The Suicide Machines – Interview with Jason Navarro

Hey, what’s up?

Not much. How are you?

Pretty good.

So what are you up to?

I just got done shoveling off my walks and the roof of my house.

Got a ton of snow?

Yeah, we always get a lot. (Jason calls Michigan home)

I know all about the shoveling off the roof, being from Buffalo.

Oh hell, but I like it though. (laughs)

I do too. It’s weird. We don’t have much this year, but I remember when we got like sixty inches in two weeks.

Last year, right?

Yeah.

Same here. It’s fucking nuts.

I guess I should get to asking some questions. First, I was wondering about the change in sound. Was it natural evolution or something you were looking to do?

Well, Battle Hymns is pretty different from Destruction By Definition. And this one is different from both of those. Change just usually happens with this band, you know?

Yeah.

Every record has been different. There will always be punk-rock elements in our music, but I think change is good. Not only to keep you interested, but also the hardcore listeners interested. At least it should. A perfect example is Destruction By Definition. A lot of people were weirded out and it didn’t really sell as well, and this album is different from both, so we’ll see how it goes.

Does it bother you that people are saying you are selling out?

Nah. It’s so clich at this point. If anyone wanted to point the finger, they should have pointed it five years ago when we signed to Hollywood. We have fun and do what we want. I don’t always get this ‘selling out’ thing. I mean, by definition it seems you can’t even sign to a label. Okay, it’s art, but what about your livelihood? If you are going to go the DIY (Do It Yourself) route, make sure it’s predominately what you are doing with your music. Don’t let other indie labels do your stuff, because in the end I’ve met some good people, but I’ve also dealt with other indie labels that ripped us off and other bands who got ripped off. So, it’s the same everywhere.

I know about the whole thing being from Buffalo and having probably the most successful artist to go this route in Ani Difranco, but it hasn’t been easy for her. She’s a whole other type of person. You know? I mean, that is really a tough road to take.

Right. Sometimes it works for people and sometimes it doesn’t, but that also goes for the major labels.

It’s always cool to hear how people write. It seems a lot of people will do the music and then struggle with the lyrics later.

It’s strange, because I think I’m becoming that style of writer.

I don’t know how, but it seems a lot of people already have copies of the album. But I’m hearing the same thing I felt, and that is the new album really grows on you.

It grew on me too. Originally I was like, ‘This is a good record,’ but I wasn’t totally stoked. I didn’t dislike it, but after listening to it a few times I was like, ‘This is really good.’

Even right now I have the hook for “Permanent Holiday” in my mind.

That song absolutely came out the best on the record. That one just came out incredible.

I was curious about how you set up the song set list for the album? I dig how it goes from fast to slow because it really breaks up the monotony.

Actually, our producer just did it in the order he wanted. Believe it or not, but we didn’t really care how they were set up. (laughs) The order to me doesn’t really matter unless we are trying to tell a tale.

It’s weird, because in pop it seems they have some nuclear formula on how a set list is set up. (laughs)

I’ll tell you something about “Sometimes I Don’t Mind”. We never expected that to be a single. We thought it was a funny song and shit, then it was put as the first song on the record and then they played it for all the people at Hollywood Records and they were like, ‘This is the song.’ We were like, ‘What?’

I can relate to it too. It’s about a dog, right? I have my dog and I feel the same way, you know? I can’t even be away from him.

Nice, nice. My dog has to be kept at my mom’s house or he’ll eat my cats. (laughs)

My dog has to be around humans. He’s a boxer and if no human is around he’ll wreck this place.

Nice. I believe it; my friend has a boxer.

My dog just gets crazy by himself.

You know, a lot of people don’t take in account that pets have feelings. Dogs are unbelievable.

I know. What about the track “Extraordinary”? Is that strings or synth?

Strings. We actually have two versions of that song. Originally Dan wrote the song and we had done the track “I Never Promised You A Rose Garden” for SLC Punk, which was [produced] by Lynn Anderson, and she had strings in the song. So we were like, ‘Cool. Let’s do some strings like the Lynn Anderson song.’ Everyone in the band listens to like the Beatles and we figured we’d do something crazy. So there are two versions of “Extraordinary” and one is so over the top, in-fucking-sane, with kennel drums, oboes, flutes, and is so fucking crazy that we kept it for our own enjoyment, and we put a mellower version on the record.

Speaking of the Beatles, who did you grow up listening to?

I listened to a lot of rock, like the Beatles, the Who, and Led Zepplin. Then you get MC5, Black Sabbath, and then around the mid to late ’80’s I started to listen to a lot of punk and metal. Then I joined a few bands here and there and saw a lot of local bands. I think the local punk scene [in Detroit] had a big effect on us. It really effected how we played.

In the ’80’s I was tired of the crap that was coming out from the major labels too. I was getting into the Exploited, Black Flag, and Suicidal Tendencies, and the one group I really dug and I was just looking for the vinyl the other day was for Dag Nasty.

Nice.

There really was nothing good going on back then.

Yeah, I know.

It’s funny, but looking back it always seems like the press made this Nirvana- changing-music thing up, but it’s true. There wasn’t crap happening then.

You know what? I agree with that. I don’t usually look at the situation like ‘Why did rock change?’, but I truly have to admit that Nirvana did make a pretty big impact.

It think Kurt was just doing the same thing as we were. He was listening to punk and trying to get away from music that was so blah.

I agree. And when you are a kid, I mean, I had a very short attention span. I mean, that is why a lot of our songs are so short.

Is there anything you like that’s happening right now?

Yeah. I like the Bumpin’ Uglies. As a matter of fact, they were on Springer today.

Oh, really?

Yeah. They did a story on this fake lover circle. They’re all about wrestling and punk rock. They beat each other up with baseball bats with barbed wire and power bomb each other through tables. It’s pretty good. It’s not a gimmick either, because they are just a really good rock band. But I’m pretty burned out. But in the early ’90’s I was in some Emo type bands and I’ve gone back to listening to the old Emo type stuff.

Even though I get a ton of albums, I just find myself listening to a lot of oldies.

I do too. I’ve actually been listening to old rock and roll.

I’m just tired of pop. I just get so saturated by it.

I think it’s cool that metal is coming back, but it’s kinda going through that phase where everything just sounds the same. There are a couple of good standout bands, but a lot isn’t.

I was wondering what you think about the Grammy’s being nothing but pop bands nominated for album of the year, well, except Santana.

You know, I love his album, Abraxas . My step-dad is Mexican, not that that matters, but he listens to Santana a lot and so did my mom. I think it’s also cool that he had a lot of people sing on the record.

You know, the one music genre that is way too saturated with inviting people to be on your record is rap.

You know, there really isn’t much rap that stands out today.

I’m so sick of all the guest stars on albums. I mean, sometimes I just want to hear the artist.

And not only that, it’s all the same beats. A lot of the beats were the same back in the day but their vocals and styles were so different.

Yeah, back then you could listen to RUN-DMC and N.W.A.

Yeah, I agree. And then you’d have Eric B. & Rakim and Public Enemy.

Public Enemy is another band I could still listen to today. Chuck D’s style is just amazing.

It Takes A Nation Of Millions is just classic.

I know. Funny, but I just got that on cd. I’ve had the cassette for years, but couldn’t listen to it because I don’t have a tape player.

Nice.

I just interviewed Chuck D in the fall and I have to say I was pretty nervous.

I believe it.

I was nervous, but he was really nice and engaging.

The one thing that was a shame about them was that they had all the contradictions in the band.

Like Flavor Flav?

Yeah. Like Flavor was a basehead. (laughs) Professor Griff was all like black power. Even though Chuck D is about that, he is also about unity, you know? It was weird, the contradictions in the band, but no one can say that they didn’t rule.

Even listening to that album today, it still has the same power.

Yeah. Truly a skate rock classic. I used to rock that shit when I used to go skating.

I wanted to get the scoop on tour plans.

Yeah, we’ve got some plans. In March we go out with us and The Pilfers and Snuff, and then we’ll do a few shows with No Doubt. Nothing is written in stone, but then I’m off because I’m having a daughter.

Oh, really?

Yeah. So I’ll be home for that. And then we might join the Warped Tour.

Yeah, I read that.

You know Public Enemy might play that?

Oh, really?

Yeah.

Wow. You can have some intellectual conversations with Chuck D.

Yeah.

He can seem pretty intimidating.

I can see that. I was recently in London and went into this old hip-hop store and they had clothes from way back in the day and I got a It Takes A Nation Of Millions tour jacket.

Yeah?

It’s pretty fresh.

With the big gun scope symbol?

Yeah, it’s got that on the back. It’s really fresh.

Back to you having a daughter, how does being married effect your life now with touring and stuff?

It’s hard. It’s hard to leave. It’s probably going to be way harder when I have my daughter. I love the life I live, but everything has its good and bad.

+ charlie craine