Rock My Monkey: Hello, you are listening to the Rock My Monkey netcast on RockMyMonkey.com. Today we are speaking with Jeremy of the band Five Finger Death Punch. How are you doing today, Jeremy?
Jeremy Spencer: I’m doing great. How’s it going?
Rock My Monkey: It’s going pretty good. What song on this cd do you think has the chance of being your “Ace Of Spades”, the song fans demand for decades to come?
Jeremy Spencer: Wow. You know what, our single’s The Bleeding, but I think probably The Way Of The Fist, I think that’s the one that represents the band the best.
Rock My Monkey: Why that one above the current single, The Bleeding?
Jeremy Spencer: It’s just so much of a live stomper. Everyone seems to really go for it in the pit on that song. Our pits have been kind of dubbed the Five Finger Bloodbath. Everyone seems to just respond to that one. They just pound each other when we play that one, so I think that’s probably our “Ace Of Spades”.
Rock My Monkey: What do you think makes Five Finger Death Punch unique in the metal scene, and what do you think you offer fans that no other metal band does today?
Jeremy Spencer: You know, I’ve listened to a lot of stuff that’s out there the past couple of years, and what I thought was lacking was song structure and focus on good choruses and stuff. I think people kind of got away from that. We wanted to take it back to the old school when song structure was very important and you could write good, hooky songs. You could still shred and everything, but you had to have a good chorus. We kind of focued on that. I think that’s kind of what’s setting us apart. I think we focus really on song structure and good choruses and quality song writing. It’s not to take away from any other band, because I’m a huge fan of everything that’s going on out there, and I love bands that shred. But I just think that we focus more in on songs.
Rock My Monkey: So more of a balance between the dynamics and the shredding?
Jeremy Spencer: Absolutely. I think they’re equally important.
Rock My Monkey: What do you think-do you think that there was a risk at all with you and Zoltan producing this cd, instead of-for a self-produced debut, instead of, say, getting a big name producer?
Jeremy Spencer: We just kind of wanted to make the record that we wanted to make, and we were real focused on it. And I think we achieved it. We’re all happy with it. To bring somebody else’s opinion into the mix was kind of unnecessary at that point, because there was certainly enough opinion between the five of us. We may work with somebody in the future, but we pretty much know what we’re going after, so I don’t know that we will. We’re pretty comfortable with our little in-house operation.
Rock My Monkey: What is Firm Music, how did you hook up with them, and why are they the perfect label to introduce the world to Five Finger Death Punch?
Jeremy Spencer: Well, certainly the staff at Firm Music has a huge track record. Very experienced. They actually found us because of the buzz we were having with our MySpace page, a lot of fans that we picked up before we had a deal. So they kind of contacted us. They came out and saw a show. We talked, we got in a room with them, talked. It just seemed like their vision for the band and what ours is lined up. They’re very excited. The whole staff is on fire and working for us. We couldn’t ask for more. We could have signed with another label and maybe been seventeenth of the priority list, but we’re number one with The Firm, so we couldn’t ask for more. We’re thrilled to death.
Rock My Monkey: You guys have gotten a really great response from your video for “The Bleeding”. But there was one person on the YouTube page for that video that was referenced, and I guess you pronounce his name Sxully Essex. Who is he, and where did you guys find him, and what part does he play in the video?
Jeremy Spencer: Oh, Sxully. He’s the guy that, he’s actually lifting weights in the beginning of the video. He’s got tattoos all over his head and all over his body. I’m standing next to him like in one of the first scenes of the video. He’s a good friend of ours.
Rock My Monkey: Okay.
Jeremy Spencer: He’s actually-he has a movie coming out on his own called Bled, which Ivan, our singer, stars in. He doesn’t star in, but he’s in the movie. Yeah, he’s a good friend of ours.
Rock My Monkey: Do you think after such a great response from “The Bleeding” video, what are the chances of there being a follow up to that?
Jeremy Spencer: Yeah, we’re planning on doing another video. We’re not sure for what song yet. But we talked about it, and that’ll probably happen in the next few months.
Rock My Monkey: Any idea on what song that would be?
Jeremy Spencer: We were tossing around maybe “Devil’s Own” or “Way Of The Fifth”. Not for sure. Even “White Knuckles” has come up. So we’re still kind of figuring that out. In the next couple of months we’ll figure it out and we’ll get rolling and probably make another video.
Rock My Monkey: When people see you guys live, what can people expect from your live shows? Is it more of a stripped down kind of thing, or do you guys add any kind of screens or any kind of theatrics to make it more of a show?
Jeremy Spencer: Well, there’s really no theatrics. We have cool backdrops, and stuff. But basically it’s just the energy of our show. What we give to the fans, they give back to us, and it’s just a cycle, and it creates mayhem. It’s awesome. So it’s not going to be like dragons and lasers and stuff, but it’s going to be high energy and a lot of fun.
Rock My Monkey: What do you think is more important in a live show? Getting the notes right or making a memorable show?
Jeremy Spencer: Making a memorable show, without question. Because you can always listen to the cd if you want it perfect. But if you want in the moment, high energy entertainment, it’s about the performance.
Rock My Monkey: So unlike a lot of other bands out there, you guys don’t use any background tapes to enhance the performance?
Jeremy Spencer: Absolutely not.
Rock My Monkey: Totally raw. Alright.
Jeremy Spencer: Totally raw, yeah. We’re capable of pulling off what’s on the record, so we do it. (laughs)
Rock My Monkey: Is there anything about this album that you would have changed, or anything that you think you could have done better if given another chance?
Jeremy Spencer: You know what, no, actually. I think for our first effort it’s an admirable effort. We’re really happy with it. I’m just filing that one as being done, and that’s it. I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m looking forward to moving on, and continuing to build, and making the best music we can that we want to make. So no, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Rock My Monkey: Was it intentional to mix not just the clean and harsh vocals, but also emotional lyrics like “The Bleeding” or “The Devil’s Own” with lyrics found on “White Knuckles” or the title cut?
Jeremy Spencer: I’m sorry, could you repeat the question? I’m outside. I kind of was losing you there for a second.
Rock My Monkey: I noticed that on your cd you have not just the mix of clean and harsh vocals, but you also have lyrics that have a contrast of emotional lyrics that are found on “The Bleeding” or “The Devil’s Own”, with lyrics like “White Knuckles” or the title cut. Was that intentional to mix the two extreme styles of lyrical writing?
Jeremy Spencer: You know, I don’t think anything was really intentional. Ivan wrote all the lyrics, and he just wrote what he felt. He would just listen to the track, because we had the music done before he even started the vocal process. So he just kind of got inspired by each track individually, and what he was feeling at the time, and just wrote about it. So it wasn’t intentional, but it did turn out that way, you’re right.
Rock My Monkey: Most of the members of Five Finger Death Punch actually came from other bands. Now that you guys are formed together in one band, you guys have seemed to have come out of nowhere and created an extremely large buzz even before you signed to The Firm. Is there any lesson that you have learned that you could share with other bands out there that might be spinning their wheels trying to make it?
Jeremy Spencer: Well, certainly we really use MySpace as our promotional tool. But as far as learning along the way being in many bands, you kind of learn the ups and downs, what to do, what not to do. But what we focused on was just doing stuff that we wanted to do. We’ve all been in bands that we liked, but weren’t quite there for. So we wanted to make sure that this band was the one that we all loved and wanted to be a part of, and had the same vision for. So just honor what feels right to you, man. Write what’s real. Write what you want to listen to. And don’t really compromise. Because we didn’t. We just kind of did what we wanted to do, and it is what it is.
Rock My Monkey: Now you guys are in the middle of a coast to coast headlining tour of the U.S. right now, but what are the-do you guys have plans as far as touring for 2008?
Jeremy Spencer: Absolutely. We’re going to head back out probably late January, early March. I can’t tell you who we’re with yet, because the contracts are still being worked out. But we’re going to be out early ’08. And it’s going to be a really cool tour. So we’ll be announcing it soon. That’s all I can at this point. But definitely we’re going to tour the planet in ’08 for sure.
Rock My Monkey: So this tour that will be announced soon, this is actually going to be another large tour that you’re going to be opening for?
Jeremy Spencer: Yeah, we won’t headline this one.
Rock My Monkey: Since you recently co-headlined the Guitar Hero 2 Second Stage at the 2007 Family Values Tour, I have to ask if you think the game Guitar Hero is single handedly bringing back rock and metal to the younger generation?
Jeremy Spencer: It’s certainly helping, without question. I mean, a lot of kids don’t even know what that metal genre was all about because they weren’t even alive. So yeah. The video game is so exciting, it’s so addicting, that all these kids are just playing it, and they’re like ‘Well, what’s that band?’ And then they go research it and find the band and buy the record, and they become fans. So I definitely think it’s helping.
Rock My Monkey: We heard your singer is a fan of a local band called Northwest Royale who, one of their members actually writes for RockMyMonkey.com. I was wondering if he had turned the rest of you onto the band, and what are the chances that they would maybe open for you the next time your play Seattle?
Jeremy Spencer: Wow. You know, I haven’t heard the band yet, but I’m certainly not opposed to checking them out. I mean, I have heard him mention them, but I haven’t had personally a chance to listen. But yeah, I wouldn’t oppose them opening up for us at all. That would be fine.
Rock My Monkey: This is the time in the interview that I like to call The Lightening Round. I’m going to name something in popular news or popular culture, and you sum up your thoughts in one short sentence.
Jeremy Spencer: Okay.
Rock My Monkey: Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul.
Jeremy Spencer: Wow. All I have to say is probably wow on that.
Rock My Monkey: The NBC show Heroes.
Jeremy Spencer: Don’t know a thing about it. Sorry.
Rock My Monkey: The iPhone.
Jeremy Spencer: The iPhone will be better in the future. Not great quite yet.
Rock My Monkey: President Bush.
Jeremy Spencer: Do I need to comment? I think he speaks for himself.
Rock My Monkey: (laughs) Fox News.
Jeremy Spencer: What it is again?
Rock My Monkey: Fox News.
Jeremy Spencer: Fox News? I suppose I’ve viewed Fox News a few times, but I’m on the road. I’m not really checking in on that right now.
Rock My Monkey: The Recording Industry Association Of America.
Jeremy Spencer: Wow. In a sad state of affairs these days.
Rock My Monkey: I do have one final question. Every year we do choose one final question that we ask every single band from classic rock legends to the most extreme death metal bands at the end of every interview, partially to stump people, but also to see who wusses out and won’t answer. This year I’m asking people to look into their crystal ball and predict what political figure, world leader, musician, celebrity, anybody world wide famous, who do you think might die before the end of the year?
Jeremy Spencer: Wow. I’m going to have to go ahead and say probably Britney Spears.
Rock My Monkey: Britney Spears. Alright. Well, I thank you very much for doing the interview, and anybody listening to the audio version can go to RockMyMonkey.com for the full featured version with clickable links, readable text, and many more wonderful features. I’m asking people to click on the album cover above and below this interview to purchase The Way Of The Fist by Five Finger Death Punch. And I do hope to see you guys up on tour at Studio 7 in Seattle sometime soon. Thank you very much for your time.
