Recently I sat down with Zakk (vocals and bass) and Jason (guitar) of New Society of Anarchists at their studio to chat about Turkey Vulture Records, NSOA, and good old fashioned thrash. I also got a sneak peak of their new album, For the Forgotten, coming out this winter. They don’t own any reptiles; birds and a pit mix are the most exotic animals the members of NSOA own. Jason used to have geckos and turtles. I spose the pit mix is kinda hard-core. At least until you meet them. Which is kind of how these guys are. They are the warm and fuzzy cuddle muffins of the hardcore community here in Brew City.
club.kingsnake: What do you guys do for fun outside of the band?
Zakk: I draw some comic books, but really haven’t had time to do that in a long time. All finances are heading into the NSOA stuff right now. Arlo fishes and hunts. I have some side projects, but right now everything 24/7/365 goes into NSOA.
Jason: What exactly do you mean fun? I do the Turkey Vulture thing. That’s pretty much it. I’m too high strung to have fun. I try to do simple stuff, relax, watch TV, chill out.
club.kingsnake: Is this currently a full time career? Or do you have “real world jobs�?
Jason: Yeah, this is pretty much all I do now.
Zakk: I used to teach karate, but that is pretty much dropped off. The school isn’t around. Side jobs keep us alive, but that is why we have wives and girlfriends. To hold us up while we work on this. We have the studio running now, and that is bringing in a living for us.
club.kingsnake: What do you listen to outside of your own?
Zakk: Tom Waites. I could listen to him all the time. Old bands
Jason: I listen to about 300 of my favorite bands. Old bands. Extreme metal. I was brought up with bay area thrash. Exodus is one of my favs. Megadeth, Metallica, DRI.
Zakk: I was always more into old punk. Black flag. Also DRI.
club.kingsnake: Now you guys run Turkey Vulture Records. Tell me about that. That had to be a big pain in the ass to start a label here on your own.
Zakk: Oh Jesus, I think initially we wanted to get something going that would expose bands that really weren’t getting exposed. That’s how our compilations came out. It started as a label for ourselves obviously, but then we started the compilation thing so that we could do something for other bands that wouldn’t cost much because we really aren’t at a place where we can sign bands, however we have the means of distributing bands. It helps other bands, but it also helps open doors for ourselves as well. Gets these other bands exposure as well as getting us exposure for tours.
club.kingsnake: Speaking of the compilation, you have a new one coming soon right?
Zakk: Yeah, this fall.
club.kingsnake: How many volumes a year?
Jason: About three. It’s kinda slowed now. We keep reaching out and as we get enough, we get one out. With downloads, it's harder because bands have an easier way to get free stuff out. I think a lot of it is the mp3 thing. People want the music for free. So it is harder to get them to buy things.
club.kingsnake: Downloads are ok, but you don’t get the cool stuffs, the liner notes, stuff like that.
Jason: Yeah, but even that can be downloaded. You can print your own inserts and all that stuff.
club.kingsnake: Ahhh but nothing beats that brand new CD smell!
Jason: Exactly. But really whatever gets the music heard works.
Zakk: Whatever gets the music out there helps us. We just want to get our stuff heard. Especially at our level, if you have an outlet it helps.
Jason: With the gas prices and all that on the rise, it affects everyone. Bands had less money to put towards those sorts of things with travel expenses. And the growth of myspace, that has just made things insane as well. If you want to check out a band, just visit their myspace page for free. They don’t have to pay money for that and everyone is happy.
club.kingsnake: Yeah myspace is kinda insane. It started as a dating site, now everyone goes there to listen to bands and see what’s up.
Jason: I thought myspace was a great thing, and the second or third year I realized we were getting thousands of downloads. I thought it was a fluke. I thought my laptop was messed up or something. Smacked it even a few times. We were on tour when it was happening. It just went insane. For like ten weeks straight, we were the number one download. Out of all genres. I was like, holy shit.
club.kingsnake: Which song was that?
Jason: “Come Out Swingin',� the title track. Apparently when people are pissed off, they really like that. Once it got to that spot, it kinda stuck there because people would see it was number one, and then they would just download it to check it out.
club.kingsnake: Have you noticed a change help with releases and mail order?
Jason: It takes a while to get the distro built up. Now orders are coming in faster than before. We have the distro built up to more than we ever had before. What I have noticed however is the digital really seems to be going insane. That’s where everything seems to be going. Physical CD sales really seem to be stagnant, but digital is where it’s at.
club.kingsnake: Where are you guys at for that?
Jason: I-tunes, Wal-mart, MSN, Best Buy.
club.kingsnake: Wal-mart? They wouldn’t carry your cd but they do it digital?
Zakk: Are they censoring us?
Jason: Yeah, we have great distribution as the digital goes, but we need to get more physical distro out side of our area. That’s harder to get into. Local shops can be very political. Because you are just a local band. If you get out of the area where you are considered local, it tends to be a lot easier.
Zakk: The old metal shop and Dave used to be great. Everyone knew where to go. But that’s gone. No real central place for people to go. It’s even hard to rent a hall anymore because kids come in, get bored with the band and destroy the place. Some bands even encourage that.
Jason: And after it happens once bands that try to come in and say it’s a rock show, the door gets slammed. No price can be made up.
Zakk: We have done so many successful hall shows, but it’s hard. Hall shows tend to be better for us because they are all ages. But you run out of places to play. Basement shows are there, but they have the promoter mentality of “what can you do for me.� It’s a very cliquey thing. And it’s hard to get in. It hurts business because everyone can’t get along and doesn’t help each other out.
club.kingsnake: And we don’t have much around here, you would hope they could get along.
club.kingsnake: Do you have any other bands you are working with on the label?
Zakk: Kick to tha Head, Mary’s Cunt, No Class Citizen, which was my side project that is done now, we had 40 Oz Fist as well. We are reaching out. We just played with The Hoods. We are talking with them about assisting distro and seeing what we can do with them. They are off their label, but I don’t know where that is at right now.
club.kingsnake: Is it all pretty much hard-core or other genres?
Zakk: Mary’s Cunt is a grind core band. The other bands are hard-core. Barwhore was on there, thrash death band.
Jason: Basically anything extreme. Hard core, grind core, punk, death.
club.kingsnake: Who are your musical influences? Who inspires your playing?
Zakk: Metallica. Cliff Burton was one of the greatest bassists ever. He was my hero when I was younger. DRI, Exodus, Violence, Augie and Jason like Testament. Older thrash stuff. Black Flag, Voivod, Suicidal Tendencies, old COC, Dead Kennedys. There’s so many. Bands that were rebellious and angry. I didn’t care what they said, just how they sounded.
Jason: Megadeth, like “Peace Sells,� one of my fav albums, Metallica, Suicidal, DRI. Old thrash stuff.
club.kingsnake: You done major tours, Warped, DRI’s tour. You’ve done the clubs. Which do you prefer?
Jason: Major. Defiantly.
Zakk: I like them both as long as there are people there for you. You can be on a major tour and play for no one because everyone is there for the headliner.
Jason: the DRI tours were cool. It was a mix of big shows and little. And the places were full every night.
club.kingsnake: How long have you guys been together?
Jason: It’s been 16 years that we have been a band, touring-wise, 10.
club.kingsnake: What is your greatest memory be it good, bad or embarrassing?
Zakk: Playing with MOD and DRI. Spending times on stage with my heros was just plain cool. Meeting bands that influenced us.
Jason: Rocking the stage with the Scorpions at Alpine Valley. That was awesome! I had a childhood dream of getting up on the stage at Alpine. Let’s just say I did it.
club.kingsnake: Let’s talk a little about the new album. Being a Milano fan, I assume there is some politics, is there a song more personal to you?
Zakk: There’s always some politics, this album is a lot more personal than the other ones. These past few years have been hard on me personally. “For the Forgotten,� I like it a lot. To me, it kinda talks about not belong to things, standing out, everyone feels that way everyone now and again. "The Difference" and "Conviction," they kinda touch base on the style of music we do and how its being stretched in so many ways that hard-core isn’t even a genre. If you have a distorted guitar you are hard-core. “Scars,� that’s about dealing with life without trying to deal with it, only finding out that you have to anyhow. A lot of people have said we do a lot of bitching about problems and never offer solutions. We are pinpointing problems rather than generalizing. I’ve presented the problem. Don’t be a stingy escalade driving money-grabbing person, be a human being. Be yourself, and try not to drag the world down with you. One day you may learn you need that person you just fucked over and they won’t be there for you. Find out where you fit in, and how can you contribute to the world.
Jason: I like “Healer" the best. It’s my favorite and I really like “For the Forgotten.� I look at it different than Zakk. I look at it more for those who have sacrificed for us and didn’t have a say for what they did. This song to me represents their voice.
club.kingsnake: So anything else around the corner for you?
Jason: Couple of shows. Start pounding tours out early next year
club.kingsnake: Local, national?
Jason: Totally U.S. everywhere.
Zakk: We need to get the album done and push it more on the road. We have been playing the new songs but can’t really sell them to people until the album is done.
club.kingsnake: You guys did have a decent sale display. Nice to see the organization even at a local level.
Zakk: Organized anarchists, that’s us. We do our best to put out a good presentation. You have to be professional at some time. Album is going good, we just need to mix it up and then it will be out this winter. I’m already working on stuff for a new album. We just keep plodding forward.
Jason: We are going to do a concept video. For “Saints in Camouflage.� Decent quality.
club.kingsnake: Thanks a lot guys for taking the time with us! We look forward to when we get the new album this winter. Lets just hope its early winter. You know this is Wisconsin and winter lasts from September to May.
Milwaukee area shows:
10/21 - shawn's south
1115 milwaukee ave., south milwaukee, wi
21 and over
8pm
12/09 - hoogland center
1320 s. 11th st., springfield, il
all ages
12pm (noon)