Before I ask about the album i’m going to ask you a question that you probably get asked a
lot. What was it like working with Nick Menza?
TF: Sometimes I can’t wrap my head around that one.
It the full spectrum of emotions. It started out as holy shit we’re working with Nick Menza.
Then it was holy shit I don’t
want to suck in front of Nick Menza followed by holy shit i’m sucking in front of Nick
Menza. But that’s
the nature of the recording process you’re on display and when you’re tracking live and you’re looking for a perfect take mistakes really stand out. The
coolest part was that we became really good friends and I fortunate enough to
spend a lot of time with him. He told me a lot of stories and as corny as it
sounds he shared a lot of stuff with me that I get have as a person that this
person trusted me.
So this record was recorded live?
TF: Yea I mean there were some overdubs on there
with vocals and guitar solos but for the most part the bass, drums and rhythm
guitar were tracked all at the same time live to a click. When Nick died and we
went to Tom (Weir) to finish the record we decided to keep tracking that
way because that was what Nick wanted.
You guys did pretty good with this album coming in on at least
one chart within 51 places of Metallica on the week of your release. How did
that feel?
TF: We’re grateful. We really worked hard on the record and you
always hope it does well. We wish we could have spent more time on it but that
wasn’t possible so
it’s a little
rougher than we probably would prefer but we were happy that people were
picking it up and enjoying it.
What was the inspiration for this record?
TF: I really don’t know. I mean I don’t know if you can ask that question all the time and get
like a profound answer. It’s
kind of like all over the place for me.
So is there no meaning in the record?
TF: I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just a song to song thing. Kinda like you know the writing
process thing. People ask that and it’s never really the same. It could be a lyric, it could be a
melody it could a riff. I’ve
got hard drives full of unused riffs because they never sparked anything within
me.
What would you say your favorite track is off the record?
TF: I’m not speaking for everyone on this but for me it’s Beat. It’s one of the last riffs that I
showed to Nick before he died and he really liked it. He would always kinda rag
on me for doing these Judas Priesty type guitar parts and I had wanted to write
a song that really did the whole S&M fifty shades of grey thing. When we
started out in Rhode Island we used to play in all these fetish clubs like
Hathor’s Garden and
Club Hell and we were friends with all the Dominatrixes so that was huge part
of our you know early music slash adult experiences I mean we had just turned
21 and here we are playing in these clubs with all these girls in vinyl and
their whips. It definitely made for a unique experience. I was trying to
channel those roots and I think I did an okay job.
What was your least favorite part of making the record?
TF: Aside from Nick dying?
Yes
TF: Probably singing Charlemagne. That was the
hardest song for me to sing because of how high it goes vocally and I made the
mistake to save that song for last on a 10 hour day of vocals. By the time we
finished Tattoo Princess Jimmy and Tom were basically patching my voice
together with tea and honey and recording the takes one phrase at a time just
so my voice wouldn’t
break up from being burnt out.
Do you guys have any shows planned in the near future that you
would like to promote?
TF: No not really. We don’t have anything planned.
Do you plan to play again?
TF: Yea eventually, but not right now. I’m going back to school again
which seems to be trend with me, make a record, go back to school. I think i’m kind of like Captain Willard
from Apocalypse Now you know when i’m in the jungle I just want to be back in Saigon but when i’m in Saigon I just want to get
back into the jungle if that makes any sense at all.
So you’re
burnt out on music?
TF: Not burnt out, it’s just we’re not really prepped to make
another record right now and the idea of touring again sort of nauseates me.
Going on the road to more or less sell teeshirts argue with club owners and
either sleep in a Flying J parking lot or a dingy $30 motel yea no.
What was the dirtiest motel you’ve been in?
TF: Oh Jesus um probably the one in Kent, Ohio
the Relax in. One of the beds was reduced to wood chips and there were feces
and dried blood in the bathroom. The place was going out business and they
demolished it a few months later so no one seemed to care. Another one was in
uh New Mexico where there were meth burns on all of the furniture tub toilet.
Someone had drilled a hole in the wall I forget what those called at the moment
oh uh glory hole in the wall and we had to stuff it with tissue. The room
smelled terribly and there were bugs everywhere. Just not pleasant.
Is there anything else that you would like to add?
TF: Just a shoutout to the guys, thanks to
everyone who bought the record and has supported us over the years.
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