In 2006, with the knowledge they were going to be dropped from Island Def Jam, the Bronx had an idea; what if they could get some money from the label for demos, use it to buy recording gear and set up their own studio and make records for free?
They could even license them to labels around the world, and actually see money from record sales?
They tried it, and it worked.
“We still use [the studio] to this day. We’ve done tonnes of records there,” drummer Jorma Vik says.
“It’s been fuckin’ awesome because it doesn’t cost us anything to make records any more. We just go in whenever we feel inspired and record.”
When the Bronx formed, they drummed up their own hype, funnelling it through friends who worked at major labels, fuelling interest that culminated in record contract offers after their first show.
Having been employed at independent labels themselves – singer Matt Caughthran was with Dexter Holland’s (The Offspring) label Nitro, guitarist Joby Ford was an art director at Vagrant Records, and Vik was a mailroom clerk at Kung Fu Records – they recognised how to deal with labels and A&R (Artist & Repertoire) representatives to serve their best interests.
“When we started the Bronx there were still people [at labels] that were willing to take chances,” says Vik .“There was a joke around L.A. – you would always here A&R guys being like ‘oh yeah, this is the next Nirvana’, and it was fucking hilarious, because everybody was looking for ‘the next Nirvana’.” “It’s kind of a sad thing, but at the same time who fucking needs a major label anymore? No one. At all.”
“There are still people kind of taking chances and sticking their neck out a little bit but I feel like now people are just trying to save their asses, so they’ll just find the next thing that’s a homogenised version of something that worked before,” explains the drummer.
“It’s kind of a sad thing, but at the same time who fucking needs a major label anymore? No one. At all,” he declares.
“Especially if you’re a band like us, we aren’t gonna sell a million records and that’s kind of how our band lasted; we weren’t reliant upon record sales. So when we weren’t making money off record sales we were still able to survive because we had built a solid fan base just from touring and working our fuckin’ asses off, and that’s kind of what we can attest to the longevity of the band.”
The Bronx now run their own label, White Drugs, and Vik believes the most important lesson he learnt working in the industry came from observing, “how a lot of bands got fucked.”
“A lot of companies will have a branch in the States and a branch in Europe and all over the place. Just because people are excited about your music in the States it certainly doesn’t mean they’re gonna be excited about your music in Europe,” he explains.
“We started White Drugs so we could own our masters and pick and choose who we felt best working with, globally, for each territory.”
The latest release from the Bronx came in February, in their fourth self-titled record, their first punk release since 2008.
In the five years between, in keeping with their unconventional approach to all things punk, they formed a mariachi band, creatively titled Mariachi El Bronx.
Two self-titled records followed, which led them to the largest success of their career thus far, including tours with Big Day Out and the Killers.
“We had been doing the Bronx a long time so the Mariachi thing was just so fresh and new,” Vik says, “it just brought a whole new life back into the band.”
With the freedom that came with running their own studio and label, the Bronx members felt that they were in no rush to commit to a punk record they felt uninspired to make.
“When we did the Mariachi records we didn’t realise how much time had lapsed in between the two Bronx [hardcore] records,” the drummer says.
“We didn’t want to force it, but there was no reason to. We were still doing a little touring here and there with the Bronx, but the Mariachi thing was just a blast for us,” he adds. “We were having so much fun with it we kinda lost track of time.” “We never wanted the Bronx to be about an image or anything; we wanted it to be about music. We look like shit when we play!”
From outfits to instruments, Mariachi El Bronx was a complete package, marketed as an homage to Mexican musical culture.
For the first time in their career they concerned themselves with aesthetics, something foreign to their punk rock past. “We never wanted the Bronx to be about an image or anything; we wanted it to be about music. We look like shit when we play in the Bronx,” he jokes. “It’s awful, and we fuckin’ love it!”
With their mariachi madness taking centre stage over the past few years, Vik is aware that performing live as a punk requires a significant amount more energy.
“There’s a lot more stretching, especially now that we’re getting older,” he says. “I have an hour of stretching and warming up and all that shit ‘cause it’s impossible for your body to repair itself when you’re on tour now.”
Both incarnations of the Bronx have established a solid fan base across Australia, having toured the country almost every year since 2006.
In April, they will headline an Australian tour, including three sold-out shows at Sydney’s Annandale Hotel, on the back of their tour with the Groovin’ the Moo festival, which includes Tame Impala and the Kooks, and it won’t be the first time they’re the odd ones out on an Australian festival bill.
“When we did that – umm – oh the Meredith festival, we were kind of the only punkish band on the thing and we were like ‘fuck’!” Vik reveals, trailing off with laughter.
“It turned out to be fuckin’ rad! And that’s the cool thing about Australia, I feel like people are really open minded about music, it was a really fucken special show for us because we did not expect that kind of reaction,” he enthuses.
“I think that gave us a little more confidence in doing festivals like that [with] such a broad array of different styles of music that we don’t really fit in.”
The Bronx (IV) is out now through Shock, read the Tone Deaf review here. The Bronx head to regional centres with Groovin’ The Moo in April/May as well as playing headline sideshows around Australia, dates and details below
The Bronx 2013 Australian Tour
Wednesday April 24
Annandale Hotel, Sydney
(with Violent Soho and Hostile Objects)
Thursday April 25
Annandale Hotel, Sydney
(with DZ Deathrays)
Friday April 26
Annandale Hotel, Sydney
(with DZ Deathrays and Chinese Burns Unit)
Tuesday April 30
Corner Hotel, Melbourne
(with Violent Soho and Blacklevel Embassy)
Wednesday May 1
Corner Hotel, Melbourne
(with DZ Deathrays and Batpiss)
Thursday May 2
Fowlers Live, Adelaide
(with DZ Deathrays and Hightime)
Tuesday May 7
The Hi-Fi, Brisbane
(with DZ Deathrays and Spitfireliar)
Friday May 10
Capitol, Perth
(with DZ Deathrays)
Groovin The Moo 2013 Dates
Saturday 27 April 2013 – Maitland NSW – SOLD OUT!
Maitland Showground
Blomfield St, Maitland NSW 2320
Sunday 28 April 2013 – Canberra ACT
University of Canberra
Kirinari St Bruce ACT 2617
Saturday 4 May 2013 – Bendigo VIC – SOLD OUT!
Bendigo’s Prince of Wales Showground
42 – 72 Holmes Rd, Bendigo VIC 3550
Sunday 5 May 2013 – Townsville QLD
Murray Sports Complex – Townsville Cricket Grounds
Mervyn Crossman Dr & Murray Lyons Cres, Idalia QLD 4811
Saturday 11 May 2013 – Bunbury WA
Hay Park
(off) Parade Rd Bunbury WA 6230
