Strung Out /Interview with Jason Cruz

INTERVIEW WITH

STRUNG OUT FRONTMAN

JASON

CRUZ

If you’ve ever heard anything come out of California in the nineties that

caught your attention it would most defiantly be “STRUNG OUT”. After coming back from a late night skate session my friend came over hell bent on getting sideways and in the midst of looking for some papers a lone cassette fell to the floor. As he placed the mysterious cassette and hit play he spun around with a glare in his eyes as one oddly starred opposite of the other “Check this shit out”! That cassette travelled everywhere we went motivating and inspiring the young subjective minds of those angered and confused at the world’s problems in the midst of wars and corruption, The powerful meaningful lyrics and blazing speed rang over and over in our heads as our congregation grew larger the inevitable would become following one of the best bands and best albums of the nineties Strung Out “Suburban Teenage Wasteland”. Strung Out was part of the nineties skate punk that did something that no other dare touched at the time fusing heavy rifts and metal scale solo’s in the guitar wizardry of Jake Kiley’s blazing that would most definitely get you going or your face slide off one or the other, followed by intense time shifts and fast snare work and drum rolls of Jordan Burns with catchy lyrics choruses and a front man that new how to carry and deliver. Regardless of their young Fat Mike of Fat Wreck Chords new what he heard and the direction of what would become one of the most iconic punk bands in over a decade that way ahead of the game and still remain there to this day. After Eight solid well-constructed albums a “Live in Dive” and numerous compilation’s and two E.P’s (Strung Out) remains a huge part of the Fat Wreck Chords family for over a decade producing some of the most influential sounds and songs for not only inspiring minds but lighting a spark for others to follow. “Transmission Alpha Delta” is a constructed masterpiece of everything this band has been through and learned along the way, a structured well-orchestrated piece of composition that balances throughout and defines what punk rock remains to be.

JASON CRUZ /STRUNG OUT INTERVIEW BY: JASON BOLDUC/ JIM SMITH @BOVINE SEX CLUB /TORONTO ,ON AUGUST 5/2015 COURTESY OF MELANIE KAYE PR COVER PHOTO: ANDREW MO /FLICKR

JASON CRUZ/PHOTO J.B

JAKE KILEY / PHOTO J.B

J.B: So this is J.B and Jim from Within Punk Zine talking with Jason Cruz of Strung Out and how’s it going?

JASON: It’s going good I’m just amazed at watching you guys work I’m trying to figure out whose setting who up?

J.B: No were both good a few beers in but were good!

JASON: Or it’s kind of the straight guy and who’s setting who up?

JIM: He’s the good cop I’ve been drinking all day not going to lie!

JASON: This is

going to be a good interview.

J.B: So I’ve been listening to you guys since Suburban Teenage Wasteland and wow what an album and then the latest “Transmission Alpha Delta” and I haven’t heard it in a few months but been playing it every day and last time I’ve heard it I thought it was good.

I mean you guys have always been known for adding the Metal sound in your albums and that showed through on Exile into Oblivion the intro is darker and heavier than that fast upbeat of Suburban and has carried through onto the latest ‘Transmission Alpha Delta” the new direction that you guys are going into with “Transmission” do you feel

“IT’S JUST MORE MUSICAL I THINK WE MADE THE SONGS JUST BETTER”

that’s where it’s at?

JASON: Ah well it’s always interesting to hear people talk about their perspective of what the album sounds like, and I love to hear what other people think because we just write what we write.

There’s no time to do anything really I think it’s about what I was talking about before I think the things that have changed is we got better at Structure like song writing structure and making things a little bit more musical I think

CHRIS AIKEN / PHOTOJ.B

“WE GOT BETTER AT STRUCTURE LIKE SONG WRITING STRUCTURE” that’s the most important part of it.

JIM: You mean a little bit more produced than normal?

JASON: I wouldn’t say more production I would just say more musical! We made the songs just better and flow better and more composed when we were done…Well It’s just easier to listen to! And looking back it’s not Argghhh!! And it doesn’t drain you like some of the older records.

J.B: I found it more harmonic more depth and even tighter!

JASON: Yeah more musical our chorus are little bit catchier I think a little bit more defined a little bit more precise.

“ I DON’T THINK ANYBODY TOOK US SERIOUSLY”

J.B: Blackhawks over Los Angeles you have that record too that is amazing...

JASON: That’s a hard album to listen to front to back it’s good individual, I remember mixing it and after “I went man that was exhausting” after listening to the whole fucking thing there’s a lot going on everybody is shredding.

This record is a little bit more restraint on the shredding the solos are precisely integrated into the structure of the song and there’s still some interesting solo’s.

J.B: Songs like “Rat’s in the Walls “you have a written lyrical song about being in situations and being alone and dealing with your own issues..

JASON: You bought the record if that’s what you interpret it as?

J.B (Well actually I’m thinking it was about paying for companionship) J.B: So when you’re on tour what kind of Playlist do you guys play I mean a decade of releases and so many good songs do you play mostly the older stuff like off of Suburban?

JASON: Yeah too much I think! It’s a big debate ROB RAMOS / PHOTO right now with the band I like to play stuff that we really haven’t played more obscure and those guys like to play more of the classics like “Firecracker” and the hits that sort of stuff. I think there’s so many songs that we haven’t done that I would like to pay attention to.

JIM: You guys were the first to sign with Fat Wreck Chords..

JASON: No you mean Lagwagon!

JIM: No one of the first it’s in the wording you guys where part of the initial first that signed with Fat Wreck Chords. How do you feel about being part of the family I mean Fat Wreck Chords is Fat Wreck Chords right?

JASON: Actually I feel really bad about talking about that because were like the joke at one time when we first started out Strung Out we were

O J.B

just dorks! I don’t think anybody really took us seriously! And truly I feel pretty awkward but Fat Wreck Chords is awesome.

JIM: I don’t know about that cheers to you guys being awesome and influencing me!

JASON: Thanks that’s awesome that people feel that way!

JIM: well you know you guys started out as kids and played really fast and maybe because you where young they didn’t take it that way and then you grew more experienced and then you became the top and then everyone looks for you now because your “Strung Out” and everybody wants to talk with you now?

JASON: That’s a nice way of saying hey your old!

J.B: Yeah but even as kids you guys came out and gave it everything you have and more straight with “Another Day in Paradise” and then boom! “Suburban Teenage Wasteland” and even now you’re still giving it “EVERYTHING” you have how do you keep up?

JASON: Ah man it’s hard keeping up but here’s the thing its way harder to play a slow song than it is to play and write a fast song! The slower the song it’s harder to play because it takes people attention to a slower song than a faster song. Usually people are looking for those kinds of songs and they look for that anger and aggression and moving around and that’s always been a part of us you just have to do a lot of speed! I think at the same time though speed is very limited to what you can do with that peak because of the screaming with the vocals but it’s good to switch it down a bit.

J.B: So let’s talk lyrical content because “Strung Out” has always been known for writing some amazing pieces and the content is always personal and motivating things that people can really rely to. Songs like “Monster” or “No Apologies” what inspires you to write?

JASON: ah well it’s me who writes the lyrics and I always like to just get all fucked up and it just comes out that’s the secret I sit back lock myself away and things kind of take over from there.

JIM: Well it’s a personal journey and that’s the best way to compose the

JORDAN BURNS /PHOTO J.B

best songs right?

JASON: Yeah for sure I mean I stay up really late like 3 in the morning and get all screwed up and get ideas and then you have to stop and turn it off you know and write deeper songs and I think now it’s different on this record is a little bit more obstruct because of that change on turning myself off.

JIM: Like the “Off ” switch like a light bulb this guy has it he’s the only one I know that can do that!

J.B: “Click” “Click” lol J.B: You guys also mentioned on this album it’s different a whole new sound E Flat?

JASON: Yeah we tuned up to E flat instead of D! J.B: That explains the metal because D is always metal!

JASON: Well actually it’s so you can hear the guitars a lot better it’s a cleaner sound!

J.B: Yeah it’s also been known that E flat is a sign of Drama and Bold and dramatic also is known for having links to the Masonic Temple is there any Lodge secrets you like to converse Jason?

JASON: If I told secrets than they wouldn’t be secrets anymore!

J.B: “Twisted By Design” was an amazing album that defined who you are to this day a well-produced album that carried from front to back and started the sound that you are today what’s the new direction of “Strung Out” Ah there’s no direction we’ve pretty much gotten really

bad reviews of this album and until people start writing about us that’s not going to change you know the only ones that give a shit about us is the true fans and the kids you know, even though musically our albums are really good and deserve better.

JIM: Well I wouldn’t say only kids I mean more of the lifestyle would enjoy your sound? Punk Rock right?

JASON: Yeah but they are still kids mostly every show you go to they are a younger generation which is cool that we still inspire that but you know we still love it when older people come out to see us too.

GIRL: Ah shit man I’m trying to go this is Bull Squat!

JIM: Sorry honey they locked you out is this creepy three guys hanging outside a women’s washroom?

LORRISA: No I’m just trying to do my thing and you guys are cool!

JIM: See Jason I told you this is a good spot!

J.B: Hey you know what works if you donkey kick the door! Yeah just donkey kick it!

LORRISSA: Like this! (DOOR ALMOST COMES OFF IT”S HINGES”) MEGAN: INAPORIATE!!

JASON: Did I mention I really like this interview!

LORISSA: Bull Squat they encouraged me!

MEGAN: I WAS TRYING TO TALK TO MY MOTHER! J.B: So take two on the girl’s washroom interview!

LORISSA: BULL SQUAT see it takes two minutes and I didn’t even wash my hands I just wiped them on my face!

J.B: Emm okay punk rock! So “Modern Drugs” everyone’s on something these days with pharmaceuticals how do you feel about everybody walking around so complacent?

JASON: Huh? Pharmaceuticals where are they? I mean that’s cool if you get something out of them!

JIM: I get a whole bunch out of them like “Pain Killers”!

JASON: Ha! No actually the song is about habitual rituals and the things that people do be it whatever sex drugs or other things..

J.B: We always end with a famous book or quote that inspired you in your life anything come to mind?

JASON: Yeah actually “Joseph Conrad” “Heart of Darkness” I read that book while we were making the album and love of that book inspired the album and it’s in there so yeah “Heart of Darkness”.