Interview: Justin Pearson - 08/12/08
Jon managed to catch up with Justin Pearson of The Locust ahead of their support slot with Mike Patton's Fantomas.Justin spoke to Alter The Press about his record label 'Three One G', the current status of other bands he plays in, the future of the Locust and more.
Alter The Press: You are in the UK at the moment with The Locust and just played All Tomorrows Parties. How was it for you?
Justin Pearson: It was fantastic. We played before when The Mars Volta curated. It was awesome.
ATP: Who approached who to play?
JP: Mike Patton, I think.
ATP: You have been touring with The Locust for nearly two years with the release of the bands last record 'New Erections'. Recently you have been playing a new song, how much material do you have written so far for the next record?
JP: We have a lot of material already written but none of it has worked out. We actually played one song live but now we are not playing it again. As a band, we can't play it yet.
ATP: When do you plan to start recording?
JP: We've been on tour for a while, we've been on a break for a while. So when we get back, we are going to start writing again. I don't know when but as soon as we can.
ATP: Besides playing in The Locust, you run a successful underground record label 'Three One G' which has released material from bands such as 'The Blood Brothers' and 'Some Girls. What made you start your own label and did you think it would be this successful?
JP: I started it because I was putting records out on labels which were doing a poor job. They would change the artwork or change our shirt without asking us. So I decided, I could do this myself and have it done right. As far as being successful, I don't know if its really successful. As far as like success, it can always be better. On a success level, I'd say its pretty low.
ATP: You exposed bands like 'The Blood Brothers' though but would you say the biggest band on Three One G is The Locust?
JP: The Locust isn't really on Three One G. I think Three One G is seen through The Locust which is fine. When I think of Three One G, I think of bands which have a lot of releases on it like 'Some Girls', 'Holy Molar'. The Locust just has an EP and one song, so not much like other bands.
ATP: Does it dishearten you that The Locust is on a bigger label? (Anti/Epitaph)
JP: No. We couldn't do what Anti did or what Epitaph did for The Locust.
ATP: Is it because of them you managed to play shows with Fantomas, the Yeah Yeah Yeah's etc?
JP: I don't know because The Locust were on GSL before we signed to Anti. I remember before we met the Yeah Yeah Yeah's, reading this thing with Nick Zinner (guitarist of YYY's) he was talking about 'Flight of the Wounded Locust' which is previous to 'Plague Soundscapes' so it just needed time and it kind of just worked it self out.
ATP: It seems like you are pretty high in demand with the amount of bands you play in. What does a typical year entail for Justin Pearson?
JP: This last year has been pretty mellow. We did some sporadic touring but for the most part, I spent writing then I started All Leather with a couple friends. There was one point where I was in Some Girls and The Locust where I was touring back to back as well as recording for two years. Always doing something. It just depends what's going on, I guess.
ATP: On Three One G's MySpace, you posted a series of autobiographical blogs. Its been said you are going to release an autobiography. Is there a release date set?
JP: No. I'm talking to two publishers right now so I'm not really sure who or what to deal with it. Its written, its done, its edited. Now I just got to figure out the logistics.
ATP: Is it just what was written on the MySpace page?
JP: No, that was just parts of it. Its like 41 short stories.
ATP: Lets do some general questions about the bands you have played and play in. When is the next 'Holy Molar' release?
JP: Probably never. The Locust portion of the band talk about it often but I'm sure Mark (McCoy - vocals) doesn't want anything to do with the band anymore, I'm not positive. We are not opposed to it. It's fun. I just don't know if there will be another one.
ATP: Ground Unicorn Horn - is there going to be an album eventually?
JP: No. We just wrote a record but everyone quit. It sucks that not everyone could get their shit together and it just didn't happen.
ATP: Does this have anything to do with the fact a lot of you are busy with your other bands?
JP: No, just a lot of people in the band were hard to deal with. No one could get along. We kind of changed line ups. We got a different drummer, we added a second guitar player but no one could get along but we wrote a pretty rad record that never got recorded. We had a whole tour in Mexico set up but it never happened.
ATP: Some Girls - finished?
JP: Yes.
ATP: The new material that was showcased on the BBC , 'Get off the Dove'. Will that ever be released at all?
JP: Some of us want it to be, some of us don't want it to be released. I'm not sure.
ATP: Rogue Astronaut - The only places I've heard about this was on your MySpace and on Wikipedia.
JP: Bobby (Bray - guitarist in The Locust) and I sang on one song. That's it. I actually haven't heard the rest of the record which is kind of weird because I think I'm actually in the band now as the singer, but I don't know. 'Bastard Noise' has stuff about it.
ATP: When it comes to your live shows, you get the few people who come just to get drunk and act like an idiot. It must really piss you off a lot of the time. Can you see yourselves turning into a band where if it got too much, you would tell the crowd to just shut up or just put down your instruments and walk off?
JP: Its kind of weird. The Locust has dealt with this a lot of times because you just can't tell people to shut up. You would let the crowd get the best of you but a lot of times with The Locust is that Gabe (Serbian - drummer of The Locust) would stop early but a lot of times we would challenge the audience especially when we toured with the Yeah Yeah Yeah's in the UK. The crowd really hated us so we lengthen like these weird sound pieces, noise chunks, whatever you want to call it, just to upset people more than they're are upsetting us. It got violent and we were escorted out by the police. That's more up our alley. We are witty and have street smarts so if some is yelling at us to shut up, we'd be like, 'Fuck you!' and find other ways to retaliate.
ATP: A good example is when you toured with Some Girls, where you would play a 24 minute version of 'Deathface'.
JP: We done that a few times.
ATP: You said on the Three One G forum that by the end of the year, you guys would be releasing all the early Locust material on vinyl? What is currently happening about that?
JP: We are still working on it. The Locust are releasing a BBC live session, which is really old, like from 2000. We are releasing all the old GSL stuff, which is being being remixed and remastered. Its taking a long time. The recordings sucked so its a lot of hard work. It will come out. I don't know what to call it, but a mega release. Everything from the start up until we signed to Anti. We have no idea how its going to be released as of yet, but we are still working on it.
ATP: You have accomplished so much at an early age. What would you say is your greatest achievement so far?
JP: I don't know. I guess my overall achievement is that I've been able to play to people all around the world.
ATP: After you have finished up in the UK, what have you got planned for 2009?
JP: Finish writing with The Locust, touring with All Leather and writing another record with them. We just got a new drummer who is from Mexico, so he's trying to getting us to do a tour there. Thats it really.
