The Northern Light

Issue date: 7/25/06 Section: A & E

Note: This version is longer than the print version

Metalcore band 36 Crazyfists got their start in Anchorage in 1994 as teenagers playing the now-defunct Gigs and other venues around town. The band signed on with Roadrunner Records in 1999 two years after moving to Portland, Oregon, and has released three albums since -- "Bitterness the Star" (2002), Ay Snowcapped Romance" (2004), and most recently, "Rest Inside The Flame" (2006), released in the U.K. and soon to be released in the U.S.

36 Crazyfists headlines the Summer Meltdown II show at Club O on Saturday, July 29. The all-ages outdoor show runs for 10 hours played by 10 bands.

Brock Lindow is the lead singer and lyrics writer for 36 Crazyfists. He spoke with The Northern Light July 19.

 

The Northern Light:Are there any recordings of 36 Crazyfists from before Roadrunner Records signed the band?

 

Brock Lindow: Oh yeah. Through our Fisticuffs Records. We recorded and did everything on our own back then.

 

TNL: What prompted the move to Portland?

 

Lindow: We moved to Seattle first. We just knew we wanted to tour. We didn't know anything about record deals; we didn't even know any signed bands. So we didn't know how you went about doing anything like that. We just knew we wanted to tour the states and play to more people, so we moved to Seattle.

Nobody was 21 yet so none of us could get a show. We had some friends who lived down in Portland who were also from Anchorage. We knew they were getting shows and we just moved down over there. It was a lot more mellow than in Seattle. They also had a new band night every Monday, so anybody could play at this one place on Mondays. That's what our whole beginning days were when we left Anchorage.

 

TNL: You must have had a lot of group cohesion to all move to Portland at such a young age and stay dedicated to what you were doing.

 

Lindow: Everybody has been through hell and back in this band and we've been a band for 12 years. Lots of ups and downs. But we all had the same goal in mind, and we're probably one of the few bands that has had the same members for over 10 years.

 

TNL: How would you say your fan base has changed both inside Alaska and outside Alaska since you signed with Roadrunner Records?

 

Lindow: Obviously it's gotten bigger. They've helped us to get out to many more people. And in Alaska it's gotten bigger. The press we've gotten has helped us to get more people even there.

But it was always great in Anchorage. The very first show we ever played, 400 people came to our show. There's always been a very loyal group of friends that's supported the band.

 

TNL: Tell me about the Portland scene. How is different from in Anchorage?

 

Lindow: There's more bands and there's more places to play in Portland, but to be honest  we don't play in Portland all that much. We stay based there. So we play there a little, but not much.

The support in Anchorage is much better for local bands. It took us years to have a sell-out show in Portland. Metal is not that big in Portland. It's a college place, it's a  hippie place. I like Portland. But I would rather play in a smaller place that supports music, than a big city that isn't supportive of a certain genre.

Portland is definitely coming around for us, but it seems like Anchorage bands have good support, and you don't have to play for years to get those kinds of fans coming to your shows. It's more of a friendship scene in Anchorage, as opposed to the clique-iness of a bigger city.

 

TNL: 36 Crazyfists was recently featured in the magazine Rock Sound. You've been touring all over the world. Your third album's out. Do you get the feeling you're making it?

 

Lindow: We went far beyond any expectations we thought we were going to have when we first started this band. So, making it €" by no means am I rich. But I've seen the world because of my music, and that to me is far richer than any dollar amount could ever bring.

 

TNL: There's the recent U.K. release, "Rest Inside The Flame." When is the U.S. release?

 

Lindow: We still are having legal problems with getting a record release in the U.S. But hopefully, September.

 

TNL: How does the sound compare to "Bitterness the Star," or "My Snowcapped Romance"?

 

Lindow: We're pretty proud of the last record. Over the years we became better songwriters, and we know how to construct songs better than we used to.

 

TNL: The lyrics on the latest album seem more influenced by modern poetry than songwriting. Especially phrases like, "You taste like winter," "Between the seasons we find room," "That glass in your mouth, it's what I'm due for." Has poetry influenced the lyrics? Or were you just trying to find innovative metaphor?

 

Lindow: I always like to be a little bit vague. I don't like to be too exact or direct to the point, it seems cheesier that way. I've had a similar writing process for years which is, I only write about things that pertain to my life.

 

TNL: It seems like heavy rock music contains a lot of lyrics about feelings and relationships. Do you think that kind of music is a safe place for men to talk about feelings and relationships €" and still be really male?

 

Lindow: That's a good question because metal is pretty pissed-off. There's not a lot of room for the romantic stuff sometimes. But that can be all in the way you deliver it. If you come and see our band, you can tell we're not tough-guy rock. It has its melodic moments.

If you're The Lamb of God, you're not trying to talk about how in love you are with your wife or girlfriend. They're talking about killing people and things like that.

For our band, there's always been room for it. I guess it's just certain bands can do it, certain bands can't do it.

It's more of a genre thing. Now they have bands called darkcore bands, which is, they're just talking about beating people down -- real heavy music. It's just real silly shit. But it's always been a part of our music to be able to express yourself emotionally about whatever it is that you're feeling -- love, struggle, hate, despair, victory, things like that.

 

TNL: Are we still gonna see music videos on MTV2 with footage from Alaska?

 

Lindow: We just shot a new video. On every video I've worn an Alaska shirt, and I did it again. I talk about Alaska every single day to someone on tour. It's my favorite place on the planet earth, and I've been all over it. We're driving right now, and as soon as you come in our RV we have a huge Alaska flag on our ceiling. So yeah, we represent it every single night.

 

TNL: You're doing the U.S. tour right now, but tell me a little bit about the international tour you just came back from.

 

Lindow: We did a lot of festivals this summer in Europe, and played to more people than we've ever played to before. Every time we go there it gets better. We're stunned already with how our last record did. We hit number two on the [U.K. BBC] rock charts -- Red Hot Chili Peppers number one, then us -- our first week. We are much bigger in Europe than we are in the states.

But the states are getting better and better for us. We're doing our first headline tour right now. We played Cleveland the other night and there were like 600 kids that came. So it's getting better for sure.

 

TNL: Does rock 'n' roll pay the bills?

 

Lindow: I live pretty moderately, so yeah it does pay the bills. When we're on the road, we're doing fine. When we're not on the road, money's tight. That's why I like to stay on the road mostly.

 

TNL: How would you describe the glamorous life of a rock band lead singer?

 

Lindow: We just played 16 shows in a row, and in those 16 shows we took two showers. So that'll tell you how glamorous it can be.

 

TNL: Do you ever get exhausted during a performance? Or is it something you always have a lot of energy for?

 

Lindow: I get exhausted. Right now I feel pretty good because we've been on tour a couple months -- playing almost every night -- so you get in pretty good show shape. But before we started the European tour we had been off for a long time [recording]. I started jogging two months before the tour. I should've started two months before that. At the beginning of the tour, I was definitely winded. All of us were.

It's not anything you do normally in the day -- you don't run around, scream, jump off of stuff. So it's hard to prepare for it. But I'm feeling pretty good now.

 

TNL: What are some things you do mentally before getting on stage?

 

Lindow: I'm a pretty normal guy. I'm not really summoning the beast or anything. I say my prayers, I stretch out, I do vocal warm-ups, but nothing too mind-boggling.

 

TNL: Do you find recording stuff on a deadline is a challenge?

 

Lindow: When you're just writing music with your friends you have all the time in the world. When you get signed, everything's different.

Touring rules, and meeting people that are affected by your music €" that's awesome. But once it starts getting about the money, the deadlines and trying to impress people in suits -- that's when it becomes not fun.

 

TNL: So it's something you cope with so you can do the other stuff?

 

Lindow: It's something you have to adjust to. In the beginning we made some mistakes. We didn't have the right legal help. You learn quickly what to do and not do in this business. You definitely need to be surrounded by the right people.

 

TNL: What about your learning curve as far as making music?

 

Lindow: When you're playing every night, and have been touring for a year straight, you become a much better band. There's no way to not become a better band. Right now, our band is as tight as it's ever been, and I think it's because we've been playing so much.

 

TNL: Tell me about the show coming up in Anchorage.

 

Lindow: Summer Meltdown II -- it's ten hours, ten bands. It was awesome last year, and we're looking forward to playing it again. It's a hometown show for us. We haven't played there in a year, so it's gonna be awesome.

 

TNL: Is there anything you'd like to add?

 

Lindow: I think everybody who's a fan of our band that lives in Anchorage, or in Alaska for that matter, knows how much we love Alaska, and them, and how we're so thankful for the support over the years. The hometown show is a really special one for us. We're definitely looking forward to getting back up there and playing.

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