Social Distortion: Beyond Their Hour of Darkness
By this point, it seems hardly necessary to even present an introduction for a band as important to punk rock history as Social Distortion. Fronted and personified by grease-and-rebellion posterboy Mike Ness, the band's anthemic catalog of timeless songs spans over two decades; tracks such as ‘"ommy's Little Monster", "Prison Bound", "Ball and Chain", "The Creeps" and "Another State of Mind" (the title track from one of DIY's earliest tour films, also featuring teenage members of Youth Brigade and Minor Threat) are all timeless classics. Unlike numerous other peers, Ness and Social Distortion have remained remarkably consistent in their greatness. Unwilling to simply rest on their laurels and tour behind previous glory days, the band's latest release Sex, Love and Rock-n-Roll easily measures up to their past efforts. Currently finishing up a long tour cycle behind the album and gearing up for even more songwriting and recording, Mike Ness took time to grant Altercation a rare inside take on the legend of Social D. Interview by JT, photos by Donna Habersaat.
Altercation: It seems like you've been doing a string of dates in the same town on this tour rather than a new spot every night. How have things been going?
Mike Ness: It's great. You can check into a hotel and make it home, search out parts of each city...
A: How long do you plan to keep touring?
NM: This is probably about the end, it's been about a two year cycle for the most recent album. We started touring before the record was actually out, so it's a good time for a break, to reflect and write a new record.
A: So you’ve been working on new material?
NM: Yeah, definitely. We've really been writing this whole time. There was a lot of material that we didn't use on the last album also...not because it wasn't good enough, but just because we didn't have time to finish it. It's a great position to be in.
A: I thought your newest album was great.
NM: Thanks!
A: Did you feel a lot of pressure going into that album, since it was such a long time in the making?
NM: It had been a long time, so it did make coming back to Social D. kind of exciting again. That enthusiasm is still with us, we're having a really good time right now. It's not going to end anytime soon.
A: You obviously personify Social Distortion for many people. Do you write most of the material yourself, or is it more collaborative these days?
NM: With the old lineup, I primarily wrote all of the material. Now we have another guitarist, so with two guitars you can write a whole lot more, it can really change the direction of a song completely. So some of those ideas fit perfectly on the last album, so it is a little bit more collaborative now. Obviously it all has to fit and work.
A: Do you specifically set aside time to write when you are off the road?
NM: That's hopefully what you do with your time off. (Laughs) I've been gone for two years so there's a lot of stuff I want to do at home. I want to spend time with my family and have car projects in the works. Ultimately, you want to work on songs, but I'm not the type of guy that can go "ok, we're going to work on songs in November and December". I just keep a guitar handy, and when I feel like picking it up hopefully everything I've been living for the past twenty years starts to pour out.
A: Do you have a studio at your disposal in case inspiration hits?
NM: Yeah, absolutely. We have a studio that we lease, it's where we made our first Social D. album. I'm getting ready to build a little hang out room in there. It's where we rehearse, and we can basically just push a button and record something to CD, take it home and listen to it. I've got a drawer full of discs I need to go through! (Laughs)
A: Do you draw inspiration from a place with that much history? Having recorded your first album there and all?
NM: Well, a lot of the old gear isn't there any more, but it's definitely the best place for us in terms of history and capturing our vibe.
A: Do you look back on those early years with fondness?
NM: Yeah, for sure. It's a period of time that will never repeat itself, and I feel very proud to have been a part of it. It was a revolution. So to have been a part of that, and to have made a change in fucking music history...it definitely feels good.
A: What peers from that time period inspired you to make punk music?
NM: Bands like X and Bad Religion…the Circle Jerks were always a guaranteed good time, you would always see friends at those shows. So many of those bands that were around during that time period aren't anymore, we feel lucky to have survived.
A: Is it difficult to separate your solo work from material you write for Social Distortion?
NM: Sometimes it is. In the back of my mind I'm always writing for both, so sometimes you have to ask "do I want to be selfish and put this on my solo album?"...so sometimes it is hard to determine which is which, but other times it's very apparent which direction I'm headed. The solo project was intended to head more into the roots end of things. I try not to think about it too much...if I worried about what people though I would still be pushing a fucking mop around somewhere! (Laughs)
A: Do you plan to do more solo work?
NM: I don't want to take the Social D. fans for granted. Obviously, I will never take another eight-year hiatus again! It ended up coming out in my favor, but I would never want to push my fans like that. I doubt I could even take a year off at this point.
A: There always seems to be a new generation of fans at your shows.
NM: I think it's mainly through word of mouth. Marketing is something we really don't have anything to do with. It's something that major label record executives can't produce, the word on the street...maybe it's an older brother turning on a young kid, or a cool uncle saying "I understand you like Green Day, but you've got to check out this band".
A: What do your kids listen to?
NM: They go through phases, but they are pretty solid. They like Bob Marley and the Clash. My youngest one really likes the soundtrack to Oh Brother Where Out Thou? also.
A: You also get a pretty good cross section of old school fans as well.
NM: Yeah, the old timers...I think it's the pure honesty and the attitude. If you have a true rebelliousness it doesn't go away when you turn forty. If anything, it grows stronger. I think you have a chance to make more change if you are a professional rather than an outlaw living on the fringes of society, you know? If you get an education and get into a professional situation I think you can make changes that benefit society, rather than just complaining somewhere. Use what you've learned from punk rock and get yourself into a position where you can make changes in the world.
A: The new album seemed to reflect a certain degree of contentment, would you agree?
NM: Sure. I mean, it takes a long time to find yourself. Once you do get to that place it feels pretty good.
A: So the question I've always wanted to ask…what can you tell me about the origin of your classic skeleton logo?
NM: A friend of mine drew it for a New Year's Eve party flier years ago. It was 1982...I saw it and thought "that's it, that looks like me!"...the drunk punk…you know, the living dead. (Laughs)
