311 – Interview [1999]

On the current tour, how’s the energy compared to past tours? Do you enjoy the intimacy of smaller crowds? Why choose to play in such small venues? Will you be touring larger venues after the release?

We just wanted to get back in direct contact with our hardcore fans. They have been asking us for years to go back to some of the venues where we started out, so we decided to do a really grassroots tour. The energy is amazing. All the shows have been totally charged. We are planning to do a tour of bigger venues in the spring/summer of 2000.

I read a few things written by SA Martinez and have noticed a somewhat poetic quality to his style of writing. Because of this talent, is there pressure to create more innovative lyrics/music? Or do you all band together and contribute in the formation of the songs?

I think there’s always some pressure involved in lyric writing. You’re really putting yourself out there to be judged by critics and fans and friends. A lot of what I write is from personal experience, but some of it is just universal and not autobiographical. SA’s writing definitely has a modern poetic quality. He tends to write more about astronomy, mortality, and otherworldly issues, and I usually stick to this world.

It seems that you have been faced with many trials when it comes down to tour time, like the RV fire and Chad’s broken wrist. Now that you’re currently on tour again, is there a sort of fear that something new could obstruct your path, or are you taking all things head on, as they come?

We take it head on and just try to stay positive. Living on the road is tough and there are just a lot of things that you can’t control. We just hope for the best and we try to stay healthy. The biggest fear is probably someone getting the flu, because once one person on the bus gets sick then usually everyone gets sick. We have such close quarters that it just spreads from bunk to bunk. So we take lots of vitamin C and echinacia, etc.

Your new release, Soundsystem, is a great mix of all your styles. Was it difficult, putting together such opposite styles and doing it well? Were there any conflicting opinions on how things should be done?

The process of making this record was actually very smooth. I think, in most part, because we took a lot of time to make it. We spent a lot of time in pre-production just making sure that we were one hundred percent comfortable with the arrangements and stuff. Of course, there were some conflicting opinions, but nothing major. We work very well together so we can usually reach a good compromise.

What do you think about bands like Limp Bizkit and Korn? Do you feel likeyou are pioneers?

We have definitely pushed the envelope a bit, and I think we were one of the first genre mixing bands to really break through, but I think the real pioneers were bands like The Police, The Clash, Bad Brains, Fishbone, Chili Peppers. At the same time, if because we mix up hard rock, reggae, hip-hop and funk, we turned an alternative rock kid onto reggae, then I think we have accomplished something pretty cool. Overall, I think there is plenty of room for bands like Limp Bizkit, Korn, 311, etc. I think it’s cool that people are opening their minds up to new styles.

On Soundsystem, in the songs “Flowing” and “Life’s not a Race”, I’ve sensed a sort of futuristic style and more mellow, trippy tone. Is there any certain influence for the change in style?

We did a lot of futuristic, mellow, trippy stuff on our last record, Transistor , so maybe it is carrying over from that. I don’t know.

What was the motivation behind the echo on “Leaving Babylon”? It seems to hold some deeper meaning than just sounding cool.

It’s a dub cover of a Bad Brains song. It’s the first cover song we have ever put on one of our albums. The dub production incorporates a lot of delays and special trippy techniques.

What inspires you guys to create music? What spawned this type of unique creation in the first place?

I think we all grew up with music in our homes. Some of our parents played instruments, and that might have caused the initial spark. Probably, at an early age, the rebellion associated with music drew us in. Now I think we inspire each other and I think we are inspired by our opportunity to spread music and positivity.

It took a full year to record Soundsystem. What were your days like holed up at The Hive, how long were the days, was it a grueling schedule, any writers block on developing lyrics, disagreements, etc.?

We had a lot of long days, but mostly because we wanted to be there. Since we recorded the record at our own studio, we were not ‘on the clock.’ We could take our time. If there was writer’s block or if things just weren’t flowing, then we could take a long break or something. During breaks, we played basketball outside or played video games, Kobe Bryant basketball and James Bond on N64. It was a really comfortable process.

By trying to convey positive messages to youth today, is there a message you hope listeners will come away with from the new album?

Just to stay positive and get the most out of life. It means a lot to me when I get a letter from a fan that says that our music got them through a hard time. Life is hard, and if we can be a positive force for listeners, that’s what I want.

Since the majority of you are dog owners, what do you do with the pets while on tour? Do you get homesick being away?

That’s one of the hardest things about being on the road. We are all really attached to our pets. Between the five band members, we have nine dogs. Maybe one day we’ll have a dog bus. I have a Doberman named Emily and a miniature pinscher named Jake.

What’s your favorite style of music to listen to? What would we find in your disc players right now?

I listen to all kinds of stuff, everything from jazz to punk. Right now I am listening to a lot of jungle and drum and bass. Music is getting really experimental now and I like that.

Lastly, there has been one question I have always been wondering: what does 311 stand for?

The name originally comes from the Omaha police code for indecent exposure, but I like to think of it as just five friends making music.

+ ashley adams