The Tide And Its Takers - Thoughts of life's constant struggle overwhelm 36 Crazyfists vocalist Brock Lindow


By Anthony Morgan

Arguably Alaska's most recognised Metal export, 36 Crazyfists formed during December 1994. The group's lineup originally consisted of the following musicians; Brock Lindow supplying vocals, Steve Holt and Ryan Brownell handling guitars, JD Stuart occupying bass and Thomas Noonan thumping drums. Independently issuing two EPs in the guise of Boss Buckle (1995) and Suffer Tree (1997), inaugural full length In the Skin arrived in 1997. Not plain sailing by any individual's measurements, Stuart succumbed at the hands of a drunk driver on June 16th 1996, whilst Brownell left the fold. Following the death of Stuart, the group eventually relocated to Portland, Oregon. Befriending Metal act Skinlab, a 1999 demo was given to A&R for Roadrunner Records. With a deal inked in 2000, the group issued Bitterness the Star in April 2002. Cut at Millbrook Studios, Millbrook, New York and Red Clay Studios, Suffern, New York, accredited producers were Eddie Wohl, Rob Caggiano, and Steve Regina.

At May 2003's end, 36 Crazyfists entered the studio to lay down compositions for the group's third studio album with the aid of producer James Wisner. MTV2 Headbanger's Ball's two disc compilation was issued in October, previewing new track “At the End of August”. Issued in March 2004, A Snow Capped Romance charted at position twenty-one on Billboard Top Heatseekers. A mere year later in April 2005, the group announced that they were composing further material. At the act's rehearsal space, pre-production lasted roughly three weeks in October. Following that, sessions at Big Blue Meenie Studios in Jersey City, New Jersey took them through to January 2006. Sal Villanueva produced, whilst Killswitch Engage's Howard Jones and ex-Living Witness vocalist Jonah Jenkins contributed vocals to the tracks “Elysium” and “We Cannot Deny” respectively. Dubbed Rest Inside the Flames, it became issued in the UK during June 2006 while the group did four UK dates with Khoma. The following month in July, North American dates paired the group with Trigger Point and Falling Closer, whereas September European gigs witnessed 36 Crazyfists alongside Atreyu and Chiodos. Two months later in November, more US concerts were scheduled with both Lacuna Coil and SOiL amongst the billing. Having lost faith in Roadrunner Records' American arm, the group inked a record contract with DRT Entertainment who released Rest Inside the Flames that same month. Lacking promotion, the full length sold a mere 1,900 copies in its first week of US release. A month later, DRT Entertainment filed for bankruptcy. Throughout February and March 2007, more US dates were honoured alongside Kittie, In This Moment and Dead To Fall. April dates saw another UK live return, and this time Twelve Tribes supported.

36 Crazyfists signed a record contract with Ferret Records in July 2007. Writing sessions in support of the group's planned fourth album began in the closing days of August 2007, and by the time that November concluded, all the album's material had been penned. Recording sessions began in early December, and Lindow began cutting his vocal contributions in the second week of that month. Following a week of recording sessions, Lindow travelled home so that Christmas and New Years could be appropriately celebrated. By the second week of January 2008, Lindow's vocals had been completed. Following that, the album was mostly finished. Dubbed The Tide And Its Takers, guitarist Steve Holt opted to helm the production chair, whereas mixing duties fell to Andy Sneap at Backstage Studios in Derby, England. Sons of Nero (In Flames, Every Time I Die, Full Blown Chaos, The Human Abstract) handled the album's artwork, drawing a pirate ship that is viciously apprehended by a menacing skull. Whilst lyrical content revolved around the difficulties the every day individual faces over the course of their lives, the music itself possessed a more varied aura. Tentatively due in March 2008, its release date was eventually pushed back to May. In its first week of release, The Tide And Its Takers shifted 4,150 copies in the United States to debut at position 155 on the Billboard 200 charts.

Directed by Soren, a music video was filmed between February 4th-5th in support of the song “We Gave It Hell”. Snowmobilers from across Alaska travelled to snowmobile national park Hatchers Pass, and the cameras rolled throughout the day. A mere day later, performance footage was captured at Chilkoot Charlies. From late February to mid April, another batch of North American gigs came, more specifically alongside DevilDriver, Napalm Death, Straight Line Stitch, and Invitro as part of the Bound By The Road tour. To both plug The Tide And Its Takers and celebrate “Record Store Day”, three-song EP The Oculus was issued in April. Containing two fresh tracks lifted from the album, in the form of “We Gave It Hell” and “Absent Are the Saints”, it also boasted a cover interpretation of “Criminal Justice” - originally penned by Seattle act Satchel.

36 Crazyfists scheduled a UK tour which began on June 9th at Brighton's Barfly, and brought them to Cardiff's Barfly the following day. With Reading's Exit Ten occupying the supporting slot, Lucem Fero arranged an interview with 36 Crazyfists vocalist Brock Lindow for that day. Acting in an additional managerial capacity, Lindow escorted Lucem Fero to the group's tour bus. Items of conversation approached included; how The Tide And Its Takers came to fruition, the meaning behind the album's title, thoughts upon the cover artwork, the album's production, the music video filmed in support of “We Gave It Hell”, covering Satchel's “Criminal Justice”, the group's split with Roadrunner, the handling of Rest Inside the Flames, and signing with Ferret Records. In addition, Lindow unveils plans for both a DVD release and a five-song EP. Lindow holds the air and grace of an experienced musician, one that is all too aware of the music industry and its various trappings. When the frontman indulges in conversation though, his words betray that. 36 Crazyfists seem like a group beginning afresh, aiming once again towards ultimate triumph.

 

  • First of all, how are you?
  • I'm alright, and am feeling well. At the moment, I'm busy.
  • Is it alright if I begin the interview?
  • Yeah, fire away man. Go ahead.
  • Could you provide an introduction to The Tide And Its Takers?
  • The Tide And Its Takers is another extension of 36 Crazyfists, in my opinion. The album boasts everything which our group is capable of achieving, whether it be Rock compositions or heavy jams. Lyrically, it concerns the world's current predicament, and in some respects, the world's current mental state. Wartime is prevalent, and that's an issue which the young generation are adapting to, myself included of course. The album concerns love in numerous respects, and how important a part of our lives I feel that love is. On some level or another, we all need to feel loved, and that's whether people actually realise that or not. For example, some tough guys would disagree with that statement. The Tide And Its Takers touches upon victories, struggles and topics of that nature.
  • When you and the group members sat down and discussed ideas for The Tide And Its Takers, what did 36 Crazyfists aim to achieve?
  • We don't really sit down and discuss ideas in support of prospective albums. Instead, Steve and Thomas convene within a room, and begin to construct the mass of the tracks. Once those songs are adequately constructed, bass guitar is then contributed. Following that, I personally contribute by penning some melodies to accompany the tracks in question. Each group member throws in their own two cents, here and there. Musically, it's definitely Steve and Thomas who begin the writing process. We just wished to write whatever type of material we wanted to, and I think that's always been the case in the past. When we were signed to Roadrunner Records, in some respects, there was a little more pressure upon us. There wasn't an extreme amount of pressure, not like you might think. They always asked us which track would be the next single release, or would make statements such as; “You dudes are going to shave your beards, right?”. Our response was; “Haha. Oh, fuck you. Fuck that”. When we signed to Ferret Records, we just spoke regarding initial ideas for songwriting in support of the album. Ferret had none of Roadrunner's attitude, and immediately said; “We're a hundred and ten percent behind you guys. Whatever you guys do, we're going to love it”. We weren't really used to such an attitude, so our response was; “Wow! This is killer”. Each member just felt really free to write whatever type of material we wanted, I think. I'm not saying that we didn't feel like we could pen whatever type of material we wanted in the past, but this time we especially felt; “Man, that sounds pretty damn handy. Let's do another one like that”, or “let's do another melodic Rock song, and just have a good balance”. In writing The Tide And Its Takers, that's what we achieved.
  • Does writing become more difficult? After recording a few albums, you may think “I've done this type of song before”.
  • Yeah, I guess. It's a struggle to not repeat yourself, definitely. I think we've achieved decent results in attempting to progress with each successive record, and make them a little different somewhat. If you listen to each of the four albums 36 Crazyfists has issued, each of them have evolved our musical sound somewhat. They're all different somewhat, but don't really stray too far from our musical style. It's difficult to maintain the right path, although reinvention continually occurs. 36 Crazyfists has achieved decent results in terms of reinvention, I think.
  • You made reference to Roadrunner Records, so how did 36 Crazyfists' relationship with the label come to an end?
  • I don't hold any ill will towards Roadrunner Records; by signing our group in the late nineties, they made my dreams come true. Signing to Roadrunner Records was pretty amazing, and for that, I'm forever grateful. Almost from thereon in though, raising our profile Stateside was just completely difficult for us. Whereas some groups sell X amount of records in the States, we don't. For that reason, they've received much more attention. To attain that stature, I felt we needed more attention. We needed promotion and greater tour slots, although both weren't forthcoming. We just became lost in the shuffle. Over the years, Roadrunner's staff has changed. I know that certain Roadrunner staff disliked us as individuals, and we felt the same way towards them. In the UK, it was very very difficult to leave Roadrunner. The staff from Roadrunner's UK arm are so dear to our hearts; since the beginning, they've been so amazing towards us. To improve 36 Crazyfists' global profile though, we had to improve our Stateside profile. For that reason, we had to sign with another record label. We've been friends with the staff at Ferret Records for quite some time, and couldn't be happier to be signed to that record label. Thus far, Ferret Records have been so amazing towards us. We're really happy to be a part of Ferret Records' roster in the United States, and the same can be said of the UK market as well. For sure though, it was difficult to leave Roadrunner Records in the UK market.
  • Was the Stateside situation a catch twenty-two? You mentioned that 36 Crazyfists doesn't enjoy as much notoriety in North America. If you wish to achieve notoriety though, then you obviously need to receive a push from the label.
  • You have to bend to Roadrunner Records' wants, and needs. They want the right haircuts, and the right tight jeans. 36 Crazyfists isn't about that shit, and never has been. If we attempted to adopt that style, then we would look ridiculous. The Stateside situation was difficult, as their attitude to marketing a group is; “How can we commercialise this? How can we build this group up like Metallica?”. To be honest, we're an underground group who's always had this real cool, little following. I'm not saying that I don't want 36 Crazyfists to be huge, though I really don't have the intention to make 36 Crazyfists huge. I'm very grateful for what we have, and that's cool. When I started as a vocalist, I never thought I would be conducting a tour of the United Kingdom. Our career has surpassed what I thought could ever happen, and I'm thankful for that. I'm glad to be signed to a record label that's into the group's lifestyle, and doesn't try to model you into something that you're not.
  • Do you think Roadrunner Records signs artists they think might have crossover appeal?
  • It's a business; everyone wants to succeed, and everyone wants to make money. Nowadays, I understand that. I think they're looking to sign groups that will be financially successful for the label, just like the groups which have proved financially successful in the past. For example, Nickelback is a Roadrunner artist; I don't know how many millions of records that group has sold, but a lot. Nickelback has paid Roadrunner's bills, so I understand where they're coming from. They also have Slipknot amongst their roster, and they're obviously another massive group. They want groups that may not necessarily be in the vein of Slipknot, but groups that are similarly successful. If you're not selling the amount of records they want you to, then you're going to encounter those type of problems. Like I said, I have massive respect for Roadrunner Records and its UK staff. I also have massive respect for some of the US staff, but not all of them (laughs).
  • Rest Inside the Flames was released via DRT Entertainment in North America. How did that relationship meet its demise?
  • When Rest Inside the Flames was issued in Europe, but didn't receive a North American release, Roadrunner's response was; “After you complete this European summer tour, and perform at Download Festival etc., then the group will receive all this press upon coming back. After that, we'll release the album in the States”. That was the response we had, and given the fact they said “You need an extra push in the States, and this is going to do it”, our thoughts were; “That sounds weird, but maybe they're right”. We had a great time while touring Europe, and Rest Inside the Flames was faring well in the UK. We returned to the States, and Roadrunner said; “We're not going to release the album until November”. Our thoughts were “What? November?”, though we dealt with it somewhat, and went on tour. Late September arrived, and Roadrunner then said; “We're going to release the album in January”. That was after Christmas, so we knew right then that something wasn't right. We knew something wasn't right all along, but when you're the little guy and they're the big fish, you have to go along with their plans somewhat. We were pissed though. When that happened, we immediately said; “Hey, can you please let us go? We know where we stand with you guys, so can we just get out of the contract?”. They said; “You know guys? You're right. We'll even help you guys in signing to another label”. I thought was cool, and they honoured their promise. We spoke to DRT Entertainment in roughly October, and they said; “We can release the album right now”. “Sweet, let's get it out” was our response, as Rest Inside the Flames had already been completed since the Christmas before.
  • It just gets old then, doesn't it?
  • Yeah. I was so over it. It's a shame, as Rest Inside the Flames never got a very good chance. Anyway, we signed with DRT Entertainment. The contract we signed with DRT Entertainment meant they would only license the album; while they'll distribute the full length to various stores, they won't actively promote that product. The contract satisfied us, as at that point, we just wanted the record to be available in US stores. Well, they distributed the album to various stores. Around roughly Christmas time, the label folded as the result of bankruptcy. DRT Entertainment's roster included Clutch, Blindside, and a few other cool groups, so I'm not sure where all those groups went once the label folded. We wanted to sign to Ferret Records immediately following the conclusion of our relationship with Roadrunner, though Ferret Records couldn't issue Rest Inside the Flames until March as they were preoccupied with other concerns. As soon as DRT Entertainment folded, Ferret Records said; “Ok guys, don't worry about it. You're signed to us now”. We scheduled one more tour to begin during early 2007, and to end during late April. Following that, we began songwriting sessions in support of The Tide And Its Takers. Basically, that's where 36 Crazyfists is today.
  • How did 36 Crazyfists promote Rest Inside the Flames in the States? Did the group personally telephone journalists, and attempt to arrange interviews?
  • You know? I really didn't. We relentlessly toured, and that's the sole thing we did - we toured the States more aggressively in support of Rest Inside the Flames than we had in support of any of our previous albums. We just said “We're going to grind it out”, and became included as part of some tour packages. Our friends kept including us as part of their tours; we toured alongside Walls of Jericho several times, and also toured with Kittie once more, although that wasn't the greatest tour for us. Rest Inside the Flames was promoted just by shows, and touring; there was no magazine coverage, and no US magazine interviews. The only interviews I did in support of Rest Inside the Flames were conducted by British press. Despite the fact we had left Roadrunner in the US market, we were still signed to Roadrunner in the British market. As Rest Inside the Flames was still shifting copies, we remained signed to the label in the UK. I still took part in some British interviews, but the album's momentum was still pretty much dead.
  • Is there a reason why the group's tour alongside Kittie wasn't the greatest for 36 Crazyfists?
  • For us, the tour alongside Kittie was good. However, I don't think Kittie is really garnering newer fans. I don't know if you've seen Kittie in performance before, though we love Kittie. The group has a really loyal fanbase, so for that reason, you'll only get cheered by roughly fifty kids. I just don't think their fans were very interested in our live performance. The tour was what it was, but it was fun nonetheless. We were grateful to be a part of their US tour.
  • 36 Crazyfists signed with Ferret Records, and label founder / NORA mainman Carl Severson had contributed vocals to the track “One More Word” from 2002's Bitterness the Star. You said that 36 Crazyfists wished to sign to the label, so why did you feel that they would do the group's records justice in the States?
  • Ferret Records possesses a lot of street credibility, and boasts many cool underground groups amongst their roster. As far as breaking groups and so on is concerned, it seems as though Ferret is the label that Roadrunner actually used to be. Three guys run Ferret Records, and are all members of a group called NORA. Ferret Records has more of a group vibe as a result of that, and those three guys aren't sporting suits and seeking to make an X amount of dollars. Ferret Records is obviously a business, and the label is chasing financial success. Ferret just seems a little less financially inclined, and has more of a personal demeanour. I just knew that Ferret's staff would treat us right; they're fans of the group, whereas I knew that a lot of Roadrunner's US staff weren't. When only a handful of staff enjoys the group, and many don't, you know they're not going to work very hard to promote you. We really wanted to go where we felt generally liked, and Ferret expressed that to us. A lot of Ferret's current staff used to work on behalf of Roadrunner, so we've had past relationships with them. They were the really good people that worked on behalf of Roadrunner. I could go on and on about why I like Ferret - I like the people that work for the label as friends.
  • You've made several references to Roadrunner Records North American arm, and how staff didn't like 36 Crazyfists. Are you referring to certain individuals whom you can't name?
  • No, I don't really even know. I think they were hiding in the shadows really, although those individuals had to care enough to not let us benefit from the things that were initially promised to us. These promises were for the benefits groups usually receive, namely promotion. For example, Roadrunner never paid for an occasional ad in an American magazine to actually tell music fans that we had an album that was due to be released. We never received the usual promotion which a group is meant to benefit from, and this situation continued for years.
  • As you mentioned, the staff who run Ferret Records are actually musicians themselves. Given the fact they are also members of a group, do they understand where groups are coming from when they're approached by one of Ferret's artists?
  • Exactly. Ferret's staff know what it's like to grind it out as part of a group for years and years, and they know what groups have to deal with on a daily basis. Meanwhile, many label staff leave their office to wander home to their nice house that has their wife and kids, and they don't think about the guys on the road who have to eat at McDonalds etc. I'm not bitching about that, by the way. I just think Ferret relates to the groups a little better than some of these older guys - these older guys never really have related to the groups, and don't care.
  • What does the album title The Tide And Its Takers mean to you?
  • To me, that album title just means that you'll go through a lot of difficulties in your life. Also, you'll go through a lot of difficulties that you're going to overcome. Difficulties will come and go equally, I think. Good things, and bad things, will pass during our lives. You have to mentally prepare for, deal with, and overcome those difficulties. You have to enjoy the good times and try to stay positive in a difficult space, not to mention hopeful and calm. On a personal level, I think people can relate sometimes. The worst things that occur during your life are rents due, and you can't pay those rents. You freak out, and stress about the difficult situation. Somehow though, you get through that situation; you either borrowed the money so to speak, or you got kicked out on the street. Those things pass, however. That's the idea behind the album's title.
  • In terms of 36 Crazyfists struggles, can the group relate to that idea?
  • Yeah, absolutely. Our group has been through so many ups and downs, from losing a group member as the result of death to just minor things which have happened as our career has unfolded. Yeah, it definitely concerns the constant struggle.
  • How did writing sessions in support of The Tide And Its Takers develop? When did 36 Crazyfists convene within the rehearsal space?
  • We concluded the tour of Europe during late April I believe, and returned to the States in May. Following that, we played one show in June, or possibly July. We then took the summer off. The guys began writing material at the end of August, and likely finished writing that material right before the end of November. They started recording that material during early December, and then I began recording my vocals during the second week of December. I spent roughly a week in the studio, and went home for Christmas and New Years. I came back, and finished my vocal parts by the second week of January. After that, The Tide And Its Takers was pretty much completed. A couple of days later, Steve performed some overdubs and so on. It took us roughly a month and a half to record the album, and roughly four and a half months to write it.
  • When music is being recorded, do you have any input at all? Do you comment when you think a riff isn't so good, or you feel that it's really great?
  • Yeah, of course. I think that everybody respects each other's opinions. We've been a part of 36 Crazyfists for so long that I really trust these guys, and they trust me. We all equally try to help one another. When they sent me the music written in support of The Tide And Its Takers, I was obviously ecstatic about that music. Musically, I don't remember being all that involved. That's those guys' department for the most part, and I love what they do. I don't really remember having too many thoughts about the music itself.
  • So the group's chemistry is continually improving?
  • Yeah, and you'd hope so. The group has been together since 1994, so we know what to expect from each other in some respects. Sometimes, even we're surprised that our chemistry is better than we thought it could be. For each of us, I think the journey our career has tkane has been a really fun ride.
  • Can you discuss the musical style featured upon The Tide And Its Takers?
  • The musical style? I think The Tide And Its Takers covers a variety of musical styles. The album features some really Metal tracks like I said, not to mention some really Rock numbers. An acoustic song is also featured, and that's been a feature of the last few records we've laid down. For us, that was fun. Musically, we can do whatever we want, and that's the bottom line for us I think. There's always going to be music fans who attempt to say you belong to one genre, or another genre. In the real life-scheme of things though, I think we're just a group who's had the opportunity to write music, and dip our toes in a few different genres. I think we've dipped our toes in Metal, Hardcore, Screamo, Rock 'N' Roll, and it's all enveloped within one album. I think we touch on all those genres, but especially with The Tide And Its Takers.
  • Would you say that The Tide And Its Takers is a varied album?
  • I think it's varied, yeah. It's definitely a good display of what the group is capable of achieving on every level, I think. For me personally, that's one of the album's greatest strengths. It proves that we're not just a one trick pony, and that we have a few different ideas up our sleeve.
  • You mentioned that 36 Crazyfists likes an acoustic track to feature upon each album, so would the group ever consider the option of an unplugged performance in the vein of MTV Unplugged?
  • Me and Steve love to take part in unplugged performances, and we've had fun in doing that. We haven't conducted many unplugged sets though. In the near future, we're hoping to compile a DVD, and cut a five-song EP to accompany that DVD. That five-song EP would be acoustically recorded. Actually, it's something that we recently discussed. I fully support the idea, and would love to do that. It would be a lot of fun, I think.
  • Would those songs be recorded within a live setting, or in the studio?
  • The EP will likely be comprised of studio material. We're not really attempting to introduce an acoustic element to our lives shows, though we just took part in a live acoustic performance. It was a homecoming show, and was the first live acoustic performance in the group's career. The show was well received, though you couldn't perform an unplugged set during every show. You could take part in an unplugged performance for the people that absolutely love you, and that's cool of course. I don't really think we'll ever cut a session for MTV Unplugged, and I think that route is for some other group. I'm not completely ruling out the idea, but I don't think so (laughs).
  • You mentioned discussions regarding a 36 Crazyfists DVD. At the moment, is a possible DVD just being discussed?
  • Yeah; actually, it's just been discussed. We've wanted to release a DVD package for years, and Ferret initialised the discussion regarding that. They asked us to think about releasing a DVD, and to begin filming in support of the DVD roughly when the holidays arrive. I'll definitely remind Ferret on a continual basis that it was them who suggested the idea. We have years and years of Pantera-esque party footage, and funny material. We own video footage of 36 Crazyfists first show, which is horrible. We could include cool clips though, and material of that nature. We definitely want to release a DVD, and would love to have one commercially available.
  • Has a live show already been recorded, or has it yet to be recorded?
  • No. I think it would be cool to film one good current show, and then include special features and so on. That would be the right way to compile a DVD package, and not include some old show.
  • You said you would like the DVD to feature a current show. Would that be in front of a concert audience, or a festival audience? Festival audiences may not be as familiar with the group's music.
  • You'd want it to be a hometown show. When we schedule hometown performances, we draw roughly three thousand people. For us, that would be a really nice live show.
  • Would this potential DVD be issued during 2008?
  • No. It would likely be released during 2009.
  • Would the DVD feature any music videos? Contractual agreements with Roadrunner Records might prohibit this.
  • Our music videos might be included as part of a special feature, yeah. The group's music videos would be potential material to include within the DVD, definitely.
  • 36 Crazyfists filmed a music video in support of “We Gave It Hell”. Can you shed light on that?
  • During either late January or early February, the video was filmed over two days in Alaska - where we're from. Many of our friends agreed to be a part of the video, and so did some professional snowmobilers. We all travelled to an area called Hatcher's Pass, located roughly an hour outside of where we're from. In short, Hatcher's Pass is a huge snowmobile national park. The performance part of the video was filmed back in town, and that was at a bar we grew up performing at. The concept is meant to insinuate that Alaska's residents attend live shows via snowmobiles, I think. Following that, we play in a cabin. Despite the fact that it wasn't a massive, well thought out concept or anything like that, it just somewhat showed the party aspect. Also, it showcased extreme sports and the beauty of what was there. Definitely, it was the most fun video we've ever recorded.
  • The video doesn't utilise any themes, or anything of that nature?
  • No, not really. It's just partying and rocking out, I guess.
  • Do you think that's a good thing? Groups sometimes become obsessed with being serious, so sometimes it's good to think; “Fuck it, we'll just have a laugh”.
  • It's good to have both, I think. I don't think we would cut a really funny video again, not like we did when we filmed the video which accompanies “Bloodwork”. I don't know if you ever saw that video, although it features kung fu elements. At the time, it was a lot of fun to record. Looking back though, that video is somewhat silly.
  • Do you think that can damage the group's credibility?
  • Yeah, I'm sure it can. However, we don't really care about that too much. I'm sure that music fans who initially disliked 36 Crazyfists watched that video, and really disliked us. Whatever (laughs). We're not serious at every moment, so I think it's important to show that we're not serious at every moment. For the most part, 36 Crazyfists' music is serious; the music comes from our hearts and souls, and I want the music to be displayed that way. I don't think we'll even venture down that route again, but I don't necessarily think future music videos have to be crazily dramatic either.
  • Can you discuss the lyrics to “We Gave It Hell”?
  • “We Gave It Hell” concerns the group's ups and downs of the last couple of years. We're still here, and our fists are still in the air. We all need a support network every once in awhile, and that includes life in general. The song concerns having the right friends to surround you, and being able to persevere through the difficult times that everyone goes through during their lives.
  • Will another video be recorded in support of The Tide And Its Takers?
  • Yeah. We haven't really selected the next single, although several tracks are being nominated between both the label and the group. Once this tour has concluded, we'll be performing as part of the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival. This summer, that festival package will be a massive event in the States. We'll schedule an off day during the tour itself I think, and shoot our next video.
  • Is there a specific track you'd like to film a video in support of?
  • There's a couple. The song “Waiting On A War” is a pretty single-esque Rock number, and I feel that a potential video in support of the track could boast a very cool visual. Having said that, I think it would also be cool to release another really heavy song as the next single. I'm not sure yet, but at least two more videos will be filmed in support of The Tide And Its Takers.
  • Will one of those videos witness release during 2008?
  • Yeah, definitely.
  • Would that be during the autumn of 2008, after the Mayhem tour?
  • Yeah, sure. It'll likely be issued a couple of weeks after filming has wrapped, so that would during the end of the summer. It'll be released during August possibly, or around that time.
  • An interpretation of Satchel's “Criminal Justice” was cut in support of The Oculus EP. Why did you choose that specific track to cover?
  • Satchel is an early nineties group that hail from Seattle. As a group, we love to listen to Satchel's full lengths on countless nights. Do you know of the group at all?
  • To be honest, I had never heard of Satchel.
  • Satchel aren't a heavy group, but are more soul oriented. Shawn Smith, the group's vocalist, plays piano, and can be described as almost Lionel Ritchie-esque.
  • So Satchel aren't a Metal group?
  • No; Satchel's material can be classified as really cool, hippie, moody Rock music. Shawn Smith is an amazing vocalist, and it was very difficult to attempt his vocal style. His vocals reach a particularly high range, and possess a lot more soul in comparison to mine (laughs). Anyway, we just love Satchel, and are big fans of the group. When you hear Satchel's compositions, it takes you back to a certain part of your childhood. Stone Gossard, who's known as Pearl Jam's guitarist, was a member of Satchel: Satchel was Gossard's side project.
  • Satchel was more of a side project?
  • It was for him. Actually, I'm wrong about this. Satchel is a Rock group, and Satchel's Shawn Smith was part of the side project Brad alongside Stone Gossard.
  • Was Brad a Grunge act?
  • No, they weren't a Grunge act. Brad weren't musically similar to Pearl Jam, but actually much more darker. Also, the group was way more experimental I think.
  • How would you describe 36 Crazyfists' interpretation of “Criminal Justice”?
  • I didn't really think about our interpretation too deeply. “Criminal Justice”, in particular, was one of our favourite Satchel tracks, and we thought it would be great to cut our own personal rendition. You always have to record B-sides, so we like to lay down cover interpretations in support of that. It's fun. Our rule is not to record tracks penned by groups who are still in existence, and Satchel disbanded a long time ago. In the past, we had recorded a Faith No More number, (the track “Digging the Grave”, featured as part of Kerrang! magazine's 2006 covers compilation High Voltage) and millions of other tracks. “Criminal Justice” is just a song that we love, and it was fun to record.
  • Was the cover of “Criminal Justice” recorded in 36 Crazyfists' musical style?
  • It's pretty similar to Satchel's original rendition, but isn't as good (laughs). We didn't stray too far from the original.
  • Steve Holt produced The Tide And Its Takers, and this was the first time that a member of 36 Crazyfists has produced one of the group's albums. Am I correct?
  • Yes, and no. Steve co-produced the group's last two records, and was then given the opportunity to produce The Tide And Its Takers. In the real sense, Steve's co-production should've received more credit than it actually did.
  • Steve's co-production in support of A Snow Capped Romance and Rest Inside the Flames wasn't really publicised at all.
  • No, no. When we signed with Ferret Records, we said “We really want Steve to produce our album”, and their response was “That's possible. Let's do that”. I don't think Roadrunner would've let Steve produce The Tide And Its Takers, though I shouldn't put words in their mouth. That's another cool aspect of Ferret Records. I'm proud of Steve's capabilities; he's produced recordings on behalf of local groups for years and years. Him and Andy Sneap, who has mixed our last three records, are a great team. They're good friends, and I think they're all we really need. I'm really proud of Steve's production in support of The Tide And Its Takers.
  • Did Steve opt in favour of a specific production style in support of The Tide And Its Takers? For example, did he go for a heavier feel, or a lighter feel etc.?
  • I think it's always his sound. since we were roughly nineteen or twenty years old, Steve has produced all of 36 Crazyfists' demos. In some respects, that's the production style our material has always opted towards. Steve's production style favours a more Metal-esque sound - in the group, he's the real metalhead (laughs).
  • Can you see Steve producing future albums from 36 Crazyfists?
  • Yeah; I would definitely vote in favour of Steve producing future 36 Crazyfists albums, and I think the other group members feel much the same way. It's occasionally great to let an outside ear cast their opinions upon forthcoming material I think, and there's no doubt about that. In terms of the overall quality featured upon past albums though, I don't think those individuals - who were paid healthy sums of money to produce those specific records - significantly contributed. When those individuals are hired to produce, the albums are actually composed in full. They enter the fray, and make statements such as “Maybe that part could be longer”, or “Maybe you could try a different vocal melody”. In terms of contributions by outside individuals, that's the most significant which has ever been made. Our thoughts were; “Why pay a healthy amount of money to hire a producer when we actually know what musical style we prefer?”. We know the musical style we prefer as I said, so I think Steve will produce future material.
  • Steve has been part of 36 Crazyfists for quite some time, so he obviously knows the group a lot better.
  • Exactly, you're right. We know the musical style we prefer, and we don't have to pay healthy sums of money to hire a producer who holds an alternative viewpoint.
  • In recording your vocals in support of The Tide And Its Takers, did you adopt a certain vocal approach? For example, did you opt towards more screaming, or favour cleaner vocals?
  • I wanted the vocals to possess a heavier tone, so I screamed a lot. On a conscious level, I didn't really think about my vocal approach that much; I just knew that the music written in support of The Tide And Its Takers demanded heavier vocals, and I wanted to cut heavier vocals so that I could translate that to our live performances as well. Everything concerning 36 Crazyfists revolves around our live performances, and connecting with music fans. As a result of that, I like faster, heavier and more energetic songs. I like slower songs too, though I personally wished to cut a nice, heavier, melodic album. On one track featured upon The Tide And Its Taker, I don't scream at all. On Rest Inside the Flames at least, I think I screamed during every track, though I could be wrong about that. “Northern November” certainly features no screams, and happens to be one of my favourite tracks that the album boasts. My approach towards my vocal parts was to make them brutal.
  • Does the music usually dictate how you approach your vocals?
  • Yeah, definitely. Prior to the composition of the music, I don't usually write melodies, or anything like that. I wait while the music is being penned, and contribute towards the material afterwards.
  • Two of the songs featured upon The Tide And Its Takers boast guest vocals. Twelve Tribes' Adam Jackson guests upon “Clear the Coast”, whereas Walls of Jericho's Candace Kucsulain features upon “Vast and Vague”. Can you talk me through their contributions, and how they became involved?
  • We've been good friends with Twelve Tribes for quite some time, and have participated in multiple tours alongside the group. We have the same relationship with Walls of Jericho; we've participated in multiple tours alongside them, and they're really close friends of ours. Also, I like 36 Crazyfists' albums to feature guest musicians - it's fun to collaborate with friends, and I enjoy doing that. Each and every 36 Crazyfists album has featured guest musicians I think, though it isn't something we've really given much thought towards. We don't think questions such as “Are we going to have guests on this record?”, or “No, let's not have guests on this record”. We just give our friends a telephone call, and ask them if they want to collaborate on a particular song. We sent Candace the music to “Vast and Vague”, and she actually cut her vocal parts in Michigan - that's where she lives. Adam actually flew out to Oregon, and laid down his vocals at Steve's studio. We're honoured that The Tide And Its Takers features vocal contributions from them both, and I think they made great contributions. We'll tour alongside Walls of Jericho soon, so we'll likely perform “Vast and Vague” alongside Candace once or twice, and have fun doing that.
  • Can you talk about The Tide And Its Takers' cover artwork, which was handled by Sons of Nero?
  • Several of Ferret Records' staff are also part of Sons of Nero. “Portland” (Matt Hay) is the main indvidual behind Sons of Nero, and happens to be one of NORA's two guitarists. He's been a friend of ours for years, and is a great man. “Portland” said; “Let us try this time”. The Clark Brothers of Demon Hunter fame designed the album covers for both A Snow Capped Romance and Rest Inside the Flames; they own Seattle's Asterisk Studios, and we felt a lot of loyalty to them. With those two albums, we adopted the heart theme somewhat. With The Tide And Its Takers, we thought; “You know what? Let's not use the heart theme again. It doesn't have to be 36 Crazyfists' identity”. It was somewhat difficult to determine whether we wished to continue with the heart theme, or not. Actually, there was talk of possibly designing a heart to be somewhere in the sails of the ship. Sons of Nero began to draw the little pirate ship alongside the skull which tries to detain the boat though, and our thoughts were; “Man, that's killer. Let's just keep that artwork the way it is, and not worry about the heart theme. Let's just start over, and use cool artwork in support of the cover”.
  • Do you feel that The Tide And Its Takers' cover artwork sums up the meaning behind the album's title?
  • I think it possibly illustrates life's ferocious difficulties, but the boat hopefully makes it through its ordeal. With these songs, I think that's the somewhat optimistic viewpoint I hold. I love pirates, and in my opinion, the artwork seemed very pirate-esque. In that sense, I was all for the cover artwork.
  • So you enjoy Pirates of the Caribbean, and so on?
  • Yeah, although I enjoy books concerning pirate lore, old pirate tales and pirate paraphernalia more so. The Pirates of the Caribbean movies are cool, though I didn't really like At World's End (2007) that much. The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) was cool.
  • You mentioned that 36 Crazyfists discontinued with the heart theme prevalent within past cover artwork, though was the fact that the group left Roadrunner Records another reason for that? 36 Crazyfists signed with Ferret Records, so was the group trying to underline the fact that The Tide And Its Takers was a new start?
  • In some respects I think, but it wasn't really spoken about that much. We discussed the topic on possibly one occasion, and wondered; “Are we going to continue with the heart theme?”. Nobody really wanted to continue with the heart theme, so we thought; “Yeah, just get rid of it”. The heart theme may make a return though - who knows?
  • So you aren't ruling out a return of the heart theme prevalent within past artwork?
  • No; never rule out anything.
  • In mixing The Tide And Its Takers, what did Andy Sneap opt towards?
  • Andy just mixed the tracks, and lent them a Metal tone. Andy's extremely into Metal music, and that's the reason why the material possesses a Metal vibe. 36 Crazyfists isn't that Metal, so using Andy to handle mixing duties is good I think - it makes the Metal aspects really stand out. Andy knows that our music isn't comparable to Arch Enemy's, or Testament's per se, so he can't lend each and every fragment a Metal vibe. For us, Andy performs his duties well. Of the groups he has mixed, I think we're likely the one that's least Metal. I think he produced material for the group which is opening tonight's show though, namely Exit Ten, and their songs didn't seem overtly Metal when I watched them for the first time last night. Andy's possibly becoming more and more interested in groups which aren't overtly Metal as well, and that's great. I love Andy, and he's a great guy.
  • Did you enjoy Exit Ten?
  • To be honest with you, I've only heard one song by Exit Ten. Last night, the group sounded pretty cool. When Exit Ten perform tonight, I'm going to watch them a little more.
  • I own Exit Ten's EP This World They'll Drown (2006). I saw them at this same venue in September 2006, and they supported Soilwork. Yeah, Exit Ten are a really good group.
  • Yeah, yeah. They seem really cool.
  • Of the tracks featured upon The Tide And Its Takers, do you have a favourite? Is there one you particularly enjoy performing, or one you particularly enjoy listening to?
  • I particularly enjoy performing “We Gave It Hell”; it's the first single, and of The Tide And Its Takers' songs, it's the cut which we've performed for the longest period. While “We Gave It Hell” is likely the track we're most comfortable in performing, the other songs seem fairly new - even to us. In fact, we're still working out the kinks. Right now, we perform “The All Night Lights”, and that's The Tide And Its Takers' inaugural song. “The All Night Lights” is particularly mosh heavy, so that inspires pretty good mosh pits. It's a pretty fast number though, so I'm still trying to pace myself while performing that song (laughs).
  • In the next few days, 36 Crazyfists is obviously scheduled to play at Download Festival. What can festival attendees expect when they witness the group's performance?
  • Compared to the last time 36 Crazyfists performed at Download, they can expect my vocal performance to be much better (laughs). My voice was blown out somewhat when we last performed at that festival, so that very day was a bummer for me. I'm really looking forward to performing at Download, and we're honoured to be asked to return for a third appearance. When the big scheme of things is taken into account, and you consider how many groups exist across the globe, then being asked to perform at that huge festival on three separate occasions is mindblowing. We'll play a mixture of new and old material, but mostly our older tracks. For us, Download will be a good time. We're really looking forward to it.
  • In comparison, is the European market a different ball game to that within the States? You said that while 36 Crazyfists is successful in Europe, the group's profile Stateside hasn't really taken off yet.
  • I think our Stateside profile is much better than it ever has been. I know it is, and that's due to the touring we've conducted over the years. In the UK, we've always had a better reception, and it seems to improve with every given performance. We're still able to perform at these great Barfly venues though, and make these concerts intimate - that's cool. People who live in these towns don't have to travel that far to view us perform at a cool, little venue, and that's important to us. The small shows are where it's at.
  • You mentioned that 36 Crazyfists will feature as part of the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival tour alongside Slipknot, Disturbed and so on, so do you feel that being a part of this tour might raise the group's North American profile?
  • Yeah, it can help. In the States, this is the best opportunity 36 Crazyfists has ever been offered; we've never been able to perform in front of twenty to thirty thousand people every day, and for the whole of the summer. That's amazing. On every given level, things are better than they've ever been in our entire career. Following the Mayhem tour package, we'll be touring alongside Walls of Jericho for two weeks. After that, we'll be touring for a month and a half alongside Trivium and All That Remains, and then another month and a half alongside In Flames. Once those tours have concluded, it'll be Christmas. These are the best tour opportunities we've ever received, so for us, things are good.
  • In that respect, do you feel that 36 Crazyfists' booking agency is rather good?
  • I think that they're doing a better job for us than they ever have as well (laughs). We're receiving more opportunities, the group's name is becoming more widely recognised. It's been a slow, slow rise for us, and that's fine.
  • Do you feel that the group's hard work is now reaping dividends?
  • A little bit, yeah. In the past, I never felt that so much. I tried particularly hard to stay really positive, though we felt somewhat beaten down in some respects. Right now, I feel avenged somewhat.
  • In the coming years, where would you like 36 Crazyfists career to go?
  • I just want to remain current, and stay in the minds of people who're interested in present day 36 Crazyfists. That's as opposed to music fans who may have loved us ten years ago, but haven't listened to the group in quite some time, and don't really know what we're up to. I don't want to be that group. Still, I want to slowly gain recognition, or even quickly. I just want to stay legitimate, and don't want to be jealous. I don't want to be fifty years old, and still be screaming at people whilst running around. I don't want to look irrelevant, and want to achieve things in the present day. I don't want to necessarily make an impact, and then leave the music scene, but just want to achieve things while we can. For 36 Crazyfists, this is the right time.
  • Do you have a message for the fans of 36 Crazyfists?
  • We're extremely grateful for the support which music fans have given us in both the UK, and Europe in general. Thank you very much.
  • Alright, thanks for the interview Brock. It's much appreciated.
  • And thanks to you as well.