Every Time I Die

6 January 2010 | 1:23 pm | Staff Writer
Originally Appeared In

Those crazy party animals in Every Time I Die will hit Australian shores once again next week as part of the national 2010 Boys Of Summer Tour. We caught up with bass player Josh Newton to talk about their new album, the bus crash that almost killed them and President Obama calling Kanye West a jackass.

More Every Time I Die More Every Time I Die

Those crazy party animals in Every Time I Die will hit Australian shores once again next week as part of the national 2010 Boys Of Summer Tour.


We caught up with bass player Josh Newton to talk about their new album, the bus crash that almost killed them and President Obama calling Kanye West a jackass.

Alright let's start off with your name, your role in the band and how gnarly you are on a scale of 1-10?

Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter


Josh Newton. I play bass. I'd say I'm a 7.3 on the gnarly scale. Pretty gnarly, not completely.


You guys just finished a tour with Killswitch Engage and In Flames in Europe. Was it out of the control huge? How did you guys go down?


The tour was indeed huge, some of the rooms were about 10,000 capacity. It definitely fulfilled some of my teenage arena rock fantasies. That said, I realized that touring rooms like that when you're a band like us is completely boring. The space between the stage and the barricade is as big as some of the shows we play. It's not exactly intimate. There were mostly great shows and a couple of real stinkers. Either way, we do what we do.


Europeans love their metal, do you guys tend to mix up your set a bit for the heavier shows to cater to the audience?


No. We play whatever we want, where we want. It's not like we have a catalog chuck full of ballads...


You guys released 'New Junk Aesthetic' a couple months back, what's the reception been like?


It's been great. Everyone received it right on time, as far as I know. Just in time to save the world.


The album is kind of heavier and more thrashy than 'The Big Dirty', why do you think that is?


Is it? It wasn't a conscious decision. We wrote and kept whatever we liked. I'm confused by people saying that it's so much heavier, it's not like Big Dirty was an acoustic album. Perhaps the grief over the loss of Anna Nicole Smith finally came out through our music.


You were involved in bus crash recently whilst in Germany. Can you take us through what happened and reassure us that everyone is ok?


We were driving along the highway at about six in the morning. The roads were clear, no snow or ice. I had just fallen asleep due to my continued jet-lag. Apparently, a car hit a fuel truck. The truck made it to the side of the road, the car remained in the road. Due to our speed combined with our driver's propensity for diligently checking his rear-view mirrors, he didn't notice the car until it was too late. We hit the car with the left side of the bus, avoided the tanker, slid sideways across the road, hit the guardrail and did a 50-50 grind on that for the next 300 feet or so. I woke up after the hitting of the car. the sound of the guardrail made me think perhaps we'd blown a tire.


Thankfully our driver's skill and cool head kept things from getting truly ugly.


Did your life flash before your eyes? Was there a light and did you walk towards it? Did you hear Cliff Burton playing a bass solo as your spirit was lifted from your body for a brief moment?


As ETID's 119th bass player and a complete narcissist, I assumed it was all some ruse to get rid of me. Cliff wasn't involved, but Buddy Rich was yelling at me.


Lets look to your Australian headline tour in January as part of The Boys Of Summer tour. What are you most looking forward to?


I was really excited about touring with Trap Them, but it seems they've cancelled. I just really enjoy playing in Australia period.


What kind of whacky/crazy/zany shit would you like to get up to while you're here?


Our drummer Legs and I would kill to go on a Great White shark dive. It's really all we want to do.


Have you heard any of the Australian bands you are playing with on Boys Of Summer?


No, I should get on that.


What would you rather have, chainsaws for arms or machine guns for legs and why?


Machine guns for legs, then I'd finally have something else in common with Rose Mcgowan besides banging Marilyn Manson.


What does ETID have planned for 2010?


Australia, US in March, Uk & Europe fests in May/ June, & then Warped Tour. Good thing I love touring.


Let's do your favourite things of 2009...


OK!


Favourite album?


Converge - Axe To Fall


Favourite film?


Let The Right One In


Favourite celebrity moment?


Obama calling Kanye West a jackass. I prefer to think of Kanye as a douchebag, but I'm not the Commander In Chief.


Favourite TV show?


Only one? Can't do it. Lost, The Office, Mythbusters, Summer Heights High, and now Jersey Shore.


Thanks heaps for the interview, any parting words for the kiddies?


Don't eat the brown acid, man.




Every Time I Die will be here next week with the 2010 Boys Of Summer tour. You can find all the dates and venues here. The bands latest album 'New Junk Aesthetic' is out now via Shock.