Propagandhi

Interview with Propagandhi

As they gear up for the busiest touring period in their long career, Canadian protest-punk veterans Propagandhi break the drought with Supporting Caste, their first album in four years. Truepunk speaks with drummer Jordy Samolesky about playing Italian squats and standing up for the little people.

Interview with PROPAGANDHI – February 2009 By Steve Tauschke

Formed in 1986 by Samolesky and guitarist Chris Hannah, Propagandhi’s penchant for taking extended breaks has kept them off the live scene but has ironically given the band a longevity few acts dream of.

“We actually had a few periods where we’d take as much as two years off, either we’d stop touring to start writing a new album or something like that,” says Samolesky from Winnepeg of the band’s two decade tenure. “So we haven’t played ourselves out to the point where we’re completely sick of our material.

“More recently we added a new guitar player Beav (David ‘Space Beaver’ Guillas) to the band and kind of spent a good couple of seasons working him into the new stuff and writing new material. So we haven’t been too active on the road really.”

All that is about to change as Propagandhi, now a quartet, embark on a very busy 2009 to promote their newly released fifth album Supporting Caste, issued by their own imprint G7 Welcoming Committee, after four albums on Californian indie punk label Fat.

“I wouldn’t say it’s straight ahead in terms of our early stuff like our How To Clean… album, it’s definitely not like that,” offers Samolesky. “But I wouldn’t say it’s prog-rock or metal or anything like that. I think we have a lot of elements of our earlier stuff but it’s layered a little more effectively now.”

Recorded at the increasingly popular The Blasting Room studios in Colorado with engineer Jason Livermore and drummer-come-producer Bill Stevenson, formerly of Black Flag, Descendents and ALL, the album addresses themes close to the band members’ socially aware hearts.

“I guess one take on it could be – and it’s certainly open to interpretation – it’s kind of like we’re all this supporting caste for the powers that be who are the top of the caste in the caste system,” says Samolesky of the record’s title. “But it’s more of a global thing, it’s not really based on the Indian caste system.

“I think we have to realise what our different roles are in this sort of supporting caste system whether you’re at the bottom and you’re the most marginalized and powerless or completely exploited to death or if you’re in a relatively more privileged caste where you have the ability to do something to change things …

“We’re all written into this ongoing story and the history’s always written by the victors, the people at the top of the heap. But it’s all based on a false sense of reality.”

Supporting Caste may also be regarded as a continuum of the band’s long-held championing of grassroots, non-profit and community-minded initiatives that have seen them perform at atypical rock venues over the years for a variety of causes.

“We’re all more inspired by the independent side of music and if there are counter-cultural elements then I think we’re into some of those,” says Samolesky. “I think just being able to see different examples of independent and anti-authoritarian culture around the world has been really interesting. One thing comes to mind is playing in some of the squat scenes in Italy and until a number of years ago, in Germany as well, that was really inspiring.

“Some of the places we played were absolutely incredible and examples of forms of participatory democracy with people living an independent lifestyle in a really successful and interesting way. We’ve played factories and an armoury I believe it was from the 17th century.”

Propagandhi

The three Canadian skids are probably the most famous politically active punk rock band of the 90′s, since their first stuff with “How To Clean Everything”, through “Less Talk More Rock” and ’till their latest “Today’s Empires, Tomorrow’s Ashes”, the band showed themselves as “animal friendly, anti fascist, gay positive and pro feminist”: and these four phrases describe the band in the best way.

After exactly a year from the release of “Today’s mpires, Tomorrow’s Ashes”, I got the chance to ask to Todd from the band some questions and he actually answered all of them, speaking on various issues, from music, to Limp Bizkit, Marylin Manson, to what he listens to, the organizations he and his bands are involved and their label ( the G7 Welcoming Committee), not to forget the terrorsist attacks of 9/11. Also, the fact that Propagandhi do not do a lot of interviews since they do not care about promotion should make everyone want to read this.

Interview with Todd by Carlo Gironi ( carlo@staff.truepunk.com )

Carlo:I read in one of your bio by Fat Wreck Chords that you expected a lot of “attention” or “success” or anyway to create some “scandals” with your album “Less Talk More Rock” but this didn’t happen. Is that true?

Todd:I don’t know it that’s a joke or not.I think it is. If it’s not Hannah’s a fuckin’ weirdo! HaHaHaHa.

Carlo:I personally find your lyrics the most clever and it should take allot of time to stay here and comment all your words, so, can you tell me how you manage to write such clever and well-written songs? Do you do all togheter or is it Chris that writes down everything?

Todd:Me and Chris both write lyrics. We try our best!

Carlo:Always about your lyrics, you bring a lot of references to history and to what happened during the past, like wars, McChatrysm, NAFTA, CEO, Cointelpro, Chapas, and it’s clear you know a lot of things, like, who the hell was “Steve Smith of the Revolution”? Which school did you go to ? Are you graduated in something? or did you quit shool early cuz you thought it was useless?

Todd:Jord has a degree in political science, he doesn’t write the lyrics but is definitely one tuned in fellow, his rants give us some inspiration. Chris took university for a while and learned the rest on his own after deciding it was a rip off. I also just learn stuff from books and some TV show’s and whatever. Just for clarity and fun I’ll mention that Steve Smith was a hockey player who scored on himself a Stanley Cup playoff game.

Carlo: Did your teachers helped you knowing these things or did you learn everything by yourself, by reading books? Have you got some books that you found interesting to reccomend?

Todd:My teachers were goofs in school. Books I like are: “A Little Matter Of Genocide” by Ward Churchill, “The Elephant Man” story by somebody I forget the name of…”Canada’s First Nations” also I can’t remember the author. “Atheism The Case Against God” by George W. Smith.

Carlo:When I went to high school I had a kind of fascist teacher while my brother has a comunist one: who is the luckiest? Me or my brother?

Todd:If your brother has the ability to disseminate his teachers bullshit maybe he is the lucky one. But, goof teachers are not inspiting and they are very frustrating. I would rather be with the communist teacher anyway.

Carlo:Sometimes when I listen to one of your record I have the feeling not to listen to a music CD, but to a kind of “lesson”, like reading a book: .when you record an album, do you want your listeners to behave like this or it is just me that is dumb?

Todd:We hope people will think and enjoy the words, but we certainly hope the record rocks the people also.

Carlo: In your song “Back to the Motor League” you sing against Eminem, Korn, Limp Bizkit: what is your opinion towards each of these artists?

Todd:They suck.It’s poser rebellion, act like a spoiled rich kid and then cry about being misunderstood. No Thanks!

Carlo:Do you like some mainstream music ( do you watch Mtv )?

Todd:I don’t like any of it at all, Rush is OK. I hate MTV. Boring and sucks all at once.

Carlo: Do you listen to other stuff apart from punk, hardcore and metal? Your favourite bands?

Todd:I like a Canadian singer named Garnet Rogers, he’s the best ever. I like Ani Difranco, Rush , some flamenco and world music. Anything sincere I appreciate, I don’t necessarly like it all.

Carlo: Talking of punk-rock, there is a growing number of pop punk acts that sing about girls, parties and that stuff, things that you seem not to sing alot…what do you think of them, they are called “punks” like Propagandhi is called, do you feel to share something with them?

Todd:I don’t feel like it’s all the same thing. I don’t really think about it anymore, I was very disappointed when they all showed up. They can do what they want now I just ignore it all. Some kids get into our band because of those bands, I appreciate that.

Carlo:Are you inolved in some organizations? Which ones?

Todd:We help out a lot of groups here, Aboriginal people fighting the provincial Hydro company, refugees, Broadway Community Center. More whenever we can.

Carlo: You run G7 Welcoming Committe records, that releases also books, spoken words, etc…do you think that a lot of people are interested also in the substance or only in the music?

Todd:It seems a lot of people are interested in the substance, the letters we receive indicate that, so do the people we talk to.

Carlo:What do you think of Marylin Manson and of his “satanism” thing ?

Todd:Sorta funny. I know he’s a dumbass, but I almost like his stupidity, but not quite, his shtick was done much better by other bands in the past.

Carlo: Does ska really sucks?

Todd:To my ears it does. Ha.

Carlo:Why do you play shows not so often now?

Todd:Before we were making a record, now we are touring, soon we’ll be making a record again,so… there’s no time to tour a lot.

Carlo: Are you still in good relationship with John, the guy that formed the Weakerthans? Do you like their ballads?

Todd:I don’t see John much, I get a long with him. We don’t do anything together. You can’t ask a thrasher if he likes a ballad, c’mon. HaHaHa.

Carlo:What is your opinion of what is happening in the world after September 11th ?

Todd:We are watching more US led illegal terrorism blindly backed by fools worldwide, predictably disapointing.

Carlo: On your latest record you have this song called “Natural disaster”:what is that about?

Todd:That song is about people who act all righteous and put you down. But, they are actually doing the exact same things as you but they do them behind closed doors, or in secret. They just won’t admit it. Righteous but nasty! Ha.

Carlo: One last thing, have you got a message for all the people out there that listen to you ?

Todd:Don’t believe the hype, stop the terrorist attacks on Afganistan.

Carlo: I thank you a lot, I hope to see you live one day…thanks…

Todd:See Ya and thanks for the interview!