PUNK GLOBE: Hi JFA thanks for taking the time for Let's Talk Punk. Can you tell us the current band line up?
JFA: Brian Brannon, vocals/keyboards; Don Redondo, guitar; Corey Stretz, bass; and Carter Blitch, drums.
PUNK GLOBE: What song of your are you most proud of?
JFA: (Don) Initially I was thinking about some of the songs on "Nowhere Blossoms" as they are a little more positive than most punk songs but the song I think I am most proud of is "Beach Blanket Bongout." Who knew that song and that first EP would become so well known? I was just writing about what it was, like at the beach in the early days of punk (1977) - the down jacket surfer moustache Camaro hippies did not like punk surfers/skaters at all. It was the Quadrophenia of my era - lots of fights.
PUNK GLOBE: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
JFA: The reverse Keith Richards method - where he has a small recorder to capture ideas he does not want to lose, I figure if I do not remember th chords and timing the next day, it was not memorable enough to keep. Lyric wise I write about the things I see every day or things I want to comment on.
PUNK GLOBE: What's new in the recording of your music?
JFA: We currently have six new songs written (seven if you count the blues thing I have been screwing around with) so when Carter goes in for surgery (too much whacking off) I intend to sit down with Corey and Brian and work the other instruments in. Plus, I know Brian has some songs as well.
PUNK GLOBE: Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers? Do you have a set play list?
JFA: We try and play songs from every album/era and not just focus on the first EP and album. Cover wise we have been doing "Charlie Brown" (from the cartoon), "Baja" by a surf band from Colorado called the Astronauts and "Lowrider" (by War) for years.
PUNK GLOBE: Where have you toured to?
JFA: All over the US, multiple times going as far back as 1983. We have also played both sides of Canada (East and West) and we even played Tijuana, Mexico, once (they had a cool skatepark with snake runs and bowls). We're going to play the Rebellion Fest in England in August, so that should be real good.
PUNK GLOBE: Favorite out of town venue?
JFA: Texas - the people there are super cool.
PUNK GLOBE: Any favorite local spots to play shows?
JFA: The former Galaxy (now called the Observatory) is a cool place to play.
PUNK GLOBE: If you guys were to describe yourself in simple word choice.. what would you say?
JFA: Skatepunk
PUNK GLOBE: Describe your show, visual and musically
JFA: All over the place. Where most bands play clean/dirty (like Nirvana) we mix fast and slow. Some of our stuff is super fast and short and then we follow it with a surf song or something trippy like Julie's song (from a skate video sound track).
PUNK GLOBE: You guys have been around for a while what inspires you to keep going?
JFA: We will keep doing it as long as it keeps being fun. It allows us to travel to cool places with our friends, meet new people and skate new spots plus play super high energy shows as breakneck speed.
PUNK GLOBE: What are some of the challenges the band has faced and how have you overcome them?
JFA: Mostly unreliable drummers. It takes a lot of work to teach somebody 25 songs or so; plus, this band was built on solid bass and drums - more of a Who/Keith Moon kind of thing vs. your standard punk: only play the snare and high hat thing. Same for the bass - you gotta play the whole neck and come up with legit run vs. just mimicking the guitar (one finger Sid Vicious style)
PUNK GLOBE: Since everyone was a startup once, can you give any smaller or local bands looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
JFA: Just play what you like - don't try and be somebody else or try and fit into a mold or genre. I laugh when I read somebody learned to play to TSOL - there was no punk when me and Corey started. I learned to play to Bowie and Queen so I had to make up my own version of what punk sounds like.
PUNK GLOBE: Is there anything you as a band feel that could be done to make our music scene better?
JFA: I don't know how you fix it, but some bands draw assholes to their shows. Thank god we are not one of those bands - our crowds are generally pretty happy. Hard to beat somebody up to the Peanuts theme.
PUNK GLOBE: How has the music scene changed in the last 10 years?
JFA: A lot of people seem to be into the 80s punk bands again - we have been playing to some bigger crowds with other bands from our era.
PUNK GLOBE: How has the band changed?
JFA: It changes every time you get new members. We do everything very collaboratively vs. one person dictates and everyone else is an employee of the main guy. So every membership change ends up being a big deal.
PUNK GLOBE: Whats the best and worst things about being in a band?
JFA: The best thing is the collaboration - and coming up with something far better than you would have done on your own. The worst thing is loading and unloading heavy equipment. We have never had roadies so we do it all ourselves. All of the gear is big and heavy - in my next life I am coming back as a singer!
PUNK GLOBE: How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
PUNK GLOBE: Any shoutouts you would like to give?
JFA: (Don) It was David Bowie (specifically Mick Ronson) who got me to pick up the guitar - really bummed both of those guys are gone now
PUNK GLOBE: Anything you would like share, from new merch to upcoming shows/tours or songs/albums?
JFA: I am really, really looking forward to playing England. Been doing this for 35 years and never been to that side of the pond.
Thanks for the interview JFA keep making great music for us to enjoy.
