photo via myspace.com/eyehategod
Originally recorded 2010Nov17, MetalMattLongo speaks with Jimmy Bower! He’s had a long career in NOLA sludge, as the guitarist for EyeHateGod, drummer for Down, and more. We discuss his various projects over the years, his playing style, ‘Bower Power’, outlaw music, first experiences with Black Sabbath, and a promising future after a generation of hard work.
MetalMattLongo: The first thing, you’re so important as far as the formation of the whole NOLA sludge metal movement from the deep deep south. Everything from EyeHateGod to Down and all the points in between. You have played different instruments in these different bands. What is your favorite one to play?
Jimmy Bower: First off thank you. Thank you for your nice words.
MML: (laughter) I just dove right into the question.
JB: No, no (laughter). Are you talking about instruments?
MML: Yeah… you play guitar, you play drums. Which do you think is more expressive for you?
JB: I think in a weird way I express myself easily on both. But I like guitar a lot. Most of the projects I’ve ever done I’ve played guitar. But I’ve played a lot of drums lately so that’s really cool. In like some of the projects I’ve been doing… with friends and stuff.
MML: Which one did you learn first?
JB: Drums.
MML: Oh so you learned drums first and then you started playing guitar more.
JB: Dude I sucked on guitar, I’ll tell ya. I got four strings on my guitar. I can play a six string.
MML: But you play a four string? You know who else does? Max Cavalera from Soulfly. That’s cool, I didn’t know that about you actually.
JB: It was weird, both of us both started going at the same time and neither of us knew each other was doing it. I mean It’s all you need, dude, as far as EyeHateGod, with what we’re trying to say I don’t need (makes high pitch noise).
MML: No high strings, yeah.
JB: No I don’t need that note. Yeah, so I’ve got a Gibson Sonic, and I love it. It’s been my favorite guitar.
MML: When I was seeing you guys a few years back when you were on tour back in support of Down III, Phil kept talking about “Bower Power” and that was the first time I’de ever really heard that. Where did that come from and when did it start coming out in the shows and what not.
JB: I have no idea. I think it’s cheesy, man.
MML: It is a little cheesy, but I had to ask about it.
JB: I know, man, I know. It’s actually what I got teased in school… the name they used to tease me with when I was a kid. I dunno man…it stuck. It started when I was touring back with COC; now [when touring with Down] every time Pepper finds a marker and my kick drum, he’s gonna do it.
MML: I saw you were into “outlaw rock”, and I gotta ask: what do you think it means to be an outlaw musician these days? It seems that a lot of stuff becomes commodified so easily; a lot of music is made for the wrong reasons, but staying underground is kinda pure. It feels like there’s still a strong metal movement—there always has been—but that we have to feed off each other. A self-sufficient kind of thing.
JB: Yeah it’s definitely it’s own thing I think, because to me it’s all over the place, from new York to Oregon to… and you’re from Vermont, is that correct?
MML: Yeah.
JB: Yeah know, I don’t know if I’ve ever played in Vermont. But just in general, I just think that it’s definitely it’s own little family and to me it’s kinda cool. That’s the music that I like, Hank Jr.
MML: And Hank III?
JB: Hank III, totally. David Allan Coe, Merl Haggard, and Johnny Cash. You know, shit like that. I think that there’s a whole family of people that are really into that and want to keep that alive in a certain way and I’m working about as fast as a fucking slug trying to get from Austin to Dallas on my solo record where I’m gonna sing and do all that shit and it’s that’s gonna be more like rock.
MML: When does that plan to come out? I did not know about that.
JB: Yeah because it’s moving so slow.
MML: So slow no one knows about it! When did it first come about and how has it developed over time?
JB: It’s just been something I’ve always wanted to do. I just never had the balls to sing. It’s getting over that and trying to work that in and all that. Right now our main focus is on the new EyeHateGod record. But on the side I’ve been trying to work with that as much as I can.
MML: You’ve got a lot of projects man, because I also know that Down is supposed to be coming out with a new one too right
JB: Yeah I’ve got practice at 4 today… all we do is jam so, ya know, we might as well do it as much as we can. I mean it’s fun and hopefully get Clearlight rolling again.
MML :Oh yeah that was the like, that one off thing years back right?
JB: Ya it was a pretty serious band for a while. Our equipment got stolen on tour and that kind of ruined the band. We lost a lot. We got our shit back, believe it or not. But some viable parts of the band got broken up and it was such a big break that we never really did it. That’s something we’d like to get going again. That’s to me in the genre.
MML: The whole outlaw genre you’re saying?
JB: Yeah if you wanna… if that’s what it’s called.. you know what I mean.
MML: I’m curious too, we mentioned in passing Hank III earlier, have you heard the album he released earlier this year called Rebel Within?
JB: Yeah, I heard something about an acoustic record? That he did that.
MML: It’s like… he has a lot of traditional instruments in it. He brings in some other guys. Ya it’s not metal or anything. There are a couple songs where he gets pretty heavy but it’s more neotraditional country, outlaw country stuff. It’s damn good.
JB: Yeah I haven’t heard that.
MML: It’s really good. It dropped in May I think. It’s the last thing he’s releasing on Curb. He actually has a song where he says “holy shit, god damn it’s so good to be done after 13 mother fucking years I’m free.”
JB: He’s a great dude, man. He brought me up to his Dad’s hunting place, and I got to go hunting up there with him, and I got to meet his dad. And to me, it was one of the biggest moments of my life ya know. I’m really into that song writing and everything. It’s such a big part of me.
MML: What’s the earliest artist that you really remember loving? Was it Hank [Sr.]?
JB: Yeah, him and Willie Nelson, like old Willie. I just remember going on trips with my family and staying up with my dad while we were driving and he’d have an 8 track with the most amazing play list. Like shit like, old Willie records, David Allan Coe… just shit I denied when I was in my Metal years in high school… ya know it kind of came back to me and I was like well fuck everybody this shits heavy.
MML: Dude, the same thing happened to me. I think that happens to a lot of guys in high school teenage years. You stick to just the metal, keep your head down and your eyes forward and you’re not looking around and there’s a lot of great music being released, that was released.
JB: I was the complete cliché loner, metal kid… and actually Sabbath was what…
MML: First turned you on?
JB: Yeah first made me realize… yeah it wasn’t until I was like 18 and I was in a band in New Orleans called shell shocked and we were moving to San Francisco and we were driving through New Mexico and I asked the guitar player “let me borrow a few tapes” and he gave me olume 4. Dude, it was like I saw God. I had never been to New Mexico in my life and I had volume 4 going and everything came together.
MML: Sabbath’s my favorite band and in my humble opinion 4 is the heaviest one too.
JB: What’s that?
MML: 4 is the heaviest one in my opinion too. I just love it so much.
JB: Yeah man it totally changed the way I looked at music.
MML: Cause it’s not just heavy. They have the really really slow stuff like… Cornucopia is on that and Wheels of Confusion. But it’s got like some of the crazier stuff too. “Supernaut” is
on there. It’s funny Sabbath is one of those bands that… I won’t listen to… because I love them so much I have to put them down for a while and like once a season or so, or every 3 or 4 months, I pick them up and I can’t stop listening to them for like a week.
JB: Yeah I’ve been that way lately. Like right now I’m freaking out about The Eagles man, I love em. I think they are the most genius band in the world. Go on YouTube and watch The Eagles with Joe Walsh man, It’s fucking freaky.
MML: Okay, It has to be with Joe Walsh thought, I do respect that man a lot. I’m not gonna lie…
JB: But even without Joe Walsh man… The songwriting is amazing.
MML: I’ve had a rough time with The Eagles. But maybe it’s time to come back to them.
JB: Just go on Youtube and check out some of those videos. I’ve been watching a lot of free videos. That’s the cool thing about the internet and you can just sit down… I don’t know what other people do but I just watch the videos and shit like that on Youtube.
MML: Now you were just saying, too, that later on today you’re going to be doing a Down practice. How is Rex doing with the recovery from the pancreatitis?
JB: He’s been doing really good. When I say practice it’s just me, Kirk and Pepper right now; we’re just up there jamming. And usually Rex comes in and were head over across the lake to Phil’s house and then jam over there. We’re just writing riffs and jamming and seeing what happens and trying to come up with some cool shit. Actually we’ve got some pretty good riffs right now. I’m excited!
MML: How does the jamming out with Down compare to the jamming out with EyeHateGod. Because you’re doing recording sessions simultaneously right now?
JB: Yeah, both bands are writing. With EyeHateGod, I don’t know why but there is so much pressure with the band to try and make this record the best we can. We haven’t put one out in so long. So there is kind of pressure there. And with Down… it’s a completely different ball game. Its uhh… with EyeHateGod we have some ideas for our next record that we want to try. We are thinking of doing a double record. One record an EyeHateGod record and one record an experimental record. We can do anything we want, as far as that goes.
MML: Who’s releasing that as well? I wasn’t aware of who you were working with.
JB: We’re still trying to work that out. I’m just looking forward to getting it completely written and done and we’re almost there.
MML: And you guys have been touring a lot this year, which has been pretty sweet.
JB: Yeah yeah, that’s been helping with the record coming along.
MML: Yeah making awareness happen, and probably developing songs on the road a little bit maybe?
JB: Yeah, just riding in the van. Nothing fancy with all of us riding in the van getting inspired. It’s an important part to the record. Spending time together and stuff like that. And we’re not 25 yr old kids anymore.
MML: Everything evolves, though. Lifestyles change. How has your reception changed over the years? Now it’s been about 20 years since the first albums were dropping so… are people still getting disturbed by the kind of music you make? I’ll tell you, I was driving down and I had never listened to the discography. I got a bunch of albums. I think I listened to Take as Needed for Pain and Dopesick back to back while driving and I had to pull over and chill out. It’s genuinely unsettling music. And that’s saying a lot for a guy who listens to a lot of metal.
JB: That’s a compliment, man.
MML: Yeah, that’s fucking art and that’s not easy to do. I’m a music director, I run a website, I hear hundreds of new albums every year and then I listen to EyeHateGod “again for the first time”. And not to jump around too much, but Paegan Terrorism Tactics by Acid Bath was reissued this year and I kind of heard that for the first time and I felt like I was not paying attention to this great music coming out of the South in the early to mid 90s.
JB: Yeah it was weird. It was like little Seattle almost. People were thinking of it like that. And lately at our shows it’s been a resurgence of a lot of young kids that are all… ya know because we mostly play college towns and stuff.. and there’s tons and they’re interested and it’s insane. It’s funny because we always talk about it in the van… like we’re the new Black Flag for these kids and that’s a dream of ours.
MML: But you guys are a touchstone, too. I mean you gotta realize. Like Burlington here, the Metal scene is always trying, but what is really strong here is Punk and Hardcore, yet everybody likes EyeHateGod!
JB: I don’t get it, I never did get it. Cause we’re Blues to me.
MML: Rooted.
JB: Yeah, well on the new record hopefully that will change. That’s what I’m saying we want to build an experiment and do real blues shit that we like to play and that we know how to play. Just different shit.
MML: But just never had the opportunity to do it until now.
JB: Just trying to reinvent ourselves also, so to speak.
MML: I think the whole Southern sludginess is starting to bubble up one again; it feels like it.
JB: That’s why I really want to put the record out. That’s been our main concern, you know—that and this tour coming up in December. And we’ve got a live DVD coming out. That should be coming out soon. Which really came out good.
MML: What’s that called?
JB: I forget the name of it man.
MML: I’ll be on the lookout for it anyway.
JB: It’s not in stores or anything yet. In the finishing stages of getting it together. It’s from the last tour that we did, from Cleveland.
MML: I hate to ask you a really cliché question, but I don’t actually know, so I gotta ask. Who coined the name “EyeHateGod” and why the spelling and spacing the way it is?
JB: It was a friend of mine that came up with the name. And he actually wants nothing to do with the name of the band or anything.
MML: He no longer wants anything to do with the name of the band?
JB: No. Last time I spoke with, him ten years ago… he’s a Christian and he was actually begging me to stop, to stop the name. Yeah he was probably 17 when he came up with the name when we were taking acid and were all crazy and he changed. But he came up with the name. And it just stuck. He was actually the first singer.
MML: He was the first singer? I did not know either of those things. Has its meaning changed for you guys over the years, or evolved for you over the years?
JB: Nah we tell people: if he could see himself, he would hate himself. Look at this world. I guess thats kind of our meaning behind it.
MML: God is a self loather basically.
JB: I’m gonna get shot one of these days, by someone in one of those radical fucking countries like Serbia. “You don’t say that” BOOM.
MML: Well, what else is on the horizon for anything that you’re involved with? We’re winding down to the last of our half hour here, is there anything else that you’d like to leave us with? Any last words any thoughts?
JB: Did I mention that we’re gonna start doing Clearlight again?
MML: Oh yeah tell us about Clearlight, I know very little about this band.
JB: Yeah, it’s me the drummer. (Inaudible). Bass player, Andy Shepard. Guitar player, Paul Webb, who also plays in a band from New Orleans called Spickle and another band called Mountain Wizard; they’re really good, they’re a new band. And Ross Karpelman playing keyboard. We had no vocals, but they capped me on.
MML :Right on.
JB: It was really cool. Looking forward to getting that rolling again and getting the new Down record out. And the new EyeHateGod record as well. And that’s about it.
MML: And that’s what it’s all about, just keeping out there and just keeping playing. It’s a hard lifestyle and a hard business to make it in. Just gotta keep the nose to the grind stone and keep going.
JB: Yeah, especially with the economy and everything like that. But it’s been cool, man. It’s a lot cooler now than it was in the past. Just a little easier now. And we have a bit more control over our own situation. But like I said the most important awesome thing is the kids coming out to the shows, the new kids. They’re really digging it. It’s a real uplifting future for us.
MML: Yeah exactly, and we certainly hope for the best for you here over at Mind Over Metal. We love talking to you guys and we love reporting on you guys. We are strong supporters of EyeHateGod, and Down for that matter. We are waiting on bated breath. And now we have more shit to look forward to as well, so this is good to hear. So you mentioned Clearlight. Clearlight is more of a (inaudible) kind of thing.
JB: Yeah it’s just more of a southern rock, outlaw rock sort of thing also with a little New Orleans funk rock sort of thing. Check it out: Mystick Krewe of Clearlight.
MML: Mystick Krewe of Clearlight. Just Clearlight for short. Give me some websites. I know they can go to Down-NOLA.com is one thing. Can always search Myspace for everything. Are there any other websites that you can give us?
JB: Facebook; we’re in the work of making a new EyeHateGod page. But other than that (laughter) your guess is as good as mine. Youtube,also.
MML: Alright Jimmy, I appreciate you talking to us here at Mind Over Metal. If I find out that you guys are touring around maybe we can get you up here in Vermont for the first time.
JB: Dude that would rule man, I love it up there.
MML: We’re good people; we’ll take care of you.
JB: Yeah talk to some people. Clearlight played there. Have a good day, Matt, I appreciate it.
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