How many times have you actually gotten together and played in the same room?
Well, right before we recorded… let me think here… The first time we all got together, it was with Jason in PA when Bam [Margera] got married. That was ’06, I think, and that was out at Bam’s house. He’s got a rehearsal thing in his back yard. After that, we got together before we recorded the EP and we worked through that and some of the songs that ended up on the full-length. Then, before we recorded the full-length we got together, then we did two shows out in PA. I’d say maybe five times (laughs)? Four times? (Laughs) I know, it’s totally weird.
What’s going on with Fireball? Is The Company Band your main priority at this point?
Nope. We finished recording a record about a month ago, and in the current climate, it’s been really tricky to figure out how we’re gonna put it out. We actually are rounding the basses and we’re gonna have an announcement pretty soon. I personally had some stuff happen with my family last year. My mom got really sick and she passed away and that kind of slowed everything down for us for about a year. Honestly, it’s just been a matter of trying to figure out how to do it in today’s day and age — and I don’t want that to come off as negative, because I think right now, as a person putting out records, I think there’s more opportunity now than there’s ever been. It’s just a matter of learning how to do it a different way.
How do you mean?
You don’t need this juggernaut of mystery money hanging over your head anymore. You always would hear from the label, “Well, you guys are still in the whole for $30,000 or $45,000, but it’s dwindling down because the sales are pretty good,” and you’d be like, “What did you spend $45,000 on? Where the hell did that come from?” And they would always use these words like “marketing” or “advertising” or “retail promotion programs,” and you’re just kind of like, “What? I didn’t see any billboards out on Sunset when I was driving around today. Last night when I was watching CSI or whatever the hell show, I didn’t see the commercial for the new Fireball record, so I’m a little confused as to where $45,000 came from.” Nowadays you don’t even need to go through that process, to put yourself through that bullshit. It’s nice.
I’m sure it’s a welcome change.
That’s what I mean. There’s a lot of people who are like, “The industry’s done! People don’t want albums anymore! People don’t buy records!” I don’t know, man. I think people are always gonna buy records, it’s just how they buy ‘em that’s changed and how they get the stuff that’s changed. I don’t think it has anything to do with the fact that stuff’s not out there, because if anything, there’s more out there than there used to be. I think it’s a very positive time for the two groups of people that have always mattered the most in the music business, and that’s the musicians and the fans. Being both of those things myself, a musician and a fan, I can’t think of a time where I’ve been more optimistic about putting out albums.
And do you have a release date in mind for the new Fireball?
Looks like it’s gonna be late February/early March. I want to pay attention to The Company Band stuff for now and make sure that gets its proper.
Is The Company Band going to tour? Clutch and Fu Manchu have albums, CKY’s touring. Everyone seems really busy.
And Clutch never stops! I think what the plan’s gonna be is we’re just gonna find some time when if everybody’s off, the plan is to maybe fly in somewhere and do a show, then fly back. Maybe fly into the New York area and hit New York and Philly or New York and D.C., try to do those kinds of things. See how the record does and see where people want us to be, then we’ll come to them.
The Company Band is available now on Restricted Release. For more info, check out myspace.com/thecoband.
JJ Koczan has just dreamed away another day. He does it at theobelisk.net.
