Wednesday 13 (13/02/2013)
The 59th Sound recently had a chat with Wednesday 13, who is soon to release his fifth solo album, The Dixie Dead with 3Wise Records.
Hey Wednesday, how are you?
Hey man, what's up?
Not too much, how's about yourself?
I'm in the middle of an interview blitz! I'm trying not to repeat myself or answer the same question twice.
How do you deal with this amount of interviews? Does it drive you insane or do you just go with the flow?
I just go with the flow but I'll probably be insane by the time I finish. I mean it's 3 and a half hours which doesn't really sound like a lot but they are all back to back and I'm answering somewhat the same questions so I'm constantly asking myself “didn't I just answer that?” (laughs) But in the end I'm glad people wanna talk to me and about the new record so I say “bring it on!”
Well I've been a fan of yours for a long time so it's an honour to get to speak to you.
Cool, man. Thank you so much.
No worries. So for those that don't know, how did you get started in music?
Basically I was a kid sitting around on the floor watching cartoons and playing with G.I. Joe and He-Man figures and I saw an Alice Cooper commercial for a concert and this was around '84 or '85 and my parents just thought he was this evil guy who bit the heads off chickens and snakes and I just thought it was so cool. Later on I asked one of my friends about him and we started trading cassette tapes while hiding them from my parents because they thought he was evil and that's what got me into rock n roll, it just appealed to me. By the time I was 11 or 12 years old I asked my parents for a guitar and I got one so I started to learn to play and ended up spending almost my entire teenage years sitting in my bedroom listening to records, analysing records, learning how to play the records I liked and I started to write music like the stuff I listened to. So yeah, that's basically how it happened. My entire teenage years were spent analysing and studying music and that's how I got my whole musical knowledge in my head.
Cool. You've been in a few different bands like Murderdolls and Frankenstein Drag Queens as well as your solo stuff, how would you say they differ?
All those bands were done at different times and different eras. I was going through different things you know? So when I look at Frankenstein Drag Queens which stopped in 2001 and started in '96 so I was about 19 with no experience playing stadiums or stages or a label so I just look at it as learning. The way I approach recording and stuff now is totally different now compared to then. With the Murderdolls recordings, which I learned basically everything I know off, it sounds different to if I listen to a Frankenstein record because it was done differently. The way I look at it now is kinda like a look back at the decades because I've been making music so long now. For me Frankenstein Drag Queens was just a 3 chord, balls-out punk thing and Murderdolls the last thing we did was more like where I'm at right now with my solo stuff.
Just on Murderdolls, is there a plan to make another album or will it depend on Joey (Jordison) and the other guys as well?
I mean yes it'd be up to Joey and the other guys but I just think that it's 10 years since that first record, over 10 years actually and it was lucky we got to do a second one and I am proud of that but when I think of the idea of the idea of us getting together 10 years down the road I just don't see that happening. I think we had some unfinished business which is why we made that last record so now it's finished I think Joey and I have walked away from that for possibly ever I think.
Back to your solo stuff, what was the recording process like for the new album The Dixie Dead?
It was different. For years I'd always recorded in North Carolina with my friend Jamie Hoover and that was kinda my comfort zone. We'd recorded basically everything together but I moved to California 3 years ago so it was getting harder to work with him in various studios across the country and with Pro Tools now you can practically record in your bedroom so that's basically what I did. We tracked the bass and drums in a rehearsal space and then for vocals and guitar we bought everything to my house and I turned the back room of my house into a recording studio for 2 weeks so that was really convenient to record the rest of the record here. It was great to go to bed and wake up and be right in the studio. There was no stress either and I think that shows on the record that it was a fun, easy vibe. We got to spend more time on the songs because I wasn't watching the clock thinking how much extra it's gonna cost me so it's great with technology now that you can basically record at your house and that's what I did.
Sounds pretty cool. I've been reading some good reviews of the album so I'm really curious to give it a listen. What feedback have you gotten so far?
It's been great. Great reviews from a few UK mags and such and places like Amazon have some good ones for people pre-ordering. It's weird you know, I just never know what to expect. I mean of course you want your fans to embrace it and tell you that they love it and sometimes that doesn't always happen but so far with this record I can say this is the most positive reaction to anything that I've released in many years. Normally there are an equal amount of people saying they hate it to those saying they love it but so far I'm finding it difficult to find anyone to give me any bad feedback on it which is as welcome as anything but so far people are saying it's the best music I've released since my first solo album or as good as it.
Congratulations.
Hell yeah, thank you.
When you're writing the lyrics and music, what influences you?
Every record is pretty much what I'm into at the time but a lot of the same themes are always there but what I've started to do is tell stories rather than just write songs above movies pretty much. I think on the new record there are only 2 written above movies, there's one above Flash Gordan coz I'm a sci-fi space nerd so I had to write a song like that and we have a song called Carol Anne (...They're Here) which is from the Poltergeist films. I used to write every song about a certain move but now I'm telling my own little stories like the song Too Fast For Blood is more of a serial killer version of Rebel Without A Cause so yeah it's different these days.
Cool, you mentioned Alice Cooper before, who else inspired you growing up?
As far as music I immediately adapted to anything that was visual so I saw Alice Cooper, Twisted Sister, Motley Crue I loved all of them. They had attitude, they were easy to sing along to and my parents hated it (laughs) So that was the basic backbone of what inspired me while growing up to do music to this time. I still listen and love those bands and base my music and lyrics on them. I think when you hear my music you can hear Alice Cooper, Twister Sister and Motley Crue, all those different influences that I grew up on. I really stick to my guns on that and it's great to have fans who love and respect that. It's great.
Are there any plans to tour the album in Australia?
Yeah, yeah. We're trying to sort that out right now. I'm sure it's gonna be around Halloween. It's definitely on our itinerary for travel. I hope we get to go Perth too and hopefully do all 5 cities, last time we only did 3 dates. Australia is one of my favourite places to play and seems to be one of the best places to embrace what I do so absolutely I'll be coming back there.
You mentioned that you love touring Australia, what are some other great countries to tour?
There's so many! I'm just so fortunate to be able to tour and do what I do. We just got to tour in Russia in November for the first time which was really cool to be there and see that. I love Japan as well. Australia, as I said, is probably my favourite place to tour. Then there is the UK and Germany as well. I've become such a history nerd now so I'm always looking up things as to where I'm at but overall I'd definitely say Australia is at the top.
That's awesome to hear. What about when you get some time off, what do you like to do?
Absolutely nothing! (laughs) My time off is me hanging around being lazy just watching television and taking it easy. I don't necessarily like to go out to concerts because when I'm off tour I try to stay away from that unless it's a really cool band that I like that is nearby, then I'll go. I go to movies and stuff but I'm not the type of guy that off tour goes on ski vacations or hiking or things like that my down time is literally down time.
Just one last question for you, what is the best thing about being a musician?
Best thing about being in my position, a musician or rock-dude or whatever you wanna call it is, for me, to be able to be my own boss and do what I want to do as opposed to growing up and getting a job after school. I work for my own schedule, my own goals and to me that keeps me going. If this was a corporate job that I had to go to every day I'm sure I wouldn't be happy with it so that's the best part of my job, it's something I set out to do and I'm loving it.
Awesome. We'll wrap it up there, thanks very much for your time.
Cool, thanks a lot, man. Appreciate it.
Matt Barton
The Dixie Dead is out February 22nd through 3Wise Records. Read our review here!
Hey Wednesday, how are you?
Hey man, what's up?
Not too much, how's about yourself?
I'm in the middle of an interview blitz! I'm trying not to repeat myself or answer the same question twice.
How do you deal with this amount of interviews? Does it drive you insane or do you just go with the flow?
I just go with the flow but I'll probably be insane by the time I finish. I mean it's 3 and a half hours which doesn't really sound like a lot but they are all back to back and I'm answering somewhat the same questions so I'm constantly asking myself “didn't I just answer that?” (laughs) But in the end I'm glad people wanna talk to me and about the new record so I say “bring it on!”
Well I've been a fan of yours for a long time so it's an honour to get to speak to you.
Cool, man. Thank you so much.
No worries. So for those that don't know, how did you get started in music?
Basically I was a kid sitting around on the floor watching cartoons and playing with G.I. Joe and He-Man figures and I saw an Alice Cooper commercial for a concert and this was around '84 or '85 and my parents just thought he was this evil guy who bit the heads off chickens and snakes and I just thought it was so cool. Later on I asked one of my friends about him and we started trading cassette tapes while hiding them from my parents because they thought he was evil and that's what got me into rock n roll, it just appealed to me. By the time I was 11 or 12 years old I asked my parents for a guitar and I got one so I started to learn to play and ended up spending almost my entire teenage years sitting in my bedroom listening to records, analysing records, learning how to play the records I liked and I started to write music like the stuff I listened to. So yeah, that's basically how it happened. My entire teenage years were spent analysing and studying music and that's how I got my whole musical knowledge in my head.
Cool. You've been in a few different bands like Murderdolls and Frankenstein Drag Queens as well as your solo stuff, how would you say they differ?
All those bands were done at different times and different eras. I was going through different things you know? So when I look at Frankenstein Drag Queens which stopped in 2001 and started in '96 so I was about 19 with no experience playing stadiums or stages or a label so I just look at it as learning. The way I approach recording and stuff now is totally different now compared to then. With the Murderdolls recordings, which I learned basically everything I know off, it sounds different to if I listen to a Frankenstein record because it was done differently. The way I look at it now is kinda like a look back at the decades because I've been making music so long now. For me Frankenstein Drag Queens was just a 3 chord, balls-out punk thing and Murderdolls the last thing we did was more like where I'm at right now with my solo stuff.
Just on Murderdolls, is there a plan to make another album or will it depend on Joey (Jordison) and the other guys as well?
I mean yes it'd be up to Joey and the other guys but I just think that it's 10 years since that first record, over 10 years actually and it was lucky we got to do a second one and I am proud of that but when I think of the idea of the idea of us getting together 10 years down the road I just don't see that happening. I think we had some unfinished business which is why we made that last record so now it's finished I think Joey and I have walked away from that for possibly ever I think.
Back to your solo stuff, what was the recording process like for the new album The Dixie Dead?
It was different. For years I'd always recorded in North Carolina with my friend Jamie Hoover and that was kinda my comfort zone. We'd recorded basically everything together but I moved to California 3 years ago so it was getting harder to work with him in various studios across the country and with Pro Tools now you can practically record in your bedroom so that's basically what I did. We tracked the bass and drums in a rehearsal space and then for vocals and guitar we bought everything to my house and I turned the back room of my house into a recording studio for 2 weeks so that was really convenient to record the rest of the record here. It was great to go to bed and wake up and be right in the studio. There was no stress either and I think that shows on the record that it was a fun, easy vibe. We got to spend more time on the songs because I wasn't watching the clock thinking how much extra it's gonna cost me so it's great with technology now that you can basically record at your house and that's what I did.
Sounds pretty cool. I've been reading some good reviews of the album so I'm really curious to give it a listen. What feedback have you gotten so far?
It's been great. Great reviews from a few UK mags and such and places like Amazon have some good ones for people pre-ordering. It's weird you know, I just never know what to expect. I mean of course you want your fans to embrace it and tell you that they love it and sometimes that doesn't always happen but so far with this record I can say this is the most positive reaction to anything that I've released in many years. Normally there are an equal amount of people saying they hate it to those saying they love it but so far I'm finding it difficult to find anyone to give me any bad feedback on it which is as welcome as anything but so far people are saying it's the best music I've released since my first solo album or as good as it.
Congratulations.
Hell yeah, thank you.
When you're writing the lyrics and music, what influences you?
Every record is pretty much what I'm into at the time but a lot of the same themes are always there but what I've started to do is tell stories rather than just write songs above movies pretty much. I think on the new record there are only 2 written above movies, there's one above Flash Gordan coz I'm a sci-fi space nerd so I had to write a song like that and we have a song called Carol Anne (...They're Here) which is from the Poltergeist films. I used to write every song about a certain move but now I'm telling my own little stories like the song Too Fast For Blood is more of a serial killer version of Rebel Without A Cause so yeah it's different these days.
Cool, you mentioned Alice Cooper before, who else inspired you growing up?
As far as music I immediately adapted to anything that was visual so I saw Alice Cooper, Twisted Sister, Motley Crue I loved all of them. They had attitude, they were easy to sing along to and my parents hated it (laughs) So that was the basic backbone of what inspired me while growing up to do music to this time. I still listen and love those bands and base my music and lyrics on them. I think when you hear my music you can hear Alice Cooper, Twister Sister and Motley Crue, all those different influences that I grew up on. I really stick to my guns on that and it's great to have fans who love and respect that. It's great.
Are there any plans to tour the album in Australia?
Yeah, yeah. We're trying to sort that out right now. I'm sure it's gonna be around Halloween. It's definitely on our itinerary for travel. I hope we get to go Perth too and hopefully do all 5 cities, last time we only did 3 dates. Australia is one of my favourite places to play and seems to be one of the best places to embrace what I do so absolutely I'll be coming back there.
You mentioned that you love touring Australia, what are some other great countries to tour?
There's so many! I'm just so fortunate to be able to tour and do what I do. We just got to tour in Russia in November for the first time which was really cool to be there and see that. I love Japan as well. Australia, as I said, is probably my favourite place to tour. Then there is the UK and Germany as well. I've become such a history nerd now so I'm always looking up things as to where I'm at but overall I'd definitely say Australia is at the top.
That's awesome to hear. What about when you get some time off, what do you like to do?
Absolutely nothing! (laughs) My time off is me hanging around being lazy just watching television and taking it easy. I don't necessarily like to go out to concerts because when I'm off tour I try to stay away from that unless it's a really cool band that I like that is nearby, then I'll go. I go to movies and stuff but I'm not the type of guy that off tour goes on ski vacations or hiking or things like that my down time is literally down time.
Just one last question for you, what is the best thing about being a musician?
Best thing about being in my position, a musician or rock-dude or whatever you wanna call it is, for me, to be able to be my own boss and do what I want to do as opposed to growing up and getting a job after school. I work for my own schedule, my own goals and to me that keeps me going. If this was a corporate job that I had to go to every day I'm sure I wouldn't be happy with it so that's the best part of my job, it's something I set out to do and I'm loving it.
Awesome. We'll wrap it up there, thanks very much for your time.
Cool, thanks a lot, man. Appreciate it.
Matt Barton
The Dixie Dead is out February 22nd through 3Wise Records. Read our review here!