Interviews

H2O

Interview with Adam on Nov 30, 1999 by Archive Bot

PB: You guys are currently on tour with Midtown who also plan on releasing their next album on MCA. What is it like to play with a band that may not be the same as you genre wise?
H20: I had no idea what kind of music they played when they came on tour with us, and quite honestly I have never seem 'em even. The chances of me seeing 'em are very slim because...

PB: You're doing this damn interview.
H20: Yea, their slot is the Adam warms up slot. The entire opening band is dedicated to me getting ready for our set, so I probably won't see 'em this tour. I don't really know what you're talking about... Hahahahahah People told me they're awesome but I just haven't had the chance to see them because there slot is bad. Same with Saves The Day. I never saw Saves The Day on the whole tour.

PB: Hardcore is a word commonly thrown around these days. What does hardcore mean to H20 and how has it changed from the early H20 days?
H20: Hardcore to us is pretty much a meaningless semantic. As far as it having one definition... it doesn't have one any more. I think there was a time when hardcore was a specific musical style and you could say this is hardcore or that is hardcore. You can't any more Hardcore is just a word and is very personal in it's use of application. As far as the scene goes….. it's hard to ask us because we're always on tour. When we first started as a band we obviously played a lot more local shows, we were more of a big fish in a small pond. Now we are like a world wide band and we tour and play everywhere, so it's a little different ya know what I mean? Like…. we don't know as much. 

PB: You will be playing with Earth Crisis at their last show, which will be this year's Hellfest. What has Earth Crisis done for the scene and do you think they will be missed?
H20: That's their last show? I didn't know we are playing with them either. That's a good thing. I like Earth Crisis a lot. They've educated a lot of people on a lot of issues which is very important. Hardcore is a definition I have my definition when I use the word, but what it means to me is different from someone else. I think. They're educating their audience, and back what they stand for so it's really, really cool. About them breaking up, I guess they said what they had to say and….. that's it!

PB: I saw you guys at your record release show for the album "Go" in New Jersey. Why couldn't the country music section of the store not get into it?
H20: I don't know but I didn't like that... that whole thing! I didn't like any of it, because I've never done an "in-store" like that. I went out and it felt like it was kind of a show, but not really. You know what I mean? It felt very sterile and fake! The one yesterday was a lot better because it was a lot more organized and had a bigger stage. It even had a dance floor so that was really cool, and it didn't feel as weird. It just felt like everyone was just looking at us and I felt really strange…. I didn't like it.

PB: From the response I've heard, people are saying the new album changed too much and isn't the sound H20 fans are used to. If you could summarize what the new album is about in one sentence what would you say?
H20: Same shit! Yea.... 

PB: Were any of you guys in bands prior to H20 and how did they prepare you musically?
H20: Todd Morse and Todd Friend were in a band called Outcrowd and I'm only going to go back one band on everybody because some people have way multiple bands. Todd Friend and Todd Morse were in Outcrowd. Blackout Record released the last Outcrowd record and Larry Bucksbaum produced it, and Blackout released the first H20 record and Larry Bucksbaum produced it so there is kind of a connection there. Obviously, Todd Morse and Todd Friend were in a band for ten years so those guys have a really good way of communicating, or they should. They have that kind of history together. Now I was in band called Shelter which is another New York hardcore band. Everything Shelter isn't H20 is and I like that. The way we run things. Toby…. this is his first band. He was a roadie for Sick Of It All and I think that made him more comfortable on stage. Rusty was in a band called Images but he was a singer and didn't play guitar. I guess it all added up in making us ready to do this. H20 is where we have done the most and experienced a lot of things. I think the people that have done the most as far as world wide touring and making records I'd include myself and Toby. We both toured the world and done that kind of thing.

PB: As you may be aware of there is a tradition on The Warped Tour called "The Beer Bong Olympics". Should we plan on seeing a "Team H20" and how do you think you'll do against the likes of Henry Rollins, Pennywise, and Rancid?
H20: What's "The Beer Bong Olympics"? Who could drink the most? Henry Rollins doesn't drink, Fletcher from Pennywise could probably drink us all right underneath the table. I'll give it a shot though. I'll be like Rocky against Appolo. Everyone thinks he's going to win, but never sleep on the under dog.

PB: Lastly, if you could choose a band to wrestle who would it be, and who would win?
H20: Let me think about that! That band Eden's Crush. That's those chicks right? That's that girl band. I'd like to wrestle that band and the odds would definitely be..

PB: ADAM!
H20: Smart moneys on Adam. Whether they win or lose leaving the ring with a smile on my face!