The Deathless interview with Joe Clements as interviewed by Roxan McDonald.
The Deathless interview with Joe Clements as interviewed by Roxan McDonald.
The
Deathless interview.
The Deathless interview was conducted by Roxan McDonald with Joe Clements (both are from the incredible Spiritual A.F. Podcast) who is the singer, musician and punk rock dude behind this spiritually epic band. I had sent Joe the questions and he and Roxan kindly went through the questions live and they recorded this tremendous interview. (This may or may not appear on their fantastic podcast at a later date, regardless check their great podcast; links at end of this interview). The interview is inspiring and entertaining because apart from both of them being funny as fuck, Roxan gets great detail from Joe as they are also great friends who can take the piss out of each other whilst going deep on the finer points of music, life and reflection. It’s a ripper of an interview and I thank both Joe and Roxan for making this such a striking event!!. It covers how the band began, the goals of this project, the importance of community and also its failings, is punk having scabies and many more gems of wisdom and low brow comedy. Enjoy!.
Enjoy the joys of The Deathless:
Roxan:
Okay, let's
get these questions going. Mark from the zine starts with:
Congratulations on your band/projects second release Audio Sangha Vol.1, it 100% builds on of the solid intro/foundation we got when your initial 7 ïnch ep that dropped a while back.
It’s a pretty flawless release, you must be stoked to release it and be proud of it? That's the first question. So okay, Joe, you are releasing an EP, and it's from your band called The Deathless? Is it a band or a project? What's the difference?
Joe:
The Deathless is a Buddhist inspired punk band, with spiritual content. Spiritual punk band. I don't want to call it a Buddhist punk band. It's like spiritual.
Well, it's
not necessarily a band because the band is me and I get people
just to come in and play some songs. We don't really play out. We were a band
for a little bit. But it started out as a project, just me writing the songs
and recording them. And then some friends got together and started playing them
with me and we went and played them live and it's recording. And now the band's
not around and I'm still recording and writing music. So it's a project and it’s
EP that I’m super proud of it.
Roxan:
Oh, what's
an EP?
Joe:
An EP is
the technical thing is extended play. So it went from a single to an EP, an EP
is like six songs, around 15-20 minutes maybe of music. This one's more like 10
to 15 because they're really short and fast songs. So yeah, it's about six songs.
And I'm super proud of it.
Roxan:
Why are you
proud of it?
Joe:
I'm proud
of it for like, a bunch of reasons. One, I feel like it's merging two parts of
me that I used to keep separate, like, my spiritual guy, or this punk guy, like
I didn't know, I needed to be one way or the other. And that's just kind
of like how I had been. And what I'm proud of is bringing my voice into it with
spiritual teachings, some Buddhist teachings, but just like life experience, through my practice of meditation, through these insights,
and just this personal development kind of piece. And so the content and I'm
really proud of it because I'm really close to it, not just making up some shit.
It's like, actually some personal experiences, and my understanding of
different teachings. And I wrote the songs myself like I actually wrote the
music, I've never done that in any bands that I've been in was, it was always others that wrote the music, and then I just find a melody over it. Because I was a
singer, you know Fury 66 (Joe’s previous and freaking awesome band!!). And most
of the bands that I was a part of, there's a couple that I started writing
music in. But that was always collab kind of shit. And I just wrote this shit. So
it's really cool. And another thing I'm proud of is that it shows I
didn't just stick with just straight up fast hardcore punk. I like all kinds of
music. I like hardcore punk and post-punk.
Roxan:
Super
eclectic joe……
Joe:
I am way eclectic. But some of the songs I didn't just stick to one formula. I went to like some slower, heavier stuff as well- I love these songs. But like, would I put that on if it like it was Fury 66, no, you got to be one sound. I'm like, well it doesn't have to be one sound it can many. I even have some kind of ska/reggae kind of influenced kind of stuff on this new batch of stuff and I did a little bit of that on this last EP, too. So yeah, I'm proud of the content. I'm proud of the songs, the message, and even the distribution like it's on my own record label; Lorelai Records. And, you know, it's a record label that a friend of mine, Ross and I, and my wife Michaela, started a long time ago, and it really hasn't been doing anything. And I just, like, oh, I have this distributor and I just put in all the, you know, all that shit together. It's been cool marketing. It was cool.
Roxan:
Do you have
anything to say about how the project started from the initial idea to playing
live and then now dropping this EP?
Joe:
Well, see,
I never even, well I didn't even expect it to be a band that would play anything. I
just wanted to write some songs. I just wanted to record them. And I just wrote a handful of songs. And I showed them to some friends and
like, oh, we want to play some music like this. And then they got together. And
I showed him some more. And then we recorded and then we started playing. Like, I took
music super serious for a long time. And it took the fun out of it. And I'm
like, I'm not gonna fucking do that. I'm just gonna write songs and if we have shows,
cool. I just want to just have fun playing music. So the band just stopped
playing. And I just kept writing and there wasn't like it was planned, it was just kind
of a natural progression. And I'm like, Fuck, I want to put these songs out,
you know, so. And I don't have a desire so much to play live, especially now in
COVID. But I like playing live. But uh, I don't know. I just like playing music and
just want to get this out. This kind of expressed myself this way.
Roxan:
I hope you
play live again. You're so good on stage, Joe.
Joe:
Thank you.
Yeah. I always feel weird about playing live though. Because especially now.
It's like, I either feel like, my band is opening up for some band that
everybody's there just to see or I'm like, trying to get all my friends to come
to the show and stuff and they're like, alright, we'll go to your fucking
show like it feels like more work and more like an obligation than anything. Yeah,
maybe that's just me.
Roxan:
Maybe once
COVID is over, we could do something where it's like, meditation at a gig like
everyone meditates. And then….
Joe:
I have
wanted to do that, I tried to do that but it doesn't totally go over, even though I've tried
to do that a little bit. Alright, everybody feels like it just doesn't really
work. And then just bam. Alright, now check-in. Where do you feel that energy? Wow!.
I did light incense on stage though, so everybody who got bummed on that? Yeah,
not really I just like a little bit, like a bunch of incense because that's what
the Hari Krishna bands used to do that all the time and these hardcore bands
that I used to like just lit incense and it's not so killer. I love their shows.
I'm like, I'm burning incense. Well, a bit of Nag Champa to get all fucking hippy
and spiritual with it.
Roxan:
How when
you did play live, how well was the band received, Mark said that he saw
footage of a gig via Youtube and that looked immense. And you have also
supported some legendary acts. Do you want to talk about that? Were you opening for Shelter?
Yeah, we opened for Shelter. That was a milestone for me. Because that was was THE band. For me. It was like, that was the band that actually really like I'm like, oh, spirituality can be kind of cool. You know, talking about you know, it's Krishna consciousness. But it was like, the message was really cool. And I got into like, the Krishna consciousness message yeah, for a minute. chanted the holy name it was awesome. But that always stuck with me it was a transformative piece and that actually turned me towards like Eastern philosophy and really about something inside you know, even though they're you know they were worshipping Krishna and you know, deities and stuff but I don't know I really liked Eastern philosophy a lot the different kind of things so anyway our shows were met well I think it's such a fuckin weird time it's some of them were like small you know and I don't know, I never gauged it really. I just played, but yes the band got to open for some really cool bands. I think I think we might have open for a Sick of It All. I think Mark mentioned that. I'm not sure but Good Riddance and Shelter. So we had some really cool opportunities, but I really liked playing in a small coffee shop just really loud and fast kind of stuff. Those were my favourite shows that we had a few really fun shows like that.
Roxan:
When was
that?
Joe:
I would say
2015 maybe?
Roxan:
Okay, so
the next question is The Deathless is clearly not a sideshow or an industry-created act with Buddhist trimmings for entertainment. We have all worshipped
at the audio gems of Shelter, 108 and even Cro Mags with varying levels of
spiritually inspired hardcore. Tell me how this band fits into this timeline. How
does The Deathless fit into the timeline of spiritually inspired hardcore?
I think Mark's saying it's not a sideshow or industry created. So is it punk? I
mean, do you understand the question?
Joe:
What
timeline, the timeline from the 90s spirit?
Roxan:
I mean, 108,
Shelter, Cro Mags, then The Deathless….lol.
Joe:
What I
would, I would say that, if anything, more like the Cro Mags like with The Deathless,
the message isn't straight up Buddhism. It's like Buddhist inspired. It's my
own experience through the practice of meditation and mindfulness and some of
the Buddhist practices, but I'm not preaching Buddhism, well Shelter didn't but
even their whole style was like yeah, we are Krishna consciousness. As a hardcore
band, 108 was definitely they were like, militant. This is what our message
is, but they did have songs of just you know, life through the lens of their
spiritual practice. So I think where we fit in, The Deathless fits in a little bit
more, is kind of not so militant and hardline in that so I would say like a
little bit more like the Cro Mags, they never even really militant, it was just John Joseph and also Harley who was also into Hari Krishna, but John Joseph really
was and his message was through the lens of his spiritual practice, but it
was never like we are a Hari Krishna band, we're Krishna consciousness man,
where 108 and Shelter and some other bands were. Prema was another band like that.
Yeah, so I don't know where we fit in, I think on the spectrum of it.
Roxan:
Mark said he's
noticing the similarity with your lyrics like these aforementioned bands are
not preaching dogma, but more like rational philosophy and life advice like
many straightedge bands did this as well. And that you don’t need to convert to
hardcore/militant stances reflected in the songs, but the words made you think
and reflect. Mark also says that theme-wise, there is obviously Buddhist
content, but also that also content about sobriety and relationship insight,
how much of the project is Joe and how much is a combination of other subjects?
Joe:
I would
think it's it's all on me. All my experience, my experience with different
subjects sobriety, the new EP has a song about grieving. My wife's dad passed
away and it was really difficult, it was sudden and the song was inspired
watching her grieve and how I can support that. Yeah, and in that there's
another song that is about my sobriety, being sober and being pissed off and
like not knowing what the fuck else to do and then turning to meditation and
finding this new path, and it's all through my experience. I think every song is through my experience.
Roxan:
And it seems
like more like your experience in the lyrics/project. but it's not storytelling
though. It's like the subject matter, isn't it?
It's not storytelling,
it's definitely more it's more subject matter. Yeah.
Roxan:
So you're
taking like grieving and then through the lens of Joe looking at this, it's not
narrative. You're not telling a story. You're more like, this is these are your
reflections on grieving? Or this is your reflection on sobriety, or, I mean,
there's the one that I just listened to about, like, show up and like be
present. No, no, I can't remember what its name was.
Joe:
It was that
one song. Yes. That one, but yeah, that's my lens, like seeing my wife and what
it looked like. And then and then how I felt holding her grieving and just
seeing that and then, you know, how just kind of words of support towards her,
that I'll be here kind of thing. As a support, you know, and allowing her to
grieve, however, she needs to, that kind of thing. So it is, you know, there's
no real storytelling. It's, all my lyrics have been, like, fucking right off
the cuff and right up my sleeve. You know, it's like, I wear my emotions on my
sleeve. You know, that's kind of how my songs have been, sometimes to a fault.
Especially in the beginning. Back when I first started writing
lyrics in the band, it was very matter of fact, and almost like yeah, hey you,
hate me. I'm walking down the street. Look at me, etc and if I go back to
some of those lyrics years ago, oh man!.
Roxan:
(shit-stirring
Joes’s youthful lyrics)
I hate
hippies…etc etc.
Joe:
Too funny
Yeah, totally. Preaching hippies, blah blah blah!.
Roxan:
Next question: why are lyrics and song content really important? I would think for people I just want to clarify I think Mark might be writing for the punk community. But I think one thing that people outside of this music genre, like, besides fans, is that they don't even think that, like, they just, they don't hear words, they just hear screaming. But then when you're like a fan, you actually, there's something that you can hear, there are words and their lyrics are important, even if you have to go read the liner notes to get them and screamed at you. But in regard to the lyrics and song content; And why are they important?
Joe:
They're important to me because every band has kind of been therapeutic to me, these words are, seeing and transforming and like seeing the whole path of this, whatever I'm going through. And, so for me, I think it’s a therapeutic thing. Me being a listener, you know, especially aggressive music, you hear something you like in a chorus or something, and you're fucking singing to it. And everybody saw it, too, you want to know more about what that song is about. So even with my songwriting and these with The Deathless, I made a point. I didn't want to do a bunch of sing-along kind of stuff. But I wanted to do a formula you do, you do a fast part, a singalong part and a breakdown. And that's it because those are my favourite parts of a song, like really fast. And then the singalong part, and then it breaks down all heavy, the breakdown being like, it slows down, you kind of, you know, bounce or whatever. And those are my three things. So in the chorus, and in the breakdowns, you really hear this, the main message of the song. And then you can go into listening to the lyrics closely and really hear a message in there. That's, that's what from the listeners kind of view or me being the listener. It would always be like, oh that fucking line is so cool. But I'd go in as a listener and you hear the whole message.
So then
along those lines, Mark asks like what songs and lyrics, like you gave you
inspiration and, or that songs that still gives you shivers down your spine. What
gives you shivers Joe?.
Joe:
I would
say, you know, the ones that I go back to all the time, like, his Shelter’s Mantra, like that record for me, it was like, brilliant. Like a time when I
was actually like, sober but just on this path of spirituality too. And it was
just like, so magical. It felt pretty absolute to me. So there's songs like
even the song mantra is really fucking cool. Letter to a Friend is really cool
on that record. You know, but then it goes back to bands like Bad Religion. That
whole record Against the Grain is just fucking super magical for me that
record. There's this like, I can't remember what name it is. I'm gonna look it
up just because I want to. But it's like always just like, fucking gets me
every time it's on Against the Grain. Yes, Anesthesia is the track. I love it. And fucking Bad
Brains. I against I. It’s a magical song for me. Always gives me those chills and
joy. Like new bands like now like there's this band called Senses Fail. They
wrote a whole record where the lead singer, got into sobriety and he actually
started practising Buddhism and mindfulness and there's a whole record that is
kind of his whole process was with finding sobriety and the Buddhist path and
some of those songs on it are like so amazing!. Take Refuge is a fucking amazing
song.
Roxan:
Okay, the next
question is, the COVID madness settles. What are your plans for this band in the
future and is there a full-length album planned or any split releases?
Joe:
The plans
are just to keep writing music. I'm got no plans to really do much and just
keep putting out music. What I have planned with this, is Audio Sangha, this
is volume one I want to do four of these. So each one will have like, up
to six songs. And by the fourth one, I want to do put it all into a full length
LP and put it out on vinyl. So it actually will be vinyl and have liner notes. And
it may be a book. It can be kind of cool to write at least a booklet, you know, my perspective on the band and spiritual punk or music,
spirituality, Buddhism, it might be good to have like, yeah, like kind of what
we're talking about maybe doing a little book with it or something.
And then
any live shows?
Joe:
Nothing
planned. Yeah, I mean, if that happens. Cool. But if I can, like put it this way,
if someone huge asked us, like, hey, can you come on tour with us? I’d put a
band together. I have people that would love to do it. We do it. But I'm not.
I'm not. I'm not trying to just go out there. I'm fucking 50 years old Roxan. I
can’t just go hustle out there for some live shows.
Roxan;
So you don’t
want to a stinky arse Van with a bunch of dude-bros?.
Joe:
Been there, done that!. I wouldn't change that experience for anything back when I did it
in the 90s. But it's not where I'm at today? No.
Roxan:
Okay, so the next question: times and values can change or be diluted. But obviously, you still have a deep love and enthusiasm when it comes to your love for making music. And Mark from the zine is asking why is punk and hardcore still a relevant community? And why is independent and underground music so integral to all of us misfits and society rejects? So I think he's saying do you believe that punk and hardcore is still a relevant community? Or was it ever a relevant community?
I think it gave a voice for people and you
know, it changed in the 90s. In the beginning, I think it was like, people that
were, against all of the American norm, you know, and kind of this
subculture kind of thing. And during the 90s, it kind of got popular, you know,
and it became pretty normal. And I feel like it's going back into like a
subculture kind of thing. And I do think it's important, but I do think it's
important. How do I say this? I think it's important for me. Because there's
such a shadow side of like that, even in punk where we're at anti-establishment
and all this, this stuff. And it's like, you know, where it's almost, and I was
thinking about this today, it's almost like a spiritual feeling, like, we're
all one here. We're all the same kind of thing. And ultimately, yes, we're all
you know, the spiritual thing is, we're all stardust. And it's like, ultimately, we are. But we need to see the fucking construct, we need to see
the relative reality that we live in. And how can we really bring that into
radical inclusion, rather than just hiding behind this punk kind of ethic that
is mostly white and male, you know? So it's like, yeah, anti-establishment,
radical inclusion. But are we just saying those things, you know, how we still
need to look at the relative, even the relative reality of that we're in, we're
a part of a system no matter what if we're, like, smash the system or not, you
know, it's like, how are we? How are we doing that? You know, by not just by
saying it on stage. How are we actually doing it in our actions? You know, you
know, yeah, I don't know. That was kind of a long-winded answer. But I've been
thinking about that a lot. And I think it's a place where we can hide in
this punk culture. And because we are, yeah, we're anti-establishment. I think
it's against the norm. And yeah, we're all fucking one. We're on the dance
floor. We're all one kind of thing. But that's my perspective. You know, I can
say that. But is that everybody's experience? I don't think so, in that when we're
saying that I think it dismisses other people's experience. That’s kind of rant
a little bit, but I was thinking about that today.
Roxan:
We were talking in another episode of this podcast about
giving men a safe place to have emotions. And my reflection on punk is that it
actually gives men a safe place to have emotions. It's just that it's wrapped
up in an acceptable emotion of aggression. But then if you look deeper,
especially within the lyrics and stuff, it's all like, My heart hurts, you
know, I feel powerless by the system. I
want belonging and I don't have it. What i think I mean is, if you think about how
much is expressed within punk, you know, I mean, you love The Descendants song Clean Sheets, like the guys are like I feel betrayed. Like, you could, you could
boil this down. And so I think it's, I love that you're talking about like
actually bringing in and the idea of identifying that it hasn't been completely
inclusive. But then also, is it retaining this ability? Do you believe that
it's like, giving masculinity a place to express emotions? And did you do that
on this album?
Yeah, I do.
For sure. It's a safe way to be expressive. And I think in the music and the
message that can be that way. And I'm kind of alluding to is the actual
community of, you know, people that go to punk shows, I mean, there is women
that, you know, are a part of it, but it's almost like, they got to fight to be
a part of it. You know, it's like, I don't know, it's just it feels like it's
such a boys thing, you know, and that's always been, you know, well not always
been, but yeah, it has always been kind of like, you know, I wanted to do a
compilation one time. Like, the band 7 Seconds wrote a song called, It's Not Just Boys Fun.
I love that record. I love that record, actually. But I wanted to do a comp
that showcased women in the punk scene, like, but that's such a token thing to
do, you know? And it's like, why isn't it just a norm kind of thing? You know,
I get excited and intrigued when I see women playing fast punk music. My
wife was in a punk band called Here Kitty Kitty. And I'm like, God, this is so
rad. So good. But just as far as, as far as participating to at a show, you
know, and I don't know, they say God, it can get a little problematic. Get a
little Broey you know, and I've seen that and the only reason why I know that
is because I've been in circles where women have expressed that to me, people,
women that were really a part of the punk scene, I want to have this
conversation with you, you know about what your experience in the punk scene
was, you know, it's like, I think, I think it's important for people to know
that it's like when we go to a show, and we're hearing a band say, we're all
fucking equal here or whatever. It's like, how do we really take that message
to heart when you're out on the dance floor? You know? When you're at the show etc.
We'll save
that for another episode. And so what bands and albums have jumped out at you
over the last five years
Joe:
I'd say Senses
Fail. Their album Pull the Thorns From Your Heart was a big one. For me. You know,
not much more than that. Yeah, there hasn't been a lot in the last five years
that I've been like really like it's all just like go back to the older
stuff. You know. There's been a few bands that I've been finding recently
through social media through I've been following I've been following some some
people that are like showcasing some really cool like a new bands. I like Turnstile heaps. Soft Coat is really, really fucking cool I think it's two
women in it, it's punk. Kind of hardcore, almost metal kind of stuff. Super cool.
Alice Crow really good band. Yeah, Rad Key was another cool band that I just came across is fuckin super cool. This band
called Om that I really like. They are on the Doom metal tip. They have a little bit of a spiritual
message, I really like really like their stuff. Yeah, there are probably some
others, but I can't totally think of them right now. The Pull the Thorns from Your Heart record was like, Damn, this is fucking really like, like, I can scream that
message in my car's fucking so cool. Because it's like, yeah, Three Marks of Existence
is one of the songs and it's about the three marks of existence that Buddha
talks about in his teachings and stuff.
Next
question, Mark is going back to the
creation of the album, or the EP, and it's an understanding that you wrote and
recorded much of the music yourself, was this easy thing to do about to do by
having overall creative control? or moving forward? Will you in the future
share the task of making this important music? Like, are you wanting to
continue to create solo? Or do you want to collaborate again?
Joe:
With The Deathless, I think it's going to stay like, the songs that I write. But other
projects, like I have another project called Crucial Unicorn that is
collaborative. You know, it's a, it's a collaborative thing. And, but as far as
The Deathless, I feel like it's this is my way of expressing all the songs I
wrote. You know, when people would come in, I'd have people that I liked,
like how they play and what they bring to a song and they would just they would
add different parts and kind of their feel to it, like a lead here, whatever maybe a movement here, but the pretty much the structure was just like kind of something
that you know, I have, you know, sometimes it will get inspired by other people
that come in, but I think I have a song that I want to come in with and kind of
have complete control over it like the last say, not total control over it. You know
what, I feel it like, yes, this is it, even if they're coming in with some like
yes or no, it needs to be that way, I think for The Deathless at least.
Roxan:
Why did you
name it, The Deathless?
Joe:
The
deathless is the place within us all. That does not experience the suffering of life and death. And the Buddhists talk about that. The
meditation, mindfulness, this path, the Buddhist path brings us to the gates,
the gates to the deathless. And I always thought it was like this mystical kind
of thing, like, Oh, this karmic thing where you're no longer in this realm of
birth and death. And maybe I think it has some to do that with that. But what
I've come to learn what I've come to really learn is what he's pointing to. The
Buddha was pointing to is that place within us that experiences emotions and
thoughts, more equanimous, like even when we're not experiencing the pain of
the birth of a painful thought or emotion, we're not like suffering over it. We
see it it's there. It's that part of us that sees pain. Like that hurts. Ouch.
And, and also experiences pleasure but doesn't cling to it. Life and death that
comes in pleasant emotion comes and goes, an unpleasant emotion comes and goes.
So it's that place within us all called the consciousness, whatever. Okay, and
that's why we called it The Deathless. I called it that and my homie can help
me come up with that.
Roxan:
Are there
any final messages or words of wisdom for punks out there? Can you tell us all
how to be punk rock Gods Joe?
Joe:
No, I
cannot. The one thing I really say is, you know when I first got into like,
even playing music and this punk thing is like, I was like, against, like, you
know, the family, the two kids and the two-car garage. picket fence and
this whole stereotype and I was like, really was like against it. And then when
I wasn't in a band anymore, and I was like, Okay, well, maybe the married stuff
and I kind of got it like, I was separating this kind of idea like I needed to do one
or the other. And I don't think we need to do one or the other we can bring who
we truly are, where there's a punk ethic or anti-establishment stuff, into
everything we do, even into my family, even into raising my kids and, and
having a house having nice things. And, but still, having that, that punk ethic
where when we're saying on stage, that we're all equal here, what does that
really mean? You know, in society within our own kind of our own life? You know? I think you can, you can, you don't have to have one or the
other, you can be an old punk or 50-year-old punker and not think
that you sold out because you have a nice house and a career and you don't have
to be like, oh, I'm not a punk anymore, because I have all that kind of stuff.
So what
makes you a punk?
Joe:
I would
think that, well I don't know. It's a good question. I think it's I think it
would be like doing what you do, but against the norm not just doing it because
normative society is doing it kind of thing. Doing it your own way. Being a
father in your own way, and I see it happening in myself
with how I raise my son is like all these messages like you can't do that or
you need to be doing that. And deep down I don't believe all that kind of
stuff. It's something that a message that society or past caregivers was telling
me that I had to do, and I never felt like I could do and then that comes off
on him. So instead is like, what, what do I truly want for that? for that
person? I want them to be happy I want them to be free. I want them to feel
loved and supported. You know? So I think is not getting caught up into this
norm of society of what we need like this craving of like I need to be
successful. I need all this kind of stuff. You know to be happy.
Roxan:
You know
what I think being punk is?
Joe:
What’s
that?
I don't think
you can be punk if you haven't had scabies.
Joe:
That's
true. That's true. I have had scabies.
Roxan:
And did you
keep on like a little too long, because you just kind of couldn’t be bothered
to get it to get together to get it fixed
Joe:
I forget I
had that shit and I went and got that soap and shampoo.
Roxan:
You know
how many times I had it, so Punk man!!!
I kept my
scabies because I wanted to give them to somebody
Joe:
That is
superpunk!!!
Joe:
Thank you Roxanne for taking time and doing this, it’s cool. It feels comfortable.
Roxan:
......for all the punk people you know?
Joe:
Yeah,
that's cool. All right, thank you.
Roxan:
Mark also asked: Noah Levine
through his punk rock style of modern Buddhism has made spirituality more
appealing to the less conservative types of people i.e.us punk rockers, etc.
Two questions. Hey, how well did you think his spoken word melded with your
music on the first EP you dropped yeah, you had a different EP out?
Yes This
was the first EP. The first side of the EP was just music. And the second one
was a spoken word that he'd readout of his book, I think heart of the
revolution, I believe. And I thought it was cool. I thought he wanted to have
this aggressive kind of sounding to the point kind of thing and I just put some
feedback on my guitar underneath it. So I thought I thought it was neat. And I
thought it was like something that no one was doing. Knowing no one was doing
that and I liked Noah's message. I do like Noah's message. I think he's a great
teacher. And I think it was a good way a cool way to have maybe some, some
another crowd kind of hear that and like kind of hear this distant dissonant
kind of feedback in the background. That was a fun one to do.
Roxan:
And then
the final part of his question was: is this the way forward to integrate spiritualism. With the underground community, you often are attracted to more starchy, conservative
types peddling a spiritual revolution.
Joe:
I don't
know. I'm not a revolutionary, you know, I feel like I think it could be a good
avenue to maybe if it can benefit anybody that is struggling, and they hear a
message that maybe can help them. But as far as like a new revolution, I don't
know, I don't think it's, I don't look too much into that. My, my, my hope is
to keep evolving, evolving in my own spiritual practice, in my own personal
development in anything that I'm doing. I'm hoping that I can inspire someone
else that is maybe struggling with some of the same things that I struggle
with, and find some find some relief, through music through spirituality,
whatever.
Thanks Roxan for doing this and Mark for this interview.
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Hope you enjoyed this fantastic interview and take the time to check out both The Deathless; both EP's are fucking incredible and also both of these scallywags appear on the rad Spiritual AF.... or Wotever which ticks all boxes be it humour, reflection, or buddhist insight into life. These podcasts are always informative, heartfelt and pure entertainment. Well worth your time folks!!!.
Links:
The Deathless:
https://www.facebook.com/TheDeathless/
Tunes:
https://orcd.co/audiosnaghavol1
Spiritual AF...or Whatever Podcast
Available in all quality podcasts sites
If you'd like to hear them speak on a certain topic, have questions for the show, or would like the information for the Wednesday night meditation group, email us at spiritualaforwhatever@gmail.com
Instagram:
Joe: @_joe.clements_
Roxan: @spiritual_af @writersresource
Web:
www.spiritual-af.com
www.JosephClements.com
www.RoxanMcDonald.com
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