BandNation

Jen and I [Lucia] got a chance to catch up with 3rd Strike at Ozzfest in West Palm Beach, Fl, at the Mars Music Amphitheater. Here’s an interview that took place in their tour bus. They are very cool and interesting guys and I am sure that their responses will give you a glimpse of their lives as musicians….

BN Lucia and Jen: Could you please tell me your names and what instruments you play for the band?

I’m P.J. and I’m the drummer…
I’m Todd and I play guitar

BN Lucia and Jen: What does 3rd Strike mean?

P.J. It’s based off of a law that’s actually not in California anymore, where is you have three felonies you get 25 to life mandatory. We had had some song lyrics that referred to it, so Joe our singer thought it ended up being a good name, so we kept it.

BN Lucia: You guys are from California?

P.J. Yeah, from Los Angeles.

BN Lucia: Really? I used to live there.

P.J. and Todd: where?

BN Lucia: Encino.

Todd: Is that part of the valley?

BN Lucia: Yeah.

Todd: A valley girl.

BN Lucia: [laughs] yeah but I only lived there a couple years so it didn’t really sink in.

P.J. We’re from San Pedro

BN Lucia: Oh cool.

BN Lucia and Jen: What were your musical influences growing up?

Todd: If you ask anybody in the band they would tell you differently so, but growing up I was just listening to a lot of heavy l, rock, speed l, whatever, you name it, we pretty much all listen to everything but country, collectively.

P.J. Pretty much the same for me, I was pretty much a l kid growing up, but uh, Jim our singer was into soul music, Eric our guitar player played some classical stuff so it’s pretty wide, just new country we don’t like, other than that pretty much everything.

BN Lucia and Jen: What made you become musicians in the first place?

Todd: Chicks and money.

P.J. I’ve been going to shows forever so it was an excuse to finally do it myself.

Todd: Chicks and for the money.

P.J. And the chicks and money, yeah.

BN Lucia and Jen: Good reasons.

Todd: It’s not the fame, just the chicks and money.

BN Lucia and Jen: Who is the coolest band that you’ve ever shared the stage with?
[silence…]

Todd: That’s a hard one, ‘cuz there’s so many, I mean all the bands on the Ozzfest right now are very cool people…

P.J. Yeah, it’s been nice, we’ve toured with a lot of bands that have had attitude, there hasn’t been any on Ozzfest so far, it’s been very cool, everyone has just been hanging out and watching each other play and stuff, so it’s been very good.

BN Lucia and Jen: What can we expect when we go back in the studio?

Todd: That’s a good question, I haven’t really thought about it yet

BN Lucia: Is there anything you would like to make different from the first?

P.J. No I think we’re just gonna expand on the ideas we had on the first album.

Todd: I think we wanna go a little more uh, kind of new wavey, maybe? You think P.J.?

P.J. That’d be, that’s where I’ve been hidden, laughs.

BN Jen: Have you started writing yet, your new material?

Todd: Not really, not yet, that’s why we don’t know [laughs].

P.J. We try to write on the bus it’s very hard to actually do it, in the little room back there, you need to be at home in a studio.

Todd: Yeah, cuz if we do that it would sound like, we got P.J.’s drum machine, the drum machine he has, has got some new different weird sounds, and it’ll end up sounding like a techno $3>$3>$3>$3>$3>$3>$3>$3>l band.

P.J. exactly

Todd: So uh, we gotta definitely get in the studio and start rehearsing.

BN Lucia: So the writing process is basically just chill for you, you just get together and…?

Todd: Pretty much

P.J.- We just kinda jam it out together yeah.

BN Lucia and Jen: If you weren’t in a band, what do you think you would be doing?

Todd: I’d hate to think what I’d be doing right now, I’ve done everything, but uh, if I wasn’t doing what I’m doing now I’d be miserable, probably doing construction.
People in bus: And stalking Britney Spears!

P.J. stalking Britney Spears.
[Laughs]

P.J. I actually used to do concert lighting before I did this, so I’d probably be doing lighting still.

BN Lucia: good place to start.

P.J. Yes.

BN Lucia and Jen: If you could use one word to describe each of your band mates, or your entire band, what would it be?

P.J. That’s a tough one.

Todd: Umm, smelly, umm, ugly…

P.J. and lazy. Smelly, ugly, and lazy.
[laughs]

BN Lucia and Jen: What is your favorite song to play live?

P.J. I think for me it’s probably strung out because it’s got a pretty good crowd reaction, which is obviously the best part
Todd: Yeah the same for me.

BN Lucia and Jen: What CD is in your CD player right now?

P.J. right now is Nine Inch Nails.

Todd: Mine is The Used, go buy that CD.

BN Lucia: Aren’t they supposed to be on this tour?

Todd: Yeah, on the second half.

BN Jen: Isn’t Glassjaw too.

Todd: Yeah, and switched.

BN Jen: What are you guys gonna do after the Ozzfest?

Todd: Go back to the Warped Tour. Do a few more dates at the warped tour, and then I think we go home for a little while, and uh, we’re trying to set another tour together for September in the United States, and I think late September we’ll go to Europe for a few weeks.

BN Lucia: Did you guys tour in Europe with Ozzfest?

P.J. Not with Ozzfest, we’ve gone by ourselves before.

BN Lucia: Is it different from America, like the response?

P.J. Very much so, we played a show once where it was very odd, the kids were really getting into it, we were in Germany, and you could tell they were really into it, but they all danced, there was no mosh pitt, they were all standing in place dancing. Whatever works for them is cool.

BN Lucia and Jen: As long as they enjoy it.

BN Lucia: I guess that’s about it.

BN Jen: Short and sweet.

P.J. Cool, easy enough!

BN Lucia and Jen: Thanks guys, and good luck!

Co-Written by Jen