At the time of my introduction to the new album, the songs hadn’t even been set into any type of running sequence, yet there was nothing remotely resembling a weak link in the bunch. That kind of intensity smacks like an open hand to the back of the neck throughout Transistor ‘s nearly two dozen depth charges. We aren’t going to be media manipulators, or fashion kings, or this week’s bunch of bad boys. We do have ‘album’ fans, but first and foremost, the most important thing to us has always been playing live. We deliver the song with more force, and there is a lot heavier of a groove and power that you really can’t appreciate until you see us play in front of a live audience. Our sound is pretty different when we play in a live forum. We felt we could get more out of each song, as well as go off further on certain tangents. But that also made us relax a little more, as well as have more fun, overall. “We just tried to think of it in artistic terms.

“It’s a lot rawer,” Nick says of Transistor ‘s overall vibe, as a cool summertime breeze and sirens from the city below float in through the window. The simplicity of the project shines through, and the 21 tracks on the album paint a clear picture of what’s going on with the band. The band’s long-time fans needn’t worry about the spectre of a possible 311 sell-out–the new material is the same intense, streamlined rock-meets-reggae cocktail that has always been the signature of their sound. This song would still exist if no money was made “I am a music lover and somehow I get paid I think the rap to ‘Starshines’ states it the best: Everyone has to have a job, yet the job that we have is something that we would, for the most part, be doing for fun anyway. If it ever gets stressful, we remember that there are others out there who are less fortunate than us. In between final trip preparations and some last-minute phone calls (as well as a few quick games of billiards), Nick is ready to talk to me (and my tape recorder). Hexum is quite game to give me a little insight into the new album. Relaxing in an antique dining room chair, with an illuminated Dodger stadium just over his shoulder, Mr. Nicholas Hexum is basically an open and friendly guy who, in my opinion, defines what growing up in America’s heartland is all about. Unfazed by the rush of the moment, Nick Hexum invited me to his new home, nestled high atop the Hollywood Hills, to catch up on the last few months, as well as to treat me to an exclusive preview of some highly tasty tracks from the new record. The boys of 311 are riding high on the success of their multi-Platinum third album, which has spawned three Top 20 tracks, including the #1 alternative juggernaut “Down.” They’ve recorded four albums since signing to Capricorn, and at the time of our talk the new album, Transistor had yet to be released, but the guys were already packing their bags in preparation for a whirlwind tour of Europe. So, in the long run, I don’t think it makes much difference either way.”Ĭut to the present, 1997. At the time, bandleader Nicholas Hexum says, “We’re going to do what we want to do, and we’re always going to be the people we’ve always been. 311 trades in nearly two years of hard work and sweat to go with “the man.” Goin’ corporate, if you will. Through three self-produced indie albums and an exhaustive touring schedule that has helped them cultivate one of the most intense (and biggest) “grassroots” fan bases around, the band has managed to maintain their straight-up, melodic hard-core style.įlash to 1991. Sex Pistols, The Clash, Ramones and the Buzzcocks), 311 formed in the heart of middle America–Omaha, Nebraska. Virtually Alternative magazine – August 1997īack almost eight years ago, inspired by some of the greatest groups of the early punk-rock movement, (i.e.

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