Interview with Adam Savage from Mongrel

Boston's Hardest Working Band

by Chris Lowry

Formed with the belief that "punk" meant freedom and not just a "spirit of '77 sound" or a certain fashion requirement, Mongrel was born in September 2003 with that freedom in mind that allows the blending of the intensity and energy of old school punk, with the memorable hooks and riffs of hard rock and the early 90's Seattle scene, and that extra biting edge of metal.

Can you give us a brief introduction to the band members and how you formed the band?

Mongrel started about 5 years ago and has evolved in its line-up over time but the core of the line-up: Adam Savage (guitar), Drew Barker (vocals) and Rev (bass) have been together about 3 years now. Our drummer Ed has been with us about a year now and our 2nd guitarist Andrew X has been with us since the fall of 2007.

You guys have been involved in a lot of charity events. What inspires you to play these events? Is there an event that sticks out most?

If you listen to or read the lyrics for our songs you can see that we are big into social and political commentary and promoting change. As such, it is only appropriate that we put our time, energy, and efforts into doing something to help various causes such as the West Memphis 3 legal defense fund, RAINN, Toys for Tots, cancer research and other medical research causes, helping families who have had tragedies and need assistance, etc. We always have fun and feel good about what we’re doing in these instances, but getting a letter from Lori Davis (wife of Damien Echols, the accused “ring leader” of the West Memphis 3) or thank you’s from the families we’ve helped with some of these shows does mean a lot to us. We actually are doing a series of 3 benefit shows coming up (May 30th, May 31st, and June 1st) to raise awareness of the 15 year anniversary of the imprisonment of the West Memphis 3 and to raise money to help in their upcoming appeals hearings to hopefully finally let justice be done. Check out www.wm3.org for more information about the case.

What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment so far?

I think our biggest accomplishment so far is getting our album “Fear, Lies, & Propaganda” re-released by Screaming Ferret Wreckords / Locomotive Records so that it’s now available world wide via major online retailers (amazon, bestbuy, target, circuit city, fye, etc) and select stores. It’s really a validation of all the hard work we’ve put into Mongrel. Other ones high on the list would have to be playing CBGB’s, playing the mainstage of the Worcester Palladium 3x’s, opening for GWAR and the Misfits (4x’s), and getting called the “hardest working band in Boston” in Metal Edge magazine. Those would be the objective kinds of accomplishments, but on a less tangible level, we’re really proud of the personal relationships that we’ve made with our “fans” (though we’re not big on that term – its more of a friends and family kind of thing with us) and how amazingly dedicated and supportive they are. We are very appreciative of that!

Who personally inspires you the most?

I’d have to say artists like Henry Rollins, Eddie Vedder, Ian MacKaye who’s music, philosophies, and work ethic are great examples to the rest of us. I’d also have to say that our “fans” inspire us, and give us the energy and motivation and belief that it is always worth it, even when things do get frustrating or tiring, or hard. I think our respective day jobs and our government inspire us as well in the sense that they frustrate us enough to write music and to NEED to do something else in life that is meaningful to us.

Now I know that your music appeals to all audiences but you have somewhat of a younger fan base. Do you have any advice that you would like to share with them?

Don’t play or write music because you think that playing a particular style will get you success, fight for what you believe in, if you are willing to work for something and are determined and persistent you can accomplish a lot, don’t be afraid to be proud of who you are as an individual, and don’t be a bystander, if you see something that is wrong, that you want to see change – take an active role, educate yourself, educate others, and do something to make a difference whether its in one person’s life or in many people’s.

What do you like best about the band’s sound and music (band’s strength), and what things are you still working on to improve or what things aren’t fully conveyed yet in your songs?

I think our incorporation of different genres and emphasis on writing memorable high energy songs that make for a strong live performance and a cd that people who are into various styles of music can enjoy. As for what’s yet to come, I think we’re still learning and evolving in bringing in our different influences even more into the music. I think our current “fans” will be very pleased with the songs we have in store for our 2nd full length album and I think it will continue to draw more new people to the family as well.

Talk some about playing live. What is the best part about it? What’s the most difficult?

Playing live is the best thing. Period! Just having that connection with each other on stage as well as trading that energy with the people there to see you can be the most amazing experience and it’s essentially what playing in the band is all about. The difficult part of playing live is sometimes when other factors get in the way – when shows are poorly promoted or disorganized, or sometimes a bad attitude from another performer can be a drag. These days the price of gas certainly makes it tougher on everyone to cover the costs of getting to and from the shows (both for us in the band and our fans as well unfortunately).

Thank you very much for taking time to answer these questions! Is there anything else that you would like to share with us before we say goodbye?

Thanks for your support and for asking us to do this interview. C4C has done a lot of good work over the years and its nice to see it growing and continuing in that track record. As for us, please check us out online at www.MongrelBand.com. or www.myspace.com/Mongrel . where you can get our current show listings, hear some songs, and sign up for our mailing list and friends list. If you’re interested in buying our cd “Fear, Lies, & Propaganda” it is available on amazon.com, bestbuy.com, target.com, fye.com, circuitcity.com, newbury,com, etc and you can also ask your local record store to order it for you if they don’t have it in stock.