Hammerlock: The H.o.S. Interview
(Page 3 of 6)
Uncle Dan: Now that some time has passed, are you able to step back from things and recognize Anthems For Outlaws is one of the greatest albums ever made?
Liza Kenney: I appreciate your kindness and hope you like the new one as much.
Travis Kenney: Thanks. We are quite proud of that album, but one of the greatest ever made? Far from it. I actually think Compromise Is For Cowards is a much better album. Some of the more political songs on Anthems are a little too dated and, as times change, the meanings in the lyrics can be misinterpreted. A lot of that album was rage against the government at the time which was run by the most corrupt administration ever--the Clinton administration, with that scumbag bitch attorney general Janet Reno. Now that the bitch is gone and almost certain never to return to any public office, a lot of those songs don't really seem as meaningful. I took special care on Compromise to write political songs that are timeless and will apply ten or twenty years from now.
UD: On one of the best love songs off Anthems For Outlaws, "California," it sounds like, beyond eachother, you folks don't care too much for life out on the west coast. Have you ever thought about relocating?
L: Every day.
T: Love the weather in California, just not San Francisco. So, that's one reason to stay. Other than that, I don't think Hammerlock would be the same if we lived somewhere else. Living in the belly of the "beast" keeps us good and angry. If I had ten acres in the middle of a snow covered cornfield in Nebraska, Hammerlock lyrics would sound like this: "I love life, the world is great, all is well." How boring would that be? I prefer to understand my enemies and make their lives miserable.
UD: Related to the previous question, how is the support structure out in Cali for what you're doing musically, both in terms of commeraderie with other bands and audience reaction?
L: I can genuinely say we get a lot of support here--the hardcore fans are truly a mountain of support.
T: There was a time when we had virtually no fans in northern California. Now, I can say it is our biggest stronghold. I guess we are not the only ones who are enraged about what this state has become.
Mikey Kingshill: I think the fans in California are real die hard Hammerlock fans and during shows like ones we've done at the B.P. Psychos clubhouse, the audience reaction is a show in itself for all of us in the band.
UD: There was a tremendous jump in every conceieveable way, musically speaking, between American Asshole and Anthems For Outlaws. What was it that fascilitated these drastic developments, all-around?
L: Different drummers and a different producer.
T: I think one of main differences is producer Tim Green. He does a great job. We have recorded the last three albums with him.
UD: If you would, please touch upon where Hammerlock was at leading up to and during the American Asshole-era. How did that release come to be and what was the initial reaction it received?
L: After seeing us play live, Frank Kozik had written on a cocktail napkin a list of the songs he liked that we had played that night. So, we went into the studio and made an album. We would save up fifty dollars and record a few songs, then go back and do a few more when we got money--four sessions in all. We put those together and that's the American Asshole record.
T: It did well in Europe and sold okay here. We had only been a band three years when it was released--only a year when we recorded it. Man's Ruin heard our first demo tape and released some of it as a 7". The rest was the last part of American Asshole. Then, we went back into the studio a few times for the first part. It's weird to have something released that you never expected many people to hear, but Frank liked it.
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