The Color Of Violence a new hardcore rock and roll mixed in with heavy metal act that i sweeping the world by storm with their aggressive style of music. The duo discussed their upcoming release and plans for the 2009 year!
1. Could you tell us more about the history of the band, how things started.
The band started back in 02 before I (Derek) was in from first to last. We started it as a joke because we wanted to be in a band that sounded like discordance axis. it didn’t really work out sounding like that, but it’s been fun anyways. We did one short tour back then, i think early 03 up the east coast. That was a disaster, we did it in my 97 corolla which wasn’t equipped with snow tires or other things necessary for drudging through the frozen tundra the northeast had become at that point.
2. What's your opinion on your albums “God Gave Me Deeze Nutz,” and “I Hate Rice,” nowadays? Where did you record it? Are you still satisfied with the songs on it, the production, and the artwork? How were the reactions on these albums?
They are funny songs, they were written and recorded on the same afternoon at a house in Albany, GA. those were just demos though. This album, youthanize is our first official release, aside from the 03 tour demo that had three songs on it.
3. You've recently released your new album "Youthanize," where did you record it, who produced it, and are you still satisfied with the songs, production and artwork? Can you tell us more about the recording process? How are the reactions on this one so far?
We recorded it in South Georgia, Valdosta more specifically. Lee Dyess engineered it, and the three of us, Travis, lee and I all produced it together. i love the artwork for the record. Nick, the in house guy at epitaph did it and we were blown away when we got it. i feel like it really gives a cool look to the music. the reactions to the record so far among my friends has been weird, but the first official review I’ve read of the record from revolver had a lot of good things to say, so hopefully we get more of those and less of the awkward silences my friends have been dishing out.
4. Who writes the lyrics, what are they about? Is there any concept in them? Are the lyrics an important aspect of the band or are they just there to guide the music?
I wrote a majority of the lyrics for this record, but Travis had written all of them for all the songs up until this point. There is no real system; just if someone has something that works we use it. i ended up having a stockpile of shit talking ass lyrics in my sketchbook so we just kind of opted to use them. Most of the lyrics on this record are just talking shit. about giving to charity, or charitable organizations more specifically, recycling, star fucking, Christians etc. the title track is a song shit talking people that talk shit about how fucked up everything is and don’t do anything about it. We figured the best way to approach that problem was to talk shit about it but not actually do anything. If you can’t beat em, join em.
5. How did you get in contact with "Epitaph?" Are you satisfied with their work? Why did you signed with them?
FFTL (From First To Last) was on Epitaph still when we signed color of violence to it. We just had been occupied with other things up until recently, which is why this is the first record to be released on there.
6. When it comes down to writing a new song or an album what’s the process like?
We procrastinate and then go into the studio with pretty much nothing and make it all up on the spot. “Christina Christina,” was written after we finished tracking all the drums for the record. we thought it needed another song, so we had Jon sit down at the kit and we wrote drums for what felt like a song, we recorded them, and then Jon and myself sat down with guitars and tracked them over the drums he had recorded. After an hour or two we had the whole song done.
7. What tours have you done in the past? What tours are going to take place or are there plans for a tour as a support for a "bigger" band?
We've only done one tour before, and it sucked. we are planning on touring more in the future, we are just weighing out the options available to us and trying to pick the best thing we can.
8. Tell us some of your experiences playing live.
That tour that we did was mostly basement shows and dingy record stores. There’s not much to tell about it. There weren’t kids at the shows, we didn’t really make any friends and the car broke down a lot. I can’t imagine it would be hard to have a better time next tour.
9. What are your expectations for "The Color of Violence" in the future?
I’m trying to not expect anything from it and let it just go where it will. If people like it and respond well we will dedicate a little more time to it. if not, we will just keep doing it in our free time like we have been.
10. What do you guys do when you're not out on the road? Do you guys work or school?
We mostly play video games and sit around the house gaining weight.
11. Are there any cool touring/recording experiences or other bizarre stories you would like to share with us?
Not yet, unfortunately. Soon man, real soon.
12. Could you give me a top 5 of your favorite albums of all-time and a top 5 of your current favorite records?
My favorite records of all time would probably include portishead-dummy, the smiths-s/t, leonard cohen-the essential leonard cohen, my bloody valentine-loveless, and the pixies-bossanova. Favorites at the moment would be blonde redhead-23, swans-the great annihilator, cocteau twins-treasure, nina hagen-nunsexmonkrock, and ciccone youth-the whitey album.
13. What's your opinion on the whole music industry scene right now? Like do you think they're trying their hardest to get albums out on shelves and not seek their way onto the net?
I don’t know. The whole thing is a clusterfuck. It sucks to be in this business right now. but you don’t really have any other option as an artist except to try and do the things you feel are right, and hope that people continue to support you and your art.
14. How do you think the recession is affecting musicians like yourself? Is it at all?
Yeah it is and it isn’t. We are used to being poor, so I mean, not a big change there, but you can see the way it affects you in terms of how it affects the people that support you. Less money means less people willing to come to shows, or buy things like records or CD’s.
15. Going back to the music business, what do you think of everyone downloading music, possibly even your music?
Shit happens. Me talking shit or telling people go on ahead isn’t going to change anything. i hope that if people like it they will find a way to pitch in to help us keep it going, but that would require me to have faith in people I don’t know, and I don’t have that. Most people are assholes, so I guess whatever.
16. Which MP3 device do you own? How many songs/videos does it have on it?
I have an iPhone, so it doubles as my iPod. it doesn’t have much on it, maybe like 30 albums by about 15 or 20 different artists. My computer crashed a few months ago and deleted all my music. I haven’t had the time to import all of my CD’s back into it yet, so my selection is pretty bare.
17. What do you think about all these different sub cultures such as "emo kids, scene kids, metal-heads, punks, goths, etc?"
Fuck all that crap. I wish everyone didn’t feel the need to attach themselves to some stupid fucking word and pretend that that’s the way they've always been or say "that’s just who I am". Its like, "no, what you are a consumer, obviously. You bought into something and tried to call it your own, but it’s not yours, you belong to it. It’s not an exclusive club, it’s not edgy, all you need is money and a weakened sense of identity and you can join."
18. Thanks so much for taking the time to do this interview, any thoughts or comments?
I appreciate the interview; I hope this isn’t a Christian Magazine with all the f-bombs I just dropped in there. Thanks for your time.
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