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PUNK, CALIFORNIA STYLE
WAGES OF FEAR SET TO RELEASE THEIR LATEST ALBUM
"M2" of Wages of Fear took some time off from the studio to speak with ( BTH ) about his band's latest offerings.
Named after the 1953 French movie The Wages of Fear, these garage-punk thrashers are finally set to release their sophomore record and ( BTH ) couldn't be more stoked. Their first release, Broken System, singlehandedly shoved our faces back into the soup bowl sloshing with all of those supersonic sounds from the California punk and hardcore scene we fell in love with but somehow neglected these past few months with all of this Metal talk. Click here to check out their MySpace page and have a long listen, even if, in true punk fashion, there are few tracks over two minutes in length.
Thanks to "M2", vocalist and co-lyricist for Wages of Fear, for chatting with us and sharing the latest news from these west coast bad-asses.
BTH: What's the scene like in Ventura, California these days?
WOF: The scene is still surviving (laughs). There are a few local bands that think alike and play the local circuit with plenty of punks lookin' for a good show. Venues are a problem though, 'cause they are mainly limited to the 21 (years old and over) audience or all ages house shows.
BTH: Tell us about the band's beginnings.
WOF: There once was a garage in Ventura where two high school friends (drummer Michael "Brosif" Millenheft and original bass player Aaron Swann) and I (vocalist "M2"), a guy from the older generation, started makin' some noise. The noise developed into some funny songs like "Egg Mcmuffins" and "Fritos and Bean Dip". We added a guitarist (Marc Mcdonald), wrote and recorded a bunch of other songs about our daily lives and struggles. We started playing some shows and recorded our first CD, Broken System. Since our birth, our main goals were to have fun and let our frustrations out. Shortly after we cut our first CD we had a couple lineup changes. We drafted "Shreddin" Eddie Carrillo on guitar and legendary bassist Alex Naylor. At this point we knew we had the four dudes.
BTH: So what's it like playing with your son in a band?
WOF: It's radical man! We have differences of opinion on some stuff, but everything works out well because we both write a lot of the lyrics.
BTH: Tell me what it was like playing with the Dead Kennedys in December.
WOF: They are legends! What can we say? We were stoked!!!
BTH: Who are some of your major influences?
WOF: SNFU, Stalag 13, Fear, KC and the Sunshine Band, Zero Boys, Chuck Berry, Kiss.
BTH: Pretty eclectic, man. Wow! Now. . . in your opinion, what's the state of punk, hardcore, aggressive music out there? A new generation or same old, same old?
WOF: There is a new generation coming up with some good bands starting out.
BTH: That's encouraging. As for your band, any major changes in direction or vision on the new album?
WOF: We definitely had more energy and creativity recording it. We diversified by throwin' in some metal stuff and some softer jams for the kids.
BTH: Ha! Very thoughtful of you. So when is the record hitting the shelves and where can the Punk-starved "kids" find it?
WOF: This self-titled CD is due to be out this month on Give Praise Records. It'll be on Amazon, iTunes, Interpunk and at all the local record stores.
BTH: What did you hope to achieve on the record? What's important for you when going into the studio?
WOF: We had some important messages we wanted to get across. When we go into the studio, it is important that we have all the songs down ahead of time. Everything is recorded live except for the vocals but we did throw some last-minute improv in there also, and got some good tips from our recording engineer (Armand Anthony). It is always a blast to record at Satellite Recordings.
BTH: How long was the writing process?
WOF: We took about nine months and it was all done before we got into the studio.
BTH: Any touring planned to support the record? Slim chance you'll make it this far north, eh?
WOF: We are planning a tour in mid June, up through California, Oregon and as far as our funds will take us. Hopefully Canada, too.
BTH: Anything you'd like to add or share with the people?
WOF: We just want to thank everyone who supports us and we hope to widen our fan-base by touring with our new record, Wages of Fear.
Wages of Fear at work and play.
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