33: How did you guys come up with your names?  SiNN, Stranded in Newport News, Wreckreation...that's some creative stuff.
Chad Bailey: Well, to be honest with you man, it was like, I think we were looking for a band that we thought everybody in the world could relate to.  As simple and complex it can be, and regardless of religion or who you're with or whatever, you know, sin is something everybody can relate to in general, and I think we were kinda just sitting in the garage one day, and we're looking at the letters, we're like, you know we put an extra "N" on this, get a little Newport News going on...Stranded in Newport News, that's what happened, man.  A word that everybody can relate to.

33: I could definitely feel that from your lyrics, the "It's something everybody can relate to," kind of but uhm...you know, three guys, you know what I'm saying, producing all that sound, do you ever think, like, maybe if you had a dedicated rhythm guitarist or something you'd go a little crazier or a straight singer or something, you know what I mean?
CB: See, we've, I think we've contemplated that -
Trent Johnson: I think it's probably a bad idea.
CB: in the past, but I think just the personalities...
TJ: We've actually been together for so long, and we are with such good friends, you know, Chad is my best friend.
CB: Yeah, man, we've been going at it.
TJ: You know, he is my best friend.  Chris, I picked him up, and he is now my best friend.
CS: I've known these guys for six years, and they are my brothers.
CB: And I've known you for about, how many, eleven?  I've known you for thirteen years now, thirteen years.  So just the good personality thing, just like, we all get along, we got the kind of writing style, we've got really good chemistry.  We're all very good individually at our instruments, and it's good to find a group of people that are good with their instruments, but can relate to music and can talk on a different level.  So it's kinda hard to bring someone new in when you've already got in your mind what you really want.
CS: But, uhhh, say like the perfect rhythm guitarist fell out of the sky... [Everyone laughs]
CB: Well, we'll try ya out.

33: On that note, how did you guys end up forming in the first place?  I know you guys have been together for over ten years.
CB: How'd we get formed in the first place?  [looks at Trent] Uhhm, that'd be me and you, really.
TJ: Yeah, we met at school, and actually I already played drums.
CB: Yeah.
TJ: I already played drums, I played hand drums and stuff, and he was talking about picking up guitar so I got a drum set, and we've been playing ever since.
CB: Yeah man, never stopped - 1998 I think is when we really started putting it together, '98 - yeah, so it's been eleven years going strong now.
CS: Yeah, basically, my band Boot to the Head had just broken up, and uh...
CB: [laughs] He was in like a nine-piece band.
CS: Hah, I was in a nine-piece band, we almost were Slipknot...plus one.
CB: You had like two bass players!
CS: Yeah, we had two bass players.  We broke up, and I was looking for a band and a buddy of mine, he uhh, he was like, "Hey man, I got this band, they're looking for a bassist, you should try out for 'em."  And I showed up...and I guess they liked me.
TJ: At this point we could never find a good bass player, and then a black guy walked in so it was like...something crazy's going on here!
CB: The thing that was cool about Chris, this white guy and this black guy walk into the room, and it's not even about white and black, don't get us wrong, we're an equal opportunity employer, but uh, Chris walks in and I'm just expecting the other guy to pull a bass out, and then Chris just pulls the bass out and I'm like...Oh!  A little bit of soul in this thing, ya know?  So we just start rolling through the songs, whether it was heavy, soft, or whatever, he just put the funk on it man and added that extra thickness.  We knew he was hired after he walked out.
Lauren Nicolaus: It was love at first sight.
CB: It was, man, we knew he was the bass, but we didn't want to tell him.  We we're like, "We'll give you a call back."
TJ: But he could play our songs when he walked in the door.  It was great.
CB: He's got an ear for it man, so it was just chemistry, like back in the beginning.

33: That's cool, that's cool.  What would you say inspires and influences your music?
CB: You know, uhh, I don't know what to think.
TJ: Our music, it just comes from all the inspirations we've run across in life.  "Wreckreation" was actually written about a good friend of ours, a crazy party girl, [Chad laughs] and we were throwing her a big birthday party, and we wanted to write something about her and it's turned into this CD/album.

33: Yeah, I remember when you were playing the song you said it was a song about drinking.
TJ: Yeah, crazy, always had fun, driving fast all the time.
CB: [laughs] Driving 95 with no cruise control, I think really the inspiration for us is definitely everyday life.  You know what I mean?  Like, you can never lose material when you take lessons you've learned.  People always ask me how can you be such a happy person but sing bitterly, you know?  I think it all kind of burns inside us, a lot of things that you want to get out, so therefore we can't play blues, 'cause you know what I mean, we're a flustered heap, you know, thrash.  But everyday life, man, just living, learning, making mistakes, 'cause experience is the word for the day.  Experience comes, you know, uh, I'm messing this up.  A lack of experience comes from a lack of mistakes, you know what I mean?  The more mistakes you make the more you'll learn about life.  If you're not out there, you're not learning nothing.
TJ: That's true, very true.

33: Would you say that's what you bring to the metal scene, well, what do you-
TJ: We also like to throw in a bit of fun, you know?  We like to have a fun factor, a lot of these other metal bands take themselves too serious, we like to have a fun side.  Fun, thrashy, rock...
CB: A little funk in there, a little solo in there...
TJ: We like to change it up.  Bring a different sound.
CB: Try to do something fresh.  Everybody's doing so much, they're out in other bands.  So we're just trying to do our own thing.
CS: I mean, uh, you don't want to hear too many bands that sound just alike...

33: Definitely not.  All those metal bands that sound exactly the same...
CS: Yeah.
CB: Exactly.
TJ: That's another normal thing we do.  In every song we walk and write.  If it sounds like another song, we don't even play it.
CB: We just keep working on the fresh material.  Whatever we decided, that's it, man - the magic.

33: Ok, so, when you're in the studio, I know you put a lot of effort into this new CD, Wreckreation.  What sort of writing process do you go through to produce that?
CB: Well, I think most of the material was written, it was written when we went into the studio, we had a couple tweaks to do.  Um, but we kinda had planned what we really wanted to put on the CD like every song has its own place and purpose on the CD.  I think that we kinda went in there prepared this time, we've been in so many studio situations where it was hectic, we were trying to play shows, we were trying to go to the studio, you're trying to do this, you're trying to do that, and I think we took a break from shows in the first time in years, you know, and really set it up, focused on this thing.  We actually did it to the metronome, we had a lot of practice, we really wanna tighten our game up.  So we came into the studio full of preparedness this time.

33: Well, what would you say, since you were fully prepared, what is this CD?  What can we expect from it when it comes out next Wednesday?
CB: Whew...man, I mean, there's so many things I could say, I mean it's, ahh, you know, I feel like that the CD's got a vibe of, it's life.  If you read the lyrics, a lot about it...it's about having fun and about learning about life, there's a lot of sad things, sometimes the easiest thing for me to write about lyrically is anger and depression, 'cause it's the two emotions I cannot control.  Anything else in my life, I have control over, physically and emotionally.  But anger, and depression, and that's not what our music's about or anything, but it's just a form of expression, if I got something on my mind.  It's not what it's about, but it's like, it's something you've gotta release, you know what I'm saying - it's something you've got to get out.  Yeah, we know we're a three piece, we're used to having five, so we actually throw parts in the song, like Trent will do different things, so when it's live...it gives you a feel of a bigger band.  There's different things we try to add and incorporate, so... [long pause] Yeah!
CS: Yeah.  [Everyone laughs]

33: So you guys have been together for over ten years.  That's a long time to be stranded, you know what I'm saying?  [Laughter] Are there any times where you just felt like...fuck it, give up?
CB: No.
CS: No. No.
TJ: Newwwp.  It's just a part of your life, once you start playing it.  It doesn't matter how big you are, or how good you are, you just do it.
CB: It's a big part of your life, man.
TJ: Yeeaah, it's just great to have an opportunity to be able to have it with friends.
CB: I think sometimes once we're really angry and hung over, I enjoy loading equipment and relax, man, because I know we're about to do something that I enjoy doing, so you know I don't mind that, and it'd be great to have roadies around giving us water, like all these rich little bastards, but you know we're at that point where even though I'm running equipment I thoroughly enjoy it.
CS: Right, I mean, there've been times where we've all been pissed at each other.  [Chad laughs] We show up the next week, you know, ready to play again.
CB: I remember [starts laughing] Chris gave... [keeps laughing] Man, sorry I'm laughing.  I've gotta say this, okay?  It's a good story.  Okay, one time we were playing a show, and, uh, Chris broke strings on both of his basses, his backup and his main like three songs in the set, and I was harping on him before the show, like man you need to change your strings.  He's like, "They'll make it through one more show."  [Slaps his knee, laughing more] So on stage, man, I have to keep the show going, I've got to keep people entertained.  So I'm joking on Chris pretty bad, it was pretty brutal, alright?  Well, the next day at band practice [laughs] Christ goes, "I should punch you in the face!"  But then, I don't know, two or three songs later everything was all good.
CS: It was cool.
CB: And he got to get his emotions out, we apologized to each other, you know, and it was back to normal.
CS: Right.  Nah nah, they're gonna keep it civil, I mean like, we are going to express our feelings, you know, but...I couldn't harm these two.  They're my brothers, you know?  Without them, you know, I'm kinda like a lonely bassist.
CB: You can't see him, people, whoever you're listening to, this guy right here is big, you know what I'm saying?  So if I ever get...if he ever swings on me I've already planned what I'm going to do.  I'm not telling him, but if it ever has to happen, I have a plan. [laughter]
CS: I have a pretty good idea, so I'm just gonna kinda counter balance.
CB: He's gonna try to counter balance, but you know I'm planned for that day.
Rusty: Kick him in the balls! [laughter]
CB: Yeah, whatever I have to do, he's going down.  Ha ha ha...no, I can't guarantee that.

33: I guess this one will be easy then.  Was there ever a time where it made you feel like everything was worth it, no matter what?
CB: You know, I think... I think many a show has made me feel like that.  Sometimes, like, you know, you play so many shows and it just kinda keeps going on, but I think every time after a good show, especially when we're personally happy with our performance, man, it's the greatest high in the world.  You just get off stage, you're just so happy nothing can touch you in the world man, it just makes me...So I don't know man, I think anytime we play a good show I think we always think it's always worth it.  Meeting new people, people who love listening to music.
TJ: And just the opportunity to play music in front of people.
CB: That's what we're all about.

33: A lot of people would kill for that.
TJ: Yeah, and a lot of people want it, and I'm grateful for it every moment of my entire life.
CB: And that's for sure, man.
CS: Yeah, if I lost a hand I'd figure out a way to play bass.  [Chad laughs] If I had to play with stumps, you know, I would.
CB: We'd call him stubby! [laughter]
CS: If I had to learn to play bass with my feet, I would do that, too.

33: If Def Leppard can go without an arm...
CB: That's what I'm saying, a drummer with no arms, we can have a bass player with no hand.

33: Just slap that thing!
CB: That's what I'm saying, beat it down! [makes bass noises]

33: Do you have any advice for other aspiring young musicians out there?
SiNN: Practice.
CS: Yes.
CB: Practice, practice, practice.  And uhm...
CS: Just keep at it, you know, don't give up.
CB: Don't give up, play what you enjoy, and just have fun with the band and do your own thing.  And don't try to be someone else because you think that's what people are gonna like, when in reality I think that's completely opposite.  There's a lot of people that follow trends, but in my opinion if you do your own thing you can't go wrong, it's a part of yourself, so if people don't like it then they don't have to like you, and it's no big deal, you walk away.  To all the people out there - practice, practice, practice, you know what I mean?  Love music, love people.
CS: Be true to yourself.
CB: Nixon, baby, Nixon.  All right. [laughter]

33: All right, I got one more.  Is there anything you want to say to all the SiNNers out there, while you have the chance?
CB: Mmm, what would you say?
TJ: I would have to say check out our MySpace.  Uh, and I just appreciate everybody that comes out and supports our band and all of our beliefs, and all of the bars that give us a place to play.  It's great.
CB: Yeah, man.  And prepare for Wreckreation, because when it drops it's going to be a nuke that melts everybody's faces.  Let them know that, spread the word - Wreckreation is coming.  It'll be all over the place, we're just reaching over, trying to spread out locally, doing it internationally, hope to do this one day, but you know what I mean.  We're coming, dude.  Full force.  You got it, man?  That's what I'm saying, ride in your white steed, man.
CS: Right.
CB: What would you say on your white steed?  If you were Chris Smith right now and you were like "I'm on a white steed," what would you say?
CS: Why am I on a horse? [laughter]
CB: Yeah, see, Chris says to all the SiNNers: Don't ride horses.  Especially not on saddles that cause chafing.
CS: Yeah.
CB: Okay?  That cool?
CS: That's what I said.
CB: Beautiful.

If you think the "nu"-metal you hear today is lacking, then be sure to check out this talented band.  You will be quickly greeted by the kind of sound that gave heavy metal a strong backbone to grow on, and see that the inspiration those times provided are carried on, even if it's harder to notice.  No one can bring it back alone.  Take a deep look into the twisted minds of SiNN.

MySpace.com/SiNN

SiNN.bigcartel.com

By Author: Ryan Mason

Ryan Mason was born in Hampton in 1989. He grew up listening to the generic bands on the radio before discovering classic rock and expanding his horizons. Now you'll find him listening to just about anything, from Pink Floyd to The Sound of Animals Fighting. Naturally this lead to him playing music himself, and he is the proud owner of a Gibson SG and a 5 string bass guitar. Unfortunately he sucks at them both, but hey, there is always Magazine 33! Some other bands he likes are Stiff Little Fingers, the Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan, Incubus, Hendrix, Lamb of God, The Doors and the Gorillaz.

 

 

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