Hank3′s New Territory
By Angela Kinzie
The last time I spoke to Hank Williams III was in 2006, and in response to one of my questions, he told me: “… a real job to me was to deal with the fuckin’ assholes on music row, get out there and get on the road, get into this country to be able to get back into the rock and try to bleed it together a little bit.”
In the mid-90s a one night stand, who waited three years to tell him he had a child, came out, along with thousands of dollars in overdue child support. To make the money, he chose the “real job” and signed a contract with Nashville label giant Curb Records. In the span of the next 14 years the company released all of Williams’ country albums to date, but tension between Hank3′s search for musical expression and artistic creativity and Curb’s industry standards began to bring about contractual issues. After Curb’s refusal to release his This Ain’t Country LP, Williams launched his now famous “Fuck Curb” campaign, and when the label decided not to issue Thrown Out of the Bar in 2004, it began a long court battle between he and label executive Mike Curb. The two were in and out of court until the judge ruled in Williams’ favor. “It’s like fighting the president,” he told me then. Subsequently, Curb created its sister label: Bruc, Thrown Out of the Barbecame Straight To Hell (the first album to be released under the Bruc imprint) and Hank3 became the first artist in the history of the Country Music Association to ever release a country record with a parental advisory sticker on it.
So why start out an interview with one of the most eclectic, exciting, and haunting voices of our time with all this detail, bio and legal information? Well, January of 2011 marked the end of it… and a new beginning for Hank3 (as he now prefers to go by) and his fans: country, punk, cowpunk, hellbilly, metal, speed-metal, doom-rock, hippy, psychedelic… whatever their tastes may be. The third generation of country music’s most sacred bloodline is releasing not one, but four, albums on September 6th. This time, doing completely what it is that Hank3 wants to do. In a distribution partnership with Megaforce Records, Curb’s stamp will be replaced by the newly launched Hank3 Records, and things get honest. The name Hank3 means a lot of things to a lot of people, and this year the 38 year old’s creative freedom will take us from the country and experimental ambience on the double-country album Ghost to a Ghost/Guttertown to doom-rock onAttention Deficit Domination to speed-metal (written overtop actual cattle auctioneering) on Cattle Callin’.
The four new albums signify a brand new chapter of Hank3′s music, one that won’t fail to open new listener’s ears and minds, while bringing the old fans more of what they’ve always wanted. From January to May was constant, he told me, writing, mixing, recording, playing most of the instruments, all at his home studio, The Haunted Ranch. I called him there, excited to hear what he had to say about this huge new release. We talked for nearly half an hour, but one feels it’s not enough time to even crack the ice with a person who has so much talent, so many tastes and so much to say.
On Ghost to Ghost/Guttertown, you have some different sounds this time: some Cajun influence, some bluegrass. I’m wondering if that’s something you’ve always wanted to do, or is it a result of new things you’ve been listening to or new things that just came to you?
I think, just…. On this record, I was able to be a little bit more me. I mean, there’s a few country songs, but then again there’s a few other songs; it’s different. “Time to Die,” “Ghost to a Ghost,” “The Devil’s Movin’ In” and all those kinds of sounds are a little different from what most people are used to hearing. I’ve always been influenced by that stuff, but it’s just another chapter that’s getting ready to happen.
I noticed, of course, Tom Waits on “Fadin’ Moon.” Have you always been a fan of his? How did that come about?
Yeah. I’ve always been a fan of Tom. He’s one of the guys that’s always marched to his own drum and done it his own way. He’s just different, and it was an honor. We talked for a long time before we even got close to doing songs together. So, you know, it’s just one of those things. He felt a lot more natural on the Cajun stuff. He’s always been a fan of the accordion, so that’s the one he liked.
He’s an interesting guy. I like him a lot!
Of course… I mean, he does it all. A little bit of everything, and he does it different.
The song “Ray Lawrence Jr” features the artist in the title. I looked up Ray, but I couldn’t find a whole lot aside from a few youtube videos and some people talking about him. Would you tell me a little bit about him?
Ray’s always just been a good entertainer and songwriter and likes to play music for the sake of playing music. I would say music has saved his life… probably more than once. And he just came out. I’ve known him over the years, and that was just a track recorded in the back of the bus, just him and his guitar, and we got it dialed in there. I was really glad to get him on the record. He’s just a good guy, and he’s got, like, a new old voice if you really listen to it. It’s a little bit of grit, but a lot of heart in his songs.
Am I right that he’s not that well known, though?
No. He’s underground. That’s the best way to say it. He’s just one of them guys that just is able to play when he can. That’s why there’s not that much on him.
“Troopers Hollar.” I like that song a lot, and there’s some double bass drum work in there.
…. Yes. That’s the double kick. I think that’s the crossover song that’s bringing the country and metal together.
On this one I could definitely hear the metal influence in the country, unlike any of your other albums. That’s because of your record label before?
Yeah. “Troopers Hollar” is definitely the stand out track in my eyes that brings the two worlds together, and it’s just kind of a fun song. Trooper, you know, has been my best dog… and this actually will be the third record that he’s been on!
What kind of dog is Trooper?
He’s basically, like, a half doberman, half black and tan hound. So he was on “Karmageddon,” he was on “H8 Line” and now he’s on “Troopers Hollar.” He’s also on “Troopers Chaos,” on theGuttertown record.
Yeah, I put it together and thought ‘I know that’s his dog.’
Yeah. Now… Trooper always likes to sing to “Chaos Queen.” If I put that song on, automatically, he just starts singing to it. That’s why you have “Troopers Chaos.” That’s him singing to it! Yeah… He’s on there.
On Ghost to a Ghost’s ”Time To Die” you sing: “All of my heroes had trouble in their eyes. It might have been drugs, or it might have been love, but they all knew it was time to die.” What’s the inspiration behind that one?
In general, there’s a lot of Latino slash PINK FLOYD inspiration in it. Even if you look at my Granddad, it did seem like he knew his time was just around the corner. He had told some people he felt like he knew he wasn’t gonna be around that much longer. Or some of the younger ones that just go so quick, if it’s Jimi Hendrix or Jim Morrison or Bon Scott or Janis Joplin. It’s a shame how fast some of them go, but a lot of them know sometimes. And… I guess some of the tragedy was some of the inspiration on that song. That one’s another one that’s just a different sound for a Hank3 record.
I like the new direction because it’s still the same spirit, but there are so many different sounds on it. It’s a change.
No doubt. I’m just opening up some new territory, and it goes back to I’m getting able to be myself.
And your decision to put all four releases out together, was it simply you wanting to say to everyone, this is what I’m about?
I’m trying to do something that’s never been done before. I mean, I don’t think ever an artist has been able to release four records on the same day. I’m trying to break new barriers and do new things. I’ve been on a label for almost fourteen years, and I was only able to put out… not even five records. And here I am, I’ve started my own record company, and on my first release I’m comin’ out with four records. So, while I had the energy and the time to do it, I wanted to knock it out. I’m trying to make people out there proud, like Buzz from THE MELVINS or Mike Patton or Henry Rollins or Jello Biafra. Some of them guys might look at me and be like, you know, that dude, he’s breakin’ down some barriers and doing new things. That’s what I was really trying to do with covering three different genres on the same day: doom metal, speed metal and country and whatever you want to classify the rest of it.
Do you know Jello personally?
Yes! I’ve known Jello for many, many years. He’s been a huge inspiration to me my whole life. And in return, it’s been such an honor to hear him say, “Well, if you’re gonna listen to country music, you should listen to the real deal.” I’m not tooting my own horn, but Jello has given me some compliments like that because he’s respected the kind of work that I’ve done over the years. To hear him say you should listen to a Hank3 opposed to a Toby Keith or something like that, don’t listen to something plastic, listen to something real. He’s been an inspiration and a big role in my life. I’ve known Jello probably close to… I would say twelve years now. He’s come out to the shows, and we’ve had a lot of interesting conversations and, you know, I’m very lucky to consider him a friend.
He’s been a big inspiration to me in different ways for a long time now too. He’s just a really decent guy, and I’m sure it does mean a lot to you.
Absolutely. And his voice, no one has the energy or the voice like he does. It’s just beyond amazing how he’s brought it to the table for so many years. It feels like yesterday when I was 12 years old, and my mom was saying, “you shouldn’t listen to that. It doesn’t need no talent to do that.” I’m like, bullshit, this guy has a voice that’s unlike anybody out there! I was being a punk rock rebel, and my mom was freaking out and burning my music because she hated the SEX PISTOLS, and she hated the DEAD KENNEDYS and all that stuff. You know, just to grow up and finally be around the legend was just a whole other inspiration for me.
Back to talking about Guttertown, I really enjoy the ambient side of your musical personality. I remember that a little bit from the Straight To Hell album, the last track. I’m curious about your ideas and the concept behind Guttertown. Was it mainly you experimenting?
I’m just trying to take people through some moods. I’ve always had a pretty psychedelic fan base, and I’ve always been a huge fan of Pink Floyd and bands like that. So I’m just trying to paint some different textures with ambience and feelings and emotions, trying to take some of the kids out there through some different levels that might be expanding their minds a little bit or just trippin’ out. Why I do that… it’s fun for me, and I like just trying new things. There’s a lot of meditation when I’m on the road and different kinds of ambiences that I have to listen to, just to get my voice back night after night. So a lot of those strange sounds are things that are in my day to day life.
The new metal material is featured on Cattle Callin and Attention Deficit Domination. On the first one, what gave you the idea to write music over an actual cattle auction? At first I thought it was interesting to listen to, but the more I heard, the more I realized that the music and the words sync up really well.
I mean it’s…. the intensity and the speed. I was raised around it. I would go to auction barns with my granddad, and I was raised on a farm. I’ve milked cows, I’ve branded cows, I’ve herded cows, I’ve done all that stuff, and I was always fascinated by the auctioneer’s chant, so I just thought it would be a really cool fit. You know, because speed-metal is so intense, and what they’re doing is so high energy; it just seemed like a good fit to me. It took a lot of conversations, trying to convince these guys I’m not making fun of them. I’m dead serious about this project. A lot of these older guys didn’t understand what I was trying to do, but in time they went with it, and I gave ‘em a whole record without one cuss word on it, just to make them feel a little more comfortable. Hats off to Tim Dowler (the auctioneer from Canada on “Black Cow”) and Mitch Jordon, (an auctioneer from Arizona that’s featured on “Branded”) those two guys were so easy to work with and really believed in what I was doing and didn’t give me any problems. But it seemed like a natural fit and, in fact, something that’s just kind of new and hectic and crazy sounding. I don’t know… it was a lot of fun! That’s what I was doing also for fun while I was making the country record. After a day’s worth of country, I would go and start doing the metal. It was intense, that’s for sure!
It seems like it would have been fun to write; it’s fun to listen to.
It’s back to trying new things, and the auctioneers stepped up to the plate. The biggest thing I’m trying to put out there is a new way to inspire young auctioneers throughout the world.
All of the music on the upcoming releases, is any of it left over from the years with Curb?
No. All this is brand new. January 2nd I started creating new music. I started the writing process and started taking it to the next level. From January all the way to May has been just full on nonstop, almost 16 hours a day, grueling, fuckin’ loosing- my-mind work… you know. Recording it, writing it, mixing it, mastering it, the whole process, and I’m playing the drums on every one of those records, all the guitars and most of the instruments. So it took a lot out of me, but it was a good thing. While I’ve got the energy, I’m trying to go there as much as I can.
Some of the older country stars like George Jones, some of the artists you know who have been around for a long time, are they open to the heavier side of your music? Do you know if they listen to it at all?
I don’t know if they listen to it, but most of them know that I’ve had to get out there and create my own way or create my own niche, and they can respect that. You know, I come from a bloodline. Hank Williams is the king of country music and Hank Jr has done quite a lot himself, and I had to do something different. I’ve always had a natural love for heavy metal and punk rock and outsider music, and they might not like it, but a lot of them understand that’s being me, and that’s being different, and that’s me being not just another country singer. That’s why I’m proud to have a crowd that’s 18 to 80 and a crowd that’s cowboys and punk rock kids and street kids and the Latino kids, the rockabilly kids, average everyday people, the hippies, all kinds of…. I’m really proud to have that diverse crowd out there that comes and supports us. If I was just a country singer, I wouldn’t have the beauty of all that.
And unlike an artist like Toby Keith, you get a lot of respect from people who are more diverse and listen to a lot of different things.
Well, I’m getting more respect from the people who have the longevity out there, not the one hit wonders. You know, I’m getting a good bit of respect from the people who keep it real, the people who have been out there on the road for twenty years and are still out there on the road because that’s what they do. They’re not out there just to have a hit song and try to be number one. That’s not what we’re about. I’m about longevity, and I’m about just doing what I can because that’s what I do. And that’s what most of my heroes have been like, THE MELVINS being a prime example.
I don’t know if you were raised in Nashville, but I know you live outside of it, and I’m wondering, do you find quite a few musicians there that you can play with? I know there are a lot of people out there that don’t like the town anymore.
Yeah. I have a good bit of musicians that come through. I’m still trying to find a good core of guys that live in Nashville so they can rehearse with me more. But, yeah, I’m lucky to have the crew that I have. My band’s line-up is always changing, players come and go, and I stick around. That’s just the way it’s been for years. I’m very fortunate to work with some of the guys on the record that I don’t get to have on the road, and the guys that are on the road with me always take it to the next level and help me create my visions out there.
