KODY TEMPLEMAN

KODY TEMPLEMAN

At what point in your life did you begin creating songs? Was it for The Hybrids or before? How did you go about it at first? Were you trying to emulate certain bands?

I had a band with some guys from high school and we played covers mostly. We tried writing original songs but they were pretty terrible so It was with the Hybrids essentially. We had a few band name changes before we went with The Hybrids, but it was the same group of guys.
 
We just tried writing songs like the bands we were listening to at the time. Misfits/Danzig, Circle Jerks, that kind of stuff. When I heard Screeching Weasel and The Queers we started shifting to a poppier sound. We also got into bands like Face to Face and NOFX.

How long had you been playing guitar prior to writing your own songs? Did you demo or record the earliest stuff?

Probably 3 or 4 years. I started out learning hair metal stuff like Poison, Cinderella, and eventually Metallica. I would have started a band sooner but it was tough finding other musicians in butt fuck Wyoming.

Who did you show your earliest songs to? Was your family giving you any feedback? Who was rooting for you the most, if anyone?

My parents thought our songs were shit and they were pretty much right. My parents did support me though. We mostly showed our friends at school. We wrote a lot of songs about Shane’s brother Silver and people thought they were funny.

Do you recall the first song you wrote where you felt satisfied with the result? In general, do you enjoy listening to your own recordings after the fact? 

I think Alien Girl was the first song I was really proud of. I listen to my own songs every now and then but it’s usually when I’m alone or with a trusted accomplice.

Do you feel that songwriting gives you a voice to express yourself in ways that you normally don't get to? Can you describe the "high" you get from coming up with a new idea or completing a song that you know will be good?

I don’t really have much to say when I write songs but finishing a song is a very rewarding feeling. I usually get caught up in the process until it’s complete. I tune out everything until I have things nailed down.

I recall you saying that Get Wrecked was your favorite record you'd written (this was circa 2011). Do you still feel that way? What was unique about the time period and state of mind you were in while Sack was happening?

Yeah, I still feel that it’s some of my best work. There was no pressure and I was drinking a lot and just wanted to write songs that were funny and upbeat. I’m thankful that it worked out the way it did. I think i’ve written better songs since then, but I always go back and listen to that record and get a chuckle.

Do you have a different approach to writing songs for TBR than Lillingtons? Occasionally some TBR songs have had a Lillingtons vibe, and I know Bigger Than Kiss was originally for Sack. In general do you just write about whatever and see where it might fit?

No, I write songs for Bottlerocket the way I’ve always written them. I get a song title or Idea and run with it. The newest Lillingtons album was done in a totally different mindset. We really tried to keep it cohesive as far as subject matter.

While writing for Stella Sapiente, what moods and feelings were you trying to get across through the songs? I personally feel that record has a very heavy atmosphere and a much deeper feel than your previous work. Do you feel a spiritual connection to those songs?

Definitely! Stella is a very spiritual album for me. It’s a lot closer to the kind of stuff I listen to now. lyrically I wanted to write about the stuff I’ve been into lately and we really fleshed out the feel of the album before we started writing songs for it. 

Do you think that your writing for TBR and other records going forward will be impacted by your experimentation and evolution realized on Stella? Do you feel more comfortable branching out into other styles now compared to past eras?

I’m sure it will rub off a bit. It was fun trying different things musically with that album and I’d like to keep doing that. It was really refreshing to try new shit and it’s really lit a fire under my ass to keep writing.

Something I've always been interested in is what a full-blown metal project might sound like if you were the songwriter. You've demonstrated that you can adapt your songwriting to various moods and themes - have you given much thought to writing a pure metal album?

I wouldn’t be opposed, but I lack the technical skill to do anything that I would like to hear. I also think there are plenty of great metal bands out there doing that genre justice, so I’m not that motivated to try and keep up with them.

You've never been into doing acoustic recordings or performances. Is there a particular reason for this? 

I like some acoustic stuff, but I don’t like playing it. I need power!!! And again, there are plenty of acoustic artists that are doing it right and I don’t feel like I’d be adding anything.

Could you please name some of the songwriters who were most influential to you as you were learning and developing your own style? Which favorite songwriters have you befriended as a result of your success doing your own music, and how does that feel?

I’ve always loved old Danzig albums and I was a big Screeching Weasel fan for a long time. Those were big influences on me when I started. I’ve met Ben and he’s an interesting guy. I’ll always respect him for what he did. There are a lot of great people that I’m happy to say that i’ve met through playing music. I guess one of the major star struck moments was meeting the guys in Municipal Waste. I met them when I was really into their band and it was kind of surreal.

Can you name a moment when you felt the greatest sense of accomplishment/acknowledgement as a songwriter? What do you feel is your best song that you've ever written?

When Bottlerocket started getting successful and we were touring more than I was working my day job I remember feeling happy that we were getting to do what I’d always wanted as a kid which was playing tunes and travelling the world. We were playing countries I had never dreamed of seeing and as a bonus we were drawing crowds in those places. I can’t pick a song that I feel is my BEST. I have songs that I like more than others, but it’s like asking a parent which kid they like more. 

You're regarded as one of the best pop punk songwriters, but I know that you've largely moved on from this style of music as far as your personal tastes are concerned. What's your view of pop punk as a genre today? Do you think it's still worthwhile? Is there a timelessness to it? 

I’ll always still like pop punk. There are new bands that constantly get me stoked on the genre again, and I often go back to some of the old albums that inspired me in the beginning. I think it will always be relevant to the people that love it.  That’s all that it has to be. A lot of people complain about terrible pop punk bands, but if those bands love what they’re doing then who has a right to tell them otherwise. If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.

What are your future goals as a musician and songwriter? 

I think I’ll always have the urge to keep writing songs. I like doing it and it’s especially easy nowadays to get your stuff out there as you know. It’ll always be an option for me.