Western addiction

INTERVIEW WITH

Jason Hall

On the newest full length titled “ Tremulous”

WITHIN PUNK ZINE IINTERVIEW WITH

WESTERN ADDICTION JASON HALL

BY EMAIL

MARCH 03,2017 CCOURTESY OF

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J.B: Okay so let’s talk about “Tremulous” which has the meaning – timid or nervous. Is that reflective of how things are taking place in the current state of affairs with this new administration?

JASON: It’s funny, when I wrote these songs, it was long before the current political climate. However, they are somehow remarkably applicable to how uneasy people are feeling about politics in the US. I wouldn’t say that people are timid, but definitely nervous. I find it so strange how conservatives could be completely outraged at Hillary yet let Trump off the hook for despicable behavior that is in direct contradiction to Republican ideology.

J.B: I also find it interesting that this full length is released 12 years after Cognicide, your sophomore release. Which happened to be released 12 years in the making. So was it planned out that way in a way of coming full circle?

JASON: It was certainly not planned that way. It’s just how life unfolded. We all have full time jobs and I have a family that needs me so I have to make the band work between the cracks. The band took a break for a few years and started back up again in 2013. Only one song is technically “older” and that is “Clatter and Hiss.” The rest of the songs were written in the last few years. There are even a few leftover songs that I quite like that didn’t make the record because of time constraints. We’re hoping to do

another EP because there is one song in particular that I wrote about my grandfather that I really want to come out.

J.B: Of course over that break though you guys did release some really good 7 inchs which every collector loves. Do you feel that 7” seem to do better than full lengths with the rebirth of vinyl?

JASON: I personally like 7” records but I feel full length records are what people really pay attention to. I think people like 7” records in theory but I know that nobody likes getting up and flipping them over on the record player every 4 minutes.

J.B Okay so we know that you guys named the band on a play of words with the San Fran subdivision Western Addition but do you think the meaning of Western Addiction can relate now to the commercialization of the Western World and culture?

JASON: Yes, I think that can be derived from the name and I’ve even had people mention it to me. I’m not sure how I feel about the name now that it’s been some time but I’m not embarrassed by it. I definitely feel like it is a name that can grow with the band and be flexible over the years. I have seen several other bands now with “Western” in their name and we occasionally get the Jane’s Addiction association. Oddly enough, naming is what I do for my job at a branding firm so I’ve often thought about our name and what it means and if it’s something that we would eventually grow out of.

J.B: The formation of the band started by working at Fat Wreck Chords. There’s been some interesting bands that formed that way, like Spike working the mailroom. Is there some crazy things going down in the lunchroom?

JASON: Ha ha, well, you are surrounded by people with similar interests. Spike worked in the warehouse and would sing all day. Western Addiction started by me just walking up to Chad’s desk and asking if he’d like to play. Then we needed more people so Kenny and Chicken were nearby. When you work at a label, you have to go see bands all the time at night. One night, at the Bottom of the Hill, I was watching another band and I just decided right there that I was tired of being a spectator and watching other people take chances and create something of interest. Some of the greatest times of my life and best friends are because of working at Fat. J.B: From that you have also been in some other great bands from “Dead to me” and Enemy You. Do you find some of that sound transferred over to the feel of the direction?

JASON: Kenny and Chicken are in Dead To Me and were both in Enemy You. Tony is in Cobra Skulls. Chad and our new bass player, Mitch, have also been in other bands.

Western Addiction is the only band I’ve ever been in. I’m kind of an all-or-nothing person. I don’t think I could be in several bands. As for sounding like Dead to Me or Enemy You, I don’t think Western Addiction sounds like them. In fact, I think Chicken is such a good song writer with command of vocal melody that I would like if Western Addiction had a bit more melody. I think Dead to Me is the perfect style of band. It is similar to how the Clash is cool, melodic, punk, reggae, etc. All humans can and should like Dead To Me. They are one of my favorites. As for Enemy You, I also think that David had a gift for writing songs. The last song they ever put out, Adios (to You), has such a good vocal melody and Dave embeds small tributes to classic hardcore like D.I., Adolescents, etc. in his songs. I love it.

J.B: Do you feel it’s hard to get a differential sound from seperating work from craft? I mean when you hear so many scenes it can sometimes be hard to develop something new or organic.

JASON: I don’t work at the label anymore but I listen to more music than ever now. In fact, I appreciate music even more now because it’s not my working life. As for trying to be different, I try as hard as I can to come up with something that feels fresh in music and content. I realize that we sound like 80s hardcore but it was never planned and it’s just what came out when I started making songs. Everything is derivative. Bob Dylan was derivative. Metallica is derivative of Diamond Head. It’s unavoidable. But hopefully you are putting your own stamp on a sound. I do think our lyrics are quite different than other bands. I don’t know if that’s good or bad but I find unusual lyrics quite interesting.

J.B: Are you still tech supporting a Manipulator?

JASON: Ha ha. We’ve only played that song live one time. I would like to bring it back.

Most of my songs are about odd subjects and this one is definitely weird. I also like to give human qualities to inanimate objects. This song is about people dumping computer monitors in the street.

J.B: You guys have always had that iconic early hardcore foundation with the melodic punk feel with some homage to Black Flag (The Church of Black Flag) and Dag Nasty

what other influences managed to come to play on this release?

JASON: I’ve never set out to have a “sound” but this is definitely what comes out. I think the band we sound most like is Articles of Faith. I didn’t discover that until years after our first record. In fact, I never listened to Articles of Faith so it was quite surprising to hear.

I think the rudimentary nature of our songs are actually what makes it special sometimes. I think punk relies on having “songs” and that’s why I’m drawn to it. I’m a song person. There is no way to hide behind musicianship or distracting elements that aren’t the core of the song.

As for our new record, I think it sounds a bit evolved from Cognicide. Our drummer Chad said it’s like we made our third record, second. Maybe that’s because so much time has passed. I definitely get inspiration from particular songs and on the new record there are aspects of Motorhead, Metallica, Dead Kennedys, Simon & Garfunkel, Jesus and Mary Chain, etc.

J.B: So lyrical content what is the creative process behind that because Righteous Lightning and Taeduim are such amazing tracks?

JASON: Most of my favorite bands like Morrissey or the Misfits have really interesting, strange lyrics. Those lyrics resonate much deeper to me than traditional lyrics.

With that said, I’m always in awe of people that use plain, approachable language in clever ways. I think Rhett Miller from the Old 97s is the best example of that. For our songs, I keep a list of interesting words and phrases and some I just make up myself. I usually have a theme for a song and I bring it to life through these words. I often take an idea from a completely different world and apply it to an unrelated context to create something new. For example, in Taedium, there is a line that says, “Porcine, wonders abound, burn the hogs with cholera.” The idea for that line was inspired by a children’s book about a pig. I just thought the phrase “porcine wonder” was so interesting and applicable. It’s a metaphor for destructive politicians and people acting like abominations and oppressing a perceived lower class. In this case it’s the hogs with cholera, which is actually an affliction that hogs can get. Most every word from every song means something deeper. It’s all veiled in language I perceive to be beautiful or carries blunt force, but there is meaning.

J.B: It seems on this release the Social Graceless is gone and it seems more apparent in focusing straight to the heart?

JASON: Ha, ha. I’m thankful you dug deep into our words. I know I just said that each

line has a deeper meaning but I tried my best on this release to use plain language for at least the choruses. I see people trying to sing along and it’s tough for them, and I get it.

J.B: Masscult,Vulgarians,Entitlement is a deep politically crafted song that drives deep. How do you view the current state of affairs of the administration unraveling every socialist approach to equality for all that was put in place by the last administration? And by that I mean the reality of Pro Choice/ Freedom of press/ Equal rights for LBGTQ and the whole immigration police state?

JASON: I wrote that song before the mess we are currently in but it feels as poignant as ever. The song references global politics at large and the current state of San Francisco. I guess I just get sick of people being treated as disposable. I’m not saying I’m better but I think I at least have empathy. If I was truly a great person, I would quit everything I’m doing to help others all the time. The song is basically about being oblivious to people dying in the streets. It’s literally insane to me that we would build a Super Bowl city in my town or erect a soccer stadium in an impoverished country when people need food. The two most important political issues that I feel are the most important are education and the environment. You take care of those, you take care of everything. I know I have harsh critiques of San Francisco in this song but I feel blessed to live here.

It opened my eyes to every kind of person and how I should be open and loving to everything. Having knowledge of others makes it impossible for you to turn your back on them.

J.B: So talking about working at Fat Wreck Chords and making connections on this release you have Joey Cape being the producer? What was that like?

JASON: Yes, Joey is a longtime friend. I first met him officially when I worked at the label and we’ve been friends ever since. Everybody likes Joey. He’s charismatic and one of those people that everyone says is a great guy.

JASON: Being in the studio is my least favorite part of being in a band because it magnifies your inadequacies. Real singing is a challenge for me and that was where Joey helped the most. He really pushed us to think about the vocals. I learned so much from him on this record. Joey and I often have long conversations about the magical moments that make a song great. I think we are on the same page about this visceral and emotional feeling that a great part of a song can deliver and so I wanted to chase that on this record. I don’t know if I can always hit that moment because of my lim-

itations as a vocalist but I can definitely hear it in my mind and within other songs.

I learned small things like which letters create the most unwanted noise, to excluding syllables, to running the gamut of different vocal melodies for a part. Joey was beyond generous to help us on the record and although it was challenging at times, I’m very, very pleased with the outcome. I’m always insecure about my vocals but this was the first time I was proud.

J.B: The last one “Cognicide” was mastered by John Greenham and mixed by Matt Bayles. Who did the mastering on this one?

JASON: Cognicide was produced and mixed by Alext Newport. This record was mixed by Matt Bayles and the mastering was done by Ed Brooks. I’m not the most technical person when it comes to this step of the recording process. Our drummer, Chad, is excellent at this part and the other guys in the band can really hear nuances on a deeper level. I was more involved for the mixing portion with Chad and Matt.

Matt was one of our first choices to mix the record and it was incredible that we got to work with him. I’ve been through the mixing process before and when a record comes back, you say, ok, that sounds better. But…when the record came back from Matt, I said, “Whoa!” I think he made the vocals sound incredible. It was important that we worked with someone that understood us and captured the spirit of what we wanted to accomplish. We wanted a big, loud, clear yet still raw and messy record.

J.B: What studio was it done in? A lot of bands these days are tracking at several other studio’s or on Protools or Digi design and then mastering separately. Do you feel that leaves problems because it’s not all at once and then it has to come together in the end for live? On the other hand though it keeps it a lot easier to spend less time and costs in the studio process?

Jason: The record was recorded in a studio called Russell’s Teapot in Los Angeles.

The owner of the studio is a long time friend of Joey Cape’s and we were lucky to record there. We can’t thank the owner, Asher Simon, enough. We did the drums and guitar in LA and then finished the vocals at Motor Studios in SF. The bass was done at a separate studio in Los Angeles at the engineer, Ian MacGregor’s house. We did it this way because of costs and getting time off work but it wasn’t ideal if I could do it in a perfect world. If I had it my way, it would be two solid, straight weeks at one place. With that said, there were some benefits. You are able to listen to mixes and change little things that you may not have had the luxury to change with doing it in a straight shot.

J.B: Although one thing in the studio process of course is the endless caffeine fix, how was the Dark Matter brew?

JASON: Oh man. Chad got that from the Descendents, and I love strong coffee, but Dark Matter messed me up. I felt like doing a roundhouse out of my skin after drinking it. I’m no baby when it comes to coffee either but that stuff is like hitting a lightning bolt with a baseball bat. I felt “crazed” after drinking it.

J.B: You have also been touring around more most recently Japan which is quite a huge scene is there any other specific scene or venue that really stood out for you on your tour?

JASON: Japan was a one-off show for the Fat 25th anniversary and it’s the second

time we’ve been there. The show was quite memorable because there were 17,000 people in an airplane hangar. I absolutely love everything about Japan. I love the culture, the food, the ornate detail of the art and the full blown weirdness that is a part of everyday life. We went on a European tour in 2015 and there were a few other places that really stood out, although I liked most every country. I really love France. I think they do an excellent job as a country that truly feels global yet maintains their unique sense of being French. I also really liked Lindau, Germany. It is in the southern part of the country and when you drive through the hills it feels like the Sound of Music. It’s just pristine and crisp. Barcelona was quite stunning as well.

J.B: What does the cover art of the turbulent waters represent?

JASON: The cover art was very important for this release. It was done by a Belgian painter named Thierry De Cordier. Please look up his other work and check out the Xavier Hufkens gallery. The theme of the record is anxiety, dread, worry, etc. and this image portrayed the feeling of something big and dangerous and lumbering in the shadows. It also feels incredibly natural because of the water and implies that you had better treat the Earth right or it just might thrash you. I see the art as important as the music. The artist was extremely generous in letting us use the image and I think it’s utterly beautiful.

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

Jason: There are two. I’m not that well-read but I love how Hemingway uses words. I think he’s my favorite author at this moment. I know that sounds cliché and something a person that isn’t well-read would say but it is what it is. It’s probably a Hollywood bastardization but I love his portrayal in the movie, Midnight in Paris. He just seems like he’s living life in ultraviolet. I quite like the Old Man and the Sea and The Sun Also Rises.

In terms of a quote, I try to live by that scene in Walk the Line where Sam Phillips is asking Johnny Cash what he would sing if it was his last moment on Earth. Sam Phil-