Interview with The Rich White Males
When and how did The Rich White Males come about?
RUSSELL: David and I had known each other for years. I met him at a telemarketing job when I was nineteen. He wasn’t currently playing drums anymore and I was busy banging my head against the wall in a band that was nothing if not destined for failure. So we didn’t start playing music right away. We didn’t play together for years which looking back on it me and him have often wondered why not? It’s weird; we knew each other for so long but never started playing. At the time I was busy going from one failed band to the next failed band while simultaneously dealing with my psychotic girlfriend at the time. I was always in bands with the laziest, fun-sucking assholes you could ever imagine and by the time David and I did start playing together I was convinced that being in a band sucked and I never wanted to start one ever again. A long time passed and Dave called me and told me he had bought a drum kit and was playing again with some guys. I went and saw them play and you could tell David was having fun playing drums but the music the kid was writing wasn’t David’s thing at all, or mine. So I went over to their practice space one night with David and we played Ramones, Johnny Thunders, Forgotten Rebels and shit like that. Soon after that he quit his other thing and I found myself in another goddamned band. Only this one has been the funnest fuckin’ thing I’ve ever done.
DAVID: Russ came along just in time, I think he’s as funny as me and his neurosis is hilarious
BLAIR: I met Russ at The Zombie Lounge a couple years ago; he had already started the band. I thought the band was so killer because they were playing Screeching Weasel covers and they had that perfect Ramones/forgotten rebels sound. I’m from Chicago so I’ve been playing that style since I was 16 years old and screeching weasel was very popular in the Midwest when I was growing up them being from Chicago. So I started talking with the band and later days they needed a guitar player so I joined later switching to bass guitar.
How would you describe The Rich White Males to someone who has never heard you before?RUSSELL: Ramones-ey.
DAVID: Teenage dysfunction by guys not in there teens.
BLAIR: Ramones, forgotten rebels, Stiff Little Fingers, with that Queers/Screeching Weasel pop to it, mixed with drugs and an attitude problem.
What’s your favorite Rich White Males song?
RUSSELL: My personal favorite is “Bad Psychedelic experience”. I like the lyrics, the long winded title, and the chord progression. It’s a fun song to play because it’s got that slow beginning you can fuck with live too. Most people probably haven’t heard that tune because it was on our early demo but it’ll come back out somewhere re-recorded. Plus the lyrics are personal to me because it’s about this time that I drank two bottles of cough syrup and pretty much went insane for a week. I’ve never done any drugs since so I guess it was a good thing. Sellin’ Drugs is a good song too. That’s about my brother Randy. He had no job for a while but was paying for everything. The lyrics to that song reflect my suspicion of his source of income.
DAVID: “Back on smack” cause I’m not and any song where I get to count it off cause that’s all the chatter I like between songs
BLAIR: Mine is “Back on Smack” that song goes strait to my heart (or my arms)
Where is your favorite place to play shows?
RUSSELL: Anywhere in Sacramento. The kids up there are rad. The Secretions rule.
DAVID: Any place where we can play on the floor cause that’s the way it feels best
BLAIR: I love playing at The Kadan, the sound is great and I love the medieval feel the bar has. It’s a tie between Kadan and Sclories office I love Sclories cuz it seems all are real fans always make it there and are shows are crazy there.
What is your evaluation of the current punk scene?
RUSSELL: Who really cares? I know there’s a lot of great music going on right now. Look at The Spits for Christ sake!
I was in sixth grade when “Dookie” came out and I loved that album so it’s not like I can really bitch about the old days anyway. I mean yeah there were a lot of good bands and shit back then but if I had to be alive in the seventies or the eighties I’d fuckin’ kill myself. The tail end of the nineties was bad enough for me. When I was younger admittedly, I used to be way more passionate about this subject but if I actually still sat around and pondered the meaning of punk then I would be desperately in need of a bullet to the head or a kick to my ass. Besides who has time to think about stuff like that when Aunt May is in a coma and Peter Parker has revealed himself to everyone in the Marvel Universe?!! I’ve got way bigger things on my plate to worry about!
DAVID: Um it’s all about what you’re bringing to the party today and not getting too nostalgic about the old days cause as far as everyone says the old days are always better and cooler and more happening. I mean, those same people will tell you that about cars, drugs, and Moms’ home cooking whatever! Live in the moment....... and I do remember a day when I would get called faggot for dyin my hair and dressin silly on a daily basis. Now you see that same hair dye at hot topic and mom is buying it for junior who plays on the football team and thinks there’s nothing wrong with Nickleback being number one with a bullet. So in short, what punk scene?
BLAIR: I don’t know man I really don’t care about the punk scene good rock n roll is good rock n roll and that’s all that matters to me I’m not part of a scene really
What music/bands do you currently listen too?
RUSSELL: The Spits, Sex Pistols, Ramones, Forgotten Rebels
And “Human Waste” by Sloppy Seconds (I can’t stand too much of this band at once but this song is fuckin’ pure genius! (Electric version or acoustic though electric is preferred)
DAVID: My Ipod has the Ramones on it of course but it’s also chock full of Abba, Judas Priest,
Frankie Valli , Dave Brubeck, Iron Maiden,Mc5 not to mention a shitload of other stuff I could never get too much of listening to Motorhead when I’m grocery shopping.
BLAIR: Ramones, Throw Rag, Deep Purple, The Cramps, Johnny Thunders, The Rolling Stones, Creedence Clear Water Revival, The Real Kids, The Voidoids, T.Rex, Thin Lizzy, THE VELVET UNDERGROUND!!!!!!!!!!!Homeless Sexuals, Big Brother and The Holding Company, Deadbolt
Who are your musical influences?
RUSSELL: The Forgotten Rebels are by far my biggest influence in this band however in my early years I was a pretty big Screeching Weasel and Queers nerd. Other then that, The Spits, Sex Pistols, Ramones, all the good stuff.
DAVID: My first record I ever owned was the sound track to the movie Carwash, and that record was the first piece of vinyl that got me influenced to make choices to get more of what makes you feel good. Thank god for Jeff Hyman we share the same b day
What’s the Rich White Males connection to Punk ‘n’ Junk Records?
RUSSELL: I’ve known Timmy for years as well. He’s always been a fan of my songwriting even though I think most of the stuff he likes that I’ve done is shit. He started the label around the time we started getting a little recognition and offered to put out the “We ain’t No Musicians” 7” which I think he might still have a few copies of. They’ve been fantastic to us. The whole experience has been stress free and based on trust and friendship. We have one more release coming out November 13th called “International Losers” it’s a split with the Cummies from Italy.
DAVID: Timmy is a nice man
What other things have you all been working on recently?
RUSSELL: I read comic books and books in general. I skate, and I also just started another band with Dave Swain from The Queers called the Bugs. It’s something for him to do when he’s home from tour with the Queers and something else for me too. It’s fun as hell and the sound is total fuckin’ old Wimpy style Queers / Drunken Cholos type stuff. So that’s been fun. I’ve also actually been reading “The Art of Loving” by Erich Frome haha get it?
DAVID: I’m gonna run another marathon this summer and try not to let anyone call me a faggot for wearing my shorts but I probably won’t hear em anyway cause I’ll be listenin to George Michael on my Ipod
BLAIR: Keepin my head on straight, gettin those pizzas out to the people of north park, and I’d like to start a rock band like old shit like The Rolling Stones or Deep Purple sumthin that really rocks
What are personal thoughts on the mentality of today's America?
RUSSELL: We’re all on our way out. Act accordingly.
DAVID: Oh those wacky teenagers!!
What are the future plans for The Rich White Males?
RUSSELL: Tour to places we think will be fun. Put out more stuff. Have fun.
Release a classic record then breakup and I’ll continue on for the next twenty years with different line ups consisting of kids half my age claiming to be the Rich White Males while all the scenesters shit talk me behind my back and say I’m just cashing in. Y’know, the usual.
DAVID: Writing a tell all book on my life as a Rich White Male, seeing Russell in court while secretly wishing I’d learn to play the guitar
You guys have a ton of songs, how do you guys go about writing new songs?
RUSSELL: I usually use a guitar and a pen. But if I can’t find a pen I just remember the words. Sometimes I don’t have words for a song until it’s time to record it. I just kind of make stuff up at every show we have until I need to record them. I forgot to make up some lines to “We aint No Musicians” so I had to make them up real quick right before I laid down my vocal track on the recording. Oops! I usually come up with some kind of tune though and then bring it in for those guys to help me fuck with it and get their input on it.
DAVID: Russell says check this out and I tell him to sing me the words acapello style and more often than not there very juvenille and quite clever and I can usually relate to the content like Hate Her or Nazi Girl .I like em all and wish we could play them all in one set but nobody wants to hear anyone play for an hour or more unless your a Nickleback fan and then you just don’t know any better and may god have mercy on your soul
Since you’re punk, you must do tons of drugs. What’s your drug of choice and why?
RUSSELL: Caffeine.
DAVID: Bubble gum cause it’s easy to score
The term "Punk" is thrown around in many ways. What makes punk, "Punk" to you?
RUSSELL: Very simplistic chord arrangements with funny lyrics that can both be funny yet at the same time help you express an emotion effectively.
Mickey Desadist said it best, “Simplicity is the key”.
DAVID: I like it when Frank Sinatra would say punk in old films cause it was like calling someone a motherfucker at one time .Maybe in the future they’ll have a genre of music called motherfucker rock
Anything that you’re excited about coming down the pike?
Russell: Just our release on Punk N Junk with the Cummies. Some shows in Frisco and Sacramento coming up too. The new issue of Spiderman and the new episode of the Office too.
David: Getting back in the car with Russ and Blair and tourin some more.
Any plans for a full length release anytime soon?
Russell: After this split with the Cummies we’re going to tour again and after that we want to record a full length. If nobody wants to put it out then we’ll do it ourselves. But like I said before we don’t really think that far into the future. Anything could happen and nothing ever turns out how you plan so we’ll just do what we always do which is roll the dice ands just see where they land.
DAVID: I want to sit behind the panel at a recording studio and mess with the dials and knobs and say things like analog and digital and similince and have temper tantrums when nobody understands me.
What do you do when you’re not playing music?
RUSSELL: Read, watch movies, skate, hang out with my girlfriend, fight crime, y’know the usual shit.
DAVID: Read .watch movies, hang out with Russell’s girlfriend when Russ is out skating, do the New York Times crossword everyday in pen cause pencils are for pussies.
Closing comments?
RUSSELL: Don’t do drugs
DAVID: Eat your vegetables
