36 CRAZYFISTS INTERVIEW

BY: STEPHANIE STEVENS…05.10.2011

36 Crazyfists
Brock Lindow - Vocals
Thomas Noonan - Drums
Steve Holt - Guitar
Mick Whitney - Bass

VISIT THE BAND ONLINE

 http://www.myspace.com/36crazyfists

    Once again I get the chance to write about a band and a man that have ultimately showed me how music can complete you; mind, body and soul. 36 CRAZYFISTS and front man/songwriter Brock Lindow have made me in the ten years I have been listening to them refuel my soul revive my love for music over and over again with every album, starting back in 2002 with BITTERNESS THE STAR. The lyrics bring out an honesty and emotion that reflect the songwriter’s passions inside of him and from that it brings out emotion in the listener. The music this band creates makes your whole body come alive when listening track to track or album to album. The pure innocence of beauty when one certain song on an album moves into a melodic part or how on fire your being feels when the heavier tormented tinge of hard rock hits the speakers. A band that made an impression on me and showed me the true passion of music, and that passion has lasted for a decade and surely isn’t going to stop anytime soon!

    With every live set, every meet n greet with the band to every humble and fun chat I have had with the one and only vocalist Brock Lindow I can say this band is truly the full package, the wackiness, the laughs and the solid and true brotherhood they have for each other, other musicians and the fans how can you not stand in awe of a bunch of guys that really bring true love n passion to their craft.

    With every new album comes some great touring but with COLLISIONS & CASTAWAYS the band has left the East Coast sparse in rocking out with the band!! Which for the fans was not cool, but for me since I have been out of the scene for a bit I didn’t miss anything, so as I slowly dust off my writing pen and get back into the rock n roll swing of things my first thought of who to break the ice with was a no brainer, why not go back to the band that made this whole journalism and promotions thing fun!!

    So as the band takes a break and Brock is home in Alaska with his little girl and family I thought this would be the perfect time to take a few minutes out of his amazing life to catch up with him and see what’s going on in his music world, especially since Hockey season for him is pretty much done for the year!! (Sorry Brock)

THE METAL PIT:   How do you feel about this year’s playoff games especially with your Flyers?

Brock Lindow: The playoffs have been more exciting than ever with all the OT games and such, my Flyers got swept by the Bruins unfortunately so they didn’t go as far as I had hoped but the team looks great for years to come, we need a solid goaltender and the cup will come.

We all know you as the front man of 36 Crazyfists but let us go back who was Brock Lindow as a child, a teenager and now as a father?..

Well let’s scroll back, as a kid I think I was very interested in sports and Hockey was the main focus for me outside of school {or in school for that matter}. I was also the kid with my left ear pierced in fourth grade and metal buttons on my jean jacket. Music and sports have coexisted in my life from a very early age. AS my teenage years rolled on the path was still very much one of day dreams and dream chasing, school was great to see my friends but my attention to learning and keeping good grades depended on if I needed the 2.0 GPA to be eligible for hockey and soccer season. I graduated with the grace of god and some serious help from a really cool guidance counselor and a great friend who tutored me after school. I look back on it all and wish I could’ve slapped myself into the next week for not paying attention at the appropriate time and getting the work done in a timely manner. Life’s experiences have taken me all over and I’m proud of the goals I reached through the love of music, now those day dreams are looked back fondly upon. Becoming a father has changed my life tremendously for the better and watching my daughter grow and become her own person has been incredible.

What made you start on this career path as a vocalist and songwriter? Was this something you always had a passion about or was there something else that sparked your interest?

Well Plain and simple I was the biggest Metallica fan in Alaska;], and I had some friends in school that were in a band. I came to watch their practice one day and there singer was home ill, They knew I loved Metallica and they were doing some covers so I got up and sang with them and from there on I was hooked and We started my first band, Hessian.

The band 36 Crazyfists has been together over 15 years now, do you remember the first conversations you had about getting the band together and looking back what about those early conversations do you feel still has stuck with the band?

Well the band started from a tragedy really, three of the guys were from a band called broke and they were really amazing and defiantly my favorite local band, The drummer of the band, and great friend of mine,  Duane Monson  was killed in a bar fight. After Duane passed away the remaining members of broke were JD Stuart, Ryan Brownell & Steve Holt. I was in a band with Thomas Noonan and Thomas’s sister was engaged to Duane so long story short out of Duanes death became 36 Crazyfists.

Being a songwriter your words inspire a lot of your fans when writing is there a certain place or setting you wander off to write? Do you need to be secluded to write? Does it change for each album?

 I’ve been a writer for as long as I can remember, from journal entries to coming up with my own vocal melodies, it’s been a part of daily life. I really don’t need one special place to create, but I like my office at home if I have a preference.

I heard you are writing for an acoustic album is that something that band wanted to do or you doing this as a solo thing? Release date??

Well it’s something I have wanted to do with the band and on my own, Holt and I have tried to do something acoustic on each album up until the last record, but I foresee us continuing that side of the band and defiantly pursuing a solo record for my own outlet but maybe just to keep privately.

What is the difference from writing for a “hard rock” album VS. Acoustic?

Not sure what the subtle differences would be but I guess the obvious would be the dynamics of the two sounds, one being much more aggressive than the other. Lyrically it wouldn’t be any different for me.

Being from Alaska how do you feel the setting and atmosphere being from a place so beautiful has defined your attitude and the way you see life around you?

Well I know that I’m deeply rooted here in my way of life, we aren’t big city at all and people here generally care about community and their fellow neighbor. I’m not saying that doesn’t happen elsewhere but I live here because I want to die here. If that’s what your town does for you then I think you are in a great place.

The most influential song you have written thus far?  Did that song come very easily for you and at that time where was your mindset?

Influential?  Have I wrote one of those...] I don’t know to be honest, I love the song Northern November, I wrote that song about having to leave my wife again for the millionth time for touring and just how the separation effects me. I think that song summed up emotions that are very real for me.

You have had great guest appearances on your album and seems like you are comfortable with writing with others have you ever thought about writing songs for other artists? If so, would you delve into a whole new genre of music and how do you feel that would help you in your songwriter for the band?

Well I love the blues and maybe even some of the country blues, my acoustic stuff is defiantly more in the blues world, I love having guests be a part of our music it’s a cool deal to create with someone outside of our box. Being a lover of all genres of music I think helps any artist create their own sound

I always hound you about this but anymore talk about the book you were thinking about writing and releasing? Can you tell the fans what the basis of it was about?

The book was really more or less an idea of me putting down the adventures of my life, in a journal entry ala Henry Rollins style. It’s all there in notebooks upon notebooks, who knows if it will ever see the light of day and who would really be interested? I’d like to see it finished although, need more hours in the day.

How humbling has your success in 36 Crazyfists been to you? And with the success what is the one thing you have done that without it you probably would have never been able to accomplish?

Well it’s an honor every night to play in front of people who are stoked on our music, it’s been such an amazing ordeal to go all over the world and play songs and have them sing them back to us. That’s probably the most rewarding feeling I have had with our band, the fan’s singing my lyrics back to me. It’s incredible.

How has being a dad changed you as a person and the way you look at your career?

Well Its been amazing, I love being a father more than I ever dreamed I would, It pretty much trumps anything I have experienced so far in life, I love that she loves music and I will really enjoy showing her the great bands that have influenced me.

You are a “fan person” every time after a show you’re always hanging out and talking to fans. Since a lot of your fans call you a role model and very influential to them, how do you sum up what the fans mean to you?

The short version of that would be that without them this wouldn’t nearly be as cool...there obviously such a huge part of this...I’m very grateful for all of them.

Collisions & castaways has been out for a while are u writing for a new record yet and if so, any incite for the fans what it will be about?

Well I have two songs so far and I really love the mood of them, very melancholy sounding. Lyrically I haven’t figured it out yet, it will obtain to my current surrounds and future aspirations that I can promise.

Do you feel in this day and age of music that it’s safer to stick with something that works for you or going out on that limb and challenging yourself musically, songwriting wise?

I think if you’re not challenging yourself as musicians you’re not caring enough to create. That being said if your formula works then by all means ride it till the end.

NEW bands that inspire you?

I don’t listen to too much new music to be honest, I defiantly love the Times Of Grace album and the Death Ray Vision stuff, But as far as metal goes I haven’t been listening to a whole lot of it, Im listening to a lot of Lucero and Adele, Nina Simone, White Buffalo, Cash etc.

2011 is going by mighty fast do you have anything you want to accomplish before the end of the year personally and career wise?

Opening my lil hockey bar, building a swing set, writing some tunes and fishing my ass off this summer.

Last comments?

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