Interview Trevor Phipps Unearth

Lineup: Trevor Phipps • vocals Ken Susi • guitar Buz McGrath • guitar John “Slo” Maggard • bass Mike Justain • drums

OzzFest 2006: XI Alpine Valley (East Troy, WI) 7/22/06 Interviewer: Karma E. Omowale Transcription: Sharita Lira Additional Questions: Josh Thorne

"We want to make it heavier just to show the fans of our music that we’re not gonna sell out; we’re here to make heavy music that we enjoy and a lot of other people enjoy too".

Our affiliation with Unearth began some three odd years right before the band dropped, The Oncoming Storm. In that time we have seen this collective of young men mature to men soaring to heights only imagined. They have become one of the best live acts of metal/hardcore today! In addition, Unearth has not ever lost sight of their fans (and doubt they ever will). As a matter of fact, they hold their fans' opinion in just as high of a regard as their own! This may be FourteenG's sixth (6th) encounter with the band, but at least it's not recycled or rehashed info. This go round we bend frontman Trevor Phipps' ear. He discusses their new mammoth release, III: In the Eyes of Fire, what's going on with his burgeoning record label Ironclad, offers some clarity surrounding Ozzfest: XI, Every Time I Die, and...

Karma: Thanks a lot for sitting down with us, again, for the sixth time!!

Trevor: [Shock crosses his countenance] Sixth time?

Trevor: No, I’m not getting sick of you.

Trevor: Sore about it, why would I be sore about it?

Trevor: Red Sox won in 2004, so…

Trevor: Still pretty stoked on that.

Trevor: Actually, I was pretty stoked for the White Sox. Now, I guess if the Sox don’t win it, I would like to see the Cubs win it but they’re not going to this year. They’re just terrible.

Trevor: I’ve always been a fan of the Cubs.

Trevor: [Laughter ensues] I tried. [Begins coughing] It was weird; I had fun with it.

Trevor: Yeah it turned out okay. I didn’t look too stupid I guess.

Karma: You didn’t. So how was Ozzfest for you this year?

Trevor: So far it’s great. Everyday it’s five to ten thousand people a day. People are there to party and have a good time it’s been fun. 

Trevor: Yeah, there are a couple of cons. A pro is having Ozzy play onstage at the same time it’s a minor con for us because when he’s here, they have an extra set of barricades. There is a barricade between the stage and the crowd and another barricade…

Trevor: Yeah and I don’t really see the sense in it. I know all the bands are a little bummed out on it. We can’t complain because Ozzy is here and it’s his festival, for one, and he’s playing our stage, which is rad because he’s up close and personal everyday and the fans are stoked on it. At the same time, it has kind of a bummer to have a barricade and have only three thousand people come sit in this area, where it obviously can fit six or seven thousand people in that area. The other people who paid money to get in are beyond this barricade and that’s something [all] of the bands didn’t know going into the festival…

Trevor: Some of it they kinda threw together at the last minute…

Trevor: Uh, I don’t even know what the point of it is.

Trevor: To the best of my knowledge there was no trampling. In San Bernardino when we played, I think we were starting “Endless”, they actually broke down the barricade, and a couple of thousand people ran in.

Trevor: It was like a sea of human water; those people just started rolling in. Finally, when they put those things back up, they were already in. This idea was little ridiculous because there could’ve been ten thousand people in that barricade area and they let three thousand in so it looked empty, it looked so ridiculous.

Trevor: That was the biggest auditorium. In LA, that’s the biggest show on the tour. There’s like twenty thousand people there. Three thousand people in that gated area and you got another seventeen thousand way beyond there, it kind of blows your mind that these people can’t get close to the stage. So, the other people saw that too and I think that’s why they broke down the barricade. Even after those twelve thousand people filed in there was still plenty of room for more people.

Trevor: I don’t fully understand it, I’m sure they have their reasons, you know.

Trevor: We’ve really toured with so many bands it’s amazing. I mean the wish list only goes towards the big acts now. We would like to tour with Iron Maiden, that’s a big influence, Metallica. A tour with Megadeth, where they playing mostly the old material, that would be pretty killer. I think Pantera would be a dream tour, obviously we can’t have anymore, but that’s just my favorite band of all-time. I’d love to tour with Testament and Crowbar. Those bands aren’t really touring full-time anymore but it would still be rad to play some shows on tour with those guys.

Trevor: Okay.

Karma: Speaking of touring, since you road warriors have done four-five tours off The Oncoming Storm, will you do the same for III: In the Eyes of Fire?

Trevor: I would imagine. [Coughs again] Maybe scale down the US touring down a tour or two. The Slipknot tour wasn’t in our plans so. Our plans were to [tour with] Damageplan, we did uh…what did we do after that…Ozzfest. Then we ran a headlining tour, we traded a tour…

Trevor: [Nods head] Sounds, then another heading, that six tours. That was what we wanted to do, [it] was kind of planned out. Not all of them were planned like that but the time for the tours were there, then we got the Slipknot offer. That’s a lot of touring, you got seven tours on one record but the Slipknot tour turned out to be a great [one] to have. So, I would say like a few less, two or three fewer US tours but we only went to Europe twice last album cycle, only went to Japan and Australia once. We still have never been to Mexico or South America. I think there’s more world tours in the plans, not saying that were going to neglect US but we might have, I don’t want to say we over toured but we definitely did tour the US a lot last time; I’d like to make it a little more special, I guess. So, maybe three or four tours in the US this record.

Trevor: [Smiles] Thanks.

Trevor: A little bit. I mean Oncoming Storm was mostly a collaboration of songs we’d written over a period of years because around Eulogy, we kind of took the tours we could get and we got them, so we could have time to write on the two tours. Oncoming Storm the touring cycle we had, we toured almost nonstop we didn’t get a chance to write. So we finished that, so on tour in mid-November of last year we’d only had a few riffs of song skeletons. We only had from mid-November to early March to write, so we only had a four-month time period pretty much. The whole record was written in four months; it gave the record more of continuity I guess, more of a theme musically. The whole record is definitely faster, heavier, it’s harder and it’s a lot darker because if you know the winter in Boston, it’s no sunlight and we were practicing four to six days a week. There was not much life beyond what we were doing so it just kind of gave it a more darker and harder feel to it. [Coughs] Plus, we wanted it to be heavier… [Coughs again] I have bus cough, the air is dirty here. We wanted to go a bit heavier on this record as well. It seems like the trend is heavy bands ever since, you know, the eighties and nineties; every record they make and the bigger the band gets, the lighter each record becomes and we don’t want to do that. We want to make it heavier just to show the fans of our music that we’re not gonna sell out; we’re here to make heavy music that we enjoy and a lot of other people enjoy too.

Trevor: I was going to mention before, there are too many labels now, and we’re guilty of it as well. [Coughs profusely] It was Metal Blade, their idea to do a special edition on the last record a year after it came out; I think that’s unfair to fans. So this time, we were like okay, if you guys insist on doing a special edition, let’s have that special edition at the get go. So if people want the cheaper version, just the CD and the layout, they can buy that or they could get the special edition from the get go so both are available. I know In Flames just  did that.

Trevor: It treats your fans better. Later down the line, we’ll have a real DVD in a year or so; you know what I mean? Maybe offer something if the person doesn’t have a CD, they get the CD and DVD at the same time or something like that as opposed to re-releasing all these cool things that the kids can’t buy again and they’ll have to but your record again. That’s totally unfair. [As Trevor finishes, a fan begins to yell in the background. Laughter ensues]

Trevor: It was awesome; I mean he’s a legend…

Trevor: Yeah that was a big reason why we chose him, Soundgarden and Deftones [as well]. I suppose recently, he did a rock band called Dredge and the record, it’s just an excellent overall production with great sounds. He’s a laid back guy, he’s cool. We knew that he would help us get a more organic, live energy on the record. On past records, it was more of a crisp sounding record, it was cleaner, it’s metal, “here it is” and it was perfect. This record isn’t perfect and it’s on purpose; it’s supposed to be dirty, live, and organic sound because we’re better live than on our record. We always have been. People know that, we know that and so Terry’s mentality was that humans aren’t perfect so the music we create shouldn’t be either. [He said], “Go in there, we’ll do a few takes and we’ll take the best one.” If there’s a minor flaw it gives it more character.

Trevor: Oh well each instrument was done on it’s own but drums we’re mostly one take all the way through, vocals, I would do each section. Only, three… sometimes only once, if we knew I nailed it. Three or fours times and we’d pick the best one. Last record, I would do a part a hundred times until I got it right. With Mike on the drums, he would do the song, then Adam [Dutkiewicz] would cut have him tapes and have him play in just sections. That’s what most bands do, especially with Pro-Tools, they just play until everything sounds perfect, crystal clear, and there it is. That’s not how people play live, that’s not real. We wanted to make a real record and you know to the average listener, you're not gonna know mistakes, you’re gonna hear a lot more personality in the songs.

Trevor: Oh, that’s a tough one; it’s still too fresh that I couldn’t pick a favorite. For some reason, every time I popped in the record I waited a month between listens. When we approved the final master and mixes that was almost a month and a half ago. I didn’t actually listen to it until about a week ago because I needed to clear my head of it. We were in the studio for about seven weeks…We heard mixes and all these crap for a while after too so I was a little burnt on it. I popped it in for a while last week.

Trevor: Oh, amazing. I was stoked, I was ultimately proud of it. This one song, I keep going to, it’s track nine, of all the tracks. So the whole record is solid all the way through. It’s called “Imposters Kingdom” and it’s by far the heaviest song we’ve ever done and that’s why I think, I keep going to it. I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite but for some reason I just want to listen to it. I’m just so excited that we wrote a song that heavy. It’s just a brutally fast and heavy, song. It’s just intense and it’s cool as fuck man, it’s awesome.

Trevor: Yeah, you gotta be a fan of your own music or there’s no point. 

Trevor: Our label and our manager definitely told us there was a timeframe. We were going to do Ozzfest, then the record in the summer and we had to record in this time so. It seemed like a short amount of time but it did all come together and it was enough time. We had to put the pedal to the metal early on, like four to six days a week of practice is a bit much. We usually do three days a week so we don’t get burnt out with each other and the music but we really had to buckle down. It was rough…

Trevor: Yes, it was worth it.

Trevor: I think so. We go out and meet with everybody everyday. At Jäger, we talked with everybody, then we did a club show. I walk out in the crowd all the time, see people hang out; people always come around the bus. If there’s no barricade, I jump in the crowd and just have a fun time.

Trevor: Hopefully we never lose sight of that, I don’t really see any reason to.

Trevor: I don’t see a reason for anyone to ever lose sight of that. We’re all just dudes who play music, you know what I mean?

Trevor: Yeah it’s just a job though. To me, it’s the best job in the world but it is just a job.

Trevor: If Hope Dies is selling pretty well, they’re going on tour with All That Remains in the fall. ATR, Amon Amarth, and The Acacia Strain, which I think that’s a good tour for them.

Trevor:  They are selling well. It has over six thousand scans; almost have seven thousand scans.

Trevor: That’s the biggest release I’ve had so far.

Trevor: Yeah, It’s going pretty well. I have some new signings in the works that I can’t announce just yet but yeah it’s going well though.

Trevor: Uh, pretty much every band that has took the stage at Ozzfest, you know all the rotators that haven’t blown up yet are all worthy. Even a band like Bad Acid Trip, whom I haven’t heard before the tour; those guys are hard workers. They’re in a van, which is probably the hardest tour to do in the world. All the guys Full Blown Chaos are in a van now as well. All these bands, A Life Once Lost, all these bands are just great.

Of course all the bands on Ironclad, Apiary, If Hope Dies, and A Classic Struggle; I signed them all for a reason, I think they’re excellent bands. I know Guy from The Red Chord has some excellent bands on his roster. BlackMarket Activities has a band called Animosity that we’re taking on tour in the fall [Sanctity of Brothers Tour]. They’re just blowing me away, they’re just this brutal death metal band that’s killer. They’re energy…I saw them live at The Whiskey in April actually and they just blew me away. I was like; “We have to take these guys on the road.” So, they’re good! [Beams] There’s a lot of good young metal bands and they’re underground, I mean really underground is starting to blow up with good heavy bands.

Trevor: I think it’s a great thing. I definitely do. I think it’s better than emo blowin up. See, if you go to a death metal show and you see the bands like Through The Eyes of the Dead, Animosity, and From A Second Story Window, you know these young bands, and Job for a Cowboy, these young bands that are still in their teens. You see all these kids at the show that are not old death metal fans, they’re kids attending the show and enjoying this music. This is kind of a trip. These kids with pretty haircuts are singing along to death metal songs, that kind of blows my mind. [Laughter]

Trevor: I’d rather for kids be into heavy music as opposed to punk crap that had no heart. Not saying that all punk music has no heart but a lot of it doesn’t.

Trevor: Collaborate with? That’s something I really haven’t thought about. We would’ve to have loved to have Dime play on this record. That’s pretty much the only thing other than having Chuck Billy of Testament be a guest vocalist.

Trevor: Usually, we like to keep our records our own. It’s just our music, here it is. I can’t say or rule out in the future that we would never have anybody. We might but as of right now, I’m not even thinking about it.  

Trevor: If not music then what? Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Trevor: I would prefer it always stay in music whether it be at label then a band. Even work on the road; if for some reason I failed at this. I wouldn’t mind being a tour manager some day. I just love this as a job but if not, a writer, that’s what I was before this. I was a sports writer. I graduated from college with a journalism degree, that’s what I did. This took off so I had to quit that. I might go back to that if the music fails me I guess.

Trevor: Uh, Slo, would probably be a professional gambler, he’s actually a self-proclaimed professional gambler. I don’t know how true it is; Ken is getting to be a damn good producer; I know Buz was a city worker before we got him full time working with us; and I have no idea what Mike would do, he’s a mysterious dude. [Chuckles] I don’t even know what he did before this band. He was in The Red Chord but I don’t know what he did for a job. I have no idea.

Trevor: Good question. You have to give a little when you live in tight quarters. You have to get along and work together properly you have to give a little in return. It can get frustrating at times, I had a little blow up the other day, I was frustrated. Everyone had his girlfriend out; I brought my girlfriend out too for while. It is close quarters and we’re out for a long time. Like I said I have this cough, I’m not sick but I have a bus cough because the air is dirty. So it’s not all pretty all the time. You do get a little frustrated, you have to learn to keep your temper in check and just relax, don’t complain cause it’s a great job. [Smiles] It is easy to let your temper get the best of you sometimes.

Trevor: Yeah. We’re all human.

Trevor: Best advice… [Coughs profusely] Oh man, loaded question. I don’t fully know, I can’t think of the best advice. Really can’t.

Trevor: Yeah it’s been a lot of advice. People gave me advice as I was growing up; I just keep my nose to the grindstone. Have fun and keep rockin’ and whatever.

Trevor: [Laughs] Jim Beam and Coke. That’s what we drink all the time.

Trevor: Keith [Buckley], Every Time I Die?

Trevor: Right on, [smiles] that’s what we drink. They’re pretty much a brother band. We shared buses with them, we did many tours with them. Shared buses in Europe, shared buses over here. Those are our favorite dudes on the planet, love those guys.

Trevor: Wow, that’s interesting. Cover an Unearth song…man. Interesting question. Who would I enjoy seeing play our songs? …mmph. I guess Every Time I Die just because we’ve toured with them so many times. I’d love to see Keith spin on my vocals. I’d like to see what Andy, Jordan, Mike, and Chris do with our performance on stage. So, Every Time I Die, I have to pick one of our heaviest songs, maybe, “This Lying World.” I’d have to see what they’d do with that. That’s a crowd-oriented song, we opened with that today and we’ve never done that before.

Trevor: Well a few shows into this tour, we decided to start opening with it and it was almost the opening track for Oncoming Storm but we were like oh it’s too long, it’s nine minutes, so it’s not going to make it as the first track. We didn’t want to make it a long-winded first song but it’s song that works so well live, you get the crowd into it, there’s clapping parts, crazy mosh parts, sing-along parts everything in that song. So, I’d like to see them do that. That’s a great live band, I’d like to see their spin on it live.

Trevor: Strapping Young Lad, I think, they’re interesting people. Devin Townsend is the most laid back, chilled out dude you meet in person. On stage, he stalls the crowd to no end. Gene Hoglan is an amazing drummer; he’s a really cool guy. I’d like to sit down with them and talk with them and see what makes them tick, I guess. See why Devin is so laid back in person and just a…

Trevor: A maniac on stage...still interesting.

Trevor: Yeah, how long has the magazine been going on?

Trevor: Oh really, so our first time talking to you, you were brand new.

Trevor: How’s the magazine going?

Trevor: How many of each magazine do you put in press?

Trevor: It’s only web?

Trevor: Really, that’s cool. Do you get a lot of hits?

Trevor: Is it a career for you?

Trevor: Do you guys sell advertising?

Trevor: And that’s why you do it.

Trevor: [Nods head] That’s why you do it though.

Trevor: I know. [Laughs]

Trevor: Well the record comes out August 8^th, we’re very proud of the record, [III:] In the Eyes of Fire, that’s our new album.

Trevor: [Smiles] You’re welcome.

o  Here for new interview with Jeanne Sagan

o  Here for previous interview with Trevor from the Thick As Thieves Tour 

o  Here for previous interview with Ken Susi from the Thick As Thieves Tour