Alabama Thunderpussy Interview

Alabama Thunderpussy's own moon shine guzzling, bong wielding skin beater, Bryan Cox, kicks back with Metal Chaos in Greenville South Carolina.

Hey Bryan, how are things with you?
Good, I'm in Greenville, South Carolina sitting in a waffle house getting ready to eat some pancakes.
You guys are currently on the road with Corrosion Of Conformity, Crowbar and Weedeater. How is the tour going? Any highlights thus far?
Yeah, it's going really good. Everything is really cool. As far as a show highlight, I'd say Irving Plaza in New York City was pretty cool, it's a pretty well know venue and it was a real good show. A good turn out for all the bands, which was cool. Other than that the highlight would be getting to hang out with all these people every night, we are out with Weedeater, Crowbar and COC. All the guys are really nice and really good people. Everyday is really a lot of fun. We've got another five weeks (on the road), but it's a good one man. It's about seven and a half almost eight weeks total.
How did the supporting slot come about?
We've got a guy that works at Relapse (Records) that has been booking us for about a year now. He really been throwing our name in the hat all over the place, trying to get us on some cool tours. I suspect we probably got this one because we've been touring a lot and they (COC) realize we are a hard working band that is slowly but surely starting to develop some buzz.
"Fulton Hill" has been out for a while, what has been the reaction thus far and how have the fans taken to the record?

	So far all the reviews I've read have been pretty good, I haven't really read any reviews that have been slaging it or straight up didn't like it. Everyone's got certain things that they like, everyone's got their favorites. Overall it's been really good, more people than not agreed with us and thought it was good and the best thing we've done. That's what I feel anyway. The new songs we play live seem to go over very well. Everybody I've talked to really likes it.
	Have the band been at all surprised by the success of the album?
	Not really. I think we all thought when we'd finished it we all thought it was good and that it would do really well. That is so long as we got out there and worked hard to support it, and we have done that. We've pretty much since it came out been on tour. I'm always the last one to know how many pieces it's sold, but I think it is donin' pretty good. I'm obviously really pleased it's been as well received as it has, I'm not being arrogant but not surprised. We worked real hard for a long time and made a good well thought out record. People responded to that. We made a record that sounds good at the same time is true to who we are and what we do as a band.
	The album was recorded in an old house rather than a studio. How and why did you decide on this unusual venue?
	Yeah one of the guys we wanted to work with just happened to at the time we wanted to do the record had all his stuff stored in this big old house. It made for a more laid back atmosphere and I think that contributed to the overall sound and feel. We also didn't have so much of an issue with studio rental, so we didn't have to get in there and do it real fast. We were able to take our time, make sure everything went well.
	"Fulton Hill" is the first album with new vocalist Johnny Weils. How much of a different experience has it been working with him compared to former vocalist Johnny Throcknorton?
	It's like night and day. The old guy was decent enough at what he did, he just didn't fit into the band as well as Johnny Weils does. Early on everything was cool, but it reached a point where we were uncomfortable being in a band with him because we were on a different page and he didn't want to be there. I think Johnny Weils is a million times better and a million times better for us as a vocalist. Like night and day man! We couldn't be happier with the way things have gone.
How did the band come to choose Johnny Weils as the new vocalist?
We just kinda advertised that we were looking for somebody and he got in touch with us. We traded some stuff back and forth so we could check each other out, then got him to come out and audition and it worked out really well. We got on immediately, we have a lot in common musically with each other. He's just a really cool guy, easy to get along with, likes to hang out and drink beer. It just kinda made sense.
Has there been any negative feedback from fans as a result of Johnny's departure?
99% of anybody who has heard Johnny Weils has liked him (Weils) better. That's across the board. I don't think I've even heard anybody say they liked the old singer better. If nothing else there is a sincerity, it comes across when someone's not enjoying what they're doing. Like I said, our old singer, it had got to the point with him where he wasn't into being in the band anymore. Which makes everything he was doing shallow and insincere at that point. The new Johnny believes in the music we play, it's what he is into. It definitely comes across.
After this spell of touring what are the plans for the band?
When we get done with this tour, we're going to get home and try and write some stuff for the next one. It's been a while, a little over a year I guess since the last one came out so we are kinda anxious to get back in there and write some stuff. We'll probably be back out on the road again before to long.
Back to "Fulton Hill", Ryan's contribution to the record is more noticeable than the previous record. What has he brought to the band?
He's added a whole other dimension to the sound. He's a phenomenal musician. He just really contributes a lot with what goes on with the guitars and we're a guitar based rock band, so it's a big deal. It's also another hand when it comes time to writing songs. Like I said he's added a whole other dimension, it's just great.
Talking about writing, how do ATP approach writing?
It's pretty much run of the mill for how bands like us do what they do. Somebody will come up with an idea and throw it out there and we'll all add to it. Sometimes somebody will have more of a complete idea for a song, and if it works it works. If not we beat it around until we like it. It's pretty organic I guess.
This record has a heavy blues influence, as much as a punk rock type vibe going on there. What influence's do you all bring to the band?
You hit the nail on the head there! There is a lot of blues in there,, but for us there is a lot of straight up rock in there. Most of the stuff that influences us is old school, old school punk, old school rock. We're not trying to stay hip and current with what is going on right now, we like what we like. We come from an older school.
Do you feel the music industry today is stagnant?
Yeah people just aren't digging very deep you know, people are looking at what is out there and trying to mimic that. I shouldn't say everybody, as there are a lot of cool bands out there. The mainstream, there is no invention going on. It's about having some depth of influence. It's not about just looking at what is going on out there now and saying "I want to do that". That's just weak, there is just no character.
Does being signed to a label like Relapse allow you this type of creativity?
Well yeah. They are open to allowing us to do whatever it is we want to do. It's been great for us to just say "here is our record", put it out and they do. Having a team like that on your side.
Is it fair to say "Fulton Hill" was a bigger production, both in terms of time spent recording and financial support than previous ATP records?
We didn't have to much more of a crazy big budget, but what we did have was a lot more time in the studio and some really cool engineers who took the time to make sure it sounded the way we wanted it to sound.
Relapse Records have also re-issued "Constellation", why was this record selected from the back catalogue?
They have actually done "Constellation" and "Rise Again" so far. They are getting ready to do "River City Revival". They'll all be out again which is cool.
You guys have had a number of side projects over the years are these on permanent hold or is there any update to report?
No man! We are pretty intense with what we are doing right now. I was playing with another band for several years before we started touring like this this year, I had to kinda drop that. They have to work with somebody else as I don't have the time. It's probably going to be just as intense when we get home with the writing.
How do you guys keep a balance between work and personal lives when you can be on the road for 8 - 10 weeks at a time?
You have to keep perspective on things and take it for what it is. Realise that most people would love to do what we do. I feel fortunate, as does everyone in the band to be doing what we do. I mean we all still have day jobs, that's part of the deal. It's a building process.
The term Stoner has been used to describe the bands sound on numerous occasions, do you feel this fairly represents the bands sound?
Hell, we're a rock band as far as I'm concerned. Heavier than most people would consider a traditional rock band, but it is all rock, metal to mean.
Doom, Stoner whatever you want to call it, appears to be going through a sustained period of popularity. What do you attribute this too?
There is so much garbage out there. People are craving real rock music again, instead of the watered down crap you have on radio. We get very little big corporate radio, that's just not how it works. We get a lot of play on collage and underground stations. It's all about money over here, if you want to be on the radio you have to have a huge label behind you forcing you down peoples throats.

That is about all my questions. Thanks for the time.
That's cool, been good talking to you.


All images used with the kind permission of Alabama Thunderpussy and Relapse Records.