ILS: How do skating and music mix?
Nick: It comes down to the natural love of getting addicted to the feeling of rolling around and the rush you get. It is the same way with my music. When I get in my car, I start singing along with the radio. It's almost an addiction, but it's a healthy thing, just like the way a skater feels getting out on his skates all the time. That's what drives skating, not whether it's on ESPN or not. It's just a roots, underground kind of thing.
ILS: How are you connected with in-line skating?
Nick: It happened by hanging out with B Hardin. He was always playing our music at competitions and it happened sort of through osmosis. Then I became part owner of a skate/fashion clothing company called SBC/Ginsing. So I guess we are connected to in-liners more than other things.
ILS: What did you think of the MTV S & M Festival?
Nick: You've got to consider (that) they plopped down $5 million to build that snowboard ramp and all the other ramps -- production, fly bands and all the athletes. It's such a headache for them and you've got to give them props for supporting aggressive sports. I thought it was rad to watch all the sports and such different bands like the Crystal Method, a hip-hop techno band, and then us.
ILS: What was it like to be the headliner at the last show?
Nick: We were afraid that everyone would leave. Three days of music and skating and moshing -- we thought people would be ready to go home. But they stayed and the crowd was pretty big. Everything was rocking pretty good until the stupid sound police turned our music down for the last two songs because of some curfew. I think they should have let it go for one night (because) the event brought so much money into their community.
ILS: What do you think about critics dissing your last album?
Nick: A lot of people like mellow and experimental music, but I guess what they were expecting from us were songs like "Down," which are straight forward, easy to rock to-- rock with hooks. But on our new album, every beat that Chad tries out isvery experimental. We tried a lot of different styles, and it's like we really got experimental and these people, I guess, just couldn't appreciate it. But our fans never tell me, "Your album isn't that great." But people (did) say that when Grassroots came out. I think, hopefully in the long run, people can appreciate it as just being different. You can't really deny that it's unique. I'm not saying it's our best album ever. We realize that a lot of the tempos are slower and it's not real good to mosh to. But it doesn't suck.
ILS: I guess there is another similarity between skating and music. Critics bash your music and people don't respect aggressive sports. I mean, you tried to be different and they clobbered you, not because the music wasn't good, but because it was not what they expected.
Nick: I know, and none of the press at least gives us credit for changing it up. But you just got to roll with it. It's the same thing that happens with in-line skaters when you get a group of people and they're all trying to diss on in-lining. You've got to say, "Fuck 'em." I do exactly what I want, regardless. you have to be true to what you believe. It's like ska is hitting big on the radio right now. So if we started doing ska we would be a sellout. Not to take anything away from ska. I love it. Think of a young kid who gets a pair of in-line skates he loves. He goes to school and his friends are like, "Skateboarding is where it's at." If that kid's a chump, he is going to change over and start skateboarding because he thinks that is what's cool. But if he's got any integrity, he's going to stick with what he truly loved first, and that's a metaphor for what we've been doing as a band for the last 11 years. I would say the guys in the band are always just about making rockin' music and hoping for the best.
ILS: When are you looking at putting out a new album?
NICK: Not next year. An album a year is just too much. We need to work at a pace where we're not so burned out that the tension can overtake you. We want to do everything at a nice, even pace, as opposed to back when we didn't even consider taking time off. What the hell was that? We were either recording or touring, always. I'm certainly stoked on how everything has been going, but it's been a hell of a long work week.
ILS: Do you have anything you want to add?
NICK: My advice is that when you are really not sure what you should be doing, go back to doing what you love. Like right now, I feel like singing and working on the drums. Just keep that in mind and keep that rolling and don't let all the extra crap get it.
Interview provided by: Nix Hex
