Andy: It looks like you're going to be on tour for a while this summer. Tell me
about it...who are going with, where are you going, and for how long?
POA: We'll be gone just a little bit over a month. We start our tour with Get
It Away heading west and play down the coast and swing back through Texas
and do a few dates in the South before they head for home. From there it
looks like we're bopping around on the East Coast for awhile. We're
meeting up with Names For Graves, Blue Monday, Never Enough, Blood In
Blood Out, Ten 33, Internal Affairs, and a million other bands here and
there. We're super excited to see our friends on the East Coast again.
Andy: So, you have a new record out titled "The Working Dead". How is this
record different from the previous CD?
POA: For starters, we had a different line up from the previous records. Ryan
writes quite a bit of the stuff on the new record and Dan pounds it out
straight and simple on the drums. A Ross and Liz finally got to show off
some more of their talent and I still got to scream like an idiot with a
little help from the rest of the band. I feel like it's a lot angrier
than the previous record. Most of the songs are focused on the ideas of a
job or carreer owning your entire life, along with songs about government
and the US patriot act, agism, family problems, and of course good old
fashioned "FUCK YOU" songs.
Andy: Your new record looks awesome. Who did it?
POA: Sean Taggart. I was super excited because he did the artwork for some of
my favorite records and did designs for most of my favorite bands
growning up. He also did the Crumbsuckers- Life of Dreams, Agnostic Front- Cause For Alarm, Mental- Get An Oxygen Tank, and a million other
designs. I'm super into it.
Andy: On the cover I noticed a small illustration of current president George
Bush. There seems to be a resurrgence of interest in hardcore since he
initially took office. How do you feel about the USA in 2004 under Bush
and how has it affected hardcore?
POA: There was a small argument about that little puppet on there. In the
initial sketch, we were worried about re-using Bush imagery for another
record. (if you remember correctly, the first 100 No Future 7"s had a
rip-off of the Misfits' Bullet 7" cover with Bush in the car instead of
Kennedy) After discussing it we decided to keep it in the layout because
even Taggart argued that he's going to be a key historic figure of our
time. To be completely honest, I'm terrified of what this country is
turning into. I remember growing up worrying about how we could be on the
brink of nuclear war at any moment and now years and years later, I'm
scared to death of what's to come. It's good to see that bands are
speaking out and sending out a message about the situation. I was worried
that with the MTV exposure from so-called punk bands and with
Christianity rearing it's ugly head in so-called punk rock, that the
entire scene was going sterile. They say the best punk rock and hardcore
comes out when a Republican is in office.
Andy: It seems that punk is turning more mainstream year by year. Personally, I
did not have an easy time growing up with ideals and musical tastes that
were unappealing to most of the other kids in my schools. How was
growing up for you and how did you get into punk?
POA: I blame it on Thrasher magazine and skateboarding! Ha ha ha! Some kids
grow up being the square peg that can't fit through the round hole. I
definitely knew that I was one at an early age. It's tough being the
outcast. Luckily I stumbled onto punk rock and finally had something that
I could identify with. For kids today, it's socially acceptable to dress
"punk"... there's nothing shocking about it because most of this punk
rock is so "safe." It wasn't like that for me when I grew up. We were
seen as a threat and it often got us into scuffles with people who were
upset that we wouldn't follow the herd. I'm sure you all know the story.
Andy: What's your take on mainstreams current pull on punk and how will it
affect whats going on in punk and hardcore in the coming years?
POA: It will fade out. It always does. You can only market something for so
long before the consumer wants something new to try and identify with.
For most of these people, it's not about having convictions, it's about
how they want others to view them. That's why the trends will pass and
the kids that it really meant something to will be here when it leaves.
Andy: Now, this wouldn't be a Redline Distribution interview without talking
about Chi-town. How do you like it here?
POA: It's pretty awesome in Chicago right now. There's so many awesome, unique
bands. I'm glad that we don't necessarily have a "Chicago sound" like so
many other crappy cities have their names for it. I'm totally excited for
a lot of the new bands that are popping up and the fact that a lot of
these bands are making it out on tour. It's also great that there's quite
a few decent labels popping up here as well. Things are the best that
I've ever seen them.
Andy: Are there any places to eat or go to in Chicago that you would recommend?
POA: I'm all about pizza. One of my favorite pizza places is a place called
Bella's on Chicago Avenue. Best stuffed pizza in the city.
Andy: What's your take on Chicago's current hardcore scene and the other scenes
that are going on?
POA: It's great to see kids supporting the local scene here. There's a lot of
awesome bands like Wound Up, Punch in the Face, I Attack, The Repos, The Killer, No Slogan, Left Hand Path, Not Enough Gold, Sidewalk, and a
million others that I can name off.
Andy: Who are some of your favorite past and present Chicago bands?
POA: Past- Audacity / Critical Beatdown, The Effigies, Life Sentence, and Los
Crudos. Present- Wound Up, Vee Dee, The Tyrades, Punch in the Face, and The Killer
Andy: Any future plans for Plan of Attack?
POA: Right now we're taking things step by step. It's not very punk to plan too far ahead.
Andy: I'm out of questions, is there anything you would like to add?
POA: Sure. Stay in school, don't do drugs, and take lots of candy from strangers.
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