Smut Peddlers

Thrasher Magazine, Nov, 2004

THE SMUT PEDDLERS HAVE DEFIED all odds and shattered the punk rock stereotypes--that being either they break up after their first album, or the first album ends up being mediocre and the rest end up being total shit. But the Smut Peddlers are like fine wine. They get better and better over the years, and always have fresh material on the way. I sat down with them at practice to see how being a Smut Peddler has impacted them in their daily routines and in their lives.--Kevin Hermes

How's life changed since the start of the Smut Peddlers, and what do you think you'd be doing if it weren't for the band?

Gish: I'd probably be dead from an overdose. It keeps me from getting bored so I don't have to go back to shooting dope.

Julia: I don't know where I'd be I think I'd be some totally different person.

Gish: Probably a yuppie ho. Or soccer mom.

Julia: Could be. But either way, I can't even imagine. I'm thankful that I have this.

John: I'm 11 or 12 years older, God only knows.

Sean: For me it'd be nothing worthwhile. I'd be bored to death without the band.

Prospect: I'd be bored and drunk..

Like all good lasting relationships, how do you as a band keep things interesting and new?

Julia: Listen to John.

Gish: John can always add some twist.

Julia: John's the Italian pepper of this stew.

Gish: We keep busy. Writing songs, and playing a lot. That's more than enough to keep a band pretty busy.

What's been the biggest change in the band since the start 10 years ago?

Julia: It's 11 years ago, and our sound has changed since we now know how to play.

Gish: We've actually learned to play.

John: More politically correct lyrics.

Progressively more politically correct to conform to society's demands, and better musical proficiency.

Which one of you is most likely to become a serial killer?

Gish: Prospect. After Prospect gets thrown out of the FBI I'm sure he'll become a serial killer. We're pretty sure that Prospect is a member of the FBI and has been sent here to infiltrate the Smut Peddlers.

Has anyone's perception of punk changed since forming the band and getting such a strong following?

Gish: You learn that there are so many fucking cutthroat shitbags out there that need every fucking little penny. Like, arena rock should stay arena rock, but let punk rock stay punk rock.

Julia: A lot of people don't care about learning how to play or writing good songs. They just want to go straight to MTV2.

Gish: If you're gonna be in a band and make money off it, don't use the little bands that are still trying to play punk just to pay your fucking bills.

John: I believe more and more every day that the music industry sucks, and most of these interviews get twisted before they get printed. They get edited into propaganda. Most music magazines are just political propaganda, and the people that write and do interviews are a sorry lot with axes to grind. And it's fucked.

How do you generally feel about the state that punk rock is in, and how does it differ from the scenes in which you all grew up in?

Gish: It's there if you want it to be. There are lots of bands calling themselves punk, 'cause that's where the dollar is. Some bands call themselves punk since they're wearing Converse shoes and have tattoos. I still think we're playing what I consider punk shows.

Julia: I can't really compare it to the old scene. They didn't care if you got hurt back then, but if someone gets hurt now then you lose your club. It's a no-win situation. You can either have people go crazy and eventually get sued and lose your club or you keep everyone standing still and not moving--so you can keep your club but no one's happy.

John: They used to have a lot of shows at a big hall they'd rent, then it'd go to hell and they'd just find a new place for shows. Those were fun. I don't really think they have those around that I know of, compared to all of the shit on the Warped Tour.

Any interesting live stories?

Julia: John decided to set up merch in the middle of our last song at our last show. That was a smooth move. Then there was that girl that kept doing headstands on the speakers at Art's Bar.

Gish: There was this thing going on for maybe three or four shows where these guys would tough it out in the pit and very slowly these guys would be taking their clothes off, and by the end the toughest guy would be slam dancing alone, naked.

Prospect: I liked the two girls at DiPiazzas who kept humping each other. It started off as a wrestling match but turned into heavy dry humping.

Julia: Sean threw a mic stand at the Couch House and hit some girl in the face She whipped over a table, and got taken out. I remember in Arizona when John brought out some baking soda. He loaded up his whole mouth and started singing, and the whole room became one big cloud of baking soda.