| The interview is already in progress before the tape started...we are talking about the latest demise of Spirit Caravan and the recent rumour that Gary had joined 60 Watt...the whole time I am wrestling around in my office trying to remember where the hell I put the "spy microphone" for the phone... Rev. Jim was just sitting down after work and relaxing with a drink of whiskey and reassuring me to take my time...and that he is in no hurry. This will be about the 8th time in a month we have tried to get this interview done...
Ahh...found it- click!
Jim: I searched...all day today trying to find wherever that came from...literally I got bombarded with emails this
morning...
Rob: ...yeah, I don`t know what that was all about, I read something briefly about it but I just don`t even...I ignore most
of that shit to be quite honest...you know...so Gary (Isom) is not playing with you...
Jim: Oh, no, no, no...
Rob: The tapes actually rollin` now...so...
Jim: Oh, my goodness...
Rob: I`ll put that on there and make sure everyone knows that for a fact, I`ll put that at the top of the interview...
Jim: What?...hahahaha...I should wear something a little more...hahahha...no, definitely Minnesota Pete Campbell is our
drummer.
Rob: O.K.
Jim: Pete`s our drummer, I have no idea where that came from...
Rob: right on...what kind of whiskey are you drinking?
We had a brief conversation about Jim drinking whiskey and relaxing...ElsaEE had left a bottle of whiskey here at my house from our Orange Goblin fiasco
the week before...I was curious, could it be the same kind as what Reverend Jim was drinking???
Jim: Right now? Evan Williams...cheap.
Rob: haha~! I have a bottle right here in my hand as well! I`ll drink with you...cheers~!
Jim: Cool! Appreciate it, back at you...
Rob: Excellent- actually, I`m going to be talking to Scott[Reeder] soon too...
Jim: Good, good, I just talked to him last night...Unida just played with Motorhead last night in L.A....and I actually
called right during Motorheads set on the cell phone...he was like hanging out with the uh...bass player of Coal Chamber or somethin`...I was bustin` his
balls about being a rock star...
Rob: hahahah...right on...shit...um...so you guys just finished an album with Scott, right?
Jim: Yes, we did...
Rob: OK, you want to give me some details on that? Where did you guys record it?
Jim: uh, we recorded at uh...Phase Recording in College Park, Maryland. It`s a guy who used to have a studio in a guitar
shop, a vintage guitar shop called Atomic Music, this little studio that we demo`d with this guy Bruce Faulkenberg back `99, right before we went on your
with Spirit...and uh...We had a good time, he was a good guy to work with and he you know- stuffed alot of money into whatever he was doing...his
business...opened up this big studio in College Park...and the time came for us to do this record...me and Scott had been talking, I brought him in...we knew
Bruce and we knew he had a lot of good vintage gear, just kind of came together that way...it was good people...good place to do the record...so we just
brought it all together...
Rob: What`s the record going to be called?
Jim: It`s called Reason To Live...
Rob: Right on...and what label is going to be putting this out?
Jim: It`s going to be out on Spitfire...
Rob: How `bout some...a little background history on the band...uh...How did you guys and when did you start? How long have
you guys been jamming for?
Jim: oh....we`ve been together, at least Me Dan and Joe since `96...we are no longer with our original drummer Chuck...we
have a new drummer, Pete Campbell...he`s from Minnesota...
Rob: ...is that the only line-up change in 6 years?
Jim: No...actually...we split ways with Chuck about a year and a half ago...and a guy named Kenny Wagner played with us for
a while, he`s playing with Halfway to Gone now...that lasted for a couple of months and we parted ways with him too and hooked up with Pete about a month
later...Pete`s been in the band for about a year now...
Rob: Excellent...How did you hook up with Scott? How did that whole thing come about?
Jim: It`s a cool story I guess at least on my behalf...it`s a very special thing...We put out Seed of Decades...in
the thank you list for that record, I mentioned my little "Holy Trinity"...as bass player...the three guys that kind of made me who I am...That was, Cliff
Burton, Scott Reeder and Geezer Butler...apparently someone close to Scott informed him about that...and apparently his wife and her sister and some people
were bustin` his balls about that fact...and I forget how exactly he sent me the email that got back to me...this guy Nick helps run the website whitetrashdevil.com...he and this other guy Chris take care of our site that whitetrashdevil
hosts...and he runs our forums...he actually did an interview with Scott about a year ago...and you know brought up that in the interview with Scott...in the
end, Scott basically told him to give me his email address and we should get in touch...I think it was right before we went on tour in Europe with Karma to
Burn, I was sitting around drinking Evan Williams- once again...hahhaha...
Rob: hahahaha...
Jim: ...late at night, and I was like Fuck it. I`m going to goddamn email Scott Reeder man...one of my goddamn heros...so I
emailed him some rambing fucking message...and he got back in touch with me and we just kind of hit it off from there...and it was emailing back and forth on
a real regular basis...and we never really spoken on the phone...I got back from Europe...the Karma tour back in November...and once again I was sitting
around just drinking I was like fuck it man...we were kind of in a stange position..."Seed of Decades" had been out for a while and we had just fired our
management, booking agent everything...we were kinda starting a clean slate...something with this record, this record is all about us kind of...not so much
re-inventing what we are doing but, kind of like a fresh start and going for the throat you know...with everything we are...it started with that moment just
sitting there going I`m just gonna fuckin` get a hold of Scott and ask him to produce our record...I knew he had just worked with Orange Goblin, We actually
talked to their drummer, our last date in the U.K. in London...and all those kinds of things swelling around...fuck it, I`m gonna talk to this guy...I know
he knows sound, I know he`s going to make me fuckin` sound good...I know he knows how to make a band sound good...I gotta talk to him. So I emailed him asked
him to produce our record...his basic respose was "Hell Yeah, here`s my phone number..." and pretty much from that date, me and him have been on the phone at
least three nights a week, drinking together getting drunk talking shit...honestly I truly feel like the guy`s one of my best friends in the world
now...through the making of the record...we still get on the phone a couple on nights a week drunk just shooting the shit...
Rob: excellent...where are you guys located?
Jim: Were...haha...that`s a good question...we`re in fucking ClusterFuck Land...I live Baltimore City, Dan our singer and
Joe our guitar player live Geethersburg, Maryland which is just outside of D.C....and like I mentioned before our drummer lives in Minnesota now...
Rob: wow...
Jim: We`re a bit spread out...one of the benefits about being on Spitfire is that when we`re actually going to do something,
in a clutch there`s usually money there to make sure we can all get together and do what we`re doing...
Rob: Did they sign Monster Magnet?
Jim: Not that I`ve heard...The`ve got Danzig, Dio...Ted Nugent...they might be...Spitfire is kind of like a label that
uh...they definitely go after acts that have like a foundation already...and aren`t necessarily selling records like a major label wants you to anymore...but
I think they can still work with those bands...and make their money and keep those bands running...We are actually one of I think three of like their
development bands...that kind of thing...us, Karma to Burn and a band called Dog Fashion Disco...and apparently, what I`m hearing...is that Karma to Burn
ain`t around no more so it`s just us and Dog Fashion...bands like us ain`t their bread and butter you know...like I said, their two big releases coming out,
actually their three big releases are: Zach Wylde, Dio and Danzig.
Rob: OK...are you guys going to be hitting the road any time soon? Plans to do any touring?
Jim: Ummm...we`re talking right now...it`s a strange thing with the situation we find ourselves in...on a continueous
basis...the record, the release date we`ve been given is August 20th...and we definitely plan on being on the road before the record comes out...so...we`re
trying to put a lot of plans together now...have us out there at least by the end of August. Any definite answers no right now...I don`t have a fucking
clue...
Rob: How would you describe the 60 Watt sound? What kind of influences do you share together, you know...what do you think
it is, or you guys think it is if you were to describe the sound?
Jim: Wow...That`s the funny thing about our band, you ask any one of us and we`re all going to give you a different
answer...you know what I mean? If you ask me about Seed of Decade, it was a very bluesy...kinda...stoney record...you know? The new record I`d tell you is a
very, very, very aggressive, it`s still bluesy but it`s...it`s a little fucking angry..you know? As far as styles go...the basic answer that I just hold in
my fucking heart anymore is that we`re fuckin` Sixty Watt Shaman...and it`s fucking heavy and it`s soulful...and we give everything we have in our fucking
hearts...and everyone else can describe what they want to call it...hahaha...
Rob: That`s perfect...If you could throw Sixty Watt on a bill with 2 other bands in the whole world...what would that
line-up be? Maybe even a band that didn`t exist...
Jim: Wow....That`s a pretty fuckin` heavy question...hahaha...I would like to see the line-up from Lunar Womb [era]
"Obsessed" with fuckin` Reeder and fuckin` Wino back together again...which I got together for our record...hahaha...a little hidden...whatever...
Rob: really?
Jim: ...yeah. We`ll get into that later...
Rob: hahaha...OK...
Jim: hahaha..no...definitely Wino and Reeder jammin` together again...I`d have to round that out with Kyuss...I`d jump
between Brant and Alfredo playing drums...maybe they`d do half the set with Alfredo and half the set with Brant...
Rob: I did read something about Wino driving up and recording with you guys...but...so...
Jim: It`s no big secret...we tried to keep it on the down low...but honestly..you know I can`t...and I`ve been telling
everyone and alot of people know what happened...um... It was kind of an emotional thing just making the record...`cause of like my...well actually our
feelings towards Scott...the entire record was a very emotional experience. We went through a lot of bad shit the last year or so...being signed and living
out that whole fucking thing...trying to keep our shit together...trying to fucking write music and keep us together... Getting Scott in and Scott is such a
spiritual sweet guy...the entire recording process was so emotional...and uh...just from talking to him and getting to know him...I knew about him leaving
the Obsessed to join Kyuss and that he hadn`t really jammed, spoke...been around Wino for ten fuckin` years...and I made it my goal to at least get those two
guys together to talk, and hang out. It happened without a hitch you know, Wino came down to the studio one night, we all hung around you know...drinking up,
well, me and Scott were drinkin, you know...
Rob: yeah...
Jim: Wino hanging out...you know shooting the shit, watching those guys trade stories and talk it was a beautiful thing...it
was an amazing thing you know...there`s so much amazing power and history between those two guys and what they`ve done...
Rob: ...absolutely...
Jim: ...just watching that was incredible, and I was very proud to be a part of it...but after that it was like...you know
what, I`m getting these two guys in a room together and they`re going to play together with me, and my goddamn band...
Rob: hahahaha...
Jim: ...no matter what I got to do...and what it basically came down to, the last night in the studio...I wrote a tune, it
was a song we had been jammin` on...you know how bands jam, you throw out riffs, get ideas...it was too late really to do it for the record...it didn`t have
any road legs, we hadn`t really worked it out...I was like- fuck it. I`ve got this song, I`ve got this jam you know...I wanna get Scott in the room, I wanna
get Wino in the room and wanna just fuckin` throw down with it...Came down to the last night in the studio we just finished mixing the last gaddamn tune, and
everyone was so into it that, basically we turned the main room, where we did the drums in? Into like, the show...the drums were in the middle, they set up a
P.A....Dan`s in the middle with the drums singing...one side is me and Joey, Bass and Guitar...the other side was Wino and Scott. Guitar and Bass. I taught
them the tune, and we just fuckin` threw down...Literally it was the most beautiful experience in my entire fucking life.
Rob: I bet...Wino threw a lead down too I hear...
Jim: Wino, well, basically the end half of the tune...is Joe leading, Wino leading, Scott Reeder leading, Me leading...and
it does that in a fucking circle...it goes again man!
Rob: around?
Jim: yeah...it was just fucking beautiful...
Rob: ...so it goes around a couple times?
Jim: It goes around twice...and honestly...fuck it. The record is good, it`s a good record, but that last tune has so much
goddamn emotion it`s so fuckin` heavy it just capped the whole thing off...the process the whole experience...it was a beautiful thing...
Rob: I`d love to get my hands on a copy of it...
Jim: Well I am gonna get you one man! Definitely...
Rob: That`s awesome...it sounds like you had the best recording experience...
Jim: you know what? I don`t think anything could ever top it. I got to be better friends with the friends I already
have...and with Scott, I made a friend that I know I am going to have `till the day I die...You can`t really top that.
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