Halfcocked – Interview

I know I’ve had the album forever, a few months, so has it been getting pushed back?

Yeah. It’s been done since October. The label wanted to wait until the new year to put it out. It was supposed to come out in February, then April, then May, and now it just got pushed back again to August.

Is it frustrating?

Yes. That is the thing about going from an indie to a major. They have all this marketing going on and want to wait until it can get some better attention. They want to have good setup time. For us, we just want it out, and it did get frustrating.

How was hooking up with Spider (Powerman 5000) and was the project turned over once the album was done to Dreamworks?

Well, not really, because it is on Spider’s label so he is really involved. Ultimately it’s coming out on Dreamworks so they’ve controlled the release date and stuff. So if it doesn’t come out in August, shit is going to hit the fan.

When you recorded it back in October, was Spider playing A&R or did Dreamworks send people down?

Spider signed us and was really hands on. Dreamworks sent people down and was just sort of checking it out. Spider was involved with the recording. It wasn’t until it was done that they got really involved.

So you got your crash course in big business.

(laughs) Exactly.

I guess you can be reassured by the fact that it happens to just about every group.

I know. It can be frustrating, but we know that it happens and I’m glad they want to set it up right. They need like three months to set up the album. I understand that.

Reading the bio, I almost know nothing about Halfcocked. Where did you come from? How long have you been together?

Well, we’ve been together for four years and we started in Boston. It’s funny because we put out two cds on an indie label. We never sat down and said we want to be this kind of band. In our band everyone writes, so our common ground is rock music. If you asked others in the band who their influences are, you’d get really different answers, from Kiss to The Misfits, but if you asked me I’d say PJ Harvey. But blended together, we are Halfcocked. (laughs)

Speaking of your influences, like Kiss, are you shooting for a big rock show?

Definitely. We like to have fun on stage. We want to put on a great show.

It’s been really missing in the last ten years.

Kiss put on such a huge production with like pyrotechnics and stuff. Music is number one, but we’d love to have this huge show because it’s fun.

Speaking of Kiss, do you think groups aren’t as mythical anymore?

Yeah. That is what we were thinking about when we wrote “The Last Star”. It’s about how there are no rock stars anymore. There are no Ziggy Stardust’s anymore. I think it’s too hard because fans want to know everything. It doesn’t exist like it used to. There’s no mystery.

I think it’s also the fact that we know what every song means now. I think back to Zeppelin and you had to draw your own conclusions about what the song meant. And that made it exciting.

I totally agree. It’s so true. Zeppelin is a good example because their songs are different to everyone. Now everything is so out there.

Before Halfcocked, what were you doing?

I’ve been in bands since high school. Well, that band never made it out of my basement. I’ve been in some really bad bands that shall remain nameless. In Boston we were all in other bands, well, I don’t think I was in a band at the time, but I got a call from Charlee and I didn’t know Charlee. I knew our original bassplayer in the band, but Charlee had a mutual friend of ours and gave her one of my old cds and we started this crazy band.

Before Halfcocked were you doing similar music?

It was a little more jammy.

So nothing embarrassing?

At one point in time I did this thing with a keyboard player and I don’t want to remember it because it was really bad. (laughs)

So nothing that might come back to haunt you, like singing Debbie Gibson covers? Or pictures like those ones of Pantera looking all glammed out?

Oh my God, no! (laughs) But I have to tell you there are so many people who come to LA and cut their hair so they can try and start over.

What was the transition from Boston to LA like?

Well, it doesn’t get cold. The east coast is just so much different than the west coast.

I know.

It’s a whole different vibe. I like LA and it’s fun, but it’s a little surreal. It’s always sunny, everyone thinks they are a star, and there are a lot of fake boobs.

For some odd reason, my recorder decided to quit on me while we were in the middle of talking about every guy’s favorite topic, but we continued on undaunted. Sarah proved to be as talkative as I am. We went on about how no one seems to think women can rock and about the many ups and downs of getting what you dream for.

+ charlie craine