NNN
Contenders Boardshop
Orange, Calif.
December 28, 2018
Tear Down: A Q&A With NNN
X-Ray, vocals; Bathory, drums; Coyote, bass; Kross, guitar
*Interview done in the parking lot of Contenders Boardshop.
X-Ray: Wait, we’re going to do a Q&A really quick. I guess we’re ready. Right, George [Bathory]?…. He’s [Bathory] taking longer than the questions are going to take. The questions are going to take like 30 seconds.
So last show of the year of the year for you. How would you sum up 2018? Best moment and worst moment?
Kross: Worst moment, Hemet.
Coyote: The Hemet show.
X: We drove three-and-a-half hours in traffic to Hemet only for the fuzz to roll the show.
K: We get there and it’s raided.
X: they offered us gas money for our troubles but, you know, somebody declined it.
Who?
X: This guy.
[Someone runs into the cymbals; everyone laughs.]
K: That was perfect.
X: Best moment? I guess all the interviews we’ve had. The fun and all the shows . There’s a lot of great moments.
C: Orange County
K: Yeah, a lot of stuff happened this year.
What do you want to get done as a band in 2019?
X: Damn
C: To get better.
X: I’d say just make new music to record an album. But we’re taking our sweet ass time. So who knows if it’s 2019.
Bathory: It could be 2020.
K: Possibly get out of this state and play some outside states.
X: Get on a tour.
K: Get merch.
C: Play at the Observatory, the small room. I want to play there so bad.
K: The Palladium.
X: Low key, I’m trying to play with Slipknot. Just kidding.
B: Lynyrd Skynyrd is my goal, too.
So New York Times. You guys got into that article, which is a big deal. What are your thoughts on how it came out, or the reaction you got from it?
X: I thought it was pretty cool, but something abut the presentation I didn’t like. Actually, I do know what I didn’t like, but we don’t have to get into it. I thought it was also very interesting how it stirred up a lot of drama in the punk community.
C: Because of the word Latino in it, huh?
K: Nah, dude. It was pretty cool overall because we were in it with a lot of close friends in the scene too.
X: Diversity
If you could take back that story in terms of presenting it the way you would have wanted, what’s the one takeaway you wish could have come across?
X: I think the part where they said I said we’re not a political band. I was like, ‘Damn did I say that?’
Did you?
X: Maybe I did. I don’t know. I say we say some pretty heavy stuff sometimes. Stuff that matters.
B: We do talk about fun stuff and skating, but we also know when to get serious and when to recognize problems that are out here in the real world. It’s good to recognize that and not beat around the bush about it. Because if we’re going to ignore the problem, how will it get fixed? Only way to do it is confront it and that’s what we do.
What’s a comment you’ve heard about the band that just really missed the mark?
X: One of our YouTube comments said ‘I hate all the band members, but this shit slaps.’
Why should people listen to you?
X: Because hear me.
K: The riffs, I guess.
X: I say people can listen to whatever they want. They don’t have to listen to us. That’s if they want to.
B: And if not, too bad.
X: We don’t care.
C: You’re missing out.
K: If anything, we want some negative feedback because I want to know the truth.
B: I would love some negative feedback, because then I know what I need to improve on.
X: Last time we got called pussies. That was very helpful.
B: Now we know not to be pussies.