Interview by Jeff D. Rose
With their third album exploding on the scene, the Omaha raised, Los Angeles based 311 is one of rock's most explosive and experimental up and coming groups. The quintet comprised of Nick Hexum (lead vocals), Chad Sexton (drums), Timothy Mahoney (guitar), P-Nut (bass), and SA Martinez (vocals) fuses hard rock, funk, rap, and reggae into a potent musical cocktail. It's only fitting that the band members, who draw their influences from everybody from Bad Brains to Bob Marley to Nat King Cole, grew up in the center of the United States, Nebraska to be exact, where east meets west, providing a perfect breeding ground for the 311 sound and its many dimensions.
Before forming 311, the band was previously called the Fish Hippos, playing covers such as the Cure and REM in the local club scene. After finding their own sound and unity, 311 played their first gig in 1990, opening for Fugazi, and has put out one album per year since 1993. They tour non-stop, selling out clubs and theaters nation-wide thanks to the massive grassroots fanbase they've cultivated over the years. Their first album titled MUSIC (1993), was created with the goal of taking rap and making it musical. After penetrating the club scene and accumulating an energetic fan base, 311 spit out their second album titled GRASSROOTS (1994). The album name came from the bands philosophy of wanting to grow up slowly, the right way, and from the ground level up.
And now, with their new release titled 311, the band joined forces with producer/mixer Ron St. Germain (Soundgarden, Living Colour) under Capricorn Records to produce a definitive view of the musical forces that make them so unique. The band feels it's the best example of who they are as a band and how they've evolved into a whole. They manage to bring their eclectic mix of reggae, rock, funk and rap to another level. With songs such as "Don't Stay Home", "Hive" and "Guns (are for pussies), 311 blend razor-sharp musicianship with diverse musical styles and an aggressive attitude. Yet they are quick to point out that attitude does not always equal anger; while some rock'n roll bands are busy contemplating the woes of their artistry, 311 have taken a seemingly rare musical path - they've maintained a positive outlook. Thanks to Capricorn Records, on September 14, we were able to catch up with Chad Sexton in a phone interview at the creative shop, inc. in Atlanta. Jeff Rose got the chance to ask a few questions that 311 fans are curious about after their recent tour stop in Atlanta.
UR: For all those people out there who don't really know what 311 is all about, how would you define your music?
Chad: I would define our music as just a collaboration of all the music we like to listen to and energy wise it just gives off a very positive vibe. We try to talk about positive things.
UR: What was the last album you bought?
Chad: The last album I bought was probably Jamiroquia.
UR: What other artists do you draw your influences from?
Chad: As far as inspiration goes, I can only speak for myself. Everybody in the band has different ones, but mine are people like Carmen McCray, whose a jazz singer, or Dennis Chambers, whose a drummer. We all get inspired by a lot of different things from classical music to jazz to rock music to reggae. There's tons of musical influences with this band.
UR: How did you hook up with your producer Ron St. Germain?
Chad: You know, we had listened to albums that he'd done before. We've always liked his style of production and we just got in touch with him to see if he wanted to do the 311 record and he did. So we just went from there and worked things out. He's a really great guy to work with.
UR: How's Capricorn supporting your records and videos right now?
Chad: (Excited) Their doing great, man. They just help us out with all the promotions. Our communications are really good with them and our relationship with them is really positive right now. Hold on one second alright. Can you hold on? (As a loud banging is occurring in the back ground) Sorry about that. (the banging stops)
UR: (Laughs) No problem. Because your sound is so unique, how did your fans take to it at first?
Chad: Well....(Short Lull) Our fans take to it quite well. Its just when you introduce this type of music to someone that hasn't heard it before, it might take them a little longer to get used to the style or used to the musical changes. As far as our fans go, they accept it right away and they love hearing the music. Its just the bigger industry type people that don't like to listen to records like more than once. (Seriously) If they don't like it, you know, on the first listen then they don't listen to it (again). That's how our band kind of is. You listen to it the first time and its like, that's different, but you don't know really how to take it. So our band has to grow on you and like I was saying, its harder to get the bigger industry to recognize you when your more... maybe unique sounding or different, you know, however you want to put it. But our fans really love the music.
UR: What kind of music did you play back when you were the Fish Hippos?
Chad: You know, anything from Replacements, REM, maybe even a little bit of the Cure. That's what we use to play like in our cover bands back then. But, I don't know, just other alternative bands that were big at that time.
UR: Mostly covers?
Chad: Yeah, mostly covers. In Fish Hippos, we started to do a little bit more of the original stuff. The covers were more of the 1988 era, instead of the 1990 era.
UR: 311 had the chance to tour the U.S. with White Zombie a while ago, but you guys decided to tour in Europe. Can you tell us why and how did the tour go?
Chad: Well, we knew we had to get over to Europe sooner or later and we just wanted to do that the first thing this year in June. It seemed like a good time to do it. Europe was really good to us. The shows were a little bit smaller and the people who liked the music, reacted the same way (as Americans) to the music. I was really pleased with Europe.
UR: Where have you had the best crowds out of all your U.S. tour stops and what's your favorite place to play here in Atlanta?
Chad: So far... the best shows have been New York, Atlanta, Omaha, and maybe Lawrence, Kansas was really good for us. Baton Rouge is always really great. As far as my favorite place in Atlanta, my personal would be the Fox. That was a really great show for me.
UR: When and where are you coming back to Atlanta?
Chad: There's no set date as of yet, but... Hold on real quick. (he screams to someone in the room with him, Hold on a second... yeah the phone. Just chill out mother fucker!) (Laughing) Damn, I lost my train of thought.
UR: (Laughter all around) That's cool. The question was when and where are you coming back to Atlanta?
Chad: Like I said, we haven't set a show there yet, but I would guess it would be like at the end of, I'm just guessing, maybe at the end of November, maybe around that time. I know we haven't set the date yet, so we don't know where we're playing or when.
UR: But your definitely planning on coming back in 95'?
Chad: I can probably say 90% sure.
UR: When you guys are out on tour, other than eating, what do you do after a show?
Chad: Basically, we just, you know, hang out a little bit with people that we meet. And then we smoke pot, take showers, and pretty much go to bed and get up the next day and start the whole routine over.
UR: Other than music, what do you like to do just hanging out as friends?
Chad: Smoke pot. Smoke lots of pot. (Laughter) Theres not a whole lot to do. If there's a park in the city, then we can always go walk around and that's always fun to go check it out and stuff.
UR: Seeing you brought up the smoking pot issue, How does 311 fit into the Hempilation and tell what Hempilation is all about?
Chad: (More seriously) Hempilation is just a collaboration of musicians that feel the marijuana laws are unjust. More so for the reasons of manufacturing paper and whatever else you would do with hemp, clothes, you name it. We just feel the marijuana laws are unjust. Lobbying by companies such as Budweiser, oil companies, the NRA, everybody that lobbies against having marijuana legal. This (Hempilation) is just a statement that is what we think about these laws. And we don't agree with them. All the artists feel the same way on this.
UR: What's your relationship with Graffix, because they're one of your sponsors right?
Chad: Sure, you could say that. Our relationship with Graffix is just that we hooked up with them maybe a couple years ago and their really nice to us. And we sport their gear, use their bongs, and show all our fans, that know we smoke, that we do use their bongs. And it s nothing really more than that. They just give us free pieces when we need them and we're willing to sport their clothes and hats and use their bongs.
UR: What's your relationship, if any, with NORML?
Chad: There's not really a relationship there. We have not really officially ever signed up for NORML. I mean, I guess we would if someone came to us and offered it to us. But, we're potheads, (laughs) we're kind of lazy, so we haven't got around to doing it. But we do support them and we think NORML is a great organization.
UR: Since you've named the band 311, do you have a reoccurring thing where you see the numbers 311 all the time? I know we do.
Chad: (Laughing) Yeah, we catch it everywhere.
UR: Do you ask for room 311 at hotels?
Chad: (Laughs) Yeah.
UR: Well that about raps it up. Look forward to seeing you guys in 95', enjoyed the last show. Good luck on the rest of the tour. Thanks a lot, Chad.
Chad: Yeah, no problem. Take it easy.
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