311 (Rational Alternative Digital)

311 recently released their third album in three years. And continued on what seems to be their constant tour. The new album finds a slicker sounding 311. But don't think they've gotten weak-sounding, their self-titled album is also very hard hitting. When they played last week, they completely immersed the crowd in their fusion of funk, reggae, rap, and metal for two and half hours. I had a chance to speak to P-Nut, the bassist, before the show and here's an overview of our conversation.

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RAD

What are some of your influences, people that have inspired your bass playing?

P-NUT:

I listened to a lot of Steve Harris from Iron Maiden, Cliff Burton from Metallica when I was growing up. When I started playing slap, I was listening to Mark Kahn and Flea, and Stanley Clark, the originator. Just lots of different music, lots of different styles. I'd put on an NWA album and make up bass lines over it to get ideas, just 'cuz I liked the tempo. I didn't have a drum machine to give me tempos. That's probably why I enjoy rap so much.

RAD

Did you start off as a band with an idea of how you wanted to sound or did it just sort of happen?

P-NUT:

Not really, we always wanted to put, like, heavy guitars with reggae or dance hall, or something jazzy. We always wanted to make stuff like that and just have rap in the sound. Just tough music.

RAD

You've pulled it off really well.

P-NUT:

Thanks, we've been workin' on it for a long time, I'm really pleased with it.

RAD

How do you feel about the new album?

P-NUT:

I like the new album better than all of the others.

RAD

I'm still partial to "Grassroots," but I still need to give the new one time to grow on me.

P-NUT:

Yeah, it'll grow in. It's just a little bit different. We've changed a little bit. We got a little wider, we wanted to do more reggae. Plus it sounds so good!

RAD

Yeah, it hits hard.

P-NUT:

It's got a fuller sound, it sounds great. I wanna remix "Grassroots" and make it sound better.

RAD

Did you switch producers?

P-NUT:

Hell yeah! The producer we have now is so much better!

RAD

When did you move out to California?

P-NUT:

In the very beginning of '92, We moved out and within 6 months we got signed and within three months we were in the studio.

RAD

What made you decide to sign with Capricorn?

P-NUT:

It was the only deal. We really wanted to sign, and we liked the idea of being on a smaller label. They told us they wouldn't hassle us about the music that we make. They said they'd keep us out on the road and that's exactly what we wanted to hear so we decided to go with them.

RAD

You have pretty much toured constantly for the last three years. Have you recorded your albums on the road or how have you found time to record them?

P-NUT:

We usually take time off in the winter to do another album. We're gonna take two months off this year. Maybe we'll work on putting together a live album from the tapes that we've made from the shows, and then just keep touring.

RAD

Three great albums in three years is quite an accomplishment!

P-NUT:

I love that! I think it's fantastic!

RAD

Are you gonna slow down after the live album?

P-NUT:

Maybe a little after this one. Not too much, that's for sure! We'll always be pumpin' out tons of music. We can't help it.

RAD

Who writes your stuff? Is it a collective process?

P-NUT:

The vocalists write all of their lyrics, but as far as the music it's pretty collective.

RAD

When did you shave your dreads off?

P-NUT:

um.. In February, when my girlfriend left me. I gave them to her. She put them on a painting. It's really cool.

RAD

You have been playing with ska bands lately, like No Doubt and the Voodoo Glow Skulls. Are you guys into ska?

P-NUT:

I love playing with ska bands! Nick has got a sticker on his guitar speaker cabinet that says "Support your local ska band." We support every thing that's good.

RAD

How did the song for the "Hempilation" compilation come about?

P-NUT:

That's one of our favorite songs off of HR's "I Love" album. That's such a great album--a great tune to smoke marijuana to! We always wanted to do, like, a Bad Brains song, or something of that flavor. It's strictly reggae up until the end when we put our own part on to it. I thought that song deserved more credit than it's ever gotten because no one's ever heard of it.

RAD

I have a lyrical question and maybe you can answer it. What's the "Naz?"

P-NUT:

The "Naz"--that's taken from a guy named Lord Buckley who is our guitar tech's grandfather. He was like a Vaudeville kind of speaker. He was right before the whole beatnik thing where people would just get up and tell stories. And one of his most famous ones was called the Naz. It's about Jesus of Nazareth. I love that song!

RAD

Yeah, either that one or "Don't Let Me Down" are my favorites off of the new album. I noticed you have an web page and an e-mail address. Are you all into the computer thing?

P-NUT:

Well, we don't get to do it that much. My mom's the one who runs our web site. So at least if I'm not doing it, someone that created me is. She is always doing it. She's addicted to that stuff .

RAD

I thought your web site was really cool.

P-NUT:

We did an interactive interview when we were in the studio. By the time we got done, it was like 30 minutes long. We had people from all over--England and America.

RAD

I've noticed a prominent theme to your albums. Like "Grassroots" has more of a hometown theme, whereas the new album has sort of a "how messed up society is" type theme.

P-NUT:

We're not the band that bitches very much.

RAD

No, but I think there's a good, positive, take-a-look-at-life type attitude to it.

P-NUT:

I think it comes off in a positive way. If it doesn't, you should look at it again and see that it does.

RAD

"Guns are for pussies", I think, is an example of what I'm trying to talk about.

P-NUT:

I like to think I had a lot of influence on those lyrics. Me and Nick wanted to write those lyrics because it's just so factual. I'm always bitching about my friends who pack guns. It sucks--there is so much fear that isn't necessary.

RAD

A few people have tried to pass you off as Rage Against The Machine rip-offs. Any one who listens to your stuff knows that's not true, but I wanted to give you a chance to respond to that.

P-NUT:

I'd say that if you listen to our music with no vocals, some of our songs have the same sort of energy from it. It's rap and metal and just raw, and tons of bands do it, but not that many do it well. So being classed with Rage in that level doesn't bother me whatsoever. But if you listen to the albums side-by-side, you're gonna feel good after listening to our albums, and you're gonna feel pissed after listening to their album. And we're very proud of that. We don't have anything against those guys. I don't really get into the screaming part the whole "you're gonna burn" over and over again. I got over it really fast. I listened to that album a couple of times. I don't get Zach. I don't like his attitude I think he should get over it. Just cross that barrier and enjoy life for what it is instead of just poking at it for so many things. It's just so much better to feel good. Being classed with them is funny sometimes, but people have to have a reference to something.