—this record has got it all. Below is an interview I did with Chicken the bass player and vocalist for Dead To Me, and I must say it was as pure and true as one could imagine. I've never met Chicken before, but I've met guys like him and so it was very easy for me to relate to him and his thoughts, I hope you all feel the same way.



Can you give us a brief history of the band?

Chicken: Well we first started jamming together after I got out of rehab. I really needed something to do to get my mind off of drugs, plus I had written a lot of songs while sitting in rehab and just really wanted to get them out there. So I started off jamming with Brandon and then he suggested we bring in Jack from One Man Army. I was already friends with Jack and One Man Army had just broken up and I've always been a huge fan of Jack's voice so I figured why not? He joined the band and then we picked up my cousin Ian as our drummer.

Do you plan on making Dead To Me more of a full time thing?

Yes, definitely! This is our number one priority at the moment. It really is our baby and we want to see how far it will take us. At the moment Western Addiction isn't really doing anything, and as much as I love all those guys, I would have to say that my heart is really in Dead To Me right now. Jack is done with One Man Army and so we all agreed that this band would be our full time deal.

Where did the title for the record Cuban Ballerina come from?

Wow! That's actually a good question, I'm really surprised more people haven't asked me that. It actually came from this film I saw on the Independent Film Channel it was basically about this guy looking for love and he found this girl who happened to be a Cuban ballerina. The girl resisted in the beginning but the guy persisted and never gave up and ended up getting his girl in the end. I guess I just liked the whole concept of the film and the moral of not giving up and thought that it really fit the record and what our band was about.

What was the reasoning for putting the Eldridge Cleaver quote in the booklet?

That quote is actually from a book of his called Soul on Ice. He wrote it while he was in prison doing time, and it's just something that always kind of stuck with me. I guess it was just a very inspirational message and I thought that it was something everyone should read, and hopefully they will get the same thing I got out of it. Basically what Eldridge Cleaver was saying was to never give up your dreams and continually go after them. That's helped me to get through my days of being an addict by just following my dreams and believing in my music.

How did bringing in your cousin Ian as the new drummer come about?

Well he's my cousin but he's actually much more like a little brother to me. We've been inseparable since we were kids, and to be honest when I asked him to play drums for us I didn't even think he'd be interested, because he's such a killer drummer and completely beyond the structure of a punk rock drummer. I guess I just didn't think that playing in a punk band would be challenging enough but he seems to really like it, and we definitely enjoy having such a great drummer in our band.

Dead To Me seems to have a much darker feel to it, then some of your guys' previous bands. Was that what you were originally going for?

Well not really, I think that's just how it kind of happened. I don't really think we're a "dark" band, but I guess some of the shit I was dealing with in rehab was pretty dark and maybe that's why it came out the way it did. To be honest though we all really hate all these new "dark" kind of bands that are coming out and we're definitely not trying to fit into that at all. We just go into rehearsal and bring the songs we got and run with them, but we never really plan the end result, it just is what is.

You mentioned before that leaving rehab was one of the main driving forces for you to start this band. Would you say that it was also a huge influence on your song writing?

Oh yeah, definitely. I wrote the majority of my songs while in rehab and a lot of it was just the way I was feeling at the time. It was a sort of diary of my spent time in there. I'm really proud of this record because its like a huge chapter of my life and now I can look back on it and listen to the songs and remind myself that I never want to go back there again.

How long have you worked for Fat? Do you think that really helped in getting your band signed?

Well, I'm sure it didn't hurt. Honestly though, they approached us we never approached them, we just started out jamming and having a good time and everyone that works here at Fat are my really good friends. Everyone is honestly like family to me. So when they heard me and Jack had a band together they were excited and would always come to our shows, then one thing lead to another and Fat asked us if they could release our record and of course we said, "Hell Yeah!" It made total sense because we could trust all these people as they've always been there for us as a band and as friends.

"Don't Lie" which is the first track on the new record seems to address the current problems with the War in Iraq. Is being political in your music something that you guys are very passionate about and can we plan to see more of that in future records?

Well everyone in the band is pretty politically motivated but no were not looking to be one of those preachy kind of political bands. We just write what we feel and at the time I was feeling angry when I wrote "Don't Lie", because I was pissed off at the lies our government was feeding us, telling us everything is okay when people are getting their fuckin' legs and shit shot off in another country. I'm sure a lot of people feel that anger, but we're not looking to be one of those retarded bands that says, "fuck the government," because that's just stupid! Its like no shit? That's like telling me the grass is green and the sky is blue. I'm sorry but I need a little more then that, and I think those kind of bands aren't very educated on their facts either. Everyone in Dead To Me is pretty politically aware and are up to date on what's going on in the world and if we write a political song it's going to say much more then just fuck the government!

So I read online that you were named the sexiest Vegetarian by PETA in 2006?

[laughs] No I was actually just nominated. I think I lost to Prince or maybe it was Common, I'm not really sure but I hope it was Prince. Cause Prince is way cooler then fucking Common, you know what I mean? I'd be down to lose to Prince any day, that guy is fucking down.

What is your involvement with PETA?

I don't actually have any involvement with PETA. I mean I support them and their cause, but I don't really do anything except practice being a vegetarian. Actually, one thing I do have to say about PETA though is that I sometimes think they get carried away and should really choose their battles more wisely, because I can honestly say that they sometimes go overboard with that shit.

So what is Dead To Me's plans now that the record is out?

Basically just to tour our ass off. We want to get back on the road and see all of our friends again and play our new stuff to all our fans. We are in the process of tying up our plans for the rest of 2006 and we'll begin touring in the fall, which will hopefully lead to us just being on the road non-stop.

Cool. Well I look forward to seeing you guys in L.A. It's been a great interview and I really wish you guys the best!

 

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