Strung Out

Strung Out fans in Toronto were treated to a free punk rock show Saturday night at The Sound Academy formerly known as the Docks. I was fortunate enough to interview Chris Aiken, Strung Out’s energetic bass player. Thanks to Melanie Kaye for setting this up.

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Lanny – Start out by introducing yourself, and your role in Strung Out.

Chris – Hello my name is Chris Aiken, and I play bass guitar in Strung Out.

Lanny – So what can you tell me about this amazing free show that involved two of Fat Wreck Chord’s most talented bands? And then what happened to Lagwagon?

Chris – Well we just found out about it a few weeks ago, we were offered the show playing some skate park in Toronto. Come out for the weekend, so we were all super pumped to come out and play. `But I guess Lagwagon had to drop out, because I heard the guitar player couldn’t get through the border for some reason. So that is unfortunate that they couldn’t be here. We would love to play with them, they are great guys, and definitely some guys that I look up to personally before I even got into Strung Out I was a big fan of them. It’s too bad, but there will be other times. I am just glad Protest the Hero is here, it’s really cool that they came to fill in.

Lanny – You guys have out lasted many bands that played in your genre, era, or even on your label. What has been the key to Strung Out’s longevity?

Chris – We always ask ourselves the same thing. I think it’s because we are always trying to progress as musicians. We just put out new songs, and not try to put out the same record. I love Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues, but I don’t want to put out another Suburban record. I want to put out something better. We always want to blow the last record away. I guess it’s that, and Jason’s talent with lyrics or his artwork. It still blows my mind that, because I see it too when bands we grew up with aren’t doing what we do now, and I am just so stoked to be a part of this, or shall I say blessed. It’s crazy.

Lanny – I guess as an artist you are only as good as your last project or album.

Chris – Yes for sure.

Lanny – After being in a band for so many years, could you imagine yourself doing any other job? And if so what would that be?

Chris – (Sighs) Not right now. I want to try and do something else, not like a job, but I really want to try acting actually. That’s my next thing I want to try out. Honestly dude it’s just music, and I guess I am good at it. I guess I got lucky with some kind of talent. You know I stayed at home a lot in high school, and didn’t go out and party, so I played my guitar at home and got good which enables me to do what I do now. Just the other day when we flew here from LAX, I was on the plane, and I couldn’t believe I was flying to Toronto, because my mom and dad got me a guitar. It’s still crazy to me. I am just going along for the ride.

Lanny – What has been the worst change in the music industry today from when you guys started? What is the best?

Chris – It’s tough, I mean there are a lot of plus and negative things going on right now. The main thing is seeing how CD sales are going down. Back in the 80’s and 90’s groups were selling eight or nine million records, and you could make a shit load of money, and you could retire after one album. That is one thing that has hurt the music industry with the downloading. Now it’s about having a gimmick to sell the CD, which is why you are seeing DVD’S or posters along with the CD. But also the plus thing about downloading is you can be in some small city in like Karakas or something which doesn’t have a record store that sells Strung Out Cd’s, but your one friend has a computer and can burn copies for all his friends, and we go there and now we have new Strung Out fans. There is a lot of plus and negatives to it. It is really weird to see the label, since I have been in the band and other labels just shrinking and shrinking. It’s more about just doing your own thing. Just do it on MySpace rather than worrying about some fucking label to do it for you. It is so hard to sell CD’s now when you see shit like American Idol get spoon fed to all the public, then this person goes out and sells five million records. You are like FUCK, ARE YOU KIDDING ME! They are horrible.

Lanny – A contest winner.

Chris – Exactly. There is a lot of animosity you know, but you just have to come out with the next clever thing almost because the music industry is so out of whack right now. It’s all smaller labels merging. Who knows what it will be like in ten years from now. It will be interesting to see what labels are left.

Lanny – For bands like Strung Out who tirelessly travel the world playing shows doing things yourself it must be impossible to respect those reality TV show winners

Chris – AAAhhh to each it’s own, I guess. Good for them you know. You can see though how if this guy played drums for 35 years and still barely makes ends meet, and some guy comes from nowhere and gets lucky. Whatever, I just once again feel lucky we have been around this long, and get to come to Canada, Japan or anywhere else. I am just going to ride it out as long as I can. Just have fun. That’s why I got into it in the first place. Just hanging out in my friend’s garage. That’s what I think most people forget. You get caught up in the business side, which is important because it is a business. It’s so competitive. Just don’t lose that side of it, what it was like when you started to play music. Why do I care about Kelly Clarkson, or Clay Aiken you know?

Lanny – Where is the oddest location that Strung Out has ever played?

Chris – That’s a good question. Damn we did some shows in Australia with Frenzal Rhomb, and we played some crazy places. I remember this one outdoor place, which was really funky. Actually last summer we played in Croatia in the middle of these mountains at this festival with No Means No. It was the first time seeing those guys play, and I fell in love with them. Anyways Croatia is really cool, and like I said we were in the middle of these crazy ass mountains. It was just a cool setting, breathe taking almost.

Lanny – I love going to shows, certain bands I can watch over and over. Obviously being a musician you would feel the same. Could you recall your most memorable show, or your favorite band to see live?

Chris – I remember when I was young I had my Metallica poster with all my ticket stubs all around it from all the bands I would go see. I remember seeing Pantera on the Vulgar Display of Power tour at the Hollywood Palladium. I remember seeing Phil Anselmo at the side of the stage before they played. We were yelling “Hey” to Phil, and he shook our hand. That was just crazy to me. I couldn’t believe I got to shake Phil’s hand. I saw them again about a month later up in Santa Barbara at this small ass club, and I met Vinnie and Dimebag Darrell. I still have a pack of smokes that me and my friend got them to sign. That was back when he was Diamond Darrell not Dimebag. That was totally a moment where I just met my idol. It was cool. Then even recently we got to play a down load festival in England with Metallica, and I got to talk to Lars Ulrich. I was just going “Oh my god!” “I can die now!”

Lanny – So now that the shoe is on the other foot how does it make you feel when a fan sees you as one of their idols?

Chris – It’s hard to take in sometimes. I take it for what it is. It’s so cool man, it’ s a trippy feeling because I look at myself as this dumb guy, who grew up in this town and does this, and I don’t think of myself as special. But it’s cool to have kids tell me stories about how stoked they are to meet you, or our music has helped them overcome a drug addiction, or a break up. Yes it’s wild. Because I have been there too, when I think of some band, and now that I’m older, I don’t even think about it, and kids do it to us, and I sometimes honestly don’t know how to take it. It’s cool though man. I just try and be cool to everyone and talk to everyone, and be real appreciative because I do appreciate it.

Lanny – Who is one seminal band from back in the day, which had a profound impact on you, but never really got the recognition that they deserved?

Lanny – With the doom and gloom state of affairs in the music industry, which has bands slogging their labels, and bands being dropped like flies, decline in sales, etc, how is your current relationship with your label Fat Wreck Chords?Chris – ALL! Well I mean you had the Descendents, but when they turned into ALL no one seemed to care about them. ALL is the band that got me into punk rock. Before I even listened to Bad Religion my friend played me Allroy for Prez, and I was just like whoa what is this? That crossed it over for me when I started listening to like Bad Religion’s Against the Grain or whatever else. We did a tour with ALL and Pennywise and ALL played before us, and I was thinking there is no way I want to play after these guys. They were just the coolest guys, and to see them was like unreal. Then we played a show is Philly with ALL, and Milo was there. And then on the last two songs he came out to sing and, Stephan and Bill switched instruments and the place just went fucking nuts.

Chris – It’s still great! We love everyone there, and we have been on that label since 94, so we are all super tight. Fat Mike is a really good friend to us, and I almost look at him more as a friend before our actual boss, but he is our boss. It’s always good to be able to get some advice from someone you can trust not some guy from some label who doesn’t give a shit.

Lanny – I know you guys are probably so sick of talking about your robbery incident in Philly last fall, but I couldn’t help but notice the how positive you all remained during and after the incident. Is that positivist within Strung Out kept you guys intact for so many years?

Chris – I think so. You know there are times when you get sick of each other, but there are times where your energy gets turned into positivity in a way that you move forward. Something like the robbery you know, something tragic happen to you, I guess the worst time together became our closest time together. That shit really brought us together, and I guess tied the knot a little better too. That incident definitely strengthened us a little more.

Lanny – What can we expect from Strung Out in the near future?

Chris – The unexpected!!!

Lanny – Final Question. Humboldt County, California or BC. Who’s got the better weed?

Chris – For sure BC.