Latest / Hold Your Ground / The Beat Goes On (so does the fight)

Transcript

The Beat Goes On (so does the fight) · Hold Your Ground

• Joe: What's up, everybody? Welcome back to Hold Your Ground. Working class culture without all the fucking bullshit. And today we're gonna talk about some fucking bullshit. as we're fucking recording this, Belfast in Northern Ireland is experiencing another outbreak of racist violence with attacks on migrant communities after a horrible attack where a Sudanese asylum seeker attempted to behead a man. Homes have been targeted, families intimidated, and entire groups of people are being blamed for the actions of an individual. At the same time, we're seeing white lives matter rallies all across the UK. What we're witnessing isn't new. Whenever society faces genuine problems, whether it's a housing crisis, rising poverty, crumbling public services, low wages, or growing inequality, there are always people willing to redirect public anger away from those with power and towards those with less power. Instead of asking why housing is unaffordable, we're told to blame migrants. Instead of asking why public services have been cut to the bone, we're told to blame refugees. Instead of asking why wealth continues to flow upward, While living standards decline, we're encouraged to point the finger at people who often arrive here with little with little more than the clothes on their back. It's a strategy built on scapegoating. And throughout history, it has been proved remarkably effective. People are understandably frustrated. Many communities feel neglected. People worry about their futures, their jobs, their children's prospects, and whether life will be better or worse than it was for previous generations. Those concerns are real. They're fucking valid. But racism doesn't solve any of that shit. Attacking migrant families doesn't build a single house. Harassing refugees doesn't improve a single school. Marching behind a nationalist slogan like fucking white lives matter and fucking Britain first or American. America first doesn't put food on anyone's table. It simply creates new victims while leaving the original problems untouched. And here's the question that never seems to get asked. How many violent crimes have taken place across Britain in the last fucking year where the dickhead was white? How many murders? How many assaults? How many cases of domestic violence? How many fucking knife attacks? The answer is simple. It's fucking it's countless. It's fucking countless. And every time one of those crimes happen, we rightly treat it as the responsibility of the individual involved. We don't blame every single fucking white person. We don't attack white neighborhoods. We don't demand that millions of innocent people apologize for something they had nothing to do with. We recognize that guilt belongs to the person who committed the fucking act. So why does that principle suddenly disappear when the suspect is a migrant, a refugee, or a member of a minority community? Why are entire communities expected to answer for the actions of one person? Why do innocent families become targets? Why are homes attacked, businesses threatened, and neighbors turned into enemies? We just watched in Belfast as people went and attacked fucking homes and lit them on fire with children inside and have been fucking roaming the streets attacking people who aren't fucking white. The shit is fucking insane. And it's because this isn't really about justice. If it were, people would be focused on the individual responsible. Instead, what we're seeing is the politics of scapegoating, the deliberate attempt to take anger that should be directed at one person and redirected towards an entire community. And that's exactly what we're seeing happen in Belfast. People who had absolutely nothing to do with the attack are paying the price for it, not because of anything they've done, but because somebody has decided that they're a convenient group to blame. the tragedy is that ordinary working class people are being encouraged to see one another as enemies when they face many of the same struggles. The migrant family worried about being attacked, the local resident struggling with rent, the fucking worker concerned with wages, the parent worried about public services. These people have far more in common with each other than they do with those who profit from the division and those at the fucking top. Because sol and that's something. Worth remembering, right? Because solidarity isn't just a slogan, it's a recognition that our problems are often shared and that they are rarely solved by turning neighbor against neighbor. to social problems isn't finding new groups of people to blame. It's addressing the causes of those problems in the first place. And in moments like this, when fear and anger are being deliberately amplified, that's perhaps the most important thing to hold on to. The future isn't built by people. Who divide communities? It's built by people who bring them together. Solidarity over scapegoat over scapegoating community over division every single fucking time. And for all the Americans, all of the Americans, I can't fucking speak today, but that's alright. Deal with it. For all the Americans that I've been fucking reading comments from on social media and shit, that are fucking commenting up the raw, and this is why fucking Ireland needs to unite. Like you guys are so. Fucking internationally illiterate and fucking tone-deaf. Right? The people who are fucking in the streets and protesting and attacking fucking homes and people and all this shit are unionists, right? The only thing that they don't like more than fucking England England is Ireland. They continue to stay part of the UK. I don't think that a majority of Americans quite realize that like Northern Ireland belongs to the UK and the Republic of Ireland is a completely different fucking country. And all of this shit up the raw and this, that, and the other. Like, this is the exact shit that the fucking IRA fought against. Right? Was fucking British fucking colonization and British fucking politics and forcing their way of life onto fucking Ireland. It makes no fucking sense. But anyways, that's my rant for today. Sorry, I'm kinda fucking sick feeling. I'm fucked up. it is what it fucking is. Luis-Enrique: What Americans have no idea what's going on abroad and become overnight experts? You're crazy, bro. You're you're crazy. I mean, let's be honest, it's always easier to blame someone else rather than to look internally, right? It's always easier to blame that person that you don't know rather than the government that you do know. Joe: Right? Insanity. Yeah. Luis-Enrique: Right. I really like what you said there that all working class people, whether they be in India, Russia, Mexico, Ecuador, or the United States, all working class people have a commonality, which is that we are oppressed for the profits of the bosses. Nate: you Joe: hundred fucking percent. And we're seeing this shit fucking play out by this fucking ultra-rich oligarch fucking class, right? I mean, we've got Reform UK led by Nigel Farage, who's fucking backed by Elon Musk, just like the MAGA shit was here. And we have reform that's stoking the fucking violence and the division in Belfast. It's fucking nuts, dude. Telling people they need to be out in the fucking streets and fucking hunting down, get millions out, is the fucking is the slogan being used, right? And then you got Elon Musk. who's using fucking Twitter or X for whatever the fuck that stupid shit's called to point out places that the fucking rioters need to go next and where immigrant fucking communities are for people who aren't familiar with Belfast who have come in. That's like the fucking world's first trillionaire. Luis-Enrique: And guess what that kind just became today. Joe: Yeah, no, but see that's the thing, right? So this motherfucker is stoking division and fucking fanning the flames of violence. I'm I'm I'm I'm certain like I don't see I don't see how this benefits fucking people like Elon Musk except for the fact that it's something in his fucked up mind. That's that's fun. It's fun to play with people's lives. This is the shit you and I have talked about before, Luis. We get these ultra-rich fucking assholes. They can do anything that they want. They can have anything that they want. So what do they want to do? What do they want to have? Shit that they can't fucking do. Right? That's why we saw fucking ultra-rich people pay to go hunt human beings in fucking times of civil unrest in quote unquote third world countries. Luis-Enrique: That's why they're all battling to get to space right now. That's why they go hunting like elusive animals. That's why they go eat and I'm not there yet, bro. I'm not there yet. I cannot believe that I I I cannot believe that these people are eating people, bro. I cannot believe Joe: Word. And people! Fucking people! What do you mean you're not there? So this isn't this is I'm not talking about I'm not saying that I'm not going off on Epstein shit right now, but it has been fucking proven with evidence. Where the fuck was it? It was like Bosnia or some shit like that. During the fucking civil uprising there and civil unrest, you had fucking people that were paying a bunch of money to go fucking attach themselves to a paramilitary organization and fucking hunt people and shoot them. I'm not talking about the Epstein eating people conspiracy shit. I'm talking about actual documented fact. Luis-Enrique: And cheap people. No, no, yeah. Well yeah, yeah, that that that's a reality and we we know that and that e that even happens to this day. I'm just not sure on the eating people because here's the thing. if white people are eating people, it's more c a cultural appropriation, right? Because that's my culture, bro. I wanna try pizola the way pizola should be fucking eaten. With like a fucking big old ham hock right there, bro. Preferably Andy knows. You know? Joe: I mean out of the two of us out of the two of us, I guess I'm a cultural appropriator. Out of the two of us, I'm the only one who's eaten human flesh. I have. Luis-Enrique: You have. Gross bastard. Nate: Thanks. Luis-Enrique: You have. Like, and you've eaten yourself, which is even weirder. But you know what? Before we go down that yeah, before we go down that rabbit hole, we've got a guest who's just like being like, what the fuck did I agree to? Why don't you do the introduction now? Great monologue. Huh. Okay. Joe: You had to try so all right, so I'm gonna it I'm gonna introduce our guest. Word. Alright, dude. So check it out, everybody. I'm really excited about today's interview because our guest is someone I've known since we were kids. Nate Mahan and I go way back, and over the years he's gone on to do some pretty cool shit as a member of Shannon and the Clams. A lot of interviews focus on the band, and we'll definitely talk about that. But when you've known somebody for this long, the conversation tends to wander into all kinds of places. So this is less of a formal interview and more of a catch-up between old friends who happen to have microphones in front of them. Let's get into it. Nate Mahan is here, and I am glad you're along for the ride. What the fuck is up, dude? Nate: Oh man, it's good to see you. It's been years, but it's come a long way. We both grew up in this tiny little hamlet of a town called Cayucas where I don't think either of us knew how nice it was until we get a little further in life. But it was pretty awesome that we got to live this strange version of the California dream that Joe: Yeah. Till we left. Nate: I don't think most Californians get to experience what's pretty, pretty unique where you're like, oh yeah, dad was a surfer. Like, you know, we just hung out. Like he was in the water. He talked about it. Like it was church. Yeah, it was, it was a great place to grow up and super unique. And you know, it's the end, the end of the West. When you're on the water, you got nowhere else to go. Joe: Yeah, dude. And so like for those people which is probably everybody who hasn't heard of Cayucas, that are listening in, it is when people think about California, they think about like LA and San Francisco and shit like that, and like big fucking cities and metropolises and shit like that. Like Cayucas is a town when we were growing up, like I would I would say that a a thousand fucking residents would be fucking pushing it, right? Like that would be a pretty highball fucking estimate, I feel like. And I mean fuck, the town next to us is called Harmony, and it had a population of what fucking twenty-six? Eighteen. It's up to twenty-six or something like that now, I guess, right? So yeah, population eighteen. Nate: 18. Luis-Enrique: That's good. Nate: Yeah, Luis-Enrique: Pretty incredible. You guys come from this small population and yet both you gentlemen have seen the world. That's pretty incredible. Joe: Kind of a trip. Nate: Yeah. Joe: I'll tell you what was a trip too with that area is that the amount of fucking talent that came out of there was ridiculous, right? Like you have fucking Nate that's gone on to do awesome big things with music, right? We've had fucking numerous Nate: Yeah. Joe: like bands who have been super successful that have come out of that area in the punk rock and oi and fucking just kind of weirdly independent scenes and shit like that. and for it being a small area It was a trip, right? So like when I was a kid we always referred I I always not we I it was always referred to in the punk rock thing as Bobber Beach, right? 'Cause there was like a fucking whole thing of fucking skinhead subculture there. There was fucking p all sorts of fucking punk rock going on. There was fucking punk rock shows like all the fucking time. You know what I mean? And it was kind of this weird like surf skate punk fucking deal. And then it was kind of a trip too, because right down the road in fucking Nate: Yeah. Joe: a ro not Aurora Grande, but fucking Pismo Beach or whatever, which is down always, but the pit was there, which is a fight gym that put out fucking like world-class fighters. So it was kind of a trip, right? Because you had all these like surf punks and fucking skate kids and fucking you know, all this shit going on. And there was a college there, Cal Poly, which was in San Luis Obispo. So you had a bunch of college kids that would show up and fucking dork out all the time and shit like that. But then there was also like this whole entire element where like a large faction of people were like trained fighters and shit. It's a it's a fucking for it being a small area, it's really fucking it's kind of a trippy area. I feel like it's kind of a no an an anomaly of any other place I've ever fucking been. Nate: Yeah. It's also changed a lot since we grew up there. know, it's way more, you know, there was way more working class when we were growing up there, you know, still cowboys, ranchers. And then, yeah, now, now my dad's still in the area. He's like, a lot of times guys come from three hours away just to do labor because there's no one there who can do labor and afford to live there. And that's just reality of it. Joe: No. Luis-Enrique: So it's been suburban regentrified. Joe: That's it's insane, dude. So like when I moved, I moved to Oregon in two thousand and seventeen. Right. And the lot, just the fucking lot, and this isn't an Oregon lot, right? Where you got a bunch of land. This was like a fucking I think it was like a forty by sixty lot, so like a twenty four hundred square foot lot. that was next to my house, nothing built on it. It sold for seven hundred and twenty thousand dollars. And I was looking at that going, like, how the fuck am I gonna like Luis-Enrique: Jesus. Joe: live here, you know what I mean, as this goes on. Like at that point, like I could have of I I could have afforded to have bought a house, but I would have been like one injury, one illness away from losing everything. And as you stay, like the rents are that it's fucking insane. It's it's it is Unrealistic, right? It's like my mom still lives in Cayukas, and she's you know, my mom is 76 years old, she's got fucking roommates and shit, right? And still works. And yeah, I'm like, what the fuck are you doing, lady? You know what I mean? But the only reason why she can afford to live there is because she's lived in the same house, she's rented the same house for like 20 fucking years, right? And the dude Nate: Yeah. Yeah. Joe: Like she started off at like fifteen hundred bucks a month like twenty years ago. And the she the dude's only raised the rent like two grand a month. So she has a three bedroom house on the fucking letter streets, like fucking north of north of the fucking market, you know what I mean? and she's paying two grand a month, which is unfucking heard of. Unheard of. Like you're looking at a house like that now, like if you were to go rent it like Nate: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Joe: Five, six grand a month, you know. Nate: Yeah, is not. California has become really a place for just people who live off that residual income. If you ain't got money coming in every month for nothing, stay out of California. It's just gonna keep you alive. Luis-Enrique: It it does. It seems like the Joe: Yeah. Luis-Enrique: it seems like the population of Cali is either wealth or slave class. Right? I mean there are little pockets like Bycelia in Tulare where there are working class people, but I would call those more impoverished people than working class to be honest with you. Joe: Where like you get into the Central Valley and things are a little bit more sorry Nate, I didn't mean to jump over you there. It's a little bit more affordable, right? But then you're in the fucking Central Valley and it sucks there. It's hot. It's fucking smells like cow shit. Nate: No, no, no, no, go ahead. Yes, I. Luis-Enrique: I mean, yeah, dude. Let's be honest. The Central Valley sucks. Those dudes bang over Orange Fields. They'll fucking they're killers up and down the Central Valley, right? They're nothing but murderers up and down. I mean, there are a lot of good people too, but it's it's violent for a reason there. Up from Sacramento all the way to Bakersfield. And I hate that place. Bakersfield, fuck you. I hate Bakersfield. Joe: Yeah. Yeah. Luis-Enrique: Y you know? Anyway, well fucking Nate, let me ask you, let's switch gears here a little bit from I don't even know where you guys are from. I already forgot that little ass town's name. Cayuga? No. Cayuka, see, I forgot. what do you think about what's going on in the world? It's fucked up world, so you got a lot of topics to pick from. Joe: Cayukas. Nate: you guys. Joe: Ha ha ha. Nate: I yeah, mean, World's a War. And now they're just, I mean, it seems like everywhere they're bringing the war home a little bit. I don't feel like we get too much of a say, you know, we just kind of have to deal with these oppressors and, you know, let them try and, you know, put the blame on our fellow man. like aggravating thing when you're just like yeah it's it's not someone who thinks differently than me that's the problem it's the person who actually has the say and control that's the problem it's not someone else who's working the job Luis-Enrique: Right? I mean it goes back a little bit to where Joe's monologue said, you know, that these wealthy individuals are sowing these seeds of dissatisf I mean, not even dissatisfaction, just these seeds of violence for I can't see why. Nate: Yeah, and a lot of times I feel like it's just it's a distraction that's based off of You know of what else is what's going on in the Middle East we've got all these other places like and if they're gonna like Keep everyone at home from freaking out. They gotta bring some kind of like fear-mongering or some kind of Narrative that puts the people against each other at home these otherwise that you know if the people can unite against like crazy stuff that's going on overseas, that's dangerous. You know, don't want a population that's united in something. That's not the playbook of control at all. Luis-Enrique: Right, right, yeah. Joe: And I don't I don't see how we will it fuck dude I am fucked up today. I don't see how we're ever gonna get to fucking unite as well, right? Because we are so divided with people they in a in in the United States, it seems like a majority of people base their self-worth and their personality on what they do for a living and how many hours they can work and provide for fucking their corporate fucking overlords. Right? Everybody I mean it's like a badge of honor. I work fucking I I didn't know that sixty sixty hours sixty hours a week. Been a while since I worked a part time job. You know what I mean? It's like this fucking cool thing to fucking work your life away and destroy your body instead of fucking Yeah, right? Nate: Yeah, working for Halliburne. Cool. Joe: Exactly. Exactly. It's fucking nuts, dude. The thing that blows me away is that word, right? And I mean, but that I I have, right? But that's the thing. And I used to fall into that and be like, yeah, it was all fucking I thought like being a part of the working class when I was a kid was like the coolest thing ever. And it was, I'm fucking I'm just fucking I'm a grinder. I'm gonna get shit done. You know what I mean? And as I've grown Luis-Enrique: I've been working since I was four tін. Joe: and learned a lot about labor history. I've I've come to realize that that's not a fucking badge of honor, man. That's fucking being used and abused by people who are fucking ultra rich at a level you're never gonna fucking make it to. No matter what the fuck you do. You know what I mean? And that's one of the things we're now I always try to preach to people, remember like overtime is not a fucking reward for you working extra. Overtime is a punishment to the company for not fucking manning the job properly so that you can get it done. Done in a 40-hour week. Right? Yeah, I don't know, man. It's fuck it is wild to see this fucking division amongst working peoples, though, when people are so fucked off. And I can see, now that I'm thinking about it and speaking of that, I can see the appeal to people like Elon Musk to do what he's doing, where he's selling all this division. Because if you keep people Nate: Thank Joe: mad at each other. That's the thing, right? I've I've known this forever. I don't know why I didn't think about it when I wrote that fucking monologue. But if you keep people mad at each other, you you know, you got the fucking ultra-rich guy with all the fucking, he's got 90 fucking 9% of the pie. And he's telling that you you know you're 1% of the pie. This other guy that's got no pie is trying to steal your 1% and they go, fuck that guy who's got no pie. That's my piece of the pie, right? Instead of going, well why d why the fuck do you have 99% of the fucking pie? That makes sense? Sorry. I'm off on a fucking tangent. Luis-Enrique: Right. Nate: No, mean, it's, we gotta, you know, do the stuff. We gotta find some way, other way to redistribute at this point. Luis-Enrique: Right, Dave. But because of this pod, you and I have gotten to meet wonderful individuals. People like Mr. Russell Payne, Mr. Linval Golding, Mr. Nate here, who have instead of choosing to be slaves, they've chosen to create and bring forth art, beauty, and unity. You know? And Joe: Word. Luis-Enrique: Nate, gotta tell you how much I appreciate you, your band's music, and how much they are actually really played in my house. Like my girl loves y'all, dude. Like like it's it's ridiculous how much they're played here sometimes. And just the beauty that you bring. Because see, to me, to me, you're always gonna symbolize joy and wonder, right? Because Joe, I met this dude when I was getting high as shit out in Vegas and it was hot as fuck, and here's this cowboy dressed head to toe in cowboy gear, right? And we're talking, having a great time. Nate: That's great. Luis-Enrique: And he looks at me and goes, hey, you ever play craps? I was like, fuck no, I've never played craps. He's like, Do you wanna? I was like, Yup. Called feel down. I killed the table, bro. Killed it. Killed the table because of that cowboy, bro. And it was a lovely day. And so thanks for not being part of the system and thanks for doing your own thing, 'cause you gave me a lovely time. Nate: Sure. luck. Well, the coolest thing about being a musician or doing any job where you get to go out is getting to meet people. mean, you don't just get to meet, you're not just in the same place talking to the same people, do the same thing every day. I'm very thankful. I've gotten to travel and being a musician is a weird gig. You know, for the Ultra Rich sometimes. Sometimes, like, you know, they've got a wedding and they want you to play like 30 minutes and they're going to pay you twice for the sold out clubs that's going to pay you. You're like, yeah, I guess we should probably just do that. And yeah, it's interesting. And then you're like, OK, Luis-Enrique: Yeah. Nate: And you're kind of the help, but you're also kind of the entertainer. It's like a weird, know, it's like, obviously I relate more to the people who are like out there serving the hors d'oeuvres that I do to a lot of the guests, but like, yeah, the guests are the people that want to talk to me. It's a very interesting in between. And I always think, you know, it's a good mix of white collar and blue collar. Luis-Enrique: Mm-hmm. Nate: still haul our own apps and like get that but in the same way like I have this very cush job you know I mean considering yeah there are hard parts but lots of people go on the road to work and lots of people you know may have those oil wells or do whatever so like I'm pretty thankful I get this this Nick where I am going out I'm meeting people I'm working to a certain degree but I'm also like here to bring a good time. I want people to come together. Especially when work sucks. You want to go out, you want to live it up and enjoy life, not just feel the weight of the oppressor all the time. Luis-Enrique: Right? Yeah, and I mean I think, bro, I find your music, your band's music, it's so dreamy to me. Like like that's like a word that I get. It's so lovely. It's it it it's like Joe: ridiculously unique. It it it is. Luis-Enrique: It it it is. It's like almost like nineteen fifties prom rock but like so much better and just it's it's just dreamy. It's it's it's it's perfect for me. I I really enjoy it. Yeah. Joe: Ha ha ha. Nate: Yeah, I was an instant fan, so I joined the band about four years into their genesis. they started out just playing punk shows in Oakland, house parties, warehouse shows. And I landed in Oakland in 2006. And it's definitely the heart of the Bay Area. It's got... I mean, it's a heavy city and I used to go see this band just completely, you know, there'd be shows and like everyone would just kind of like know that this band was something special from the very beginning, which was like, yeah, we're definitely, we're definitely gonna go see the Clams play on OK Street. or wherever it might have been. And like great times and like not under any other premise, but just wanting to like share music with people. And Shannon and Cody, are the two kind of co-lead the band, you know, they work so well together. you know, it's so nice when you can meet people who can like be a leader, but also share the lead. Like they're not so great to where like I have. Luis-Enrique: Right, and just click in. Nate: spotlight all the time or you know that kind of like harmonious relationship in the band makes for a special environment because yeah you just have some more minds taking you in the direction and yeah it's a very I feel very lucky to be a part of it because I was a big fan. Luis-Enrique: That's that's beautiful. The only thing I'm gonna push back on is Oakland being the heart of the bay. Being originally from the city, so there's only one city in the bay from from the mission district. I would say that the heart of the bay is in the mission. But you know, that's just me. And that that thing is to working with like someone who has to be a leader. This guy, like I understand, like that's our leader right there. Nate: Okay. Joe: No way, dude. Luis-Enrique: He directs everything, he is the director, the producer. Joe: I'm not a fucking leader, dude. What the fuck are you talking about? I can't even speak today. Luis-Enrique: You're everything. well yeah. so last year you guys toured with Alabama Shakespeare. How was that? Nate: Yeah. man, those are some great people. They are the right, yeah, just like, you know, their hearts in the right place. These are not big ego. Like you got people that obviously care for their family. And like you can, can almost always tell by like how happy the crew is on tour with like bigger bands. You know, like you can tell when the crew is just like being greeted. Luis-Enrique: Nice. Yeah. Nate: kind of poorly. And like, and then you could tell what like, the crew is generally stoked to be there. It likes working like with the band and that's, you know, I love to see that. Yeah, some people definitely can pull the rock star holier than thou or whatever. But yeah, you meet bands like they're hanging out, they're working with their crew, like it's a big family vibe. And that's great. That's what you want on Luis-Enrique: Yeah. Nate: that feels like healthy when you're... see you know or if that was actually the first time we were ever on a tour bus so it was you know and that's a whole other like sense of like closeness when you're just like oh yeah I got my band-maid about three feet above me just snoring part in a way so you know it's uh yeah it's you want to you want to be yeah Luis-Enrique: Yeah. Yeah. You guys you guys played the Hollywood Bowl that show. said Nate: Yeah, that was a great, great time with that band. I really can't say enough about them. They are solid people who grew in it for the right reasons, which is nice. Luis-Enrique: How was it how was it playing the Hollywood Bowl on that tour? The iconic Hollywood Bowl. Nate: I mean don't get me wrong. I mean definitely awesome to take that off my list and like You know, I liked it But you got the strange strange thing. I'll be real. It's kind of weird with like it's like the social elites is like the front row and you're like Okay. Yeah, how's the house the wine? Yeah, there's I mean Luis-Enrique: okay. Yeah. Joe: Ha ha ha. Luis-Enrique: Mm-hmm. Nate: But overall, great, incredible, iconic experience. definitely, you my favorite show on that whole tour though was Bend. Like that was the best and it was because the local crew was incredible there. We showed up, they're like, here's some floaters. Like, why don't you go float down the river? And like, so they like, this up, all up and we go like. Luis-Enrique: Yeah. Nate: down with the Alabama Shicks, down the river in town. Everyone was super nice. At the end of the night, someone dragged in their like horrible sauna that they had built, just on a truck trailer. And we got to enjoy that, which was amazing. And then after that, we all just went backstage and like played songs and passed the acoustic guitar around, like after the show. Luis-Enrique: shit. Joe: yeah. Luis-Enrique: Hell yeah. Nate: And I'm like, that was cool. I like that. That's like, you know, the ball is cool. you know, it's got, but it's got that layer of fanciness. It's when you feel like you're hanging out with just the common, you know, just someone who's like you, it's way easier, way more fun. Luis-Enrique: That's awesome. Joe: word. Getting to build a little bit of community and fucking meet the everyday person, you know. Nate: Yeah, totally. Yeah, mean, at end of the day, know, most people there like, playing music is still a job, you still gotta conduct it like a business and like, come at it with that professional manner and like, everyone else who's there working on You gotta appreciate them and realize it's all a team effort to try and make this thing happen. Luis-Enrique: Absolutely. Joe: Word. Luis-Enrique: Absolutely. Joe: So Louise is kind of fanboyed out a little bit. I'm just gonna jump in. I'm gonna say I know. I've I every time I went to go speak, you're like, So I'm like, I'm like, do your thing. Yeah, that doesn't mean I'm not going to, motherfucker. cool, thank you. I appreciate it. I see your I see your I see your face though. That's the thing. Ooh, ooh, you're all fucking Luis-Enrique: Luis has just asked questions. Luis has been a good interviewer. Well well well, 'cause you were complaining you can't talk, bro. Well, I was just helping you out. Well see what happens when a rap she she Nate: I gotta go grab a charger for my phone because it's old and the battery has to go all over your bed. Luis-Enrique: she w Joe: Okay. Luis-Enrique: See what happens when a brown guy tries to help a white guy, bro? Like I just we get accused of like all kinds of things, like from fanboying. I was just being a good you like this look, bro. Okay, how's that look work out? Joe: get fucked, nerd. That's pretty sweet, dude. Fucking the dual glassing. Nah and fucking You're a goofball, you know that? Luis-Enrique: Wow. You know, it i i it in in Spanish, gufbole, right? Means like just it's a horrible insult, dude. I'm I'm just I'm just you don't speak do you speak Salvadorian? Do you speak Salvi? Did Joe: Well well what Get fucked, dickhead. I speak Spanish too. You just said in Spanish that's what you just said. No, I don't speak Salvadori. Luis-Enrique: Goof pelote dude. Goof pelon. Goof pelon dude. Like that's all I'm saying dude. It those are those are horrible words, dude. Those are horrible words to say to someone. Joe: I had to let being track out and see the tasa. Fucking goofy. But anyways Date's back. Hey Date. Yeah. Luis-Enrique: Needs back. Needs needs back. Nate: I'm back. Sorry. Dangerous to like walk away, huh? Luis-Enrique: It it does get it. Joe: we do we we bicker all the time. It's kinda goofy. right. But no, what I was gonna say is like I said earlier, you know, your guys' music is ridiculously unique. and that's something that's really cool seeing, especially in this day and age where there's so many cookie cutters Luis-Enrique: We're twins. Joe: bands and sounds depending on what genre you're in. You know what I mean? And to watch you guys kind of bridge different genres of music together and make something that is complete y completely your own is fucking amazing. Luis-Enrique: Yeah. Nate: It's nice to hear, I appreciate it. I mean, I'm definitely very proud of what we've been able to do. It's been a wild ride. I mean, we've seen a lot and like, yeah, when you're close to those people, those kinds of orders, like, it's fun to stick together and see what happens and see where it takes you. Joe: Word. I hear Appa's got questions in the background. Luis-Enrique: That's my dog, bro. He's known for snoring. I don't Nate: Okay. Luis-Enrique: know if you can hear him. You to so on your list of places to play, where where do you have left? Nate: Where I've left oh gosh, I mean They set up gay I would love to get down in South America. I think that would be so fun However that we got to go down to Mexico a few years ago, that's incredible Great great crowds down there and Yeah, honestly, I would love to go back to Mexico Luis-Enrique: Yeah. So you guys have all all of South America yet to open up to Shannon and the Clams? That's great. That's exciting. Nate: Yeah. Yep. Figure it out some way. Yeah, we've got a few invites that we just haven't been able to work anything. But I think we'd all like to go and check it out some degree. I've never traveled down there independently. So these days, yeah, I mean, we're taught. Yeah, I do try and like. Luis-Enrique: I think they'll love you down there. Nate: bring in little mini vacations into touring. Like, gosh, it must have been seven years ago, though, I got to ride around County Cork in southern Ireland on bicycle. And we had our first gig starting in Dublin, so I'm like, I'm just going to fly in a week early and get a bicycle, stay in some bed and breakfasts. And, oh, it was awesome. It was so, so cool. Luis-Enrique: Holy shit. Joe: Dope. Nate: so nice down there. was, yeah, those kinds of experiences. Luis-Enrique: That sounds like a once in a lifetime awesomeness experience. Nate: Absolutely, yeah. And yeah, you never know. mean, whatever you can do to give yourself a little more of an experience on tour is huge because when you're in the thick of it and you're just going, like, it's hard to take time to actually stop, see something, appreciate it. You're like, no, I gotta load this van. Like, I gotta go. I need a cup of coffee. Now. Luis-Enrique: Yeah. Yeah, I gotta get to the next one. Nate: So, yeah, taking a little time off and yeah, you'll just never know. I I met one of wildest fellows at the end of our last tour in Europe. I ended up in Portugal. We played it up in Ocarina in Northern Spain, the little tip. And so I was like, oh, I'm gonna take the bus down into Portugal and check it out. And I met this hilarious fellow. He was an English expat, know, grew up, believe he grew up in Birmingham, but he's gotten all kinds of trouble, had to get out of there, ended up in Spain booking bands and selling drugs. And then he kind of used that as a way to get to LA. And as he said, he's got, he's like, I got less in the booking bands and more in selling drugs. Luis-Enrique: Yeah. Nate: So he ended up getting busted. He spent 10 years in prison in America for selling drugs, went back to Spain and opened an importing exporting business, buying of all things vintage American Western clothing. You ever wondered where all that clothes went from like the 1940s, 50s, 60s? It was all donated to China. Luis-Enrique: Shit. Holy shit. Yeah. Yeah. Nate: via Goodwill and then the Pakistanis bought it and sorted it and then they sell them basically by a shipping container full of various buyers around the world. This guy in Portugal was sitting on some of the most classic American Western clothing I've ever seen in my life and it was all just bought through Pakistan and he was talking just he's like, yeah, I got a water bill. Luis-Enrique: Holy shit. Nate: Portugal he's like yeah my water bill is that $23 a month I got about 10 acres Yeah, it's funny though you see those Luis-Enrique: Wow. Holy shit. Wow. Dude, I l I live in the land of water and Joe: Jesus. Luis-Enrique: we don't even get water bills that cheap here. We have we have in Nate: No, yeah, land of water you're paying, yeah, $200. Luis-Enrique: We have insane bills. Nate: It doesn't make any sense in that regard. no, it doesn't. I mean, I laugh. I live down in Arizona and my water bill is I've got a plan about almost 20 trees. I use a lot of water down there. And my water bill is like $100. My dad's got this tiny little house in California. Tiny, tiny, tiny little garden. He's got a $200 water bill. Joe: Right. Luis-Enrique: Yeah bro, I pay like if we paid water we don't pay water here, but if we had a spot that paid water, we would pay about like a hundred dollars a month. Just Joe: So my my house in the town that I just sold, dude, it we had this big ass house, Nate. And our water bill there legitimately was like four fifty a month. Nate: Yeah. in Oregon. Luis-Enrique: Yeah. That's so in the city here in Portland they'll they'll they charge you for not only the water coming in, but then the water going out too. So they they get you both ways and then you get like sewage fees on top of that and fucking everything else, bro. It's ridiculous here. And and the river, fucking Willamette River is like two blocks that way. Joe: Oregon. On the coast, mind you. Nate: my god. Joe: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Right. Luis-Enrique: B as fucking river right there, dude. Right fucking there. Joe: Yeah, no, it's Grag Up. Fucking one on each side of me here. You know what I mean? And the one that the one that's fucking just north of me right here is the one that's used for water. For the city here. It's literally a fucking river that flows by my house and that's what's used for water for this town. Not really a city, Nate: You Luis-Enrique: Hey, before Okay, Is there anything else we want to talk about, gentlemen? Joe: Yeah, I'm just curious, Nate. So I've I'd like growing up around you and in that area, you know I mean, like we've sat and played guitars together and shit in the past. and I've always known you as a fucking Nate's an amazing guitarist, by the way, too. and like, yeah. And a whole plethora of instruments. And it's rad to see you and I knew that you played drums. I'd never really heard you play drums when we were younger, but I knew that you did play drums. Nate: Yes. Luis-Enrique: Really. Joe: It's rad to see you really excel in the drum world. So I guess what I'm asking is, or what I'm going to ask, is drummers that have helped shape your style and that you've looked to for inspiration. Nate: yeah. I mean, I definitely, I love the groove-based drummers. Al Jackson Jr. from Stax is probably my number one. Just as far as like, I'm gonna play something and you're gonna dance. You know, I love that. And like, there's some flashier drummers out there, but when I hear drums and I immediately start patting my foot, I'm like, that's, that's... Joe: Word. Nate: That's what makes the drummer for me. It's whatever. mean, you could take Marky Ramone even, just like simple and like, it's there, but you're in it. know, whether it be like, whatever it may be, that repetition and that like drive, definitely, I mean, who else? Ray Pistolallin, Motown, Benjamin Benjamin. You know, and then on like perhaps the more punk side, I might claim a little George Hurley from the Minutemen for his unconventional way and gosh, Gary Young from Pavement, the first Pavement record. He's a very... uneven. I don't know how you would describe his style but it's got a cool fluidity to it that's really hard to replicate and these drums are so much about feel you know you can like, rock it off things, but like, when you hear drums, you're like, that feels good. Like that's, that's, that's really the most important part. It doesn't, doesn't need to be complex. You're just like, that person's it. They're just, you know, it's like for me, if I'm playing drums, I don't see anyone moving. I start worrying. I'm like, no, I'm not doing a very good job. I'm, I'm wet and slit, you know, like I want to see people move. I don't want people to walk. Joe: Yeah. Nate: throwing off some 30 second notes. That's not too fun for me. yeah. And I also play in a band where I'm like, we are showcasing the vocals in this band. Like we have great vocalists. Like I want to make sure that like that beat is there for them to stick their style all on top of. You know, I don't want to be questioning where that one is. Gotta, yeah. Joe: Word. yeah. Nate: So yeah, mean definitely the classic R &B drummers who maybe aren't as praised as they should be. We'll give out like Clyde Stubblefield and Jabba Starks, James Brown's band some shout outs too because what those guys did, mean, you know, that's hip hop. Get a groove, everyone's feeling it. You know, it's not complex. It's not a complicated thing. It just feels good. and everyone kind of knows when it feels good. Luis-Enrique: Fuck yeah. Hell yeah. Well hey Joe: Hell yeah. Fucking a. So real quick, I have one more one more question that I do want to ask Nate. All right, all right. coming from a small town and having that success in music, do you have any advice for young people, young musicians who may be sitting there feeling like it's kind of fucking well, this is kinda hopeless, on Luis-Enrique: All right. Nate: Yeah. Yeah. Joe: Not striking it big, but like so I always I always tell people, you know, just keep playing and don't play for other people. Play for yourself. Play for what you love, you know what I mean? And fucking people will dig it or they won't, you know what I mean? And you'll find your fucking groove essentially. I'm wondering if you have any advice towards like that young musician that may not be fitting in in the area where they're living in small town nowhere. Nate: Yeah, I mean I say just like set your goals small, you know, I don't don't think because like I've I've gotten I mean at this point I feel very lucky where I'm like, yeah, I got to play the Hollywood Bowl I got to you know, like so many milestones have been met that I feel like so Thankful that I've gotten you but it's like, you know first was like, oh man wouldn't it be great if I like recorded a record sometime or you know, like And then it's like those small things, you need to be like, no, I'm on this path. You want to appreciate it. Oh, this is the first time, oh man, 50 people showed up to a gig. That's incredible. Those are the moments you can't, and even if it is, 50 people show up to your gig, you still get paid $100, or whatever that may be. can't... You can't be bitter about it, you just gotta be like, wow, I got to do that. And that's the greatest feeling at the of the day is you get to look back in your life and like, yeah, I did that. I got to get up on stage and whether it be like, I got to open for this or, there's all these opportunities that come your way. Even me and Luis, I don't like, you get to meet people, you get to be in experiences that you wouldn't. that if you hadn't tried to play music, it just wouldn't have happened. the thing is, monetary gain is not... There's far better ways to make money than being a musician. I swear I do almost as well just buying and selling instruments as I do playing music sometimes. So it's not... Luis-Enrique: Ha ha ha. Joe: Word. And Nate: It's not, don't put that as like your barrier for success. Just be like, wow, like I have a great band. We make people dance. Like when we play, like it's a party. Like to me, that's great. If I was in any band and like people show up and have a good time and are dancing and like feel close to each other, then I, I feel pretty satisfied at this point. Like, you know, you know, whether it be a small club, these Luis-Enrique: yeah. Nate: I play locally here up in Wisconsin. I'll go play out to 30 people and not even stress it because I love to do it. It's fun. It's what I've spent my life trying to figure out how to do. And that's part of the fun. So many jobs are just like, well, you're drawing at this level, entry level, and then you work and you get to this level. It's very laid out for you where as a musician, you just kind of are, you Joe: Hell yeah. Nate: figuring it out as you go. Next thing you know, you're like, all the old musicians in town like you, but they need your handyman efforts because they don't want to climb on ladders no more. And then they're going to give you a guitar that's worth $600. You know, like there's all these ways where you're just like, you're just kind of, you're making it work. You don't stress it. Or maybe, there's always a little stress, but anyone who runs their own business is like stressed. like, well, don't know what's gonna happen next. We just gotta like wait for it. That's fun. If you don't like that in life, if you want something like regimented and for sure, then. Luis-Enrique: That's true. Nate: Don't try and be a musician. You just gotta be stoked up whatever happens. If you stay there and log it up, you're gonna have some cool experiences. It's inevitable. You're gonna be backstage hanging out, talking to people that you love, music that you love. Yeah, mean, great experiences. I got to befriend old Jeremiah Green from Modest Mouse right before he passed away. Luis-Enrique: Yeah. Nate: And like that's in my memory forever, know? Like had like you know, like childhood, like, oh, like total inspiration. Like, oh, now we're just hanging out backstage, you know, drinking coffee, smoking spliffs. you know, I'll never forget that. you know, it'll keep me smiling till it's my time. Luis-Enrique: Yeah. Yeah. Joe: Hell yeah. Luis-Enrique: That's awesome. W well, we have a question that we ask everyone here as we wrap it up. So I'm gonna ask you, okay? When you it's my question, bro. It's my thing. Yeah, I love I Joe: Fucking it. Okay. No no you're you're good. I'm just curious if this is the J one or like the j the the fucking John one. Okay, good. Luis-Enrique: It's not the J one, bro. Like, like that like so there's two versions of this. Okay, there's a completely ridiculous version. And then there's the version that we reserve for people like yourself. When you look back over your life and you find yourself fantasizing or thinking about a particular moment in your life, what moment is that? Nate: All right. you Man, better sign up. You know, I wouldn't say I'm like... huge on nostalgia really. Like I do like looking back and I do like appreciating like what I've been but man I think ultimately it's just you know strangely enough you know it's just like helping out your family you know do what you can I feel sorry for anyone like you know I feel like in this world in this time where like things Things are so rough and things are so like, you know, looks bleak out there. It just like help without your family, your own is like the one thing. Yeah, that was worth it. I did something good. For all the stuff we have to immerse ourselves in, it doesn't always feel too great. Just being with family, hanging out and enjoying those moments are probably the things that I'm most thankful for. Not everyone gets them, so if you got them, enjoy them. Luis-Enrique: Amen. Right on. Well, since we're wrapping it up here. Nate: Yeah, thanks so much for having me you guys. It was real pleasure, real great. Luis-Enrique: Wh where can we where can we see Shannon and the clowns coming up this summer, bro? What do you guys got going on? What do you Nate: I will we're playing up in Olympia and the month or end of August and Look at me. I'm gonna forget the details, but I'm sure Kuiper Jan the clams Olympia August you'll you'll get them details And then I'm at we're playing muddy roots out in Tennessee right at the weekend after that Luis-Enrique: Ha ha. Right. Nate: that'll be great and I think hopefully we'll be going and work on a new record coming in next year. So yeah, we'll see. Only excitement for the future though. Luis-Enrique: Nice. Hell yeah. Nate: Alright you two, take good care, thanks so much for having me and yeah, hopefully we catch up soon next time on the West Coast. Joe: Yeah, that'd be awesome, man. Luis-Enrique: Alright. Yeah, come out. we need you for just a second. everyone else, thanks for listening to the today. You've got fuck, dude, you've infected me now. Thank you to everyone else today. Fuck. Thank you to everyone for listening. Fuck this, bro. Thanks for listening. We're out. Talk to you guys next time. Suck it. Joe: Ha ha ha ha.