CONVERSATIONS WITH PUNX

A few years back one of my dear friends, Brian Peterson, put together one of the most important books written that explores and documents the ‘90s hardcore music community. For those of you unfamiliar with the book, it features “commentary from approximately 150 people involved in the nineties hardcore scene as well as oral history articles about straight edge, politics, vegetarianism and interviews with a variety of influential bands” including Avail, Burn, 108, Inside Out, Integrity, Los Crudos, Spitboy, Strife, Texas Is The Reason, and many more. When I was looking through my interview archives this morning, I came across the below, never-before-published mini-interview I did with Brian and thought I’d share it with y’all.

Another band Conversations With Punx loves!! Peter Pants! (peep the interview/listen to PP! Click link below)

Punks On Vegetarianism & Veganism: Ian MacKaye, John Joseph, Joan Jett, Mike Ness, Matt Skiba + more!

I've been a vegetarian for 12+ years. Since I was young I never really liked eating other animals. For me, it’s something that always felt kind of foreign and awkward to me. When my family would have steak and vegetables for dinner I (more often than not) would have a simple plate of veggies. I didn’t even really try things like roast chicken, lamb or beef until I was around 14; I didn’t eat seafood either. It wasn’t until my late teens that I started to have any idea about the concept of a vegetarian or vegan diet. As silly as it may sound, I didn’t know that it was even an option for me.

I started hanging out with one of my punk friends and his family who were all vegetarian and I was slowly introduced to a whole new way of eating that felt completely natural to me.

Japanther’s Ian Vanek: “I don’t make art to be popular or seen, I make it because my hands have to, otherwise I’ll extinguish my own life”

I recently did an in-depth interview with KATHLEEN HANNA! I thought Conversations With Punx readers might be interested in checking it out:

"How are you making me open up so much? This is crazy! You’re a really good interviewer [laughs]. It’s really bad because I never tell people corny shit like this. I’m going to be really embarrassed tomorrow"

To read the interview in full interview go to: COLLAPSE BOARD

Art by: Jhonny Russell

Conversations With Punx loves the new Jhonny Russell & the Mystery School record, Guerrilla Ontology!! Esoteric-Indie-Occult-Electro-Rock.

Interview - Artist Sonny Kay: Valuing Creativity, Psychedelics & Giving Voice To Ideas That Go Against The Grain

Sonny Kay is without a doubt one of my favourite visual artists. Words will not do when it comes to his work; it needs to be experienced for oneself. Every time I look at one of his works my understanding of it evolves a little bit more, I find myself coming back to the images time and time again as inspiration for my mind and food for my soul—they remind me of the pure potentiality of life. Sonny is the art director for Rodriguez Lopez Productions and has created tee designs and album covers that complement the musical dialogue of artists such as long-time friend Omar Rodriguez Lopez, one of my favourite bands Le Butcherettes, the kick ass Zechs Marquise and more.

Art-wise, what are you currently working on? And so far, how do you feel about it?

SONNY KAY: Right now I’m finishing laying-out new albums for Good Old War and The Mars Volta. The GOW project is more a matter of assembling parts that the band provided, whereas the Volta thing consists of original art I created for it, and now I’m in the process of adding lyrics, etc. So basically two different approaches. They’re both a good challenge, but of course the ones that utilize my own art feel more personal.

Previously, when asked about your artwork and the evolution of your album cover designs for Omar [Rodriguez Lopez] you have said, “I find my thoughts dwelling more and more on concepts of multi-dimensionality and what might be called the fabric of reality.” I wanted to ask you, what was your first introduction to these concepts? What first sparked your interest in these ideas? Have you ever personally experienced something that you perceived to be this?

SK: I suppose my earliest introduction to this kind of thing would be via people like George Harrison and Timothy Leary, all the sort of figureheads of 1960’s psychedelic awareness. I always had a kind of passing interest in psychedelic poster art, and that kind of thing, but more from an aesthetic point of view. I managed to completely avoid hallucinogens until well into my 20’s. Then about ten or eleven years ago I had my first bona fide “psychedelic” experience after taking a double dose of psilocybin mushrooms in Japan. I came away from that with the explicit understanding that there are dimensions of consciousness I could never have begun to imagine. And so from that point on I began reading everything I could get my hands on about hallucinogens, and more specifically, entheogens such as DMT. When I finally had the opportunity to try it myself, I was prepared for it in a way that I felt put me at an advantage over someone just happening upon it at a party or something. I felt like I’d primed myself intellectually. But nothing could have prepared me for the total sensory overload of it, nor the depths of astonishment possible that you just can’t imagine.

Ian MacKaye: The Power of Now

Henry Rollins: The Power Of Music

My metaphysical conversation with The Gossip's Nathan Howdeshell:

The Collapse Board Interview

A chat with lady punker Kelly Riot from Hot Riot!: 

An insightful interview I did:

Conversations with Punx supports the new punk/hc documnetary Riot on the Dance Floor project that is in the works. Please check it out and support.

"Riot on the Dance Floor: The Story of Randy Now and City Gardens is a feature-length documentary from director Steve Tozzi that features the unblinkingly stark and iconic photography of Ken Salerno and is told through an oral history format of in-depth interviews and archival footage. It tells the gritty story of one of New Jersey’s most infamous clubs and its larger-than-life promoter through the recollected memories, stories, photographs and memorabilia of the people who lived for and by the music."

Conversations with Punx LOVES the new Jhonny Russell & the Mystery School tees!

Conversations with Punx love Suicidal Tendencies & Dogtown Skates!

Last week I attended a Jim & Mike Muir spoken word event. It was the first time they'd ever spoken publicly together... it was one of the best nights! For more on the special event head over to my post about it: Truth, Love & Family: The Suicidal Tendencies & Dogtown Skates Way - Jim & Mike Muir Spoken Word