The Bronx are a fracture in the all-too-often structured world of music. They’re true artists and visionaries. They’re the originality in a busy underground genre and yet despite coming up with some of the most relevant punk music over the past seven years, they’re the one’s saying ‘fuck this shit, we’re so punk, we’re Mariachi. Take that.’ Tonight in Leeds is a special show for any fan of The Bronx, and especially important for the band themselves, for the simple reason that they’re supporting themselves as their new mariachi outfit, Mariachi El Bronx. Double Bronx can never be a bad thing other than for the health of the venue. Meeting The Bronx was like the peaceful calm before the brain-splintering storm. I spoke to them about creating El Bronx and what it means to create meaningful, important and ‘rad’ punk music.
Luke Griffin: What does it mean to be a punk band in 2009?
Matt Caughthran: I think it means a lot. I think the idea of doing things with a punk rock spirit still exists. The lines are pretty blurry these days around the actually musicality of what’s punk and what’s not but as you get older you tend to realise it’s the idea more than anything else. With The Bronx and El Bronx that’s what we go by, just making sure the spirit and the idea is going in the right direction.
LG: Side project’s are nothing new for you guys; you’ve got The Drips, you’ve got Sangre Sangre and now you’re doing Mariachi El Bronx. Did you always know that you’d use the mariachi band as a support act or is it something you just needed to get out of your system?
MC: We didn’t really see it coming as a support act, but when it became apparent that we could open up for ourselves it was a definite light bulb over the head, it just seemed genius! It’s tough because there’s stuff that Joby and I do, and Jorma does and Brad and Ken do that are different off-shoots of The Bronx, but I think the mariachi thing is a little more involved than that, it’s a full complete other band, a lot of time has been invested in it and it’s something that we have a lot of fun doing. So we’re loving playing twice in one night, and although it’s a little bit gruelling here and there it feels really good.
The world of music is a giant umbrella, you know? Joby’s producing stuff, and its like there’s a million other things you can do, and it’s exciting as you branch out. I try to sing on as many things as I can because I like the fact that when I die, I’ll have these things left behind that I’ll have accomplished. If youre given the torch, you have to be able to carry, you have to be able to charge it and accomplish everything you want to.
LG: With that in mind, it’s obviously important to you guys not to be stuck under one moniker, I.e. The Bronx, so was the mariachi band an attempt to push boundaries or was it something that just happened?
Joby Ford: Probably a little bit of both, I think that first and foremost we’re fans of music, and going back to the point of the interview looking at punk music in 2009, it is about being original and following your heart and not trying to be like other people, and that to me…(trails off) Do you smell th …what is that? God Damn! Christ!.. (back to the point) we’re not really big planners in this band. We definitely aren’t theoretical in any sort of sense, it’s not like ‘alright we’ll do this and then that will happen’, The Bronx always has been and always will be a knee-jerk reaction to a hair that gets stuck up someone’s ass with an idea they want to do. To me, the whole point of music is not to have rules, because then what is it? Rock ‘n’ Roll was a backlash towards rules, and there’s so many bands that will apply a certain set of rules and a certain set of ideals that will ensure them a spot in a classification, which is not something we will ever do or will ever want to be a part of, because it’s not at the true root of what it means to be in a band and to make music.
LG: I suppose the important thing is to make sure it stays a passion and not become a job, even though obviously you have to make a living from it.
MC: Well we’ve fought hard to make sure we have a job that we like, it’s not a weekend warrior thing, we’re not out playing cover songs at a local bar, this is what we do. So in that respect it is a job, but it’s not a job you think of when you’re super young or a job that weighs over your head because it’s a future you don’t want, this is something that we love and enjoy.
LG: Yeah, you’ve just got to make sure it’s a job you like doing and not just because you’re getting a paycheck at the end of it.
JF: Hats off to the bands that do make the paychecks! (laughs)
LG: Ok so you’ve got 3 albums and a handful of side projects, but have you yet achieved what you wanted to achieve?
Matt and Joby: No.
JF: I think that it’s about the inspiration, and what it is that is going to get you up every day and drive down to the studio to work on whatever it is. I think creativeness and artwork and music can manifest themselves in different ways and in all of that, what is it that keeps you coming back? I don’t think any of us would do this if we didn’t feel artistically fulfilled.
MC: touring is such a complete spectrum of emotions, but it’s something our band was founded on. We became a band on tour. We’re still getting there in the studio, I think our best records are ahead of us.
LG: Do you know when there might be a Bronx VI?
JF: It’s going to be Bronx VI and Bronx V.
MC: we’re gonna do a split 7inch with Mariachi and Bronx, coming out in the new year, and do some touring with both bands, then take a little step back for both records.
LG: This is one I’ve asked several punk bands recently; where do you think the best punk is coming from at the moment?
JF: There’s pockets everywhere, it depends on what you think punk music is. I think punk can manifest itself in Hip Hop, it can manifest itself in Country, even though I highly doubt it! It’s people that are doing truly creative stuff, and at the end of the day that’s what it’s about. Fucked Up are a great example of that; they call themselves a Hardcore band, which is funny because I think they’re anything but a Hardcore band! Bands are sitting there trying to not do what other people do. I don’t think I could choose a Country or a City…To me, California Punk to me is always going to be a staple. Every couple of years there’s always a crop of incredible bands that pop up. I’m gonna go ahead and say California.
MC: I will yeah, I agree with Joby. There’s great people doing creative and innovative things and it’s a really cool time for music right now, but you gotta stick with what you know so I’m gonna say California.
LG: What do you think it is about California?
MC: I think in general, in Los Angeles for example, I have a theory that because you have Hollywood and because you have things that are so innately over the top and can be seen as fake and phony and you have this zillion Dollar industry in Hollywood and Disney and stuff; there’s no real middle-ground in LA, you just have this giant thing and then the rest of us. The more you have up top, the deeper you have to go underground. There’s all this crazy stuff and so there’s more to rebel against. In the Mid-West they don’t have that much to be pissed off about other than they’re bored out of their minds. You have this weird set up in LA where there’s so much stuff to make you think ‘What the fuck is going on?’ and there’s so much art that you really, really have to challenge yourself if you want to do something different, and I think when people are challenged they either crumble or they come up with some amazing stuff. I think that environment pushes people.
MC: In reality are Hollywood trying to confine people? No. But in your head it makes for something that’s so rad. Hollywood aren’t going around with laser beams trying to brainwash people, its not happening. But in a certain way when you come from that environment, it makes for a kind of mythical monster that you can try and destroy.
LG: I think that your true self only shows when you’re challenged, if you’ve got it easy you’re not going to be pushed to do something amazing, so with California, because you’re surrounded by Hollywood and things like that, you’re breaking away from that.
MC: Yeah there’s a cool mix of stuff and it’s funny because there’s exceptions over rules. I don’t understand how there’s trust funds and super rich kids that still make great music. Because there are! There’s a zillion of those bands that have had all their instruments given to them and never worked a day in their life and still make a great record, that shouldn’t work but it does! It’s hard to fully explain everything but for the most part having a good mix of things and pushing yourself is always a good.
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