HOT LEATHER
I’ve loved music my entire life. I’ve always wanted to be a musician and when I was still in elementary school I always wanted to start a band and I made fake CD cases and stuff like that. I remember recording myself on a little cassette tape recorder singing Dragula by Rob Zombie. My first favorite bands were any bands that were played on late 90s MTV and then also Iron Maiden, and The Beastie Boys. I had my dad buy me punk-o-rama 3 when I was really young and I was really into that. I remember it had Telepath Boy by Zeke and that’s when I realized that you could write short songs that are still good. Another note is that it has Gotta Go by Agnostic Front and that song has a lot of “oi” in it and I thought they were related to AC⚡️DC because they were the only other band I ever heard say oi.
Is there a particular era and genre that influenced your songwriting style the most
My songwriting (lyrics) is mostly influenced by That Dog. The music basically just blink-182.
Something that struck me immediately about Hot Leather is that you employ aesthetics that are almost opposite of what many punk bands aspire to sound like. Were you going with a sound that you personally like, and was there a sliver of rebellion against an expensive studio sound
I really wanted to make the poppiest music I could without making straight up pop songs. I’ve always been into lo-fi music and DIY recording. Japanther is a huge influence on the sound where you can tell there’s a really catchy song underneath all the fuzz. I want to make poppy songs that sound like shit.
Your songwriting is skillful and relatable with many catchy melodies and structures that could easily translate into other forms (acoustic, full band, etc.). How did you learn to write songs? Were there certain templates or influences that you used for reference in the beginning
When I first started writing songs with an instrument I was 14/15 and I would write everything on the acoustic guitar and did a folk punk solo project. I’ve never really tried to be a guitar virtuoso and I’ve always just been mostly powerchord rock (aside from writing twinkle riffs sometimes). This is the first time I’ve really focused on writing catchy lead parts.
Your lyrics are notably very dark and often confrontational in the sense that the listener must contend with very negative themes and concepts. This is offset by the very catchy nature of the songs and the auto-tune/electronic vibe - did you always seek to create this contrast? Were you ever tempted to go in a musical direction that "sounded" more like the tone of your lyrics - perhaps black metal?
It’s really funny because when I started Hot Leather I wanted to strictly write really positive songs because I was tired of always writing depressing stuff but I’m a really depressed person so a lot of dark stuff comes out regardless. But I think it’s really cool to have two things that are opposites working together (catchy music with dark lyrics). I tried to show this on the art of my debut album with showing a sign for a store advertising total health and then underneath that there’s a marquee advertising discount cigarettes.
Something that immediately comes across in your music is a sense of authenticity - that you are being yourself and sharing your own vision without pretention or ego. Did it take time to develop this confidence?
Not really. I don’t really care too much what people think about me. Obviously I care enough to do so many things that are so attention-driven. I’ve never felt the need to be fake or anything. If someone doesn’t like what I’m about then they can go fuck themselves.
To what extent does Hot Leather provide a source of therapeutic relief? I've read interviews in which you've recounted stories from your personal history that must have been very traumatic and impacted you deeply - does the music allow you to explore those issues and express some of that pain?
I don’t really think that Hot Leather provides any therapeutic relief. I think the traumatic experiences in my life gave me enough brain damage to make something like Hot Leather though.
Memes are a creative pursuit that I, being 38, am still trying to wrap my head around in some ways. There seems to be endless potential and the form of expression is similar to songwriting in the sense that you can evoke emotion and convey deep/layered communication through it. Did creating memes give you a similar sense of satisfaction when compared to creating music and songs?
Absolutely. I was making music for years and then got too burned out on it and started doing something new (memes). I feel like you can provide emotions with a meme in the most common denominator way that a song couldn’t do based on other people’s personal tastes. Making memes gave me way more satisfaction than creating music but I just got too bored with memes and wanted to start making music again.
Suicide, self-harm, and human darkness appear to be themes that you repeat throughout your catalog and have become part of your trademark style. Based on the feedback that you get from listeners and fans, do you feel that your art is being received in the way you hoped? Are people generally relating to it in a way that satisfies you?
I’m not sure. Some people reach out to me saying that my songs make them feel not so alone which is cool. Some people reach out to me thinking I’ll be their DM therapist and tell me all this stuff they’re going through and want me to help them which is really frustrating. So there’s two sides to being so relatable. I think some people think I’m mocking mental illness and suicide ideation which is a really weird thing to think. I never really thought about how it would be received though. I just kind of did it.
You've been able to travel and play shows outside of Idaho and connect with a wider community of fans and bands via Hot Leather - has this revitalized you socially? Do you feel that Hot Leather has provided avenues that would allow you to become a happier person overall?
I’ve always been pretty outgoing and extroverted but Hot Leather has definitely made me a happier person. In dec. 2017 I played a festival in LA and made a lot of friends and then moved to LA in Jan. 2018. If I still lived outside of Boise I would have for sure killed myself. I love meeting people who are fans of what I’m doing and meeting other artists and working with them. A lot of people that I’m fans of that I never thought I would become friends with.
You have spoken about your motivation to create funny things for your friends to enjoy, and I get the sense that friendship and humor are key elements that motivate your art. Do you create songs with friends in mind? Are your friends providing feedback that helps you to develop ideas and goals for Hot Leather?
I don’t really think I create music with my friends in mind. I send them stuff and ask what they think and get feedback and change it but Hot Leather is mostly just music I would like to listen to.
Who are some songwriters that you admire? Which particular ones have been most influential to you?
I think the songwriters who influence me the most are Anna Waronker, Chris Conley, and whoever writes the songs in Bayside.
I've visited Boise and Idaho Falls - but my experiences didn't allow me to fully feel out what it would be like to grow up in small town Idaho. Is there a "Napoleon Dynamite" aspect to it? Did you feel isolated and disconnected growing up there?
It completely sucks. I felt super isolated. I think most people who live there are a couple years behind what’s cool which is pretty frustrating. Some bands come through there but most of them skip it. I definitely feel a Napoleon Dynamite vibe.
Many have written about the influence of the Internet on your art - to what extent do you feel that the Internet has enhanced or contributed to your vision as a musician and artist? What do you imagine your life would have been like had you grown up a decade earlier when it wasn't a pervasive part of everyone's lives?
I am 100% internet. If I was born a decade earlier I would have probably been extremely Internet still but one of the first adopters. I love the internet. Radiation from the computer is hurting my eyes, I love it!
The name "Kornfan420" really captures a lot of humor and meaning that I think is translated through both your memes and music. Are you fascinated by the low-brow youth culture that proliferates in malls and shithole towns throughout the nation? You grew up in an era where nu-metal, JNCO jeans, aliens smoking joints wearing Dr. Seuss hats, etc. were a prevalent part of small town youth culture. Juggalos, stuff like that. Can you talk a bit about your relationship with that kind of "so bad it's irresistible" culture?
I unironically think numetal and that kind of stuff is super cool. I’ve always been obsessed and fascinated with ICP and Juggalos. Numetal fashion wasn’t as popular in my hometown and I’d very rarely see someone wearing anything cool but there are a lot of juggalos. Juggalos are probably some of the nicest people. My dad bought me The Riddle Box by ICP for me on Christmas when I was in 6th grade and I’ve more or less been a fan of them since. I chose the name Kornfan420 for my memes mostly because I used to be an admin on a Facebook page called “I play korn to my dmt” and I wanted the name recognition.
What are your ultimate goals as a songwriter and artist? What level of recognition/opportunity do you hope to achieve?
My ultimate goal is to be able to support myself completely from music and not have to work a job or any weird things on the side. I think I could reach a largeish cult following like NOFX or something like that. I don’t think I’d like to be any bigger than that because even with a little bit of recognition there’s a lot of stress and creepy people.
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