B.A.

B.A.

You seem to have deep roots in rock n' roll - when did you first fall in love with it? Which bands were most influential to you, and inspirational in terms of trying to write your own songs? Did you have projects and bands prior to Sloppy Seconds?

I guess we first started getting heavy into music when we were in junior high.  It was Kiss, Queen, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick, and Bowie to start with.  The Sex Pistols, Ramones and Devo we started hearing about in high school - articles in Creem, seeing the album jackets in record stores.  You could tell bands like the Dolls, the Runaways and the Dictators were gonna be cool before you even dropped the needle on their records - they just had that killer presence and style.  As far as influence...we get tagged as "Ramones-influenced" a lot, and I don't mind that.  But musically, I think the Heartbreakers were a huge influence.  Lyrically, the Dickies, Redd Kross and Replacements were a factor in all the funny, teenage trash-culture references.  One thing that's kind of unique about us is that we weren't individuals who sought each other out to form a band.  We were just a close group of friends who got real loaded at a party one night and picked up instruments.  Danny had played guitar before, but Sloppy Seconds was our first and only band.

You're the front man and singer of the band, but also the songwriter - do you typically write on an acoustic guitar? How did you learn to compose and structure songs? Your style is very traditional in a sense but there's plenty of attitude and personality there. How did you develop your style as a songwriter?

I can't play any instrument - I've never bothered to learn.  And I'd make a distinction:  I'm a lyricist, and many times I come up with the tunes, but I don't know that that makes me the songwriter.  The fact that I can't play guitar forces us to take a really bass-ackward approach to songwriting.  Basically, I write a song in my head and sing it to one or more of the others.  Then they figure out the chord progression to fit the tune I sing them.  There are exceptions. The other guys sometimes have riffs or song themes they want to build on, and I'll flesh out the words.  Or they'll hear my ideas and say, "That sounds too much like that song from the last album.  Why don't we try going to this chord instead or change the key?" and that will result in the melody or structure changing.  But a good chunk of the songs don't change much from the first time I hum them to myself.  It's odd...I don't know if any other bands take that approach.  

Everyone in Sloppy Seconds seems to have similarly deep roots in rock - to the effect of making Sloppy seem much less a pop punk band and more a rock n' roll band in the truest sense. How do you feel about that association? Do you identify much with other punk rock songwriters, or does your inspiration come from a more classic source? Who are other punk/pop punk songwriters that you admire?

In our mind, it's rock 'n' roll.  Most punk is - at least the good stuff.  What we play certainly falls under the umbrella of punk.  On the other hand, we have some fans who are mostly into hard rock and metal.  Pop-punk fans like our songs for the hooks, but I couldn't sing that Billy Joe style if my life depended on it.  To me, a great band is all about great songs, so I'm a big fan of quality songwriting.  Dr. Frank's songs are brilliant.  The Descendents have always written great songs, and everyone contributes.  The Dickies are obviously great writers.  The Vandals have an amazing body of songs - very witty and with excellent musicianship. The Misfits - jeez, how many of their early songs WEREN'T classics?  Joey and Dee Dee were both fantastic songwriters - that's like having your Lennon and McCartney in one band.  And I really admire D.O.A.'s songs - political stuff is not easy to pull off with style, and they are the best at it, hands down. 

Your lyrics, like your melodies and structures, are concise and effective. You use wordplay and clever/funny lyrics to great effect - what is your lyric-writing process? Do you typically come up with a topic and write lyrics based on a melody? Also, what is your feeling about being a band with brains? It's an interesting juxtaposition - the "Junk Rock" aesthetic and the cleverness of your songwriting that many may overlook.

I feel like I might be talking too much about the songwriting, but okay.  As far as the process - it usually starts with a line that suggests the theme a song will explore.  Parodies of other songs or cultural touchstones can be inspiring.  "Come Back, Traci" was written starting with the line, "I met her at the video store."  Well, of course, that's a take-off on "Leader of the Pack," with "I met him at the candy store."   Then, if you look at "You Can't Kill Joey Ramone," the last verse is a paraphrasing of the old baseball poem, "Casey at the Bat."  I doubt anyone noticed, but that was the source.  One thing I do pride myself on - and maybe this was a reaction to hardcore, which was the big thing when we started - is I try to conceive clever rhymes.  Interior rhymes, multi-syllable rhymes, thematic rhymes...anything to keep the song interesting.  A really good rhyme can make a lyric soar, in my opinion.  "Human Waste" is a good example of that, and so is "Lonely Christmas."  I guess Elvis Costello and Squeeze were really influential in that regard.  I can write dumb lyrics, too, and I have on many occasions.  But when I do I think it usually comes across with a nudge and a wink.  "Achy Breaky Skull" is one of those; I don't think anyone really thinks we're misogynist.  If they do, then we have way too many female fans!  I'm usually reluctant to dumb-down the words or go for the cheap gut laugh if there's still a clever angle to exploit.  I just think I'd be cheating the band and everyone else if I didn't use all the tools I find in my belt.   

As you've moved through the decades into today's music scene, what are the most significant changes that you've found to be challenging? Do you feel that Sloppy Seconds' longevity has to do with the fact that the songs have a timeless feel? Do you feel that certain styles of punk (including the "Nitro records sound" that you may have been associated with when you were signed to that label) sound dated today? Also, how did you become connected with Dexter Holland back then? What do you think of his songwriting? I think he's pretty damn good!

The fact that we don't rigidly conform to a particular punk style has given the band staying power, for sure.  But I definitely wouldn't say the "Nitro Sound" is dated at all.  If you want to talk about Dexter's songwriting, I think it really defines the sound that allowed punk crossover on alternative rock stations.  "Self Esteem" is mammoth; you have to put it in the same strata as the Nirvana or Soundgarden hits from that era.  We were very happy to be hitched to Nitro's wagon at that time.  We were brought to Dexter's attention by Jason McLean, who was a big fan of ours and a friend of Dexter.  He was also the guy who uttered the cholo hookline "You gotta keep 'em separated" on The Offspring's "Come Out and Play."  We wanted to thank Jason for making the connection that led to our Nitro signing, so we had him do a guest spot on "Smashed Again" from our first Nitro disc.     

What are the daily challenges of remaining motivated and productive as a musician? Do you find it increasingly difficult to balance work and adult life with the band? How have your goals changed since the early success of Destroyed?

We always hoped we would reach more people with our releases, but I think we've established our little niche in the punk rock world.  People know exactly what they're going to get from Sloppy Seconds, and we enjoy giving them what they want.  We have to pay rent, like anybody else, but who cares what our lives are like offstage and off the road?  If I thought our fans would have any interest in when I mow the grass, our songs would suck out loud.   It would be cool to play more often, but a lot of bands can't keep a lineup together because they totally burn out on each other.  I don't ever want that to happen, so I'm happy that we're still able to play together and enjoy it as much as we do. 

Sloppy Seconds has always had somewhat crass and un-PC lyrics, but you've somehow managed to avoid the Internet witch hunts that some of your contemporaries have fallen victim to. Is this something that concerns you at all? Do you think it's more risky to be in a punk rock band in this era where any slip up can instantly become a pubic spectacle/scandal that ultimately ruins careers?

Well, I've done some things in the past that I'm not too proud of, onstage and off.  Everybody has.  I think most of our fans realize that a lot of the sentiments in our songs are very tongue-in-cheek and that we're basically a pretty decent group of guys.  You know, "I Don't Wanna Be a Homosexual" has gotten played in a number of gay bars, and plenty of queer guys have told us how much they dig it.  So if gay guys know it's not homophobic, then we know we're on target.   When the song first came out, we did get a threatening letter from ACT-UP, so I don't expect everyone to share our sense of humor.  Ironically, a song I figured would get us in lots of trouble is a real fan favorite - "Black Roses."  It takes such a skewed view of pregnancy and abortion, but our female fans seem to love it most of all.  Crazy...  But I remember how Leonard Graves Phillips got burned last year.  The Dickies have been putting on the same act for forty years, and they shouldn't have to worry about anybody's "safe space" when they're trying to entertain their fans.  But like they say in the NBA, it's always your retaliatory punch that the refs see.   So he got caught on camera trashing this woman.   Didn't handle the moment well, maybe, but I thought their public statement a few days later was great.  We've played with the Dickies in the past, so I know they're nice enough guys.   

You guys have always been associated with the "classic" style of pop punk that was associated with labels like Lookout! Records - but of you were never really affiliated with that scene as far as I know. While that was going on, and as some of those band really started to take off (Screeching Weasel and Green Day in particular), what were your thoughts on all that? It seems that Sloppy Seconds always kind of kept its own counsel and did things according to their own set of rules.

I think we mostly get that association because of the era when we emerged.  Because we really don't sound anything like most of the Lookout bands.  Pop-punk fans appreciate the catchiness of our songs, and we catch a good bit of overflow from that audience.  But I've always thought we were more in line with earlier bands like the Dictators, Angry Samoans, Heartbreakers and the Anti-Nowhere League.  Well, and the Ramones, for sure.  We're more cartoon-ish as personalities.  Could you imagine any Lookout or Fat Wreck Chords bands with me as the front man?  Don't get me wrong - we'd love to cash the checks bands like Green Day and Blink 182 get.  But we kind of addressed that in songs like "Forced to Suck" and "D.I.Y. Till We Die":   I can't wait to sell out - but it's hard to sell your soul when nobody wants to buy.  We know there's a glass ceiling to our popularity.  So if we'll never be mall punk, we may as well be the gold standard for junk rock.  

Sloppy Seconds has released many albums, but not to the point of being noted as especially prolific. Do you think it's important to let your songs marinate before releasing them? Do you tend to write songs quickly or no? As a band, what's the typical time line for coming up with enough new material for a full-length album? Also, what's your personal favorite Sloppy Seconds album?

You're being very kind.  Not many punk bands go five to ten years between releases without breaking up and re-uniting.  And we know it's frustrating for our fans.  That's really been sort of our M.O. from the start, though.  While we released a few singles and compilation tracks early on, our first album, "Destroyed," wasn't released until the band had been around for about five years.  But we made it worth the wait - that record is a desert island album for a lot of fans, and it's because we didn't waste any of the tracks.  There's no filler on that album, and we've tried hard to maintain that standard in the years that followed.  We could put out a new album every year, and there are plenty of bands that do.  But how many songs hold up from those records?  Three or four per disc?   We've always waited until we felt we could deliver a solid album of material.  If our debut album was made up of the first thirteen songs we wrote, forget it - nobody would be talking about that record today.  We've had a few real hot streaks of songwriting over the years.  We laid down eight demos for "Destroyed" one day, then we came back to the practice room after recording and came up with "Blackmail" and "Time Bomb" in half an hour.  "Destroyed" is definitely our best album, but I think they all hold up pretty well.  "Endless Bummer" was really well-received after a long hiatus; the general response was that Sloppy Seconds are still doing what they do best twenty years on.      

Something admirable about Sloppy Seconds is the line-up has remained consistent throughout the years (with the exception of Danny Roadkill leaving). How have you been able to accomplish this? Also, do you guys hang out on a regular basis? What's the key to maintaining harmony in a band?

Well, as I said we were friends first - Steve, Bo'Ba and I have known each other since we were in second grade.  We met Danny when we were in high school, and he was hanging out and partying with us long before we ever played music together.  I think the fact that we shaped our style and image together gives us a sense of purpose as a group.  We wondered if we would be able to survive as a band when Danny left, because it's such a personal thing with us.  Ace was a real godsend in that sense.  We had lots of guys auditioning who were straight out of the Screeching Weasel school.  And I love SW, but you know that style doesn't suit us at all.  So Ace comes in talking about his rig and his gear, and we just have our old beat-up equipment.  But we found out right away that his main influences were Cheap Trick and AC/DC, which was perfect.  The first time we ran through some songs, it just clicked immediately.  There's a lot of hard rock influence in our style, which is essential because that was the music we heard first.  We're kind of a dysfunctional family that need each other.  You definitely don't want to kick an old friend out of your band, so you really have no choice but to work through your issues.  We decide things as a group, because we know each of us is key to the band dynamic.  I could never front three other guys and call it Sloppy Seconds, and I would never want to; our identity is one of our biggest assets.  So we've stuck together for the right reasons.  If we can't hang out, we always stay in touch by phone.

I know you love rock, but how about metal? Is heavy metal something that ever interested you in particular? Have you ever/would you ever try writing in that style? I can picture some Dio or Twisted Sister sounding tunes - what do you think? Also, what do you think about metal as a scene - can you relate to it at all? Do you have any favorite metal songs or albums?

Yeah, I like some metal stuff.  I think Steve and Ace probably absorbed more metal than I did in the 80's.  I didn't really experience the presence of Metallica, not even in the way a lot of punks did.   I don't think it impacted Bo'Ba much either.  I never liked Dio or Iron Maiden, but I have friends who do.  But I am a fan of Judas Priest and early Motley Crue, and the first Faster Pussycat album is great, if you call that metal.    We fucking love Motorhead, although Lemmy didn't consider them a metal band.  Slayer, Venom and Pantera I know next to nothing about.  (I'm probably destroying all my street cred here.)  Twisted Sister was fun, but again - are they metal?  I dunno.  As far as our stuff, you can definitely hear some metal influence in certain songs.  I always thought of "Killing Myself" as kind of a hybrid of Twisted Sister and G.G. Allin.  And "Den Mother" is a total Motorhead cop - quite intentionally. 

Sloppy always comes across as having a great sense of humor and fun, and yet the band isn't a "smiley" kind of happy go-lucky group. In fact you guys are rarely smiling in photos, which gives the band a sort of dead-pan humor effect at times. To what extent did you guys settle on a particular image for Sloppy Seconds? Do you just sort of let your own personalities shine? How did the Sloppy aesthetic and "Junk Rock" ethos develop?

That's an interesting question.  I'm pretty outgoing onstage, and people usually find me very approachable; some of the other guys are not as easy to engage.  I guess it just comes down to personalities.  The way we present our image as a band makes me think back to something I read about a Saturday Night Live sketch.  It might have been advice Dana Carvey got from Lorne Michaels.  Anyway, he was told that you can play this scene broadly for laughs, but you'll find there's more humor in playing it smart.  I agree with that.  Even though our songs might be amusing, we still have to commit to them seriously.  I think each of us has a recognizable stage presence, even if it's not a conscious effort.  Ace is a great showman on guitar, and Bo'Ba is all intensity onstage.  Steve talks to the crowd a lot to leave me a little shred of detachment.  Otherwise I'd probably come off like a stand-up comic. 

Has Ace Hardware ever showed up to practice or a show with a guitar that looked TOO ridiculous? Also has he or any of you guys had the opportunity to meet Rick Nielsen? Can you recall a time when you received praise or direct support from a songwriter or musician who your really admired?

Nah, we love it when Ace comes up with a fun stage gimmick.  He's the most serious-minded musician in the band, and that Froot Loops guitar has become his trademark.  I don't know if he's actually met Rick or not, but I know he's seen play a lot.  I've probably seen them seven or eight times, but not nearly as much as Ace has.  Recognition from somebody we admire?  A little, I guess, from some of the bands we toured with.  Marky Ramone thought we were good, and we've remained friends with him over the years.  Joey Keithley has always been really cool and likes our stuff.  Some of the older Brits from the Social Chaos tour complimented us, like Knox, Gene October and Beki Bondage.  Mike McGrann from Channel Three sent us a really nice message before we ever met, which was cool - I had no idea he even knew of our existence, and I'd always loved his band.

What are your future goals as a songwriter, and what are your future goals as a band? Do you ever communicate with Mr. Roadkill? He still performs and posts catchy tunes on Facebook. Finally, do you have any advice for aspiring songwriters and musicians?

It would be cool to put out at least one more record.  We've got some solid material we could cultivate; it's just a problem of logistics.  It's more difficult for us to gather in one place these days, and we try to hit the road whenever the opportunity presents itself.  Danny (Roadkill) still lives here in Indianapolis - just a few blocks from me, actually, and we see each other from time to time.  There was a long estrangement after he left the group, but the bitterness is behind us.  It's like a divorce - you try to just remember the good times, and there were plenty of them.  I used to always tell aspiring bands if we can do it, anyone can.  Sadly, I don't think that's the case anymore.  I don't know if a band could establish itself and build a following in the same way we did.  The whole underground D.I.Y. thing isn't what it used to be.  They could become a YouTube sensation, maybe.  I hope it's still possible; I always keep my eyes and ears open.