PunkTV.ca: Hi Frank, how are you?
I’m good, Nattalie, how are you?
PunkTV.ca: I’m doing excellent, thank you very much!
PunkTV.ca: So Frank, LeATHERMOUTH is debuting XO on January 27th. Can you tell us a little bit about the recording process and what were some of the inspirations for this album?
Sure, um, the recording process was kind of like a war process…it took about a year, year and a half, off and on. Recorded in basement, we had a couple of mics and then we just started doing it. The song writing was with just a couple of friends, you know and uh, we pieced it together.
PunkTV.ca: XO has some controversial titles and lyrics. The public, (especially those overly concerned parents) see it as taboo. What is your opinion on that and would you ever self censor because of that?
Um, well that was the only thing that I was concerned about especially since we’re on a label, I mean it’s not major but its way more major than our own label, um, but I wouldn’t censor out any subject or you know lyrics because I just you know, don’t do that. If it was a problem I would just release it myself, then actually sensor everything.
PunkTV.ca: Definitely, I mean it creatively limits you.
Yeah, here’s the thing, in this day and age and I think that the entertainment industry….you know they think the public is very stupid or they know everyone is very quick to suit. I don’t think people should cover their children’s eyes to everything that’s happening. I think that should answer the problem.
PunkTV.ca: People can be closed minded because our society has hidden so many things and labeled it taboo.. Do you feel as though the lyrics of killing the president, incorporations from Jack the Ripper’s letters and other references, will open the world’s eyes to the monstrosities the world really does offer?
Ah I hope so. If anything, it will cause people to really take care of other feelings and maybe spark discussion. That’s the main thing. As long as people talk about their feelings and thoughts on things.
PunkTV.ca: Yeah it’s kind of sparking an idea in people’s minds that they haven’t brushed on before.
Yeah, exactly!
PunkTV.ca: You mentioned in an interview that you have 2 personalities. You have you gentle side which comes through My Chemical Romance’s music, and then the dark, more violent and intense side that comes through in Leathermouth. Do you feel that without music you wouldn’t be able to balance those personalities?
Uh yeah, I’ve always expressed myself was through music and being in bands and writing lyrics. That was always my outlet because it was part of my upbringing so much. If it wasn’t for my parents or my grandfather I’d probably be working out a post office. I’ve been really lucky to have music in my family and it taught me to express myself that way. I think that’s the best way, for me at least, to release emotion.
PunkTV.ca: Right and you know I was thinking that you know how people seek comfort and therapy in religion, I would say that music is the same thing.
Exactly…just with not as much rules.
PunkTV.ca: The lyrics in LeATHERMOUTH are definitely be perceived as being grim. You have seen so much while touring, the negative aspects seen around you, have inspired the way you deliver your vocals?
You know, yeah the topics that we cover are very grim. I try to sit down and write positive lyrics and it just becomes more violent. So, at the end of the day getting out that negativity ends up being positive because you get it out.
PunkTV.ca: In a sense its like taking all that negative energy that you have stored up and put it on a piece of paper and it becomes positive, I totally agree with that.
Yeah, otherwise you just bottle it up and you become a crazy miserable fuck. At the end of the day you’d end up being more and more miserable if you didn’t get it out.
PunkTV.ca: You say you are inspired by a lot of horror movies so what elements of that genre fascinate you?
Aw everything. I’ve definitely been inspired by a lot of B horror movies and lots of flicks and those movies really have a lot less back story and plot and gets to the killing. That’s kind of like the record. The music itself gets right to the killing.
PunkTV.ca: That’s how it should be!
PunkTV.ca: Have you ever looked into the actual people these movies were based off of, such as Ed Gein, John Wayne Gacy and other famous murders and in a odd way, do they inspire your love for the dark side?
Um, to tell you the truth I am kind of obsessed with the memorabilia, you know, stuff that that counterculture…I mean not that I collect the pit that Gacy went into, but I watch a lot of documentary’s and read a lot about them. I really like the serial killers that haven’t been caught like the Zodiac and Jack the Ripper. These killers, you know, no one can be sure if these letters were written by the killer I mean, they did attach little pieces of shirts or skins to the letters, so those make sense that they were from the killer but no one could be sure why it happened, or how it happened. They couldn’t actually tie anything back to the killer. These are more interesting than the ones behind the bars.
PunkTV.ca: It’s a little off topic but there is a new museum that just opened up in LA called the Museum of Death, and they have letters by John Wayne Gacy and stuff like Manson’s bed where the victims were killed and serial killer paintings…it’s insane, it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re in LA.
Really?! Where is it?
PunkTV.ca: It’s on Hollywood Blvd. It’s pretty amazing.
I will be there!
PunkTV.ca: Yeah they’re getting Manson’s bed soon…so it should be fascinating.
Ok!
PunkTV.ca: LeATEHERMOUTH has every letter capitalized but the e...why is that and is there a reason for the word combinations with the letters in LeATHERMOUTH u have on your website?
Um, you know, the way it’s written with the lower case e is because I have horrible handwriting. The website, where the letters form together when you movie the cursor over it is just the idea of taking a step back and looking at those words in different ways, something that you might already know about, but in a different perspective, to trigger a thought.
PunkTV.ca: I got pretty excited over that, it was a cool idea to have on there.
Why, thank you.
PunkTV.ca: Throughout all the experiences you have in traveling and being in a band, do you feel you have changed as a person?
Definitely. I think anything you do or see or experience at an early age changes what and who you become. At an early age I jumped in a van with either My Chem. or any other band and being a kid in van and seeing place I never thought I would see in the world, it just changes the way you see things or the way you think about yourself. You see that you’re not the most important thing in the world and the world doesn’t revolve around you…very quickly. There is definitely a sense of no one gives a fuck really about you and if you’re not looking out for yourself, no one else really is. Then you know, when you are in a band, they are the people that give a fuck about you. They are your family and friends. And you can count them all in one hand, and those are the people that care about you.
PunkTV.ca: Like a traveling bubble.
Absolutely.
PunkTV.ca: Lately what was the most interesting movie book or piece of art you have seen lately?
Oh man…I’m trying to think…one of the greatest movies I’ve seen in a while was Funny Games.
PunkTV.ca: Oh I saw that, it was like a preppy slasher movie.
It’s so….I mean it’s just about torture. The most amazing thing is that they don’t care about anything. They’re just after the families around that lake, and they get away with it. They don’t have any sympathy on dear life in any sense.
PunkTV.ca: Definitely, it was all a game to them. Quite the appropriate title.
Yeah exactly, as far as reading…um, geese, I really liked Crooked Little Vein, a book by an amazing comic book author, Warren Ellis. This was one of his first ventures in writing a novel and it was amazing.
PunkTV.ca: Right now I’m just waiting for Watchmen, I’ve been dying for that movie to come out.
I know! I’m right there with you. I can’t wait to see it.
PunkTV.ca: Punktv.ca has two questions that we ask all of our interviewees. The first is have you ever seen ghosts, aliens, or the face of god?
Ha! Oh man, I don’t think any of that exists. I’ve tried really hard to see all of the above. You want to believe that there is something out there but uh, I don’t think there is.
PunkTV.ca: Yeah, and most of the time the stuff that you think you see is all in your mind because you want to see it so bad.
Exactly yeah. Once I saw Jesus’ face in toast, but that’s about it.
Oh there we go! Nice! You should sell that on eBay, I’m sure you’ll get something out of it.
PunkTV.ca: Haha!
PunkTV.ca: What would surprise most people to learn about you?
Oh man, nothing hopefully surprise people. I think that I’m addicted to Coke a Cola.
PunkTV.ca: Man, I’m all about Dr. Pepper, so I’m right there with you!
Really? Ha!
PunkTV.ca: Well, thank you so much for taking the time out to do this! I really appreciate it!
No thank you for doing it! That was great!
PunkTV.ca: Can’t wait for the album and I’m sure we’ll be catching you on tour!
Great hope you like it!
PunkTV.ca: Thanks again, Bye!
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