FIRST OF ALL, BEN, IT IS GREAT HAVING YOU HERE
ON BTS RADIO SHOW , ESPECIALLY ON OUR WEB SECTION WITH
INTERVIEWS AND THANKS FOR ALL GOOD MUSIC THAT YOU MAKE
THROUGH ALL THESE YEARS.
|
Thanks for supporting what we
do for so long.
|
MY FIRST CONTACT WITH SUPERGRUB
WAS WITH YOUR FIRST ALBUM COMMUNICATOR THAT WAS RELEASED
IN 1997 FOR 215 RECORDS, I THINK. HOW DID ALL STARTED
AND WHAT WERE THE FIRST IMPRESSIONS FOR ALL THE PEOPLE
THAT HAD THE CHANCE TO HEAR IT?
|
I was about 18 or 19 and i had
been writing and recording songs for a while and I just
wanted to get them out. 215 records was a label run by
some friends in Philly and they were totally into the
music so they put out communicator. It was fun. A lot
of people were really supportive and I think the music
reached alot of kids who were open minded and into music
for music instead of all the silly scene politics at the
time.
|
| YOUR MUSICAL INFLUENCES ON THAT
ALBUM, BY MY OPINION, WERE THE POLICE, BAD BRAINS, AND
SOME OLD PUNK HARDCORE BANDS. AM I RIGHT? |
| Yeah, pretty much. I would say
the Bad Brains, Into Another, Men At Work, Burn, Prince,
Inside Out and U2. |
AFTER THAT COMES CHALLENGER,
RELEASED FOR GHETTO CRUSH INDUSTRIES. ALBUM THATÍS
FILLED WITH VARIOUS TYPE OF SONGS FROM PURE ROCK, POP
THROUGH REGGAE, DUB MIXTURE. BUT THERE WERE NO SONG TITLES.
THAT ALBUM REALLY SETS UP A STANDARD SOUND OF SUPERGRUB
THAT EVERYONE RECOGNIZES. TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT MAKING
OF THAT ALBUM AND RELEASING IT FOR YOUR OWN LABEL?
|
| That album was one of the most
personally rewarding things i've ever done. I had recently
been turned on to shudder to think's pony express record
and that changed my whole concept of self expression through
music. I was also getting into alot of Ahmad Jamal and
Miles Davis. It was a great time of discovery. We just
went into the studio and made a record without any concern
to what people expected to hear. At that time, 215 records
was going through some changes so my brother and i pressed
it up and Ghetto Crush Industries was born. |
| THE WISH OF EVERY MUSICIAN IS
TO OWN THEIR OWN LABEL AND CONTROL EVERYTHING THAT HE
DOES. ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH YOUR WORK UNTIL NOW AND IS
THERE GOING TO BE ANY RELEASES OF SOME OTHER BANDS THAT
YOU THINK THEY ARE WORTHY TO BE PRESENTED BY YOUR LABEL?
|
I guess I'm satisfied. I mean,
what's done is done right? I look back and feel good about
the music we've made and the people it's reached. We're
definitely doing more things through Ghetto Crush Industries.
I've got a new record I'm putting out this summer. Ashley,
who plays drums for The Division Group has a solo ep which
I co-produced with him. I think that's one of the best
recordings I've engineered. The whole thing is gonna be
our own community. It's good to have a place where you
can try things and not have to answer to anyone if they
fail.
|
TOURING WITH SUPERGRUB WAS A
GREAT THING, FOR SURE. WERE THERE A CHANCE FOR YOU TO
PLAY SOMEWHERE BESIDES UNITED STATES?
|
We never really got out of the
Northeast U.S. we ended up playing with alot of hardcore
bands and that didn't get us very far. And we weren't
on the radar of the major label rock world so we never
really got anywhere.
|
AND THAT WAS IT WITH SUPERGRUB.
IT MUST BE HARD TO FINISH WITH SOMETHING THAT YOU DEDICATED
THE MOST OF YOUR LIFE! WHY DID YOU MAKE THAT BIG STEP?
|
After all that time I realized
there wasn't anything to show for all the work. It was
easy to say "time to move on" and let that rest
in the past.
|
| NOW IT'S THE DIVISION GROUP!
I GOT THE EP, AND REALLY, WHAT I EXPECTED, IT WAS THERE!
GREAT SONGS, GOOD SOUND AND EVERYTHING THAT MAKES A GOOD
RECORD. VERY PERSONAL LYRICS, AND MUSIC THAT SOUNDS LIKE
THE BAND WAS THERE FOREVER, JUST NEEDED TO PICK UP THE
PIECES. TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT PUTTING THIS LINE-UP TOGETHER
AND WHO WORKS ON LYRICS AND MUSIC? |
We pretty much took Supergrub,
which was Chris Shar and me, added Ashley Mendel on drums
and jumped in the studio. I wrote the songs and we played
them together a few times before we hit record and the
next thing you know we had new music to share.
|
I READ SOMEWHERE THAT YOU PLAY
VARIOUS INSTRUMENTS. ON CHALLENGER YOU PLAYED DRUMS BESIDE
GUITAR! IS THERE SOME OTHER INSTRUMENT THAT YOU PLAY AND
WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC YOU LISTEN WHEN YOU'RE CHILLIN AT HOME?
|
I play guitar, drums and bass.
That's all really. Lately i've been listening to this
band "Aleda" from New York. It's better than
anything i've heard in a long time. check out http://www.aleda.net
|
YOU ALSO PLAY GUITAR WITH THE
ROOTS! PHRENOLOGY, GREAT ALBUM! BUT IT'S VERY DIFFERENT
FROM STUFF THAT YOUÍRE DOING! WHEN THAT COOPERATION
STARTED AND HOW DOES IT FEEL TO DO BIG CONCERTS WITH LOT
OF PEOPLE IN FRONT OF YOU? IT'S A CHANCE TO DO THINGS
AND GO PLACES THAT YOU CAN ONLY DREAM OFF, RIGHT?
|
The Roots are the best. Those
guys taught me alot. We had so much fun playing big shows.
My life has been incredible and being a part of that was
more than i can explain. I've actually joined Incubus
playing bass since then so it's only gotten crazier and
bigger.
|
NOW ONE DIRECT QUESTION! CAN
MAKE A LIVING FROM JUST PLAYING IN A BAND?
|
Not really, unless the band is
run like a company. It's gotta be efficient and serious
and balanced with great music. Put all that together and
you've got a shot.
|
| IS THERE ANY CHANCE TO SEE YOU
GUYS PLAY HERE IN EUROPE? THAT WOULD BE GREAT! |
| I wouldn't expect any Division
Group shows any time soon but who knows? |
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT NEW FROM THE
DIVISION GROUP AND YOUR WORK WITH THE ROOTS?
|
| Hopefully we'll make a new Division
Group e.p. this year. The last one got great feedback
and people are listening. The Roots have a new record
on deck called "The Tipping point". I haven't
heard it but I'd bet on it being great. We just released
a new Incubus album called "A Crow left of the murder"
which I played bass on. I'm really proud of that and it
was a good time to make. I've got my solo record almost
done and I think that's about it. |
| HOPE YOU LIKED THIS INTERVIEW!
IS THERE ANY LAST MESSAGE FROM YOU TO ALL THE LISTENERS
AND READERS OF BTS RADIO SHOW? |
Stay healthy and please forgive
us americans for our shitty president.
|
