The Warlords ***New Interview***

When you think of great Oi! bands, you don't really think of California. The Warlords are just that. Great Oi! and they are fresh out of California. I was impressed to find them and hear their stuff. They have a great stage show and have played shows with some of the greatest Oi! bands out there. They have a few demos floating around and some stuff on their Myspace.com page. I got Dean to tell their story...

Introduce yourself...
Hi, I'm (Dynamite) Dean the singer from The Warlords

How did the band start?
Our band formed as a result of my old skinhead reggae band, The Vessels, breakin up. When we broke up we split to form 2 groups, The Aggrolites and  The Warlords. The Warlords started out as kind of a joke or side project. We werent playin skinhead reggae anymore and thought it would be fun to play some oi. We started taking it seriously once we got our line up settled. Migs on lead guitar (The Neutrinos), Mosquito on drums (Peeping Pervs, Urban Decay), Ricky on bass (YAPO, Crimewave), Eddie on rhythm guitar (Baldwin Park Disasters) and Me on vocals (The Vessels).

How did you come up with the name?
We thought the name sounded tough.

Who would you say are your influences?
We are still heavily influenced by Skinhead Reggae groups like the Pioneers, The Upsetters, Symarip, Jackie Mittoo, Ken Parker, Harry J, Prince Buster etc.
People say we have this Angelic Upstarts sound going on,  I dont really hear it but we have definately been influenced by many british Punk and Oi bands like Peter and the Testtube Babies, 4Skins, Cock Sparrer, The Adicts, The Crack....
I shouldn't fail to mention that we have been influence by American bands like Warzone, Battalion of Saints, Dr. Know, Litmus Green, Tough Skins, Bovver Wonderland and Iron Cross

What is the punk scene like in California?
I was really into the punk scene in the mid 90s and the scene was thriving in the urban outskirts of L.A., it died down for a bit but I have seen a resurgence just with in the last 2 or 3 years. How i see it, there will always be kids that think for themselves (especially in L.A. the land of the individual) and they will always start punk bands. Our scene has ebbed and flow through many waves but it has always been there. There are shows goin on almost every weekend now and the only difference that I see from when I first got into the scene is that it is alot more peaceful.

Describe the song writing process...
It usually starts with a guitar riff that Me or Miguel would write and then Mosquito and Ricky would add their tweaks to it to make it a complete song. Eddie has recently stated working on some great sounding material (stand strong). I would write the lyrics and Mosquito would help out with a chorus or when i would get writers' block. Since were all involved, we would like the process to be as organic as possible. We have written songs in the past that just werent ready and weve played em live and it was a disaster. We still have songs that were written years ago that are still a work in progress just because they dont feel right yet. Our best songs just seemed to come together so easily. We want to replicate that everytime or else it just sounds contrived.

What have you released?
We have recorded a few demos, we plan on getting into the studio in the fall to realease a solid recording. We also have a few offers to do splits with some really good bands, so stay tuned. for music check out Punkrockers.com/thewarlordsoi or find us on youtube.

Who are some of the bands you have done shows with?
The Business, Battalion of Saints, Tough Skins, Pressure Point, Tried & True, Razorblade Handgrenade, The Generators, YAPO,Sun City Skins, The Industry, Fighting 48th, Blue Collar Criminals, Bricktop, Hungry Ass Youth, Used & Abused, Last Days, Flex Bronco, Angel City Outcasts, oh yeah and the CumQueeftadors haha

Have you toured?
Were still building steam and have some short westcoast tours in the makes. Right now were doing road trips We've played AggroFest2 in Tucson AZ that was a blast! Were also heading out to Bakersfield to play with Skinhead Reggae band the Tarfons

Do you prefer small clubs or large venues?
It really depends on how the crowd is. We could be playing a large venue and the crowd may not be feeling it or be playing a backyard and the crowd is way into it. Either way we will play both, although we prefer playing big venues when everyone is into the music.

Is there a favorite band you like to do shows with?
Yeah, the legendary Toughskins. We have gotten to know em and theyre all great guys and gal. Danny Oi is a homie.

Is there a favorite place you like to do shows at?
We like playing in general, again the crowd makes the venue our favorite place.

What do you see is the future of The Warlords?
We really want to tour. Were not afraid of gaining fans by playing the music we love. Everyone is motivated to take this as far as we can. You can also expect to hear more reggae in our sets.

How can people contact the band?
Thewarlordsoi@gmail.com
punkrockers.com/thewarlordsoi
Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and Myspace