Just a little note here: this interview is kinda funny to me, because while I'm familiar with rockabilly music, I'm fairly new to the psychobilly genre and haven't had a lot of experience with this style of music. (I dig it, though!) So, you'll see where he corrects me several times!
Hey Tony! From my experience, a lot of people are not familiar with the genre known as psychobilly. So I thought we might start with the origins of the genre...rockabilly. This is one of the earliest forms of rock and roll, evident in the works of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, etc., combining elements of bluegrass, country and blues. What would you say are the defining characteristics of rockabilly music?
I have borrowed a quote I heard that Rockabilly is the punk rock of the 50’s. Lyric and subject matter was more taboo than mainstream music of that era, there was a certain, ethnic beat associated which in some parts was very taboo. Lots of rockabilly was very loosely arranged often breaking acceptable rules of song writing. Most of all the music was infectious, and very rockin’.
I would say that psychobilly retains many of the elements of rockabilly, but with a heavier, punker sound and darker themes...sort of what heavy metal is to rock. Would you call this an accurate description?
15 years ago I would have agreed, but now I would say that the psychobilly of today is closer to the metal you describe in the question. The term psychobilly indicates that there is an element of rockabilly, but more psychobilly bands are born from other than rockabilly genres, in fact only the stand up bass is common. You will often see the word “Psycho” rather than Psychobilly. Other genres retain more of the rockabilly influence, such as Cow-Punk, and Punk-a-Billy styles.
What is it that drew you in to rockabilly and psychobilly music? Was there a certain band that "turned you on" to it?
THEE band was The Stray Cats without a doubt my first exposure to “billy” music of any kind short of the Elvis records my Mom listened to when I was very young. It was only after I saw them that I looked for and found the rockin scene when I was a teen.
Psychobilly is heavily influenced by punk rock. Do you have a lot of punk influences?
I think Psychobilly is more influenced by metal nowadays, but we have a definite Punk influence ourselves, even in the covers we select- “1945” by Social Distortion and “Holiday in Cambodia” by The Dead Kennedy’s
Also, psychobilly music tends to integrate themes similar to those in b-movie horror flicks. Are you a fan of these kinds of movies?
I love horror movies and yes we use those themes, usually our songs have meaning other than that of the horror movie lyrics, but you have to really dissect the words to figure it out.
I understand that, although you are now the front man/guitarist of The Rocketz, you started out playing the double bass (or upright bass). That's a pricey instrument. Did you have to work your butt off to get your first bass?
I was in a motorcycle accident as a passenger and I was supposed to buy my first car with the settlement money, but I bought my first bass instead. It was only $1100 but in 1988 that was a lot of money.
Tell me about The Rocketz...what would you say makes this band stand out among the psychobilly genre?
Well, for one thing unlike the trend to use blood and makeup in our live set I go for the leather pants look, we don’t use any props, we just rock out and infect the crowd that way, also we still do incorporate a lot of rockabilly in our psycho-sound. Also unlike most bands of our genre the stand up bass accents our sound, but it is not the featured instrument, I feel our strength is our rhythm section and then the songs. I can’t put in writing why else we are different as it will look like the same reasons every other band puts down, you will just have to see us or get a hold of the CD.
Ok, last question...always have to ask a fun one. If you were going into isolation for a year and could take 5 CD's with you, what would be your 5 must-haves?
Stray Cats (Built for Speed), Rancid (Out come the Wolves), Ramones (Live), Cramps (Stay Sick), Green Day (American Idiot!)
Thanks, Tony, for doing the interview!
Learn more about The Rocketz at their website: www.therocketz.com or at myspace.com/therocketz. Also, The Rocketz’ debut album “Rise of The Undead” is available now on Hairball8 Records/Psychobilly*US. And, of course you can check them out live at Sam's on May 5th!