Life's a Rape

Here is a cool interview with Pink Eyes about his life courtesy of our pal Colin at Life's a Rape zine. Get in touch here: colinrrmf@yahoo.com

Why did Pink Eye start? What does Pink Eye express that Fucked Up can’t? What’s the future of the band?

Pink Eye started because I had all these song ideas that were meant for The Criminally Insane LP. I had been working forever trying to get people to write some songs for me to put the lyrics to. Jonah finally stepped up and we did it all in the course of two days at a studio. We were so stoked on how much fun we had we are now working on an lp. With Pink Eye I get to talk about things that just would seem out of place in Fucked Up like school shooters and personal type songs that don't have to be coded and slowed down.

What happened with Criminally Insane? Will we ever hear from C.I. again, live or on vinyl?

I doubt anymore records are in the works for C.I. but I 'm sure we will play live again... if the rest of those dudes are at a Fucked Up show and drunk enough we will no doubt do a couple songs.

Gotta ask what’s up with Fucked Up: When’s the new LP gonna drop? Last I heard there was gonna be two LPs released simultaneously, one straight songs, and the other something with all the songs merging into each other or something. Is that still the case? Feel free to talk about any other aspect of the band worth mentioning.

As it stands now we have written a double LP called Hidden World. It is 12 songs long. Two of the songs are rewritten older songs the rest are new. I'm into the new stuff. Some is poppier and the rest is heavier. It is different but not in a sellout or departure way. We are just finishing recording it and it will be out by October. We are still planning on doing that other LP eventually, but they will no longer come out at the same time.

I’ve heard people go as far as to attribute whatever popularity Fucked Up has to, and I use exact words here, some sort of “conspiracy,” or unseen hype machine. How much thought, if any, is actually put into your “marketing” or the bands legacy in years to come? How concerned are you with the hype or backlash concerning your band(s), or do you perceive there to be any?

I think it is funny that people give us that much credit. I'm not worried about that shit because we can't stop it from happening and I'm sure it will happen. We are really just a band that is just doing shit that we would want to see a band do. People will perceive it the way they want to. We have never talked about we are "marketed" and I'm sure if we did we would realize that we have been going about it all wrong: "O.K., we'll convince people that we are nazis, put out a bunch of records that they can't find and then get coverage in magazines that people consider hipstery sellout mags." I can understand why people are getting sick of us. Some of the praise we were getting was out of control but for the record we never pursued any of this stuff it all just happened. Some dude in a big indie rock band asked me recently who our P.R. person was.... I just laughed.

Fucked Up’s lyrics, especially post-“Dance of Death” have lots of references to the arcane and ancient (“Thule society,” a lot of “Looking For Gold,” etc.). What is the inspiration for these kind of lyrics? Why the shift from the “political” songs, like “No Pasaran,” “Municipal Prick,” etc., or more literal lyrics like “Litany” that make up Fucked Up’s earlier work?

The new lyrics are still political. The arcane stuff we are singing about is still applicable today. It's not like we are singing about dinosaurs. These are moments in history that have shaped the era we are living in. Sometimes the ancient is used as a metaphor for today. I think the relevance of a song like Looking for Gold is far greater then No Pasaran. We are certainly not as literal these days just because there is really only so many ways to say you hate your job. All the songs I have written for the LP are political songs, while maybe not as overtly so as Police, but political all the same.





I really dug the first issue of “Killerman.” It had kind of a “shooting the shit about records” vibe than like, a serious ‘zine with interviews of new bands and shit. Will there be more issues? Same vibe? Why wasn’t Danzig on the top ten vocalists list?

I'm working on the new issue now. It will have much of the same vibe but a little more personality. ie. fast food reviews, movie stuff, etc. The record shit will still be there but I know now that I will never make Breakout issue 3 so I'm just going to do my own thing. The zines that came out of Boston a few years ago from a lot of dudes that were part of the Lockin' Out crew have had a big impact on me as far as doing a personal zine without it getting lame. The vocalist list was a little flawed and I do regret some obvious omissions.

How much time do you spend on your artwork? For instance, how long did it take to draw the Pink Eye cover? Do you spend a lot of time regularly working on improving your drawing, or is it just something you do to kill time?

I just do it to kill time. I'm not the type of person to sit down and say "Let's work on drawing hands now." I just draw what I feel like drawing at any given time. How long I spend on any given drawing really varies.

I know you’re into stuff like Integrity, Floorpunch, Hatebreed, and the ilk, bands that a lot of kids associate with the “jock” side of hardcore. What role or influences do bands like that have on your music? How would you “justify” that kind of stuff with kids who consider it the antithesis of traditional punk and hardcore, or is it worth even bothering?

Growing up as a straight edge kid I learnt pretty quickly that you had to separate the art from the artist. All the people performing these songs that at the time I found so inspiring were no longer about any of the shit they were singing about staying true to. No matter what music you are into chances are when you meet the dudes in one of your favorite bands it's going to bum you out. So while I may not share the beliefs of some of the people in these bands, I can still enjoy their music. I think early Hatebreed is amazing, why should I deprive myself of this because of the fact that the band members and I don't share the same outlook on the world? Integrity has definitely had a huge influence on the way I write lyrics and the vocals I aspire to do. I can't try to convince people to like these bands or try to explain why it is ok for me to, but I will say that no matter how down you think a band is in my experience when you meet them you will be disappointed and you begin to see that the Hatebreeds are not that far from these bands in their personal behavior

What do you think about the modern state of hardcore record collecting, like, preorders, 5 versions of records with less than 1,000 copies pressed total and for lack of a better word, all things Pirate’s Press?

I have never heard of that label but as far as that shit goes, I'm into it. If a kid wants to own eight copies of the same record that came out last week who am I to tell him that shit is lame. I own 6 copies of the first Apt 213 just because the cover is different colors.



What are some of the shittiest contemporary hardcore bands? Who are some of your favorite non-local groups?

I am at a very Zen point of my life now and I try to live by the code that if it is not hurting people I should just live and let live. That being said shit like Protest The Hero and all that tech/ faux hardcore bullshit has to end. I seriously can't even begin to name bands I'm into right now... I am seriously in love with hardcore these days... my meds must be kicking in lately. In the 13 years I've been going to shows this is by far the era with the best bands.

Favorite Riot City and No Future releases?

Riot City: Abrasive Wheels' Vicious Circle (when we were on tour in the UK, we met a woman who claimed to be the woman on the cover of their "Black Leather Girl" LP). No Future: Blitz's All Out Attack

Greatest junk food?

Last month I would have said McDonalds because they have turned food into candy but I have turned my back on meat again so I will have to say pizza or a Lick's Veggie burger.

What are some killer Canadian TV shows not shown in the U.S.? What are some raging U.S. shows? Do you think a Gigli television series could make it on either side of the border?

Canadian tv is some of the worst shit in the world.. except Degrassi. I would watch a Gigli televison only if it was made in America.