ChiodoSupply On the Making Of ‘1919’
How did you come up with the theme?
The theme for ‘1919’ was really inspired by my personal history, both its lessons and its warnings. First 19 is my lucky number, my birthday and the year my ancestors arrived in the United States. That year in our history was a boiling point of social unrest, labor strikes and systematic upheaval, which feels eerily similar to today. It’s about how the struggles of the past resonate in the present. The simple logo seems raw, gritty and unapologetic, which has always fit the vibe of the tunes I write.
What impact do you hope '1919' will have on your audience?
I hope it makes people feel like they’re not alone in their rage, their grief, their hope or their fight, whatever that fight may be. I try to write music that can be a rallying cry for anyone living on the margins and just living each day as it comes. If someone hears it and feels inspired to stand up, speak out or even just survive, then I’ve done my job. In the end writers like to write music to cleanse their own soul, but also to cleanse the soul of whoever needs it.
Can you talk about any standout tracks on the album and what makes them special to you?
For me, it’s “Broken.” It’s just so deeply personal and I still can’t pick up the guitar and play it completely without sobbing like a baby. It’s about the losses we all face during a lifetime and anyone who has lost and found the strength to stand tall and still live fearlessly will find something of their own in that song.
What has been the most memorable experience or achievement in your music career so far?
This album might be it because if you told me after 30 years of playing nothing but punkrock anthems and wearing spiked bracelets and dog collars and sporting a mohawk that I’d be putting out this sorta bluegrass, Americana album, all on my own….I would have told you I am not talented enough. A close second though, would be my collaborations with Mr Chi Pig from the legendary Canadian punkrock band, SNFU. Getting to write and release a song with one of my musical heroes and largest influences is definitely a dream come true.
Can you walk us through your creative process when writing and composing music?
It used to be chaos. I spent most of my early life writing songs about things that outraged me, that made me angry….now…after 50 years of life’s hardest lessons I find myself writing about the moments in life that have scarred me the deepest. And since I have made that transition from an angry young punker to a father, to a husband and to some, a mentor…the songs and melodies have come easier. Sometimes it comes with a melody that I play over and over again until some words find their way into their space. Sometimes it’s a riff that won’t let me sleep. I’ll also draw from what’s happening around me…headlines, conversations, graffiti, even stuff on television while I’m holding a guitar. Regardless of the inspiration, my goal is to always keep it gritty, honest and raw. Because of that style, I work really quick in the studio because perfection is my enemy. It’s not unusual for me to record a song in one take. You can even hear some bad guitar strikes throughout the album that are purposely left in there because music is art…and art isn’t perfect. Consequently, neither am I. Even early in my career, I’ve always wanted my recordings to sound and feel like a live performance.
