311's a killer upbeat, reggae-inspired, rock band With a huge following, a loyal fan base and a positive almost cheery outlook that fans can't get enough of. They've gone out of their way over the years to ensure their shows are for their fans, the best example was when they did the 68-song set on 311 Day in 2004. That's unheard of for bands to do, so when they came out and did that 68 song set, the fans went crazy! they sound just as good as they do on the radio up close and personal! Every album is something new and exciting and it's not just one song that kicks ass, it's the entire album! 311 is one of those bands that never leaves you disappointed and that's why their so kick ass!
Today I got to interview SA Martinez (vocals & DJ) and here's what he had to say..
JuicyBands: What do you guys usually do on the tour bus to pass time?
Martinez: We watch a lot of movies. Chad always brings a lot of early '90s, late '80s movies with people like Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, we’re all really into those. We just chill, in fact we just watched that movie Tombstone not to long ago.
JuicyBands: Tombstone, never seen it; how is it?
Martinez: It’s cool, I liked it. We’ll probably watch it again before we’re done touring, you’d like it, you’ll have to check it out.
JuicyBands: That’s awesome, I’ll have to check that out for sure. The last album you guys came out with “Don’t Tread on Me” was absolutely phenomenal, It kicked ass and everyone in every age range loved it! I heard you guys are working on a new album, how’s that going?
Martinez: Thanks, we were all really happy with the way that album came out. It was actually my favorite album we’ve released so far. The new album’s coming along, we’ve been touring non-stop since our last album was released back in 2005. We decided to take some downtime to clear our minds so to speak, we really got into it and ideas just kept on flowing. We started working with a new producer and the guy’s amazing! He goes by Bob Rock, the guy’s phenomenal and working with him is one of the best moves we’ve ever done. He’s produced albums by Matalica, Aerosmith, Motley Crue and so many other talented artists out there. He definitely knows what he’s doing, so we’re all really excited!
JuicyBands: That’s awesome! I’m so excited for you guys, I can’t wait to hear it. Do you guys have an idea of when it should be coming out?
Martinez: We don’t have a date set in stone but it shouldn’t be to much longer. We have 10 songs for the new album written and finished. Everything’s recorded on those songs except for guitar. Drums, bass and vocals are done on most of the songs, so we just got to mix and master and it’ll be ready to go.
JuicyBands: This will be the 8th album 311 has came out with, every album’s new and fresh, how excited are you guys about the new album?
Martinez: We’re stoked, we’ve really put a lot of thought into this one and I can’t say enough about our producer Bob Rock. It’s gonna be awesome!
JuicyBands: Will you guys be giving your fans a sneak peak of the new album and playing some of those awesome new songs you guys have been working on, on the road?
Martinez: We've talked about it. I don't know if we've come to a conclusion. My gut feeling is we probably won't, but if it leaked closer to the release date, and it was proper audio leak, it would be fine with us.
JuicyBands: So you guys have been touring with Snoop Dogg..that’s crazy but at the same time it’s different, new and exciting; how’d that come about?
Martinez: We go with anything [laughs]. It's easy to really pair us with any genre of music. We've done the H.O.R.D.E. tour, we've done hip-hop packages, we've even done the reggae groups. Thankfully, we have that luxury. It makes it easy in a way. It's easy because our style of music is varied. Snoop came along because... honestly, it just came out of the blue. We were talking with Ben Harper for a second, and the Black Crowes, and then Snoop came along, and promoters really saw it happening. His agent and our agent were just kind of gelling and talking. It’s been quite an experience and it’s really cool.
JuicyBands: You get to spend the summer hanging out with Snoop, how awesome is that?
Martinez: It’s killer, really awesome! I don't think many kids from my high school can say that they’ve spent the summer with Snoop, but we’re like, yeah…we did. [laughs]
JuicyBands: [laughs] That’s just how you guys roll, you guys are officially the coolest kids in school. That’s definitely really awesome! People are into so many different types of music these days and one thing I’ve noticed is whether they be into hip hop, rock, country or even ska, they’re still really into 311. You guys have established a gigantic variety of fans that love you guys to death. How was performing at the Rothbury festival, did you guys have a blast?
Martinez: Yeah, it was awesome, we had a great time. We definitely extended some of our songs for that show. We have a variety of fans and we’re so thankful for that, that's why we pair so well with ... you name it. Our fan base is wide and varied, and it just reflects the music. We have such a great fan base, and it's a great thing to be a part of because it's natural. It wasn't created. None of these things are created, great bands and their followings; all together sharing the stage, it’s awesome.
JuicyBands: That’s really awesome, there’s no greater compliment then to have a subculture spring up from your music. How do you guys figure out what songs you’re going to play at each show?
Martinez: We'll go out on tour and we'll have 80 or 90 songs ready to play any night. We'll play a different set every night. Some songs will be in most of the sets. Not all the radio singles, but a good portion of them will make it into each night's show. Then we'll rotate them, take suggestions from the forum on our Web site, ask the audience what they want to hear; we try to keep it fresh for the band and the fans because we'll have a lot of fans that come to multiple shows. These days fans are so connected, and they know what's going on as it's going on, so you have to do your best to keep it fresh and unique because that is what separates the men from the boys. It's easy to play the same set every night, and a lot of bands do it. And I understand it. It's a trap that you set up for yourself, but we switch it up and it keeps us excited and the fans happy.
JuicyBands: Thanks so much for the interview, you're so awesome and you guys kick ass! Best of luck to all of you.
Martinez: Absolutely, anytime, thank you.
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