Most successful musicians don't have to worry about the appearance of making too much money; we expect our stars to live the good life. But when you're in the punk world of DIY, rebellion and socialist slogans, something as innocuous as arriving at a gig in a limo could kill your career.
So could signing with a major label like RCA/Sony BMG. That's what highly political punk veterans Anti-Flag did for the release of their 2006 album, For Blood and Empire. The Pittsburgh-based band's new album, The Bright Lights of America — largely a screed against the country's homogenization and the blind faith that led us into a protracted war in Iraq — also bears the RCA/Sony BMG logo. All of Anti-Flag's previous releases, which date back to the mid-1990s, were issued on the quartet's own A-F imprint or on indie labels like Fat Wreck Chords. We caught up with Anti-Flag frontman Justin Sane, 35, prior to a recent gig in Minnesota to discuss his band's foray into Corporate America.
Much has been made about you signing with RCA/Sony BMG — after all, your band did record "No Bloodthirsty Corporations." What prompted the decision?
For starters, "N.B.C." is a song about the military industrial complex, about corporations that sell death for profit. To say RCA sells death for profit is ludicrous. That said, I do believe that corporate culture in our society is out of control. I think that Sony/BMG is more enemy than friend. [But] if someone can help promote our ideas, I'll take it. I'd rather have their money promoting my ideas than Britney Spears or American Idol. We spent time with Rage Against the Machine and Michael Moore and could see the impact those guys had, how we could maintain control with, for lack of a better term, an evil corporation, and let them help us put our ideas over.
Were there reservations?
We had a lot of reservations but had been getting offers from [major] labels for a long time. That being the case, we had parameters that any label would have to meet, mostly artistic control: lyrics, music, cover art, ads, etc. RCA was willing to meet our demands. It was too good an opportunity to walk away from.
Produced by Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex) The Bright Lights of America has a grander, some might say poppier or more accessible, sound than previous Anti-Flag releases. It's fleshed out with keyboards, timpani, even a children's choir. Yet, the politics of the lyrics are as savage as ever. Is punk music more about the actual music or the message and attitude?
There's always room for both, but the music I grew up with often was music that had a social or political message. It somehow seemed more exciting to me. Bands like The Dead Kennedys, The Clash, Bob Marley — it was music about bringing people together and breaking down barriers. That said, it's important for music to connect on an emotional level. If it doesn't connect, the message won't connect. They're equally important.
In the studio, do you put limits on how far you will stray from traditional punk?
I don't see it that way. I think punk rock is also about following your heart. I think we should do whatever matters to us, what we care about, what moves us. We should follow that direction. People who've followed our band a long time, who really care, those people really do matter to us. Their opinion matters. They've come to expect a certain sound or idea from Anti-Flag. That's fair. They got into Anti-Flag because that kind of music appealed to them. [But] as an artist it's important to break out of the place I started and try to do new things so playing music stays exciting. On this record, we tried to [strike a] balance. Tried to do new and classic things to make it interesting for us and the audience. We have a smart audience; they're capable of grasping onto new things. We trust them and take a chance. They're smart enough; that's why they stay with us. It's a give-and-take relationship.
What came first for you, political activism or punk rock?
Political activism. I grew up in a household where my parents opened the first vegetarian restaurant in Pittsburgh. My parents were really involved in the antiwar movement and civil rights. We grew up [Justin is the youngest of nine siblings] with all these views and activism taking place — it was just a way of life for me. Then I came across punk rock. Punk bands were singing about issues I could relate to. It was like, "Wow, this really moves me."
Which non-musician was the biggest influence on you?
Easily my parents and my brothers and sisters. We were raised Irish Catholic; my dad's from Ireland and has dual citizenship. Being Irish had a huge impact on me because of the oppression they have suffered by England. I could relate to the idea of being oppressed. I grew up very poor, which probably had the biggest impact on me. I can relate to standing in the food line and empathize with other people who don't have a voice or are treated unjustly. That's probably the biggest reason why I write what I write.
Songs don't get much more fatalistic than "The Modern Rome Burning," which is included on The Bright Lights of America. Do you really think the barbarians are at the gate and the United States is on the verge of ruin?
I do think our society, in a lot of ways, is on the verge of ruin. When you look at the influence Corporate America has on the government, it's troubling. When the government is waging wars for Weapons of Mass Destruction that don't exist, you have to follow the money and it leads to Halliburton and oil companies — that's who is running the country. I think that there's no government that can continue to function like that and not collapse. It's not acting in the best interest of the country, only the few people at the top. That said, "Modern Rome Burning" is actually a positive song. It's saying this system is broken, it's non-sustainable, and for that reason it's going to burn itself down — but then we'll be able to build something better.
This article appears in Apr 23-29, 2008.