Interview: Angel Du$t at Rockstar Energy Open

Angel Du$t made their way up to Portland for the 3rd annual Rockstar Energy Open skate competition and concert at Tom McCall Waterfront. The boys sat down with us before hitting the stage to chat a bit about music, skating and wrestling random strangers at McDonald’s.

First of all, thank you all for being here. I know you’re on a tight schedule with your set at Sound and Fury in Los Angeles happening tomorrow. Portland appreciates you being here for being part of the skate community for the day. Are any of you guys into skating?

Nick: Yeah. I grew up Skateboarding.

Justice: I did when I was a kid, but I can’t speak on skating these days.

Steve: I watched the Bob Burnquist X Games 98 point run when it was on TV but that was about the extent of my credit. That and playing Tony Hawk.

I know there are similarities between Hardcore and Skateboarding. Both of them were street subcultures that made their way up to becoming more legit and they were both pretty dangerous at some point. Its pretty apparent things like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater helped introduce more people to Skateboarding but at this point, why do you think Hardcore music has become so popular?

Justice: I think hardcore is popular because of the demand for authenticity. You know, it's like young people especially aren't easy to fool, and they can see when they're being sold a product, an idea, an image versus something very authentic. And it's like with this, you can come meet Nick, Steve, Zach, myself, and see that we're very much the people we express on stage and through song. And then you can come be a part of the show. You can jump off the stage. You can mosh pit. You can sing along or whatever. I don't think there's a whole lot of room for that in the world. You know, we all kind of exist on the phone. We exist on the internet, and that's okay. But we also need real and human interaction as well. And like you know, same thing with skateboarding. You know what I mean? It's like you go jump down some steps and get fucked up and break something. It's real. It's dangerous. Just like jumping off stage is dangerous, you know, but it's real. People want to feel something.

Zach: I agree with Justice - authenticity. I think skating and like hardcore. It's like there are two things that anyone can really just engage with. All you have to do is just engage with it. Like there are skaters that aren't very good but are just so down and cool that they are gonna be featured on shit and be like, there's bands too that I'm humming with. That the band isn't even that good. They're just so down and so cool that we got it. They have to be a part of what we're doing. I mean, so the only barrier to entry is to really just put your whole self into it, like authentically. And I think, yeah, people are just down to ride this wave right now, and it's just like we'd be doing the same shit regardless, even if it wasn't popular. So more people like liking cool shit as a net positive, you know?

I know you guys have been involved with Hardcore for a long time. What do you think the younger generation gets right that your generation didn’t?

Justice: I think they get a principle that I always reference the Bad Brains within the context of creation being like an important element of Hardcore. It's not just about the energy and the attitude. It's like you have to be creative. You have to be different. You have to stand out from the pack. That's like the whole idea and the whole foundation of Hardcore Punk rock music, you know. And I think that was lost for a little bit. There was like people before me and people my age that were just really fixated on this idea of like it's all about being as tough as aggressive as possible. With young people now, it's cool, there’s like so much unique identity, and people willing to express themselves through the music they make or the way they dance while your band plays. Maybe there's some things that I think are also important that maybe young people don't see as the way I do, but I think we're on the same page there, and that's again the most important building block for Hardcore, in my opinion.

Zach: One thing I think the youth has right now is just like acknowledging that this is like a youth-led movement and subculture. I feel like the idea of like the predatory tastemaker old head who makes all the rules exists a lot less now than it than it used to, and it's just like kids just don't care. They're just doing what they want, which I think is pretty awesome. It's just at the end of the day, it's their opinion is really what matters. I mean, you got to respect the culture and the history of it, but at the end of the day, it's like my opinion as a 33 year old on what is cool right now does mean less than the opinion of a 17 year old. You know what I mean?

Yeah and I feel like Angel Du$t has played a role in that because you guys have been experimenting with shit and not scared to go outside the box. It’s like what you’re saying, its about respecting what it used to be but also keeping it pushing. I know you guys have tracks that mix acoustic guitars, pop melodies, and fast funk. How do you view Angel Du$t’s role in redefining what Hardcore music is supposed to sound like?

Justice: I think by exploring all the territories of hardcore and then pushing on them a little bit, you know what I mean? Like I don't think there's anything we've done that that you can you can say, oh, that this thing is devoid of hardcore. This is not what hardcore music is. It's like there's a band before us that has done something similar. You know, we're not reinventing the wheel. We just kind of got a bunch of different wheels on the car, driving at our own speed in our own lane, you know, and I think it's important to acknowledge the history of the movement while, again, building off of it, creating, you know, and I think there's a lot of bands that do that now, and there's other you know peers we have, I think that did that really well, and bands that did that before us, I’ve always referenced Ceremony and Cold World as bands that were like acknowledging the history of the movement while building off of it. But now it's like there's a million bands. It's like every band, every hardcore band is essentially doing that. You know what I mean, like taking the thing and making it theirs and unique. And when you look at like a show like today, like Angel Du$t with Basement, it's like could that have existed 15 years ago? Probably not. That'd have been a weird show to a lot of people, you know. Like what the Sound and Fury lineup is, it's like I don't think there's any band that you would mistake for another band on that fest. Everybody has unique identity, and I think that's the coolest thing about life, people, music. Everybody's just different and kind of celebrating what makes us different, you know.

Cold 2 the Touch features a big line-up of diverse guests like Wes Eisold

and Frank Carter, how do these outside collaborators shift the energy and

direction of a song in the studio?

Justice: I think I’ve definitely worked with people before, where it's like their thing doesn't influence the song much at all, other than them being on the song, which is you know affects in itself is has you know has an influence of what the song's gonna be, but like it's really cool with this experience. I feel like every artist that worked on this record with us like really had a lot to give. Like I think both in the case of Wes and Frank, I like those references because they just like kept manipulating the song in new ways. You know what I mean? I'd be like, "Hey, can you sing this little idea?” And then Frank Carter sends me back just like all these harmonies and melodies and whisper tracks and like singing on parts of the song that I didn't have in mind. And then when I got it back, I'm like, shit! I gotta respond to what he's doing. And same thing with West. He was like, “Hey, can you sing this? I even had like a lyric in mind.” I was like, “Can you sing this lyric?” And he was like, Yeah, but he's like a word guy. He's really good with words. Like he's the best with words. I think in context of our world of hardcore punk music. He's potentially the greatest ever to make words on songs, you know. So it's cool. He like twisted up the ideas lyrically, which affected what I would go on to say. And then he had a lot of input again, which is like I'm gonna do something like this here. Okay, shit. Now we need to add some guitars there. There's like a whole thing he does like a whole spoken word thing in that song, which is like my brain would never have thought. Spoken word is such a different tool. That's a writer's tool, you know what I mean? And I'm just not that kind of writer. And I don't think any of us are. He's a poet, you know what I mean? So he did a little poetry on there per se, and like changed the whole dynamic. And again, everybody gave us that. You know, I mean, it's cool. I'm really into that kind of writing. I don't like the idea of like giving somebody something and just saying, Hey, just sing this thing exactly how I want. Don't give us your flavor because your flavor, your touch is going to affect the whole product, and yeah, everybody was really good at that

Do you feel like people are still trying to figure out what Angel Dust is supposed to be, or do you think you've reached a point where you don't care about defining it anymore?

Steve: I joined the band in 2021, and before that I was a fan. I think the rest of us were too, and I think what attracted me to the band was that it was always kind of labeled as hardcore, but for me it was like I'm attracted to more songwriting and pop rock type stuff, and I feel like every album is, it's never an album or like an idea is never rehashed too much. It's always trying something new, and we all have different influences. And oh, like when Jim joined, it's like he brought you know his you know array of influences with him, Zach, Nick, and me. And I feel like it's always kind of evolving in a way where it’s like we're never trying to do something that we did, you know, 10 years ago or whatever, or what we think people might expect. It’s like a balance of doing what people know us for, but building on that and trying to exceed the expectation with the next album. We’re trying to push it a little further. I think this album has its own identity, and that's what I really like about being in this band is that it's like it's not like oh people know us for this like thing, we can't get too far hour over the box. We worked with Brian McTurn, and on the last record he brought his head of skills and influences, and we're working on a record with Rob Schnapf, who did yak, and he comes from a completely different background, and to me, it's really interesting and fun to work in different ways every time, and not be like, all right, this is what worked last time. Let's just stick to this, you know. Taking risks is a big part of doing a band that will have that can maintain a legacy. People not knowing what's coming next is kind of a cool thing to be a part of, and not like, all right, people really like this track from back in the day, so let's try and make a different version of that. It's like, how can we capitalize on that while still doing something new and interesting, which I've always really appreciated about this band.

Justice: I think Steve said it really well about like the desire to create and push the boundaries. One thing I think in the past that I've done personally that I don't mean this like it's like a bad thing because it definitely part of the creative experience. But there's moments where I feel like I'm creating out of spite, like being being a little bit, what's the word like? Where you want to be provocative, or you want to ruffle people's feathers. There’s a good word for it, and I just don't know it. It's like there should be a good way to describe creating out of spite. You know what I mean? Like I was really comfortable pissing people off, and I was like, yeah, I kind of like that. It wasn't like to piss off your audience, but I was like, I need somebody to be offended by this. You know, and I think a really cool thing that Rob said to me one time that didn't even click right away, but it grew on me, and I have really embodied this is like creating in service to the people who care about what you do, and not out of spite. It's like yeah, it's funny to piss off a hater, for example. You know what I mean, but it's like how much more rewarding is it to ignore that and be like, hey, we have this audience that loves what we do, and how do we create something new and exciting for that audience without just trying to be, what's the word, like trying to be contrarian? That's a good word for it. That's what all I search for. But yeah, contrarian works. Yeah, it's just being a motherfucker, dude. You know, I’ve been a motherfucker a couple times, and it's fun. But yeah, I think that's the thing. It's like change with Angel Dust. I think Cold to the Touch is the first record where I think that manifested itself, is service to the audience, and I don't think that's a negative thing. It's not cheap. It's not fucking being agreeable for the sake of selling records or whatever. It's just man, there's people who love us, and we're really fortunate. And what can we do that they're gonna love as much?

That's actually kind of what my next question was going to be. I feel like you've changed from record to record. When you approach a record, are you trying to reinvent yourself, or are you just going based off what you're interested at the time?

Justice: Interests at the time. I don't want to say reinventing ourselves because the brand itself is the idea of exploration. But like Steve said, it's like think a record has a theme, and I like that. You know, again, it's just like you want to get better at making albums. I want to make albums as long as I live, and I want you know that album to serve, you know the people who love Angel Dust, people who are along for the ride.

Zach: Yeah, not reinvent, but I just think that we're very fortunate in the kind of lane that we exist, where we have a lot of freedom to do and express ourselves in a way that a lot of bands honestly don't get to. Like a lot of bands get put into boxes, but I feel like we have a lot of freedom and like kind of what we can do based on what is going on, like record to record, and it's just like there is no really definable sound, but it's like that that quote about like pornography. It's like I know it when I see it. Where it's like you know it's Angel Du$t song when you hear it, and that can mean a million different things. But it's still it's gonna sound like Angel Du$t.

That's what I love about it, is that you guys have such like a unique sound. I feel like good music takes a minute to grow on you sometimes. Because when I first heard you guys, it took a minute for me to understand it. But once you understand it, you're kind of hooked, and and that's been the case with every one of my favorite records in general.

Justice: Thank you.

One of my last questions is, what's the most Angel Du$t things that's happened to you on this tour so far?

Zach: Oh hell naw… you’re not getting me with that question.

Justice: The most Angel Du$t thing would get Zach arrested. Top secret information. But outside of that we're currently not really on tour, but we just spent a couple days together in LA. I think the most Angel Dust thing we’ve experienced is smoking pot out front of the hotel before we go in. We just played a show where we had a great time. We're smoking a little pot before we wind down. We get inside. We throw on South Park or the Family Guy, depending on what's airing at that time or what time we get into a hotel. We always try to resist a group Taco Bell order, but it inevitably happens. Or Wingstop order. We get some Wingstop. Get some barbecue sauce all over your shirt. Nick sits on the blunt and it gets really flat so you're smoking like a flat blunt. But I think it's wholesome. Nobody’s getting into too much trouble. Nothing bad happens.

Zach: I had a pretty Angel Du$t thing happen the other day. I woke up, went to the gym, tracked bass in the studio, smoking weed, drinking beer, and then went to Cha Cha Lounge and shot gunned a beer with Atiba. I feel like that's a vibe. It's like chilling, smoking weed, writing songs, going to the gym, wrestling strangers at McDonald's. It's like the Angel Du$t extended Universe. You know what I mean? It's like doing too much but being chill about it, you know.

Last thing I’ll ask is what do you guys think about the Rockstar Energy

Open skate fest? Anything to say?

Zach: Oh, it's been awesome. Rockstar team is sick as hell. It's been fun chilling with people here and just chilling with the skate homies and everything. I think the show tonight is going to be fucking awesome. It's like one of those things where it's like beyond even just playing the event. It's just like the collection of awesome people. It's so sick that I'm just excited to just vibe all day. The fact that I get to play a set is just like an added bonus.

Justice: I'm not gonna jump in the bowl. You don't want to see that. I think it kind of touches on what we're talking about though, like the similarities between the skateboarding culture and the hardcore home crowd culture, where like the personality type, the desire for extremism, it just mixes so easily, so easy to smush together. I guess we got to the hotel pretty late. Our flight got super delayed, so we got in late. Everybody's kind of beat. There's a lot of people at a hotel that I didn't put together at the moment that everybody's there for the event. But it just kind of cracked me up when I was getting my stuff out the van, and by the time I get through the door, Zach's posted up. He's got a beer and he’s with some skaters and they're talking already. And then you get on the elevator and you're talking with people, and then like I went down to the gym this morning and your kind of like hanging with some guys that skateboard and chopping it up because it's authenticity. You know what I mean? And that exists outside of hardcore and skateboarding, but it's very concentrated in our worlds. So, it's cool to have Rockstar put it all together and make it as easy as possible, just to have fun and enjoy it.

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