Talking with Josh Freese

 

          As everyone already knows, Josh recently released a solo album.  After hearing it, Rich chased him down through Kung Fu to get an interview via email.  Judging by his a little too “to the point” answers, one could definitely NOT call him long winded.  But we’re glad he took a few moments to respond to us, so here is the result. 

 Dilapidated zine:  So where are you right now?  

Josh: Long Beach California.

DZ What possessed you to release an entire album solo, doing every instrument? 

Josh:  The devil. And the fact that I love writing music and at the time didn't want to bother anyone else with playing it. I figured it would be easier to just take it upon myself, ya' know?

DZ: Doing such a thing like that is difficult, how did you pull it off? 

Josh: I don't sleep much, hate sports, only really drink when I'm on tour......so, that leaves music. It's all I do. Oh yeah, I drink coffee.

DZ: Will we see any more solo albums in the future?

Josh: Most definitely.

DZ: Playboy had a small clip in its September issue about you and your song "Playboy Mansion"  They said you were probably "angling for an invite."  Are you? 

Josh: Those people are a bunch of jerk-offs and I wouldn't join in their reindeer games even if they begged me too. If they would listen to the song they'd realize I'm takin' the piss out of all of 'em.

DZ: You've played almost every genre of music, as a fill in drummer, etc. What is your favorite type of music?

 Josh: Rock n' Roll.....Punk Rock.

DZ: Since you've played other types of music, where does that leave you in the punk rock genre, have you moved on?  Are you still with the Vandals?  

Josh: I'm still in the Vandals and even if I'm listening to Tom Petty right now I still am a punk rock fan and listen to it all the time....."The Dwarves, Fear, Replacements, Circle Jerks (in my car right now), etc....

DZ: Your songs tend to have a lot of humor in them, do you think that's important, or is that just your personality?

 Josh:  It's my personality but seeing that it has become my personality I guess I do feel that humour is an important thing to have and to "get".

DZ: What inspires such songs as Caffeine & Vaseline and Why Won't Left Eye Get With Me?

 Josh: My everyday life experiences and my personality......see answer number 9.

DZ: If we were able to look in your CD player right now, what cd's would we find there? 

Josh: Frank Black, Circle Jerks, Tool, Big Drill Car, Pantera, The Dwarves.

DZ: What are your feelings on sharing music on the internet with tools such as Napster?   

Josh: I don't give a shit. Boring topic.....next.

DZ: Is it hard to juggle your career when you're playing with all different types of bands?

 Josh: Yesm......I don't know how I do it either.

DZ: What do you do in your spare time?  Hobbies? 

Josh: Music.....food, girlfriend, sleep.

DZ:   Where is your favorite place to play?  Who do you like playing with the best? 

Josh:  I love playing with the Vandals, Devo, Perfect Circle......I love  playing in San Francisco, Hawaii, Seattle, Las Vegas, I don't know.....the  list would just go on forever.....sorry.

 

And that pretty much wraps it up.  We thank Josh and the good folks at Kung Fu Records for their time.  A hearty Domo Arigato Gozaimoushite from the two of us.

 

Editors note- The thing that kind of ticked me off about this interview was the nonchalant, "I don't really care to be doing this" attitude.  Rich didn't see anything wrong with that, says it's okay because he's a busy guy.  I know we are small beans, but since he consented to the interview, I was hoping he'd at least try to be into it.  Maybe it's just me though.  Also, I guess it's hard to tell how someone is thinking via an email interview, but we lived in Japan at the time and that was the only way to do it.