Ryan: Hey I’m Ryan, how ya doin?

Dominicanedge: Ryan, Poison The Well. So you guys just recorded in Sweden. What made you guys go out there to record a record?

Ryan: Those guys that produced our record Pelle and Eskil, that’s where they’re from. That little town called Umeo.

Dominicanedge: So, how did everything go out there?

Ryan: It was awesome! Those guys are rad. Where they live in Sweden is pretty desolate, and isolated, and boring but it was a lot of fun to just be there and just hang out and like totally immerse yourself in work, and not worry about anything other than working.

Dominicanedge: Was it partially due to the fact they produced the Refused?

Ryan: Partially that and partially because they make a lot of recordings where it’s old techniques with new technology. They recorded records, Rock 'N' Roll records, and they’re raw and pissed off and heavy. But, with new technology so it sounds even better. So, I like it.

Dominicanedge: How’s being on major label affected the bands goals? Do you feel that they’re doing everything possible for you in a music market that’s over saturated with a ton of bands that sound the same?

Ryan: Actually, we kind of withdrew ourselves from most of the major market stuff that most labels do. We don’t have a single, we don’t do commercial radio, stuff like that.

Dominicanedge: Was that intentional?

Ryan: Yeah, totally. They were a little weirded out by it but in the end I think they understood that we were just trying to do things the way we’ve always done them. Record a record, put it out, go on tour and have fun.

Dominicanedge: I’ve noticed that bands of the same ilk as you guys have videos on rotation on MTV2 and Fuse but you don’t. Are you planning on going that route as well?

Ryan: We have one and it gets played on MTV2 every once in a blue moon. It was just from that free DVD we released. I don’t know. Right now we have no real plans on doing any of that stuff. Mostly our plan is to keep going on tour and just do things the way we’ve always done them.

Dominicanedge: I hear you guys took a 'pay cut' from the label in order to keep the price of your CD’s down. What prompted the band to do that?

Ryan: We didn’t want anymore than $11.99 being charged for our CD’s. We thought that any more was a little bit exorbitant so we just had to basically hope that they would be down for it. We worked it out where we lost some money but I really don’t care. None of us really care as long as our CD’s are affordable and priced fairly. I don’t think you should pay $18 for a bands record. It’s a little fucking much, don’t you think?

Dominicanedge: I hear you. I think Universal is trying to follow suit, finally after years of trying to convince people that $20 is a respectable amount for a CD.

Ryan: Nah, $10. It shouldn’t be that much more than when you see a band on tour selling their CD’s. It shouldn’t be much more than that.

Dominicanedge: Do you think that other bands should follow? Do you think it’s feasible if they just hunker down a little and make a conscious effort?

Ryan: Fuck Yeah! As long as you’re not greedy anything’s possible as far as keeping things street level. You just have to avoid being greedy.

Dominicanedge: Poison the Well has been known for spearheading a genre of music. I won’t get into overused labels because it just detracts from the music. How do you think you fit in to the current scene with the new record?

Ryan: I don’t think we fit into any scene really. I never thought we did.

Dominicanedge: Good thing?

Ryan: I think that’s a good thing. We never went out with a scene conscious goal. We all grew up going to hardcore shows and punk rock shows. I think that the important part of all of that really rubbed on us was mostly our band politics and the way we do things. It’s not about commerce; it’s not about some sort of major goal with our band. Its just about playing shows. I think that is the thing that keeps us rooted in the punk rock scene or the hardcore scene. But I think that a lot times we pull from too many musical influences to be genre specified.

Dominicanedge: What are your feelings towards the hardcore scene? A bunch of crybabies that don’t want their bands too succeed or a strong force that is needed?

Ryan: Somewhere in the middle. A lot of kids are just crybabies, and they’re pretentious and think that once a band, somebody else likes them, they’re not as cool anymore because now it’s not some big secret that they have all to themselves that makes them such a cooler person because they liked the band first. That whole attitude is really pretentious. Like, I’m cooler than you because I found out about a band before you did.

Dominicanedge: It seems that no matter how much the hardcore scene evolves it the kids are always stuck in that mentality.

Ryan: I mean if kids want to be that way, that’s cool, kids want to be that way. It’s fine, however you feel about it, whatever, its totally cool with us. It’s not going to change what we do. The second you do stuff because of what somebody else says about, you’re the ultimate version of a sell-out anyway. If I paid attention to all that message board crap that says that we suck now because there’s not 800 breakdowns on a record and we made a record that had 800 breakdowns again and we didn’t want to, we would be just the same if we had somebody else write our songs. It’s just that same bullshit.

Dominicanedge: Was it intentional to move toward that?

Ryan: Nah, we just ran out of creative ways to do things. I can only think of so many 'chugga-chugga' parts before the 'chugga-chugga' is depleted (Laughs). Who would wanna just put out mediocre songs that you didn’t feel strongly about because you were just rehashing territory you had already crossed.

Dominicanedge: How’s touring been? Warped Tour, Europe? How’s the reception to the new songs?

Ryan: Warped Tour was awesome except for Lou. (Laughs) Warped Tour was amazing. Well, it was cool. It had its upsides and it’s downsides. Lou being one of the downsides. (Laughs) The upsides were getting to hang out with people. The long days kind of sucked but you had a lot of time to hang out with people you don’t normally get to see. Other than that it was cool. The stages are kind of weird. It was weird playing so far away from kids. I don’t feel comfortable with that. But, I had a really good time so I wouldn’t change anything. The last time after Warped Tour we went to Europe with this band called Cult of Luna. That was amazing. We had a really good time. Now we’re doing the Take Action tour, which is my favorite tour.

Dominicanedge: Are you still going to mix it up a little doing some smaller shows to try and keep the intimacy with the kids?

Ryan: Actually, our next tour is with Every Time I Die, The Bronx, and Nora and it’s all places, 500 people places or less and the shows are $8 or less. And then we’re doing another tour after the New Year, which is the same way. 500 people or less. I wish for the Take Action Tour we were playing Madison Square Garden size places every night because the point of tour is to get the information across to as many people as possible. I wish we could get it across to more people. I wish I could stand out in front of the club with a picket sign.

Dominicanedge: Is the band involved in other charitable organizations or is this your first?

Ryan: As a whole band this is the one thing we unite around. Every one has semi different politics. Individually we all do different stuff.

Dominicanedge: What are some of the other things you guys are involved in?

Ryan: For myself, I’m not involved in any other charities but I’m really socially aware. Economically mostly. I’d like to get behind more things but we try to avoid things that exclude people for not agreeing. There are a lot of causes out there where they’re either “You’re with us, or you’re against us.” I don’t think that that’s fair. I think that everyone should be able to have a differing opinion and still be respected.

Dominicanedge: That’s the beauty of democracy, sort of.

Ryan: That’s the beauty of free expression and thought. It’s the beauty of personal liberty that you can think differently than other people and still co-exist.

Dominicanedge: Bush good or Bush bad?

Ryan: Bush bad! The whole family since the 1920’s and 10’s. Bush bad for his great grandfather funneling money to the Nazi party in the early 30’s. Other Bush bad for the Savings and Loan scandal. Another bad Bush for the Gulf War and now this war. And then another Bad Bush for fixing an election in my state. There’s a lot of Bad Bush out there.

Dominicanedge: The only good bush comes in a thong?

Ryan: The only good bush comes in loose pants.

Dominicanedge: Or a beer can.

Ryan: Busch!

Dominicanedge: What’s the deal with Saigon Kick and what’s your involvement with that band?

Ryan: (Laughs) In Florida, a couple of years ago my guitar teacher and I were in a band with the singer and the drummer of Saigon Kick. It was sort of like a glam rock, Bowie type band. David Bowie, especially the Ziggy Stardust era, is probably one of my most favorite things in the world. That was my motivating cause for that. I wore make-up. I wish I had some pictures to show you. I wore make-up and my hair was all nuts.

Dominicanedge: If you could pick 5 records that would define you when you first started getting into music to now. What would they be?

Ryan: Led Zeppelin I, Misfits Walk Among Us, Bad Brains Rock for Light, Rush Moving Pictures, Slayer Season’s In The Abyss.

Dominicanedge: Nice.

Ryan: I think those are my Top 5 records that inspired me to be a musician. Especially, the Bad Brains and The Misfits records.

Dominicanedge: I’m glad the Bad Brains are finally getting props again.

Ryan: I think Bad Brains are the greatest hardcore band ever.

Dominicanedge: I would put them in my Top 5 bands ever.

Ryan: Yeah, they’re definitely in my Top 5 bands ever. I think it’s a bummer that people don’t know. I’m in this band back home called Dancefloor Justice and we cover a Bad Brains song.

Dominicanedge: I think I met a couple of other guys from that band. They’re in Glasseater, right?

Ryan: Yeah, Arial and Julio. That band (Dancefloor Justice) is terrible but that’s the point. The point is to be one of those really bad, East or West Coast, total Youth Crew kind of bands. I think the plan is to release a bunch of demos and release a seven inch and break up. Because that’s what all Youth Crew bands do. (Laughs)

Dominicanedge: But then you have to come back and do reunion show.

Ryan: Yeah and we have to charge $10,000 to do it.

Dominicanedge: Of course, now that’s a plan.

Ryan: Then we’ll be like Youth Of Today and it would awesome. (Laughs)

Dominicanedge: What’s the hardcore scene like in Florida?

Ryan: Definitely different than when I first started going to shows.

Dominicanedge: Was it violent?

Ryan: I wouldn’t say it was violent but kids danced hard as hell there back in the day. There were fights, a lot. Back then there were fights but it almost seemed like there was a reason. Now kids just fight for no reason. I’m going to fight you because you hit me in the pit. Before it would be fighting about shit talking and people disrespecting other people. I almost find that to be more of valid reason to be violent even though I don’t really support violence. It’s a better reason than you spun kick me while we were moshing together. (Laughs)

Dominicanedge: What was the first show you went to and what was the first show that blew you away? Or was it the same one?

Ryan: Same show. I went to a lot of local hardcore show in Florida when I first moved there and it was awesome. I really knew that I liked the mentality and the general air of how things worked. But then I saw Refused and Snapcase, but Refused were on that Songs to Fan the Flames tour and it was the most amazing band I ever saw in my life. They were just the most energetic and up front and pissed off band I had ever seen. I can do without the preaching though. Dennis is kind of full of crap sometimes. I heard this when I was in Sweden. Apparently, at some festival in Sweden he said that nobody should be allowed to sell more than a million records. He said it defeats something or other. I’m like dude, I don’t see how your going to say that no one should sell more than a million records and still feel like your making some sort of political statement. You should only go platinum and that’s it! (Laughter) Then you have to stop pressing records.

Dominicanedge: Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of being in a band where you want to be able to reach the most amount of people possible?

Ryan: I don’t know if it’s that as much as it’s pretty stupid to try and impede communication, which is the point of music, anyway. It’s more that for me than reaching people and gaining numbers as far as records. It’s counter productive to impede communication between people. You should be allowed to sell 5 or 5 billion records. Whichever one happens happens.

Dominicanedge: How would you describe your fans?

Ryan: They’re Awesome. I don’t call them the ‘F' word. I call them kids or friends or dudes or bro’s. Especially in California. Bro’s. I use that word a lot out there. (Laughs) There are some kids that are not down with the progression we’ve made as a band but there are some kids that are really into it and think it’s cool that a band doesn’t do the same thing every time.

Dominicanedge: It’s rare that a kid would approach you and express to you how they really feel about what you’re doing. Are kids coming up to you and letting you know?

Ryan: Mostly with positive comments. But every once in a while you get some guy that walks by your table and tells you you’re a piece of shit and your new record sucks and your band is a bunch of big dumb fags. That only happens in Philadelphia, it seems. (Laughs)

Dominicanedge: Philly’s a tough town.

Ryan: It was funny, it happened to me at Warped Tour. I was just standing at a table and this guy walked up, “I just want you to know that your band sucks, your new record’s crap, it’s a pile of shit, and you guys are all fucking fags.” I was like, “Keep On Truckin Brother.” What the fuck are you supposed to say to that? “I’m sorry dude.”

Dominicanedge: Hey, you wanna fight me now.

Ryan: Dude, you got it out of your system, all right, cool, later.

Dominicanedge: Metal or Hardcore?

Ryan: Hardcore. Well define Hardcore.

Dominicanedge: Early 80’s-even early 90’s.

Ryan: Hardcore, for sure. But I’d take punk rock over Hardcore.

Dominicanedge: What’s your favorite Punk band?

Ryan: That’s a good fucking question. Toss up between the Stooges, cause I consider them a punk rock band and probably the Ramones.

Dominicanedge: What do you think about old bands coming back?

Ryan: Depends on the motivation. I’m down with Iggy being back because it’s definitely not a commerce motivation. Cause if it was he would’ve done it a long time ago. Not down with the Sex Pistols.

Dominicanedge: Do you think they’re back for the wrong reasons?

Ryan: You really can’t fault them because the reason they were around in the first place was to make money. They’ve always been greedy people. They’re just out to piss people off. They’re not here offer to offer any ideas. What other reunion happened that I was like, “This is pathetic?” Not down with the Misfits continuing playing shows. It’s like Jerry, I don’t even know who plays drums, and Dez and they play Misfits, Black Flag and other songs.

Dominicanedge: What was good was Henry Rollins did the Black Flag covers here.

Ryan: I’m down with that. Jeff (PTW vocalist) did a song on that West Memphis comp. I was pretty psyched we got to meet Henry. We walked in and he was like, “Hey what’s up, I’m Henry.” And I’m, “Like I don’t know who you are.” You’re only Henry Rollins. Who’s that? (Laughs)

Dominicanedge: Did Black Flag play a big part in your growing up?

Ryan: For me, yeah, totally. But mostly the Damaged record. Even though now I’ve grown to like some of the other records better. But the Damaged record was the one I got first and I was like this is amazing. Another band that lately has been a big part of my life is that band the Nation of Ulysses. That band is fucking awesome. It’s funny how Refused rips off Nation of Ulysses layout and image wise completely and now I.N.C. (International Noise Conspiracy) rips off the make-up.

Dominicanedge: Do you get a little star struck now that you’re getting to meet some of the people you grew up listening to?

Ryan: I wouldn’t say I was star struck because that takes like I worship these people but it’s like meeting somebody that you have an immense amount of respect for. You’re not star struck. You’re just excited. Because I’ve met people that I’ve been excited to meet and they were assholes and afterwards I was like, “I should’ve pictured that already. I should’ve known.”

Dominicanedge: So, what’s next for Poison The Well?

Ryan: We’re going to do some shows with AFI. Then we’re going to do that that Every Time I Die tour. Then we’re going to do another tour in January. We’re going to go to the U.K. for a couple shows. I think we’re playing Big Day Out, which is cool because I’ve never been to Australia. And then I think we’re going to go to Japan.

Dominicanedge: Sweet. Thanks for time.

Ryan: Awesome dude.

Poison the Well official site

photos courtesy of Justin Borucki and Lou-Tang