The internet can be a good thing. I had heard of Drug Honkey before I had the honour of interviewing the band but it was really when I had reviewed a couple of albums from Kunal Choksi of the majestic Transcending Obscurity label that I took a chance with Cloak of Skies. Worshipping the old days of bands like Winter, early Godflesh and Pitchshifter and merging it with the death / doom scene of bands like Autopsy, Drug Honkey have created a wee niche for themselves and I loved it. They may not be to everyone’s taste (which bands are?) but I like Drug Honkey and I am looking forward to seeing what they come up with next and I hope I have opened your eyes to them too. I took a punt and ed the band as I had wanted to interview them for a while and when I finally reached out, Paul was all too happy to answer my questions. I wish you and Drug Honkey the best of luck Paul and I look forward to the next EP.
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
First off, thanks for your interest in us and taking the time to put the interview together!
We are from Chicago, Illinois in the USA
How long have you been playing together as a band?
The first incarnation formed in 1999. At that time it was a studio project. In 2003, we became a band that performed live.
Drug Honkey released their fifth album almost two years ago through Kunal and Transcending Obscurity. It had been five years since Ghost in the Fire, how did it feel to put all your blood sweat and tears and get Cloud of Skies out there?
It felt great, as yes, we worked long and hard to put out the best product we could. The album was well received, & we were definitely very happy with it.
You had previously released your first three albums independently. How did you end up with Kunal with both Diabolical Conquest first and again with him at Transcending Obscurity?
Kunal initially got ahold of us in 2010, I believe, about distributing our 2008 album Death Dub. We then made a deal for him to release Ghost in the Fire (which we were working on at the time) in 2012 on Diabolical Conquest Records, which was the label name at the time and then a few years later we started working on Cloak of Skies for release on Transcending Obscurity in 2017.
Before the internet, magazines and fanzines were the places to find out about new bands and trends. Now publications are replaced with thousands of websites catering for all genres. Do you think that some of the ion has been lost or do you think that the internet has been a good thing for music and Drug Honkey?
Much of the ion has indeed been lost in a general sense. No question about that. Way too many options out there that flood the market. On the other hand, the internet has given much attention to many things that could not have been given to in the past. So, it is good and bad. A necessary evil in today’s technological world, I guess.
With Drug Honkey being formed around 1999, do you feel that there is so much more you want to do with the band or do you feel that you have achieved everything you want with releasing albums, being signed to a record label and touring with Drug Honkey?
Musically speaking there is always room to expand, experiment, & move forward. So, we’re definitely not finished. We’ve never been a touring band. We all have full-time jobs, and just play shows here and there as we see fit.
What are the lyrical themes of the songs of Drug Honkey? Is there a main lyricist in the band?
It varies. But mostly abstract themes based in and around life. Plenty of suffering, anti-religious material, drug abuse, self-awareness (or lack-there-of), etc. There are no real guidelines for this, but more often than not, it goes to a pretty dark place, as life tends to call for that. I am the lyricist.
How often is the band able to get together and rehearse in the studio? Where do you get together and record?
For many, many years we practised every Wednesday evening. Recently, we have been practising only when getting ready for a show, or to work on songs we have been creating independently. The main practice spot was at Everflow Studio aka The Honkey Hole, which is my house / studio. We recorded everything there up through and including part of Ghost in the Fire and then sections of GITF and all of Cloak of Skies were recorded at SOS Studio. It is still undecided where the EP will be recorded, as The Honkey Hole and SOS are both out of commission at this point.
How are the songs constructed in the studio? Are there the main songwriters of songs that take care of everything or is Drug Honkey a band where all contribute to the songs?
At times we are an improv band, and in this setting, everyone is writing on the spot. So it is definitely a group effort there. Other times we write in a structured manner. In this scenario, Hobbs & myself do most of the writing. It is always interesting to see which songs fans think are improv and which are written.
I love the death metal element mixed with Godflesh and Pitchshifter. Recently you have become a four-piece band and having different musical influences within the band, is there sometimes a lot of negotiating in the studio or do you feel you are writing the music you want to for the band?
Actually, we have been a 4 piece since 2003. As for the writing, there is some negotiating, but overall the direction is pretty well known. There is a lot of room to experiment within that, but the atmosphere has to be right, or it’s a no-go.
How hard has it been to juggle the touring side of things with the everyday jobs? Do you have plans to go on bigger tours and further afield in 2019?
As I mentioned earlier on, we’re not a touring band. We’ve played in Denmark, as well as different spots in the USA, but never in a full-on touring manner. One-off shows, and a couple of mini-tours is what we’ve kept it to over the years. As most of us had / have day jobs, touring was something we never really were that interested in. As for the future, anything is game. We’d love to play some more fests, and are always open to new possibilities if it sounds right.
So what are the plans for the year ahead in 2019?
We are working towards an EP release once again with Transcending Obscurity. It should see the light of day in early 2020 hopefully. That is the main focus at the moment, although there are a couple of show offers we are entertaining for a bit later in the year as well.
How hard is it for a metal band like Drug Honkey to survive in the current climate where bands have to tour non stop and sell merchandise in order to bring money back into the band?
Surviving isn’t really a consideration because honestly, we just do what we do regardless of “climate”. There isn’t much money in making music like ours. We don’t really fit into a niche or clique, so we’re pretty much always on the outskirts of what’s happening. We’re ok with that. It’s just the way it is.
Being from Chicago, are there any other bands from your local scene that you would recommend?
Well, to be honest, there’s really no one recommending us as far as we’ve seen, so nah, not really (laughs).
A fun question to end this interview. If you were a DJ and were allowed to bring 5 CDs to the party, what would they be?
Oh damn, let’s see. At the moment I’ll go with:
Godflesh – Streetcleaner
Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works Vol. 2
Winter – Into Darkness
Skin Chamber – Wound
Autopsy – Mental Funeral
Any last message for our readers here at Moshville Times?
Don’t do bad acid!
Drug Honkey: facebook | bandcamp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRCUhtSo2Vw&t=10s
