Interview Adam Jackson Twelve Tribes

Lineup: Adam Jackson - Vocals Andrew Corpus - Guitar Kevin Schindel - Guitar Matt Tackett - Bass Shane Shook - Drums

Soulfly Ill Niño Crisis Twelve Tribes HOB Chicago 9/4/04 Interviewer: Karma E. Omowale Photos: Erika Kristen Watt

"You’re raised to go to school, to go to college, get a degree, work, get married…and then what else? So many people miss out on what they really want out of life! And so many people just miss it completely..."

The music of Twelve Tribes can be described as metal & rock with an injection of hardcore and hip-hop, a feat not easily pulled off; however, this band has successfully cornered the market. Manager, Howard Jones, Killswitch Engage vocalist, was quoted as saying, “No one else has what they have” and I must acquiesce! This band shines a light through the dismal mediocrity of an inundated genre. Adam Jackson, Twelve Tribes vocalist, chatted with me when the band opened for Soulfly. Read on as he discusses: life, love, his passion for his career, how we as a society can free ourselves from self imposed restraints and more. 

The FourteenG staff was made to jump through hoops per the venue’s ever changing house rules; after being given the flux, to the tune of the interview being severely delayed… By the time Adam & I were able to talk, he and I were both pretty flustered by the events of the evening so much so that I failed to record the first two questions of the interview. Thank goodness he's patient and willing to start anew. Portions of this interview were thrown off by: mood of frustration, noise in the venue, a couple of calls he needed to take during the interview… However, despite the onslaught of events, this interview is scintillating nonetheless, no thanks to Mr. Jackson! 

Karma: Please state your name and what you do for the band.

Adam: My name is Adam and I’m the vocalist and screamer for Twelve Tribes. [Smiles]

Karma: Please describe Twelve Tribes to someone who has never heard of your band before.

Adam: We are a hardcore band; we experiment with music ranging from: Hardcore to Rock to Metal to Hip-Hop and anything in between.  We infuse it all because traditionally hardcore is thought of as one thing, you know what I mean, it’s got a lot of stereotypes, whatever, we try to break the mold a little bit.  We try to experiment outside the box.

Karma: Knowing that you guys have been together for about 7 years, has the lineup changed much from the beginning?

Adam: It has changed.  Our original lineup has actually come full circle.  We had some problems in the beginning with people not wanting to tour and things like that and so we switched members.  Two years ago when we first started to write this record [Rebirth of Tragedy] we went back and added the original members which helped the writing process in a way that when you hang out with people you’ve known for years, you feel more comfortable.  It’s the same thing when you write music like when you’re around people you’ve known for years, it makes writing so much easier and so much more free.  You feel like you can criticize more easily because you know them, you know what I’m saying?  [Laughs]

Karma: [Laughs] Oh believe me I do!

Adam: Because they know you are not out to hurt their feelings even though feelings do get hurt.

Karma: This is SO true.  I know this story all too well.  But the other party should anyway but…

Adam: Yes, that is a big part of it.

Karma: So what’s your musical background?  How did you get started in metal/rapcore?

Adam: My brother actually took me to my first hardcore show when I 13 years old.

Karma: Who did he take you to see?

Adam: It was a just a local band in Dayton, OH, which is where we’re from.  They were a local band called Forechild (sp).  I saw those guys get up on stage and scream and go insane and do whatever.  I was blown away; I thought it was something I’d like to be a part of.  That was, honestly, the one moment I could say I knew I was going to have something to do with it.  I had no idea 11 years later I’d be doing it for a living. It definitely was an inspirational point in my life. [His voice softens and he flashes a smile]

Karma: That’s awesome!  What are your views on fans who’d like you to stay underground especially now that you are getting noticed?

Adam: I’d like to stay underground too for certain reasons too.

Karma: Okay

Adam: But I also feel like doing tours like this, where we are playing with more mainstream bands like Soulfly and we also toured with Kittie; it’s a chance for us to get underground music out people to who otherwise would have no access to it.  Because radio and television, they are all owned by the same corporations and they only allow listeners to hear what they want them to hear.  For this type to be displayed at places like the House of Blues and the Rave [in Milwaukee] where we played last night, I think it’s good.  It’s good for people to be expose to things like that whether it’s music or art or fashion or whatever it is.  It’s good for people not to be held back not to be limited, to let them hear what’s going on out in the world. But to get back to the question, [He smiles & chuckles and I start to laugh] fans who say, ‘Ahh, they should play VFW halls’ and ‘They should only sell 2,000 records’ I mean, I don’t know, but that’s not in our best interest.

Karma: Speaking of underground and getting your name out there, I first heard your band on Music Choice.  And I love “Venus Complex” it’s a great song!

Adam: [Smiles] Thank you!

Karma: What are your thoughts on underground bands being played on MC and being a platform for bands to be heard?

Adam: It’s awesome!  Because it was like I was saying, MTV is a corporation, they say what is cool, and they say what you’re going to hear.  It allows a band like us, who is an underground band, who doesn’t have regular airplay on MTV and Clear Channel Radio to be exposed to people…  Like when I first got digital cable a couple of years ago, I was flipping through the channels I was like, ‘Oh, there’s a whole Rap station, there’s an all metal station’ I learned about a ton of bands that way.  It’s definitely a cool thing.

Karma: Since “you believe we are anonymous slaves to time, class, sex, occupation”…do you have any thought on how we can free ourselves from these restraints?

Adam: Well, that’s what our whole album is based on.  Basically our record is about being an individual and being…just allowing yourself to grow and mature… [He stops himself in mid sentence]  That doesn’t sound right.  [Laughs aloud]  Please repeat the question.  [Laughs again]  This is going to be a horrible interview.  I’m sorry; I’m doing so bad…

Karma: [Hearty guffaw] Oh trust me, it won’t be!  [Laughing again]  We got off to a really bad start…but it will be awesome in the end.  Okay again, since you believe we are [he starts to repeat the question verbatim] anonymous slaves to time, class, sex, occupation…

Adam: I wrote that!  [Beaming]

Karma:  Did you really…I have it quotes. [Referring to my typed up notes as I took the quote from their bio off the band’s website]  How can we free ourselves from these restraints?

Adam: Okay, so basically our record, every song is a stab at trying to free yourself from those restraints.  The first track “Post Replica” talks about organized religion and how believing what you’re told is not always the right way to live life.  And every song after that...it kinda goes along the same…  We have a song called “Backburner” which is pretty much about the zombification of working a 9-5 job and hating what you do.

You’re raised to go to school, to go to college, get a degree, work, get married…and then what else?  So many people miss out on what they really want out of life!  And so many people just miss it completely and I feel…you know, that’s REALLY the message!  It’s about being an individual and loving your life.  The whole idea comes from strong individuals build strong families builds strong communities’ builds strong civilizations.  You know what I’m saying?

Karma: Completely

Adam: And that’s where you start.  You don’t start by attacking politicians and things like that, you start with yourself.  It starts with the people that you associate yourself with. 

You know there’s a lot of ways to rid yourself of those restraints and I think it’s just on a person to person basis that you find that you’ll find that.  My restraints may not be the same as yours.  Like I put sex on there, it may not be yours, it may not be mine but to somebody, that affects them.  So you know there’s different ways to look at it and I feel it just takes a person to take the time to learn to think about what love and what they really want out of life.

Karma: What is the meaning of life to you?

Adam: That’s a funny question to me; the meaning of life? 

Karma: Yes, the meaning of life

Adam: There are so many meanings… I’ll just say in one word: Love.

Karma: The Metal scene in Ohio seems to bustling. 

Adam: It’s good.

Karma: Is it turning into a hotbed of metal seismic activity?

Adam: Kind of but not really, not any more than any where else right now in the Midwest or the East Coast.  Ohio’s good but it’s not the best scene.  Like for us especially, we’d go over better on the East Coast or Down South things like that.  It’s good, it’s growing, it’s doing good!

Karma: So since…

Adam: Like…

Karma: I’m sorry…

Adam: Oh like for example, my town of Dayton, OH, which is less than a million people, we don’t even have a good venue to play in.  So when we go home to play a show, we’re either playing in a bar that holds 200 people or we’re playing in a VFW Hall that holds 500 people.

Karma: Wow…that’s it?

Adam: Yeah, there’s no venue for artists, like ourselves, to play a good show.

Karma: Now see there you go, that ties in to you being underground where your fans can see you play at a VFW Hall. [Smiles]

Adam: [laughs] That’s right, then we get a lot of stuff and then people are like, ‘Why haven’t you played Dayton in 4 months?’ Because we’ve been on tour for like the past 4 months.  And it’s like, where in the hell are we going to play?  We actually did a show at a Boys & Girls Club to do our CD release.  But it’s like that, you have to find ways to make it happen and that’s cool but I would be a lot better if everything was moving along together.  Like if the promoters had their eyes open to what’s going on in the underground and all that.

Karma: But then everything happens in due time.

Adam: This is true, it happened with skateboarding.  I’ve been skateboarding since I was 13 and when I first started, there were no skate parks.  I had to skate downtown then they would always kick me out and I’d have to use parking garages and things like that.  Now there’s a skate park in every suburb and kids don’t have to get into trouble.  So it’s going to be like that!

Karma: Good analogy!

Adam: Thanks!

Karma: Since your subject matter/lyrical content are very serious, do you guys ever goof off in your spare time?

Adam: [With a straight, deadpan face] Never!  [Everyone laughs]  It’s not necessarily goofy, we play video games and we make sun of each other ALL day!  It’s the only way to really keep sane.  Is to know that you can make fun of somebody and to know they won’t hate you for it. [Laughs]  You know what I mean?

Karma: I do!

Adam: Humor is EVERYTHING!  When you’re waking up in a van at 6 O’clock in the morning because it’s your turn to drive and you still have 4 hours to get to the venue and you’ve slept for 2 and it’s your turn…

Karma: Now, that’s love [for your career]!

Adam: [Smiles] If you don’t have a sense of humor about it, you’ll never make it.

Karma: Why was Rebirth of Tragedy so long in the making?

Adam: Because we switched members but also when we sat down to write the record, we wanted to try to create our own sound or style.  We took a lot of time just writing songs and scrapping them, like ‘That’s close…’ but not exactly what we wanted.  It’s really about just writing and finding what you want.  So many people write records and they regurgitate what other bands have already done or they out things out because they have deadlines.  We didn’t feel like we needed to be under pressure like that.  We wanted to write a record for ourselves and when we did that, other people took interest in it.  We got signed and all of a sudden now we’re on tour with Soulfly and that’s a big part of it.  When I was writing the lyrics to this record, I was going through all this stuff I was saying, ‘You know, I don’t have to do what everybody else is doing.’  I can do…I went to college, I have a degree, I worked and all that stuff but I was thinking I can do THIS if I set my mind to it.  Whatever you have in your mind, you can manifest it into reality!  It really works!!

Karma: As far as the studio is concerned, do you prefer touring to the studio? 

Adam: I prefer writing.  I think writing is the best like in a basement with no one except for me and a couple of guys in the band just writing and having fun with it.  Studio: there’s a little bit more pressure cause you’re on time and it’s money and all that stuff.  But between studio and playing live, I definitely prefer playing live.  Because the studio is NOT fun!! [Makes a wild expression]

Karma:  Okay! [Laughs]

Adam: Especially this past time because you have this baby that you’ve been working on for 2 years and every little thing, you’re like [Smiles], ‘Is that right? Is that how we wanted it to sound?  Is that what I’m supposed to do?’ And then the producer’s like… “Ahh!!” It’s pretty hectic.

Karma: So then the pressure…from was the record company?  No…

Adam: No…pressure you put on yourself.  Pressure you put on yourself to make something you’re proud of.  And in the end that’s what we got!  Because it’s good to put pressure on yourself!

Karma: Yes, it is!

Adam: Whether it’s recording a record or trying to learn to kick flute!  Skateboarding lingo!! [We all laugh hysterically]

Karma: So do you have a pre-show ritual?

Adam: No, not really especially when we’re opening it’s like everyday is completely different it’s like rush, set up, okay sit around, do this do that!  Nothing’s ever the same.  As far as a prayer or a chant’s concerned, no, nothing like that.

Karma: Okay, Well here’s a Speed Round of Questions.

Adam: Sweet, I like these!

Karma: You ready?

Adam: Wait!  [He takes a quick swig of water and smiles]  Ready!! [smiles]

Karma: [laughing hysterically] Okay!  How would your best friend describe you?

Adam: I’m trying to think of which best friend…

Karma: It’s nice to be that loved, you have multiples…

Adam: I’m horrible, I can’t even think!  [Hysterical laughter from all]  I’d say smart

Karma: What’s your mantra?

Adam: “Impulse arrested spills over in the floods of madness” It’s a quote by Aldous Huxley [Said very fast]

Karma: Okay, can you please repeat that one more time?

Adam: [Said slower this go round] “Impulse arrested spills over in the floods of madness” It means if you hold yourself back from what you really want, it creates madness as it overflows.

Karma: Well that’s interesting because my next question was favorite quote.  Is this your favorite or do you have another one?

Adam: Yeah, and it’s my mantra!  Apparently, it’s my mantra!  [Laughs]

Karma: Top 5 movies?

Adam: This is easy! [Smiles] Shogun Assassin #1, Pulp Fiction #2, Princess Bride #3,

Karma: Ahh!! [Laughs]

Adam: [Laughs] Let me throw in Battle Royale #4, because I just saw it and what's another good movie? Buffalo 66!

Karma: What’s the last book you read?

Adam: The Da Vinci Code

Karma: How was that?

Adam: Great, it’s really good.  And I’m now reading, Angels and Demons, fiction

Karma: Favorite city that you’ve played in?

Adam: I love playing Indianapolis, IN; I don’t know why, it’s in the Midwest but the crowd there always amazes me. It’s really close to our hometown.

Karma: What would you like written on your epitaph?

Adam: I want to be cremated.  I don’t know, I haven’t written it yet…it’s not for me to say! [Looks at Erika]  That’s a curse, I don’t want to say!

Karma: Okay!  Chocolate or vanilla ice cream?

Adam: Vanilla

Karma: Introvert or extrovert?

Adam: Extrovert, but a little bit of an introvert

Karma: What’s the ringtone on your cell phone?

Adam: It’s the Chinese Melody [Smiling as he mimics the song] [We all laugh]

Karma: Live or dead: if you could host a dinner party, who would you invite?

Adam: Muhammad Ali, Bob Marley, my mom…what’s that 3?

Karma: 3

Adam: Martin Luther.  Ahhh, the last one is always the hardest; you always want to make it good… Let’s throw in…my girlfriend.  Me and my Mom and those 3, what would we have to talk about? [Laughs aloud]

Karma: [Laughing] I’m sure the conversation would be endless!

Adam: [Laughing] I know!  Right!!

Karma: Ocean or lake?

Adam: Ocean

Karma: Your biggest pet peeve?

Adam: I’ll say the small things, the little arguments that people throw at you like when people make huge deals out of small issues.  Like drama, I hate that kind of stuff over little things like, ‘Oh, they don’t have a pass’ It’s not necessary. We’re civilized, right?

Karma: Last time I checked! What’s your favorite household chore?

Adam: Dishes.  No laundry, because I like to have clean laundry.  I like it when it comes out of the dryer and it’s like [smiling], ‘AHHH, all my clothes are done!’ I don’t know why I said dishes, I hate to do them.

Karma: Burger King, Wendy’s or McDonalds?

Adam: I’m vegetarian so I would advise any of those; however [smiling], I am partial to Wendy’s fries because Wendy’s fries are the bomb!

Karma: Okay, what’s the most embarrassing name a lover has ever called you?

Adam: [Makes horse sound] Oh, yeah, yeah…the black poodle!  It was my girlfriend’s mom. [Laughter from all]

Karma: That’s a good one!

Adam: I don’t know how I remembered that one! [Laughing hysterically]

Karma: If not music then what?

Adam: Engineering, I have a degree in engineering.

Karma: Mechanical, chemical?

Adam: Industrial but I worked as a Mechanical Engineer for a year.  I did industrial design like I was designing products for a company that manufactured environmental testing equipment.  I loved the job and I just quit in April but they gave me an open ended offer. 

Karma: Congratulations!

Adam: Yeah, but I really liked that job!

Karma: Do you think you will go back to it someday?

Adam: Yeah, I’m sure!

Karma: What’s the first car you ever owned?

Adam: Ford Escort ‘98

Karma: Do you eat the stems of broccoli?

Adam: Yeah!  Who doesn’t?

Karma: I don’t! [He gives me a very strange look, I laugh boisterously]

Adam: [Still giving me an odd look] What do you do, eat the leaf part or the head?

Karma: I eat the florettes!

Adam: Weird!!

Karma: If stranded on Desert Island, who would you take?

Adam: My girlfriend, I guess

Karma: And given 5 tracks, which ones would those be?

Adam: Oh, 5 songs!  Oh I thought 5 albums, not 5 songs…

Karma: Okay, I give it to you, 5 albums…I’ll let you off easy!  [Laughing]

Adam: [Smiles] Let me take Bob Marley, I’m not going to say an exact record just the artist…I make compilations.  

Karma: That’s fine!

Adam: Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, Twelve Tribes [smiles]

Karma: [Laughs]

Adam: Rebirth of Tragedy, a Bjork record and I’ll take…Argg… I’ll take a KRS One record. [Laughing]

Karma: Well thank you!  I so appreciate it!!

Adam: That’s it? [Laughing]

Karma: Yup! You made it! [Laughing]

Adam: Pheww!! [Laughing again]  I can’t believe we made it!!  Thank you!  I hope all goes well for you!

Karma: And to you as well!


Thanks to Jensen at Adrenaline for setting the interview up and again to Adam himself for being an excellent sport and helping the FourteenG staff out; it was definitely appreciated!

Click here for photos of the band from tonight's show