EastScene was able to talk with L.A. Local J-Dog from Hollywood Undead. Currently the band is on the Saints and Sinners Tour with Senses Fail, Haste the Day, and Brokencyde. The tour is ongoing until April 2nd. Be sure to check http://www.saintsandsinnersfest.net/ for dates.
ES: Let’s just jump into it starting off with the tour. How’s the tour going?
JD: The tour’s been amazing. Fucking almost every night has been sold out, Senses Fail is awesome, the kids are crazy and we really connect.
ES: The Saints and Sinners Tour is pretty much known for having a wide variety in music. What’s it like bringing your music to the table?
JD: Well you see Senses Fail kids singing their songs and you see kids singing our songs.
ES: That’s definitely good to hear. Do you think you’d be playing this kind of tour when you first started?
JD: No not at all. When we first started as a band I thought we’d be out of touch by now. We had no idea that we’d be playing any tour especially playing this one. I mean I’m shocked.
ES: While on the tour have you guys come up with any new material or have you just been focusing on doing the shows?
JD: Mainly the shows but we do write on the side. We’re focusing on the shows more because we just love playing and we feel that makes our shows better. We’re always writing new songs but we’re just focusing on touring right now.
ES: Before you said you never imagined being on a tour like Saints and Sinners so what was it like being told you’d have songs featured in video games like Madden and Rockband?
JD: It’s kind of surreal because my friends who I grew up with really don’t give a shit that I’m in a band, but they’ll be playing Madden and they’ll get in touch with me and be like “Hey, you’re song is in Madden!” and I’ll be like “Yeah, I know”. If they find my shit on MTV it’s no big deal but if it’s in Madden I’m suddenly cool. I guess it’s just cool for my friends for it to be in something they do.
ES: Have you played the games?
JD: Guys in the band play Madden and Rockband, but I never played it really. I’m not into the sports games, I’m more of a Final Fantasy type of guy.
ES: I know what you mean. For the guys who play Rockband, what was it like playing the song on it if they have?
JD: It’s actually pretty different. Y’know it’s funny, Charlie Scene plays guitar on Rockband and there’s a part in the song, like on the actual recording, and he didn’t play it live and he saw that Rockband was playing it. So after he played Rockband he started playing it live. Y’know, the solo part in the verses so it sort of taught him how to play it live.
ES: Wow, that’s nice.
JD: True story too.
ES: Well I’m going to take this in a different direction. Where did the idea for the masks come from?
JD: When we first started this band, Deuce the lead singer, his parents were in a crime syndicate around the LA area. So when we first started we didn’t want people to know who he was and we couldn’t just have one guy wearing a mask, it’d be stupid so we all started wearing masks. It just stuck with us.
ES: Where did the designs come from?
JD: Well we all designed them ourselves. Each mask has it’s own personality but we’ll have new designs coming up with Marc Ecko pretty soon.
ES: Sounds exciting.
JD: Yeah we’re pretty stoked about that.
ES: What about the stage names, where did those come from?
JD: They’re pretty straight forward. For me it’s just my initials. Charlie Scene..it has to do with Charlie Sheen, his favorite actor. Johnny 3 Tears is a nickname he’s just had forever. So it’s just like names we had that just stuck.
ES: Let’s talk about the music for a little bit. Your songs cover a lot of ground lyrically from partying to songs like Sell Your Soul. What’s the writing process like?
JD: Usually Deuce will come up with a beat or a song or an idea. Or we’ll come to him with an idea, y’know some kind of concept for a song. From there we just collaborate and bounce ideas off of each other. It’s a pretty natural process. I mean we do only have one album out but we have like thirty songs.
ES Would you say you have any musical influences?
JD: Yeah, Buddy from Senses Fail is like a musical influence to me. Dude is like Elvis on stage, tapdancing and shit. Definitely my influence.
ES: I went to your MySpace recently and it says “For a good time call (323)-271-0663″ is there a backstory to that?
JD: Nah that’s just my aunt’s phone number, she’s crazy. Loves talking to our fans. So if you’re looking for a good time just give her a call.
ES: Haha, I’ll have to remember that.
JD: Just a warning though she’ll chew your ear off.
ES: You guys seem excited to be back in New York, you were here yesterday and are gonna be back on Tuesday. What makes New York so appealing?
JD: I was born in LA but the other 3,000 people in my italian family live in New York so when I go there I just hang out with them. They all live in Bay Ridge in Brooklyn.
ES: And for coming to New York you guys had a contest. What was the turn out like for that in terms of entires?
JD: Oh well it’s been awesome because everyone loves free shit. We gave out skateboards once and I tried to take one but the record label made me send it back. So they get free shit and I don’t so they’re happy.
ES: I would hope so, that’s a big sacrifice to make.
JD: Yeah cause I don’t get anything, everyone else does.
ES: Anything else you wanna say?
JD: Yeah, COME TO OUR SHOWS!
Have something to say? Hit us up on Twitter
