Against Me! has a knack for nonconformity. While some bands may primp and preen to attract the mainstream, this band’s rough all around. And the mainstream still came. It’s one of the most famous band to come out of Gainesville since legendary Tom Petty, even making a fan out of Bruce Springsteen, who attended a New Jersey show.

By Jon Silman; Photos by Autumn de Wilde

For the full interview, including Tom's favorite Gainesville haunts, check out the June issue of INsite!

White Crosses, the band’s latest album, drops this month on June 8th. It’s the band’s second major label release since its 2007 breakthrough New Wave, which rendered rock hits Don’t Lose Touch and Thrash Unreal. Catch the band at Bonnaroo on June 13, where Against Me! will launch its summer tour.

But first, INsite caught up with singer Tom Gabel (who relocated to Los Angeles to record the album although the rest of the band is still located in Gainesville) to get the scoop on the new album and upcoming tour, as well as his favorite restaurant in town and the biggest misconception about success.

“If someone wants to say we’re not a punk band, I’m not going to argue with them. It doesn't matter to me.” – Tom Gabel

So, tell us about the title of the new album, White Crosses.

Actually, when I wrote the majority of the record, I was living in St. Augustine. Around the corner from my house, there was a church and on the church lawn, there were 4,000 white crosses. They were all about a foot high off the ground with a big billboard behind them, with a bunch of pictures of childrens’ faces on it, and it was called “The Cemetery of the Innocents.” It was a memorial to commemorate every abortion that happens in America every day. Driving by it all the time, I was just filled with an overwhelming urge to smash every one of those f-----g crosses into the ground. I didn't—I wrote a song instead.

Applying that title to the album as a whole, I think that had I smashed those crosses, it would’ve been a very gratifying experience. I don't know if you’ve ever done anything, like, taking a baseball bat to a TV or anything like that, but it’s satisfying to smash something sometimes, you know? And that same feeling of satisfaction, that same kind of cathartic release for me is what I did playing these songs and what I got writing these songs.

Your video for I Was A Teenage Anarchist seems to be shot in one slow take. Was that inspired by that Wax video, Southern California, with the guy on fire, running through the street? Do you know what I'm talking about?

Yeah, I do. It was a point of reference. Sure. Yeah, going into it.

Who is the actor getting beat up in the video?

That's me.

I thought so. I just wanted to make sure. Were they actually hitting you? Were those real night sticks or were they rubber?

It was rubber. They weren’t real, but they were actually hitting me with them, yes.

You guys are pretty accomplished as a band. Do you have any huge goals you haven't achieved yet?

Shit (laughs). I don't know. I guess, in reality it’s not like we’ve ever had this checklist of goals that we wanted to work through. Everything comes up a bit like a surprise, and you’re just kind of always making the next decision that makes sense.

So for your band, what would be the pinnacle of success for you?

I think, for me, success is completion. Like writing a song. That’s a success. You wrote a song. Recording a record—success. We recorded a record, you know? That’s successful to me. If you go out on a tour and you have a bunch of fun and you meet a bunch of people and you play a bunch of shows, that’s success—at least, how I measure it

What musician gave you the courage and ambition to start Against Me!?

I don’t know. I don’t think I could pick a single musician. I mean, for me, there’s been tons of influential artists who I’ve listened to over the years. You know, the first cassette I got was Def Leppard, Hysteria. First CD I got was Tom Petty, Full Moon Fever. First LP, er, vinyl I got was The Misfits. There are tons of artists I’ve admired over the years.

I started playing guitar when I was 8 years old, and I’ve just always been fascinated by music and wanted to be a musician. I’ve just always known that’s what I wanted to do with my life.

What’s the biggest difference between you today, the rockstar, and you the 17-year-old kid?

(Laughs.) I’m not a rockstar, man, but the biggest difference? I don’t know. It’s hard to have perspective on yourself like that. I think that I probably realized that I know a lot less than I thought I did back then.

So how do you pass time on the road?

Lots of different ways, really. It’s always good to have a book with you. There’s always someone playing video games in the back lounge of the bus, but then you could be writing a song. You could entertain yourself in any a number of ways, and you’re always in a new city, too, so you can always explore around, see what’s around the venue.>

Any advice for that high school kid reading this who would cut off his foot to have your life?

I mean, if someone wants to start a band—if someone wants to tour—they should just do it. Don’t take “no” for an answer, and just go out and do it.

Watch Against Me!'s new video for "I Was A Teenage Anarchist" below!

• Add New
• Search

Comments (0)

Write comment

Your Contact Details:

Name:

Email: do not notifynotify

Website:

Comment:

Title:

Message:

Security

Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

Powered by !JoomlaComment 4.0 beta1

!joomlacomment 4.0 Copyright (C) 2009 Compojoom.com . All rights reserved."