I was in the last place you’d expect to find a book celebrating the street art of Punk and Hardcore music, Barnes & Noble, but as I stood among the latest bestsellers and self-help tomes I found myself enthralled by Visual Vitriol:  The Street Art and Subcultures of the Punk and Hardcore Generation. The book looks at the history and folklore of punk and hardcore music through the art inspired by it.  To David Ensminger, the book’s author and a Professor of English and Humanities at Lee College outside of Houston, TX, Visual Vitriol is “a way to trace the social discourse of punk:  it examines the ways punks talk about themselves.”

Ensminger’s introduction to punk came courtesy of his older brother, and it’s these moments of discovery he celebrates in Visual Vitriol.  As he began to play in punk bands, create his own hand-drawn xeroxed gig flyers, and later edit fanzines, he realized that this Do-It-Yourself (DIY) artistic community was indeed an urban folk art movement.  As he writes,

“By examining flyers we can map out the punk landscape.  They are not mere advertisements.  They are mini-histories compressed onto yellowing, flimsy paper.  Sometimes they are the only means by which we can document the existence of short-lived bands or sites.  I imagine them as archival mile markers and assertive mementos, a way to witness the social milieu from which they arose.”

While I was never a direct participant in the punk or hardcore community, I’ve always appreciated the genre for its DIY aesthetic.  The pure visceral reaction one gets from a punk song is strong, and it’s a reaction that seems to form lasting bonds between those who feel it, no matter how disparate their backgrounds.  I got that same reaction looking through Visual Vitriol, and it made me want to not only talk to David about it, but to share it with you as well.

Figment News:  First of all, congratulations on having put together one hell of an interesting book.  What inspired “Visual Vitriol”?

David Ensminger:  Thank you. At the very end of the 1990s, I became heavily focused on punk gig flyers, which I collected since the mid-1980s, while growing up in Rockford, IL, about 70 miles west of Chicago, where my brother attended the Art Institute. He exposed me to punk rock from about 1980 onwards, regularly brought me copies of fanzines, records, and clip art and encouraged me to make my own art, music, and writing. He was the genesis of DIY in my life, along with my father, who was very hands-on: he carved wooden figures, like ducks and Santa Claus figures, using tools inherited from my grandfather. Now, my father paints watercolors as well. Plus, my family has a long history of collecting objects: my father collects coins, my sister collected spoons, and I collected comic books, until I traded them all for punk records.

Over a decade ago, the book Fucked-Up and Photocopied surfaced, and I was mesmerized by the variety and history of the punk posters they published in this glossy, coffee table style art book. I had already amassed a hundred or so, many made by myself for bands I drummed for since the late 1980s, so I immediately sought out as many as possible from around the globe, to present in a more close-to-the-ground approach – bring the posters to the public. I proposed a massive flyer exhibit to the Lawndale Art Center here in Houston, which is an alternative art space with a longtime connection to punk (bands like Black Flag played one of their former spaces), and I collected material from around the globe. People like Andrea Manges in Italy, Scotti from Au Go Go Records in Australia, Randy “Biscuit” Turner of the Big Boys in Austin, TX, and many other people, including Suck Zoo Han in South Korea and others in Japan, England, and Canada provided with me with an intense array of gig flyers. That event, complete with my band Magnetic IV playing the opening, set-off my decade-long involvement to highlight, preserve, and promote punk flyers as one of the most vivid forms of democratic, instant, vernacular, Do-It-Yourself art of my generation.

FN:  The book traces the history of punk through concert flyers and posters.  Do you think the imagery these bands used was as important as the music in establishing punk rock as a musical and cultural force?

David:  Well, I would say that all the material culture of punk, like gig flyers, graffiti, stencils, clothing, fanzines, and music worked in tandem to produce the culture’s sense of identity. The flyers propelled and witnessed the movement, providing a documentary backbone that offers information about the punk era in a microcosm. They reveal the economics of the underground (from the cost of printing a flyer to the cost of a show), the visual aesthetics of a generation (from cut’n’paste guerrilla style to utilitarian blandness), the psycho-geography of scenes (the location of the clubs, the warnings to concert goers), and the fuzzy ideologies of the community (expressed in handwritten rants and the graphic fare).

We traded them, or used them as paper stock, writing on the back of them, for they were supplied as ‘gifts’ from mail-order record companies, shipped along with records and T-shirts. BYO Records would send them with a handwritten note from Becca, one the employees. Years later, I purchased her fanzine collection on eBay. My mentor Daniel Wojcik at the University of Oregon, a former Los Angeles punk, has letters written from Mike Muir of Suicidal Tendencies on the back of flyers he received in the mail as youth. They were the traded ephemera of our generation, along with bootleg cassettes and cheap fanzines, but they were also part of the mail-art movement, often by accident.

As a teenager, I ordered “classic” late-1970’s flyers, like The Damned’s first gig in LA, and the first gig of the Dead Kennedys, through the business of Dirk Dirksen, an infamous show promoter, who offered them for purchase on heavy archival stock. So, flyers offered me a history lesson as well. They mapped out the visual aesthetics of the earlier era in ways I could understand, graphics-wise. They were art tools kits, forming a template for my own forays into flyer construction and dissemination.

FN:  You talk about creating posters and flyers for your own punk bands.  Do you have any formal art training or were you one of the many DIY artists who produced this form of urban folk art?

David:  I did not attend any art classes as a student, neither in high school nor in college, except for history courses. However, I did take an Industrial Arts class, which allowed me to explore various outlets, including typesetting, photography, screen-printing T-shirts, making buttons, and other media. Our female teacher allowed us to explore the campus and equipment, so my friends and I immediately started making buttons celebrating bands like The Descendents, DIY T-shirts using our own art, and typesetting the text for my punk band’s demo cassette.

My brother, on the other hand, was deeply trained in art and entered college right at the cusp of mail-art, Xerox art, and conceptual art. His friends were sending mail-art to Alaskan fanzines and playing in noise bands, ala Boy Dirt Car, early Sonic Youth and Butthole Surfers, and he sought out punk gigs from the likes of The Cramps and Black Flag, so he melded both worlds. His own painting deeply distressed my family, who believed it was too raw, ugly, and cynical, not at all like his early still drawings that lined my parents’ hallway. My Dad taught him how to draw human figures as a small boy, so to see him absorb punk’s nihilism was a shock.

My brother always encouraged me to make art, in ways that made sense to me. When my sister dropped me off for a weekend in a rough downtrodden section of Chicago, where he lived in a partial basement flat, he immediately gave me some paint and a board and said, make something. Partly, I suppose, he attempted to keep me busy, but I think he genuinely wanted me, even at age 10 or 11, to find some kind of mode of expression. That night, he wanted to roam the city, so I scanned a Chinese book he had lying around the kitchen, chose a character/letter I liked visually, and then we spray-painted it on a T-shirt, so I could be sufficiently “punk” to ride the bus through Cabrini Green, the tough housing project. A handful of years later I made my first flyer for the classic punk band The Adolescents at Rotation Station, a roller skating venue near my high school that hosted terrific punk bands.

So, yes, I learned the naïve, crude, rough’n’ready style not by looking at art books but by flipping through fanzines, listening to my brother, experimenting in class, and mimicking the music that pounded my ears.

FN:  A lot of the art in the book is very crude in nature – either hand-drawn or cut-and-pasted and then Xeroxed.  Was this a direct expression of punk’s DIY culture or simply done of out necessity since many of these bands did not have record deals, promotion, etc.?

David:  The style was part of both traditions – an art ideology and an economics of survival. No doubt, visionaries like Jamie Reid (Sex Pistols) and Winston Smith (Dead Kennedys) understood the impact of ugliness, of the ripped and torn, and the cut and re-assembled. They were keen observers of art history, and later illustrators like Pushead (Septic Death, Metallica) and Shawn Kerri (Germs, Circle Jerks) were skilled and adept, but for punk material they often relied on skulls and corpses, though they could draw anything. Kerri sketched comics for the likes of Hustler, which were lewd, rather than crude. So, yes, punk’s sense of displaying ugly, mutant, and distressful material was part of the core aesthetic in the time of beach wear and soft rock, in the time of Me Generation consumption and the mallification of America. It was also a reaction to the splendor, craft, and naturalness of some of the hippie era styles, which tended to disgust some punks.

On the other hand, copy machines itself offered their aesthetic and economic appeal. Toner was inconsistent, quality itself varied from machine to machine, and many times flyer construction was quick and furtive, especially if a show was only days away. Sure, some entrepreneurs like Dirk Dirksen (Mabuhay Gardens in San Francisco) printed offset flyers, in bulk, which tend to look more artful and finely-designed, but a kid in Tulsa often relied on different skill sets, technological options, and materials available, which might have been no more than scissors, stick-on letters, and a pen. A few bands like The Dickies were signed to major labels, but the rest relied upon their own members and fans to spread the word, and more often than not, wheat paste their flyers, sometimes en masse, like Black Flag, across light poles and freeway underpasses. So, flyering became not just about art, but about events as well, the infiltration of contested space and the surveillance of local police and neighbors. Flyers evoked not just more flyers, but lore as well.

FN:  Do you think the digital age has had an impact on the visual style of punk?

David:  Sure, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. It depends if you are a purist, I suppose. Some designers like Russell Etchen may still use old-fashioned means, like cut and paste, but also use a design program for the finished product, melding both worlds. Last night, I ventured to Hot Topic, looking for discount vinyl records, and discovered a small batch of flyers stuck in a display rack. None were designed by hand, but they did the “job.” They promoted, they symbolized, and they spoke to me. Granted, fewer are made and distributed, due to simply being spread virally on social networks, and they tend to look more “gentrified” or like amateur design school, but what I miss most is that hand-made element, the imperfection and shadow-lines, the cut-off portions due to misplacement on the Xerox machine glass, the white-out or rub-out of mistakes, or even handwritten messages, like phone numbers or addresses added after printing. Those vernacular touches are very important to me, just as much as the wear and tear of the flyers exposed in the elements of cityscapes — the torn, solarized, faded, and yellowing process, the fissure.

FN:  For all of punk’s association with white males, you do a great job of shining a light on how diverse the punk culture really is with chapters about the involvement of women as well as the Hispanic and gay communities in helping to define the punk rock ethos.  Why do you think a lot people simply associate punk rock with angry white men, and what are some of the biggest contributions these other groups made to the punk community?

David:  Walter Benjamin once said, “It is more arduous to honor the memory of the nameless than that of the renowned. Historical reconstruction is devoted to the memory of the nameless.” For me, that means preserving the works on paper of myriad anonymous artists that forged this instant art meant to be short-lived. It also means using the flyers to document the participation of women, people of color, and gays (like my brother) and lesbians in the multicultural punk sphere.

I am pained when I see the people I witnessed, experienced, or knew fade from history or between the cracks of the dominant narrative simply because punk historians actually don’t know their history very well or don’t see beyond a pale shade of white. I very close to my sister growing up and spent endless hours listening to her Gun Club, 999, and Iggy Pop records. My first wife and I attended the same punk shows as teenagers, like Fugazi. Women worked on my fanzines No Deposit No Return and Left of the Dial. Women have played with me in innumerable bands, including my current unit No Love Less.

Hispanics, women, blacks, and gays and lesbians have always been a huge portion of the backbone of punk culture. Black music formed a template for punk, and anyone who has listened to The Jam and The Clash already knows this. Just recently, the bass player for The Carpettes told me when the band formed, they played Chuck Berry covers. One of the first gigs TSOL played was for a Black Panther, and Luther Vandross is one of singer Jack Grisham’s favorites, just like John Coltrane has shaped the output and outlook of Mike Watt (Minutemen).  If the New York Dolls and Stooges, both steeped in black traditions, were proto-punks, then punk is directly linked to black music. Plus, black artist Barry Jones made the iconic Roxy club collages and Don Letts shot the footage for the film D.O.A., capturing punk circa 1976 at its apex. Lastly, before I push too much, the Bad Brains, despite their sexism and homophobia, made an indelible impact on punk, transforming it into hardcore via their jazz-skills.

I curate a whole blog dedicated to the work of Randy “Biscuit” Turner (a small chapter in the book addresses him as well), a rare “out” gay punk-funk pioneer who made well over 100 hundred gig flyers for his band the Big Boys without utilizing typewriters or computers: he relied entirely on inky illustration, cut and paste, collage, mixed media, and the rigors of copy machines.

Black people didn’t immerse in punk? Think again. I have over 250 flyers of bands playing gigs with black members, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. Meanwhile, my interview with Deaf punk Muslim filmmaker Sabina England is my most read post on Popmatters, and my oral history of the Deaf Club debuts next months in Maximum Rock’n’Roll, replete with many flyers to document the club’s existence in punk history.

FN:  You talk about the emergence of hardcore and how many in the punk community felt it lacked the heart and soul, intelligence or in the case of John Doe, the humor of punk.  Why do you think this subgenre created that impression and do you agree with it?

David:  Well, I do point out the many hardcore bands were linked to humor as well, like the Meatmen and Gang Green, so a lot of the older punks were simply jaded, which 7 Seconds attacked in the song “Out of Touch,” which I should have mentioned in the book. I also think that hardcore bands actually retain a great deal of intelligence and forethought, from MDC to Strike Anywhere, but their messages are sometimes lost in the anomie, aggression, and adrenaline of their audiences. So, I don’t agree with those assessments per se, but I do recognize that some women literally felt pushed out of the scene in the mid-1980s, due to overt aggression and sexism, but others clung on, transforming hardcore punk eventually, like the Riot Grrrls and garage rockers as well, not to mention full-on punks like the Lunachicks.

Wendy O, Williams was herself proto-hardcore, as was Alice Bag of the Bags, so they proved that women were not soft or weak, but many of the male bands clung to old notions inherited from the master narrative of American culture. Some punk men refused to change; the same could be said of homophobic and racist punks too. I do think that hardcore lacked some of the stylistic variety that punk offered, since the earlier generation seemed to embody an umbrella genre that could fit early B-52s, Cramps, XTC, and Television. Hardcore didn’t seem to offer that inclusivity, but bands like Soulside and Beefeater did invoke hybrid forms that challenged the status quo, the rigid templates, and the funnel effect. Not all people believe they belong in the same category as Minor Threat, but I do. Bands like The Dicks, Mydolls, and Really Red here in Texas proved that punk-in-the-hardcore-era did not have to exude chainsaw riffage and caustic vocals bolted to 110 mph beats.

FN:  What role did fanzines play in inspiring and promoting punk rock art? You ran a fanzine called “Left of the Dial”.  Does it still exist in some form?

David:  The quick impulse is to argue that fanzines represented the crucial civic media center and emporium of grassroots punk culture. A whole book could delve deep into the profound equation and marriage between the discourse and material culture of fanzines and punk ideology and identity, so any attempt here is a bit futile. So, I will answer the question by exploring the personal impact of fanzines on me.

Punk rock was my high school, more so than my own high school, which mostly bored me. I felt, like many punks, a strong sense of the trans-local — part of a group of people strewn throughout the world, connected by music and fanzines rather than my neighbors. The fanzines were not just JC Penny catalogs of punk product but a primary source of my knowledge and insight into punk issues, mores, and style. By the mid-1980s, I had a subscription to Maximumrocknroll (I contributed to them as a writer since 2005), read Flipside voraciously, and even had copies of regional zines like Non-Stop Banter and Last Rites, both from Chicago.

After reading the input from readers in the editorial pages, and seeing the reviews of bands I knew, like The Flex from Rockford, I knew that zines offered a two-way form of communication and connectivity, community and coherence. So, I decided to make my own mark, just like the early days of punk, when Sniffin’ Glue stirred culture from below.  The whole idea, reinforced to me by Steve Shelley of the Buzzcocks, was punk offered fans an option: one did not have to be a mere consumer, passive and exploited, but could become a force of culture, an active agent in making and maintaining a culture of his or her own. I stole a line from Henry Rollins and turned it into my fanzine name, No Deposit No Return, sought a few nearby bands for interviews, managed to use some clip art and early computer graphics for design purposes, and asked my dad to copy the whole thing for me by the dozens after-work at his factory, which he did. I had published little film reviews in the school paper, but I felt real ownership and accomplishment, empowerment and possibility after mailing out my ‘zine.

Years later after graduate school I was bored and restless and started sending reviews and poems to papers and magazines. Thirsty Ear in Santa Fe, NM was generous enough to allow me to write for them on a regular basis, including interviews with everyone from the Violent femmes to Merle Haggard, all of which I relished. But the magazine only took requested sizes of articles, which often left me with excess material. Simultaneously, I was hired as a full-time college instructor, which boosted my income, providing me some to invest in a magazine of my own making. I asked a handful of local designers like Russell Etchen to guide me through the process and help me forge the magazine, and I used that excess material, like Ian MacKaye (Fugazi, Minor Threat) and Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys) interviews, and new interviews with TSOL and Gary Floyd (The Dicks, Black Kali Ma), to hit the newsstand with a  tour-de-force. Plus, I offered no reviews, just all interviews, and some original writing by band members, like poems and memoirs.

We survived for five years, totally without debt (though I spent over $20,000 on the project), switched designers and helpers, but our distro went bankrupt, Tower Records disappeared from the map, and I switched efforts to the web, where the magazine existed until the last few years, when I became a frequent writer for other publications, like the Houston Press and Popmatters. Left of the Dial will again rise from the past, this time as a collection of interviews, along with newer material, to be published in 2013 in book form.

FN:  What was the connection between skateboarding and punk?  Did skateboarders have an effect on the imagery used in many punk rock flyers, posters, fanzines, etc?

David:  I dedicate a whole chapter to skate-punk culture: the impact was truly momentous, which can be felt every time one flips through an old Thrasher magazine. Many members of bands like TSOL and Minor Threat actively skated, and I did too, albeit with a really ‘wounded goose’ quality. My parents have a photo of me caught midway down our driveway, doing a handstand on a skateboard decked with stickers and homemade painted logos, jeans tattered and bleached. I built an awful quarter-pipe, but did not follow the dimensions accurately; instead, I ‘winged’ it, making an almost impossible curve to skate, which was more like a killer curve than a cool slope. I listened to Bad Brains and Raw Power endlessly as I skated, and I still enjoy riding sloped streets, although my wife steadfastly bans them from the house or my possession.

To put it concisely, skating and punk turned “nothing” like parking lots and light poles, into something, like street art galleries or museum of the streets and launching pads for acrobatic tricks. They re-envisioned the space of cites numbed by codes and rules.  Skaters invoke a kind of freedom that struts and symbolizes, and they are pro-active – people usually don’t skateboard in basements. Both flyer makers and skaters search the topography of the city, the ins and outs, for kicks, for places to “play” – to make music and art, and to engage in sport.

They both encourage the art of possibility, not the doldrums of restrictions. They were also often unsanctioned acts, unlawful and furtive, reckless and restless.  There is a reason why the Black Flag biography is named Spraypaint the Walls — because punk was a verb, was a dictum: “Do it.” Take place. Make freedom. Penetrate and poeticize the streets, much to some people’s chagrin. If you scour my book, you’ll see dozens of images of skeletons, many riding skateboards, “shredding” and embodying the notion “skate to hell” or “skate to destroy,” but not to damage physical property per se (you want to keep skating those pools, right?) but to destroy taboos and notions of restraint and control. Plus, punk flyers and skating could be genderless manifestations: flyers and skateboards don’t care if you are a women or man, black or white, abled or differently abled. They are platforms and modes, and you can re-tool them as you see fit.

FN:  Speaking of imagery, there seems to be some common images that appear again in punk rock art.  Whether it’s monsters, skeletons, skulls, religious or military iconography there seem to be a lot of common threads.  Why do you think that is?

David:  As mentioned, flyers are like one-sheets and newspapers, in hyper-condensed form, displaying the terrible macabre of the modern world, with its droughts, financial collapse, civil wars, injustice and poverty. They show the often hidden ugliness of the machine age, of science gone bad/wrong, or creatures mutated and anguished. They borrow from Goya, from B-movie monster matinees, from Rat Fink, and Leon Golub, exposing the wounds in society’s skin.  The gore and transgressive motifs suggest carnality and deadly instincts but also serve as warnings and creeds.

They tell us to stop pretending and see the filth and atrocities, and to live up to democracy’s best ideals – maximum liberty, justice for all, and a sense of humanity, with a deep undertow of compassion. Not in all cases, obviously: sometimes they are just death-culture fantasies, the masturbatory excesses of grime and gore. So, the message is never stable or core: it is unstable. The monsters reveal layers of symbols: we make monsters, like Frankenstein, or we behave like monsters, like a skull tank, killing children and women, or we feel monstrous, like outcasted, alienated youth shed from families and friends.

The anti-military vibe is woven deep into political protest but also as an undercurrent of ghastly immersion as well. Some people are shocked and dismayed by calamity but others yell out ”Kill ‘em all and let God sort ‘em out.” So, I think the art stimulates often-contradictory responses, but in the book I try to navigate the pop terrain of undead iconography in punk, iconic in bands like the Misfits, in order to understand how the same era of post-Vietnam could produce Leif Garrett and the Dead Kennedys, suave all-night disco and “Death Disco” by Public Image Limited.

FN:  Who are some of the artists you feel had the greatest impact on punk and hardcore art?

David:  I’ve mentioned some already, but I will make a personal stab, since I don’t share the same tastes as some collectors who might suggest that Frank Kozik is noteworthy and more important than, say, the members of The Avengers and Mydolls, women like Penelope Houston and Trish Herrera that made flyers. Kerri and Pushead are truly definitive, along with Raymond Pettibon and Winston Smith, and their work commands fairly high prices in the market. But many artists I showcase in the book offered plenty of unique style, from Jaime Hernandez (of Love and Rockets fame) and Victor Gastelum (of SST fame) to B. Otis and Ric Cruz, whose material was abundant and finely-wrought but not as immediately recognized by the masses, though collectors flock to their work in small fervent numbers. Many more exist, and I am deeply fond of local Texas work by JR Delgado, Charlie Esparza, Tim Kerr, and Randy “Biscuit” Turner.

FN:  Speaking of Randy “Biscuit” Turner, the afterword of your book is all about his art.  Who was he and why did you choose write the afterword about him?

David:  Randy ‘Biscuit’ Turner was a pre-eminent punk-funk singer who melded soul music’s deep sonorous singing and traditions with punk’s urgency and intelligence. He was also gay, funny as hell, and an intensely focused outsider/visionary artist. He cared much less about his hardcore punk singles and much more about shopping the ‘last call’ thrift store with Exene Cervenka of X, where he could pick up battered and lonely plastic items for his mixed-media collages, one of which I just purchased. He was a performer, bar none, unafraid to explode gender roles and expectations. He could wear a pink tutu, he could wear a hockey jersey, and he could wear a massive Mardis Gras outfit all in the same few days, completely grounded in his sense of being outside the norm, even for Austin. He also made at least 100 flyers, which I have archived on my site dedicated to him (www.randybiscuitart.wordpress.com).

He did not depend on typewriters or computers: his work indulged the old-fashioned methods I have described earlier, but most of all he enjoyed free form illustration and keen cut-up collages. To me, his works melds the visuals of Funkadelic with the Weirdos, black art with white ruckus. He also did not obey the punk conventions of nihilism, gore, and cynicism: he was Day-Glo when others were moody and pallid. He drew poodles having sex instead of corpses. He was the singer of my band for the last five years of his life, The Texas Biscuit Bombs. Our double record, replete with colored vinyl and Biscuit art, is available from me, having been released in France last year. He was a comrade, a friend, and a poet. The book honors him, and I thank him for his life rife with poignancy and purpose.

FN:  Any advice for the budding punk or hardcore artists on Figment?  Should they stick to hand drawn art or are there ways to maintain that punk DIY ethos when using programs like Photoshop, etc.?

David:  They should stick to their gut impulses but also attempt to stretch their perceptions, styles, and output. I think high-energy flyers made quickly and accessibly via programs is fine and functions well, but they should always experiment with hand-made options as well, whether it means buying antiquated typewriters just for the fonts or re-using paper for unexpected results. They might think of the pieces less as functions of sheer utility and promotion and more like an art project, in which chance, spontaneity, and randomness are well worth exploring. Hybrid styles are the calling card of the future, including retro-futurism, remixology and deconstruction, appropriation and painstaking originality. Just “Do it.” Like the band DOA always touts, “Talk minus Action equals zero.”

If you’ve enjoyed this interview you might also want to check out more from David Ensminger:

Watch a short film by Lo-Fi Cinema on Visual Vitriol

Black Punk Archive

Punk Women Archive

Midwest Punk Archive

San Francisco Punk Archive

Read Some of Visual Vitriol

Check out the Visual Vitriol Blog

Listen to David’s band No Less Love

Man, if money didn’t matter then I might tell you something new

You can’t tell people what they want to hear if you also want to tell the truth.

The Hold Steady “Soft In The Center”

Let’s be clear about one thing right out of the gate, I’m a fan of The Hold Steady, but that’s not the only reason why I sought out Tad Kubler to judge this year’s Figment Album Cover Design Contest.  No, I sought him out because in addition to being a great musician, he’s also a very good designer and photographer.  His work adorns the covers of several of his band’s album covers and he’s actively involved in every creative aspect of his band.  He’s also one of the most straightforward musicians I’ve ever had the pleasure to interact with, as evidenced by his initial reaction to our offer to be this year’s judge:

“Ok, so forgive the comparison, but this is like Dungeons and Dragons for record collectors, right? Am I understanding this correctly? And that’s not anything but a compliment.

I don’t know why anybody would want to run their own label in this day and age of what the music industry has become. I sometimes wonder why anybody would want to be in a fucking band, for that matter…”

It was that kind of honesty that made it imperative that we get him to be this year’s judge and thankfully he took us up on our offer.  Better yet, he agreed to talk with us about his music, photography and design work.

We mix our own mythologies, we push them through PA systems.

We dictate our doxologies and try to get sleeping kids to sit up and listen.

I’m not saying we could save you

But we could put you in a place where you could save yourself.

If you don’t get born again, at least you’ll get high as hell.

The Hold Steady “Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night”

Figment News:  What it’s like being in a working band these days?

Tad Kubler:  It’s a very interesting time to be involved in the music industry. I wish there were a way to sum this up quickly and briefly. Because it’s a conversation I have to be part of frequently.  Probably more often than I care to be.

You have the paradigm under which the music business operates. And then you have the pace of technology. And in between both of those is the consumer AND the “artist”, for lack of a better word.  It’s a mess, quite frankly. But we’ll see. In some ways it effects what we do and how we do it. I may be acting naïve, but I prefer to operate under the assumption that we do this because we love music. And the rest of it, isn’t all that important. That said, we are running a business. We have people that work for us. There are contracts and business managers and lawyers and health insurance plans and all the other things that can distract you from the joy of rock & roll (there is indeed “so much joy”). But when it’s all said and done, being in front of a room full of people doing what you love with people you love, just staying in the moment and being present to experience that joy… It doesn’t get any better than that.

FN:  Did you always know you wanted to play music for a living or was it something that started out as a hobby and grew into a profession?

Tad:  For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to be in a rock band. AC/DC. Kiss. Van Halen. Led Zeppelin. That’s what I wanted. I never thought it would happen. Maybe I did, actually. But it was never something I counted on.

FN:  You and Craig Finn were in a band together prior to The Hold Steady called Lifter Puller.  What did you learn from that experience that helped you when you formed The Hold Steady?

Tad:  There are so many differences between both bands that it would be hard to compare the experience. I think if anything, it created a level of trust and friendship between Craig and myself. And because The Hold Steady began really as a means for all of us to hang out and have fun together, anything else that came after that was a pleasant surprise. Obviously, that’s changed over time. I think as the band has grown, so have our expectations. But I really believe that enjoying ourselves has always been the most important thing. Craig and I have an interesting relationship. When we’re off the road, we can go weeks without ever speaking or seeing each other. And there isn’t anybody in the world that can push my buttons the way that guy can. And quite frankly, I’m not even sure he’s aware of it. But making music with that guy and getting on stage with him most nights has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I have such a tremendous amount of respect for Craig and all the guys in the band. It’s a pretty wonderful thing. You can take it for granted at times. But sometimes when we’re playing on stage, I just look around and take it all in and think to myself, “We fucking did this. Holy shit!”

She said I just can’t sympathize

With your rock n’ roll problems.

Isn’t that what we wanted?

Some major rock n’ roll problems.

The Hold Steady “Rock Problems”

FN:  What’s it like being a thirtysomething rock star?

Tad:  If I see one, I’ll ask them and let you know…

FN:  It’s my understanding that Craig Finn writes most of the lyrics and you write the music.  Is that correct?

It is. But I think it’s more accurate to say that I bring in ideas. I suppose there are times when I’ve brought in a song that was complete from start to finish. And it’s not as though I come in and say, “I wrote a song, guys; here’s how it goes”. We always work things through as a band. But I think we work best as a band when we work through ideas together. Bobby, Galen and I spend a lot of time just playing together. And Finn brings a lot to the table in the songwriting process. Craig has a great ear and has such a love for music. He listens to so many different things. So his contributions to the songwriting process is invaluable. I enjoy getting everyone in a room together and being creative.

FN:  How do you guys collaborate on songs?  Do you work on stuff alone, demo it and then bring it to the band or do you work together on songs?

Tad:  We don’t have one specific way we work. I’m always doing demos. Sometimes I’ll bring in a few different parts that I think work well together and we’ll just start to play. Other times, Craig and I get together and I’ll sit down with a guitar and he’ll have his notebooks and we’ll start to throw around ideas. Craig and I have recorded songs on the back of the bus and made rough versions to put on everyone’s ipod so they can come up with ideas. Sometimes we sit in my living room and write. Or in his kitchen. I’ll sit at the table with a guitar and he’ll pace back and forth singing to himself. I actually write in front of the television a lot. Watching basketball or Law & Order, Friday Night Lights, Californication, Discovery channel… It sometimes feels like when I’m not paying attention to what I’m doing, or just letting my mind drift when I have a guitar in my hands, that’s when things just come up. That sounds idiotic. But it’s true.

Don’t bother talking to the guys with their hot soft eyes

You know they’re already taken.

Don’t even speak to all those sequencer and beats boys

When they kiss they spit white noise.

The Hold Steady “First Night”

FN:  When I think of your band’s music I think arena rock riffs mixed with punk energy.  How would you describe The Hold Steady’s sound?

Tad:  Rock & Roll. I think if I have to spend any more time describing it than that, we’re missing the point. Jeff Tweedy said something really brilliant: people spend a lot of time talking about music. But music happens in the moment. And that’s what it’s about. The moment. Anything beyond that, you’re really just trying to catch up to it.

FN:  All of your band’s albums are on independent labels. French Kiss and Vagrant Records in the U.S. and Rough Trade in Europe.  Was that a conscious decision?

Tad:  I’m not sure what that means. It was a deliberate decision on who we chose to put out our records. But we didn’t deliberately choose independent labels.

FN:  What do you think the future holds for major and independent labels?

Tad:  I don’t know. As I’ve said, there are a lot of people talking about what a shit state of affairs the music business is in. Maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t. It seems to me that most labels, indy or major, have a difficult time keeping up with technology and therefore the consumer. I think the industry is becoming leaner and meaner. Maybe that’s a good thing.

FN:  Clearly bands have to work a lot harder these days to get their music heard.  How important is marketing to a band’s success, and how involved do you have to be in the band’s promotion?

Tad:  I don’t think that’s true. I think technology has made it ridiculously easy to get your music heard. The internet is humming with new bands. There’s enough technology out there to broadcast your every thought and every word. And I think that may be problematic. I hear people talk about posting on someone’s wall and YouTube hits and Facebook me and tweet it and all kinds of things. Everyone has a voice. Everyone can be heard. There’s no quality control anymore. Some would argue that it’s helped level the playing field. I don’t know if I agree with that. Not to be a dick, but I don’t know that everyone should be able to broadcast every thought that tumbles through their head…

Shoes and socks baby, socks and shoes.

We spent the night last night in Newport News.

This chick she looked just like Elizabeth Shue.

We got bruised.

The Hold Steady “The Swish”

FN:  You’ve helped design a number of your band’s album covers.  What is that process like?

Tad:  That would be an awful lot of typing. I come from a visually creative background with photography, so that’s obviously helpful. I feel for me it’s really important to be involved in anything the band does creatively. I like to realize the finish product in it’s entirety. And it’s also a great learning experience. I’ve always felt that playing in a band doesn’t end at the songwriting process. I really enjoy being a part of all the creative output.

FN:  What do you look for in an album cover design?

Tad:  I think what I myself look for, or what anyone looks for is something that resonates with them. Right? I sometimes hear people talk about their relation to the band or artist. And I often hear people talk about looking for things that may indicate the people or person playing the music is somebody like them. You know, a lot of people talk about our band and say, “They look like regular guys”. Sometimes that works. Sometimes it doesn’t. I think it’s fantastic on a level of making it easy to connect to the music and the songs. But I don’t feel that way about bands and artists I enjoy. For myself, I sometimes look for some kind of exaltation. And perhaps subconsciously I believe that I may not get that from somebody that looks like me, acts like me, thinks like me… I don’t know that I feel it necessary to connect with somebody like me. So for that, I want to look outside myself. So I may not want someone just like me to get me there. I know me. That’s boring. I need a certain amount of mystery. I want to make up my own version of the person playing the song. I want to make them more than human. Growing up, rock stars were from a different planet. Bowie, T. Rex, Bob Dylan, Kiss, Led Zeppelin – these people were deified. For good reason, I believe. And it was awesome. It gave me hope. Hope that there was something different than what I was seeing and experiencing. I want my rock stars held sacred. I want to listen to the music and hold the album cover and stare at it and imagine what kind world they live in.

FN:  Are there any designers or album covers that have inspired you over the years?

Tad:  Oh, shit. A lot. Stones – Exile,  Beatles – White Album,  Sex Pistols, Ramones, Fugazi, I could give you the laundry list.

FN:  You work as a photographer when you’re not recording or touring with The Hold Steady.  How did you get involved in photography?

Tad:  Weird story: I’ve always been interested in photography. Then, in about ’96 when I was living in Minneapolis, Bobby and I became friends. He introduced me to his sister and we started dating. She’s incredibly talented. And an amazing photographer. She got me into photography. So I took some classes and learned how to print. Then got into some of the physics of it – properties of light, etc. And started assisting. Kinda just grew from there. I’ve been working on a book for the last couple years that I’d really like to have out by the end of the year. It’s a major undertaking. I certainly bit off more than I could chew. Per usual.  And I still have a major crush on Bob’s sister… So Kris, if you’re reading, marry me?

FN:  Do you primarily photograph bands or do you shoot other subjects as well?

Tad:  I like to do portraits. Bands are hard to shoot do well. To be able to get 4 + people to all look interesting at once – very tricky. I’ve done editorial stuff. Music. Fashion. I love all of it.

FN:  Do you shoot your band’s promotional photos?

Tad:  I have in the past. But not so much now. No. I have a lot of friends that are photographers. Just call in some favors.

And when we hit the Twin Cities I didn’t know that much about it.

I knew Mary Tyler Moore and I knew Profane Existence.

I was keyed up.  Keys jangled in the stalls.

They counted money in the motels.  They mostly sold it in the malls.

And the carpet at the Thunderbird has a burn for every cowboy that got fenced in.

The Hold Steady “Stevie Nix”

FN:  All of The Hold Steady album covers are photographs.  Were you the photographer or did you conceptualize the cover and work with another photographer to actually shoot it?

Tad:  I shot the first two and did the layout with Seth and Tim (Les Savy Fav). The third and fourth I basically just art directed and had friends shoot.  And Finn is also involved in that creative process. It’s sometimes important to connect that lyrical narrative to the artwork in some way. He has a really great eye. I’m always blown away when I look at some of his photos from the road. And then the last album Finn and I let go of almost entirely. I’m not unhappy with how it came out. But I enjoy doing it too much to do that again.

FN:  I know from following your Twitter feed that you are an avid NY Knicks fan, so that begs the question…Carmelo Anthony trade…good or bad?  And since the Knicks’ season is over who do you think will win the NBA Title this year?

Tad:  I wasn’t into the trade. I think we lost our ass. And I don’t think Anthony is used to playing D’Antoni’s style of ball. And Billups has maybe two seasons left in him. Maybe. The only thing it will do is attract other players like Chris Paul or Dwight Howard.

I like the Bulls for the Eastern Conference. Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final was incredible. The Bulls are a very young, athletic team. I don’t think Miami was prepared for that. Miami thought once they got past the Celtics it would be smooth sailing. Not at all the case. I think Dirk and the Mavs really want a championship. But again, OKC is a young, athletic team. Dallas’ starting lineup are almost all 30 years old. We’ve got a lot of basketball left to play. And I think it’s going to be fantastic.

In bar light she looked alright.

In daylight she looked desperate.

That’s alright, I was desperate too.

I’m getting pretty sick of this interview.

The Hold Steady “Sequestered in Memphis”

Listen to The Hold Steady

Check out Tad’s Photography

Catch The Hold Steady on Tour

If you’re a fan of metal the name Eddie Trunk needs no qualifier.  Eddie has been sharing his love of hard rock and heavy metal with fans for over 25 years.  Whether its on his two weekly radio shows:  Eddie Trunk Live on Sirius/XM radio’s The Boneyard channel and the FM-syndicated Eddie Trunk Rocks that originates from Q-104 .3 FM in New York City or as the host of That Metal Show on VH1 Classic, Eddie has always brought fans of metal the best the genre has to offer.

In addition to his on-air talents, Eddie was one of the original executives at Megaforce/Atlantic Records, becoming Vice President of the label at the age of 25.  While at Megaforce he worked with bands like Anthrax, Manowar, Overkill, King’s X, and Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley.  He also worked for Loud & Proud Management where he helped shepherd the careers of bands like White Lion.

Clearly Eddie knows metal!  So when we heard that about the release of his new book, Eddie Trunk’s Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal (Abrams, 2011) we jumped at the chance to speak to him, and we’re pleased to announce that he agreed to provide us a copy to give away to the runner up in our 2011 Figment Album Cover Design Contest!

Figment News:  Why did you decide to write your new book, Eddie Trunk’s Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal?

Eddie Trunk:  I was always interested in doing a book at some point and would still like to do an autobiography once my days being active in the business are done, so this was a great way to get into that world. There are many personal stories in the book and incredible photos, so it’s kind of a hybrid of many things and people have really responded to it so far.

FN:  It’s certainly jam packed with anecdotes and stories about some of the biggest metal stars in the world.  What’s one of your favorites?

Eddie:  They are all so personal to me. Funny stuff like walking off stage with the singer from Tesla’s mic always makes me crack a smile. I get asked so much about when Axl Rose came into my studio in 2006 and that’s covered in the GnR chapter. The Dio chapter is super tough because I originally wrote it before Ronnie passed away, then went and rewrote it. That was a tough one.

FN:  You have two radio shows, Eddie Trunk Live on XM/Sirius’ “The Boneyard” channel and Eddie Trunk Rocks that airs live on Q104.3 here in NY and is syndicated elsewhere, AND you host “The Metal Show” on VH1 Classic.  How do you have time to do all these shows and write a book?

Eddie:  I’m lucky I have what I have and I don’t take any of it for granted, but I’m not even close to where I want to be in this world. I’m always looking at how I can expand on what I am doing with my current outlets and looking for more. Both radio shows are once a week, the TV show shoots a full season in like 10 days then they roll out, so it looks a little more non stop than it is. Don’t get me wrong, now with the book I am busy, but I welcome it and always look for more to grow my shows and spread the word on the bands and music.

FN:  You’ve been on the radio for over 25 years, and clearly the industry has changed a lot in that time.  What do you think the future holds for radio?

Eddie:  28 actually as of now. It’s a strange time for radio. I truly feel you have to be known for something and have a dedicated audience that tunes in for you and not just the music. You can get thousands of songs in an iPod these days. I never wanted to be an iPod. I think you need to bring more to the table as a host on radio than a nice voice that can backsell a playlist. Sadly computers are taking those jobs. So that’s why my shows are music and talk and interview intensive as well. I like doing that kind of radio, much more creative. But there are some new opportunities these days with the internet and podcasting that were not there before, not to mention satellite, so if you have a brand and name I think you can do something cool still.

FN:  How important of a role does radio still play in promoting new and established bands?  Do you think the internet has stolen a lot of radio’s thunder?

Eddie:  I still don’t think there is a greater substitute for radio when it comes to exposing music and news about bands. Its so immediate and personal to many. The biggest was MTV in the music days, but radio is still king now I think. You would not believe how many people in the middle of this country don’t use the internet that much. I hear from them all the time on the satellite show. They want to hit the radio in their car and get their dose of music and news. Sadly radio has been less and less adventurous in taking chances on new things, but it can still move the needle greatly. I’d love to do a daily show one day in radio, especially if I had creative freedom like I do now.

FN:  You’ve clearly seen a lot of great hard rock and metal bands live.  What bands would you put in your Top 5 live list?

Eddie:  Kiss, Aerosmith, Metallica, AC/DC, UFO, so many…

FN:  Getting back to your book, did you really share cucumber sandwiches with Robert Plant?

Eddie:  Yes, he called it a “salad sandwich” and it was just like cucumber and lettuce. Not my idea of a sandwich but it was a british tea thing, and if your hangin with Plant you go with it! I had the chance to do TV with him twice pre That Metal Show on VH1 Classic.

FN:  In addition to working on radio you’ve also been an executive with Megaforce Records as well as worked in artist management with Loud & Proud.  What was it like working for those companies back in the 1980’s when metal was really breaking through to the mainstream?

Eddie:  A whole different world than today. Labels spent a couple hundred thousand on a video alone. Records sold, bands toured all the time, people purchased music and CDs, the record stores and press were so much more of a factor. If you got a few plays on MTV and some radio you could score a gold album, now getting gold is so much harder.

FN:  Clearly metal and hard rock have changed a lot since the 80’s.  We’ve seen a lot of new genres spring up and despite being decimated by grunge and alternative rock in the 90’s its still going as strong as ever.  Why do you think metal is so resilient?

Eddie:  Its always been the underdog and been marginalized and underestimated. People think they know exactly the makeup of a metal fan and often they are wrong. I always hated the stereotypes with the music and fought against them. I love when people say I don’t look or act like a metal guy.

FN:  Any up and coming metal bands that you would recommend?

Eddie:  I have been heavily entrenched in the classic world. My radio shows are on classic based channels and so is my TV show. I still listen to and support new music that fits what I’m into and especially great new music from classic artists, but there is not that one band right now I can point to and say they are special. Hope I find one though.

FN:  What advice would you have for someone who is interested in working in the music industry these days?

Eddie:  So tough  now. Labels are dying. Be diverse in your experience and get it wherever you can. Its not learned in books but I would never discourage education. Have a backup plan for sure. I just think get the experience, get creative, and network the best you can, The future is in managing artists and these 360 deals I think. Most people taking all their business in house, so you either have to work for them direct, or provide a service as an indie that they can hire you for. But experience is key.

FN:  Figment is a site where being able to design a great album cover is really important.  What metal album covers would you put in your Top 10?

Eddie:  Black Sabbath: Heaven & Hell, Kiss: Destroyer, Van Halen II, Motorhead: Ace Of Spades, Iron Maiden: Number Of The Beast, Judas Priest: Screaming For Vengeance, Rainbow: Rising, Rush: 2112, Metallica: Master Of Puppets, Ozzy: Diary Of  A Madman.

FN:  If you could form your ultimate fake metal band what would you name it?

Eddie:  Screaming Lords Of Metal

A little over a month ago, thedude sent me the link to a site called Map of Metal knowing that I am a huge fan of metal music.  Needless to say I was not only intrigued, but excited to see what it was all about.  What I found was a very cool graphic way to look at metal music – it’s influences, genres and various sounds.  So I sought out the maps creators, graphic designer Patrick Galbraith and metal historian Nick Grant, and they were kind enough to give me a walk through how they developed this incredible interactive map of metal’s history.

Figment News:  Let’s kick this off with the million dollar question….why?

Patrick: Basically I thought it was a good idea and I just felt the need to do it. Thinking about it now I find it interesting how changing the way you present information visually can impact the experience. In other words if I just made a table of every genre, the experience would be very different. It is my hope that some younger people who are only into modern bands can come to appreciate influential early bands and vice versa. Hopefully also people who don’t know metal at all can come to appreciate it a bit more and might be interested to dig deeper into it.

FN:  Are you guy’s big metal fans?  If so, what are some of the metal bands that inspired this project?

Nick: Of course we are! I personally listen to underground metal in the death/black/doom genres and of course the classics. Some bands that inspired the map are probably memorable figures such as Maiden, Candlemass, Celtic Frost/Hellhammer, Bathory, Darkthrone and Black Sabbath, but then again, most bands we listen to are inspirational in some way or other.

Patrick: Yes! Visually it would have to be bands like Iron Maiden, Motorhead, and many others that brought the imagery and fantasy elements into it through artists such as Frank Frazetta, Derek Riggs, Joe Petagno… just flip through a bunch of albums and you’ll know what I mean.

FN:  Why did you decide on a “map” as your diagrammatic representation of metal music?

Patrick: The very first version was just a basic flow chart but the original plan was always to make it into a map of some kind. I like it when metal is combined with a mythic style. The first design I did the style was more like an old worn pirate’s treasure map. However I thought it lacked visual interest especially up close it needed more texture so I had the idea of making it out of clothing and found objects. After that the visual style came together pretty quickly.

FN:  Was it hard deciding on the various genres that you would include?  How did you decide on the various related genres that you felt influenced metal’s development?

Patrick: There isn’t any formula. We just made all the connections we could think of and slowly sorted it all with research. The trick was removing a lot of connections and finding ways to simplify rather than complicate the map. It would be easy to draw up a ridiculously complex (more accurate maybe) chart, or simplify it down into more generalised areas but that wasn’t what we were aiming for. The focus was more on getting something that showed the progression of the music.

Nick: The map doesn’t discriminate different genres, it more or less casts a light over all genres and sub genres of metal and allows people to see which genres helped spawn the more modern sounds that have developed over the years.

FN:  What is your favourite metal “land”?

Nick: My personal favourite metal land is probably the darker areas of black/death and doom!

Patrick: I’m guessing by land you mean regions of the map. Developing the site forced me to be even more open minded to a number of genres so right now it’s too hard to choose. Originally there was going to be more separation for example Doom metal and its offshoots from Power metal etc. but the amount of crossover made it too difficult and it didn’t sit right. Design wise… the inverted hello kitty… also I like the Punk Rock Island with the bloodied union jack, which is a reference to Vivienne Westwood.

FN:  What kind of feedback have you gotten from fellow metal heads on the Map of Metal?  Anyone take issue with it and/or request a cartographic change?

Patrick: A lot of people asked for a zoom function, which I will probably add in at some point. I left it out because I wanted people slowly discover the connections and to see all the design details but I guess that is a bit self indulgent. Occasionally someone emails with something along the lines of “wheres metallica you fail”, and I have to point them to thrash. Generally speaking though the feedback has been really positive and the suggestions from the community have been great. I’m working on plans to leverage the community more in the future with something akin to uservoice, but which directly links to the site, but that’s all I can say about it at the moment.

FN:  Do you think the Map of Metal represents all of the genres that make up Metal or do you think the music will continue to grow and inspire more offshoots?

Patrick: In short, no it doesn’t list every genre, this is for a couple of important reasons. Firstly when you look at genres and the categorization of music different outcomes will require a different approach. In other words if I was categorising music for a music database or library I would do it very differently. However with the Map of Metal I wanted it to be more along the lines of a story about how the genres and styles have progressed and therefore I focused on using common everyday labels for the genres. Also the map no doubt has an America/UK bias to it in regards to how the genres have progressed and their labelling; people from other parts of the world would likely see things differently.

Will it continue to grow? Absolutely metal will continue to live on for a long time. However I can’t see it being possible for it to become less diverse that is just the nature of any form. Bands will continue to fuse metal with other genres spawning new sub-genres, micro-genres and so on… it is likely the internet will play a role in this too.

Nick: Metal is not bound by genres in any way, but I suppose it’s easier to define them as this or that. I think in the future many more strange kinds of genre mixes will appear, some better and some worse. The map is more of a guideline as to the differences in sound for people who are uneducated in the matter or curious to discover more.

FN:  Any plans to add a new country, principality or People’s Republic of Metal?

Patrick: New genres, yes. However at the moment I’m focusing on building other features. But after that who knows.

FN:  Do you think Axl Rose needs your map to find his way back to metal?

Patrick: You can always try sending him the link to find out.

FN:  If you could create your own metal genre what would it be called and what would be its roots?

Nick: Hiking metal; a mix between early Viking metal (Bathory) and hiking in the forests at night!

FN:  If you could form your ultimate fake metal band what would you name it?

Patrick: Placental Expulsion; hints to the name of a local dish here in Australia; it’s a combination of kebab meat on a bed of fries and smothered with ketchup and tzatziki, yum.

Figment may be all about fake bands, but many of our players love to play “real” music as well.  So when we were planning our Figment Metal Concept Album Contest, we made sure to seek out a prize that any musician would salivate over, and the ZT Lunchbox Amplifier certainly fits the bill!  It’s an ultra-compact amplifier that packs 200 watts of power!  Good things really do come in small packages.  We were so fascinated by this amp that we sought out Ken Kantor the founder of ZT and designer of the Lunchbox to find out why it’s the perfect amp for both pros and consumers.

Figment News:  You’ve been a technologist, product designer and entrepreneur in the consumer electronics industry for over 30 years.  In particular, you have designed a number of innovative loudspeakers and audio technologies over that time.  How did you get into the audio engineering field and what products have you designed that you are the most proud of?

Ken Kantor:  I suppose my audio career first began to take shape as a blending between my fascination with science and my deep love of music and sound.  By the time I got to college, it felt very natural to study audio engineering. I learned the theory and math behind amplifiers and speakers.  I picked up practical construction and testing skills.  Also, I developed a lifelong interest in examining the ways that audio technology is interwoven with the history of music and performance,

During my engineering career, I have been fortunate to have been involved in a diverse range of audio projects.  I’ve designed really cheap computer speakers and very expensive home theater systems; I’ve worked in recording studios and guitar factories. I’ve done designs for museum displays, punk festivals, major orchestras, laptop computers and avant garde performance artists.   I guess what satisfies me the most is when I am able to mash up human perception with hardcore engineering to squeeze more sound quality out of a system than people expect.  “Diode, meet Neuron.  Neuron, meet Diode.”  Bringing sound to new frontiers is what it’s about for me.  Then, I like to start companies to try and bring these inventions into the world at affordable prices.  That’s where ZT comes in.

FN:  Are audio engineers tortured rock stars or is the other way around?

KK:  Fortunately for Figment, I think almost everyone in the modern world wishes they could be a rock star at some point.  So, yeah, I can’t deny those fantasies.   But, realistically, engineers tend to be people who are most creative when working within very disciplined and structured frameworks.  On the other hand, most rock and roll performers seem to thrive in a more chaotic environment.  (Or, at least, they make prettier train wrecks…)

FN:  What led you to found ZT Amplifiers?

KK:  ZT was influenced and inspired by the sound the classic guitar amps, and the quest to get that gig-worthy sound from a very small box.  Ever since I first heard, “I Feel Fine,” and “Satisfaction,” on a tiny AM radio, I’ve been researching guitar tone, building stomp boxes and fixing amps.  Gradually, I started designing my own speakers and amps. Throughout the following 30+ years, every time I learned something new about audio or hearing, I thought about how I might apply it to building a better guitar amp.  ZT is my opportunity to realize a lifetime of ideas and inventions.

FN:  Were did you get the idea for the Lunchbox Amp?

KK:  I’m not sure, but it was probably as I was carrying one of my big, old tube amps up the stairs!  It occurred to me that little amps have been somewhat ignored by other companies.  Almost all amp companies put their best effort into their larger products, and treat their smallest amps almost like toys.  So, ZT has taken a very different approach; we try to pack serious sound and power into small boxes.

FN:  Beyond its size, what makes the Lunchbox stand out?

KK:  It looks cool, doesn’t it?  We sincerely think it’s a great sounding amp, regardless of its size.  The Lunchbox has grown to become one of the best selling amps around.  No way that could happen based only upon its size.   In truth, lots of guitarists are buying the Lunchbox for its tone.  And, it’s just plain fun to play.  Plug in, smile!

FN:  So how does a solid-state amp the size of a toaster with a 6.5 inch speaker create such a big sound?

KK:  It’s the same old story in audio: everyone always believes the old technology is inherently superior, until someone finally figures out how to use the new technology to its full potential.  We think we have cracked that code.  About half of the story is in ZT’s proprietary new technology.  There’s a lot going on “under the hood” in both the electronics and the speaker, as well as how they work together synergistically.   The remaining part of the equation is time honored: we use excellent parts and very solid construction.  Powerful components plus build quality plus secret sauce equals Lunchbox.

FN:  Is this the ideal product for an aspiring musician or is better suited to a professional musician?

KK:  It’s definitely a product for serious players who value the essentials.  We don’t have a lot of effects and features built in.  Instead, we focused on getting the basics right.  Pros tend to like that, but so do a lot of weekend warriors.

FN:  I understand quite a few well known musicians are now using the Lunchbox both in the studio and live.  Why would they choose to use the Lunchbox over larger, more well-known amplifiers?

This certainly isn’t because of any advertising budget on our part.   Musicians really like the sound of the amp, and find it both convenient and inspiring.  Almost everyone who gets a chance to play a Lunchbox winds up wanting one.

FN:  How well does the Lunchbox hold up to the punishment of being on the road?

KK:  Better than I do. As I have said it’s a pretty solid piece of gear.  Several of the people at ZT are working musicians, including some who have toured on a national level.  We know what that is like.

FN:  What other products does ZT offer?

KK:  We currently offer three amps, one extension speaker cab, and some accessories such as carry bags.  Most recently, we introduced an “Acoustic” version of the original Lunchbox, designed to take a vocal microphone and instrument pickup at the same time.  It’s for folkies, singer/songwriters and a range of instruments beyond electric guitar.

The Lunchbox also has a slightly larger sibling called the Club that is a complete P4P champion. It can hold its own against almost anything.  It’s like an Lunchbox on Steroids, and with a few more controls and features.  Between the bunch, the ZT lineup has the needs of most bands covered.

FN:  We’re excited to announce that we’ll be offering ZT Amps as a virtual good in our new Figment Lucre Store very soon!  How does it feel to have ZT be the leader in virtual as well as real amplification?

KK:  Very cool!  I’m looking forward to becoming a simulated billionaire!

Ed Repka’s works not only speaks for itself, it screams for itself!  With it’s touches of comic book, monster movie poster and sci-fi/fantasy illustration, Ed’s influences are clear, but it’s his bold use of color and sense of visual narrative that makes his art rock!

With a client list that includes Megadeth, NOFX, the Misfits, 3 Inches of Blood, and Venom among others, Ed is a natural choice to judge our 2nd Annual Figment Concept Album Contest, and we’re thrilled to have him on-board.

We thought you’d want to know more about who will be judging your entries, so we sat down to talk to him about his background, influences, and artistic process.

FigmentNews:  Album cover art is an important aspect of any band’s esthetic, but it seems to be that much more important to metal bands.  Do you agree, and if so, why do you think that is the case?

Ed Repka:  Album art is very important to metal bands in particular, which is why it’s 2010 and I’m busier than I was in the 80’s. I think there are two reasons for album art’s continued association with metal. First it’s a tradition. Today’s new generation of thrashers, death metal heads etc. want to bring back the glory day of the 80’s. There is even a resurgence in vinyl. Many of my new works get that great showcase.. The second reason is because metal has deep roots in storytelling. The majority of metal songs are about ideas and the most palatable way to express your idea to others is thru the story. Naturally, a story needs great visuals to make an impact and draw you in for a closer look.

FN:  Have you always been a fan of metal music?

Ed:  Not really. As a young boy I was aware of Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, and Kiss and gravitated toward their esthetic but, I never bought many albums.  I would always spend a lot of time in the music department of the local department store studying the metal album covers buy not buying. Later on, I was really into movies so I would buy movie soundtracks to things like Star Wars and Logan’s Run. When attending parsons. I discovered Punk and was into that for a while. It was not until I started working in the field that I investigated metal and began to appreciate it.

FN:  How did you get your start in graphic design?

Ed:  I have no formal education in graphic design I have a BFA in illustration. When I applied to Parsons School of Design, I wanted to get in to the graphic design department, but they said I would fit better in illustration.  Nevertheless, I continued to absorb and learn the various design theories and techniques on my own. My first work in the record field was album cover layout and paste up so I had to learn what to do fast. Now I work in graphic design for packaging at my job at NECA.

FN:  What was the first band you designed cover art for?

Ed:  My first record cover assignment was the Venom “Here Lies Venom” boxed set for Combat records. It’s a thick slipcase which holds a tray of four records. The slipcase is made to look like a stone slab cover in the graves of the three members of Venom. I painted the cover, back cover and inner tray art and prepared the mechanical.  I see that this package is a valuable collector’s item today.

FN:  You’re probably best known for your work with thrash metal titans Megadeth.  How did that relationship begin?

Ed:  I was working freelance for Combat/Relativity records and Megadeth was on the label at the time preparing their second release “Peace Sells” I was told Dave saw my work on the Venom box and asked I be assigned to his cover. I met with the two Daves in NYC and discussed the cover idea.  He loved what I did for “Peace Sells” and even called me to express his wish that I do the next cover. However, when the time came, for some reason I wasn’t asked to do the “So far..So good” cover.  That cover was kind of a flop and I was eagerly sought after to create the “Rust in Peace” cover.  By then I was working steady for Brockum, their merchandiser and over the next seven years created about twenty Vic illustrations for use on Megadeth posters and t-shirts.

FN:  Is it true that Dave Mustaine drew the original design for the band’s mascot “Vic Rattlehead”?

Ed:  As I understand it, Dave Mustaine had Sean Smithson, a fan artist, design (unpaid and uncredited) a version of the character based upon the lyrics to “Skull Beneath the Skin”. When I came into the picture they showed me a t-shirt with the Vic head on it.  It was a crude drawing, not very skull like but, with the basic elements. I assume this was Sean’s work. With that as my model, I redesigned the character and gave it my trademark bulbous head, mouth hooks, ear caps and visor. I even tried to infuse some of the cockiness of Dave Mustaine into Vic’s body language.  Dave liked my illustration and wanted me to do all his covers from then on.  Dave has even stated that it was in the ‘Peace Sells” illustration that, for the first time, Vic became a real character with a personality.

FN:  How hard is it to work with a band like Megadeth that has such an established icon as Vic?

Ed:  Since I established the character of Vic, it wasn’t that difficult. I made it up as I went along. After “Peace Sells”, I painted a series of posters and then t-shirts for Megadeth’s merchandiser Brockum. I had total freedom on those, being given only a direction in which to move. It was through these images that I kept developing the character of Vic. I decided he could change size, would wear different clothing, but retain the black business suit as the main costume. I also cast him not as a villain but as the anti- hero.

As far as working with the band, it really came down to working with Dave.  We actually got along well and would converse by phone about various ideas.  For covers he would tell me the kind of vibe he was looking for and let me come up with ideas.  For the merchandise art, he pretty much kept out of it.  Towards the end he began to take a more active hand and became more difficult, requesting changes more often.

FN:  A lot of metal bands seem to develop mascots – Iron Maiden’s Eddie being the most famous.  Why do you think that’s the case?

Ed:  I don’t know where the original idea came form but it likely stems from a need to embody an idea central to the band in some very aggressive tangable form.  This way the idea represents the band rather than any one person in the band. This appeals more to metal bands because they are more visually and narratively focused than say, pop bands.

FN:  Your covers are clearly inspired by comics and horror movies.  What artists and directors would you cite as influences?

Ed:  When I was young, comics and movies saturated my brain.  I gravitated toward comic artist like Steve Ditko, Wally Wood, Jack Kirby. Illustrators like Frazetta, Basil Gogos, H.R. Giger,  James Bama, movie posters by Reynold Brown and Robert McGinnis, really anyone who was painting the type of subjects I enjoyed.  I would analyze what they were doing and see if I could apply some of it to what I wanted to do. When it comes to film I don’t know if I have any favorite directors but, certainly the films of James Whale, Val Lewton, and Kubrick had a big impact on me. I draw inspiration form the whole gambit of genre movies – from kung-fu epics to film noir and euro-trash horror.

FN:  Your covers seem to tell a story.  Is that a conscious effort to capture the direct themes of the music or do you simply create an image that captures the general esthetic of the band/album?

Ed:  Because of my comic and film influences, I’m basically a story teller so this comes out in the work. However, within the narrative context I create, I use symbolism to create levels of meaning beyond the obvious.  Color, perspective, distortion and dark humor are all used to express the emotional content of the album or the idea they want to express.  Not all of this occurs on a cognitive level. I’ve learned to listen to my intuition and recognize when all the elements work. I’m generally working with a band because our esthetics are compatible or identical.

FN:  Your covers use a lot of extreme colors, why?

Ed:  Color contrast appeals to me. It probably comes form my comic amd movie poster influences. It’s something I began in parsons and brought in to my cover work. My theory is that the closer an object is to the viewer, the more important it is and the more pure its color should be. I start out with a bright background color then progressively get more contrast and color involved in the successive spacial planes. It’s great for Thrash metal where you want the cover to scream at the viewer and grab him in.

FN:  What do you look for in a successful album cover design?

Ed:  First the composition needs to appeal to me on an emotional level. It should be powerful and draw you into the action or message. You need to pull the viewer in, get their interest so they will want to stay a while and uncover the story. The typographic elements also need to work with the art or become the art.

FN:  You are currently the Art Director for the National Entertainment Collectibles Association (NECA).  Can you tell us a little about that job and what it entails?

Ed:  I develop licensed products like bobble head dolls, action figures, snow globes, games, and basically anything with a sculptural component to it. I have hands-on control from the concept sketches to the art directing of the sculpture, to making the paint masters and to approval on the final production samples made in China. At NECA we develop a lot of different products for any one given license and we do it very quickly.

FN:  I’ve read a lot of articles lately, including a recent one in the NY Times, which point to band merchandise and promotional collectibles becoming the primary way for bands to monetize as well as promote their music.  Do you agree?  And if so, have you worked on any projects of this type?

Ed:  It may very well come to that. The record industry is in bad shape and looking for any possible way to maximize profits.  Band merch as advertising that generates income is nothing new. Megadeth produced a lot of merchandise, and look at the Misfits, I think they now make more money from their merch than record sales. But having the music as a secondary component is a disturbing idea.

I’ve done a lot of work that is only available on t-shirts and posters for Megadeth, the Misfits and other bands but, the music always came first. Recently, I did an illustration for the band Mercenary. The art was only physically used on a t-shirt and became a virtual cover for their downloadable album. There may come a day when the focus will shift from the physical CDs and cover art to t-shirt art and 3-D collectibles. In either case I have a great deal of experience in both areas. One day I may be designing and sculpting a bobble-head or stature instead of a CD cover.

FN:  How involved are the bands you work with in the final design?  Do you typically work with them or their label?

Ed:  Most of the time I have direct contact with the band and am being hired because they wants my point of view fits with theirs.

When I get an assignment, most of the time I get a title or some vague concept from the band or label and I try to come up with something visually interesting that makes sense with the title. Some times the band or label gives me an idea of what they want and I try to make something interesting out of it. I really need to know what idea they are trying to express, then I can come up with an exciting visual solution.

FN:  Any covers you’ve designed that are personal favorites?  Why?

Ed:  One of my favorite covers is Uncle Slam’s “When God Dies”. It was the last cover I did in the old days and really represents the type of work I like to do. Technically it all works, the color scheme, the large iconic image, the concept, the balance of hand painting and airbrushing.  It represents for me a fitting end to an era.

From my recent work I really like “The Pre-Fix for Death” art I did for horror-rapper, Necro.  This image needed to be created in a short time frame. Necro had only a title for me, no concept.  I came up with this concept, designing something I could accomplish in the allowed time. The picture is kind of a summation of my other work and has a lot of impact. It’s rapidly becoming an iconic image like the “Peace Sells” image. I have seen many people with tattoos of this on all parts of their bodies.

FN:  I noticed that you’ve exhibited your work here in the US and overseas.  Are these album covers or other artworks?

Ed:  For several years now, I’ve been selling and exhibiting artwork at MF Gallery’s Annual Halloween show, Zombies Attack and toy shows in NY, and now in Genoa, Italy. I’ve also had original work sold in Gallery de Muerte, Japan.  Right now I’m selling original pieces that I create just for the various gallery shows. They are pieces that work out my obsession with monster culture and range from small paintings and pen and ink pieces to one-of-a-kind figures.

Some of my Heavy Metal work has been included in the ENTARTETE KUNTS show at Optic Nerve in Oregon and A Heavy Metal Survey exhibit in Nottingham, U.K., but right now I’m not making any of my album cover work available for purchase.

FN:  Where can people find out more about your work?

Ed:  There are plenty of articles and interviews in magazines like, Terrorizer, Metal Hammer, Staf, you can go to my Myspace page to see more work and then one of these days there will be the big art book of my work. That will have more information than you want to know about me.

FN:  What “real” bands do you listen to?

Ed:  Now, I listen to classical music mostly. It keeps me calm.

FN:  Have you ever created a fake band?  If you did, any idea what you would name it?

Ed:  Not really I work for so many [bands] with crazy names that I don’t have to. When I was in grammar school, I used to make up books of fake monster themed products like cereal, and beverages, and I used to toy with the idea of creating a phony band just to make all kinds of merch art for it, as a way to do the kind of work I like to do. That might make a cool art book one day.

For those of you who competed in our 2009 Figment Album Cover Design Contest, you’ll remember that as one of the prizes we gave away a copy of the book Reasons To Be Cheerful:  The life and works of Barney Bubbles by Paul Gorman.  At the time, we spoke to Paul about his book and why Barney’s work was so influential, so if you haven’t read it I highly recommend you do.

Fast forward to September 2010 and “Reasons To Be Cheerful” has been named as Mojo magazine’s Book of the Year 2010, and a new revised version of the book will be released in October in the UK, and by DAP in the spring of 2011 in the U.S.

I spoke via email to Paul recently as he was preparing a new exhibition of Barney Bubbles’ work called “Process:  The Working Practices of Barney Bubbles” at London’s Chelsea space gallery.  Curated by Gorman, Process will contain many never-before-seen items drawn from private collections, including student notebooks, working sketches, original artwork, paintings, books and photography.  Bubbles used them as the raw materials for the videos, record sleeves, t-shirts and posters he created for such performers as Ian Dury, Hawkwind, Elvis Costello, The Damned and Billy Bragg.  You can check out Paul’s progress putting the show together on his blog.

Paul had this to say about the newly revised version of Reasons To Be Cheerful,

It is enhanced by around 50 new images, from his student days (including watercolours of Brain jones and George Harrison for a Mods & Rockers project) to his final years (including a sketch for Elvis Costello’s “Pills & Soap” – released without a sleeve in the guise of The Impostor).

There is a lot of fresh info derived from interviews with such people as his first girlfriend and quotes from such people as Simon Cowell’s brother “Record John” who roomed with Barney in 1969.

I have also discovered the identity of his first full-time employer and have quotes from a colleague about the rigorousness nature of employment there, which no doubt helped shape him.

He was also kind enough to share some of the new images from the book with us -

So if you’re in London, definitely pay “Process:  The Working Practices of Barney Bubbles” a visit at Chelsea space, and if you want to find out more about Barney Bubbles check out Paul Gorman’s incredible book “Reasons To Be Cheerful” or read his blog.

All of us at Figment are unabashed fans of album cover art, but we’re also old enough to remember when the artists who created cover art had 12 inches to work with instead of the 4.75 of a typical CD cover or the miniscule digital download images sizes that are now the norm.  When the 10″ vinyl record ruled, the 12″ sleeve packaging allowed artists an opportunity to not only interpret the music contained within, but also create pop art on a global scale.  While those days are primarily gone – the vinyl record is having a bit of a resurgence – there are still a lot of people who remember them fondly and one new book in particular that celebrates the art form in a new and invigorating way.

“The Art of the LP:  Classic Covers 1955 – 1995″ by Johnny Morgan and Ben Wardle (2010 Sterling Publishing) is a celebration of album artistry.  Whether it’s the smoldering pin-up girl on The Cars’ “Candy-O” or Andy Warhol’s controversial zippered pants on the Rolling Stones’ “Sticky Fingers”, album cover images have long captivated our imaginations and added to the music experience contained within their packaging.  We had an opportunity to talk with Johnny Morgan about his book and his thoughts about the future of album art work.

Figment News:  In your new book “The Art of the LP” you have compiled 350 iconic album covers from albums released between 1955 and1995.  What inspired you to do this book?

Johnny Morgan:  the publisher offering a deal…Actually, this is the second book of album cover art I’ve been involved with (the previous one was The Greatest Album Covers of All Time), and interest in the art of LP covers seems to grow with the passing of time. There are lots of books out there on the subject, most of which give scant detail and little thought to what went into the creation of the art itself. I wanted to compile a book with real editorial substance as well as great art. Hopefully this has both.

FN:  I noticed that in the book the album covers are organized by visual theme, so there are chapters on Rock N’ Roll, Sex, Art, Drugs, Ego, Real World, Escape, Politics and Death.  Why did you choose the approach?

JM:  It struck me that music is inspired by basic human desires, needs and subconscious drives, and that the art work created to package the music is often similarly inspired. So instead of grouping artworks chronologically or by genre, I thought it could be amusing, entertaining even, to select the art according to the above categories. Interestingly the music contained on the albums which the artwork surrounds doesn’t always fit into the same categories—but it’s important to remember that the book is about the artwork only, and not the music.

FN:  I know you’ve written books on groups like The Clash.  How important do you think the album cover artwork was to the various groups you’ve included in this book?

JM:  I haven’t written a book on the Clash, but worked with them to create their own book. During the creation of the Art of The LP it became clear that some groups and musicians had very little input on the sleeve design for their records—UFO, for instance, who have several sleeves included, and all in the How Not To Do It category insist that they only got to see their nasty, childish, sexist sleeves when the records hit the stores. Music artists, like writers in Hollywood, were often treated with total disdain by their record companies in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. and their art work would be slapped together by the in-house art department who sometimes did amazing jobs and other times appalling ones. On the other hand the involvement of egotistical musicians can result in atrocious artwork—see Bob Dylan’s ‘Saved’ for a good example of that. There are plenty of others in the book.

FN:  In the case of The Clash, how involved were they with their visual identity?

JM:  Completely. Bassist Paul Simonon and Joe Strummer particularly liked to be involved with how their records looked and always worked with people they knew and trusted on all aspects of their visual representation, including newsprint ads for singles and tours.

FN:  Do you think album artwork has an effect on an album sales and the success of a group in general?

JM:  It seems to me that it can do. It’s hard to explain the enduring popularity of all those dreadful prog rock bands in the 1970s otherwise, is it? One has to assume that people bought them for the pretentious artwork on their covers (all inspired by Roger Dean’s work for Yes and others), because the ‘music’ was dire. Although a really bad album cover design never stopped people buying a really good record—see most Stevie Wonder albums, all but the first two REM albums and any Elvis Presley album released after 1960 (excepting ‘In Memphis’).

FN:  What criteria did you use to determine if an album was iconic enough to make the book?

JM:  The process of deciding what covers made it into Art of the LP involved much argument, near fist-fights and sneaking around by the authors and editors.

FN:  Do you think the move to CDs and now to downloadable music has diminished the value of album artwork or is it opening up new avenues for artists and groups?

JM:  It’s definitely diminished and will continue to do so, since a new generation of music consumers are buying individual tracks as virtual items and not albums. The concept of an ‘album’ came about because of the limitations of technology—an album could hold 20 minutes of music on each side (roughly) and artists worked within those constraints, sometimes making a whole out of the two halves of an album. That technology also meant that albums were 12 inches across, so the package it was housed in had to be 12 inches etc. Album sleeves were tangible objects (which proved remarkably useful, especially gate-folds, when rolling joints) that could hold a work of art which sometimes kept buyers almost as occupied (trying to work out ‘secret messages’ on the cover) as the music did. Designers today have to work on a tiny ‘canvas’ the size of an iPod window at best, and some show great invention, but really, any visual for a new record release today has to be pretty blatant, and all subtlety is being lost (along with irony) it seems to me. How does the cover of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band look on an iPod nano?.

FN:  Why did you choose to stop the book at 1995?

JM:  That was roughly the year that major record companies stopped pressing vinyl records and concentrated on CD production instead. It also made a nice, round 40 years for the sub-title of the book.

FN:  What current album covers would you consider iconic?

JM:  There are no current album covers, only CD covers. Wait for ‘Art of The CD 1990—2010’ to find out…

FN:  Figment is a site devoted to fake bands and their visual identity.  Do you think someone could be fooled into believing a fake band was real if the album artwork for the band was strong enough?

JM:  Definitely. Hopefully Art of The LP can help someone to construct a good-looking album cover for a long forgotten but highly regarded American punk band called XXXX who toured once with the Replacements in 1986, before falling apart at a diner in Ames Iowa amid a storm of ketchup, beer and amphetamines, just as their debut album ‘Pick Your Noise’ was being pressed on a limited run of 1000 copies.

Anyone interested in taking Johnny up on his challenge?  If so, create an original cover for XXXX’s “Pick Your Noise” and send the file to us using the feedback link at the bottom of every Figment page.  We’ll pick the best cover and post it here on the blog.  Please don’t release it on Figment, just send us the file. If you post it on Figment we’ll delete it. The deadline for entries will be Friday, September 3rd.  We’ll send the winner a copy of Johnny’s book courtesy of Sterling Publishing.

A few weeks back I got an email from my good friend Jeff saying,  ”Hey, you’ve probably heard of this book, but in case you haven’t, it looks like one you’ve gotta get.”  I hadn’t, and he was right!

Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life by Steve Almond is a book dedicated to those of us who have always wanted to be rock stars, but settled for being rabid fans instead.  Whether it’s meaningless Top 10 lists, a reluctant breakdown of Toto’s “Africa” or how truly unglamorous it is to be a rock journalist, Almond takes us all on a hysterical tour of what it’s like to be a “drooling fanatic”.

Drooling fanatic – noun – 1. One who drools in the presence of beloved rock stars.  2.  Any of a genus of rock-and-roll wannabes/geeks who walk around with songs constantly ringing in their ears, own more than 3,000 albums, and fall in love with at least one record per week.

After reading a copy of his book in 3 days, I was a drooling fan of Mr. Almond’s work, and was thrilled when he agreed to answer a few questions from a fellow fanatic.

Figment News:  You’ve been a writer and rock journalist for some time now.  When did you realize that you were a “drooling fanatic”?

SA: I’m not sure there was any Eureka moment. I’ve just come to realize as I grow older that I’m a LOT MORE into music than the people around me. I listen to it more often. I’ve got more albums. I get WAY into my favorite bands. I talk about them way too much and generally call the members by their first names, as if they’re friends of mine. (They are not.) But I’d argue that everyone’s got a little fanatic in them, because everyone has some song or album that’s helped them reach feelings that would have otherwise been out of reach.

FN:  Why do think so many people become drooling fanatics?

SA: Because we all want to be rock stars – or most of us, anyway – and very few of us get to be rock stars, and so some of us convert that unrequited longing into an obsession with music. The other thing is that people basically need music to remain fully human.

FN:  In “Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life” you breakdown the song “Africa” by Toto.  Why?

SA: I think it epitomizes this weird paradox, which is that the lyrics to a song can be totally absurd and disjointed and even in the case of “Africa” kind of demented, but if the melody and rhythm are there, the listener really doesn’t care. I’d listened to (and loved) that song for years before actually studying the lyrics and realizing how crazy and imperialist they are.

FN:  Let me commend you on being the one of the first music journalists (at least to my knowledge) to write a book about how truly unglamorous it is to be a rock critic.  Do you think most journalists who cover music are really overzealous fan boys/girls or are they simply writers trying to make a living?

SA: I imagine they’re both, to varying degrees. Music critics are kind of in a tough spot, because I’m pretty sure they didn’t grow up thinking: Man, when I grow up, I want to be a MUSIC CRITIC! I’m pretty sure most of them would rather have been musicians. And they do get treated pretty horribly. They have to kind of beg to get interviews and get jerked around a lot. But at the same time, they get to go to a lot of shows and rack up the free CDs and indulge in the fantasy that they have a special connection with the rock stars they interview. (I certainly felt that way, wrongly.) So it’s kind of a mixed blessing.

photo: © Stephen Sette-Ducati

FN:  As a drooling fanatic father of two, I really related to the chapters in the book you devoted to your wife and family.  With Mother’s Day having just past & Father’s Day right around the corner, what advice do you have for those of us who are trying to balance being a mother or father with their musical fanaticism?  Any advice for those who are still single, but are thinking about taking the plunge?

SA: Yeah, I mean, it’s tough. You can’t really crank AC/DC (or Ike Reilly) when you’ve got a newborn. And a lot of the time that I used to devote to hunting down new music, now goes into changing diapers and making bottles. But I also feel like good parenting is partly about sharing the joys of your life with your kids, so we try to do that around our house. We have regular dance parties. We sing to our kids. And we totally indulge their drooling fanaticism.

FN:  You seem to be a devout fan of albums or CDs, but not as big a fan of digital downloads.  Do you think that’s a function of age or is there something else about listening to an album or CD that makes it special for you?

SA: I just think when you’re listening to a physical artifact, you’re more likely to listening intently. I find that when I listen on a computer, it’s too easy for me to just use music as background noise, rather than a concerted sonic experience.

FN:  I noticed that you provide every one who buys the book with access to not only a special hidden offer, which I will not divulge, but also access to a “bitchin’ soundtrack” at your website, www.stevenalmond.com.  Is this a way of better connecting readers with some of the music that inspired the book or a blatant attempt to justify your fanaticism?

SA: It’s more like this: I spend a lot of time in the book talking about how great I think Dayna Kurtz and Ike Reilly and Gil Scott-Heron are, and I just want the reader to be able to judge for him or herself. That’s one of the points of the book – that it’s impossible to convey music with words. People have to have the songs. So I’m just trying to give them the songs, in the hopes they’ll go out and buy some albums by the artists in question, all of whom I consider God-like and worthy of drooling worship.

“Rock And Roll Will Save Your Life” is a funny and intelligent look at what it’s like to be a true fan of music.  I highly recommend you pick up a copy of the book, read Steve’s blog and check out the free bitchin’ soundtrack.  You won’t regret it, cuz face it, if you’re spending time on Figment you’re a drooling fanatic!  Better yet, win our Figment Album Cover Design Contest and we’ll give you a free copy of the book!

William Schaff is, for lack of a better way of saying it, a damn good artist.  His cover art for bands may be what he’s best known for, but paintings, etchings, collages and embroidery are all part of his oevre (there’s that word again) and when he’s not creating visual art he’s creating aural art as the drummer in the Providence-based marching band What Cheer? Brigade.

When we asked William why he agreed to judge our Figment Album Cover Design Contest his answer was very telling, “I was flattered and honored you would think of me and my work for such a task. I hope to be able to put what eye I have towards the efforts of others. To share my joy and knowledge of art with those who are sharing the same. I am just a voice, not a judge. A fellow artist, being asked to give my thoughts on other artists’ efforts. I look forward to it.”

It’s his lack of pretense that makes William so special, and made our talk with him about his art so revealing.

Figment News:  You’re an artist and a musician. Do you think being a member of several bands has informed your art?

William Schaff:  Sure, because music influences my art. It’s an amazing thing, music. I have found that it has taken me to places, and kept me grounded in a way nothing else has. Therefore getting to be a part of creating and perpetuating such an amazing things as gathered sound….well that keeps me hopeful. When I am hopeful, I make art.

FN:  How did you get started in album cover design?

WS:  Someone asked me to make art for their record. I know it’s not exciting to say it like that, but that’s how it came about. I guess the first “job” you could say I had was when I was a little kid. My mom would ask me to make covers for the mix tapes she made. She would pay me a quarter for doing each cover. that said, I was often asking her if she needed a mix cover done. I started my own business and called it “cover up”. Witty, yes?

FN:  You’ve had a long and well publicized relationship designing album covers for the band Okkervil River. How did that relationship begin and is it hard being identified so closely with one band’s visual identity?

WS:  It started partly because of the similarity of our names. [editor's note:  Okkervil River's lead singer & songwriter is name Will Sheff]  Long story short, a mutual friend introduced us, we started talking music,. Will asked if I wanted to do the artwork for their upcoming release on Jagjaguwar. I guess the only thing that may be considered “hard” about it is folks thinking that because of all these years I’ve done work for Okkervil, I am out of their price range ( I do keep my prices competitive and on the cheaper side), or that I make a lot of money from it, thus I can do charity work for them. Both ends are troublesome for me. The former loses me work without folk even approaching me, the latter has people approaching me and getting upset when I say Ineed “x” amount to do the job. They seem to feel I must be living comfortably enough that I can help a new band out for free.

FN:  How do you work with Okkervil River? Is it a collaborative relationship or do they simply leave you to create a cover image?

WS:  It is more collaborative than most other peoples’ projects. I don’t know if this is because of how long we have worked together, or just because of the relationship Will and I have cultivated. Will is really good about providing alot of ideas, lyrics and thoughts to me when we’ve worked on new projects. Ultimately, the images are what come from my head, but to say Will’s influence is not in there would be incorrect. In some form or fashion, they are very much in there.

FN:  You’ve worked with other bands like Songs: Ohia and Godspeed You! Black Emperor.  How does working with them relate or differ to your work with a band like Okkervil River where you design all of their covers?

WS:  It varies. Godspeed asked me to use the images they used. I did not create those images for them. But bands like Songs:  Ohia, that’s the way I work with most bands. I asked for some things Jason was thinking of when he made the album, listen to tracks he provide me with, and go from there. In his case, all he said to me was that when he wrote the songs he was thinking a lot about owls, pyramids, and magnolias.

FN:  You’ve create pieces in a variety of mediums – paintings, drawings, collages, embroidery, mail art, scratchboards, movies and comics. Are you always looking for new ways to express yourself or simply don’t like to be restricted in how you express your ideas?

WS:  Certain pieces just feel as though they need to be created in certain medium. Granted, I have done some pieces repeatedly in a variety of mediums, but most pieces don’t speak to me that way. That sounds hokey, doesn’t it?

FN:  What inspires your art?

WS:  Watching everything going on around me.

FN:  How has the internet changed how you create? Is it harder to have an impact with an album cover in this day and age?

WS:  I am not sure. I would guess it is. I am sure it must be easier to not think of album art. I know many folks who when their iTunes is playing a track they have a big empty space with the musical note on their screen when the song is playing. I am baffled when I see this. I know for me, I go nuts searching for some of the album art. I cannot stand it if a track is playing and there is not the appropriate image up there on the screen. I imagine this is more a quirk of mine than the norm, though. Like folks who get pissed if the fork is on the wrong side of the place setting. Do people even think about that anymore? Is album art becoming the 21st century version of the place setting for silverware?

FN:  What is your work process like when designing an album cover?

WS:  I usually listen to the album over and over again, on repeat, as I create the work. This can often stand as a testament to the record if I don’t get bored of it while I making it. Think of it…listening to an full length l.p 30 to 40 times in a row. This isn’t always the case, though. For instance, I still haven’t heard the Mighty Mighty Bosstones album I did the artwork for, not one track off of it, but I did listen to a lot of their older tunes as I made it. But I will put the music on, sometimes sketch out very loose concept ideas, other times just stare at the blank surface I creating the piece on and dive right in. But it is safe to say that each album cover I have done (except for the Bosstones) shows a bit of where my head is at, at the time I creating it.

FN:  When you create a cover are you trying to capture the theme or sound of the recording or are you merely trying to grab a buyer’s attention with a striking image?

WS:  Not so much the second part you mentioned. I don’t think that comes into my mind as much as trying to capture what I hear in the album, and what’s going on in my own life at the same time. I guess I have (maybe an egotistical) faith that if Imake an image that I think is good, others will as well.

FN:  Who are some of the artists or designers who have inspired your work over the years?

WS:  Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, the dreaded “inspiration” question!  The list is too long, but this much I can say.  I have learned a lot…looked at as teachers, you might say, from Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Kathe Kollwitz, Norman Rockwell, Samuel Bak, Rene Magritte, Jungil Hong, Dan Blakeslee, Brian Chippendale, Cw Roelle.  This is the short list.

FN:  Are they any other current album cover designers who you think are doing innovative or particularly beautiful work?

WS:  The one that stands out in my head as I read this question is the is the artwork for Of Montreal’s “Skeletal Lamping”. I like that cover alot.  [designed by the band's lead singer & songwriter Kevin Barnes]  It’s exciting and fun. It captures the sound of their music very well. I am also a big fan of Brian Chippendale’s album covers for his band, Lightning Bolt. But I might be biased on that one, as I am a big fan of his work and his work ethic. I always thought the packing for that June of 44 album, the one that was basically a big matchbook, I always thought that was clever. I like it when a band gives me something to experience than is more than just the music. This is one of the reasons I love working for Graveface Records. Ryan Graveface always has such interesting ideas for how he wants people to experience the product that it becomes more than just music. For example, the recent record I did for his band, Dreamend, is an animated disc that you can watch as well as listen to at the same time.

FN:  You’ve recorded several YouTube videos and have been photographed wearing a variety of masks. Is that a way of maintaining anonymity, a signature look or simply an outgrowth of your playing drums in the “What Cheer? Brigade”.

WS:  I am not into people knowing what I look like unless I meet them face to face. I really believe that knowing what some artist you have never met looks like robs some folks of the ability to put themselves into the pieces they see. Instaead, the imagine this person they have seen an image of (and what that person must be like based on what they have seen) and view the art through that instead of vewing it through their own life. A good example would be Jandek. Think of how curious people were of who he is…they focused so much more on his music as a result. I would like to direct people to focus more on the visuals I create than the ugly mug I have, and what they might think the artist is like because they have seen it.

FN: In your bio you refer to punching people in the head as your regular pay work. Are you a boxer? Or simply fighting to make a living?

WS:  I was, until recently, the head of security (a bouncer) at a sizable nightclub. I had to stop. It was really starting to get to me that one can make much more money dealing with drunks than they can making art. As a result, I am now two months behind in my mortgage. I need an agent, or a manager. Dang.

FN:  You post a lot of the pieces you create on your Flickr account, some of them while they are still in progress. Do you do that to gather feedback or simply as a way to keep fans of your work up-to-date on what you’re doing at all times?

WS:  Both. I would love constructive feedback, because there is still much for me to learn, and a lot of folks out there who could probably give me good advice. But also, I get antsy if I don’t show folk that I am always working. I start to feel like a bum, and I need to prove to folk even though I am not making much money, I am still working plenty. This way no one can point their finger at me and say, “get a job!”  I got one already, and I can point to a lot of work to prove it. Although I am not sure if a vocation can be held up as a verified job. Can it?

FN:  Any words of advice for anyone interested in becoming an album cover designer?

WS:  Have a good day job or at least a modest trust fund.

FN:  We ask it to everyone, if you had to create a fake band what would its name be? First album? Any ideas for an album cover image?

WS:  Some folks I know came up with a band they wanted to (but never did) start called, “The Gini Pigs”. It was this handful of women of Italian descent at this bar I used to go to. They wanted to do harcore versions of Sinatra and traditional Italian songs. I thought the would have been brilliant! For album covers…hmmm..it would be debaucherous, and fun. It would involve something that looked fueled by outside, booze fueled influences. Might involve the leaning tower of Pisa as well, or some very recognizable Italian reference.

I’ll say it again…William Schaff is a damn good artist.  So show him some love and buy his stuff here and here.  Oh, and if you have a question for him – ask away, something tells me he’ll answer.