The Bouncing Souls ~ April, 2002
A Sink Hole Zine interview with Pete “The Pete” Steinkopf, the illustrious guitarist, song writer, producer and co-founder of the legendary Bouncing Souls!
So, I was pretty psyched that ‘Souls decided to head down Florida way for the weekend this past April. It was really shitty that Florida was left off of the “True Believers Tour”, but anyway...I had a line of questions based on this being the bands 15th anniversary, but Pete didn’t even realize it. Oh well...
Sink Hole Marck-So this year is your 15th anniversary of being a band, huh; 1987-2002?
The Pete-Oh yeah...1987 was when we started, but we didn’t really do anything till ‘89. We were still in high school, but we were starting to write songs and stuff. The first time we ever played together was in ‘87 and thats when it all started.
SHM-So, are you doing anything to mark the milestone or did you even think about it?
Pete-Hadn’t thought about it at all, but maybe we will-it’s a cool idea...
SHM-In 2000 you recorded your latest LP, 2001 you toured like mad-what are your plans for this summer and will it be a vacation or are you working?
Pete-We actually have a split that will be out in August, and after that we will be writing and recording our next full length which we’ll release in April or May 2003. We’ll do a little bit of touring this year, but definitely not as much as last year with Warped and all that.
SHM-What’s the split and have you recorded it yet? Pete-The split is part of BYO Records split series, we’re doing it with Anti Flag. We’ve written just about all the songs-we need one more probably. We’re gonna record it in May.
SHM-Are you guys covering each others songs like they did on the Rancid and NOFX disc?
Pete-We’re gonna cover one of each others songs just to keep the theme going, we’ll do one other cover and probably 3 new original songs.
SHM-One thing that has always impressed me about you guys was the longevity of the lineup, you went more than 10 years with same original bunch that started the band-that’s pretty much unheard of...As far as my question-I wondered how did you hook up with Michael and how is the “new guy” working out?
Pete-It’s so great, it makes us like a whole new band...When we were looking for a new drummer we put an ad in the Village Voice and we got a bunch of responses, but we already knew Mike cuz we had played shows with his other bands before, so we knew him. He was in Murphys Law, Mephiskaphales and some other bands. I had seen him play so I knew he was a great drummer. Actually, our last show with Shal, Mike’s band played with us. I remember thinking ‘this is the guy’. So anyway, nothing happened right away, but then he called us out of the blue and we brought him over to try out and it was instant-he was a perfect fit.
SHM-Is it weird having someone in the band that you haven’t known since you were a little kid?
Pete-It was at first, but it wasn’t at the same time. After everything we had just gone through, it was a nice breath of fresh air having him along. It made it exciting, fun and more interesting having him along. It definitely got me more into everything.
SHM-Do you guys ever get sick of each other, having to spend so much time together day in and day out?
Pete-No man, never-I love those guys...
(***pause*** a couple members of the Hot Water Music crew stop by to share some of their favorite Belgium beers with Pete and the Souls)
Pete-No, as far as your last question we really don’t get sick of each other. I know it’s hard to believe, but we don’t. I mean we all have our issues and quarks and stuff, but we just know each other so well and accept and love each other that it’s cool no matter what.
SHM-So have you guys been friends since birth, or how did you meet?
Pete-I’ve known Greg since we were little kids, we played soccer together and shit, but we weren’t really friends at that point. We all kind of really met about halfway through high school. We started hanging out and shit. Before this me and Bryan were in a couple little bands together.
SHM-What exactly got you into this type of music, I mean, what made you want to play punk music?
Pete-I think the biggest thing for me was hearing the Ramones and just really loving it. I guess hearing bands like the Dead Kennedys and The Cult really got me into it, too. I have always loved U2 and plus 80’s pop bands like The Cure and Billy Idol. I think all these things add up to make us what we are, and it’s not just punk music. I guess as far as hearing it-there was a kid in my neighborhood back in the mid-80s and he had all these great punk tapes and we’d sit in the woods, get drunk and listen to punk, it was great...
(at this point we stopped so I could check out The Pete’s ink collection-some very neat stuff by the way...we pick up talking tatts...)
SHM-So where’s your “True Believers” tattoo? I heard everybody got ‘em on the tour.
Pete-Not everybody did, but I’m planning on it. I have some plans to get one soon.
SHM-Who got ‘em?
Pete-All the guys from One Man Army and a couple of the Madcap guys got them.
SHM-Hey, on the topic of Madcap...I know Greg got to do some guest vocals on their new album-did you get in on it?
Pete-Greg got on it cuz he’s in LA, so he went down one day and sang with them. I really like those guys alot, though. I’m glad we were able to get them to do the tour cuz we had a great time.
SHM-Have you set up a name for your next tour yet?
Pete-No, it really depends on what the next record is all about. You never know, we may do a “True Believers Part 2”-I mean that tour was just such a good time.
SHM-Do you get to choose who you brought out with you?
Pete-Yeah, it was our tour. We created the whole thing.
SHM-So why 3 West Coast bands?
Pete-They’re all bands that I really like.
SHM-How did you get to know Madcap?
Pete-I’ve known some of those guys for years from them coming out to see us when we play Los Angeles, but we really got to know each other on Warped Tour this past year.
SHM-Are you involved in the label much (meaning Chunksaah Records)?
Pete-Yeah, we have the label still and we’re all involved. Kate Is Great runs everything from day to day. We’re trying to get a few more bands signed on with us. We’d like to put out a record for these guys (The Curse from Philadelphia) cuz they’re really rad. We just released a CD for a band called the Arsons.
(after a brief interruption from some adoring fans, we continued...)
Sink Hole Marlene-The only I really want to know is before you listened to punk, what did you start off listening to. What did you grow up listening to that you really don’t talk about.
Pete-I listened to alot of 80’s pop-The GoGos, The Cure...
Marlene-Before the cool stuff...
Pete-I guess Led Zepelin, Black Sabbath. I never listened to The New Kids On The Block if that’s what your getting at.
Marlene-No... It’s just that everybody claims they were born listening to the 80’s and they jumped right to punk. I grew up having to listen to everything my parents and grandparents all listened to. Everything from the 1940’s on up. I know I’m not the only one in the world.
Pete-No your not alone...Uh, my Dad listened to a lot of Johny Cash. He had the Sound Of Music soundtrack.
SHM-Do you get into that at all?
Pete-Yeah, I liked that when I was a kid.
SHM-Its embarrassing, but I actually like show tunes.
Pete-Their catchy, you can’t help it.
SHM-You guys write a lot of songs about your friends and name songs after them, too. Lamar Vanoy, Kate Is Great, Johny X, etc., do you have plans to immortalize anyone else on the next record? Pete- We’d like to do another song with Mike (Johny X) again. It hasn’t happened yet, but he’s a great songwriter and always has a bunch of great songs. Maybe on the upcoming record. Aside from him-anything is possible.
SHM-So if you were to put together a “Dream Show” with 5 bands from any era (alive, dead, broken up or current), who would be there? And would you rather play or just watch?
Pete-I’d definitely just watch-thats a tough one... Billy Bragg back in the 80’s. Yeah, all these bands would have to be preserved in their prime. Operation Ivy. Uh...I’m gonna go with bands that you really can’t see right now cuz there’s so many bands I like to see that are out now. I guess, Black Sabbath, yeah and The Cure. I’ve got one more? Okay, Jimi Hendrix!
SHM-Who would open?
Pete-I’ll leave that up to you, if you could make that show happen-I’ll watch in any order. SHM-When your up on stage, what are thinking about? Are you focusing on something, contemplating or is your head empty? Do you wonder if you shut off the stove, locked the doors or what?
Pete-I just kind of go with it...Just get in the music and don’t think of anything else but that.
SHM-Does it ever get boring-meaning playing the same songs night after night?
Pete-There are some nights where you just don’t feel like playing and you have to force it-but I don’t have many of those. It always turns around, too-after a bad show, you have a good one and you feel like its the best show ever. I guess what your asking....There are some times when you can’t get into it, but as long as everybody else is on, you can sort of get away with it. For the most part I don’t have that problem, I love to play and I’m happy to be there. Sometimes at the end of a 2 or 3 month tour, you might have a bad day.
SHM-Which do you prefer, being out on tour or being at home writing and recording?
Pete-I like both because without one there wouldn’t be another. It’s always nice to ‘come home’ after you’ve been away for a while. It’s nice to relax and write songs and stuff.
SHM-Do you guys have woman folk waiting for you at home?
Pete-Yeah, Greg and Mike are married. Mike has a baby. Me and Bryan both have serious girlfriends.
SHM-Do they come out on the road with you?
Pete-Every now and then. Really, it’s not a good idea. I turn into a dick, more like a fucking retard. I’m drunk all the time and pretty miserable to be around. I don’t think she wants to hear me saying “heeey baaaaaabeeeeeeeee (followed by a huge slurred drunken mash of noises-ya get the idea)
SHM-With the 15 Years! that you’ve been together, what keeps you going? What re-influences you in terms of making music and staying fresh?
Pete-Bands that we tour with help alot. I see a band and I really like what they’re doing, it makes me want to do better-it re-inspires me. Also, when a band that really sucks and they make it really big...
Marlene-And you know you could do better?
Pete-Yeah, you see a band like, well I’m not gonnna single anyone out, but...
SHM-Sum 41, Blink 182, Jimmy Eat World, Good Charlotte, Midtown, New Found Glory....
Pete-Whoever, theres a lot of them now. I guess it’s my own bad attitude, but seeing a band that sucks get big really inspires me to make our music and make it better. I just want to make good music and I guess bad music can inspire that. Mostly, though, it’s good bands. When I hear something that moves me, it makes me want to get up and do something really good.
SHM-So who is moving you right now? And who are you paying to see when your at home.
Pete-I saw the Psychedelic Furs and that was pretty cool. I really love The Explosion. They’re an amazing band. Snuff from England, Lifetime.
SHM-So whats up, when are guys going on? Soon, huh?
Pete-Yeah, man, I think we’re on in a few. I’ve got some drinkin to do...
SHM-Well, lets rap this up...Sum it all up in 5 words for me.
Pete-I’m gonna start drinkin now.
SHM-Thanks for putting down your drink to talk to us-go tie one on!
Look for The Bouncing Souls split with Anti Flag to be released the first week in September. It will include 6 Bouncing Souls songs, 3 originals and 3 cover songs. The covers are songs by Sticks and Stones, Anti Flag and also "We're Coming Back" by Cocksparrer.
For more on the ‘Souls, check in with their website- www.BouncingSouls.com
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