ANTiSEEN: The H.o.S. Interview
(page 2 of 5)
Uncle Dan: Looking yourself through the finished product that is Destructo Maximus, what kind of emotion does it stir in you? I'm sure there's a great deal of pride being able to see all your accomplishments laid out so clearly.
Jeff Clayton: It's kind of strange being able to look back at most of your life in one compact file--sometimes I feel we didn't do enough and other times I feel we've done plenty. Fact is, if it wasn't for the band, I'd probably have done NOTHING close to what I've been able to experience for the past 21 years.
UD: Over the last couple years, TKO Records has undertaken the task of reissuing the bulk of ANTiSEEN's backcatalog. How did all that come about and what do you think of the results?
JC: We had just signed on with TKO about a year or so prior when TKO president Mark Rainey came down to Charlotte to attend a David Allan Coe show with me and our bass player Doug Canipe. Before the show we were driving around talking about the possibility of putting out the Southern Hostility/Eat More Possum double play CD, since Man's Ruin had just folded making both of those albums out of print again. Mark said to me that it would make more sense having two seperate titles on the roster as opposed to two titles combined and would like to put them out with the original art work and remaster them (Possum got a complete remixing). Then, the conversation went on to the older albums and the project that became THE VAULT OF ANTiSEEN was born. They didn't come out in the order they originally did, but we put the most popular titles out first to stir up interest in the whole series. Another group of things I'm very proud of.
UD: If you could only choose one ANTiSEEN album as the best and most definitive, which one would it be? Why?
JC: My favorite of all is HERE TO RUIN YOUR GROOVE. That came out the closest to what I had in mind during the planning stages of any others (with the exception of BADWILL). It also had us going into different styles of music and incorporating other instruments as well--something I love doing. A lot of fans disagree with me, but I'm looking at it from the creator's point of view--not the fan's.
UD: How has the improved distribution of your music over the years affected ANTiSEEN?
JC: Well, we're still together if that's an indication!
UD: How is Joe Young's political career going? Is he still pursuing public office?
JC: Joe had a really good/bad experience with his political career. He's out of the game right now, but I think he'll pick it up again in a few years.
UD: During the time period Joe Young was out of ANTiSEEN, was the break amicable or was there some heat between the two of you?
JC: It was amicable. Joe just felt like he needed to try something else. I didn't blame him. The band was going through its most counterproductive period EVER, and Charlotte didn't offer much hope for the band either--after being banned from every club in town, not to mention about 3 other states. I TRIED to carry on with an alternate version of the band, but luckily that only lasted through one show. As luck would have it, Joe was at that show and I think we both knew that we'd be playing again before long--and luckily we did.
UD: Beyond that moment in ANTiSEEN history where Joe had moved away, what was the most difficult time for the band and how did you manage to pull out of it?
JC: Things rolled along pretty well after that. There were two big stumbling blocks that we recovered from fairly well--my brother Greg quiting, and when Tom Okeefe quit to manage us things went sour pretty fast. All is well these days. Tom and Greg both join us onstage from time to time and they were playing with us at the Destructo Maximus release show in Philadelphia.
Go to page 3 of this ANTiSEEN interview>>>
OR
Return to the Smutlight on ANTiSEEN main menu |
