“Without the tour, we still wouldn’t be a band”—Rx Bandits on new album, anniversary shows

Last summer, Rx Bandits broke their two-year “hiatus” when they celebrated the 10th anniversary of their fourth album The Resignation with a U.S. tour. That was only the beginning however, as the California four-piece decided to extend the party overseas, a covers EP and began writing a new, self-released and crowdfunded record.

We met with vocalist/guitarist Matt Embree in Paris before the band’s second-to-last anniversary show. Over a chitchat about surfing in the southwest of France and a glass of 12-year-old Glenlivet scotch, he told us about The Resignation tour, Rx Bandits’ unforeseen comeback and the Sound Of Animals Fighting reunion.

Interview by: Romain Jeanticou

Tonight is your second-to-last show in Europe, which almost marks the end of The Resignation anniversary cycle. How do you feel?
MATTHEW EMBREE: It was great. It was very nice, especially because it started off as an idea of guitarist Steve Choi as we had decided to take a break. Not break up, but take a break without any idea of when we would get back together. He came up with the idea, saying “It’s coming up to 10 years; why not do a few shows?” But after doing those few shows, people came to us and were like, “Why aren’t you playing here, too?” So we did a small U.S. tour, about 20 shows. And then our booking agent in Europe said, “Why not in Europe too, and you should do it in the winter, because the shows are better!”

What were the crowds like? Were there a lot of people who were listening to you 10 years ago and did not even know the band were still around or was it pretty much your regular fanbase?
It was a bit of both. It was our normal fanbase, plus people who told us they went to see us 10 years ago when the album came out and hadn’t seen us since. It was really cool, especially because we started off barely in our 20s. I was 21 when we put out The Resignation, so a lot of fans were around our age or older. It’s interesting to see how they’ve grown up with us.

The record really is an indication of where you were in your lives at that time. How was diving back into it? Did you rediscover anything or see some songs differently?
I’m still proud of the record; as an overall composition we did it the right way. There are a lot of songs on the record that if I were to rewrite, I would write them the same way. I wouldn’t change them. Some of them I would, but most of them I wouldn’t. It was interesting to go back; it’s a lot like looking at old pictures.

So, it’s not like school pictures of bad haircuts then?
No, pictures of good memories, things you’re proud of. I didn’t really rediscover anything, because I’m the kind of person who is obsessive when it comes to creation. I listen and listen and make sure it’s exactly like I want it, and no matter what, after it’s finished, there are still things I hate about it. And it’s usually my voice. But going back and listening, it’s really interesting because I sang about half the record and then I injured my voice because I was singing very aggressively but I had never learnt how. There was one day when my voice was really bad and I shouldn’t have sung, but I thought that the tone of my voice sounded really good on that song so I did it anyway, and I really screwed it up. I had to go to the doctor, and I couldn’t speak for two weeks in the middle of the recording. So we had to put it off for two weeks and I finished the record at our producer’s house, singing in his closet. When I sing it live now, I can’t sing it exactly like on the album because if I do, I’ll hurt myself. So for the album, it’s kind of a younger approach, when you’re young you just say, “Fuck it!” and just go all out. We use the term “baby rattlesnake” because a baby rattlesnake doesn’t know how to control its venom. When they bite, they just release all the venom instead of rationing. So when I listen to it, I’m like, “Oh man, if I sang like that, I wouldn’t be able to get through a tour.”

So the only regret you had is that you couldn’t really do justice to the record in terms of live performances?
Exactly, especially when it comes to the venues. That’s a huge part of it. For example, the first time we ever played The Resignation front to back was in this club in Berlin where the stage was maybe 100 square feet. We were almost shoulder to shoulder and couldn’t hear anything. That was in 2003, before the album even came out. There were, like, four people, so we just said, “Fuck it, let’s do it.” Back then, besides California, Arizona and a couple other places, the venues were so small we couldn’t represent the sound of the album. In doing it now—especially last summer in America, in bigger venues, where you can actually hear the vocals, the horns and everything—it just sounds so much better.

Was the covers EP a rejuvenating process as well, going back to a sort of high school band vibe where you just cover your favorite bands’ songs?
Yes, totally. A big part was that we wanted to give our fans new music. We didn’t have time to go into the studio and write new songs before going for tour so we decided to cover some of our favorite songs. It was a way to say “thank you” to our fans for sticking with us.

But did you want to write new songs before starting the anniversary tour?
Not at all. At the time, the plan was to do that tour and then go back to not being a band.

So without The Resignation tour, there would be no new record?
Absolutely, you’re right. That was the spark, no doubt about it. Without the tour, we still wouldn’t be a band. >>>
 

It’s the first time you’re self-releasing a record since your 1996 demo. Were you nervous approaching the crowdfunding process?
Yes, we were really nervous. Initially, I had a bad feeling about the crowdfunding thing. I didn’t really know about it and just had a bad taste in my mouth about it. But then, as I learned more about it, and as we decided what we wanted to do, we realized that was the best way to go. If you want to have the most freedom, you don’t want to have other people changing the creative process, the best way is to do it that way. It’s essentially just a glorified presale. They’re buying it before we put the record out and not after; plus they get the whole process of seeing it being created. I tried to look at it through the eyes of a fan: when I was younger, if I could have watched Fugazi make The Argument or Refused make The Shape Of Punk To Come, that would have been the coolest thing, I would have paid $100 for that. I believe this is the new business model for a band to be able to make a living. The musicians make the music and bring the people to the concerts, but most of the time other people are making much more money than any musician is, and it’s like indentured servantry in a way. It’s not right. You wouldn’t go and ask a dentist, a plumber or a taxi driver to sign a contract where they don’t make as much money as they would. Because artists have the kind of minds where they don’t really think all the business side out, that’s why most of us have been really vulnerable to bad situations.

How far are you into the creative process? Do you write on the road?
We’re about seven or eight songs in; almost done with the whole album. I write everywhere. On the road, I don’t write as much. I like to go walking in every city and record sounds of things around that I will listen to at home and that will give me inspiration.

Do you still have the same creative process where all your ideas are extremely visual? Something you’ve described as similar to writing a soundtrack.
Yes, it’s very similar. That’s how we are when we get together. When we’re writing down–you know how bands usually have this erasing board where you write “intro,” “verse,” “chorus”… Well, we don’t do that. What we do is write down whatever it sounds like but visually. Like a happy brontosaurus. Or if it sounds like a swamp full of words, sinking. That’s what the part is called.

When do you think the record is gonna come out? Are you already working on an artwork and a title?
July. No date but we have a month. And we don’t have artwork yet; we’re looking for people to do it. The title will come itself.

You don’t have any touring plans when you go back to the US. Are you going to focus on finishing the record?
We’ll work on the record for a couple more weeks, and then we’ll begin to rehearse for the Sound Of Animals Fighting’s shows. We’ll do those shows and then we’ll go to the studio for the new album. We are going to tour this summer on the new record, but no dates yet.

This will be the first the Sound Of Animals Fighting tour since 2006. It will also be the first time you’ll be playing songs from The Ocean And The Sun. What can fans expect? Same musicians and same live setup?
I don’t know yet. Some are the same people, some are not. But it will be Rx Bandits plus Anthony Green, Rich Balling [ex Rx Bandits], Matthew Kelly [Minus Music, ex the Autumns]. So there are multiple interchangeable, but mainly Anthony Green and I singing backup.

How about Craig Owens of Chiodos and Keith Goodwin of Good Old War?
They may make an appearance. I can’t say yes or no.

Is it difficult to bring everyone together?
Yes. Everyone in the band has other bands. And some of the guys don’t do music for a living. One of them is a professor, one of them is an English teacher, many of them have children and all of us live in different parts of the United States… Just getting together in the same room to practice is hard.

Do you want to make more music as the Sound Of Animals Fighting?
It depends on the situation. I would be open to it but like I said, it’s really hard to get everyone together. Rx Bandits are my first priority so I’m not going to push for it, but I think we could make another record that would be amazing. ALT