-16-
The interview with this band from California is something like a dream come true for me, even more if you consider the fact they are back in the line up of 'Drop Out' – undoubtedly their best release so far. But the chances that it will be overcome are pretty high, just check their new song on 16's myspace page. Call it a reunion, call it whatever you want ... 16 are back and that was the best thing in music of the past year for sure. Now they have nine months to make this year even better – yes, I’m thinking about their new record.
Why you guys resurrected 16? Whose idea it was? And how it became that you have returned in your best line up?
It was fate, destiny, and the fear of demise. Jason and Bobby had a band called Maxmillion back in 2002/2003. When that ended we really didn't talk much again. Jason saw Tony at a few shows and things were cool. I just happened to send Bobby an email and suggest we get back together to do some shows and play the 'Drop Out' record as it seems that was what a lot of people felt was a strong one. After a week of emailing and phone calls we had all talked and it was on. We started practicing again and did some killer shows in Hollywood at the Relax Bar. Shit was just flowing again and we were amazed at how it just clicked. There was always something special with this line up and it showed in the songs. We started writing new stuff and we are here to stay. We just recorded on 2.26.2008 and 2.17.2008 at the studio where Drop Out was done and all but one other record, Blaze of Incompetence which was done by Alex Newport (Fudge Tunnel). We just have a blast at Double Time and Jeff is the shit, seriously.
So Jason, basically, was 16’s resurrection your personal idea? Was there need to convince hard any of other guys?
I just sent an email to Bobby, he talked to Tony, who talked to Cris, then I talked to Tony and then I talked to Cris. it was easy. we all love this fucking band and this line-up was the one that did the most productive music in all our eyes. We just get along so well.
Correct me if I am wrong but none of the present 16 members played for nearly two years in last 16's line up. Man, that's fuckin' strange.... it's like two different bands, isn't it? Would you agree with the term like 'the real 16'?
Jason says oh yeah, this is the 'Real 16'. The current members are from the strongest period of 16 in my opinion. Blaze and Zoloft are great records. Bobby played on all those, so did Cris and Tony. Phil was on 2nd guitar and there were 2 different drummers. Jason was doing other bands and trying to smile and play the part in the corporate world of technology and Real Estate... Bobby says I don't want to say the 16 of the 2002-2004 years wasn't the real 16. Those guys kept it alive and played tunes every one of us had a hand in. It's like the sum was more important than the parts. Also the fact that the four of us were kind of the architects of a band that changed personnel so many times says a lot about our initial creativity and how we established a sound. It also speaks volumes about our instability so therein lies the irony.
This (last?) year is your band's 16th anniversary.... nearly as many years after your title track '16' was composed. Are you still about what you were singing in that song, like drugs, pain, depression...? Are you still 'fucked for life'?
Mental illness and substance abuse are just facts of life. If they don't affect you as a human you're lying or still live in an optimism cloud that religion gave you. So yeah for the most part we're fucked. By no means is it defeatist statement, the sooner you realize you are fucked the better you can navigate the world without being completely crushed by it. It's like waking up and seeing life with the blinders off so yes we are fucked for life and it's perfectly acceptable. Prevailing becomes the mission from that point on regardless of circumstances. We started in 2002 actually. Bobby and Jason we're jamming in 1991. Well Jason just had 'Fucked for Life' tattooed across his entire stomach... Yeah, pretty much we are still sort of upset with life. We see the humor in everyday shit. Working sucks, bills suck, people generally suck. We are still on prescribed medications that do many things... we'll leave it at that. Three of us don't drink anymore. More about prescription drugs and has been for many years. Life is painful man. Dealing with shit and our backgrounds as individuals effect everything. It all plays into what we write and play. The drive to practice can affect the way a new song gets written.
Jason, do you really have tattooed 'Fucked for life' on your stomach?
Yes I do and I attached a picture....
How old are you guys?
We are all in our mid-thirties... a couple with a few more years than that... hahahaha. We've been making music together for a long ass time. We aren't going anywhere.
Was it exactly four of you who recorded "Drop out"? Who is the fifth guy on the LP's picture?
Drop Out was recorded by Bobby, Jason, Cris and Tony. Andy and Phil were put on the photos because they were playing live when the record was released like 2 years after it was recorded. Weird stuff happens in 2 years when you're young and on drugs. Jason did get credit on the CD, the smallest line of text on the whole thing that is only readable with a fucking magnifying glass. It was the line-up now, the four of us that did that record.
Is it true that the name of your band was choosen because there already was some band called 15 and so you just added 1? Whose idea was that?
Yes there was a band named 15. We all had 15 year old girlfriends when we were 21/22..... Cris's girl had a birthday, so we just decided to call it 16. We're pretty simple about that shit. It's worked well for us. Simple and looks cool.
Probably very boring question, but guys I am really interested in your musical influences, in your musical tastes. Can you name some bands that influenced 16 or you simply like?
Life influences our music. Each of us listens to such a variety of music. Music does run a HUGE part of our life it has too. As for bands we go through certain stuff so quickly but there are bands we have been listening to for 16 or 17 years consistently. We listen to a lot of metal, hardcore, grind core, intelligent rap music sometimes, and old rock and roll, and jazz... the whole spectrum. Bobby says early on it was Earache and Amphetamine Reptile. Both of those label's rosters from up in till 1994 influenced us when our brains were soft. Current bands like: Tragedy, Lamb of God, Neurosis, Karp, Mastadon, Rwake, Unsane, and Sofa King Killer, are all on my play list this week.
Present 16 line up was also involved in Japanese project Snakeburn, can you please tell us more how this happened, and was it planned or spontaneous? Have you ever recorded or at least wanted to record anything more than those 3 songs on CD?
When we toured Japan in 1994 Pushead had some idea that he wanted to go into a studio and have us create a song on the spot that he could do vocals on. Cris was on that too. It was made up right there sitting in a studio in Japan. Not our best work by far but we has fun from what I remember. Never had any thought of doing anything again with that project. It was strictly a onetime deal. Pushead loved 16 so it was a great chance for him to take part in something with us.
Your split 10' with Grief, Why did you choose exactly 'At dawn they sleep' for Slayer's cover? And did you have to pay them for the song? Did Slayer like it?
We chose it because that song is an epic masterpiece. We paid them exactly 0% of no money we made. They probably have not heard it but I'm pretty sure they hate covers of their own songs.
Jason, you were the first person (of present line up) who left 16 years ago (and pretty soon). Let me ask you, why? Personal problems, different musical tastes...? And how is it to play with guys again?
Jason says it was a painful situation... too much to get into for me. I was on a lot of drugs at that time and near death. Don't talk about specifics. It's over and done with. Playing with these guys is a great situation. We have a bond that others will never experience. I grew up with Bobby and met Cris when I was 15 or so... Tony came along in my life around 1993. I love the guys. Practice is great. Shows are great. Recording is great. I look forward to many great years of rocking with these guys. Bobby says life in 1995 made no sense. It makes a little more sense now. Please refer to question number 3's answer. Depression, pain, and drugs are the pitchfork and playing together now is like the hay for the pitchfork. Back then we were just a bunch of pitchforks all trying to stab each other. It's entertaining at first but doesn't last long.
New releases ... you told me you are working on new CD/LP, can you give us more details like when, what label? Will there be any demo or 7' or something before the album?
Can't reveal what label yet. It will be announced real soon though. We have three songs done now with recording plans for the rest over the next few months or so. No demo and don't know if there will be anything out before the full length. Keep you posted.
The only available track now ('Throw in the towel') sounds pretty heavy but rockin' at the same time. To me, it doesn't sound that desperate, it's more brutal, but still has a lot of old 16; I've recognized you in few seconds. Fuckin' great song! Can you tell me more about your new songs; maybe compare them with the old ones?
You hit the nail on the head. We've replaced the desperation with determination. Our approach is as it always has been and that's to just let it come out of us. It's really simple we write the songs we want to hear and it always starts totally organic. One of us has an idea we then jam on it for a while then it just turns into a song without a whole lot of spoken communication. Personally I don't use any of our previous material as a blueprint. Of course it inevitably happens that new stuff will sound like old stuff and so on but it's really unconscious. The chemistry of us four dictates that it'll sound like 16. We can't help it. I'll use the Drop Out record as a reference point only because of the chemistry of this line up but it'll be way better than that. I keep writing songs because I'm always trying to top anything I've written before. It's an ongoing forward thinking perspective that keeps it exciting and really is the main reason to be in a band. That and playing live, in summary rocking new tunes and jamming out live. The new material at this point is a mystery. Talk to us in a couple of months and we'll see where it goes.
You guys released numerous different editions of your releases, I don't know if to blame you or Pushead first, but I have two related questions here: are you record collectors? And do you plan to continue with this tactics?
That was all Pushead. The fact the stuff was impossible to find and there were super rare limited numbers of stuff was how Pushead rolled though and without him it would never have started. Those 7's sell for over $80 sometime on eBay... one of the shirts he did for us just sold for $77. That is unreal. Making vinyl now is VERY expensive. If the label is down for it, by all means make vinyl. There are hardcore fans and collectors who love it. I hope there is vinyl, 7's, 10's and full LP's. Bobby says again that just happened. A happy accident if you will. I think Jason is the only serious record collector. It's a cool component to 16 that we're so collectible. Visual artists always have the mindset of limited is more valuable. Pushead embodies this. This is why he's one of the most influential guys out there. Pushead has influenced and defined the packaging and design of hard music as whole. You can't deny that he's a total trendsetter. It's ridiculous how many t-shirts and album covers look like his. I'm always looking for his signature and it's not there because he didn't even do it. We'd like to continue with the collectible aspect of this band. Cool merchandise is really important to a band and we are no exception.
Don't you plan any European tour? 16 never played Europe (except for UK), right? Now THAT should be changed really soon!
We want to tour the world, several times. Europe is a dream for us. I think we would do really well there. As soon as we can get there, we are there.
Do you play songs from all your previous albums on your gigs now? Do you play 'At dawn they sleep' ... or maybe any other covers?
Yeah we played Chum off Curves That Kick. We play everything off Drop Out except Felicia and Sniper. We do Ride the Snake from Blaze and Damone and Born to Lose from Zoloft. We will be adding a few more, just need to hammer out what we want to do. We have so many songs to pick from. No covers, not yet anyways.
Jason, what about the 16 4CD box set on your label, is this still actual or...? What was the idea behind this release?
That has been scrapped since we are back together. Something will be coming out soon that will be very special. Don't know in what form yet. I can reveal more in the next couple months. Everything I played on is or has almost been remixed by Billy Anderson. Zoloft is being rereleased by At a Loss with 3 extra tracks and a couple videos in a digipack.
What about to celebrate your band's return with something special for us, fans? Some DVD with good live show and extra disc full of photos and backstage would be great, as well as some nice t-shirts with big, nice logo - hey, repress that 'Curves that kick' motive t-shirt! No plans like this?
We are doing 5 or 6 new shirt designs now. There is a Curves That Kick shirt being done by Bounty Hunter. That is a very complicated design, many colors. We will have new shirts, hats Hoodies, and possibly some more clothing. I wish we had good quality shows that would be good on DVD. We need people to record the new shows. I am sure that will happen. There will always be extras on everything released now. It is so easy to do and with the digital download market so huge there has to be incentives for people to buy vinyl or CD's.
